[0:50] Let's
[1:02] call the town council meeting of June
[1:05] 9th, 2026 to order. Jennifer, will you
[1:07] take role?
[1:08] >> Council member Alberish here.
[1:10] >> Council member Brown here. Council
[1:11] >> member Gold here.
[1:12] >> Council member Wall here.
[1:14] >> Mayor Donowski
[1:15] >> here. Thank you. Council member Wall,
[1:17] will you lead us in the pledge of
[1:18] allegiance?
[1:26] to the stands. One nation under God,
[1:30] indivisible, with liberty and justice
[1:33] for all.
[1:39] » Okay. With that, we'll go on to public
[1:42] comment. uh persons wishing to address
[1:44] the council on any non-aggendaized items
[1:46] are invited to do so now that are within
[1:48] the jurisdiction of the town. Please
[1:50] note however that the council cannot
[1:51] undertake uh any extended discussion or
[1:53] act on non-aggendaized items. Such items
[1:55] can be referred to staff for placement
[1:57] on a future agenda. This will be limited
[1:59] to five persons three minutes each and
[2:01] we will stick with that tonight given uh
[2:03] we do have a very full agenda once
[2:05] again. So um if you have a
[2:07] non-aggendaized item and you'd like to
[2:09] speak on it um please approach the mic.
[2:11] Welcome, Kotti.
[2:14] >> Good evening.
[2:15] >> Evening.
[2:15] >> I'm Kotti Dancer, 110 Landing Drive,
[2:19] Woodside. This year marks my 27th year
[2:22] as president and program director of
[2:24] Woodside Junior Writers. Woodside Junior
[2:26] Writers has been a local institution
[2:28] since 1947. It is the oldest
[2:31] continuously operating riding program
[2:34] for children in Northern California. We
[2:36] operate on a very tight, modest budget
[2:39] and keep our costs as low as possible
[2:42] for participating families. Our 8week
[2:45] English riding program serves children
[2:47] ages 6 to 16 and emphasizes good
[2:50] horsemanship, horse safety, proper horse
[2:53] care, and respect for horses.
[2:58] Many junior riders families who are new
[3:00] to horses
[3:02] >> just push that
[3:03] >> after participating in the program for
[3:06] several years uh they end up buying
[3:08] horse property in town. This helps
[3:11] preserve Woodside's equestrian and rural
[3:14] heritage. I am here tonight to ask the
[3:17] council's help in protecting the
[3:19] property at Kylie Field, the more than
[3:21] 20 horses on site each summer, and the
[3:23] nearby residents from significant fire
[3:26] risk posed by parking hot vehicles on
[3:29] dry grass field in July.
[3:32] On September 2nd, 2025, a major fire was
[3:36] started along 280 by a car pulling off
[3:39] the shoulder near Farmhill Boulevard.
[3:41] The fire grew and burned several acres
[3:44] of Joe Putnham's property at the end of
[3:46] Mission Trail. It was a significant
[3:48] fire. My home is very close by. We could
[3:51] hear all the fire trucks going up the
[3:53] road, and I could see the smoke drifting
[3:54] towards my home.
[3:57] Shortly thereafter, a sheriff came to my
[3:59] door and told us we should evacuate. I
[4:01] had four horses at home, two dogs, a
[4:03] cat, and a bird. Our trailer does not
[4:06] hold four horses. Luckily, a neighbor
[4:08] rode one out bearback, passed the sirens
[4:11] and with the planes overhead, I took the
[4:13] rest of the animals and tried to leave,
[4:16] but our roads became so clogged with
[4:18] emergency vehicles that I had to drive
[4:20] our pickup truck down the horse trail to
[4:23] get to safety. If a fire broke out in
[4:25] the trip road area, it would be a much
[4:27] worse disaster.
[4:30] During the annual Junior Writers Board
[4:33] meeting at the end of January in 2025,
[4:37] we discussed the devastating Los Angeles
[4:39] fires. The board concluded that allowing
[4:42] vehicles to park on grass was no longer
[4:45] responsible given the increased fire
[4:48] risk. Although parking on the lower
[4:51] grass field has been done in the past,
[4:52] the Junior Writers Board determined it
[4:54] was not worth the risk of a potential
[4:57] catastrophic fire and especially in this
[5:00] area that is designated as a fire safety
[5:04] uh hazard zone. Many residents in the
[5:07] Trip area already face challenges
[5:09] obtaining homeowners insurance because
[5:11] of that area's wildfire risk. The
[5:14] Mounted Patrol was formally notified at
[5:16] its February 4th, 2025 board meeting
[5:19] that overflow parking on the lower grass
[5:22] would no longer be permitted due to fire
[5:24] concerns. After receiving this notice
[5:27] and without my knowledge or any
[5:29] notification to junior riders, Rick de
[5:32] Benedetti acting on behalf of the
[5:34] mounted patrol approached Kevin Bryant
[5:36] and obtained a permit authorizing
[5:38] parking on the grass field.
[5:40] >> Kati, I hate to ask, we we we're over
[5:43] the three minutes. Is there a way to
[5:45] >> wrap up your
[5:47] >> I am just requesting that the town
[5:50] council direct the manager in amending
[5:54] the permit to not include the lower
[5:57] grass field and to use the trip road and
[6:00] surrounding paved streets instead. They
[6:03] can still use our front lot.
[6:05] >> Okay. Thank you.
[6:06] >> Thank you very much.
[6:07] >> And thank you for everything that you
[6:08] and Scott do for Kylie and the junior
[6:10] riders. Um
[6:11] >> thank you.
[6:13] Uh, you know, this has been going on for
[6:14] 12 or 18 months, obviously, and uh, I
[6:16] thought we were sort of going a
[6:18] different direction when this came up a
[6:19] year ago. Um, I know we're opening up
[6:23] trip road to parking in a one making it
[6:25] a one-way street and, uh, we have a
[6:27] waterfall for that to the gravel to the
[6:29] lot and there's conditions on the lot
[6:31] and we're going to talk about making
[6:32] sure this gets agendaized next year
[6:34] because now we're very late in the cycle
[6:35] once again. But,
[6:38] um,
[6:39] I think a lot of us went and visited. I
[6:41] don't know if anybody has any other
[6:42] views that they want to express. We've
[6:44] taken some steps, but um I don't know if
[6:47] we need to take more steps this go
[6:49] around or even can, but I was one of
[6:52] guess four folks on the council that
[6:54] visited Kylie on this issue.
[6:57] >> Yeah, stick.
[6:59] been to the rodeo many times and parking
[7:02] is nightmare and there cars are
[7:05] everywhere,
[7:07] but I've also seen what the fires can do
[7:09] here. And I I think that back lot is
[7:13] subject to potential fire. And I think
[7:15] it we got to put that as a priority over
[7:17] anything else.
[7:28] We can put it back on the agenda for
[7:30] June 23rd, but uh operations are already
[7:33] in place to follow a traffic plan and
[7:36] the conditions of approval because the
[7:38] encroachment department was approved. Um
[7:40] which also includes having a water truck
[7:42] down on the grass field. Uh that was a
[7:44] new condition that was added this year.
[7:46] Um, and then the mounted patrol will
[7:48] have fire extinguishers on the property
[7:50] on Kylie throughout the property
[7:52] available for the paid parking
[7:54] attendants to utilize in the case of in
[7:57] the case of a fire. And there's a fire
[7:58] hydrant right outside Kylie Equestrian
[8:00] Center where a fire hose will be placed
[8:02] and available um until until the
[8:05] emergency response teams get there.
[8:11] » Are we good? is can we commit to
[8:13] agendaizing this when it comes up next
[8:15] go around publicly?
[8:17] >> Is it too late? Is it too late now to
[8:20] modify the permit
[8:23] this year? Realistically,
[8:26] >> I think practically speaking, it is. Um,
[8:29] you know, this this was a permit that
[8:30] was issued. We we we at this table were
[8:32] not aware that it was being issued. um
[8:35] with there was a conversation last year
[8:37] that that um this was to come to you
[8:40] before a permit was issued, but the
[8:42] previous town manager issued the um
[8:45] issued the permit. And so Melissa's
[8:48] tried very hard to make sure that we'll
[8:50] have adequate fire protection out there.
[8:52] Um and there are some additional um
[8:54] conditions that he did add to the permit
[8:56] as she's just discussed with a water
[8:58] truck and things of that nature for this
[9:00] year.
[9:02] >> Thank you.
[9:05] Okay. Uh, hi Sue, Miss Pleti.
[9:10] >> Hi, I'm Sue Pleti. I live on Raundo and
[9:13] a warm welcome to Susan George. Nice to
[9:15] see you. I discovered a safety finding
[9:19] that bears directly on the town's
[9:20] decision to proceed with the RFP for the
[9:23] Raondo parcel. I obtained this
[9:26] information through a California Public
[9:28] Records Act request and based on my
[9:30] review of these records, it does not
[9:32] appear that the information was shared
[9:34] with the town council prior to the RFP
[9:36] process going forward. I bring the email
[9:39] to your attention tonight as a matter of
[9:41] public record. This is from the fire
[9:44] marshall to Kevin Bryant, the town
[9:46] manager,
[9:48] November 19th, 2024. Hi Kevin, I wanted
[9:52] to provide a brief update on my meeting
[9:55] that Tom and I had with Sue Pleti a few
[9:57] weeks ago. Apologies, I have not had
[9:59] time to inform you. She conducted much
[10:02] research and had in her possession
[10:03] county record documentation and town of
[10:05] Woodside records dating back to 1975.
[10:09] Rancho Kenyatta, as referred to, was a
[10:12] large plot of land that was subdivided
[10:13] into separate parcels. documents show
[10:16] this is already a subdivided area with
[10:19] more than 30 units in this area. I have
[10:22] not researched it further since
[10:23] currently there's nothing on the table
[10:25] for development, but wanted to let you
[10:27] know there's a good amount of evidence
[10:28] to support their claims. And if truly
[10:30] the case, this parcel in question would
[10:33] not be able to be developed without
[10:35] another road for access. Before any
[10:38] developers are brought in and before the
[10:40] town spends money on developing the
[10:42] land, I would strongly recommend a
[10:44] thorough investigation on factchecking
[10:46] to avoid any legal actions against the
[10:48] town by the residents. The district is
[10:50] here to support you and the challenges
[10:53] for meeting state requirements. But we
[10:55] also must consider the evidence being
[10:57] provided and the fact that the search
[10:59] for alternate locations to build are
[11:01] becoming more apparent. Thank you. Have
[11:04] a safe day. Given the life safety
[11:07] concerns and the fire marshall's
[11:09] recommendation to consider an alternate
[11:11] location, the residents and I
[11:13] respectfully request that you halt the
[11:16] RFP process for the Raundo parcel and
[11:19] proceed with finding alternative
[11:21] locations. I'm submitting the fire
[11:23] marshall's email for the public record
[11:25] for tonight's meeting. Thank you.
[11:27] >> Thank you, Miss Plet.
[11:33] » Yes.
[11:38] Hi, I'm Karen Offen. I'm part of the
[11:41] crew on Ray Mundo and I fully support
[11:45] the research that Sou Petti has been
[11:48] doing lately and the conclusions that
[11:51] have come up in the course of the
[11:53] discussions about this the second exit
[11:57] road. Um it's very important for
[12:00] everybody here to understand that the
[12:03] virtually everyone on the street is
[12:05] aware of this and um planning to take
[12:09] action if necessary to make sure that we
[12:13] get that second road if any development
[12:17] happens to to be forthcoming.
[12:20] So, wanted to just remind you and it's
[12:23] true that the town council did did um
[12:29] attach a proviso to the parcel in one of
[12:34] the earlier meetings and uh also want to
[12:37] remind you of that. Um so just we wanted
[12:42] to keep this in the in the discussion
[12:46] and uh thank you very much for
[12:48] listening. Thank you, Miss Hoffen.
[12:53] You know, we were on those last two
[12:55] comments, we were going to uh have some
[12:58] ability for the public to uh weigh in on
[13:01] RFPs and make sure these items were
[13:03] included as part of the conditions of
[13:05] those RFPs. Do we have a sense for
[13:07] timing on that here over the course of
[13:08] the summer or early fall? Um I don't
[13:11] think it's going to happen um soon
[13:14] because we are in the midst of getting
[13:16] the master sewer study information which
[13:19] will indicate whether there's capacity
[13:21] for development uh currently and if not
[13:24] what would need to occur from an
[13:27] infrastructure perspective before that would um go forward in any manner.
[13:31] So there is no work being done on the
[13:33] RFP right now.
[13:34] >> Okay. And the master sewer study will
[13:36] come before council in July or
[13:39] >> I think July or perhaps soon after you
[13:42] return in September.
[13:43] >> Okay. Okay. So, everybody has a sense
[13:47] for timing. Okay. Any other public
[13:50] comments?
[13:53] And I see none in the Zoom room. Anyone
[13:55] in the Zoom?
[13:58] 32 people. Plenty of questions for
[14:00] later, I guess. So we will close uh
[14:02] public comment and move on to the
[14:04] consent calendar. Um items in the
[14:07] consent are considered routine and will
[14:09] be approved by one roll call motion
[14:11] unless a item is pulled by the council
[14:14] or the public. Is there any item by any
[14:16] council member that you would like to
[14:18] see pulled?
[14:20] >> Six.
[14:21] >> Number six.
[14:24] Any items from the public that you would
[14:25] like to see pulled?
[14:30] Did I get a motion for one through five?
[14:31] Oh, yes. Jean
[14:34] >> two number two.
[14:35] >> Okay.
[14:37] All right. We'll take a motion for 1345.
[14:41] >> So moved.
[14:43] >> Second.
[14:44] >> Council member Aarish.
[14:46] >> Yes.
[14:46] >> Council member Brown.
[14:47] >> Yes.
[14:48] >> Council member Gold.
[14:48] >> Yes.
[14:49] >> Council member Wall. Mayor Donkowski.
[14:51] >> Yes. We'll go in order. Uh Council
[14:53] Member Wall and number two.
[14:58] So I mean first I think this is great
[15:02] potentally great opportunity and I
[15:03] wanted to just you and I had talked a
[15:04] little bit about um this Senate bill SB1
[15:08] funding and I know um the staff report
[15:13] gives the list of projects that have
[15:15] been submitted which tracks to our road
[15:17] rehabilitation project. Um but I wanted
[15:20] to understand um like what other
[15:22] projects do we consider? um is there an
[15:26] opportunity to to potentially add
[15:29] projects? Um because I know my
[15:31] understanding of um SB1 is that it's
[15:36] quite broad like we I think we had
[15:37] talked about um potentially including
[15:40] safe routes to school. So maybe just
[15:42] kind of provide that context around um
[15:44] how we landed on the uh the road rehab
[15:47] projects and whether or not we could
[15:49] have an opportunity to add things in the
[15:51] future or adjust. um wanted to hear
[15:53] about that.
[15:54] >> Yes. Uh council member Wall. Um so for
[15:57] the SP1 funding for this particular
[15:59] funding and for this purpose is for
[16:02] strictly for u road pavement and it
[16:05] requires a pavement management uh
[16:07] program. So the town does have that and
[16:09] we use um you utilize um the MTC
[16:12] services and to provide us with a list
[16:15] of roads. So as you mentioned for SB1
[16:18] funding um there are other opportunities
[16:20] and um we can u we are pursuing grant
[16:24] opportunities um you know falling within
[16:27] um that structure at different types of
[16:29] project you know um related possibly to
[16:32] drainage and other infrastructure
[16:34] related project but for this particular
[16:36] uh SP1 um purpose it's just strictly for
[16:40] pavement um rehabilitation.
[16:43] When will will we like will we have a
[16:46] chance to to submit um other projects in
[16:49] the near future or how will how will for
[16:51] example if we wanted to um to seek
[16:55] funding for a safe routes to school
[16:56] project like how would that happen?
[16:59] >> Yes. Um we do uh get notification
[17:02] through the cag um and they would notify
[17:05] us of different types of funding
[17:06] opportunity coming um in the year. So
[17:10] once we receive that, we will pursue um
[17:12] opportunities that that were best fit
[17:14] for the town. So
[17:16] >> and we did recently get one.
[17:18] >> We did. Yes.
[17:19] >> Um so what are you guys evaluating
[17:21] projects to um see funding for that one
[17:24] that you did?
[17:26] >> Yes. Um one of the funding we did apply
[17:29] for is the safe streets funding and
[17:31] we're looking at different opportunities
[17:33] in different streets and also uh traffic
[17:36] related uh opportunities. And there's
[17:39] also, as you mentioned, safe out to
[17:41] school and we did apply for that for the
[17:42] TDA3. Um, I recently did a presentation
[17:46] for that and we're hoping to hear back
[17:48] from from CACAG sometime uh maybe after
[17:51] the summer, see if we're able to be
[17:53] awarded as part of that this year's uh
[17:55] package.
[18:01] » Uh any public comment on two?
[18:06] Um, I guess we'll try to take them both
[18:07] together. Um, number six.
[18:09] >> Um, yeah. Um,
[18:12] >> I'd be interested in knowing what was
[18:14] the original contract amount for this
[18:17] project,
[18:19] uh, and what will the addition of this
[18:21] take the total cost of this contract to?
[18:25] >> So, um, Council Member Brown, um, and I
[18:29] believe there is no contract and and
[18:31] correct me if I'm wrong. It's um it's
[18:34] around it's a little over $100,000 and
[18:36] but for this uh amendment there is no
[18:39] cost involved. We're only extending the
[18:41] term. The term is about to expire at the
[18:43] end of June. Um we want to extend this
[18:45] term so we can continue uh utilizing
[18:48] this agreement with our consultant.
[18:50] >> It still brings another $66,000
[18:53] that we didn't budget. Correct.
[18:55] >> There's still money in the budget.
[18:56] They're not done um with their uh design
[18:59] work. That's correct. So the original
[19:01] budget still covers enough for the
[19:03] 66,000
[19:05] >> the Yes. Yes. Okay. All right. Thank
[19:08] you.
[19:11] >> Any public comment on six?
[19:15] We get a motion for two and six.
[19:18] >> I move we approve two and six.
[19:20] >> Second.
[19:21] >> Council member Aubberish.
[19:22] >> Yes.
[19:23] >> Council member Brown.
[19:24] >> Yes.
[19:24] >> Council member Gold.
[19:25] >> Council member Wall.
[19:26] >> Mayor Donowski.
[19:28] >> Yes. Thank you.
[19:29] >> Excuse me. Mayor Damonowski.
[19:30] >> Yes.
[19:31] >> Could I make a request for the council
[19:33] to consider taking new business item B
[19:35] before old business item A?
[19:42] Is council okay with that?
[19:44] Okay. Uh so we will pivot to a
[19:47] discussion on
[19:50] uh presentation of the proposed budget
[19:52] for 2026 and 2027.
[19:55] And I hand it off to you Melissa to
[19:57] >> Yes. Thank you. I'm going to introduce
[19:58] uh we hired our consultant Susan George
[20:01] with SEG Consulting to assist myself and
[20:04] Corey uh Stoker Pedalino, the
[20:06] administrative services director in
[20:08] preparing the budget um for introduction
[20:10] tonight before the council. So, I'm
[20:12] going to turn this over to Miss George
[20:14] to give a presentation.
[20:15] >> Thank you.
[20:16] Melissa. And um good evening
[20:19] to all of you. It's really weird to be
[20:20] back here.
[20:21] >> Yeah.
[20:23] >> Could we move the microphone just a
[20:24] little closer there, Susan? Thank you.
[20:25] Absolutely. Then welcome back. Um, thank
[20:28] you. Um, I'm not going to make a long
[20:30] presentation. You've had the document
[20:32] for several days now. I've had an
[20:34] opportunity to meet with each of you um,
[20:36] in the last couple of months um, to talk
[20:39] about the general finances of the town.
[20:42] Um, I wanted to point out that this
[20:45] budget is not quite balanced. It's
[20:47] $13,000 out of balance, which is an
[20:50] unusual number. Um, but I I I also
[20:55] wanted to point out that if you look at
[20:56] the five-year forecast that um
[21:01] that number gets bigger every year in
[21:04] the five-year forecast.
[21:06] And that's why this is such a pivotal
[21:07] moment because you have the opportunity
[21:10] to um allow Melissa to make some uh
[21:14] internal changes um in in terms of how
[21:17] we do our finances, how we keep our
[21:19] records. And it's also an opportunity
[21:21] for the council to talk about and give
[21:23] us direction on how you want us to move
[21:27] ahead to eliminate that gap. Um, and now
[21:31] is the perfect time to do it. So, um,
[21:35] because it's not out of control. Um, but
[21:37] it can get out of control if we don't
[21:40] rein it in. Um, having said that, you
[21:43] are still in very good financial shape.
[21:44] You've got a lot of money in reserve. um
[21:47] you are still contributing a million
[21:49] dollars to the uh capital improvement
[21:52] program this year from your uh undesated
[21:55] reserves. Um but we need to going
[21:58] forward keep keep an eye on both how
[22:01] much of that undesated reserve we still
[22:03] have available and also um just to make
[22:07] sure that our revenues and our
[22:08] expenditures match up. Um I would be
[22:12] happy to answer any questions or to walk
[22:14] you through the budget. It's it's your
[22:17] um at your direction.
[22:19] >> Thank you, Miss George. Uh questions on
[22:22] the budget anywhere?
[22:24] >> Um
[22:25] >> start on this side.
[22:26] >> Yep. Got a few.
[22:27] >> Thank you, sir.
[22:27] >> Um so, thank you for the uh letter of
[22:29] transmitt, the highlights. So, um as I
[22:32] read it, I just I think there's four or
[22:35] five controversial issues that
[22:37] >> Yes, there are.
[22:38] >> Just wanted to ask you to comment on. Um
[22:40] our biggest expenditure is law
[22:41] enforcement services with the Sanonteo
[22:43] County Sheriff's Office. Um, we usually
[22:46] I mean the annual cost is about 3.3
[22:48] million. I know there's an adjustment
[22:50] that makes it look less, but it's really
[22:52] 3.3 million. I think we did get a credit
[22:55] um for that. And this current year
[22:57] looking forward 2627, it's going to be 3
[23:00] almost 3.6 million. I don't think we
[23:02] have much control over that, but that's
[23:04] a big number. and
[23:06] >> you know, $300,000 or so that um we're
[23:11] more or less obligated to pay if we want
[23:13] law enforcement in our area. Um
[23:18] any comments on that, by the way? I do
[23:19] have a couple of others, but
[23:21] >> yeah. No. Um you're you're exactly
[23:23] right, and this is the second year of a
[23:25] new five-year term. Um, we were lucky to
[23:28] get that $200,000 credit this current
[23:30] year, but it just makes the increase
[23:32] going into next year seem even worse to bear. Um, but it is
[23:39] between that and your salaries and
[23:40] benefits. Those are the two biggest
[23:42] chunks that comprise your 13 plus
[23:46] million dollar general fund budget.
