Technical Background Report | Los Altos General Plan Update 4-29
Drone Delivery
Drone delivery is a method of transporting deliveries,
typically lightweight items, via electric drones that follow a preprogrammed flight path. Drone delivery exists as a pilot program in Sunnyvale and Mountain View, delivering small, packaged food items. While drone delivery is not currently operating in Los Altos, its future adoption could change how goods move through the transportation network by shifting deliveries away from local streets.
Autonomous Vehicles
Autonomous vehicle services are expanding across the
Bay Area. In March 2025, Waymo, the autonomous vehicle
ridehail company, expanded its service to select customers in Los Altos, Mountain View, Palo Alto, and Sunnyvale.
Waymo has since expanded service across the Peninsula
as well. Tesla robotaxi is available as a pilot with a safety driver and operates as a ridehailing service. The service is currently focused in Austin, Texas but may expand to other areas in the future. Other autonomous vehicle
companies such as Zoox are likely to introduce operations to Los Altos in the future. The growing presence of autonomous vehicles may affect transit ridership and reliance on ridehail companies.
Additionally, the emergence of autonomous delivery
services has the potential to influence delivery travel patterns and place new demands on curbside management. Autonomous delivery vehicles have been tested in Los Altos, but they are not currently operating as a publicly available delivery service. Larger delivery vehicles including autonomous trucks may become more prevalent in coming years as well, which could affect regional goods movement and safety on major corridors.
Emerging aircraft technology that allows an aircraft to take off and land vertically – known as vertical take-off and landing vehicles (VTOL) has the potential to change regional transportation patterns in the future. The introduction of VTOLs raise planning considerations for land use, airspace, and safety. Los Altos does not currently have VTOL services. The update of the General Plan may
provide a framework for the future of autonomous and
VTOL vehicles and services in Los Altos as they grow in popularity.
Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS)
Intelligent transportation systems (ITS) can help improve safety and mobility through the integration of technology and transportation infrastructure. ITS encompasses a wide range of technology including electronic toll collection, bicycle detection, ramp metering, red-light cameras, traffic signal coordination, and transit signal priority.
In recent years Los Altos has made investments in intelligent transportation systems to enhance signals, efficiency, and management. In 2015, City Council approved a project to update signal phasing and timing at San Antonio
Road and Cuesta Drive/First Street to meet Santa Clara
County signal standards. The signal upgrades also include bicycle detection. Continued evaluation and application of emerging technologies can help optimize the efficiency
and performance of the transportation system in Los
Altos, potentially offering safer, more convenient trips for residents and operational cost savings for the City.
TRANSPORTATION FUNDING
SOURCES
Transportation funding typically comes from a combination of local, regional, State, and federal funding sources including general fund revenue, grants, development
impact fees, and taxes. While many of these sources
are formulaic, the City can also access funding for select projects through competitive grants. Some grants
consider diversity and equity factors of which Los Altos may be less competitive. Los Altos has a Capital Improvement & Major Maintenance Program (CIMMP) that addresses the City’s infrastructure needs with a focus on public safety, transportation, street maintenance, parks, sewer, and technology. The CIMMP plans to fund the First Street Streetscape Design Phase II project, which includes a streetscape plan and guidelines to enhance bike and
pedestrian safety and a citywide traffic survey. The City has a traffic impact fee to fund transportation infrastructure to serve new development.
Santa Clara County voters approved Measure B in 2016.
The sales tax measure, administered by VTA, is a 30-year sales tax to fund transit, highways, expressways, and
active transportation in the county. VTA allocates a portion of Measure B revenue to every jurisdiction in the county based on population size, including Los Altos. Funding can be used for local streets and roads, bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, transit operations, highway interchanges, and county expressways.
Chapter 04 | Transportation and Multimodal Mobility
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Based on the analysis of existing transportation conditions, safety assessment, and other considerations in Los Altos, the following opportunities may help improve transportation in Los Altos as the City undertakes its General Plan update.
• Commute Patterns. Nearly 60 percent of employed
Los Altos residents commute fewer than 10 miles to
their job, and the average commute time is 22 minutes,
shorter than the county and statewide averages. This
indicates that Los Altos offers convenient access to
nearby job centers, helping to making it an attractive
place to live. Most employed residents in Los Altos
commute to jobs in other communities, while most
people who work in Los Altos commute from other
jurisdictions. Approximately half of all people who work in Los Altos are employed in the professional/business
service, education/health, and retail sectors. Workforce housing strategies should consider the needs of these
groups, as providing more housing locally could help
ease peak hour congestion in Los Altos, among other
benefits.
