Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-08-1998 City Council Minutes lVHNUTES SARATOGA CITY COUNCIL TIME: Tuesday, September 8, 1998 - 5:30 p.m. PLACE: Adult Care Center, 19655 Allendale Avenue TYPE: Adjoumed Regular Meeting/Joint Meeting with Planning Commission Closed session pursuant to Government Code Section 54957: PUBLIC EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE EVALUATION Title: City Attomey Mayor's Report on Closed Session - No actions taken. 1. Roll Call The meeting was called to order at 7:04 p.m. Councilmembers Bogosian, Jacobs, Moran, Shaw, and Mayor Wolfe were present. Staff members present were City Manager Pertin and Community Development Director Walgren. 2. Report of City Clerk on Posting of Agenda Pursuant to Govemment Code 54954.2, the agenda for this meeting was properly posted on September 4. The notice of adjoumment from the September 2 Council meeting was properly posted on September 3. 3. Oral Communications from the Public on Non-Agendized Items - None. 4. Joint Meeting with Planning Commission Planning Commissioners Bernaid, Kaplan, Martlage, Page, Patrick, and Chair Pierce were present; Planning Commissioner Murakami was absent. A. Items Suggested by Commission: Budgeting for a minutes clerk City Manager Pertin and Community Development Director Walgren reviewed the staff report. Planning Commissioners discussed the need for complete minutes, stating that the action minutes were of no value. They cited retaining historical value, striving for consistency, appeals, and legal standing over the long haul as considerations. The City Attorney said the minutes are the official record and should be in a form to provide understanding of what took place. However, action minutes are more the norm for other cities. The cost of contracting for full minutes was discussed. Commission members said they did not think it was appropriate to include their reasons for their decisions in the findings. City Manager Perlin said the cost of the minutes clerk is a recoverable cost and could be included in application fees. Staff was directed to arrange for a minute clerk to provide full minutes of Planning Commission meetings. Discussion of Cellular Transmission Antennas Commissioner Pierce said there has been an increase in antenna applications and he thought we would continue to see them. He asked for Council direction on handling these applications. Community Development Director Walgren said the ordinance only permits them in commercial districts, but they have been permitted in all zoning districts subject to a conditional use permit. The ordinance does not include a requirement to "pig back." City Council Minutes 2 September 8, 1998 Gene Zambetti, 14575 Oak St., Metricore Wireless, said he thought there would be another wave of companies asking for data to be connected through antennas and said it was di~cult to co-locate antennas on poles. Councilmembers expressed concern about changing technology and the issue of removal and phasing back of antennas, and suggested it might be appropriate to meet with the companies and spend time talking about what might be coming. It was suggested that there be a periodic review of the antennas. City Manager Perlin said staff would check the terms of currant leases. He said there is language in the leases requiring removal of antennas if no longer needed or better equipment becomes available. He noted that the three antennas currently in the city are bringing in $30,000 a year, and Nextel will bring in another $12,000. City Manager Pertin said the City Attorney would review the current ordinance; cities are beginning to update to keep up with technology. Items Suggested by Community Development Director: Heritage Preservation Commission Ordinance Amendments Community Development Director Walgren said the ordinance in the packet was drafted at the request of the Heritage Preservation Commission and will be going to the Planning Commission and City Council soon. He said the ordinance would extend permitting requirements that are curren~y required for designated historic structures to the entire inventory of potential designated structures. Commissioners expressed concerns that the City does not have the power to say a building will not be demolished. Community Development Director Walgren agreed that Saratoga doesn't have the type of ordinance that a more aggressive community wou!d have. However, in the review process for projects that are subject to additions or renovations they have a great deal of authority. The City Attorney said fewer and fewer cities have ordinances that require someone to keep an old home rather than tear it down, but it can be done. Discussion followed regarding homes built before the 1950s that add character to the community but might not be considered "significant." Community Development Director Walgren said there are distinct degrees of historical significance. The initial list of about 100 buildings was created by the Historic Preservation Commission and has been added to as applications to add onto homes have come through. He said the list is just a record that the building is actually eligible to be a designated heritage resource. Community Development Director Walgren said they have discretion at staff level. He said the process of having the inventory