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Housing ordinance's second half
By MICHELLE KU
After debating changes to the residential homes ordinance at the last three City Council meetings, council appears ready to approve the proposal--and possibly a second new housing statute--at its March 15 meeting.
The regulation the council will likely pass requires that homes have a flat .35 floor-area-ratio (FAR), with the possibility of moving to a .45 FAR after plans are reviewed by an architectural committee.
Some residents voiced support for a previously proposed sliding scale FAR recommended by the Planning Commission, which, until recent meetings, appeared to be the direction the council would take. Liling Wang, who has been planning on building a new home for the last 10 years, was shocked the City Council moved to a flat .35 FAR. "This is too much," Wang said.
There is a strong possibility that council will exempt single-story homes from the review committee stipulation, according to Bob Cowan, director of community development. "[Council] wants a little more information before they make their decision," he added.
At the March 1 meeting, council directed city staff to a create a design review ordinance--the council must pass the proposal before creating a committee. The committee will include a planning commissioner, a member from the planning department and a professional architect.
The Residential Design Review Committee's guidelines have to be determined. The planning department will work with Mark Srebnik, consulting architect, to create the criteria.
As part of the residential housing ordinance, council stipulated that home builders use story poles to inform neighbors about upcoming developments. Story poles form a wooden skeleton in the general shape of the building with ribbons delineating the roof line. The poles would go up 10 days before the project's public meeting. The city would also provide notice to adjacent neighbors about the development.
Story poles are becoming common in the surrounding communities-and they can be expensive.
"Story poles in Los Altos are running around $1,500," Srebnik said. "The minimum for a typical house is $700 or more."
Throughout discussions about changes to the ordinance, FAR has been the most controversial issue. Most residents who spoke at the meeting said the .35 FAR--the minimum size before a two-story building would go before a design review committee-was too restrictive.
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Cupertino, California Since 1947
