By Ryan Ozimek
A request to subdivide a parcel of land off Pierce Road totaling nine acres narrowly passed 3-2 at the July 24 Saratoga Planning Commission meeting.
The item met with opposition from neighbors, who felt that the construction of a proposed bridge across the Calabazas Creek on one of the lots should be closely watched by the Planning Commission.
Neighbors, such as Louis Franklin, spoke of past storms that have caused the small creek to quickly rise and their fear that a bridge across the creek may produce more backflow on the creek, causing water to rise to dangerously high levels.
Another neighbor, Luanne Nieman, questioned whether Measure G should be applied to the parcel due to a change in use of the property and increased housing density. But staff stated that the lot was zoned for the type of property planned for construction and that the measure would not affect this parcel.
In other actions, a request to approve construction of a two-story, 5,340-square-foot residence on Douglass Lane passed unanimously.
The commission also unanimously approved a four-part construction project by Pacific Bell Mobile Services to place an antenna on West Valley Community College, on the vacant lot on Sousa Lane at Quito Road, on the commercial building at the Saratoga Oaks shopping center and at Congress Springs Park on Glen Brae Drive.
The Congress Springs Park location proposal was opposed by neighboring residents, who felt that such an antenna would damage their view of the park. As part of the approval, however, the commission asked that the antenna be painted a sky blue and that shrubbery be put around the antenna and its utility cabinets to provide screening.
Both a second-story addition on Montalvo Road and a request to build a two-story, 5,528-square-foot residence on a vacant lot on Vintage Lane passed unanimously.
A vote on a request for design review approval of a 5,462-square-foot two-story residence on Burnett Drive was postponed until the Aug. 14 Planning Commission meeting.
This article appeared in the Saratoga News, July 31, 1996.
©1996 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved