City Hall Closed Friday

The City of Los Altos will observe the Veterans Day holiday on Friday, November 10, 2017. City Hall and Recreation offices will be closed for the day. Normal office hours will resume on Monday, November 13, 2017. Emergency services will not be impacted by the holiday.

Hillview Community Center Project

On Tuesday, November 7, 2017, the Hillview Community Center Project Task Force held a public meeting with City staff and Noll & Tam architects to learn about and review the design process from start to finish using an example of a completed project by Noll & Tam, the Los Gatos Library. The Task Force also examined three building concepts that were developed based on their feedback and input gathered from the community via public meetings, Task Force communications and community surveys. The Task Force revisited its overall goals and vision for the project and held a thoughtful discussion to establish the alignment of insights, themes, and considerations that will be included as part of the final report to City Council on December 12, 2017. After providing feedback to Noll & Tam, the Task Force selected one concept for further development, which will be reviewed at the November 30, 2017 meeting. As community representatives, the Task Force has helped Noll & Tam understand the essence of Los Altos, which will continue guiding the architects in their design of a community center that is relevant and valued by all. Meeting materials, including the Noll & Tam presentation can be viewed online.

The community is reminded to participate in the Community Center Architectural & Landscape Characteristics survey, which is available on Open City Hall. The survey will remain open until midnight on November 13, 2017. To be notified of project updates, please subscribe to the Hillview Community Center email list at losaltosca.gov/enotify. 

City Clerk

Public Art Master Plan

On Tuesday, November 14, 2017, the City Council will review the draft Public Art Master Plan as recommended by the Public Arts Commission. To review the draft Master Plan, click here.

smART SERIES: Conversations on Art, Place and Innovation

The Public Arts Commission welcomes community members to Building Beautiful Places That Matter, a conversation about art, place and innovation on Thursday, November 16, 2017 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Los Altos Library, Orchard Room (13 S. San Antonio Road). Danny Harris, San Jose Program Director with the Knight Foundation, will discuss how Los Altos can embrace and accelerate its Public Art Master Plan. We’ll explore best practices from around the country and discuss the potential impact of the new plan on the City’s future. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to learn more about how other cities have developed and implemented their master arts plans—the challenges they faced and what was achieved. This event is complimentary but be sure to arrive early since seats are limited.

Public Art Highlight

Bird: Located in Lincoln Park (north of the Gazebo), Bird was installed in 2013 and currently is on loan to the City by artist Riis Burwell. Mr. Burwell says “Bird is my homage to the jazz musician Charlie Parker. It was also inspired by the ideas expressed in Brancusi’s sculpture ‘Bird in Space’.” Standing 11 feet tall, Bird is one of the tallest sculptures in the City’s Outdoor Sculpture Program. Bird is made of bronze and stainless steel.

City Council Open Office Hours This Sunday

The Los Altos City Council will host Open Office Hours this Sunday, November 12, 2017 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Hillview Community Center, Room 2 (97 Hillview Avenue). One City Council member will be available to the public to answer questions, receive input and discuss topics of interest with community members. Everyone is welcome. Additional Open Office Hours:

Monday, November 20, 2017

10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Grant Park (Room 3)

1575 Holt Avenue, Los Altos

Thursday, December 7, 2017

2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Hillview Community Center, Room 2

97 Hillview Avenue, Los Altos

Wednesday, December 20, 2017

7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Los Altos Main Library, Orchard Room

13 S. San Antonio Road, Los Altos

Community Development

Draeger’s Project Update

The first stage of the Draeger’s remodel and addition project will get underway soon. The grocery store, which is located at 342 First Street, will begin preparing for the undergrounding of utilities to the site. During this period, a room will be constructed that will serve as the utilities room. This room will be incorporated in the addition to the store in later phases of the project. There will also be some demolition work taking place during this first phase as room is made for the addition.

Planning Commission to Consider Revised Accessory Structure Regulations

In response to direction from City Council to review and update the City’s accessory structure regulations, the Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on Thursday, November 16, 2017 at 7:00 p.m. in the Community Meeting Chambers at Los Altos City Hall (1 N San Antonio Road) to consider amendments to the Zoning Code. The proposed amendments include the creation of a new chapter in the Zoning Code to consolidate and clarify all accessory structure regulations; an increase in the minimum setback for accessory structures in a rear yard setback, establishment of a maximum lot coverage for accessory structures in the rear yard setback, and requiring structures to meet a daylight plane on all property lines. The overarching goal of the amendments is to maintain homeowner flexibility for the placement of accessory structures while protecting the privacy of neighbors and minimizing the appearance of bulk and mass for new accessory structures. Once the Planning Commission makes a recommendation, the City Council will hold a public hearing to consider adoption.

Public Works

Loyola Corners Signal Issues

The traffic signal at Miramonte Avenue/A Street/Fremont Avenue has been experiencing signal timing issues for the last couple weeks. Staff has been working diligently to address the problem. It was discovered that the timing issues were caused by a defective communication cable and camera malfunction. Both the camera and the communications cable were fixed last week. Staff is assessing signal timing and will implement adjustments this week.

