By Lauren McSherry

Los Altos Hills

The document that governs municipal policies from housing to hazardous waste in Los Altos Hills needs to be overhauled. That was the message in a letter the state of California recently sent the town regarding its general plan.

All California cities are legally required to have a general plan - a document that guides a city’s long-term development.

Cities typically review and update their plan every 10 to 20 years. Los Altos Hills has barely altered its General Plan since its 1975 adoption. Only two of its seven sections, called elements, have been revised.

One problem with the town’s outdated plan is that it deals with issues no longer relevant - such as truck traffic, noise and dust from Neary Quarry. The former quarry is now a lake, and the land surrounding it, a subdivision.

The plan names three public elementary schools within the town boundaries. All have since been closed.

Earlier this month, the city council appointed Dot Schreiner, a former planning commissioner, to work with Councilman Mike O’Malley and the town’s planning director on the first stage of the update.

Schreiner advised the council that it should address outdated policies in the plan, since its purpose is to give credibility to the town’s codes and planning decisions.

“Let’s get on with this because it’s so ancient, it’s creaking,” Schreiner said.

The update process can be lengthy - it involves reviewing and rewriting parts of the seven elements and holding public hearings to gather input on the changes.

“It’s quite a process,” said Maureen Cassingham, city manager. “It’s not something that would be done quickly. A year and a half would be about the quickest we could go.”

Topics that could be addressed as part of the update include cell towers, protecting wildlife corridors and open space, schools, recreation and serving senior citizens, Schreiner said.

The seven mandatory elements are circulation, conservation, housing, land use, noise, open space and safety.