By Lauren McSherry

The power struggle between Los Altos city staff and the city’s bicycle and pedestrian advisory committee (BPAC) appears to be settled, but not without some intervention on the part of the city council.

The dispute began last month when BPAC asked to review and give feedback during the design stage of certain projects being handled by staff. Members of the group wanted BPAC to assume the role of providing recommendations for certain projects early in the design process.

Members claimed it was time staff let them participate in the process because other Peninsula cities, including Saratoga, Palo Alto and Sunnyvale, already have a similar function in place for their bicycle and pedestrian advisory committees.

City staff argued strongly against opening the way for BPAC to weigh in, saying BPAC involvement would slow down the process, create liability issues and undermine staff authority.

“Are you (the council) depending on the staff to give you an independent decision no matter what the popularity of it is?” City Manager Phil Rose asked during a council meeting Nov. 29. Jim Porter, public works director, agreed, pointing out that staff must adhere to engineering standards that the committee does not.

BPAC members argued that reviewing project designs when they are about one-third complete would provide the opportunity to give input early and could save time and money. They said they wanted to give recommendations only and that changing plans would be left to staff’s discretion.

“This wouldn’t apply to all their projects, only a handful,” said Curt Riffle, BPAC chairman. He estimated that only two capital improvement projects - a pedestrian bridge planned over Adobe Creek and the Stevens Creek Trail - out of 15 planned for the 2006-2007 fiscal year would apply to the request.

“We’re not talking about a big number here,” he said. “We’re talking about a better final design.”

But the city manager also opposed the limited request, claiming that allowing one committee and not others to participate in design review is a slippery slope.

“I think as a policy it’s going to be very unfair to say to one committee they can do it and to another commission they can’t,” Rose said. “How do you draw the line? Why is it BPAC and not somebody else?”

In the end, the council opted to allow BPAC to participate in design review on a trial basis. The group will be allowed to pick one project next year for which it can make recommendations.

A BPAC subcommittee will be on call to review plans immediately, to work within staff’s time frame, Riffle said.