[23:48] >> Okay. Um there are two that apparently
[23:50] are um well not apparently that are
[23:52] controversial amongst our citizens and
[23:54] I'm sure we're going to have some um
[23:56] comments on both of them tonight. The
[23:57] first one um is the temporary traffic
[24:00] light. I I like the quotes around
[24:02] temporary. Um it's been three years.
[24:04] It's $200,000 a year. 600,000 we've
[24:07] paid. We probably could have built u
[24:09] most of a permanent traffic light for
[24:11] the amount that we've invested in a
[24:12] temporary little trailer. Um but anyway,
[24:16] that's um could you just talk about
[24:18] moving forward what's in the budget now
[24:21] that we have to work?
[24:22] >> Sure. Um and Lewis can jump in at any
[24:25] moment if he wishes to. Um I've been
[24:27] working with Lewis on the CIP, so he's
[24:30] kind of a co-conspirator here. Um we
[24:33] eliminated all but three months worth of
[24:36] the temporary traffic light funding from
[24:39] this budget. Um Lewis is working has
[24:43] already started working on potential
[24:45] solutions moving forward. There's
[24:47] $350,000 in the first year of the
[24:50] capital improvement program um for some
[24:53] kind of permanent replacement up there.
[24:55] Um and I'm not going to guess what
[24:57] that's going to be, but I'll I'll let
[24:59] Lewis comment in a minute. There are
[25:00] also um funds in the second and third
[25:03] year of the of the capital improvement
[25:06] program as well for this project in case
[25:09] they are needed. Um but I'm not going to
[25:12] second guess what the solution is going
[25:14] to be.
[25:15] >> So um if I may add, so the $350,000
[25:19] that's proposed in the CIP is really
[25:21] used for several um purpose. One of them
[25:26] is to do a transitional um cleanup and
[25:29] also preparation where uh we clean up
[25:32] vegetation and the shelder and also
[25:35] create um the turnout that's currently
[25:38] sort of um needs um some cleanup work.
[25:41] This would allow um a lot safer passage
[25:44] through those narrow lanes. And uh at
[25:47] the same time, part of the the funding
[25:49] will be um hiring a consultant to
[25:52] conduct a um a permanent design. We're
[25:55] looking at um widening the road as also
[25:58] another alternative. We do have a
[26:00] traffic signal permanent signal that's
[26:02] been designed and that's still on the
[26:04] table, but we haven't never looked at uh
[26:07] widening the road and that's I think
[26:10] that's an option we we should pursue at
[26:12] least review and see the possibility of
[26:14] that. And the consultant will also help
[26:16] us look for funding um grants funding
[26:18] for winding this road. And I think
[26:20] winding the road is a potential um
[26:23] permanent solution. So
[26:25] >> widening the road.
[26:26] >> That's correct. Widening um that section
[26:28] of the upper Honda road. So the name
[26:31] that we uh I've created for this um for
[26:34] this project in the CIP is called the
[26:36] upper Honda road safety project and the
[26:38] purpose is to eventually create um a
[26:42] safe solution um for that section of
[26:45] Olahonda Road. Okay. Um the other points
[26:48] I wanted to make are very brief. Um, I'm
[26:51] going to pass for now on the um Kite
[26:53] Hill Wildflower maintenance and res
[26:57] restoration and the credit card fees
[27:00] which I think are you know we certainly
[27:02] need to discuss. Um, but I did want to
[27:04] mention the defensible space as well.
[27:07] That's also a pretty big number and u it
[27:09] is
[27:11] >> the citizens take advantage I take
[27:14] advantage in a positive way. I don't
[27:15] mean that negatively. Um, but it's um
[27:17] it's a big number and um I don't think
[27:20] you're asking us to revise the rules
[27:23] tonight.
[27:24] >> No, no, we're we're suggesting that we put it on some future agenda,
[27:29] a public notice it so that people know
[27:31] that they can come in and give you their
[27:33] two cents.
[27:35] >> Got it. Thank you.
[27:39] » Other questions? Yes, council member.
[27:42] >> Yes. Um
[27:44] first of all on um
[27:48] side road median island beautifification
[27:52] we're showing a budget item here of $2.5
[27:55] million in 2627.
[27:58] What project is that for? This this is
[28:01] for the stretch of Woodside Road from
[28:04] just east of I2 to the Alama delos Pogus
[28:08] and um this is a project for which funds
[28:11] have been donated and I think
[28:14] >> this includes a donated fund project. So
[28:16] that's this is that project.
[28:17] >> This is the donated fund.
[28:18] >> Okay. All right. Fine. Um,
[28:21] I've looked at the sheriff budget and
[28:24] I'd like to suggest, I'm not going to
[28:25] litigate it tonight, but I think that we
[28:28] ought to appoint a committee task force
[28:31] to really look hard at
[28:34] what we're paying for
[28:36] and what we're getting for it in terms
[28:40] of
[28:42] we need do we need the two motorcycle
[28:45] police uh cops, for example. Um, we're
[28:50] writing a lot of tickets every year, 300
[28:53] over 300 a month. What are we getting?
[28:56] for those for all
[28:58] that effort? Is it really reducing
[29:02] um accidents, injuries,
[29:05] um the crime, anything like that? What
[29:09] are we getting for that? Because this
[29:10] budget keeps going up and up and up. And you look at the cost per person
[29:16] that we're paying for here.
[29:18] It is huge
[29:20] and um I just want us to put together a
[29:23] task force to figure out what can we do
[29:25] about all this because I know porta
[29:27] valley has gone through the same thing
[29:28] and they've actually got a reduction
[29:30] substantial reduction in what they're
[29:32] paying. They probably sacrifice a lot to
[29:35] get there but I want to understand what
[29:38] did they do and I can talk to them about
[29:39] that. Um but what can we do because this
[29:43] is going to kill us in a couple more
[29:45] years if it keeps going up like this.
[29:49] We we do have that. We have an ad hoc
[29:52] sheriff's uh contract committee. It's
[29:55] council member Aberation, myself. Um uh
[29:58] so we can certainly dust that off.
[30:03] Other questions or comments?
[30:06] >> I have a question. Um so what I just
[30:09] want to better understand for the upper
[30:11] LA Honda uh solution. So it it sounds
[30:15] like we have funding for three months,
[30:18] continue with the temporary light, and
[30:19] then what would happen after that?
[30:23] >> Well, I'm not I'm not going to jump on Louiswis's lines here. Can you give
[30:28] us a timeline for what you're studying,
[30:31] right?
[30:32] >> Sure. Um, so I do have a proposal from
[30:35] Fairlong Construction. That's the
[30:37] company we're currently renting the
[30:38] temporary traffic signal from. Um, and
[30:42] one of the transitional um, work that I
[30:44] mentioned earlier is to uh, really to
[30:47] clean up the the side the shoulder of
[30:49] that narrow stretch. By doing that, we
[30:52] could potentially increase about 4 feet
[30:55] of space um, and just be able to clean
[30:59] uh, clean the the turnouts to allow
[31:02] traffic um, to pass. And that would be
[31:04] something we do immediately. And Feron
[31:07] has agreed to keep the traffic light
[31:09] while they do this work. and not charge
[31:11] the town for the traffic signal. Um and
[31:15] also at the same time uh I am proposing
[31:17] to um look at purchasing a temporary
[31:21] traffic al light for the town that we
[31:23] can manage ourselves um at a lower cost
[31:26] and that can be something we can install
[31:28] after um we get a chance to improve the road um and clean it.
[31:35] >> Got it. So, I just want to make sure.
[31:36] So, it's uh so we'll be cleaning the
[31:38] road while there's still light in place
[31:40] and then would there is there if we
[31:44] um go down this route, is it going to be
[31:47] the the new replacement that we
[31:49] purchase? Um would that be installed
[31:53] like right away when the the current
[31:55] temporary light is taken out?
[31:58] >> It is our hope that we can have no gap
[32:01] during that transition. Um although I'm
[32:04] not certain about lead time in
[32:06] purchasing these equipment. So we'll
[32:08] definitely work our best to try to get
[32:10] the temporary signal the one that we
[32:12] plan on purchase uh in place um before
[32:15] the old one is removed.
[32:17] >> Thank you.
[32:20] >> That's your microphone.
[32:22] >> Oh yeah.
[32:24] >> So Susan, we're so thankful that you
[32:27] were able to help us with this. Um I
[32:29] think we're so fortunate to have your
[32:30] experience and your expertise. Um so
[32:34] thank you for that. Um maybe before
[32:38] going into kind of the specific um
[32:40] program expenditures, you started off
[32:42] your presentation by saying we have a
[32:44] pivotal opportunity to make some changes
[32:46] and I'm wondering could you share your
[32:49] insight into or you know what your
[32:51] recommendations are in in terms of
[32:53] changes that we have the opportunity to
[32:55] make?
[32:56] >> Sure. And these these are not just um my
[32:58] ideas. It's um Melissa and Corey and I
[33:01] have been talking about this as a team.
[33:04] Um some of the things that I think were
[33:06] highlighted in the third quarterly
[33:07] budget review, which is really what um
[33:10] daylighted um some of these issues, um
[33:13] are things such as um
[33:16] contracts coming before you for approval
[33:19] during the year after the budget's been
[33:21] adopted, but no recommendation coming
[33:23] forward to provide the funding for that.
[33:26] And that's part part of the problem this
[33:28] current year. Um, so one of the the
[33:32] things that Melissa is going to have to
[33:34] ensure and and with Corey's um, help is
[33:38] that uh, we we we have an ironclad
[33:42] procedure in place that when anything
[33:44] comes before you that involves the
[33:46] approval of funds that it is certified
[33:50] that there are funds that that's clearly
[33:52] stated to you. You don't have to ask it.
[33:54] Um, and that means that Corey and
[33:56] Melissa have to ensure and Lewis have to
[33:59] ensure that that the funding is
[34:01] available or they have to ask you for
[34:02] it. So, um, so that would eliminate that
[34:05] problem. Um, contract management is
[34:08] another one that Corey and Melissa have
[34:10] already started to work on. Um, we have
[34:13] some contracts. Actually, Lewis's
[34:15] earlier contract tonight is a good
[34:17] example of this where um contracts have
[34:20] expiration dates and in the past they've
[34:23] just kind of been ignored um and
[34:27] programs continued, bills paid even
[34:29] though technically we really were not in
[34:31] contract. Um, so, um, that's something
[34:35] that that I I know Melissa is thinking
[34:37] about getting a contract administration
[34:40] module for our comdev, um, program,
[34:44] >> springbook. Yeah.
[34:45] >> For spring book. Yeah. Um, um, that
[34:47] would help uh, facilitate the management
[34:49] of agreements to make sure that um, it's
[34:52] easier to ensure that things are not
[34:55] expired um, and also that not to exceed
[34:58] amounts have not been exceeded. So,
[35:00] those are just a couple of examples.
[35:02] more regular reporting to the council
[35:04] and to the public and also to have um a
[35:08] higher level of involvement of the
[35:10] department heads both in putting the
[35:12] budget together and in monitoring it um
[35:14] and being held accountable for it during
[35:16] the year.
[35:19] That all makes a lot of sense. Um and I
[35:22] think those are really good
[35:23] recommendations. I think like you said,
[35:25] we're we didn't uncover anything
[35:27] horrible, but we've uncovered some some
[35:31] management and process issues that, you
[35:33] know, we really need to make sure we
[35:35] course correct um to get ahead of that
[35:38] before, you know, a small problem
[35:40] becomes a lot bigger. So,
[35:41] >> that's exactly right. Very thankful for
[35:43] you identifying that. And then um I
[35:46] wanted to talk a little bit about Kite
[35:47] Hill. Um,
[35:50] and I wanted to understand from Melissa,
[35:53] what direction are you looking to the
[35:56] town council tonight on the Kite Hill
[35:58] topic?
[35:59] >> Sure. Uh, in the budget is a line item
[36:01] for the Kite Hill Wildflower
[36:04] Preservation and Fire Mitigation um
[36:06] project that's been going on for over 10
[36:08] years and we carried over $60,000. Um
[36:12] Craig Dman performs the work on Kite
[36:14] Hill and every year he's worked with the
[36:16] previous town managers to put together a
[36:19] budget of what he recommends needs to be
[36:21] done for the upcoming year. Uh this year
[36:23] we carried over the $60,000 but in
[36:26] reviewing past budgets uh approve
[36:29] adopted and and then actual expenses
[36:32] we've gone over budget almost every year
[36:35] above the 60,000. It ranges from 30 to
[36:38] 80,000 over the past 10 years and we've
[36:41] gone over and if um he completed if we
[36:44] are about 57,000 Corey has the number um
[36:47] for for this year. We're currently at
[36:50] $51,000 with a proposal of another
[36:52] $6,000 on the table.
[36:56] >> And so we're just looking to council if
[36:58] you'd like us to continue to budget for
[37:00] the $60,000. Um, we also, um, came
[37:05] across that we don't have a written
[37:06] contract with Mr. Dreman. So, we could,
[37:09] um, put something together if the
[37:11] council wish to go out for an RFP,
[37:14] submit a bid. Um, that's the other
[37:16] option.
[37:19] >> Um, so if we were kind of starting from
[37:22] scratch, what would the process look
[37:24] like to um provide maintenance and
[37:26] landscaping services to Kite Hill? We
[37:29] would start with uh public works t uh
[37:32] Lewis and his staff determining uh if
[37:34] first if the town staff could maintain
[37:36] Kite Hill and what that would cost um if
[37:39] it's feasible with their with their work
[37:41] schedule and other tasks that they need
[37:43] to do and other fire mitigation work
[37:44] around this time of year. Um, but we
[37:46] would put together and see what the what
[37:48] the cost is based on the scope of work
[37:50] currently that's being done and if it is
[37:53] above the town manager signing
[37:56] authority, then we could put together a
[37:57] request for proposal and put it out for
[37:59] bid and bring that forward to council to
[38:02] accept one of the bids.
[38:05] >> Okay. Thank you.
[38:07] >> Okay. Um, and maybe just to wrap up with
[38:11] me for a second. So, the defensible
[38:13] space program that's going to come back
[38:15] to us and there'll presumably be some
[38:17] recommendation that we can no longer do
[38:19] three, but maybe it's two and a half or
[38:20] two or whatever the number is going to
[38:22] be. It's we're exceeding our budget.
[38:23] It's a very successful program, but
[38:26] yeah, that's that's part of it, I guess.
[38:28] >> Yes, it can come. you could if you'd
[38:30] like to come back and we can revisit uh
[38:32] improving the program, making some
[38:34] changes uh and also discussing the
[38:36] budget if you want to keep it at the
[38:38] 500,000. We have gone over as we stated
[38:41] in our documents we've gone over and
[38:43] this is the this time of year is when
[38:45] it's very busy. Everyone's doing their
[38:47] cleanup of their properties before the
[38:48] end of the fiscal year.
[38:50] >> Can I can I make a point to this one?
[38:52] >> Yes,
[38:52] >> I'm sorry to cut in here, but
[38:53] >> no problem. to the defensive space. Um,
[38:56] I'm off for watching our pennies here,
[38:59] but remember, we're all now under the gun from Woodside Fire to make our
[39:06] properties very safe. And that for many, people, that means you've got to
[39:10] take a lot of trees down. And I would
[39:13] hate to see us pull back on a program
[39:17] that uh a lot of people are now going to
[39:18] be tapping into. Um, but we ought to be
[39:21] aware of that in our budgeting too,
[39:22] though, that we have to maybe go up
[39:24] instead of down. But, um, I don't want
[39:27] to be cutting back on our support for
[39:30] what the what the residents are being
[39:32] demand demanded to do, um, mandated to
[39:35] do, um, in this town by Woodside Fire.
[39:38] >> You know, we can we'll hit that on some
[39:41] deliberation. Um, I I hear where you're
[39:43] coming from in that. Uh the second part
[39:45] of my question was um
[39:49] I've just received some feedback that
[39:50] this is an unusual program, a bottomup
[39:53] kind of program where some citizens
[39:55] self- select in but those citizens
[39:57] aren't necessarily a uh a disadvantaged
[40:00] group or um is there a way to get a
[40:04] legal opinion for this whether this is a
[40:08] program that um
[40:11] whether it's a legal program.
[40:17] » Sure. I'd be happy to take a look at it
[40:18] and give you an opinion.
[40:20] >> Okay. Thank you. Um,
[40:23] you mentioned we're 10 years in on Kite
[40:25] Hill. How long was the restoration
[40:27] effort supposed to be and how long does
[40:29] it take to restore wild flowers on a on
[40:31] a site? I mean, we're 10 years in and
[40:32] we're still talking about another 10
[40:34] years.
[40:34] >> Another 10 years, according to Craig.
[40:36] UN, I was not here at the time when when
[40:39] this came to light. Um so but but the
[40:42] land was uh gifted to the town and in
[40:45] the documentation it does that say that
[40:47] the town is to maintain it in
[40:48] perpetuity.
[40:49] >> Okay.
[40:50] >> Sorry just question maintain kite hill
[40:52] or maintain the wild flowers. both uh
[40:55] the Jane Joan Olsen preserve and the
[40:58] wild wildflower piece but it it just
[41:01] says maintain
[41:05] » and then it's sort of a statement
[41:07] question but uh given we have a little
[41:09] bit of a hole um you know it's just a
[41:12] reminder that we funded uh an extra
[41:17] pension account a pension reserve
[41:18] account after co 19 hit the market
[41:21] pretty hard in 2020 and we put $2
[41:22] million in there as a council and it's
[41:24] now pushing 3.5 million and we've never
[41:27] taken a withdrawal and it is meant to uh
[41:30] ultimately subsidize the pension line
[41:32] and I see the pension line is 654,000
[41:35] going to 750 to 813 and so forth. Um, so
[41:39] there is a question with this huge
[41:42] appreciation if we start using some of
[41:43] those profits on a even if it's just a
[41:46] couple hundred,000 in order to keep some
[41:48] of these projects that people have been
[41:51] very adamant about having like a
[41:53] stoplight at Old La Honda and whatnot.
[41:55] Um, so I guess one of the another
[41:58] question that we might want to
[42:01] give guidance on is whether or not we
[42:03] want to start a withdrawal program uh
[42:05] from our PARs account.
[42:07] of a couple hundred grand a year.
[42:16] Any other questions or comments before
[42:18] opening up public comment?
[42:23] All right, we will open public comment.
[42:25] Are there any members of the public who
[42:27] would like to speak on any item or not
[42:29] any item on this item? Item B, the
[42:33] budget. Welcome, Miss Luben. Um, I don't
[42:36] know how many of you were around when
[42:38] the McDow
[42:40] subdivision was proposed for the Glenn's
[42:43] and how hard the
[42:45] town worked to
[42:47] minimize the number of houses that went
[42:50] in and maximize the the amount of open
[42:53] space. And it is it is a fabulous town
[42:56] resource. Jen, I don't know if you walk
[42:58] up there, but the wild flowers are
[43:00] spectacular. and it I think it just
[43:02] finished and um we're we're actually
[43:04] friends I think we I don't know if we
[43:06] recommended Craig to the town but we're
[43:08] friends with Craig and I I think he's
[43:10] thinking about retiring but I I don't
[43:13] know about training town staff to take
[43:16] care of it. Um, but 60,000 in light of
[43:21] the whole budget doesn't seem that much.
[43:23] But if there's some way to not go
[43:27] backwards, but at least progress on on
[43:30] Kite Hill and
[43:32] really make sure it it stays as
[43:35] beautiful as it is and and and maintain
[43:37] it and keep the weeds and everything
[43:41] else out. I would encourage you to do so
[43:43] because it's um it's really a fabulous
[43:46] resource and and Craig has worked very
[43:48] hard. Um I I know what he's had to go
[43:52] through to eliminate all the invasive
[43:54] grasses and and bring in all the
[43:57] natives. And it's it's one of the few
[43:59] places in California where serpentine
[44:02] soil comes to the surface and it
[44:04] supports all sorts of butterflies and
[44:07] other insects. And so we were very
[44:10] fortunate to have it and I I encourage
[44:12] you to do everything you can to keep it
[44:14] and not let it fall back. Thanks.
[44:21] » Uh going to the Zoom room. Van Dan. Um
[44:26] Marartha, I'm sorry it's a long name,
[44:28] but Van Dan we'll call.
[44:30] >> Hey there. Uh this is the this is Vonda
[44:33] Mathur. I live up on Olanda Road. uh and
[44:36] I'm the representative for the road to
[44:39] the town. Uh I want to uh uh you know
[44:42] thank the preparers of the budget for
[44:43] taking into consideration uh the safety
[44:46] issues on the top of our road. Um I
[44:49] would like to though highlight that uh
[44:53] you know there has to be a continuous
[44:56] solution to the safety issues uh on that
[44:59] segment of the road. Um, you know, we
[45:01] cannot have a situation where we have no
[45:04] light and no permanent solution to that
[45:07] segment of the road. It's it's very
[45:09] twisty. It's very narrow. It's been
[45:11] damaged. When a truck went over it, uh,
[45:13] you can't see the oncoming traffic. Um,
[45:16] and so the stoplight has been absolutely
[45:19] a godsend. Uh, there's extremely strong
[45:21] support on the hill for it. uh and uh
[45:24] not only on Old Honda Road, but also
[45:26] Skyline residents who uh many of them
[45:29] commute back and forth, take kids back
[45:30] and forth on the road for that light uh
[45:33] just because it was so treacherous uh
[45:36] previous to having the light and we're
[45:37] very very grateful to have it. Um so
[45:40] although you know uh it it's great that
[45:42] there's a plan to clean up the shoulder.
[45:45] I mean I would point out that there is
[45:46] actually no shoulder. uh it's it's a
[45:49] steep cliff on one side that goes down
[45:52] and the other side is just a sheer wall
[45:54] going up and then you have this narrow
[45:55] road that's only 10 and a half ft in
[45:57] places. So, you know, it's a one-way
[45:59] road where we're trying to have two-way
[46:00] traffic with limited visibility. So,
[46:03] although I think, you know, cleaning up
[46:04] the shoulder, cutting vegetation, I
[46:06] think those are all uh those are all
[46:08] very good things to try to improve
[46:09] visibility, that alone I do not think
[46:12] will suffice to make that segment of the
[46:14] road safe. Uh so once that process is
[46:17] complete, I think we're still going to
[46:18] need to have a light until something
[46:20] more permanent is done with the road. Um
[46:23] whether that solution is the permanent
[46:25] light, which I can say, you know, over
[46:27] 92% of people on on Skyline and over 82%
[46:30] of people on Oahu Road are strongly in
[46:33] favor of or a different solution. uh but
[46:36] we cannot be left with you know nothing
[46:38] there uh that that uh you know does not
[46:41] manage the the safety risks um up on
[46:44] that part of the road.