City-wide Street Improvement Projects

Phase two of the city-wide street improvement project is ongoing. The contractor has completed all surface treatments and street striping work will begin next week. Crews will maintain through access and minimize traffic impacts as much as possible, however, residents are encouraged to be mindful of the work schedule and route to avoid the area and unnecessary delays. If you have any questions about the project or would like to view a schedule of work, please contact the City of Los Altos Engineering Division at (650) 947-2780, or check the project webpage.

Cured-In-Place Pipe (CIPP) Corrosion Rehabilitation Project

The City’s contractor, Insituform Technologies, LLC, completed sewer main repairs consisting of lining two 30-inch sanitary sewer mains located in Covington Road (between Seena Avenue and Golden Way, and between Russel Avenue and Covington Court) last week. This week, the contractor removed the above-ground bypass system and the traffic control. The contractor will remove the remaining equipment (forklift, compressors and mini-excavator) this week and will complete minor asphalt work around one of the sewer manholes.

PG&E Gas Line Upgrade

PG&E continues to upgrade the natural gas distribution lines on Templebar Way, Thames Lane, Kingswood Way, Ashby Lane and Pine Lane. As of this week, PG&E has completed the preparation for boring of a 2” plastic pipe. The boring will begin next week and all pipes should be completed by the end of next week. Once all pipes are installed and have passed all tests, PG&E will transfer services. During construction, one lane will be closed between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. with traffic control measures in place. It is anticipated to have minor traffic delays during the construction period. For any information or concern, please contact PG&E local representative, Crystal Jewel at (408) 725-2240 or email gasprojectinfo@pge.com.

Pre-Storm Active Construction Sites Inspection

Under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit, all active construction sites must prevent stormwater runoff pollutants from discharging to the streets and creeks. The Public Works Department recently completed a citywide pre-storm active construction sites inspection; roughly 230 active construction sites were inspected. Most construction sites have proper stormwater protection measures installed. For construction sites that have inadequate stormwater protect measures, the Public Works Department is assisting contractors to ensure the sites comply with the current requirements.

Engineering Staff Attend Pavement Training

Last week, staff from the engineering division attended StreetSaver software training held by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC). StreetSaver is the software the City currently uses to manage roadway pavement conditions and plan improvement projects. In addition to helping the City with maintenance decisions to prevent pavement problems, this software also anticipates the future condition of pavement based on different levels of funding. It is a powerful pavement management software tool commonly used by cities and counties in the Bay Area.

Reminders

Commissions Now Accepting Applications

The Los Altos City Council invites residents to apply for appointment to the Financial Commission and Parks and Recreation Commission. Each Commission contributes knowledge and expertise that helps guide and inform decisions made by the City Council. Serving on a Commission is a fantastic way to give-back to your community and residents are encouraged to take advantage of this unique opportunity. Applicants must be residents of the City of Los Altos to be considered for an appointment. Applications are due by Wednesday, November 29, 2017 and interviews are tentatively scheduled to take place Tuesday, December 12, 2017. Applications can be picked-up at Los Altos City Hall, downloaded as a PDF, or submitted online. Submit completed applications to the City Clerk’s Office at City Hall. For more information about any open recruitment, call (650) 947-2720 or visit losaltosca.gov/cc. 

Community Center Architectural & Landscape Survey

Community members are invited to review a series of architectural and landscape images and rank those they believe to be the best fit for a Los Altos Community Center building within the Civic Center campus. The deadline to complete the Open City Hall survey is Monday, November 13, 2017 at midnight. Insights gathered from the survey will assist the project team as they work towards developing a Community Center design that reflects the preferences of the Los Altos community. Click here for survey

Downtown Vision Community Workshop

A second Downtown Vision Community Workshop will take place Wednesday, November 29, 2017 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Los Altos Youth Center, 1 N San Antonio Road. Community members are invited to review and provide input on the four future scenarios for the Downtown. The consultant team will conduct a number of activities with the workshop participants that are intended to elicit which, or which combination, of the four scenarios best represent how the Downtown should evolve over time.

30 ^th Annual Gingerbread House Exhibit

Registration is now open for all Gingerbread House Exhibitors. Make your edible Gingerbread creation and enjoy the smiles that you will bring by showing the community your work at our 30th Annual Gingerbread Exhibit. New location this year…Grant Park Community Center, Room 4. Register online at losaltosrecreation.org (Activity #252501-01) or pick-up/print out an application/flyer at the Recreation & Community Services office (97 Hillview Avenue). For more information call (650) 947-2790.

Change Your Clocks, Change Your Batteries

The Rotary Club of Los Altos is hosting is annual program to assist seniors by changing the batteries in their smoke detectors. This will take place on Saturday, November 11, 2017 from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. To reserve an appointment please call the Los Altos Senior Center at (650) 947-2797.