• Existing Travel Characteristics. Private vehicles
are the primary mode of transport in Los Altos, as in
communities throughout the South Bay. Commute
patterns, the existing land use mix, and the availability of transit service all contribute to this. Nevertheless, VMT rates are lower than in many neighboring
communities and parks, schools, and commercial
Key Findings and Planning Considerations
areas in Los Altos since all are located within easy
access of residential neighborhoods, which presents
opportunities to expand the share of local trips made
on foot, by bicycle or through shared modes of transit.
In turn, this could help reduce congestion, air pollution, and GHG emissions while also encouraging active,
healthy lifestyles.
• Vehicle Miles Traveled Policy. The City adopted a
Vehicle Miles Traveled Policy in 2023, establishing the following thresholds of significance: residential projects - 15 percent below the Bay Area average VMT per capita; office projects - 15 percent below the Los Altos citywide average VMT per employee. These thresholds are used
for the purpose of determining environmental impacts
from proposed new development projects. The General
Plan Update process provides an opportunity to build
on this framework by exploring strategies to reduce
VMT such as encouraging density and implementing
additional transportation demand management
strategies.
• Street Classification System. The 2002 General
Plan established a street classification system that
organizes roadways into a hierarchy based on function
and capacity. This approach tends to prioritize the
automobile and may not fully reflect the use of other
modes of travel in Los Altos. Through the General
Plan Update, the City may wish to consider adopting
a layered network approach that organizes streets into
Technical Background Report | Los Altos General Plan Update 4-31
mode-priority networks, rather than expecting every
street to serve all users equally well. Under a layered network approach, neighborhood streets might
prioritize walking and biking, while downtown streets
might prioritize pedestrians, and major roadways might
prioritize vehicles and transit movement. The result
would create continuous, low-stress routes for each
mode and improve safety by reducing modal conflicts.
• Walking Access to Key Destinations. Downtown Los
Altos is characterized by a highly walkable street grid that contributes to its unique character. While downtown
and other commercial centers are located within
easy walking distance of residential neighborhoods,
accessing these destinations on foot from surrounding
neighborhoods is not always easy, particularly at night because adjacent neighborhood streets lack sidewalks
and lighting. The General Plan Update presents an
opportunity to identify pedestrian routes to commercial areas from surrounding neighborhoods and explore
strategies that could enhance connectivity and safety,
such as introducing sidewalks and pedestrian-scale
lighting on certain key routes.
• Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities. Los Altos has a strong foundation of bicycle facilities, although the existing network is fragmented and many routes lack sufficient
separation from traffic, which reduces comfort and
usability—especially on high-speed corridors. The 2022
Complete Streets Master Plan aims to address these
gaps by improving connectivity, enhancing safety, and
expanding facilities. Complementary improvements
to further support a more functional and user-friendly
system are also proposed, including wayfinding
signage, bicycle parking, and signal detection. The
General Plan Update process is an opportunity to
identify implementation priorities for improvements
and/or to refine recommendations with a view to
strengthening connections between key destinations
in Los Altos.
• Safety. Safety can be a concern for some road users
in Los Altos. Collisions resulting in a person killed or severely injured (KSIs) make up 11 percent of all collisions citywide. Pedestrians and bicyclists are overrepresented in KSI collisions highlighting the vulnerability of these users. There is an opportunity to further prioritize the safety of all road users but especially people walking
and biking in Los Altos. Improvements to address
safety and reduce collisions should be Safe System
Approach consistent and address infrastructure and
land use considerations in addition to educational
programs. The City’s high-injury network of streets
and intersections where KSIs are concentrated helps
to identify priority locations for safety improvements.
However, this network, developed in 2022, no longer
reflects the latest collision patterns. The General Plan Update presents an opportunity to align this network
with the latest safety trends.
• Ridehailing and Delivery Services. Ridehailing
services like Uber, Lyft, and Waymo provide convenient
options for getting around town that do not require
parking space at the destination. Delivery services like DoorDash and Uber Eats provide time savings and
convenience for Los Altos residents and may reduce the
number of private vehicle trips taken for shopping and
dining and reduce the need for parking in commercial
areas. However, the continued growth of these services
may increase the total number of vehicles on local
roadways and result in curbside loading activity in
commercial areas, creating new challenges related to
curb management and street operations. The General
Plan update should consider and seek to address these
opportunities and challenges.