[46:48] » Thank you. Any other public comments?
[46:54] We can get you a microphone. Uh Miss
[46:56] Gilbert. Thank you, Miss Luben.
[47:00] >> Uh it's for
[47:02] >> we've got a large Zoom audience tonight.
[47:04] So yeah,
[47:05] >> I want to talk about Olive Hill Lane
[47:08] just for a few minutes. It's a it's a
[47:11] very not very wide road and it's really
[47:16] getting really heavy duty people walking
[47:18] down the middle and I think the town at
[47:22] some point had put done something on the
[47:24] sides because there is some space on the
[47:26] sides that they did something where
[47:30] people could walk if they wanted. Well,
[47:32] I guess they don't like to do that, but
[47:34] um it's not safe at all. And it's
[47:38] getting worse because it's become a
[47:40] place where people think, "Oh, it's not
[47:42] too busy here." Oh, yeah, it is. So, um
[47:47] we come down off of our driveway. We're
[47:49] at the corner of Albian and Olive Hill.
[47:52] And you know, we're we're like going
[47:54] really slow because we know what we've
[47:56] been seeing lately. People are coming
[47:58] zooming around like coming from downtown
[48:01] coming up and windy windy and then
[48:04] you're going to oh yay let's go down
[48:05] here it's not good and now we're going
[48:08] into some good weather hopefully and um
[48:11] people will be trying to walk more and
[48:14] I'm concerned that someone I would like
[48:17] to see someone from the town go down and
[48:19] check out what was built or added to
[48:23] down the sides that were dirt but They
[48:27] put I don't know stones or not stones
[48:29] but plat plat something was there that
[48:32] you could not have to walk on the road
[48:34] >> that's all. So somebody's going to get
[48:37] hit there cuz I've seen it several times
[48:39] and so we come out of our driveway and
[48:41] we're like you we look very carefully
[48:44] and uh unless somebody we don't like
[48:47] comes there then we'll just you know run
[48:50] them over.
[48:51] >> Okay.
[48:52] >> Thank you. And I see Lewis shaking his
[48:54] head that he'll go do a spot check
[48:56] there. So
[48:59] » there is a trail on the side of the
[49:01] road.
[49:02] >> Please follow it.
[49:04] >> Okay. Any other public comments
[49:08] on the budget? We will close public
[49:10] comment and open any deliberation. I
[49:13] tried my best to capture the direction
[49:15] that was given. I can try, but go ahead.
[49:17] If you anybody would like to speak on an
[49:19] issue,
[49:20] >> I can deliberate and propose what
[49:23] direction I think should be given. Um,
[49:27] so maybe I'll start with the
[49:29] recommendations for um increased process
[49:34] controls that we heard from Miss George.
[49:37] Um, so I would be very much in support
[49:41] of the council giving direction to um to
[49:44] Melissa to follow up on I I think I've
[49:48] noted four recommendations. Um, so
[49:51] improvements to our contract process.
[49:55] um which included making sure that
[49:57] there's not a gap between the contract
[50:00] execution and the funding um and that we
[50:03] need a better process to ensure that
[50:04] funds are available.
[50:07] Um
[50:09] second um would be improved contract
[50:12] management. So we need to make sure that
[50:14] deadlines are followed, that end dates
[50:16] are also followed. And I really like the
[50:18] idea of getting um I think Susan, you
[50:21] refer to it as a as a contract admin
[50:24] module. I think that's probably like a
[50:26] um like just a contract management tool.
[50:29] Um I think that would be um really
[50:32] important given what we've learned. Um I
[50:36] think we need to um follow up on the
[50:39] recommendation to have more regular
[50:40] reporting to the town council. We
[50:42] already have quarterly reporting. I I'd
[50:44] like to understand like you know how
[50:46] frequent what would be in that report um
[50:49] and perhaps um we could augment the
[50:52] reporting to not just include kind of
[50:54] the the numbers around the budget but
[50:57] also reporting on the controls and
[51:00] processes that are in place to um
[51:03] support the numbers right the contract
[51:04] management um the department budgeting
[51:07] all of that um and I also think um
[51:11] regular involvement of the department
[51:13] heads would be really important. And I
[51:15] think um one thing that we haven't done
[51:17] very well um is have um a strategic plan
[51:21] with strategic goals. Um I think you
[51:25] know that's something that I've been
[51:26] advocating for for a number of years and
[51:28] I think that flows down to the
[51:30] department heads as well. I think um
[51:32] department heads should have um you know
[51:35] goals that flow up to the town's
[51:38] strategic goals and that their budget
[51:41] would be in service of those goals. So I
[51:43] think um I would see that as part of the involvement of the department
[51:47] head. So that's the direction I would
[51:50] get that I would give um to follow up on
[51:53] the recommendations that we heard from
[51:55] Miss George. And I would love to to
[51:59] hear about what's being done rather
[52:01] soon. So I don't know um whether we
[52:03] could get a report back um
[52:07] you know before we conclude for the
[52:09] August recess. Um so just to kind of
[52:12] hear what progress has been made before
[52:13] we adjourn for the summer. Um on the
[52:17] specific budget items um I think I think
[52:21] it's really important that we have
[52:23] continuous traffic control at old La
[52:25] Honda Road. I think people that drive
[52:27] that road that live up there have become
[52:28] accustomed to having that traffic
[52:30] control. So it is very expensive and I'm
[52:32] very supportive of finding a more
[52:34] cost-effective permanent solution. But I
[52:36] don't I I don't think we can have a gap.
[52:38] I think that would that would create
[52:39] some um not great safety problems. Um
[52:43] and I'd like to understand like you know
[52:45] when will we hear more about the um the
[52:49] permanent solutions that are that are
[52:51] being proposed? Is that something that
[52:52] we'll hear about again before the summer
[52:54] recess before the end of the year? Like
[52:56] I think it'd be great to understand
[52:58] that. Um I would give direction to come
[53:01] back with us with a proposal around the
[53:03] defensible space program including you
[53:05] know an an a legal analysis. Is it
[53:07] indeed legal? Um, and what our options
[53:09] are. Can we cap it? Can we, you know,
[53:11] make a sliding scale so people more in
[53:13] need get more? Like, I'm sure there's
[53:14] lots of ways we could make it more
[53:16] affordable. Um, so I would give that
[53:18] direction. Love the idea from council
[53:20] member Brown to create um a task force
[53:23] on the sheriff. I I know we had an ad
[53:25] hoc committee on the sheriff contract,
[53:26] but I think um a new committee that
[53:28] really kind of digs into what value are
[53:31] we getting? Um how are we getting
[53:33] reports from the sheriff? You know,
[53:35] that's, you know, like council member
[53:37] Gold pointed out, it's like our number
[53:38] one line item. And we don't hear very
[53:41] regularly from the sheriff. And I think
[53:42] a committee could also look into
[53:44] alternatives. I know Atheton has its own
[53:46] police force. You know, I I I'd be
[53:48] curious if that potentially could be an
[53:50] option for Woodside. So, um would
[53:53] propose that direction and coming back
[53:55] again rather soon to hear kind of what
[53:57] could be done.
[53:59] um on Kite Hill. Um I I uh walk it all
[54:05] the time. I think it's a amazing
[54:07] resource. I think Craig has done an
[54:09] absolutely amazing job, but it is
[54:11] expensive. And so I think um I think we
[54:13] need to take a fresh look at, you know,
[54:15] how can we maintain it as a wonderful
[54:17] resource? How can we continue to have
[54:18] Craig involved? Um but also, you know,
[54:22] look at what the town crew could
[54:23] potentially do. I think an RFP is a
[54:26] really good idea. I think getting a
[54:27] contract in place. It sounds like that's
[54:28] something that we need to clean up. Um,
[54:30] so it would give the direction to to
[54:32] look at that and come back to us with a
[54:34] proposal.
[54:36] And
[54:37] I think that is it.
[54:43] » I'll jump in. The other the other two
[54:45] were to um consider whether we should
[54:49] start hitting the PARs account for a
[54:50] couple hundred grand a year to help with
[54:52] the budget and um
[54:55] uh and then proposal around credit card
[54:58] fee recapture was also mentioned. Um
[55:02] that should be an easy one. Um I'll just
[55:04] mention on the sheriff's contract
[55:05] obviously I mean not obviously it would
[55:07] be hard to afford our own police force.
[55:09] So we do have a monopoly provider
[55:11] situation and that will potentially
[55:13] complicate things but yes we can of
[55:15] course look at what people want to do.
[55:17] Um and I think that otherwise uh council
[55:21] member wall was as usual very thorough.
[55:24] So um any other direction or do people
[55:28] generally agree with the direction uh
[55:30] and augmented direction?
[55:33] >> generally agree.
[55:36] >> Okay.
[55:36] >> I do have a couple to make. Oh, I'm
[55:38] sorry.
[55:40] >> Um, so some of these are easy and simple
[55:44] and I think that
[55:46] sounds like we're we're um consensus
[55:49] here on the implementation of these and
[55:50] I would say hopefully we can green light
[55:53] those tonight. One of them is the
[55:55] process uh changes that uh council
[55:58] member Wall referred to. I think that's
[56:00] a pretty easy one. Get the module for
[56:02] contract controls and let's get that
[56:03] done. Um I feel the same way about
[56:05] credit card charges. they should, you
[56:07] know, it's it's pretty rare these days
[56:08] that I don't make a a large credit card,
[56:11] especially to the even the state when
[56:13] you pay your income taxes if it doesn't
[56:14] come out of your bank account. Um, they
[56:17] charge you a fee for that. So, I think
[56:19] implementing a fee for credit card use
[56:21] to recover at least 25 to 30 grand or
[56:24] something like that. I think those are
[56:25] pretty easy, too. Um,
[56:28] and I also think that the departmental
[56:30] input that was referred to before as
[56:33] sort of a good administrative practice
[56:35] should be implemented as quickly as
[56:38] possible. I don't think those are
[56:39] necessarily we need to agendaize any of
[56:41] those issues. Just do them. I think um
[56:44] especially since there's consensus. The
[56:45] ones that I think do need agenda
[56:47] agendaizing would be the defensible
[56:50] space program because we do need to get
[56:52] input from the public on that if we're
[56:54] going to change the rules, which I think
[56:55] we probably should. Uh, and of course
[56:58] the traffic light at Old La Honda Road,
[56:59] that's a big expense. it affects a lot
[57:01] of people and I think that um that
[57:04] probably requires a public hearing and
[57:06] gives Lewis enough time to get his his
[57:09] plans lined up there about what budgets
[57:10] are going what it's going to cost and
[57:12] the timing of that and we can allocate
[57:14] the funds to make sure that it happens
[57:15] because I think it's essential as
[57:17] everyone has said um Kite Hill I'm I'm
[57:21] certainly concerned about that whether
[57:23] the town does it or whether we you know
[57:25] there's nothing to say we can't I know
[57:26] it's a $60,000 request we could cap it
[57:29] at 50 or something like that too. But I
[57:31] think we ultimately may have to make a
[57:32] change because the gentleman who does it
[57:34] won't be doing it forever. And we're ultimately going to have to make
[57:38] some um accommodation for future use of
[57:42] that and future maintenance of it, which
[57:43] I certainly support. Um the one that
[57:46] actually has the longest timeline, which
[57:47] probably is the least urgent as far as
[57:50] I'm concerned, is the sheriff's
[57:51] contract. It's the biggest hit, but also
[57:54] we just signed the contract and we've
[57:56] got time to run here and we are being
[57:58] covered. And um there's not a whole lot
[58:00] we can do about it for the coming
[58:02] however many you know months or years um
[58:05] it is. But I do think we need to look
[58:06] into it and see about um better managing
[58:09] that system. We've talked before about
[58:12] how often the deputies are here and what
[58:15] they're actually doing and to see if
[58:16] we're getting our money's worth or if
[58:18] they're elsewhere and not. I happen to
[58:20] be pretty happy with the sheriff's
[58:21] department performance, but um you know,
[58:24] there's a uh a management issue here and
[58:26] a fiduciary responsibility we have to
[58:29] make sure we're getting our $3.6 million
[58:31] worth uh from the deputies and from the
[58:33] sheriff's department. Um but I think
[58:35] that if we put together a subcommittee
[58:37] to kind of take a look at it and look at
[58:39] other alternatives and things like that,
[58:41] I'm not sure that they're viable, but I
[58:43] I'm certainly not opposed to looking
[58:45] into them. But coming up with that and
[58:47] seeing if there are things we could do.
[58:49] Um, we've talked about we used to share
[58:51] it with Portola Valley and maybe get
[58:53] some sort of a a bigger discount. Maybe
[58:55] we could expand that to other cities
[58:57] that that use the sheriff services like
[58:59] San Carlos. I just don't know. But I
[59:01] think that that's something that a
[59:02] committee could look into. It's a much
[59:04] longer term project and certainly less
[59:06] urgent.
[59:08] >> Thank you.
[59:10] Council Member Abberish.
[59:13] >> Yes. Uh, I think I I mean I'm so far I'm
[59:15] in agreement with everything everyone
[59:16] said. Uh, I think old La Honda, excuse
[59:20] me, needs to be a top priority to keep
[59:22] that light running at all times. Um, I
[59:25] think if if we don't have it, I think
[59:27] there is a real risk of a serious
[59:29] accident and somebody, you know, going
[59:31] off the cliff. I know the last time it
[59:33] happened there was a a tow truck uh that
[59:36] went off the edge and I remember seeing
[59:37] the vehicle there and luckily nobody I
[59:39] think was injured severely but you know
[59:42] if it happened again I would hate to see
[59:44] it. So um yeah but I think we're all in
[59:47] agreement hopefully on that and um I
[59:49] agree that I I would be very interested
[59:51] in seeing what the alternatives are if
[59:52] the road could be expanded you know but
[59:55] um in some way that would where we'd
[59:57] have actually have two lanes or
[59:58] something. So uh thank you Lewis for
[1:00:01] that. um for the sheriff. Uh this, you
[1:00:04] know, I it came up when we were
[1:00:06] negotiating the contract that I remember
[1:00:08] we we talked about it. Um the same
[1:00:10] points that that Dick was raising that
[1:00:14] um you know, are we are we overspending?
[1:00:17] Is there and I is is there some place
[1:00:20] to, you know, rightsize this? Um because
[1:00:24] I think we currently have more police
[1:00:25] force than Portol Valley even though
[1:00:27] we're about the same size. Um, and so I
[1:00:29] think I agree that it would make sense
[1:00:31] to have a task force look at options of
[1:00:34] either, you know, seeing if we could
[1:00:36] share a contract with Porto Valley if we
[1:00:38] if it makes sense to uh, you know,
[1:00:42] reduce I don't do we need it do we have
[1:00:44] an do we need the extra motorcycle? Do
[1:00:46] we um could we move resources around to
[1:00:49] where they're being utilized at the
[1:00:51] right times instead of you know like I
[1:00:53] think right now the extra uh sheriff's
[1:00:56] deputies like sometime during the middle
[1:00:58] of the week which I don't know if we
[1:00:59] really need that maybe if we cut it down
[1:01:01] to one and had them one more one more
[1:01:02] weekend or I'm not sure but I think
[1:01:05] totally worth exploring and I agree
[1:01:07] that's the biggest
[1:01:09] u obviously that's the biggest uh single
[1:01:12] item. Yeah, I mean it seems like we're
[1:01:14] all aligned that that a task force on
[1:01:16] the sheriff's services is a good idea. I
[1:01:19] mean, we can form a task force tonight.
[1:01:22] I certainly would love to be involved in just evaluating the services and um
[1:01:27] seeing if we can, you know, seeing to
[1:01:30] make sure that we're getting the value
[1:01:31] that um that we deserve out of our
[1:01:35] biggest number one line item. Um so,
[1:01:38] could we form that task force? I don't
[1:01:41] think we need to to wait on that if
[1:01:42] everyone's in support.
[1:01:45] >> I'll just I'll just mention when we
[1:01:47] looked at this last go around, we also
[1:01:49] ran into
[1:01:51] um I wouldn't call it union issues, but
[1:01:54] when you have a motorcycle and you have
[1:01:56] to cover a certain amount of time, you
[1:01:57] actually need basically two motorcycles.
[1:01:59] And we were trying to see if we get flex
[1:02:00] up time on the weekends when you know
[1:02:02] everybody comes into town or not. And we
[1:02:05] got shot down pretty hard by the
[1:02:07] sheriff's department on that at that
[1:02:08] time. But yeah, I mean, I'm I'm glad to
[1:02:10] hear that you're interested. Is there
[1:02:12] any We can We can have a two-person task
[1:02:14] force if there's anyone else that would
[1:02:15] be interested. Um, is there anyone
[1:02:19] interested in being on that task force
[1:02:21] with Council Member Wall?
[1:02:22] >> Be happy to do it.
[1:02:25] >> Great.
[1:02:25] >> Okay. Well, then we will uh we can
[1:02:28] certainly make that motion in a minute.
[1:02:29] I'll just mention the Kite Hill thing
[1:02:31] just to also comment on the public
[1:02:33] comment on that. For me personally, I
[1:02:35] don't have a problem with the 60K. I
[1:02:37] have a problem with the overage. So,
[1:02:38] it's almost like it's again it's a
[1:02:40] contract management issue and that's as
[1:02:41] much on us as the provider. I I don't
[1:02:43] think we were giving guidance and I
[1:02:45] think um I mean it's one thing to spend
[1:02:48] 60, it's another thing to be 70% over
[1:02:50] budget at 100 and be surprised by it.
[1:02:52] And um so I do think it's really a
[1:02:55] contract management issue more than more
[1:02:57] than anything. Um and if we could
[1:03:00] I think that is a you know I think about
[1:03:03] what landscaping costs and so forth. And
[1:03:05] I know this is a higher end situation
[1:03:06] than that, but I know it's 14 acres, but
[1:03:09] um
[1:03:11] it does seem very very high and we've
[1:03:13] gotten a lot of public comment on that
[1:03:15] uh over time. Uh just to emphasize even
[1:03:17] Miss Hansen's comments recently on that
[1:03:19] item. Um
[1:03:22] okay. Um do you have the direction you
[1:03:24] need from us except for this task force
[1:03:26] ad hoc task force issue?
[1:03:28] >> Yes, I do. I have uh increased process
[1:03:31] controls and come back with to council
[1:03:34] soon before the August recess to hear
[1:03:36] what has been put in place and what's
[1:03:37] coming forward. Old Honda we need to
[1:03:39] agendaize to hear about additional
[1:03:41] proposals as far as road in road
[1:03:43] expansion or cleanup options defensible
[1:03:46] space bring back a revised program and
[1:03:48] agendaize that uh which will include a
[1:03:50] legal analysis um and discuss different
[1:03:53] options as far as cap sliding scale etc.
[1:03:56] And then um we can bring forward uh
[1:04:01] research on the PARS account if you'd
[1:04:03] like that to come forward. And then the
[1:04:04] credit card fee we would bring forward
[1:04:06] to council to um review the options for
[1:04:08] that as well.
[1:04:08] >> Okay. Some of those might make their way
[1:04:10] on to consent but yeah and others won't.
[1:04:12] Um and Gene this idea of tonight forming
[1:04:16] a it's a non-aggendaized item. Can we
[1:04:18] just do it? It's a minority group of the
[1:04:19] council and we can
[1:04:21] >> Yes, you may.
[1:04:21] >> We need a vote on it or can we just say
[1:04:23] that that was the direction given? you
[1:04:25] can just give that direction.
[1:04:26] >> Okay, direction given. Um, okay.
[1:04:30] Anything else that we need to talk about
[1:04:32] on the budget?
[1:04:35] » Thank you.
[1:04:36] very much and thank you for
[1:04:38] leaning in during this time. We
[1:04:39] appreciate it very much.
[1:04:42] >> Okay, we will close item B. And uh we
[1:04:46] didn't lose a single Zoom attendee, so
[1:04:48] there's a lot of interest in this next
[1:04:50] topic. Uh so back to old business. This
[1:04:52] is a continuation from the April 28th
[1:04:55] meeting uh on the items we didn't get to
[1:04:57] like parking and land use and gathering
[1:04:59] spaces. So, um
[1:05:02] uh Sage, do I hand this off to you or do
[1:05:05] we hand it directly off to these folks?
[1:05:07] >> We're going to you just captured it
[1:05:09] correctly. Is the continuation of the
[1:05:10] item and we're going to show it over to Roy and Aaron.
[1:05:13] >> Very good. Welcome back.
[1:05:37] Yeah, I think we're just going to take a twominut break. We just adjourn for
[1:05:42] two minutes. Looks like we've lost a
[1:05:43] council member or two here for a second.
[1:05:46] >> Okay. Uh Troy, we'll hand it off to you.
[1:05:50] My understanding is we're going to go
[1:05:51] through your full presentation, then
[1:05:53] open up public comment and um well,
[1:05:56] we'll ask questions and then open up
[1:05:57] public comment and so forth, but the
[1:05:59] entire presentation at once versus um
[1:06:02] section by section. It sounds good to
[1:06:05] me.
[1:06:06] All right. So, uh good evening, council
[1:06:09] members. Good to see you all again.
[1:06:10] Pleased to be back um to talk again
[1:06:13] about the town center area plan update.
[1:06:17] So, as you know, tonight is the
[1:06:19] continuation of the meeting that we had
[1:06:22] on uh in late April where we really
[1:06:24] focused the whole conversation on
[1:06:26] transportation. Um so, tonight we'll
[1:06:28] cover the remaining three topics just as
[1:06:30] important. Um we'll talk about some
[1:06:32] concepts, some strategies and policies
[1:06:34] for parking, land use, and public
[1:06:37] spaces.
[1:06:38] um these ideas and these concepts they
[1:06:40] really emerged collectively from our
[1:06:42] process so far from our team from the
[1:06:45] staff the community and the CAC. So
[1:06:47] we've really compiled all these ideas.
