Residents on Verano Drive in Los Altos, intent on maintaining their backyard privacy, urged the city council May 4 to consider extending a current single-story zoning ordinance to include their Solana Drive neighbors.

Currently, the single-story overlay zone, which went into effect in 2002, bans Verano Drive residents from exceeding a 20-foot building height limit.

The original application - submitted with approval from the required 50 percent of Verano residents - requested that the zone include the backyard neighbors on Solana Drive. But councilmembers in November 2001 contended that since one side of Solana already had several two-story homes, it would be unfair to split the street in half and require only one side to adhere to single-story zoning. Instead, the council voted to include only Verano Drive residents.

But Verano residents complained that the city had failed to take into account the fact that second-story Solana Drive neighbors would be able to overlook the Verano backyards. Now they are calling for a rezoning ordinance.

Community Development Director James Walgren said the main issue is whether it is appropriate “to impose regulations on a block behind them to protect (Verano residents’) privacy.” A fair method for proceeding would be to allow Solana Drive residents to submit their own application for zoning, Walgren said. The city has yet to hear proposals from those residents.

Mayor Ron Packard, who heard disgruntled Verano Drive residents concerns on backyard privacy, agreed that the previous council decision lacked foresight. The council has directed the city attorney to examine rezoning options to include backyard neighbors.