Los Altos Hills panel hears objections to proposed 311‑lot Twin Oaks subdivision

Los Altos Hills subdivision committee members and dozens of residents on March 16 questioned a developer’s proposal to subdivide six Twin Oaks Court parcels into 311 residential lots, raising repeated concerns about emergency egress, steep grading, the fate of heritage oaks and whether the plan complies with local standards.

The meeting was an informational completeness review required under the town’s subdivision ordinance; staff and the applicant emphasized that no final decision was made and that the application is currently incomplete. Planning staff said the tentative‑map step precedes agency compliance review, Planning Commission and ultimately City Council hearings, and that the town will produce a written summary of the comments for the subdivider and the subdivider’s engineer.

Why it matters: The proposal would dramatically alter a roughly 11.9–12.6‑acre hillside site and, according to residents and committee members, could strain narrow local roads and affect riparian drainages and heritage trees. Several speakers urged the town to require details on evacuation planning, grading and utility tie‑ins before approving a final map.

At the meeting, Planning Commissioner Jim Oshura said the project appears to straddle multifamily and residential‑agricultural zones and that multiple elements of the plan do not match the town’s objective development standards, citing height, setback and coverage concerns. Oshura also asked how easement vacations will be handled and highlighted an adjacent Fenwick property that contains a 40‑foot equestrian/pedestrian easement labeled “Street N,” which the plan shows as a connection point but the town’s notes treat as nonvehicular.

Residents pressed safety and environmental issues. Michael Grady called the layout an "Oakland Hills fire trap," saying the density and proposed circulation would create an emergency‑access risk. Sue Welch and others cited mapping and consultant reports that identify ephemeral or intermittent drainages on the site and urged protection of those water features and a biological delineation where appropriate. Neighbors also flagged the potential removal of more than 100 protected or heritage oaks and questioned what replacement landscaping or mitigation would be required.

The applicant and its representative, Brian O'Neil, said a revised conceptual plan filed the same day reduced the number of internal roads, improved fire access, reduced retaining‑wall sizes and would save "probably about over a 100 protected trees." O'Neil told the committee the project is pursuing state density‑bonus provisions ("density bonus law"), that units are determined on a unit‑per‑acre basis, and that some lots would be restricted for very low‑income households to qualify for density incentives. He added the subdivision improvements would be built by the subdivider and that unimproved lots would be sold to individual buyers, who would install preapproved modular homes under the proposed approvals.

On technical review and timing, Assistant City Attorney Claire Lai and staff told the committee that CEQA review typically follows a completeness determination and that the town will be the lead agency for environmental review; the applicant may submit technical studies, but the town will make the official determinations. Public Works Director/City Engineer UJ Kim said engineering review will focus on traffic, ingress/egress, grading, sewer and stormwater mitigation and pathway connections.

What happens next: Staff will compile a written report of the committee’s recommendations and provide it to the subdivider; upon resubmittal the town will conduct another 30‑day completeness review, then a compliance review that includes agency comments and a public hearing schedule. The committee made no decisions tonight.

Representative quotes from the meeting include: "There's 20 guest parking spots for some 300 units here," said Commissioner Jim Oshura; "This proposal reminds me of the Oakland Hills fire trap," said resident Michael Grady; and the applicant stated, "This is a density bonus law project." The town will include the committee's feedback in its written record for the application.