[1:06:49] Um so just as a kind of context setting
[1:06:52] for tonight we're we're looking for
[1:06:53] council to provide us with preliminary
[1:06:55] direction on these strategies as you did
[1:06:58] on the last meeting um before we go
[1:07:00] ahead and share these ideas um with the
[1:07:03] community as part of our next phase of
[1:07:04] engagement. So, try to keep in mind that
[1:07:07] this isn't our final decision-making
[1:07:08] point. We want to, you know, kind of
[1:07:10] remain open-minded as we're going
[1:07:12] through this plan update process. Um,
[1:07:15] but we're really looking for council to
[1:07:16] give us really additional important
[1:07:19] additional context and concerns and
[1:07:21] considerations um that pertain to these
[1:07:23] strategies before we go ahead and sort
[1:07:25] of roll them out for the broader um
[1:07:28] community. So, I'll go ahead and go
[1:07:31] through these three topics and then as
[1:07:32] the mayor said, we'll pause for comment
[1:07:35] and then we'll look for discussion. Um,
[1:07:38] so I'll really jump right into it
[1:07:40] tonight. The only thing I'll kind of
[1:07:42] preface with is just this slide about
[1:07:44] key outcomes just as kind of a
[1:07:46] refresher. Um, kind of set ourselves in
[1:07:50] the mindset of what we want to get out
[1:07:51] of this process. Um, and really the in a
[1:07:54] lot of ways the first one is is kind of
[1:07:56] the goal is a a a consensus building
[1:07:59] effort around a shared vision and then
[1:08:01] everything else 2 through 12 is kind of
[1:08:03] an implementation a detail of that
[1:08:04] vision. Um, but this is really a
[1:08:07] visioning process that will result in a
[1:08:09] policy and vision document. So let's
[1:08:12] jump into parking. Um, a really hot
[1:08:15] topic. Um, we heard a lot about it in
[1:08:18] our popups, our stakeholder meetings, in
[1:08:21] the survey. It was um constant
[1:08:23] conversation about parking. What are the
[1:08:26] issues with parking that we heard? Um
[1:08:28] the bottom line is that there's not
[1:08:30] enough parking in the town center during
[1:08:32] certain times of day. These peaks are
[1:08:35] usually the lunch times and longer times
[1:08:38] on the weekends.
[1:08:40] The parking in the townowned or public
[1:08:43] lots is not managed, which is to say
[1:08:45] there's not a time limit or an
[1:08:48] enforcement um mechanism or enforcement
[1:08:51] body. The on street parking that used to
[1:08:55] be on Woodside Road was removed by CALR,
[1:08:58] which you know reduced the supply in the
[1:09:00] town centers.
[1:09:02] folks who work at some of the business
[1:09:03] in the town centers park in parking
[1:09:05] spaces here which is understandable but
[1:09:08] contributes again to the supply issue.
[1:09:11] uh we don't have any public transit or
[1:09:13] any type of a circulator or shuttle um
[1:09:16] as an alternative means to get to the
[1:09:17] town center. And an issue that we heard
[1:09:20] um about through the CAC and others was
[1:09:23] that bic bikers like to park in the town
[1:09:26] hall lot just outside um often for
[1:09:29] several hours or a whole day and those
[1:09:31] again takes up spaces. So you have a lot
[1:09:34] of conflicts over the parking spaces.
[1:09:39] So, we came up with a couple of ideas.
[1:09:42] Um, here's seven ideas that we kind of
[1:09:44] rolled out for the CAC. These are
[1:09:47] potential solutions. Um, the most
[1:09:50] popular idea that we talked about was to
[1:09:54] better utilize and better manage the
[1:09:56] spaces that we do have um by instituting
[1:10:00] more enforcement. Um, and the focus in
[1:10:03] the conversation was about the public
[1:10:04] lots since those are where the town has
[1:10:06] the most control. Um but the idea of you
[1:10:09] know supporting or otherwise um
[1:10:11] implementing enforcement on private lots
[1:10:13] was also popular. Shared parking u very
[1:10:16] popular. Um there was a there was
[1:10:19] concerns raised about um if we do
[1:10:22] enforcement could that result in
[1:10:23] neighborhood spillover. So there was a
[1:10:25] conversation about that. Um some of the
[1:10:27] less popular ideas were um parking
[1:10:30] meters. Those were not very wellreceived
[1:10:32] in the CAC. Um and then we talked a
[1:10:36] little bit about parking requirements.
[1:10:37] Would we consider reducing those
[1:10:39] requirements? Um and we talked about it
[1:10:41] in two different ways. One for uses that
[1:10:44] don't attract too much traffic. Those
[1:10:45] are, you know, generally like shops or retail. And then there's also foot
[1:10:50] traffic, high foot traffic uses like
[1:10:52] restaurants primarily. Um and sort of
[1:10:54] not too surprisingly there was more
[1:10:56] openness to being a little more uh
[1:10:58] forgiving towards offices and shops and
[1:11:01] parking requirements rather than
[1:11:03] restaurants. Um
[1:11:07] some other ideas we talked about with
[1:11:08] the CAC. These are a bit more kind of
[1:11:10] physically oriented ideas. Um the more
[1:11:13] popular idea which we touched on last
[1:11:15] time was about adding back parking
[1:11:17] spaces, marked parking spaces to
[1:11:19] Woodside Road. um primarily around you
[1:11:22] know the commercial businesses like
[1:11:23] little store and village hub. So that
[1:11:25] was very popular. Um another popular
[1:11:28] idea that kind of emerged out of the CAC
[1:11:30] that we didn't have on our list
[1:11:32] initially was um signage. Signage
[1:11:34] specifically oriented towards parking,
[1:11:36] making it easier to know where to park
[1:11:39] and easier to know where you're supposed
[1:11:42] to park as um a member of a different
[1:11:45] type of user case. Um and then what are
[1:11:48] the rules around parking? So all of that
[1:11:50] was part of this signage discussion that
[1:11:52] came up. Um some ideas that were not
[1:11:54] very um didn't get a lot of traction
[1:11:56] were to do a shuttle bus or to build uh
[1:12:00] an off-site parking lot which you could
[1:12:02] combine also with a shuttle bus. Both of
[1:12:04] those ideas were kind of seen um with a
[1:12:07] lot of skepticism in the CAC.
[1:12:10] Um we also talked about um enhanced
[1:12:12] transit um SAM transo other alternatives
[1:12:16] like that also came up as part of this
[1:12:18] discussion.
[1:12:20] So, and again just as a reminder, I'll
[1:12:22] kind of go through all these ideas and
[1:12:23] then we'll come back to these slides and
[1:12:25] we'll have a discussion about these
[1:12:26] ideas in particular. Um, but what I want
[1:12:29] to hear from you are kind of which ideas
[1:12:31] amongst this list, you know, you think
[1:12:33] are are really strong, have a lot of
[1:12:35] potential. Are there ideas we should
[1:12:37] kind of take off of the table and and
[1:12:39] stop pursuing? And are there any other
[1:12:41] ideas that you'd like to kind of throw
[1:12:43] into the mix? So, we'll do this for each
[1:12:45] of these three topics. Um, so we'll come
[1:12:47] back
[1:12:49] Well, let's shift to land use. So, we
[1:12:52] broke this out into both the commercial
[1:12:54] side, so businesses and shops, and then
[1:12:56] the other side, the residential, the
[1:12:57] housing side. So, we'll take them each
[1:12:59] separately, one at a time.
[1:13:02] Some of the issues around land use are,
[1:13:05] you know, kind of when you look at the
[1:13:07] town center, you see some uses missing
[1:13:10] that you would see in other downtowns.
[1:13:13] Um there are a lot of regulations,
[1:13:16] zoning, the size of the parcels,
[1:13:18] restrictions that are both policy and
[1:13:21] physical in nature that constrain what
[1:13:23] property owners can do in the town
[1:13:25] center. Um that includes building
[1:13:27] heights um being limited by the ballot
[1:13:29] measure. Uh like likewise, adaptive
[1:13:32] reuse, which is to say you convert an
[1:13:35] office or a shop into a different type
[1:13:37] of use, such as a housing use, not
[1:13:39] allowed at this time. Um, we've heard
[1:13:42] it's really hard to afford to live here
[1:13:44] if you, you know, work in the school or
[1:13:46] local businesses here.
[1:13:49] Just as a kind of reminder, we're here
[1:13:51] because of the housing element. Um, but
[1:13:54] you know, in our initial survey, we we
[1:13:55] did find a lot of, you know, kind of
[1:13:58] split of views on this topic. So, we
[1:13:59] anticipate, I think, you know, a lot of
[1:14:01] robust debate about this topic. It was
[1:14:03] basically evenly split in our initial
[1:14:05] survey.
[1:14:08] So, as far as commercial businesses, we
[1:14:10] tried to think about what what is
[1:14:12] missing in the town center. What could
[1:14:14] we add? Um, the CAC had a lot of
[1:14:17] thoughts about that. Uh, some of the
[1:14:18] businesses that were favored in the CAC,
[1:14:21] the fast casual restaurant type, uh, a
[1:14:23] type that's that's sort of missing right
[1:14:25] now. Yoga, fitness studio, also very
[1:14:28] popular. Pharmacy and urgent care. I
[1:14:31] know in the past that has had some
[1:14:33] success and some not success, but that
[1:14:35] was an idea that came up. uh ice cream
[1:14:37] boba shop also there on the list. Um so
[1:14:39] those were the top businesses. Um but in
[1:14:42] fairness there was a lot of discussion
[1:14:43] about um how the town doesn't directly
[1:14:47] you know control who goes into business
[1:14:49] spaces. Um so we should be cognizant
[1:14:52] that there are limits to how much we can
[1:14:54] prescribe with this policy process. Um
[1:14:58] and then just to keep in mind the market
[1:15:00] constraints here. This is a small kind
[1:15:02] of retail market trade area. Um so
[1:15:05] that's a realistic constraint on what we
[1:15:07] can attract here. Um and and there was
[1:15:10] generally consensus that anything that
[1:15:12] we would want to add to this space
[1:15:14] should be a local oriented and not a
[1:15:16] regional tourist oriented type of
[1:15:18] business.
[1:15:22] So some of the ideas that we talked
[1:15:24] about are how are the way how are some
[1:15:26] ways in which we can reduce the barriers
[1:15:29] the regulatory barriers or other
[1:15:30] barriers to attract the types of
[1:15:32] businesses that are desired that we just
[1:15:34] talked about the the boba and the the
[1:15:37] other types of businesses. So some of
[1:15:39] the ideas are and these are you know
[1:15:40] sort of um a bit a bit wonky policy
[1:15:43] ideas but it's making conditional use
[1:15:45] permanences easier. Um, you could either
[1:15:49] make them not necessary by making a use
[1:15:52] simply by right and not require a cup or
[1:15:55] you could make a cup sort of a less
[1:15:57] ownorous process. Um, you could
[1:15:59] streamline approvals for adaptive reuse
[1:16:01] to help businesses kind of turn over.
[1:16:03] Um, and then as we talked about parking
[1:16:05] requirements, you could reduce parking
[1:16:07] requirements um, for businesses we
[1:16:09] really want to attract. Um, and these
[1:16:11] ideas uh, generally overall the CAC was very wellreceived. the overall
[1:16:15] notion of flexibility um for for
[1:16:18] commercial business owners was really wellreceived at the CAC.
[1:16:23] Um so shifting to housing, we kind of
[1:16:26] started at a high level just the opening
[1:16:29] question is should housing be allowed in
[1:16:31] town center and overall the the majority
[1:16:34] of the CAC was in favor of that um
[1:16:37] especially if it's kind of welldesigned.
[1:16:39] I think that was a really understated
[1:16:42] part of this. Yes, the yes be allowed
[1:16:44] but with the right design and the right
[1:16:46] type of you know kind of orientation and
[1:16:49] character but overall the CAC was was
[1:16:51] supportive of housing in the town
[1:16:53] center. Um when we asked specifically
[1:16:56] what when we say housing what do we mean
[1:16:58] what type in scale and character overall
[1:17:01] the strongest support was for this a
[1:17:03] twotory type of scale. Um there was also
[1:17:07] support for three stories. There was
[1:17:09] also support for just the adaptive
[1:17:11] reuse, which is to say keeping the
[1:17:12] existing buildings and turning them over
[1:17:14] inside. Um, but the overall strongest
[1:17:17] sort of support was for for a two-story
[1:17:19] character. Um, but there was a very um
[1:17:22] mixed robust conversation. There was a
[1:17:25] lot of support for keeping retail um in
[1:17:28] a mixeduse format. That is that we want
[1:17:31] to keep um the ground floor of buildings
[1:17:33] active with active retail. there was a
[1:17:36] lot of no interest in in a large scale
[1:17:38] type of apartment or a condo building.
[1:17:40] Um there is uh a strong contingent of
[1:17:44] support on the CAC for doing for
[1:17:46] allowing sort of some medium scale what
[1:17:50] we might call missing middle or medium
[1:17:52] density housing along Woodside Road as
[1:17:54] part of this overall concept. And we can
[1:17:56] talk a little bit more about that.
[1:18:00] So now I'll just go through a couple of
[1:18:01] examples um just walking through what
[1:18:04] twotory and three-story housing could
[1:18:06] look like and feel like in the town
[1:18:08] center um just to kind of get us all
[1:18:11] thinking about it in a visual way. Um so
[1:18:13] here's an example of a two-story
[1:18:15] townhouse. You have
[1:18:18] um two examples here. You could have the
[1:18:21] parking in the back in this example. Um
[1:18:23] so you have a very nice frontage um
[1:18:26] character here. Here's another example
[1:18:28] where in this case the it's a townhouse
[1:18:30] but the parking is in the front. So you
[1:18:33] would access the parking below grade or
[1:18:35] basically you know tucked under your
[1:18:37] unit. In this case you know you still
[1:18:40] have a two-story product but you can
[1:18:43] park it very easily underground because
[1:18:44] the parking is going to be a big
[1:18:46] challenge for whatever housing if
[1:18:48] housing is developed here. Parking will
[1:18:50] be a big challenge.
[1:18:52] Here's a nice example of a mixeduse. So
[1:18:54] those were residential only examples.
[1:18:56] Here's a nice example of a mixeduse um
[1:18:59] sometimes this gets called a live work
[1:19:01] or a shop house um where you basically
[1:19:03] have just two stories. One story is um a
[1:19:06] residential unit over top of an an
[1:19:09] office or a shop. Sometimes those are
[1:19:11] connected. Um sometimes those are
[1:19:13] separate tenants. You can do it in a
[1:19:14] variety of different ways, but um the
[1:19:16] overall kind of character of that is is
[1:19:18] a is a very nice walkable um two-story
[1:19:21] kind of shop house. These examples are
[1:19:23] ones in Carmel and ones in um Tibberon.
[1:19:26] So we thought those were good examples.
[1:19:28] So stepping up one more floor to three
[1:19:30] stories. Here's what threetory town
[1:19:32] homes might look like or feel like. Um
[1:19:36] you could um again with the parking you
[1:19:39] could tuck the parking under the units
[1:19:41] or you might do surface parking uh
[1:19:43] depending on the density.
[1:19:47] And here's our final example. This is
[1:19:49] the going up one more floor. a
[1:19:52] three-story shop house or mixeduse
[1:19:54] configuration where you have two stories
[1:19:56] um of of housing unit or condo above a
[1:19:59] retail shop. You see this um prototype a
[1:20:02] lot in a lot of sort of small town
[1:20:04] downtowns
[1:20:05] um where you have you know you have some
[1:20:08] folks living above a shop or or or a
[1:20:11] store or restaurant. Um some of these
[1:20:13] examples I think are from from South
[1:20:15] Lake Tahoe. Um you have kind of this
[1:20:17] rural more rustic look to some of these
[1:20:20] examples. So we thought these were good
[1:20:21] examples. Um one thing one sort of
[1:20:24] design consideration here is that even
[1:20:26] if we do consider allowing three
[1:20:28] stories, we could put in set stepbacks
[1:20:31] uh you know on the third story stepping
[1:20:33] that back a certain distance so that you
[1:20:36] don't have as much um sort of sense of
[1:20:38] that threetory scale. So there are
[1:20:40] options here that you could do to kind
[1:20:42] of play with the that third story.
[1:20:46] So just shifting gears a little bit. Um
[1:20:49] the first part of the conversation was
[1:20:51] really about would we want to allow
[1:20:54] housing on privately owned properties.
[1:20:57] The other flip side of that conversation
[1:20:59] is there are these kind of two sites
[1:21:01] that are publicly owned within the town
[1:21:03] center. The village hill and this site,
[1:21:06] this parcel we're on right now, the town
[1:21:08] hall parcel. Um so naturally those came
[1:21:11] up as possibilities for doing housing.
[1:21:14] Um, and we discussed that with the CAC
[1:21:17] and you know overall I think about
[1:21:19] twothirds of the CAC was supportive of
[1:21:22] exploring it on one of the two sites.
[1:21:24] Um, I think there was some who were
[1:21:26] strongly opposed and I think we'll hear
[1:21:28] some strong thoughts about Village Hill.
[1:21:30] Um, but overall I think there was some
[1:21:32] openness on the CAC to look at whether
[1:21:35] housing on these sites um could be be
[1:21:37] pursued. And obviously the town has more control over these sites um than
[1:21:43] the privately owned sites.
[1:21:46] Just want to acknowledge there was also
[1:21:47] a lot of discussion in the CAC about um
[1:21:51] properties that could be potentially
[1:21:53] suitable for housing that are that were
[1:21:56] sort of not within that initial boundary
[1:21:58] but were part of the expanded kind of
[1:22:00] look that we took along Woodside Road in
[1:22:04] both directions. So, some of those sites
[1:22:06] that came up were the Goat Hills site
[1:22:08] which is just across um you know at the
[1:22:10] corner west corner of Hiendus and
[1:22:12] Woodside Road um obviously a large
[1:22:16] vacant site but it is privately owned. U
[1:22:19] across the street there's the site on
[1:22:21] the other side of Hiendis um which is
[1:22:23] also mostly vacant though it has some
[1:22:25] drainage issues. Two other parcels were
[1:22:28] frequently mentioned, the parcel
[1:22:30] adjacent to the fire station um that we
[1:22:33] understand there's there's plans for
[1:22:34] some fire station facilities um but
[1:22:37] nonetheless then also a parcel adjacent
[1:22:40] to the school um to the tennis courts
[1:22:42] which um was just purchased by the
[1:22:44] school district. Um so that does offer
[1:22:47] some opportunities for for housing on
[1:22:48] that site. Um, but just we wanted to
[1:22:50] acknowledge there was a lot of
[1:22:51] discussion about these additional
[1:22:52] parcels and that these parcels start to
[1:22:55] form the outline of what might be again
[1:22:58] as I discussed this middle density kind
[1:23:00] of approach of of a overlay or an
[1:23:03] additional zoning allowance for parcels
[1:23:05] that you know like these that front
[1:23:07] Woodside Road close to town center have
[1:23:10] town um the the good sewer service
[1:23:13] that's available in this um central
[1:23:15] district. Um, so that's an idea that has
[1:23:18] kind of been that's come out of this
[1:23:20] these discussions about housing sites
[1:23:22] beyond the, you know, traditional
[1:23:24] footprint of the town center.
[1:23:28] So again, we'll come back to this, but
[1:23:30] kind of with talking through which of
[1:23:31] these ideas we think have the best
[1:23:33] potential, which one of these do we, if
[1:23:36] any, do we want to kind of take off the
[1:23:37] table? And then is there something we
[1:23:40] forgot to put onto the table?
[1:23:43] shifting to public space, uh, gathering
[1:23:46] spaces and urban design. Really exciting
[1:23:49] topic. Um, so some of the issues are
[1:23:52] that outdoor dining, um, which, you
[1:23:54] know, used to be more present is now
[1:23:56] sorely missed ever since it went away.
[1:23:59] Uh, really one of the more unanimous
[1:24:00] findings, um, across the CAC, the
[1:24:03] survey, the pop-ups, everyone really
[1:24:05] missed outdoor dining. Um there's no one true public space or or
[1:24:10] sort of signature plaza to gather or to
[1:24:13] picnic. Uh measure A, you know, we have
[1:24:16] not fully implemented that. The vision
[1:24:18] for a gazebo right outside of the town
[1:24:20] hall,
[1:24:22] a lack of programming was brought up by folks, you know, with respect to
[1:24:26] teens, es especially not having events
[1:24:29] that would draw one to the town center.
[1:24:32] Um there's no community center or no
[1:24:34] teen center. Um, and there not that many
[1:24:37] public amenities in and around the town
[1:24:38] center. We don't have bathrooms or water
[1:24:41] fountains or seating areas.
[1:24:45] So, we developed a list, a preliminary
[1:24:47] list of uh possible gathering spaces and
[1:24:50] we talked these over with the CAC. And
[1:24:53] as I mentioned, outdoor dining
[1:24:55] overwhelmingly was number one. Um, a
[1:24:58] community center was also very popular.
[1:25:00] Um, farmers market. Then some of the
[1:25:04] lesser popular ideas were the the
[1:25:06] village hill picnic center and then the
[1:25:07] public space um that we talked a lot
[1:25:09] about last meeting by the Roberts
[1:25:12] Market. Um interestingly,
[1:25:16] so here's just kind of a look at where
[1:25:18] some of these things might physically
[1:25:21] take space within the town center. Um,
[1:25:23] you know, outdoor dining has a couple of
[1:25:26] different locations, but the one that I
[1:25:27] think a lot of us, a lot of folks talked
[1:25:29] about was the one that used to be in
[1:25:31] front of um, Bucks and the the village
[1:25:33] bakery. Then the public space that we
[1:25:36] talked about last time, potential picnic
[1:25:38] area, the Measure A gazebo, the farmers
[1:25:40] market location. Um, so just kind of
[1:25:43] thinking about these spaces throughout
[1:25:45] the town center.
[1:25:48] So, in association with gathering
[1:25:50] spaces, we also talked about how can we
[1:25:52] make the town center look nicer
[1:25:54] aesthetically kind of from a design
[1:25:57] standpoint. So, the most popular um
[1:26:00] choice for the CAC was more landscaping, especially native planting,
[1:26:05] new street trees, very popular. Um, and
[1:26:08] then kind of building off of the earlier
[1:26:10] discussion around parking and signage,
[1:26:12] kind of using gateway treatments, um, as
[1:26:16] both a kind of identity and character
[1:26:18] making piece, but also a functional way
[1:26:20] to help direct people around um, the
[1:26:23] town center in in the right way. Um, so
[1:26:27] those were very popular. Um, assuming
[1:26:30] that that signage or those treatments
[1:26:33] were very carefully calibrated to the
[1:26:35] character here, the rural equestrian
[1:26:38] character, that's really important that
[1:26:40] whatever signage or landscaping we do is
[1:26:43] really sensitive and appropriate to this
[1:26:46] context.
