Busy spring and summer faces city council in Monte Sereno

By Gloria I. Wang

Spring and summer will be busy seasons for Monte Sereno, as the city makes changes on important policies that will affect future housing applications.

The city will conduct interviews for its revamped Site and Architecture Commission in June and July, after the city council reviews its zoning ordinance and its findings in approving or denying a project.

After receiving applications for several extremely large homes in recent years, council members became concerned with regulating bulk and mass in new projects. The city's zoning ordinance, however, has no language dictating what's permissible for bulk and mass.

What this means for Monte Sereno residents is that those seeking to build new homes or expand existing houses could face new limitations on the size of their buildings.

The city has tentatively scheduled a discussion of the zoning ordinance for April 16 and a public hearing on the ordinance May 7 for adoption by June 21.

Council members will also examine their findings--standards in justifying whether to deny or approve an application. That public hearing is set for May 21.

In the midst of adopting revised regulations, the council will advertise for citizen involvement on its Site and Architecture Commission, which currently consists of two council members. Those council members will be replaced by three or four Monte Sereno residents, in an effort to maintain objectivity in the decision-making process and to increase citizen participation. After a month of training, the new commissioners are expected to start meeting Aug. 17.

City Manager Brian Loventhal said at the March 19 city council meeting that four or five people had come in to inquire about being part of the commission. In addition, council members had also talked to several interested parties.

Those citizens should attend Site and Architecture Commission meetings, said Councilwoman Suzanne Jackson, and study applications and visit sites. "At least they can get an idea, initially, of what it entails," Jackson said. The meetings are typically held every first Wednesday of the month.

The council also encouraged potential commissioners to attend and observe city council meetings, which start at 7:30 p.m. every first and third Tuesday of the month.

Prospective applicants must be Monte Sereno residents and registered voters, and have some interest in or familiarity with planning and city processes. Loventhal wants to emphasize the criteria that applicants can't work for the city or have any financial dealings with the city, as written in the state's financial conflict-of-interest rules.

Council will discuss rules and procedures for commission appointments and operations at its April 2 meeting.

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