• Intelligent Transportation Systems. Los Altos
is investing in intelligent transportation systems
improvements to enhance signals, efficiency, and
management. Continued evaluation and application of
emerging technologies can help optimize the efficiency
and performance of the transportation system in Los
Altos, potentially offering safer, more convenient trips for residents and operational cost savings for the City.
PARKS AND PUBLIC SERVICES
5 This chapter summarizes existing conditions and issues relevant to key public services, including parks, recreation, trails, and open space in the Planning Area. It also describes community services and programs, schools, libraries, and police and fire protection services. A summary of findings and implications is provided at the end of the chapter.
Chapter 05 | Parks and Public Services
5-2
Parks and Recreation
The City of Los Altos Parks & Recreation department offers a variety of parks, open space, trails, and recreational facilities for the community. Additionally, the city borders regional parks and open space, including the Midpeninsula Open Space District, that expand the broad range of recreational opportunities available in the Los Altos area.
This section discusses distribution and accessibility of these community resources, as well as planned projects
and funding for expansion of the park system.
PARKS
Existing Parks and Parkland
Classifications
The City of Los Altos provides a total of 13 parks and
recreational facilities: three community parks, eight
neighborhood parks, one nature preserve, and one public multiuse trail, which all contribute to the 44.95 acres of parks and recreational facilities, as shown in Map 5-1 and summarized in Table 5-1. The five categories of parks
defined by the City are as follows:
• Neighborhood Parks serve as social and recreational
focal points for neighborhoods, as they provide
green space and social opportunities. As such, the
majority of parks within Los Altos can be defined as
neighborhood parks. Neighborhood parks include play
areas, picnic areas and natural turf areas or fields that provide space for both active and passive recreation
(programmed and non-programmed). They may
also contain recreation facilities. These types of parks may provide restrooms, but typically in connection
with a “destination facility,” such as an athletic field, playground or picnic area. Although accessible by
bicycle and on foot, neighborhood parks also require
on-site dedicated parking areas. It should be noted
that Shoup Park is an exception in this category, with
characteristics of a community park (see description
below). In addition to the amenities listed above, Shoup Park houses the Garden House facility and the Patriot
Corner picnic area, which is the largest reservable
picnic area that the city permits and serves the entire Los Altos community.
• Community Parks are larger than a neighborhood
park and provide both active and passive recreational
opportunities. Community parks accommodate
large group activities and organized sports play. They
often house specialized recreation programs; contain
facilities; and provide space for public gatherings,
special events and large-scale community interaction.
Generous onsite parking and public restrooms are
typical for community parks, making them familyfriendly facilities, such as Hillview Park. • A Pocket Park is a small, urban neighborhood park
bounded by buildings, typically created on left over
portions of land. Pocket parks may also be open space.
• A Nature Preserve is a protected area established to
safeguard or retain wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological, historical or other special interest. These areas are “reserved” from development and managed
for conservation and provide special opportunities for
study or research. Nature preserves may be designated
by government agencies or by private landowners, such
as charities or research institutions. Nature preserves fall into different International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources categories depending
on local protection laws.