properties go through the Heritage Preservation Commission before they go to the Planning Commission has been implemented for many years and it had not created an undue burden on homeowners. The Commission is tnfing to codify current practices. He said there would be a full staff report to Planning Commission. Mayor Wolfe directed that staff arrange a meeting of the Heritage Preservation Commission, the Planning Commission and the City Council so that the HPC could share what they feel are the homes of concern for the future. He agreed with Councilmember Bogosian that homeowners need to know if their house is on the HPC's list or is likely to be added to it Preview of nendin~. annlica~ons Community Development Director Walgren presented a verbal update of the following projects: ~ Sisters of Notre Dame - 20+ acres, RFPs for single family homes. The property might yield 8-10. He said there are constraints concerning compatibility with the natural setting and trailtic. He was asked to make sure that was weil-documented. ~' Azule Crossing - three acre site, 4 commercial buildings. The applicant wants to build multi-family homes and has submitted revised plans with commercial in ~'ont and 75-80% of the property proposed for residential. Circulation Element City Council Minutes 5 September 8, 1998 Community Development Director Walgren said this is on schedule and they will be sending out the RFP. Staff is considering doing the traditional circulation element in house and using $50,000 which has been set aside for traffic impact area plan studies. City Manager Perlin cautioned Council that more money might be needed for those studies. Mountain Winery Update Community Development Director Walgren said the updated dra~ EIR has been postponed and will not be available until the end of the year for public review. Staff has met with County planners to make sure the project description was adequate and express concerns regarding the breakdown of additional vehicles. Mayor Wolfe thanked the Planning Commission for their work and their input at this meeting. 5. Measure G hnplementation Resolution City Manager Pertin said this item was carried over ~'om the July 7 meeting. He reviewed the staff report and noted a letter from Barry Swenson, Builder that was in Council's packet. Community Development Director Walgren said as a result of discussions at the July 7 meeting Council asked him and the City Attomey to review the currently existing Measure G implementation policies. The proposed resolution was a modification to Section 3 to eliminate the option of an applicant going directly to an election in advance of the review process. At Council's request, it also adds Section 4 to allow Council to waive very specific projects ~'om going through the full review process if the applicant requests that. Jeff Schwartz, San Marcos Road, said he appreciated and agreed with the intent of the moditieation. He asked where the exception clauses were that covered something which was minor and where it was the sense of Council that the applicant should not be required to go through the expense. Community Development Director Walgren said that exception is in the measure itself This exception hoped to address projects like the Binkley Family Trust lot line adjustment. In addition, it eliminates the option of developments that clearly increase the number of dwelling units above what is permitted by the General Plan ~om requesting to be exempted ~om the review process. J. Schwartz said he thought Measure G has worked in spite of the controversy that initially surrounded it. He encouraged Council to approve the proposed policy amendment. Council thanked staff. MORAN/SHAW TO ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. 96-28.1, RESOLUTION OF ~ CITY COUNCIL OF ~ CIT OF SARATOGA ESTABLISHING POLICIES DETERMINING AND PROCESSING PROJECTS REQUIREING A VOTE OF ~ PEOPLE UNDER T!tE, PROVISIONS OF ~ LAND USE IEI,EMENT OF TILE, GENERAL PLAN (MEASURE G !iMPLEMENTATION). PASSED 5-0. 6. Sdf-Evalua~on of Previous Meeting - September 2 Councilmembers commented on the length of the meeting. 7. Agency Assignment Reports Solid Waste JPA - Councilmember Moran said they are meeting to work on ways to recycle paper in commercial enterprises. Library,Joint Powers Agency - Councilmember Bogosian had been contacted by the union negotiator who is negotiating with the JPA. He said he would meet with the negotiator to make it clear that the county librarian is the JPA negotiator. N. Cent. Flood Cont. Zone Adv. Bd. - Councilmember Bogosian said he had walked up CalabaT~ Creek. He said he would be asking at the September 22 meeting for the staff to look at researching the possibility of eliminating the debris dam. Councilmember Jacobs said Council had endorsed the concept that there should be a uniform plan throughout reach of the creek. City Council Minutes 4 September 8, 1998 Valley Transportation Authority - Mayor Wolfe noted the validation of Measures A and B by the courts and said projects would be moving ahead. 8. Other City Manager Perlin reported that Ma~ Jo Walker has begun work as the new Finance Director. He reminded Council of the barbecue with city staff on October 1 at midday at the Wamer Hutton HOuse. 9. Adjournment At 9:00 p.m. the meeting was adjoumed. ~spectfullysub~u~, Iffmutes Clerk