[1:26:48] So again, here are kind of the ideas
[1:26:51] that we'll talk through and see what you
[1:26:54] think.
[1:26:55] bunch of various
[1:26:57] suggested outdoor spaces and urban
[1:27:00] design treatments. You let me know if
[1:27:03] you think any of the ideas are should be
[1:27:05] off the table or anything's missing
[1:27:09] and that will be our third topic. So,
[1:27:12] just to wrap up kind of the
[1:27:13] presentation, let me just describe where
[1:27:15] we go next after tonight. Um so to kind
[1:27:19] of remind ourselves at the end of this
[1:27:22] process, we're hoping that the council
[1:27:24] will adopt um an updated town center
[1:27:27] area plan as a standalone policy
[1:27:29] document. That document will contain a
[1:27:32] number of things, but it'll include like
[1:27:34] the preferred concepts that we agree on
[1:27:36] for various key transportation
[1:27:38] improvements. um the programs or
[1:27:42] policies or strategies around parking
[1:27:43] that we agree on, the priorities for
[1:27:45] investing in public spaces, the policies
[1:27:48] for commercial use and potential
[1:27:51] residential use, and then action items
[1:27:53] that the town will follow up on over the
[1:27:55] coming years. The town will also certify
[1:27:58] the EIR as part of this process um which
[1:28:01] will include review of impacts from some
[1:28:03] scenarios that we'll look at and then
[1:28:06] potentially depending on where we go
[1:28:08] with the policy direction um ballot
[1:28:10] measures could be considered after
[1:28:13] adoption to implement the vision of this
[1:28:15] plan. Um but that will of course depend
[1:28:18] on where we go with direction. Um then
[1:28:23] after tonight immediately we will um
[1:28:26] begin our engagement with the community.
[1:28:29] We'll have a survey that will roll out
[1:28:30] within um a week or so. So we'll have
[1:28:34] popups. We'll have an open house. Um
[1:28:37] we'll have the survey going for a few
[1:28:39] months. Uh then we'll meet back with the
[1:28:41] CAC to discuss kind of what we heard
[1:28:43] from the community about these ideas. Um
[1:28:46] and then we'll meet back with the
[1:28:47] council to kind of lock in our approach
[1:28:50] to SQA. Um and as of course we'll share
[1:28:53] what we've heard from the community
[1:28:54] about these ideas. Um and then finally
[1:28:56] once we um decide and confirm our SQA
[1:29:00] approach we'll initiate the IR and we'll
[1:29:03] go from there. So with that hand it back
[1:29:06] to the mayor.
[1:29:07] >> Great. Thank you so much. Um, I know
[1:29:10] this was laid out to go right into
[1:29:12] public comment and that's probably
[1:29:13] actually the best thing to do before we
[1:29:15] discuss, but does anybody have any
[1:29:16] immediate questions um for Troy? No
[1:29:20] >> question.
[1:29:21] >> Quick question. Okay. Um,
[1:29:25] is there any um consideration given to I noticed in some of your uh slides
[1:29:31] there where you identified other spaces
[1:29:33] where we could possibly put in housing
[1:29:34] and those four I forgot, you know, and
[1:29:37] goat, you know, Goatill um and those
[1:29:40] things. Um about relocating the town,
[1:29:44] this building and the building next
[1:29:45] door. Is there any discussion of that?
[1:29:49] I do believe there was at least one
[1:29:53] member of CSC who brought that idea up.
[1:29:55] I don't know that it was widely
[1:29:57] discussed, but it it did get mentioned.
[1:30:01] Um,
[1:30:03] if that's an idea that we should pursue
[1:30:05] further, I'm happy to.
[1:30:06] >> No, I mentioned it because of the fire
[1:30:07] station and I mean there's which is a
[1:30:10] pretty impressive facility now and right
[1:30:13] >> spaces available next to it and
[1:30:15] >> yeah,
[1:30:15] >> this is such an attractive area and big
[1:30:18] area that's being taken up um by
[1:30:21] government bureaucracy
[1:30:22] >> and it's not like the town center hasn't
[1:30:24] moved before. So,
[1:30:25] >> yes, it's Yeah, of course. Yeah, twice
[1:30:28] actually. Three times, I'm sorry. Um, so
[1:30:30] anyway, I just that was my only
[1:30:32] question.
[1:30:35] » You can you can design the new one.
[1:30:38] >> Thank you.
[1:30:40] >> Any other questions from council?
[1:30:41] >> Yes,
[1:30:42] >> council member Brown.
[1:30:43] >> Uh, have we done any you were going to
[1:30:45] do a parking survey? I believe at one
[1:30:47] point you said you was that underway or
[1:30:50] completed.
[1:30:51] >> That's right. Yeah, we conducted um a
[1:30:53] survey of the use of the public town
[1:30:56] lots basically to see um how those were
[1:31:00] used. We did complete that survey last
[1:31:03] fall. Um and sort of at a high level the
[1:31:07] findings were that around 10 to 12% of
[1:31:12] the spaces were occupied by bikers,
[1:31:14] bicyclists. That was the finding. Um, so
[1:31:17] I think what I took away from the survey
[1:31:20] was that the bicycle parking is is a
[1:31:24] real phenomenon. There are bicycles that
[1:31:27] park there for extended periods of time.
[1:31:29] It may not be as you know, it's not half
[1:31:32] of the parking lot, but it is it's a
[1:31:34] small but not insignificant number of
[1:31:36] parking spaces that are taken up by
[1:31:38] bikers. I think it confirmed that we'd
[1:31:40] like to find we'd like to find an
[1:31:43] approach to managing that parking lot
[1:31:45] because that would help address that
[1:31:48] issue.
[1:31:48] >> Absolutely. I agree with that one. Um,
[1:31:51] have you done any study or or documented
[1:31:53] how many literally how many parking
[1:31:55] spaces exist in the downtown area?
[1:31:59] >> Yeah, we showed that at uh I can see if
[1:32:02] I have that slide. That was in my very
[1:32:04] first presentation. Um, off the top of
[1:32:06] my head, I want to say the number was
[1:32:08] around 640
[1:32:10] spaces, something like that. We did
[1:32:12] count them up. Um, most of them are off
[1:32:14] streetet, but there it was something
[1:32:15] around 600 and something spaces. So, we
[1:32:18] did count those. Yeah.
[1:32:19] >> And and some of the some of the
[1:32:20] proposals you had was to do more
[1:32:24] sides on the street parking than what
[1:32:27] we're doing right now, like on Woodside
[1:32:28] Road. And I'd like to have you come back
[1:32:32] the next time around with how many more
[1:32:34] spaces could we
[1:32:37] get to maybe 700 um if we were did the
[1:32:42] following things. And then my my last
[1:32:44] thing is the um lot property right below
[1:32:49] town hall here that uh is targeted as a
[1:32:52] gazebo. Um, have we looked at that as
[1:32:55] potential for um multi-story housing?
[1:33:02] » Uh, yeah. Yeah. I mean, we're varying in
[1:33:04] we're veering into all of the later
[1:33:05] discussion, which is it's just fine, but
[1:33:07] um uh yes, the um
[1:33:13] that was part of our our previous um our
[1:33:18] >> talk about gazeos and well, so yeah. So, part of the discussion I think would
[1:33:23] be what's the most appropriate use of
[1:33:26] that site. We have shown it as a
[1:33:28] potential gazebo here, but then in the
[1:33:31] site or the discussion around housing,
[1:33:33] we indicate that it could also be a
[1:33:34] housing site. So, I think we're still
[1:33:37] open to idea. And then now just, you
[1:33:39] know, council member Gold brought up the
[1:33:41] idea of moving the town center. So, I
[1:33:42] think there's a lot in play in this site
[1:33:44] right here. Okay. I think it's still very open for discussion. You
[1:33:51] Okay, I think we will move on to public
[1:33:53] comment and I think we'll start the Zoom
[1:33:55] room. Uh, Mr. Irststead.
[1:34:01] » Yes, council members. Uh, thank you. Uh,
[1:34:04] I I wanted to skip my prepared remarks
[1:34:07] and address uh Council Member Gold's
[1:34:09] comment just recently. I I think uh uh
[1:34:14] that is a very wise idea to keep in
[1:34:19] mind. No no no uh um no certainty but
[1:34:24] having that alternative of using the
[1:34:26] current location for town hall and uh
[1:34:30] the adjoining building uh the room
[1:34:32] you're in currently as housing might
[1:34:35] work quite well. Um, so I want to
[1:34:38] commend uh, council member Gold for that
[1:34:41] comment. I I think uh, I've written a
[1:34:44] letter that summarizes my lays out my
[1:34:47] concerns regarding land use and parking.
[1:34:49] I'd encourage the town in town center to
[1:34:53] look at public parking as a town asset.
[1:34:57] And I think here control uh, or more
[1:35:01] control is warranted. Um you have a use
[1:35:05] by um outsiders uh not residents, not
[1:35:10] property owners, not tenants, uh taking
[1:35:12] up spots where alternatives readily
[1:35:16] exist, whether on Woodside Road down at
[1:35:18] the uh park and ride or up on Pinata
[1:35:21] Road. Uh there are ready alternatives.
[1:35:24] These are people driving in from
[1:35:25] outside. Woodside is a highly desirable,
[1:35:29] arguably one of the most desirable
[1:35:31] biking places in the United States and
[1:35:35] it brings in a lot of people. Uh we have
[1:35:38] a limited number of spots. That 600 plus
[1:35:41] number applies when you count up all
[1:35:44] spots public and private when you
[1:35:47] include Kinyana Corners, Roberts, uh as
[1:35:50] well as the primary town center. Um,
[1:35:54] third comment I want to make is with uh
[1:35:57] with regards to housing on undeveloped
[1:36:00] parcels. I think the town would be
[1:36:03] really wise to watch out for compliance
[1:36:06] with current state storm water low
[1:36:10] impact discharge requirements. I can
[1:36:12] attest these requirements are very very
[1:36:17] strict. They are very expensive to
[1:36:20] comply with. They take significant civil
[1:36:24] engineering work and the town is
[1:36:27] somewhat unique in that it lacks storm
[1:36:29] water facilities. So you're relying on
[1:36:32] drainage into natural water courses like
[1:36:35] Dry Creek. And you got to be really careful when laying out new
[1:36:41] structures, new developments, uh that
[1:36:44] you don't impact uh that natural water
[1:36:47] course in ways that don't comply. I can
[1:36:50] tell you from experience, the state of
[1:36:52] California and Sonoma County uh and its
[1:36:55] primary city, City of Santa Rosa, spent
[1:36:58] years negotiating those provisions with
[1:37:01] applicability to those uh communities
[1:37:04] inside Sonoma County, including City of
[1:37:06] Santa Rosa. My goodness gracious, it's
[1:37:10] tough. Thank you.
[1:37:13] >> Thank you, Richard. Any other public
[1:37:16] comments, Mr. Luben?
[1:37:20] Steve Luben. Um, I uh know that
[1:37:23] Richard's been concerned about
[1:37:26] maintaining the left turn lane to get
[1:37:28] into the parking spaces along his
[1:37:30] properties and up to the Gilbert
[1:37:32] properties on Woodside Road. Um, I think
[1:37:35] that that should be balanced and and I
[1:37:37] think it's actually much more important
[1:37:39] for us to kind of take control of
[1:37:41] Woodside Road. There's no, you know,
[1:37:43] people say they want to keep the the the
[1:37:45] rural rustic nature of the town center,
[1:37:47] but that section of road is neither
[1:37:50] rural nor rustic and was was really,
[1:37:55] you know, made quite inhospitable by
[1:37:57] CALR widening. Uh the removal of the
[1:38:01] parking along the north side, I don't
[1:38:03] think, excuse me, Troy, but I don't
[1:38:04] think there was CALRit initiated that.
[1:38:07] The town initiated it at a time when the
[1:38:10] pub was very busy and opened on the
[1:38:12] Woodside Road and people were crossing
[1:38:14] the road and actually the town council
[1:38:16] removed that parking. So I think you
[1:38:19] know replacing that parking would be a a
[1:38:21] really lowhanging fruit to get more
[1:38:24] parking in town and that probably
[1:38:26] requires removal of the left turn lane.
[1:38:29] Uh in in conjunction with that that you
[1:38:32] know the pavement could be narrowed
[1:38:33] there. We could have entrance features
[1:38:36] starting at at hosiendas that slow
[1:38:38] people down perhaps the roundabout there
[1:38:41] that's been suggested so that people
[1:38:43] come into that section of road at 20 m
[1:38:45] an hour not 50 m an hour like they do
[1:38:49] now. The the circulation committee
[1:38:51] before my time on it recommended a you
[1:38:54] know a free turn lane on Woodside Road
[1:38:57] when you're coming off of Whiskey Hill
[1:39:00] that you could have a center lane that
[1:39:02] you could turn into. I think that idea
[1:39:04] actually just facilitates people
[1:39:06] speeding into town and accepts it. And I
[1:39:09] don't think we should accept that. I
[1:39:10] think we should we, you know, we should
[1:39:12] have some some traffic calming measures
[1:39:15] coming into town that get people down to
[1:39:18] 20 m an hour. Then it would be much
[1:39:20] easier to turn into these parking spots.
[1:39:22] People would get to a speed where
[1:39:24] they're kind of personally negotiating
[1:39:26] in traffic. And then that brings me to you know the intersection of Woodside
[1:39:32] and Kinyatta Road. And I think you know
[1:39:34] the direction the the the the town has
[1:39:37] been taking is to just leave it alone.
[1:39:39] And I think you know that's just not
[1:39:41] feasible. That intersection doesn't
[1:39:43] work. It needs some kind of radical
[1:39:46] transformation to start working better.
[1:39:49] I was originally quite opposed to
[1:39:52] roundabouts there because I was using
[1:39:54] the Stanford roundabouts as a model. the
[1:39:57] uh the consultants have said, you know,
[1:39:59] much smaller ones are possible. And I I
[1:40:02] think using that there's some
[1:40:05] possibilities to to fix that
[1:40:07] intersection in a way, maybe using
[1:40:09] roundabouts where you don't have to stop
[1:40:11] at all driving through town center, but
[1:40:13] you're going 20 miles an hour. And uh I really like practically all of the
[1:40:20] housing proposals and my time's up.
[1:40:24] Thank you. Other comments?
[1:40:31] » There is, but it would be a second bite
[1:40:33] of the apple. So, we'll see if there's
[1:40:34] any first bites yet.
[1:40:37] >> Um, as two members of the history
[1:40:39] committee here tonight, we vehemently
[1:40:42] object to moving this building. It was
[1:40:45] so well, the whole complex was so welld
[1:40:47] designed by Eshodi
[1:40:49] Holmes
[1:40:51] and
[1:40:52] >> Davy Dodge and Davis. That's right.
[1:40:54] Thank you. And um it it really is an
[1:40:57] integral part of of of Town Center and
[1:41:01] masterfully done to to have the staff
[1:41:04] buildings complement this but not
[1:41:07] detract from it. It's a it's a it's on
[1:41:09] the National Register. So please let's
[1:41:12] take that one off the table, right, Le?
[1:41:14] And I mean I I'm speaking for two
[1:41:16] members of the committee, but uh there
[1:41:18] are other places and they consultants
[1:41:21] have discussed those. I I think at one
[1:41:23] point Dick Brown suggested some kind of
[1:41:26] looking at some kind of institutional
[1:41:29] housing on um
[1:41:36] the hill and um village hill. Thank you.
[1:41:40] And um that wouldn't require as much
[1:41:43] parking um because it would be people
[1:41:47] who you know would be like a facility. I I like that idea. I think you
[1:41:52] presented a long time ago, but I I don't
[1:41:54] think we're there yet, I guess, is what
[1:41:56] I'm saying. I mean, there's still a lot
[1:41:58] of loose ends and
[1:42:01] the consultants have done a great job,
[1:42:02] but there's still other ideas on the
[1:42:05] table that I need, I think, need
[1:42:08] to be looked at more specifically and maybe not implemented right away,
[1:42:12] but certainly be part of a long range
[1:42:14] plan. None of this is going to happen
[1:42:16] right away. So, um, let's keep our minds
[1:42:21] open.
[1:42:28] » Gilbert,
[1:42:31] >> um, I'm trying to absorb all this. I
[1:42:36] don't like change very much.
[1:42:38] Um, don't move this building anywhere,
[1:42:41] by the way. I'll double with her. Um,
[1:42:45] what I don't understand is why
[1:42:48] basically, this may sound stupid at this
[1:42:50] point of the game, but why the hell are
[1:42:52] we doing this? We trying to make this
[1:42:54] place bigger? Are we trying to make it
[1:42:56] not so rural? Are we uh I just don't
[1:43:01] understand. I don't think this is really
[1:43:03] a terrible place to live right now. And
[1:43:06] I think it's beautiful here. And there
[1:43:08] are always going to be some things that
[1:43:10] we could do to make it easier for people
[1:43:12] to walk around town and stuff. I I'm all
[1:43:14] for that. Safe walking around town, but
[1:43:19] to make it a place where we're going to
[1:43:21] attract more people to come here and
[1:43:23] look over the town. Wow. And all this,
[1:43:25] you know, I mean, I own stuff that, you
[1:43:28] know, we could probably make more money
[1:43:29] by doing it, you know, but um like a
[1:43:32] restaurant or something like that, but I
[1:43:35] like it lowkey. I don't need it now. Oh,
[1:43:37] I don't want it now. I just want to see
[1:43:40] Woodside stay the old town feeling that
[1:43:44] it had at some point. And I see that
[1:43:47] going out the window here. I really do.
[1:43:50] And um I mean we have five and a half
[1:43:52] acres. I have horses. I have chickens. I
[1:43:55] have, you know, all kinds of stuff. But
[1:43:58] um so I like it. And I think other
[1:44:00] people like it too. The things that you
[1:44:02] can't do. You know, I was born and
[1:44:04] raised in San Francisco, so I didn't
[1:44:06] have these things. Didn't have a horse.
[1:44:08] I wanted a horse there, but my father
[1:44:10] said, "No, you have to take that horse
[1:44:11] back. Doesn't work here." So, I just
[1:44:15] don't like the direction we're going in.
[1:44:17] But, I'm going to stay with it, and I'll
[1:44:19] have more to say as I see it opening up.
[1:44:21] But, there's a lot of things that are so
[1:44:23] different that it seems to me it's going
[1:44:25] to attract a lot more people. And I
[1:44:27] don't think that we're really set up for
[1:44:29] that, to have that. It's going to be
[1:44:31] overloaded. Where's the parking spaces?
[1:44:34] I mean, it's ridiculous. It's hard
[1:44:35] enough for the people that live here to
[1:44:37] have a family come and visit them or
[1:44:40] something and sometimes they have to
[1:44:41] park in the parking lot. I It's just
[1:44:44] It's too much. I guess I'm just too old
[1:44:47] now. I I strike that. But
[1:44:51] so, somebody tell me why we're doing
[1:44:54] this. I want to know why we're doing
[1:44:57] this. Why are we going to spend I know
[1:44:58] the state must be putting their stupid
[1:45:01] ass ideas in here, but how can we avoid
[1:45:05] what the best we can and try to keep us
[1:45:07] buholic and small and special here? I I
[1:45:11] don't want to lose our specialness in
[1:45:14] this town. I think I've lived here 60
[1:45:17] years now, even though I'm only 45. I
[1:45:20] don't know that happened, but um I don't
[1:45:23] know. I want to keep it small and kind
[1:45:26] of rural and just funky.
[1:45:31] >> Yeah. Thank you, Leanne. We're all
[1:45:32] trying to figure out how to do that,
[1:45:34] too. I mean, it's just the reason it's
[1:45:35] happening now. It's been a couple
[1:45:36] decades since we took a look at it. And
[1:45:39] more acutely, it's because it's a part
[1:45:41] of the housing element. It's due to HCD
[1:45:43] as part of our midcycle review early
[1:45:44] next year. So, that's why it's happening
[1:45:46] right now.
[1:45:48] Are there any other firsttime comments
[1:45:52] then? Uh, Richard, since your name was
[1:45:54] evoked, we're going to give you the rare
[1:45:57] second bite of the apple.
[1:45:58] >> Yes, quick comment on Steve's comment.
[1:46:01] Uh, I think we covered uh that topic,
[1:46:04] circulation and transportation at the
[1:46:06] end of April. Uh to us those parking
[1:46:11] spots on the north side of the buildings
[1:46:13] in that stretch, central stretch of town
[1:46:17] center are absolutely important
[1:46:19] particularly if we want to as a town
[1:46:22] continue to try to attract retail in our
[1:46:27] building uh primary building, the bigger
[1:46:29] building. Uh we've had of course Chase
[1:46:32] Bank but earlier a dentist for a long
[1:46:35] time and the dentist's son for a long
[1:46:38] time a barber and a doctor a doctor
[1:46:42] upstairs as well as downstairs. Parking
[1:46:45] having private parking spaces along
[1:46:48] Woodside Road which have existed now for
[1:46:51] many decades. Absolutely key uh to
[1:46:54] keeping retail as an option for that
[1:46:58] first story. um converting those those
[1:47:02] spaces over, whether improving them as
[1:47:05] building add-ons or additions, and
[1:47:08] converting all the parking on the south
[1:47:11] side of Woodside Road to public spaces
[1:47:15] would likely discourage any sort of
[1:47:18] retail there. Thank you very much.
[1:47:22] >> Thank you. Any other public comments?
[1:47:27] Uh, we go tit for tat for a while. I do
[1:47:31] you have a one minute followup?
[1:47:33] >> Uh, yeah. I I wasn't wasn't uh proposing
[1:47:36] getting rid of the parking. I uh do
[1:47:38] think that if that parking were shared,
[1:47:41] even if we're still private parking, if
[1:47:43] it were shared, there would be
[1:47:45] opportunity to have more available
[1:47:47] parking because as it is now, each each
[1:47:49] individual property needs its handicap
[1:47:53] parking space. If it were shared, there
[1:47:55] would only have to be one out of 25
[1:47:58] parking spaces be a handicap parking
[1:48:00] space. So, I think could actually
[1:48:02] increase the amount of of public parking
[1:48:05] spaces. And I think if traffic were
[1:48:07] slower on the road, the access would not
[1:48:10] be a problem.
[1:48:13] >> Thank you. I think
[1:48:17] I get a little guidance. Um, we continue
[1:48:19] with public comment even though people
[1:48:21] are taking second and third bites at the
[1:48:22] apple.
[1:48:23] It's your choice.
[1:48:26] >> Okay. Uh third bite, Richard.