Map 5-1: Existing and Planned Parks and
Recreational Facilities
Chapter 05 | Parks and Public Services
5-4
Table 5-1: Summary of Existing Parks and Amenities
PARK OR FACILITY ACRES AMENITIES
Neighborhood Parks 22.37
Shop Park 3.95 Play areas, picnic tables, barbeques, paved loop, walking paths, natural turf area, restrooms, public art, dedicated parking areas Village Park 0.78 Walking paths, benches, picnic table, barbeques, natural turf area, drinking fountain, public art
Heritage Oaks Park 5.33 Play areas with sandpit, picnic tables, barbeques, natural turf area, restrooms, public art
Lincoln Park 4.44 Walking paths, benches, picnic tables, Gazebo, public art Marymeade Park 2.47 Three lighted tennis courts, play areas, picnic tables, barbeques, natural turf area, drinking fountain, restrooms
McKenzie Park 4.30 Two lighted tennis courts, play areas with sandpit, picnic tables, benches, barbeques, natural turf area, drinking fountain, restrooms, public art, dedicated parking areas
Montclaire Park 1.10 Two lighted tennis courts, play areas, picnic tables, benches, barbeques Community Parks 16.13
Grant Park 4.50 Basketball court, large multi-purpose turf field, play areas with sandpit, climbing boulder, walking paths, picnic tables, barbeques, bike racks, drinking fountains, public restrooms, meeting rooms, multipurpose room, public art
Rosita Park 5.00 Baseball and soccer fields, three tennis courts, play areas, walking paths, restroom, concession stand
Hillview Park 6.63 Baseball and soccer fields, bocce ball courts, play areas, exercise area, picnic tables, restrooms, public art, dedicated parking areas Pocket Park 0.16
Community Plaza 0.16 Seating areas, small bandstand with artificial turf Nature Preserve 6.12
Redwood Grove 6.12 Natural trails, walking paths, boardwalk, picnic tables, observation decks, temporary restrooms
Multiuse Trails
Hetch Hetchy Trail 0.17 Trail, bike path
Planned Facilities
Downtown Park TBD Conceptual design is currently underway for a new Downtown park, plaza or common facility that will replace the surface parking lot along Plaza South, with parking thoughtfully reconsidered to support continued access and downtown vitality.
Total 45.45
Source: City of Los Altos, Parks Plan, 2012
Technical Background Report | Los Altos General Plan Update 5-5
• Open Space refers to undeveloped land or water.
It may be specifically established as open space by
zoning regulations or occur naturally due to lack of
development and may include greenbelts. Zoned open
space offers many public benefits including resource
conservation, water supply protection and enhanced
property values. It may also be used to conserve
historic, cultural or natural resources and to protect
scenic vistas. Large open space areas also provide
multi-generational recreational opportunities (ex.
Intersection of Springer Road and El Monte Avenue).
Open space can also include pocket parks. Some open
space areas have minor improvements such as on-site
parking and public restrooms to accommodate users.
• Trails are pathways or routes designed for nonautomobile traffic. Trails may be segregated into specific activity types such as walking and biking.
Exercise trails often feature exercise stations on
regular intervals. Some trails allow pedestrian access
(shortcuts) between streets, neighborhoods and
schools. Trails may be publicly owned or established
through easements, such as the Hetch Hetchy Rightof-Way, a 0.17-acre strip of land with a walking and bicycle path owned by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission but maintained by the City.
Section 66477 of the Government Code provides local
jurisdictions with the authority to acquire park land in association with new land divisions. Commonly referred to as the Quimby Act, this provision of state law allows a city, by ordinance, to require the dedication of land, payment of an in-lieu fee, or a combination of both, for park and recreational purposes as a condition on approving a subdivision map. Chapter 13.24 of the Los Altos Municipal Code requires the dedication of land and/or the payment of in lieu fees for the purpose of providing park and recreational facilities as a condition of approval of a final subdivision or parcel map. Park-in-lieu fees go into a fund which the City uses as needed to construct park facilities to serve the subdivision.
In Chapter 13.24(C) of the Municipal Code, the City has established a standard of 3.0 acres of parkland per
thousand residents, calculated on the basis of City-owned parkland. With a total of 45.45 acres of existing parkland and a population of approximately 30,698 residents,
the City is currently providing 1.48 acres of parkland per thousand residents, below the established standard. An
additional 46.8 acres of public parkland would be needed to meet the established standard of 3.0 acres per thousand residents based on current population. Two new City parks are planned: a 0.5-acre pocket park at 647 N. San Antonio Road and a Downtown Park on Parking Plazas 1, 2, and 3
now in the conceptual design phase. These new facilities will help address the deficit of public parkland; however, additional facilities and strategies will be needed to meet the needs of existing and future residents.
Additionally, the 2002 General Plan Open Space Element
calls for the City to explore joint use of school facilities to augment open space and recreational opportunities
available to residents. The City currently has joint use agreements for two City gyms on school district properties. These are Egan Gym at Egan Middle School Campus and Blach Gym at Blach Middle School. Students have
access to the facilities during school hours and is accessible by the general public from 6pm onwards on weekdays and throughout the weekends. The Los Altos Golf and
Country Club is a private members club in the SOI that
offers amenities to members, including a golf course,
swimming pool, tennis courts, state-of-the-art fitness
center, and social and dining events.
