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Los Altos Hills committee urges review after steep-site pool, big retaining walls and grading raise creek and oak-tree concerns
Summary
At its meeting the Los Altos Hills Environmental Design & Planning/Open Space committee flagged a proposed steep-site project with an infinity pool, extensive retaining walls and deep piles above a creek and mature oaks, recommending referral from fast-track to planning commission for further environmental review.
Members of the Los Altos Hills Environmental Design & Planning Committee and Open Space Committee raised environmental and safety concerns about a steep-site redevelopment that was reviewed on the committee’s field trip.
The committee reported that the application included large retaining walls, an infinity-style pool and numerous deep piles; one member summarized the panel’s reaction as, “it just seemed like it was a huge amount of work,” attributing the remark to a committee member who visited the site. Members said the slope leads down to a creek that flows to Rancho San Antonio and Permanente Creek, and they worried about potential impacts if the property is on septic or if pool water were discharged downslope.
Committee members described structural elements they saw in the field: roughly 26 piles reported at about 24 inches in diameter and pile lengths cited in the site discussion as ranging up to roughly 26–36 feet. The committee said the proposed work would have required major grading and extensive retaining structures on a steep hillside, and that the design risked removing heritage oaks and damaging riparian habitat.
Because members did not perform a site inspection before the application was routed, one committee member recommended reopening the matter for a full site visit and said the committee should consider that the project be heard by the planning commission rather than processed through fast-track. “We recommended it should go to planning commission,” a committee member said, noting the committee’s earlier advice that the project warranted a higher level of review.
Committee participants also urged closer coordination with the fire department after discovering a fire-truck turnaround that appeared to encroach on private property and would increase impervious hardscape; one planner observed that recent practice has led to shared or project-by-project turnarounds rather than a town-wide solution.
Outcome and next steps: committee members asked staff to confirm whether grading permits had been issued and whether the observed on-site grading complied with issued permits, and to refer the project for further review if warranted. No formal motion or vote was recorded during the discussion.
The committee’s comments were grounded in its field inspection and in statements from members on the record during the meeting; staff follow-up was requested to verify permit status, grading authority and potential referral to planning commission.
