Council Meeting Date: July 19, 2023 (full Agenda link)
Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/user/TownOfAtherton/featured
Details of each item can be found via the links to Staff Reports within the narrative and meeting videos are uploaded once they are fully compiled.
The City Council met for the Regular Meeting on Wednesday, July 19 at 6 pm. Following the Roll Call the Council began moving through the Agenda beginning with Presentations and Public Comments. The Council provided appreciation plaques to outgoing Planning Commissioners Perry Narancic and Randy Lamb. Following Public Comments, the Council moved on to Departmental Reports.
Departmental Reports (~6:04 pm) are prepared monthly as part of the City Council's Regular Agenda.
In addition to current reports from the City Manager, it typically includes departmental updates on the various happenings around Town such as reports from Administration, Community Services, Planning, Police, and Public Works.
Following Departmental Reports, the Council moved to the Consent Agenda consisting of Items 1 through 9 (~6:04 pm). Items on the Consent Agenda are considered routine in nature and are generally considered in one motion and adopted by a single vote of the Council. Included in this month's Consent Agenda were bills and claims, minutes, and approval of a Resolution regarding expenditure of COPS Grant Funds, Acceptance of a $120k donation for a canine unit, 2nd Reading and Adoption of amendments to the Town's Public Nuisance Ordinance, Approval of a Final Parcel Map at 43 Santiago, Approval of a Landscape Service Agreement for El Camino Real, Revisions to the Town's Committee Resolution, and a Claim Rejection. Following brief comments on a couple of items and a minor revision to the Committee Resolution consistent with prior Council direction, the Council approved all items on the Consent Agenda.
Next was Public Hearings.
Public Hearings are typically held for Ordinances, Budget Adoption, Fee Adoption, and Land Use approvals. There was one scheduled Public Hearing.
Item No. 10 was a Public Hearing pertaining to responsibilities of private property owners regarding adjacent rights of way. (~6:16 pm) Following an opportunity for public comment, this item was continued to the September 20 Agenda.
Next up was the Regular Agenda. The Regular Agenda is reserved for items that require more deliberation and discussion by the City Council and items that are not routine in nature.
Item No. 11 was a review and recommend potential multi-family housing sites and land use strategies for inclusion in the CEQA process for the Housing Element (~6:18 pm) Staff provided a Staff Report covering issues related to Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) and the identification of potential opportunity sites for inclusion in the CEQA process for the Housing Element. Following the staff report and presentation, the Council took public comment (~7:22 pm). Following public comment, the Council discussed issues related to AFFH and then moved through each of the identified opportunity sites. (~7:54 pm) The Council's specific direction with respect to inclusion of the following identified sites is below:
| Site(s) | Included or Not Included in CEQA |
| 2 and 8 Selby Lane | Not Included |
| 89 and 99 Victoria Drive | Not Included |
| 97 Santiago Avenue | Not Included |
| 290 Polhemus Avenue | Not Included |
| 999 Ringwood, 352 Bay Road, 318 Bay Road and 296 Bay Road | Included |
Following discussion of the identified sites, the Council discussed possible additions to the CEQA list. The Council's specific direction with respect to inclusion of the following identified sites is below:
Site(s)
| Included or Not Included in CEQA
|
| Sacred Heart / PFS Zone | Already Included as part of revisions to PFS Zoning District |
| Circus Club | Consider for Inclusion as POS Zoning District after Public Notice Process |
| Gilmore House and Remainder of Park | Consider for Inclusion as POS Zoning District after Public Notice Process |
| 175 Ravenswood, 185 Ravenswood, and 197 Ravenswood | Consider for Inclusion after Public Notice Process |
The Council directed that staff provide public notice to the properties on Ravenswood (and surrounding neighbors) as well as properties within the POS Zoning District (and surrounding neighbors) that these properties are being considered for inclusion in the CEQA process to provide the Council with additional information regarding potential inclusion in the Housing Element as opportunity sites for multi-family. Inclusion in the CEQA process is not a guarantee that these sites will be included in the Housing Element resubmitted to the State. The POS Zoning District is the Park and Open Space District and includes Holbrook-Palmer Park, the Menlo Park Circus Club, and the Bear Gulch Reservoir properties (Cal Water). The remainder of the Housing Element Project Description remained unchanged and moved forward. The noticed properties will be considered for inclusion at the September 20 Regular Meeting. The Council also directed that staff reach out to Stanford regarding the terms of the deed restrictions on Holbrook-Palmer Park.
Item No. 12 was a review of the Pickleball Survey and direction to staff regarding next steps. (~9:03 pm) Following a staff report, the Council discussed issues related to a trial of pickleball at the Park. Following discussion, the Council directed that staff return in September with a plan and cost analysis for a 6-month+ trial of pickleball at the Park on Tennis Court #1, from 9 am to 12 pm 7-days a week, and 4 pm to 7 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The trial should include the installation of temporary striping and sound baffling.
The last items on the Agenda were Council Reports and final Public Comments.
Having cleared the entire Agenda, at approximately 9:32 pm, that as they say - was a wrap!
The next meeting of the City Council will be the Study Session on September 6. The City Council is DARK for the month of August and will not hold a Study Session or Regular Meeting.
Thanks for reading!
George Rodericks
City Manager
Town of Atherton
grodericks@ci.atherton.ca.us