Los Altos Parks Plan
The Los Altos Parks Plan, adopted in 2012, is designed to guide the development, enhancement, and maintenance
of the City of Los Altos’ park system over a 20 to 30-year horizon. It serves as a strategic roadmap for the City
Council and staff, assessing the current state of the city’s 13 parks and facilities and outlining a vision to ensure they continue to meet the community’s needs as Los Altos
grows. Goals for the plans include increase the amount
of total parkland, creation of new walking pathways and trails, and restoration and preservation of creek banks in City parks, as shown on Table 5-2. An update draft Parks Plan is anticipated under the direction of the Parks, Arts, Recreation, and Cultural Commission.
The 2012 Parks Plan identifies several City-owned parcels that are not fit for development and are classified as open space. The larger parcels are at Woodland Library, Springer Road and El Monte Avenue, Green Oaks Lane and
Bendigo Drive, and Heritage Oaks Park. The Parks Plan
identifies these spaces as potential sites for neighborhood park development and expansion. These locations are also shown on Map 5-1. Given that there is very little vacant
Chapter 05 | Parks and Public Services
5-6
land in Los Altos, identifying locations for new parks is a challenge. The Parks Plan also suggests property acquisitions through easements land gifts, and development agreements with redevelopment project proponents as
potential strategies for increasing parkland.
ACCESS TO PARKS AND RECREATIONAL FACILITIES
Another measure of access to parks is walkability, or how long it would take to get to a park on foot from home.
Map 5-2 shows access to parks on foot, accounting for
the actual path of travel along existing streets and around existing development. The analysis reveals that only about a half of all residential neighborhoods are within a fiveto-ten-minute walking distance of a park. Parks with the best access on foot tend to be clustered in the neighborhoods around Downtown and in the south, where existing City parks are located. Residential areas without a park within a 5- to 10-minute walk from home tend to be neighborhoods toward the periphery of the city; however, there are recreational facilities at Los Altos High School, Egan Junior High School, and Santa Rita Elementary School
that are accessible to residents in these areas. Furthermore, some Los Altos neighborhoods are also within a five- to ten-minute walk to Rancho San Antonio County
Park. Joint use agreements that permit community use of school facilities after hours can be a strategy for increasing access to parks and recreational facilities for neighborhood residents.
Parking at parks can also determine access at parks
and recreational facilities. Various parks in Los Altos have accessible parking on site, though some facilities are lacking. Hillview Park, Shoup Park, and McKenzie
Park have dedicated parking lots with ample parking.
Heritage Oaks Park has sufficient parking for day-to-day use but may have insufficient parking for larger community events. On-street parking can be found along both sections of Lincoln Park, while the south end adjoins a parking lot. Marymeade Park provides parking, though it is adjacent to the tennis courts rather than the play areas and open space. There is no parking within Redwood
Grove, but parking is available along University Avenue.
Table 8-2: Los Altos Parks Plan Citywide Goals
CITYWIDE GOAL RECOMMENDATIONS
Park Acreage • Maintain current parks as dedicated parkland • Provide 60 acres of parkland citywide
• Provide a park in north Los Altos
• Look for opportunities to expand existing parks, where feasible • Continue to require park in-lieu payments for new developments Walking Paths/ Trails • Maintain current pathways in good condition and repair as needed • Consider pathways when designing new parks or renovation of current parks • Support the completion of the Stevens Creek Trail
Field Space • Work with the school districts to provide a single entity in charge of scheduling and maintenance of fields
Creeks in Parks • Continue habitat rehabilitation and creek bank restoration in Redwood Grove • Begin efforts to preserve creek banks in Shoup and Heritage Oaks Parks Other Open Space • Look for opportunities to acquire open space parcels as properties subdivide • Remain cognizant of the agreement for the Open Space Easement on the El Retiro property
Source: Los Altos Parks Plan, 2012.
Technical Background Report | Los Altos General Plan Update 5-7
Map 5-2: Walkshed and Service Area Availabillity
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5-8
MAINTENANCE
The Los Altos Maintenance Services Division of the Parks & Recreation department is responsible for the maintenance of the City’s parks, buildings, bridges, streets, traffic signals, wastewater collection, and storm drain systems.
Specifically for parks and recreation facilities, the Division has established park service levels that meet or exceed industry standards of care, aesthetics and appearance.
Operations include general maintenance, turf management, irrigation, lighting, custodial, and landscaping.
