CCMIN111798 - Laserfiche WebLink

Mr. Swift said if Mr. Thomas' request is approved, the house would sit next to the trees. But the Planning Commission and staff are not recommending approval of that set of plans at this time. Ms. Ayala asked if the cracks in Bethel Lane would be fixed. She understood that when a fire truck drove on the road, the road did not support the weight of the truck. Mr. Swirl did not know anything about the cracks in the roadway. When the tract improvements are ready for acceptance, staff would require the cracks to be repaired according to city standards. Ms. Ayala asked if the slope of the street right before the hammerhead turnaround was according to city standards. Mr. Swirl said the slope is basically a driveway for purposes of access. It is not all that steep in terms of what the city has allowed for others. Mayor Tarver asked if Mr. Thomas would be responsible for the maintenance of the extension for the turnaround up the hill. Mr. Swift said the conditions state that the extension is a part of Bethel Lane and -- necessary for fire trucks to turn around. The maintenance would be the responsibility of all the property owners. Mayor Tarver declared the public hearing open. Jerrell Thomas, 27933 Via Ventana, Los Altos Hills, said he has been working on this project for the past eight years and has done everything in his power to make this development what it should be. The staff report does a very good job of pointing out the benefits. He said the City is receiving considerable benefits from this project and felt it would be unethical for the City at this time to deny the application. He said the City has collected assessments specifically for this lot. The City also required 1.15 acres of land to be deeded to an adjoining property as a prior condition of approval. At the time the condition was assessed, Mr. Hempy owned both pieces of land, so deeding 1.15 acres was not a problem. But now he (Mr. Thomas) owns the land and the 1.15 acres is his property. He said the plans for the custom home have already gone through the process. He agreed with staff that this may not be the house built but would like to retain the plans as an option. He said the guidelines in Item 4 of Exhibit B can be left in or taken out. Item 4e requests that the soil around the base of the trees be removed. He said Horticulture Science has evaluated the situation and has recommended a procedure for removing the dirt. Item 4k requests that an updated geological technical report be submitted. He said the report has already been submitted to Engineering. Item 4j, refers to the setbacks. He submitted drawings of the original plan when the planned unit development plans were approved. He said the Pleasanton City Council 10 11/17/98 Minutes