[1:48:31] » Yeah, quick comment again. Uh these
[1:48:34] spots would be public spots, not under
[1:48:37] the control of any private property
[1:48:39] owner. And so there's good reason to
[1:48:41] believe that without constraints and
[1:48:43] control over those public spots, they'd
[1:48:46] be occupied, Steve. they'd be used and
[1:48:49] not by the uh tenants, the the visitors,
[1:48:54] the guests, but by others. This
[1:48:56] concept's been around since the Woodside
[1:48:58] Road, Whiskey Hill Road Parking
[1:49:00] Assessment District, a district which
[1:49:02] burdened the town with significant
[1:49:04] financial obligations and failed in part
[1:49:07] because of this concept along the south
[1:49:11] side of Woodside Road. Thank you.
[1:49:14] >> Thank you.
[1:49:15] Okay. Any other comments?
[1:49:19] All right. Maybe we'll get the two of
[1:49:21] you in a room to hash that out. Um,
[1:49:23] okay. We'll close public comment um and
[1:49:26] move on to council discussion and
[1:49:28] direction. Anyone want to kick things
[1:49:31] off? Yes.
[1:49:32] >> Can we make a process suggestion? I
[1:49:35] think one it would be really helpful if
[1:49:36] we could see the Yeah. For each section
[1:49:39] like see the questions for council. Can
[1:49:41] we take it topic by topic so we're not
[1:49:44] just like Okay,
[1:49:45] >> that was the proposed approach.
[1:49:47] >> Great.
[1:49:50] >> Well, let's start with parking.
[1:49:53] Any thoughts on parking?
[1:49:56] >> Yes.
[1:49:56] >> Okay, Mr. Council Member Brown.
[1:49:59] >> Um, yes. And, uh, I guess my first
[1:50:02] comment is I think you're
[1:50:03] underestimating or your research
[1:50:05] underestimated the number of parking
[1:50:08] spaces occupied by biclers. I think any
[1:50:10] of the uh property owners around here
[1:50:13] would say this parking lot is full
[1:50:17] before we even get here in many days. Um
[1:50:20] and they all have bike racks on the
[1:50:21] back. And so I don't think 10% is a
[1:50:25] representative number of how many spaces
[1:50:27] are occupied by bikers. Uh and that
[1:50:31] would lead me to believe that if they
[1:50:32] are a lot more significant that some
[1:50:36] really solid ideas about how to
[1:50:40] restrict the time and the person's using
[1:50:44] it perhaps um would be very very useful.
[1:50:50] » Okay.
[1:50:52] Others
[1:50:54] >> Yeah, I can go.
[1:50:55] >> Okay. Um, so I think there's a lot of
[1:50:58] good ideas here and I generally agree
[1:51:00] with the um what I think is the
[1:51:04] consensus or the the general feeling
[1:51:06] from the advisory committee. Um the
[1:51:09] notion of parking enforcement I'll start
[1:51:11] with yeah parking enforcement on on town
[1:51:13] lots. Um I think that's pretty easy and
[1:51:17] a good idea. Um the idea of parking
[1:51:20] enforcement on private lots has been the
[1:51:24] topic of a lot of conversation. Um we
[1:51:26] had a town ad hoc uh subcommittee that
[1:51:30] looked at this for a while or tried to
[1:51:32] um to facilitate conversations around
[1:51:35] this. Um I you know I don't know what the willingness of the commercial property owners is on
[1:51:45] this topic but I think it would be
[1:51:46] wonderful if there's parking enforcement
[1:51:48] on town lots if we could have similar
[1:51:50] parking enforcement on private lots. I
[1:51:52] think having that consistency townwide
[1:51:55] in the commercial center would be um
[1:51:58] would be useful to the public just, you
[1:52:00] know, you wouldn't have to think, oh, am
[1:52:01] I on a on a private lot or a town lot?
[1:52:04] Like consistent parking enforcement in
[1:52:07] our in our town center. Um I think is a
[1:52:10] great idea and um would would help
[1:52:13] people understand kind of what the
[1:52:15] enforcement is. Um I also heard some
[1:52:18] suggestions around signage. Um, I think signage is important. If you're
[1:52:24] going to have enforcement, you need to
[1:52:25] have signage. Um, and I really like the
[1:52:28] idea of um
[1:52:31] creating new parking on Woodside Road.
[1:52:34] Um, I think that, you know, I'm not an
[1:52:36] expert here, but I think that might have
[1:52:38] um an additional impact of um slowing
[1:52:43] down traffic, which I think would be um
[1:52:46] a win-win. And
[1:52:49] I would look at it, you know, not just
[1:52:51] near the little store, I think that's a
[1:52:52] great idea, but like the entire uh
[1:52:55] length of what we've identified as the town center. Um because we are
[1:53:00] parking constrained, so there's
[1:53:01] opportunities to to find areas for
[1:53:05] additional parking that would, you know,
[1:53:07] increase our optionality in other areas.
[1:53:10] Um
[1:53:12] so yeah, those are my thoughts on
[1:53:13] parking.
[1:53:15] Any
[1:53:16] other thoughts?
[1:53:20] Generally agree. Um I think enforcement
[1:53:22] seems like really lowhanging fruit and
[1:53:25] um
[1:53:27] yeah and I like the idea of uh opening
[1:53:29] up more parking uh along
[1:53:33] uh Woodside Road. We can allow make
[1:53:37] changes to allow I don't um Yeah, there
[1:53:40] it is. Uh yeah, but I think parking
[1:53:43] enforcement is probably the easiest.
[1:53:48] » Um yeah, I wanted to um I've got a few
[1:53:51] comments about parking. Um one,
[1:53:55] I think I'm very mindful of Leanne
[1:53:58] Gilbert and Christine Roberts and
[1:54:00] Richard Urststead, the protecting our
[1:54:02] commercial interests here. Um, the
[1:54:04] comment was made, I think I made it
[1:54:07] actually, but the comment was made uh at
[1:54:09] a previous meeting that one day we're
[1:54:11] going to wake up and we're going to find
[1:54:12] out that Christine has closed Robert's
[1:54:14] Market and it's going to be uh, you
[1:54:16] know, condominiums and office buildings
[1:54:17] because it it just the the business
[1:54:19] model doesn't work anymore and
[1:54:21] everybody's going to go, "Oh, shoot. Um,
[1:54:24] well, that's bad. Um, what are we going
[1:54:25] to do now? Are we going to bring it
[1:54:27] back? It'll be too late." And, you know,
[1:54:28] we see that all the time. Drugstores
[1:54:30] close and restaurants close. and it's
[1:54:32] tough these days to do it and parking is
[1:54:35] a big part of that and we've heard that
[1:54:38] from all three of the people that I
[1:54:39] mentioned before. So, I think protecting
[1:54:41] those interests, but I do want to
[1:54:42] mention something um kind of my my one
[1:54:46] of my pet issues here that I've brought
[1:54:48] up for a long time and that's, you know,
[1:54:50] we're we're sort of complicated by legal
[1:54:53] issues and what's going on at Kinyatta
[1:54:54] Corners right now and lawsuits and try
[1:54:57] to expand parking and those sorts of
[1:54:58] things. And I made the point before that during the pandemic we expanded
[1:55:04] outdoor dining and we added 120 diners
[1:55:07] and we didn't add parking. And so the
[1:55:10] fact that you know during that the last
[1:55:13] three or four years just before I came
[1:55:15] on the council um that there was a lot
[1:55:18] of problem with parking at Kinyatta
[1:55:20] Corners. Well, duh. We added 120 diners,
[1:55:23] 60 seats outdoors in front of Bucks and
[1:55:25] 60 seats in front of the bakery. And we,
[1:55:28] you know, it's it's not magic that
[1:55:30] suddenly people couldn't find a parking
[1:55:32] space. And my point at the time was,
[1:55:34] could we just enforce the conditional
[1:55:35] use permit? And if they've got 120 seats
[1:55:38] outside, let's remove 120 seats inside
[1:55:40] and parking should go back to where it
[1:55:42] was. I don't know that that's the case,
[1:55:43] but it was certainly worth
[1:55:47] running that little experiment. And of
[1:55:48] course the town council at the time
[1:55:50] refused. Um I brought it up several
[1:55:52] times to the town attorney and to the
[1:55:54] town council and they had reasonable
[1:55:56] excuses but there were excuses. We
[1:55:58] didn't do it. So now we're in this
[1:56:00] draconian mode of you know we eliminated
[1:56:02] outdoor dining and there's kind of a
[1:56:03] little bit of a war going on and it's
[1:56:05] very unfortunate. But I think that
[1:56:08] that's sort of one of the issues that
[1:56:10] we've got is is there enough parking?
[1:56:12] Well, now I mean it's still a problem,
[1:56:14] but it's less of a problem than it was
[1:56:16] when there were those, what do they call
[1:56:18] them? Parklets in front of those two
[1:56:20] buildings that consume spaces and added
[1:56:22] a lot of patrons. So, we can't ignore
[1:56:26] that. Um, but I think we do need more
[1:56:29] parking. The two biggest constituencies
[1:56:31] I think that are that we can that are
[1:56:35] variables that we can play with. I I I
[1:56:37] don't you know, people who go to the
[1:56:39] restaurants want to park there. People
[1:56:40] who go to the Pioneer want to park
[1:56:42] there. People who want to come to the
[1:56:43] town center want to park there. But
[1:56:45] there are two groups that don't
[1:56:47] necessarily need to park there who come
[1:56:49] here. And those two group are employees
[1:56:52] and bike riders. And those are big
[1:56:55] numbers. Those aren't this isn't like a
[1:56:57] rounding error. Those are big big
[1:56:59] constituencies. And I think I mentioned
[1:57:01] it may have been at the at one of the
[1:57:03] meetings that we had is that rather than
[1:57:06] try to patrol out or enforce out bike
[1:57:10] riders by they're going to park here.
[1:57:12] They're they're you know they're if
[1:57:15] there's an open spot, they're going to
[1:57:16] park there. And we all see them lined up
[1:57:18] here and taking their bicycles off and
[1:57:20] they they consume 20 30 40 50 parking
[1:57:23] spaces and usually the best ones too.
[1:57:25] and they they can use those spaces on a
[1:57:29] weekend all day and uh nobody does
[1:57:31] anything about it. So my my my
[1:57:33] suggestion was rather than trying to um
[1:57:37] disincentivize them to park there, let's
[1:57:40] find a place that incentivizes them to
[1:57:42] go there. And so perhaps if there was a
[1:57:46] really state-of-the-art lot or bike
[1:57:49] riders to go. They don't I mean they
[1:57:51] they're getting in their bikes and
[1:57:52] they're riding anyway. they want to
[1:57:53] ride, but but find a state-of-the-art
[1:57:55] place that we could put them, whether
[1:57:56] it's on Kinata Road or Woodside Road or
[1:57:58] out on Whiskey Hill. I mean, I I don't
[1:58:01] I'm not going to identify the the
[1:58:03] location. Um, but find a
[1:58:05] state-of-the-art where they can work on
[1:58:06] their bicycles, where there's air, where
[1:58:08] there's repair areas, where there's
[1:58:10] lockup facilities, where they can lock,
[1:58:12] where it's going to be safe and and, you
[1:58:14] know, nice instead of having to like
[1:58:16] weave in and out of traffic and those
[1:58:18] sort of things. incentivize them to go
[1:58:20] somewhere proactively where they say, "I
[1:58:22] don't want to park downtown. I'd rather
[1:58:24] park there with all my friends and, you
[1:58:26] know, we'll get to ride down Whiskey
[1:58:28] Hill, you know, hill or we'll get to
[1:58:29] ride down, you know, someplace that's a
[1:58:31] little more." They don't convenience for
[1:58:32] them is probably less of an issue.
[1:58:34] That's bike riders. That's a big number
[1:58:36] and that really impacts our riding. The
[1:58:38] other one is perhaps with the employees,
[1:58:40] it's a pretty big number. I don't know
[1:58:42] how many you have at the Pioneer or how
[1:58:43] many they have at Roberts or Pinñata
[1:58:46] Corners, but and or Town Center for that
[1:58:48] matter, but if we could find a remote
[1:58:50] lot that had a shuttle that went back
[1:58:51] and forth and brought people in, kind of
[1:58:53] a pain in the neck. I know. I don't
[1:58:54] particularly like it either getting on
[1:58:56] shuttles, but it is a way of getting
[1:58:58] people out of this area and creating
[1:59:00] more parking spaces. So, there are
[1:59:02] opportunities there. Just trying to
[1:59:03] think a little bit out of the box here.
[1:59:05] It's not it's something to throw out
[1:59:06] there, you know, and then everybody can
[1:59:08] shoot it down immediately afterwards.
[1:59:11] But there are opportunities to get two
[1:59:14] big constituent groups outside for
[1:59:17] positive reasons, not as not as
[1:59:19] punishment, but but make it attractive,
[1:59:22] especially for bike riders, which is a
[1:59:23] big number, to go someplace else. Um
[1:59:29] the
[1:59:31] um
[1:59:35] I think that's it. That's enough on
[1:59:37] parking.
[1:59:38] >> Okay. Um maybe I'll go next. Um I'll
[1:59:42] just say that park and expansion is just
[1:59:44] to echo that absolutely critical and uh
[1:59:47] we are significantly constrained and we
[1:59:49] might end up significantly constrained
[1:59:51] if if things don't settle the right way.
[1:59:54] And I do suspect uh to echo Council
[1:59:56] Member Gold's comments that
[1:59:59] over the next 5 to 10 years, I don't
[2:00:01] think people appreciate the long-term
[2:00:02] ramifications of that in this
[2:00:04] environment that the sustainability of
[2:00:06] the services that are offered downtown
[2:00:08] are going to just disappear. So, I
[2:00:10] completely agree with that. Uh I like
[2:00:12] the enforcement a lot. I don't like the
[2:00:14] meters. Um on the off-site parking, I
[2:00:18] thought that was actually a charming
[2:00:19] idea with the bicycles. I was just
[2:00:20] thinking as a I'm sure other bicyclists
[2:00:22] on the on the call right now are uh you
[2:00:25] think about Tonita Creek and that little
[2:00:27] red shed out there. There are certain
[2:00:28] places that you go on your bike because
[2:00:30] there are sort of replenishment stations
[2:00:32] and things like that that make it worth
[2:00:33] sort of uh doing on your long ride. And
[2:00:36] so that's a very interesting idea to
[2:00:38] pursue. The area I would differ on is
[2:00:40] the idea of remote uh parking for
[2:00:43] employees. And I mean, I've heard this.
[2:00:45] I mean, as recall, six years ago, these
[2:00:48] were our essential workers we put on a
[2:00:49] pedestal, right? And now all of a
[2:00:51] sudden, we're trying to figure out if
[2:00:52] there can be remote um parking and a
[2:00:54] shuttle. These are people with kids in
[2:00:57] school and when somebody gets sick and
[2:00:59] they got to wait an hour for a shuttle
[2:01:00] and they get out, you know, it's just
[2:01:02] not I just don't I don't I don't I want
[2:01:05] to be more welcoming than that to the
[2:01:06] people that are serving the community.
[2:01:08] So, I guess that would be the place I'd
[2:01:10] So, I'm not a real fan of this. I think
[2:01:12] the remote offsite is really interesting
[2:01:14] if there was a way to do it for the
[2:01:15] bikes. Uh I don't know where that would
[2:01:17] be, but it's a good idea. Uh with the
[2:01:20] services parked there, what a charming
[2:01:23] idea. Could be absolutely charming
[2:01:24] actually. Um uh so I would just but not
[2:01:28] for the employees and we are constrained
[2:01:30] on the employees and that's why it's
[2:01:32] unfortunate we don't have an expanded
[2:01:33] parking situation for kinata corners
[2:01:35] right now.
[2:01:37] >> You had more to say. I could tell.
[2:01:39] >> Sorry. I just was wanted to pick up on
[2:01:40] some of these comments. So, um, yeah, I
[2:01:43] think 100% to the tagline of parking
[2:01:45] expansion is critical. Um, and I think
[2:01:48] connected to that, and I I neglected to
[2:01:51] talk about this in my first round of
[2:01:53] comments, but, um, regarding like
[2:01:56] reducing parking requirements for low
[2:01:58] inensity uses and and reducing parking
[2:02:00] requirements for highintensity uses, I'm
[2:02:03] very much in support of that, but I
[2:02:04] might rephrase it as like let's just
[2:02:06] look at our parking requirements for
[2:02:08] these uses. I think um I think there's
[2:02:10] definitely room for improvement in in
[2:02:13] the allocation
[2:02:15] um you know we um went through a really
[2:02:18] long process um around outdoor dining.
[2:02:23] You know I was very supportive of
[2:02:25] outdoor dining. The town certainly
[2:02:26] didn't eliminate outdoor dining. We were
[2:02:28] trying to support outdoor dining that's
[2:02:30] been now caught up in a litigation. Um
[2:02:34] and you know I think one thing that we
[2:02:37] can do is um is look at our parking
[2:02:40] requirements. Um with the with the um
[2:02:45] the notion that you know parking
[2:02:47] expansion is critical but balanced
[2:02:49] against the the need for um the
[2:02:52] commercial um uses that we are hearing
[2:02:56] are are critical. Um so yeah very much
[2:02:58] in support of like looking at our
[2:03:00] parking requirements. Oh, and then just,
[2:03:02] you know, yeah, really like liked the
[2:03:04] idea of a of a lot for bikers. It's hard
[2:03:07] to think like we it's we, you know, land
[2:03:10] is so constrained. I I don't know where
[2:03:12] that would occur, but it's worth looking
[2:03:13] at. Um, and agree with U. Mayor
[2:03:16] Donkowsky. I think um I would not
[2:03:18] support um an off-site lot for
[2:03:21] employees. I think for the for the same
[2:03:23] reasons. I mean, that, you know, I just
[2:03:25] don't think that would be fair to that
[2:03:26] population.
[2:03:29] >> Can I have a second bite of the apple?
[2:03:30] Of
[2:03:31] >> course. second bite.
[2:03:32] >> I want to follow up on the idea.
[2:03:34] >> You have as many bites as you want.
[2:03:35] >> The idea of trying to organize the
[2:03:38] employees for commute. I spoke with
[2:03:41] commute.org several years ago about the
[2:03:44] idea of having a shuttle running up and
[2:03:46] down Woodside Road from Redwood City and
[2:03:49] I got a lot of interest from a couple of
[2:03:51] key employers, but I wasn't able to
[2:03:53] reach everybody. And I think that's a
[2:03:56] group. He says he needs a 100 people a
[2:03:58] day to be able to justify running the
[2:04:00] shuttle up and down. And I think that we
[2:04:03] it's worth exploring it further with um
[2:04:06] the employee the employers in the area
[2:04:09] to see if there is enough uh volume that
[2:04:13] can be generated to make it worthwhile
[2:04:14] to have it takes a 100 parking spaces
[2:04:19] if we can pick it if they can be done
[2:04:21] that way. So somebody work something to
[2:04:24] think about.
[2:04:25] >> Okay. Can I say one more thing?
[2:04:27] >> Uh,
[2:04:29] >> I mean, you're as a major. Yes. Yeah. Do
[2:04:33] you guys mind if uh
[2:04:36] >> we're not supposed to do this, Lead?
[2:04:38] We're not supposed to do this. So, we're
[2:04:41] not public comments closed. So, um,
[2:04:44] sorry about that. Um, yeah, I know. I
[2:04:47] know. We can meet separately if you
[2:04:49] want. Um,
[2:04:51] you know, I was just going to mention
[2:04:53] I'm glad Council Member Wall brought
[2:04:55] this up about changing the uh
[2:04:58] requirements. Uh, and I was hopeful that
[2:05:00] we would have outdoor dining and we'd be
[2:05:02] able to bring that next, you know, to
[2:05:03] change how we the calculations behind
[2:05:05] that. I've since learned that um
[2:05:10] you know the the hardware store gets
[2:05:12] like 24 27 spots because of its square
[2:05:14] footage and obviously there aren't that
[2:05:16] many people in there but
[2:05:19] that's what Roberts uses for their
[2:05:20] employee parking right now. So, if we do
[2:05:22] any twists right now without expanded
[2:05:24] parking, you are you're just twisting uh
[2:05:28] and basically eliminating employee spots
[2:05:31] and but it's it's I think we need to see
[2:05:34] where things land. But yeah, that's an obvious one uh in support of
[2:05:38] uh outdoor dining if we can get there
[2:05:40] again in some level.
[2:05:43] Any other comments on parking?
[2:05:48] Okay. Do you have enough from us? I
[2:05:50] mean, it's a little bit across the
[2:05:52] board, obviously, as always, but
[2:05:53] >> No, that's good. I think um I I
[2:05:55] basically heard no real options off the
[2:05:59] table. I might suggest that we specify
[2:06:01] remote lot for bikers so that we're
[2:06:04] clear on what we're saying there. And
[2:06:06] maybe we say um commute.org, you know,
[2:06:09] shuttle to build off what Dick said. But
[2:06:11] I think otherwise we keep all these
[2:06:12] ideas. We keep the conversation going
[2:06:14] and move this forward. But um a lot of
[2:06:17] good a lot of good thoughts.
[2:06:21] Okay.
[2:06:21] >> And Troy, if I could add one thing too,
[2:06:23] hello everyone. Eric, a good city
[2:06:25] company. I think one theme that we hear
[2:06:28] throughout areas that are popular
[2:06:30] especially and it's a combination of
[2:06:31] what everyone said tonight is using time
[2:06:34] limits to take one way that without
[2:06:36] being able to increase parking, which
[2:06:38] obviously is a goal, is increasing
[2:06:40] turnover. And the way that you do that
[2:06:42] is with time limits and then focused
[2:06:45] enforcement on the most popular spaces
[2:06:47] because ultimately you want turnover in
[2:06:49] spaces where customers are and you want
[2:06:51] less turnover in places where there's
[2:06:53] longer term bargaining. So I think that
[2:06:55] could be kind of the backdrop for any
[2:06:57] strategy that you have is really being
[2:06:59] focused about because enforcement can be
[2:07:01] expensive in itself. So you want to also
[2:07:03] use that resource wisely to make sure
[2:07:05] those spaces are open for customers.
[2:07:07] >> Yeah, good point. And it deals with the
[2:07:08] biking problem.
[2:07:09] >> That's right. Good.
[2:07:12] >> Excellent point. Thank you.
[2:07:14] >> Great. All right. I'll move us along to
[2:07:16] our next topic, the land use topic.
[2:07:22] So, here are their ideas.
[2:07:31] Anyone want to
[2:07:33] touch this hot stove?
[2:07:38] Maybe. Maybe I'll oh I'll I'll happily
[2:07:40] lead for a change. Um
[2:07:43] I loved the open your opening statement.