Proper park maintenance extends the life of park and
recreational facilities, while enhancing visitor safety and ensuring a high-quality public experience. About 25
per-cent of the Maintenance Services budget is dedicated to park maintenance1.
FUNDING
As noted above, the City has enacted an ordinance requiring new development to dedicate land or pay fees to help ensure sufficient parkland to meet the established standard of 3 acres per thousand residents. As residential development occurs, parks are provided by the developer, or a contribution is made to a fund which the City uses as needed to construct park facilities to meet demand from new residents. The Parks Plan also identifies other potential sources to fund park acquisition and improvement projects, including grant funding opportunities and bond and tax measures. Continuing to keep parks safe and
attractive to residents is equally important as providing an adequate number of parks. The City funds operation and
maintenance of parks and recreational facilities through General Fund money and fee-based programming for
certain activities. Volunteer initiatives and sponsorship opportunities are additional avenues that can help to
offset operations and maintenance costs.
REGIONAL OPEN SPACE AND TRAILS
Residents are able to access several areas of significant open space within a few miles of Los Altos City limits, as shown on Map 5-3. The 289-acre Rancho San Antonio
County Park borders Los Altos to the west. The County
1 City of Los Altos, May 2012. Los Altos Parks Plan. Available:
https://www.losaltosca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1552/LosAltos-Parks-Plan-PDF. Accessed: February 18, 2026.
Park is conjoined with the 3,988-acre Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve further to the west. Both facilities are managed by the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space
District, featuring meadows, creeks, wildlife, hiking trails and passive open space.
Based on input from the Midpeninsula Regional Open
Space District, the feasibility of a free/low-cost shuttle service program between Los Altos and Rancho San
Antonio County Park was evaluated to address ongoing
parking and congestion issues. These efforts were voted out by the District’s Board of Directors, efforts have shifted to focus instead on implementing a permanent carpool
parking area. However, seeing that the City envisions a cross-town Electric Shuttle (In Chapter 4: Transportation), there is a potential to partner with the District to connect residents and visitors of Los Altos to regional parks and open space such as Rancho San Antonio County Park.
The Duveneck Windmill Pasture is a 761-acre area located within the Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve that
can be accessed by trails. Pearson-Arastradero Preserve is a mixture of rolling grassland and evergreen forest, located in neighboring City of Palo Alto. The Pearson-Arastradero Preserve has roughly 10 miles of trails, hiking, bicycling, and horseback riding. The Preserve also features the Arastradero Lake, open all year to fishing. To the east of Los Altos on the shoreline of the San Francisco Bay is the Baylands Nature Preserve, the largest tract of undisturbed marshland remaining in the Bay. Fifteen miles of multi-use trails provide access to a unique mixture of tidal and freshwater habitats. The Preserve encompasses 1,940 acres in both Palo Alto and East Palo Alto, and is owned by the City of Palo Alto. It is an important habitat for migratory shorebirds and is considered one of the best birdwatching spots on the West Coast.
Technical Background Report | Los Altos General Plan Update 5-9
Map 5-3: Regional and Local Open Space
Chapter 05 | Parks and Public Services
5-10
Local Serving Recreational Trails and
Facilities
Hiking and walking are the premier outdoor activities
for Los Altos residents, with 96 percent of respondents labeling them as “very” or “somewhat important,” according to the 2012 Parks Plan. This high level of interest underscores a significant demand for accessible trails.
Walking trails exist within the following parks: Rosita, Shoup, Lincoln, and Redwood Grove Parks, as well as the Hetch Hetchy Right-of-Way. The Parks Plan identified
both the upkeep of these assets and the development of
new trail opportunities as priorities to pursue. Additionally, there is an opportunity for a joint and collaborative venture with the cities of Cupertino, Mountain View and Sunnyvale to create a trail along Stevens Creek for recreational use for all residents within Santa Clara County.
OTHER RELEVANT PLANS AND
INITIATIVES
Los Altos Age-Friendly Action Plan
The Los Altos Age-Friendly Action Plan (2025–2028) is a strategic roadmap designed to enhance the quality of life for older residents by aligning city policies with the World Health Organization’s “Age-Friendly” framework2. The
action plan includes goals, strategies, steps to accomplish goals, and partners accountable for the goals in relation to the eight domains categorized under the World Health Organization.
