By Lauren McSherry

Los Altos Hills’ new town hall became a packed house for the first time Thursday night. Residents objecting to Palo Alto’s plans to install two traffic lights along Arastradero Road lined up during a regular city council meeting, ready to speak their minds.

Over recent weeks, a grass-roots effort led by Fremont Road resident Kim Cranston alerted neighborhoods along Arastradero Road that Stanford University’s Mayfield Development Agreement with Palo Alto would result in increased traffic that would be mitigated by two traffic signals along the winding country road that designates the northern boundary of Los Altos Hills. One light would be located at the Hillview Avenue intersection and the other at the Deer Creek Road intersection.

Representatives from Palo Alto’s planning department said the signals are necessary because if the roadway’s traffic flow is allowed to deteriorate, drivers will “find another way,” cutting through the Hills’ residential neighborhoods.

Among the complaints voiced by residents was “defective noticing” of homeowners living within 600 feet of “the triangle” created by Foothill Expressway, Arastradero Road and Hillview Avenue, where Stanford plans to build 430,000 square feet of office space as part of its research park.

Residents said they had been “blindsided” because the notice that was sent out did not specifically mention plans to develop “the triangle,” so they had no way of knowing how they would be affected by the Mayfield agreement.

City Attorney Steve Mattas said the fliers mailed out were “not worded in such a way to put residents of Los Altos Hills on notice of what will be the impact to them.”

Planning Director Carl Cahill said his department did not receive notice of the project’s Environmental Impact Report. Noticing of cities is required under the California Environmental Quality Act.

Based on Palo Alto’s traffic report and EIR, in the next five years, more than 1,000 additional daily cars trips, an increase of about 10 percent, would occur on Arastradero Road.

“I think given the current situation we’re getting the shaft,” Councilman Dean Warshawsky said.

The council responded by voting unanimously to send a letter to Palo Alto Mayor Jim Burch requesting the Palo Alto council reconsider its approval of the EIR and reopen the public hearing process.

Palo Alto councilmembers postponed their final vote on the Mayfield agreement May 11 after Hills Councilman Jean Mordo beseeched them to permit further discussion between the two cities. Palo Alto City Council was expected to consider either giving final approval of the project or reopening the public hearing process Tuesday night, after the Town Crier’s press deadline.

Under the Mayfield agreement, Stanford will lease the 6-acre Mayfield site, at the corner of El Camino Real and Page Mill Road, to Palo Alto for $1 per year for 51 years and will construct soccer fields there at no cost to the city. In exchange for Stanford building 250 units of housing along California Avenue, Palo Alto granted Stanford the right to relocate office space to the Hillview site.