[2:07:45] We're here because of the housing
[2:07:46] element because I think that's a first
[2:07:48] principle that
[2:07:50] sometimes feels a little bit lost in the
[2:07:53] discussion like housing is just one of
[2:07:55] eight different topics.
[2:07:57] We're here because of the housing
[2:07:59] element. It's due in six months. This is
[2:08:01] about figuring out it should which we
[2:08:03] heard in cycle six. Towns should grow
[2:08:05] from the center out. They shouldn't be
[2:08:07] targeted density. And I think we're
[2:08:09] trying to pay this forward into cycle
[2:08:10] seven for whatever council is going to
[2:08:12] be here that there's direction that they
[2:08:14] want housing to be center out or again
[2:08:20] we're going to do targeted density. It's
[2:08:21] going to be in a small place in town
[2:08:22] because that's where the services are
[2:08:24] like sewer and whatnot. So I don't know
[2:08:27] if it's too much to ask from a advisory
[2:08:30] committee or not. But
[2:08:33] um in a big picture sense
[2:08:36] what I would love is not just a survey
[2:08:39] but a recommendation. I don't know if I
[2:08:42] can ask for that from an advisory
[2:08:43] committee but a recommendation that we
[2:08:45] believe housing should come from center
[2:08:47] out and therefore we believe the only
[2:08:50] way you're going to be able to do
[2:08:51] density is lifting the height limit.
[2:08:53] Right? So we're advocating for a ballot
[2:08:55] measure or something to that effect. Now
[2:08:56] maybe that's stuff that has to only
[2:08:58] happen at council level. I'm not a
[2:09:00] lawyer. proved that a thousand times in
[2:09:02] the last last eight years. Uh but if we
[2:09:06] can get that I just I think we should be
[2:09:08] emphasizing that this is really first
[2:09:10] and foremost about housing and then
[2:09:11] everything that there's all these
[2:09:13] interesting discussions. Should we
[2:09:14] eliminate a parking space so we can put
[2:09:16] a crosswalk? So now that's a very
[2:09:17] interesting micro discussion. But how do
[2:09:19] you have that discussion if you don't
[2:09:20] know there's density going to be
[2:09:21] downtown or not? What are you going to
[2:09:23] do with circulation, parking, access,
[2:09:25] gathering spaces? All that is tied to
[2:09:27] the central issue of housing. So, I just
[2:09:29] want to emphasize that for me, I don't
[2:09:32] know if it's possible to do an entire
[2:09:34] session on housing. Uh, but to just
[2:09:36] drive home the point that this is why we're here. Uh, to Miss
[2:09:41] Gilbert's question earlier and in order
[2:09:43] to do it, I mean, I know we're not maybe
[2:09:45] we're not at a place where we're
[2:09:46] supposed to be advocating two versus
[2:09:47] three stories, but
[2:09:50] I'm thinking three stories. If you're
[2:09:51] going to if you're going to lift it,
[2:09:52] you're going to need to lift it in order
[2:09:54] to get the density that's going to be
[2:09:55] required in cycle 7. And so um uh so
[2:09:58] that's basically just a big sort of
[2:10:00] first principles comment I wanted to
[2:10:02] throw out that the housing thing is much
[2:10:04] bigger than an afterthought. It's like
[2:10:06] the primary reason this is happening uh
[2:10:08] in my opinion at least at this time. Um
[2:10:11] and I don't have much else to say I
[2:10:13] don't think on any of these. Um
[2:10:17] but with the exception of just asking
[2:10:19] that I'm just reemphasizing the first
[2:10:21] principle why we're here.
[2:10:25] Uh, Council Member Wall.
[2:10:26] >> All right. Um, so I'll start with by
[2:10:30] saying what do I what I agree with what
[2:10:31] you just said is I think um a a session
[2:10:34] focused on housing is a great idea. Um,
[2:10:36] I think um a recommendation on whether
[2:10:39] we should pursue a ballot measure to
[2:10:41] eliminate higher restrictions is a great
[2:10:43] idea.
[2:10:45] I see why we are here a little bit
[2:10:47] differently. We are definitely here
[2:10:48] because of housing, right? like um that
[2:10:51] is one part of why we are here and we
[2:10:53] have a commitment in our housing element
[2:10:55] to um pursue density in the in the
[2:10:59] commercial zone but you know we are also
[2:11:04] here to have a town center area plan. Um
[2:11:06] there was a huge effort that you know
[2:11:08] members of the audience were involved in
[2:11:11] years ago around um coming up with a
[2:11:14] strategic plan for our town center for
[2:11:17] many reasons. I don't know that I'm even
[2:11:18] fully, you know, in the weeds on um that
[2:11:22] effort um stalled and and never
[2:11:24] materialized. And I think it's really
[2:11:28] important that we have a plan for our
[2:11:31] town center. Uh and that plan involves
[2:11:33] all the things that we're talking about
[2:11:34] tonight, parking, land use, public
[2:11:37] gathering spaces. So, you know, yes,
[2:11:40] we're here, housing's a part of it, but
[2:11:41] I I just think it's so much broader than
[2:11:44] that. Um because we all care so much
[2:11:46] about this town. Leanne really agreed
[2:11:47] with what you said around like this is a
[2:11:50] special wacky bucolic beautiful place
[2:11:53] with families that want to have
[2:11:55] gathering places um with you know people
[2:11:58] that want um you know to be able to go
[2:12:00] to yoga and go to a fast casual
[2:12:02] restaurant and bike and there's all
[2:12:04] sorts of different interests and I think
[2:12:06] um it's essential what we're doing is
[2:12:09] essential um it's gathering community
[2:12:11] input and figuring out what is the
[2:12:13] strategic long-term plan for our town.
[2:12:17] How do we keep it special but you know
[2:12:19] potentially involve it evolve it in key
[2:12:22] ways so that it remains functional, it
[2:12:26] remains special, it remains attractive
[2:12:28] to the different constituents. So, um, I
[2:12:31] have been so interested and excited
[2:12:34] about this effort for a long time and in my memory, and I may be wrong, the
[2:12:38] notion of revisiting the town center
[2:12:40] area plan was being discussed separately
[2:12:42] from the housing element and then um,
[2:12:45] you know, housing, you know, landed on
[2:12:48] the scene and and and you know, what to
[2:12:49] do about housing in the center became
[2:12:51] part of the town center area plan. But
[2:12:53] in my mind, it's it's a it's a very
[2:12:54] important broader effort. Um, and then,
[2:12:58] you know, focusing in on the topic at
[2:12:59] hand, land land use. Um, I very much
[2:13:04] support the correcting or augmenting the commercial uses in town and, um,
[2:13:10] making it easier. Um, so this came up
[2:13:13] recently, um, where I, you know, I'm
[2:13:15] aware of somebody wanting to open up a
[2:13:17] Pilates studio, um, in our commercial
[2:13:20] district. something that I I would love
[2:13:24] um you know being a big big fan of
[2:13:26] Pilates um and the reason that it needed
[2:13:31] to go through an extra layer of um
[2:13:36] review was that that wasn't a use that
[2:13:38] was listed um in our municipal code. So,
[2:13:41] I think, you know, just like uh common
[2:13:44] sense updates to our municipal code um
[2:13:47] to make different commercial uses
[2:13:49] possible, I think is a a really positive
[2:13:51] step forward. Um like I said, figuring
[2:13:54] out what to do about the big elephant in
[2:13:57] the room, which is the constraints on
[2:13:59] building heights and town center. Um I
[2:14:01] think, you know, a recommendation and
[2:14:02] like a plan. Um assuming there is
[2:14:05] support for that like you know I think
[2:14:07] um like yeah a recommendation and a plan
[2:14:10] on how to approach that would be really
[2:14:12] valuable.
[2:14:13] Um let's see
[2:14:16] yeah very supportive of what um you
[2:14:18] presented around like you know new
[2:14:20] businesses. I think that the advisor
[2:14:23] committee's um recommendation that we
[2:14:24] make it easier for fast casual fitness
[2:14:27] those types of uses um I think is really
[2:14:29] smart.
[2:14:31] making cups um easier. Um you mentioned
[2:14:34] also reducing parking requirements.
[2:14:36] Again, I don't know. It's I think
[2:14:37] parking is a broader issue, right? Like
[2:14:38] we need more parking, but we also um
[2:14:41] have, you know, lot it's just a it's a
[2:14:43] thorny topic. So I wouldn't just say
[2:14:44] reduce parking requirements, but like
[2:14:46] look at that as a you know a bigger
[2:14:48] issue.
[2:14:52] All right, that's it.
[2:14:54] >> Others others
[2:14:56] go.
[2:14:57] >> Yes, sir. Um, so I did want to address I
[2:15:00] just um sort of pivoting off what
[2:15:02] council member Wall just said that that
[2:15:04] uh to answer Leanne Gilbert's question
[2:15:07] very directly. That's why we're here and
[2:15:10] this is a 10 to 20 year plan.
[2:15:14] I won't be alive when this stuff is is,
[2:15:17] you know, um implemented. But but we do
[2:15:19] have to have a plan here. And if we
[2:15:21] don't have a plan, here's what happens.
[2:15:23] we get a 105 unit builder's remedy
[2:15:26] project on Jefferson
[2:15:28] and you're going to get highrises on
[2:15:30] Woodside Road because we're not going to
[2:15:32] be in compliance. And this is because of
[2:15:34] Sacramento and it's because of, you
[2:15:37] know, Scott Weiner and, you know, they
[2:15:39] have an idea for this. The these are
[2:15:40] folks who are dictating what they've
[2:15:42] never been to Woodside.
[2:15:44] Um, and yet they think they know what's
[2:15:46] best. And you know, this place we're
[2:15:48] trying to prevent it from looking like
[2:15:49] Mountain View or, you know, uh, you
[2:15:52] know, the corridor in Redwood City and
[2:15:54] those sorts of things. We don't I mean,
[2:15:56] I actually think that that what you guys
[2:15:58] showed us tonight, those very tasteful,
[2:16:01] lowcale twostory and threetory, although
[2:16:04] I agree I like the twotory u almost 100%
[2:16:08] better than the threetory, but I but but
[2:16:10] uh, you know, those were sort of the
[2:16:12] things that we have in mind here. And um
[2:16:15] if we don't do it, they're going to do
[2:16:17] it for us. And um that's the threat. And so there I wanted to ask um perhaps
[2:16:23] Troy, could you go back to the slide
[2:16:25] that showed there was a poll on uh
[2:16:28] housing that was on there. I remember it
[2:16:30] was something split at the bottom. Uh
[2:16:35] nope.
[2:16:40] that wasn't it. because it was
[2:16:42] like 38% 38% that
[2:16:45] >> there that's just
[2:16:46] >> there you go right there. So public
[2:16:47] opinion is evenly split. Last bullet
[2:16:49] point there 39% support 38% opposed and
[2:16:52] 23% are unsure. Well if you look at
[2:16:55] Raundo and you look at High Road and you
[2:16:58] look at uh 773 Kyatta 100% of the people
[2:17:02] who live there were against it. So here
[2:17:06] they could look at it kind of in the
[2:17:07] abstract and say yeah you know it's like
[2:17:10] uh not in my backyard and this might be
[2:17:12] a nice place to put him on goat hill or
[2:17:14] hosiendas or what I love those I mean
[2:17:16] those are the locations that to their
[2:17:18] credit this town council was exploring
[2:17:21] during the initial stages of the housing
[2:17:23] element. Personally, I think they gave
[2:17:24] up on them a little too soon, but
[2:17:25] whatever. It's, you know, the where it's
[2:17:27] where we are and we ended up with what I
[2:17:29] think are very uh inappropriate
[2:17:32] locations and we'll live with them and
[2:17:34] we'll try to figure out what to do with
[2:17:35] them. Um, if it does get me in trouble
[2:17:38] sometimes, but the I think in this
[2:17:40] particular instance, you know, one of
[2:17:42] the things we have to do, you could go
[2:17:43] back to that other slide that you had
[2:17:45] before there. It'll it'll help me a
[2:17:47] little bit. Um, yeah, that's fine. But
[2:17:50] the the um I think that in this
[2:17:53] particular case for land use um it's
[2:17:56] more than just housing and it's one of
[2:17:57] the reasons respectfully I suggested
[2:18:00] perhaps relocating this because this is
[2:18:02] a pretty buolic nice location where we
[2:18:04] are right now. It's it's a beautiful
[2:18:06] little area and a lot of those
[2:18:08] properties that you showed there might
[2:18:10] look pretty nice here and it would help
[2:18:11] us with the housing element and avoid
[2:18:14] what's going to happen on Jefferson. you
[2:18:16] know, this, you know, a high-rise, a big
[2:18:18] glass and steel thing that has 105 units
[2:18:21] on a, you know, on a 1acre parcel. It's
[2:18:23] just incred. It's it's insane. And so
[2:18:26] having a little village here might be
[2:18:28] preferable. And, you know, government
[2:18:29] buildings, you know, next to the fire
[2:18:32] station might actually be near the
[2:18:33] library, near the school, might be more
[2:18:35] appropriate. And you could have you
[2:18:37] avoid the density issues that we're all
[2:18:39] fearful of. And that, you know, even the
[2:18:41] split that you were just showing on the
[2:18:43] poll isn't so great. Um but but that
[2:18:45] might eliminate it because this is an
[2:18:46] area where you're not bordered by lots
[2:18:49] of communities who ha who have the
[2:18:51] backyard issue. You don't have the not
[2:18:54] in my backyard issues when you're
[2:18:55] talking about Independence Hall and this
[2:18:57] area. And I you know Thalia, I get it. I
[2:19:00] know it's a historic building. Hey,
[2:19:02] welcome to my world. That's kind of you
[2:19:04] know this stuff happens. Things change.
[2:19:06] And I can assure you the people who
[2:19:07] lived here 50 years ago, a couple of
[2:19:09] them are in this room right now, but the
[2:19:11] people who are in here think this place
[2:19:12] has changed. It's crazy. you know what's
[2:19:14] going on here now and and and you know
[2:19:15] parking and that stuff didn't exist back
[2:19:17] then or a hundred years ago when they
[2:19:19] were putting logs down the down the
[2:19:21] street and taking them down to Redwood
[2:19:23] City. I mean it's just you know things
[2:19:24] change and this is going to change too
[2:19:26] but this is a great location where we
[2:19:28] could satisfy some of the things and
[2:19:29] avoid builder remedy projects that are
[2:19:32] completely inappropriate and end up with
[2:19:34] some two-story you know little cluster
[2:19:36] homes in a nice area that's kind of
[2:19:38] reserved and and and nice and close to
[2:19:40] town. Um, I also wanted to mention
[2:19:43] Richard Ursstead, I'm not actually
[2:19:45] returning the favor because he said some
[2:19:46] nice things about me, but but what I did
[2:19:48] want to say is commercial real estate is
[2:19:51] a very specialized area. We don't get to
[2:19:54] pick tenants. We may want Pilates. I get
[2:19:58] it. We may want an ice cream shop, but
[2:20:00] the market's going to dictate what works
[2:20:02] in those locations and who's going to
[2:20:03] pay the rent. And Richard makes a great
[2:20:06] point that that you're not going to have
[2:20:08] a gap next to a u you know an ant Taylor
[2:20:13] along Woodside Road where you know next
[2:20:15] door to the village pub right now.
[2:20:17] That's not I mean you know the some of
[2:20:18] the drawings that we had looked like you
[2:20:20] have these nice boxes in there that look
[2:20:22] a little bit like what you have in the
[2:20:24] village at the Stanford shopping center.
[2:20:27] The the the the I forgot what Richard
[2:20:29] referred to them there. I think he he
[2:20:31] referred to them as the car counts. you
[2:20:33] don't have enough car counts. There's
[2:20:35] not enough people traveling by there in
[2:20:37] the parking that can support those kind
[2:20:39] of commercial enterprises. Even if the
[2:20:41] structure did support it, which it
[2:20:43] doesn't. These are tiny little awkward
[2:20:44] buildings that are good for a doctor's
[2:20:46] office or, you know, those sorts of
[2:20:49] things. Uh maybe a Pilates studio, but
[2:20:50] something uh you know, ice cream, I
[2:20:52] don't know. But but it's we we we're
[2:20:54] sort of trapped by the town, what we
[2:20:57] have here, and it's going to be tough to
[2:20:58] do certain kinds of buildouts. So, um I
[2:21:02] wanted to just address the not only the
[2:21:05] for land use, not only the um using
[2:21:09] commercial buildings but also the
[2:21:11] housing elements that we need to do
[2:21:14] here. And um that's it. Thank you.
[2:21:21] » Sure. Um yeah, uh I I liked a lot of the
[2:21:24] options. Um I agree. I think mixed use
[2:21:27] uh
[2:21:29] seems like the the best option if we can
[2:21:32] I just don't know what I'm wondering is
[2:21:34] if we have property owners that are open
[2:21:36] to it because it seems like that's one
[2:21:37] that you know there's a lot of things we
[2:21:39] can do where it's just up to the town.
[2:21:42] Um but those there there's zero chance
[2:21:45] of us doing them unless we have buy in.
[2:21:47] Um and so I'm wondering do we know where
[2:21:50] we stand on those? like if if property
[2:21:52] owners are open to it, what does that
[2:21:54] look like? Um is there like a process to
[2:21:58] work with them? Uh or is it just kind of
[2:22:00] a recommendation and we just hope that
[2:22:02] they buy into it?
[2:22:05] >> It's a good question. Um I don't want to
[2:22:07] speak for property owners in the room
[2:22:09] but through the CAC discussions there was and through our stakeholder
[2:22:15] discussions various property owners have
[2:22:17] said yeah I might be able to foresee you
[2:22:20] know some town houses or some duplexes
[2:22:22] on my property. I think it really
[2:22:23] depends on each individual land owner
[2:22:26] kind of where they're at with property
[2:22:28] and their life cycle. And I think we
[2:22:30] should always keep our minds open that might be this plan is for the next
[2:22:33] land owner who buys the property and has
[2:22:36] a different vision. Um but I think the short answer is we would probably
[2:22:43] see a couple of interested current land
[2:22:45] owners um explore these opportunities if
[2:22:48] we gave them. I don't think we'd see
[2:22:51] wholesale change and I think there'd be
[2:22:52] some properties that would never be
[2:22:54] likely to change. Um, but we heard we
[2:22:57] did hear some preliminary interest. Um,
[2:22:59] nothing solid, but I think we shouldn't
[2:23:02] necessarily just calibrate this for the
[2:23:04] present. We should keep it open for, you
[2:23:06] know, trying to I think part of our goal
[2:23:08] here is trying to set ourselves up for
[2:23:10] success for the next housing element
[2:23:12] cycle in a way that takes a little bit
[2:23:14] of the pain and the anxiety out of it
[2:23:15] next time around.
[2:23:17] >> That makes sense. Thank you. Yeah, I I
[2:23:19] um with that, yeah, I don't exactly like
[2:23:23] the idea of converting the commercial
[2:23:25] property, like any commercial properties
[2:23:27] to housing only. I feel like that I
[2:23:30] think it's important to keep our
[2:23:31] commercial properties and I think
[2:23:33] converting them to, you know, mixed use,
[2:23:35] twotory, threetory, um I would support.
[2:23:39] Um but yeah, but I I think uh I
[2:23:43] appreciate all of your work on this. I
[2:23:45] feel like the ideas are really good and
[2:23:46] I I would say keep keep working on
[2:23:49] developing them and options open
[2:23:51] including um you know being creative
[2:23:54] potentially moving town uh town hall or
[2:23:59] other things around. I I'd be you know I
[2:24:02] think it's important to keep all those
[2:24:04] options open.
[2:24:08] » End of day we zone and market is the
[2:24:10] market. Sounds like all the options
[2:24:12] we'll kind of take them out to the
[2:24:14] community, have further discussions. Um,
[2:24:17] the only adjustment
[2:24:20] I might make
[2:24:22] >> before you could I just add one more
[2:24:24] thought pick up on the this uh move town
[2:24:26] hall which I think I mean I maybe I'd
[2:24:30] like to reframe it a little bit how I'm
[2:24:32] thinking about it. So, this area out
[2:24:34] here between Town Hall and the the other
[2:24:38] commercial spaces out there, like this
[2:24:41] is a beautiful parcel and would make a
[2:24:45] lovely uh augmented town center. I think
[2:24:48] we heard ideas um the last time we met
[2:24:51] around um I can't remember the term you
[2:24:54] used, but kind of creating a a a walkway
[2:24:57] with cobblestones.
[2:24:59] Um, and it got me thinking like, wow,
[2:25:02] like that that's a great starting point.
[2:25:04] Like, I wonder how that could evolve.
[2:25:06] Um, also love this building. Um, think
[2:25:10] it's beautiful and historic. Um, but I
[2:25:14] think we are in kind of the ideation
[2:25:16] phase. And so I think thinking about
[2:25:18] like what could this be out here, right?
[2:25:21] Um, and I think it connects into
[2:25:23] something that was brought up earlier
[2:25:25] around um, the parcel adjacent to the
[2:25:28] fire station. And I know that they're uh
[2:25:30] contemplating um that as a training
[2:25:32] facility. Um it really makes me wonder
[2:25:36] like is that really the best use of that
[2:25:38] parcel? Um you know could we combine
[2:25:42] training facility and town um and and
[2:25:46] town offices? Um maybe there's a better
[2:25:50] place for training facilities. They have
[2:25:52] no idea their openness to that
[2:25:54] conversation. But you can imagine,
[2:25:55] right, like if we were to put that
[2:25:59] parcel to a town center use. Um what
[2:26:03] might that open up around here? Um how
[2:26:06] could we expand on the idea of the
[2:26:08] cobblestone walking path? So I think um
[2:26:10] I would really love for some work to be
[2:26:13] done to kind of explore those options um
[2:26:16] from a land use standpoint.
[2:26:21] Thank you. I just wanted to kind of
[2:26:23] reiterate uh two different points that
[2:26:25] were made that I think were important.
[2:26:27] First to what Troy said and to what the
[2:26:29] council members were saying. You there's
[2:26:31] two real reasons why we have to think
[2:26:33] long term on this and why most planning
[2:26:35] documents are 10 or 20 year plans. It's
[2:26:37] a toy point is turnover in property.
[2:26:40] Different property owners have different
[2:26:42] interests. And the second important and
[2:26:44] maybe even more important is just market
[2:26:46] cycles. You know, in a 20 year, you're
[2:26:47] going to have two or three different
[2:26:49] real estate market cycles where there's
[2:26:50] different incentives to build things.
[2:26:52] So, what you want to do is line your
[2:26:54] long-term vision up so that door is open
[2:26:56] to what you want to see happen in your
[2:26:58] area and then the market opens and then
[2:27:00] they're able to come in. Closely related
[2:27:02] to that is when you're looking at
[2:27:04] different land uses that you want.
[2:27:06] Typically what we tell folks from an
[2:27:08] economic development standpoint is you
[2:27:11] know first any zoning law that's out
[2:27:13] there was usually adopted at a
[2:27:15] particular point in time to solve a
[2:27:16] problem. So it is good to look at those
[2:27:18] problems every 101 15 years because a
[2:27:21] those problems may not exist anymore and
[2:27:23] b market conditions have changed to
[2:27:25] where there's new issues that you have
[2:27:26] to deal with. So when you do have a
[2:27:29] vision of what you want your businesses
[2:27:30] to be, really the key is how do you
[2:27:33] reduce barriers
[2:27:35] so that money could flow in so that
[2:27:37] those type of businesses could open up.
[2:27:39] Whether that's reducing building permit
[2:27:41] time, reducing what the use permit
[2:27:43] process is, but really you want to line
[2:27:45] up your plan so that there's less
[2:27:47] friction involved. So then when people
[2:27:48] do want to invest their money to open
[2:27:50] those type of businesses that align with
[2:27:52] what the excuse me town's vision is.
[2:27:57] Good.
[2:27:59] >> Great. Well, so I guess what I was about
[2:28:01] to say was in light of this discussion,
[2:28:04] I wonder if we
[2:28:07] articulate the ideas about village hall
[2:28:09] and town hall separately and kind of
[2:28:11] take temperature on those separately.
[2:28:13] Those are two different approaches and
[2:28:15] we maybe articulate the vision for town
[2:28:18] hall which could include moving the town
[2:28:21] hall. Maybe we try and flesh out that
[2:28:22] idea a little bit more as part of a
[2:28:24] concept. So, I might just make that one
[2:28:27] edit. Otherwise, I think we're good to
[2:28:28] go. Land use.
[2:28:29] >> It's an unexpected iteration, but yeah,
[2:28:31] that makes sense.
[2:28:32] >> Great. All right. Uh oh, and to your
[2:28:35] earlier point, uh just just about the
[2:28:38] approach or the the the workflow here, I
[2:28:41] had the same vision, which is I'm hoping
[2:28:44] to develop a through our final CAC
[2:28:47] meeting a recommendation for a clear
[2:28:49] policy, which we then bring to council.
[2:28:51] You guys endorse it, and that becomes
[2:28:53] the plan direction. So it becomes this
[2:28:55] sort of step-wise process. So
[2:28:57] >> perfect. Thank you.
[2:28:58] >> Great. All right. Last topic, public
[2:29:01] spaces.
[2:29:02] So here are some ideas.
[2:29:09] Okay. Anyone want to kick us off?
[2:29:14] I can try again if you want.
[2:29:17] Oh, I'm happy to go. Um, so again on
[2:29:21] outdoor dining, we all want outdoor
[2:29:22] dining obviously, but um
[2:29:26] yeah, without parking, you know, it's so
[2:29:28] it's all tied back to parking. Um, and
[2:29:30] without parking services, my only
[2:29:33] thoughts on this really were farmers
[2:29:35] market. We've tried this many times and
[2:29:37] it's never taken off. And we have a
[2:29:39] farmers market. It's called Robert's
[2:29:41] Market. So, I I personally wish that one
[2:29:44] wasn't on the list, but that's my own
[2:29:46] overlay. Um,
[2:29:49] and actually this gazebo idea,
[2:29:52] uh, now we're sort of pivoting to the
[2:29:55] use of that area as potential housing
[2:29:58] density. Um, so I don't I don't know.
[2:30:02] How do you get to the H. Okay, that's
[2:30:04] about all I would say for the moment.
[2:30:06] So, um, I've always, I guess last thing
[2:30:09] I might say is I always sort of dreamed
[2:30:10] that we would have a band shell. We
[2:30:13] would have Fourth of July concert series
[2:30:14] in a concert series over the summer. And
[2:30:16] I always thought that would be a
[2:30:17] beautiful thing to do as a gathering
[2:30:19] spot uh with the Woodside Village band.
[2:30:21] And uh, that's a that's a small town um,
[2:30:25] uh, beautiful image to me, but I'm not
[2:30:27] sure we're going to get there, and I
[2:30:28] don't know how to get there without a
[2:30:29] lot of funding, but um, particularly
[2:30:32] when we have other priorities like
[2:30:33] housing. Other
[2:30:38] thoughts?
[2:30:39] >> Did want to comment on the uh farmers
[2:30:41] market and um we heard a lot of negative
[2:30:44] push back from property owners from from
[2:30:46] business owners um about some of the
[2:30:50] public spaces near Roberts and near the
[2:30:53] Pioneer. Um that there were a lot of
[2:30:56] reasons not to do that and um
[2:30:59] >> including by our bar.
[2:31:01] >> Yeah. Well, there was like Yeah, but I
[2:31:03] mean, we didn't want to compete with
[2:31:04] them and, you know, also force them to
[2:31:06] clean up and take care of those areas.
[2:31:08] Um, but I think that, um, I love farmers
[2:31:11] markets, I got to tell you, but I don't
[2:31:13] like the idea of putting a business next
[2:31:16] to a business. Um, you know, I can tell
[2:31:18] you Christine Roberts was very much
[2:31:20] against it and I am as well. Um, it but
[2:31:23] I love them. We part we shop at them
[2:31:26] about every other weekend. Um, and I
[2:31:28] think that they're great, but you know,
[2:31:30] that's not great for
[2:31:33] the business next door that's paying
[2:31:34] taxes and doing all these other things
[2:31:37] and has overhead and employees and, you
[2:31:39] know, refrigerate, you know, all sorts
[2:31:41] of things that they have to do and
[2:31:42] overhead that they have to cover and
[2:31:44] then suddenly some people pull up in,
[2:31:45] you know, trailers and, you know,
[2:31:47] compete with them and, uh, selling fresh
[2:31:49] produce. So, and and baked goods or
[2:31:51] whatever it is. So, I'm I'm not crazy
[2:31:54] about that idea. I think that there's
[2:31:55] other things that we could do. And uh
[2:31:57] again, outdoor dining always rises to
[2:31:59] the top. We're not against it, but boy,
[2:32:01] if you want an example of stuff we don't
[2:32:03] control, that would be I mean, that's
[2:32:05] exhibit A. We all want it. And it's like
[2:32:07] the market speaks because if um the
[2:32:09] property owner, the landlord can't make
[2:32:12] it work. Um they're not it's not going
[2:32:15] to happen. And they can they can make it
[2:32:16] come or go as they as they wish. Um and
[2:32:19] that's sort of the situation that we're
[2:32:20] in right now. But um I I mean we're
[2:32:24] going to try to do everything we can to
[2:32:25] get outdoor dining and right at the top
[2:32:27] of the list would be obviously carving
[2:32:28] out some parking for that as well and
[2:32:30] that's what this is all about.
[2:32:34] » All right, I can go. Um so I think
[2:32:37] there's some great ideas on this list.
[2:32:38] Um,
[2:32:40] you know, I tend to agree with the
[2:32:42] comments around the farmers market
[2:32:43] mainly well in mainly for the reasons
[2:32:46] that already been stated, but also, you
[2:32:48] know, we did try a farmers market here
[2:32:50] in town a number of years ago and it was
[2:32:52] really not very um well attended and I
[2:32:56] think for that that reason kind of
[2:32:58] folded. Um, but other than that, I'm not
[2:33:01] sure I would take anything off this
[2:33:02] list, but I will kind of highlight a
[2:33:04] couple. Um, I think outdoor dining is,
[2:33:07] somebody else said it, I'll repeat it,
[2:33:09] sorely missed. Um, I'm I'm hoping that
[2:33:13] regardless of what happens with this
[2:33:14] litigation that um the the property
[2:33:17] owner, the businesses there, whatever
[2:33:21] support the town needs like to offer,
[2:33:23] like that we can figure this out. Um,
[2:33:26] because everybody loved it. It was such
[2:33:28] an asset to the town. Um, so hoping we
[2:33:31] can find a way through on that one.
[2:33:34] Um, I think one of the things that is
[2:33:37] really missing for me in this town
[2:33:39] center area planned plan is um kind of a
[2:33:43] signature gathering space. And you know,
[2:33:45] whether that's a gathering space where
[2:33:47] we could have summer concerts or speaker
[2:33:49] series
[2:33:51] um a park like Portullah Valley. I mean,
[2:33:54] other our our peer cities do this so
[2:33:57] well. Um, and I and I get that there are
[2:34:01] a lot of constraints here, but I think
[2:34:03] like to me this is like most glaring
[2:34:06] missing thing here um is a proposal
[2:34:09] around like here's how we could make
[2:34:10] that happen and you know maybe you know
[2:34:13] maybe it's right out our door. I don't
[2:34:14] know. Um, but I would really love to see
[2:34:18] um something where um there's a a
[2:34:22] meaningful gathering space and I I
[2:34:23] didn't get that from the um the little
[2:34:27] triangle outside of Roberts, right? Like
[2:34:29] you know that that that's not it. Um so
[2:34:32] what what what can be done? Help us. Um
[2:34:35] and then also um really loved the idea
[2:34:42] around making town center look nicer. Um
[2:34:46] I we definitely want to balance it with
[2:34:47] like the bucolic nature of Woodside. We
[2:34:50] don't want to overengineer, but I think
[2:34:52] there's definitely room for improvement
[2:34:55] um when you enter town and as you travel
[2:34:57] through town. Um I think um definitely
[2:35:01] exploring that more and coming back with
[2:35:03] like some specific recommendations I
[2:35:05] would be very much in support of.
[2:35:08] >> And just on that last point um you know
[2:35:12] landscaping and beautifification of town
[2:35:14] is something that we we do have a lot of
[2:35:16] interest from our citizens in privately
[2:35:18] funding. And so I think I would almost
[2:35:20] bold that one out at some level that um
[2:35:22] there's a desire and there's great
[2:35:24] projects we want to hear about them.
[2:35:27] Other thoughts on public gathering
[2:35:29] spaces? Yes.
[2:35:32] >> I I guess I would say I I believe this
[2:35:35] building is an underutilized resource.
[2:35:38] We're talking about a gathering place,
[2:35:40] community center. We do have a lot of
[2:35:43] activities in this building. Uh it's
[2:35:45] just not as well publicized sometimes as
[2:35:47] it it might could be. I mean we have um
[2:35:52] the um the art committee every every
[2:35:56] first every month is show having
[2:35:58] programs um we have workshops
[2:36:02] at least once a month sometimes two or
[2:36:04] three times a month um and there's that
[2:36:08] I don't could even tell you some of the
[2:36:09] other things I don't know about but
[2:36:10] there's a lot of things that go on here
[2:36:12] and if we want to create a community
[2:36:15] center maybe we want to look at this as
[2:36:18] the key to it then are there other
[2:36:19] things we want to do to enhance this.
[2:36:22] Um, parking would have to be part of
[2:36:23] that. Um, but, uh, I don't think I put a
[2:36:26] whole lot of effort into building a new community center as a
[2:36:30] part of thinking about what we have now
[2:36:32] and what can we do with it. Um, farmers
[2:36:35] market. Um, I don't see the market for
[2:36:38] it here in Woodside. I don't think it's
[2:36:40] a big enough market. Um, and I don't I
[2:36:43] don't know where you'd do it without
[2:36:45] competing head-to-head with one of our
[2:36:47] key businesses. Um,
[2:36:52] the rest I mean the rest is kind of like
[2:36:54] um, you know,
[2:36:56] good stuff to be looking at. I have no problem with it.
[2:37:01] >> Got it.
[2:37:03] >> Anything to tack on there?
[2:37:04] >> Sure. All right.
[2:37:05] >> Yeah, I think, you know, adding the
[2:37:07] outdoor dining, getting it back. I think
[2:37:09] that's I think we're everyone's in
[2:37:10] agreement on that. Um so ideas on how to
[2:37:13] facilitate that would be welcome. Uh
[2:37:18] I and I agree with uh Jen's comments on
[2:37:22] uh you know really having a community
[2:37:24] center and I think this could be part of
[2:37:26] it where we're sitting here. Um I think
[2:37:28] you know some ideas would be appreciated
[2:37:30] for things we could add you know to this
[2:37:33] property or move things. I I don't even
[2:37:35] know what that would look like exactly,
[2:37:37] but um I saw there's a you know spot for
[2:37:40] a gazebo if we we think bigger and you
[2:37:45] know and if we move things around and
[2:37:47] get creative
[2:37:48] um what could that look like
[2:37:51] otherwise? Yeah. And yeah, I would agree
[2:37:54] with I think the only thing we can
[2:37:55] strike is the farmers market. So this is
[2:37:59] the most iron clad section we've had
[2:38:01] yet. It was easy uh to strike farmers
[2:38:03] market and but but I will say I I am
[2:38:07] hearing a desire ultimately for a cohesive strategy about where the
[2:38:15] heart of the town center is. Is it here
[2:38:18] or is it not? And if it's here, what
[2:38:20] does it look like? And how does that
[2:38:21] relate to the shared we called it a
[2:38:23] shared street last time, the um nice
[2:38:26] cobblestone, but how does that fit into
[2:38:28] that? Um, so anyway, so that's good
[2:38:29] thoughts for us from the plan
[2:38:31] perspective, but for right now, we'll
[2:38:32] just strike the one bullet and we'll go
[2:38:34] from there.
[2:38:35] >> Great. Thank you so much.
[2:38:39] >> That include urban. That was all
[2:38:42] combined. That's it.
[2:38:43] >> All right, that's it. Okay. Well, thank
[2:38:45] you for all of your leadership and it's
[2:38:47] um is a thought-provoking conversation.
[2:38:50] Um we appreciate being here tonight. So,
[2:38:52] thank you. Good luck
[2:38:54] >> you guys.
[2:38:56] Uh two items left uh tonight. Any uh
[2:38:58] volunteer report? Nothing. Okay. And
[2:39:01] then any anything anyone wants to hear
[2:39:03] from council communications?
[2:39:05] >> I do.
[2:39:06] >> Yes, sir.
[2:39:07] >> Um I've had actually a few from cons
[2:39:09] well from constituents and from others.
[2:39:12] Uh one, as our town manager knows, um
[2:39:18] I'm getting some complaints from
[2:39:20] neighbors of Barkley Field about
[2:39:22] amplified noise. Um, the point was made
[2:39:24] that literally every promise that was
[2:39:28] made to them about noise and use of that
[2:39:30] field has been broken over the roughly
[2:39:33] 20 years since it was dedicated by me,
[2:39:37] by the way.
[2:39:38] >> Um, and it's been and and I think that
[2:39:40] it's uh the
[2:39:43] those people deserve better, I think.
[2:39:45] And um we need to do something because
[2:39:47] they can I don't hear it where I live,
[2:39:49] but but where the families that live
[2:39:51] closer to it. By the way, Woodside
[2:39:53] residents and Redwood City residents,
[2:39:55] but mostly Woodside residents are um you
[2:39:57] know, they're subject to hearing, you
[2:40:00] know, uh softball players being
[2:40:01] announced on a loudspeaker, you know,
[2:40:03] all during the day and sometimes in the
[2:40:05] early evening. And that's not what they
[2:40:07] were promised. And so, we need to take
[2:40:09] some action to at least give them some
[2:40:11] peace, uh which I think they deserve.
[2:40:13] The other thing I wanted to mention was
[2:40:14] 625 East View. I've been talking with
[2:40:16] the town attorney about it. This is one
[2:40:18] of the properties that um we're
[2:40:20] proceeding with abatement procedures.
[2:40:22] It's a nuisance and uh my understanding
[2:40:25] is that it is now we have an attorney
[2:40:27] working on it to uh I'll use the word
[2:40:31] foreclose. We're not foreclosing on it,
[2:40:32] but I mean that we're taking steps to uh
[2:40:34] make it safe and uh do that. But it's um
[2:40:38] it takes time and apparently there has
[2:40:40] been some prog progress made with that.
[2:40:43] There's now red tape surrounding the
[2:40:44] house, but neighbors are aware that it's
[2:40:46] still a nuisance and attracting,
[2:40:49] you know, um um vandalism and, you know,
[2:40:52] mischief and that sort of thing. Um I
[2:40:55] also wanted to mention at the SFO
[2:40:56] airport roundt that um we've really
[2:41:00] tried to shake it up quite a bit and uh
[2:41:02] as some of you may know uh one of the
[2:41:05] runways is under construction. Maybe you
[2:41:07] don't know that. uh that happened about
[2:41:08] a month ago and coincidentally with that
[2:41:10] the FAA decided to shut down one of our
[2:41:13] uh to change our staggering of our
[2:41:16] planes that can land side by side. It
[2:41:18] actually was because of in Washington DC
[2:41:19] at the PTOAC the helicopter that crashed
[2:41:22] into the airplane. That's it didn't have
[2:41:23] anything to do with SFO. They changed
[2:41:25] this rule um nationwide but it changed
[2:41:28] the fight patterns pretty dramatically.
[2:41:30] And interestingly enough, the cities
[2:41:32] that are most affected by noise
[2:41:35] are finding it a lot quieter. And the
[2:41:38] cities that had been least affected by
[2:41:40] noise are suddenly getting complaints.
[2:41:42] And that includes Woodside. So Woodside
[2:41:45] where we get almost no complaints. And
[2:41:48] in fact, I've even made the statement
[2:41:49] that in all my years sitting in this
[2:41:50] room, I'm not aware of anybody ever
[2:41:52] coming to that microphone and
[2:41:54] complaining about air airplane noise.
[2:41:56] Maybe I forgot, but I don't remember a
[2:41:57] single time. Suddenly we're starting to
[2:41:59] get them. Uh suddenly we've seen a
[2:42:01] couple of emails and we've gotten some
[2:42:03] complaints and I see it on next oops on
[2:42:05] next door and other lo and other places
[2:42:07] that suddenly this flight pattern has
[2:42:09] changed and now Woodside's getting it.
[2:42:11] By the way, it's not like we're Milbury
[2:42:14] or Bris I mean you know we're not
[2:42:16] getting the kind of flight noise that
[2:42:18] you know we're right under the flight
[2:42:19] patterns but it's it's it still bothers
[2:42:21] people. Pulla Valley for some reason
[2:42:23] seems to get it worse than we do but um
[2:42:25] I'm just bringing that up. We actually
[2:42:27] are having a workshop um a public
[2:42:30] workshop on Thursday night at Brisbane
[2:42:32] City Hall uh to try to get public input
[2:42:35] on some of the steps we're trying to
[2:42:38] take to do it. Um I've been sitting on
[2:42:40] that group since 1999. I know I am
[2:42:43] pretty old, but um
[2:42:46] this group, the SF airport round table,
[2:42:49] I think is one of the mo is one of the
[2:42:51] least effective groups you could imagine
[2:42:53] in government. We've been talking about
[2:42:55] the same thing for 30 years that I'm
[2:42:56] aware of and um nothing really has
[2:43:00] changed. And so the new chairman, Steve
[2:43:02] Raldi, who's the mayor of Milbury, me,
[2:43:04] I'm the vice chair, we're trying to
[2:43:05] shake things up a little bit and make
[2:43:07] some changes to it. And we've gotten
[2:43:08] some cooperation from uh the airport
[2:43:10] director and some other folks. So we are
[2:43:12] going to try to do some things and uh in
[2:43:14] the meantime, it's creating some
[2:43:16] discomfort for some other people, but I
[2:43:17] just wanted folks aware of that. That's
[2:43:19] it. Thank you.
[2:43:22] any anything else?
[2:43:23] >> Yeah. Um just wanted to make the council
[2:43:27] aware of um something coming out of
[2:43:31] CACAG. So um there's an opportunity that
[2:43:35] um that board asked um to get
[2:43:37] highlighted. So basically there are some
[2:43:40] quick build project opportunities
[2:43:43] um and I know Lewis you're looking into
[2:43:45] this um and that we've been asked to
[2:43:48] provide uh project concepts by July 1st.
[2:43:51] So, um, it's around the Metropolitan
[2:43:54] Transportation Commission is currently
[2:43:56] seeking potential quick build project
[2:43:58] concepts from local jurisdictions. Um,
[2:44:01] if you didn't know what a quick build
[2:44:03] project is is, it's a lowcost, rapidly
[2:44:06] deployable improvement that can help
[2:44:07] address safety concerns, improve
[2:44:10] multimodal access, I'm not sure what
[2:44:11] that is, and test transportation
[2:44:14] solutions before permanent imple
[2:44:16] implementation. So, this is all part of
[2:44:18] a 5-year regional initiative started in
[2:44:20] 2025, running through 2030. Um,
[2:44:24] supported by approximately 12 million in
[2:44:26] funding. Um, so it's in early stages,
[2:44:29] but MTC is requesting jurisdictions to
[2:44:31] identify potential project locations and
[2:44:33] concepts to help evaluate um
[2:44:35] partnerships and coordinate project
[2:44:37] delivery. Um so Woodsid's encouraged to
[2:44:40] coordinate um with our public works
[2:44:42] department um to identify potential
[2:44:44] projects. Um and you know they
[2:44:48] definitely um caveat that a submission
[2:44:51] of a concept is not a commitment of
[2:44:53] funding. Um but I think um you know I
[2:44:57] think these are all great things and we
[2:44:59] should be curious um to hear once you
[2:45:01] have an idea of like whether or not we
[2:45:03] might want to submit something. Um it's
[2:45:06] due July 1st. So um maybe we could we
[2:45:09] could hear about um whether or not we
[2:45:12] can submit projects at a future council
[2:45:14] meeting.
[2:45:15] >> Council um council member Wells I
[2:45:17] already submitted for the upper Ola
[2:45:19] Honda row project. So there's another
[2:45:21] concept that we're also working on. It's
[2:45:23] Katada row and Glenwood. So
[2:45:25] >> okay fantastic. I think you might have
[2:45:27] told me that. So sorry apologies for not
[2:45:28] remembering that. Thank you.
[2:45:30] >> Wonderful. Anything else?
[2:45:33] The only other item I saw on an AEG
[2:45:36] calendar for next week was uh a
[2:45:38] presentation on housing cycle 7. It's
[2:45:40] the first time I've seen that somewhere.
[2:45:42] So, we'll figure out a way to uh get
[2:45:44] coverage on that and uh report back. Um
[2:45:48] and I think with that, I'll just uh wish
[2:45:51] my colleagues well and thank them for
[2:45:53] their collegiality and professionalism
[2:45:55] and um and we'll call it at 9:55.