For parks, recreational facilities, and open space, the plan prioritizes “Domain 1: Outdoor Spaces and Buildings,”
which focuses on creating accessible, safe, and inviting physical environments that encourage active aging and
social connectivity. Key objectives include ensuring that green spaces are spacious and well-maintained with
ample comfortable seating, improving walkability through even sidewalks and better lighting, and enhancing the
accessibility of public buildings. By integrating these 2 City of Los Altos, 2024. Los Altos Age-Friendly Action Plan.
Available: https://www.losaltosca.gov/DocumentCenter/
View/1908/Age-Friendly-Action-Plan?bidId=. Accessed:
February 6, 2026.
physical improvements with the City’s Adult 50+ Program, the Age-Friendly Action Plan seeks to transform local
parks and facilities into vital hubs for physical activity and social engagement, ultimately combating isolation and
promoting the long-term mental and physical well-being
of the Los Altos community.
Parks, Arts, Recreation, and Cultural
Commission
The Parks, Arts, Recreation, & Cultural (PARC) Commission advises the City Council in all matters pertaining to parks, public recreation, and cultural arts. It works with all other governmental agencies and civic groups in the advancement of sound Parks and Recreational planning
and programming. The Commission also makes budget
recommendations to the Council regarding the same
topics. The Parks, Arts, Recreation, & Cultural Commission work plan outlined goals for 2025 that were approved on February 18, 2025 and further updated on August 19,
20253. The goals include: increasing engagement with the community to solicit feedback on PARC contributions,
increasing use of City parks, and working to ensure the City maintains high quality parks and facilities. The work plan details goals, objectives, projects for the year, as well as the anticipated completion date and assignment of
commission member(s).
Public Safety Facilities
and Services
Law enforcement services are provided by the Los Altos
Police department (Los Altos PD), while the City currently contracts with the Santa Clara County Central Fire
Protection District for fire protection services within the municipal boundaries. This section discusses staffing,
facilities and equipment, and community programs
provided in Los Altos.
3 City of Los Altos, August 2025. Parks, Arts, Recreation, & Cultural Commission 2025 Work Plan. Available: https://www. losaltosca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/2117/PARC-Work-PlanApproved-021825. Accessed: February 6, 2026.
Technical Background Report | Los Altos General Plan Update 5-11
POLICE SERVICE
Services and Staffing
Los Altos PD provides a full range of law enforcement
and police protection services, which include the following: response to emergency and non-emergency calls for service; proactive identification of criminal activity, traffic safety, parking enforcement, investigation of crime and prosecution of criminals, 911 call taking and emergency dispatch services, training of personnel, crime prevention and community outreach, maintenance of records, property and evidence control and emergency preparedness. The Los Altos PD is organized into three primary divisions that manage the city’s public safety infrastructure: Support Services, Operations, and Administration, which are further organized into other subdivisions. The Support Services Division houses the 911 Communications, Records, Property and Evidence, and Technology subdivisions. The Operations Division is comprised of
Patrol, Traffic, Investigations, Crime Prevention, Canine, and SWAT. The Department is comprised of 32 sworn
patrol officers, two reserve officers, and 15 professional civilian staff4.
Facilities and Equipment
Los Altos PD is headquartered at 1 North San Antonio
Road, in the northern portion of the city, as seen on Map 5-4. Los Altos PD plans to use a City-owned facility at 999 Fremont Avenue, which is currently vacant, as a substation with a few interior upgrades that will allow officers better access to the south side of the city5. Funding for the upgrades is identified in the City’s Capital Improvement and Major Maintenance Program (CIMMP) for the fiscal
years 2024 to 2029.
The City of Los Altos is currently addressing critical infrastructure needs for its public service facilities, specifically the police station at 1 North San Antonio Road, and the 4 City of Los Altos, 2026. Frequently Asked Questions: PoliceAdministration. How many officers do you have? Available:
https://www.losaltosca.gov/m/faq?cat=30#question-176.
Accessed: February 3, 2026.
5 City of Los Altos, 2025. Operating Budget FY 2025-26
& Capital Improvement & Major Maintenance Program
FY 2026-30. Available: https://www.losaltosca.gov/
ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/1792. Accessed: February 3, 2026
city’s two fire-houses, as part of its 2024-2025 Strategic Goals. A focused facility condition assessment, initiated in 2016, revealed significant structural and operational deficiencies in the existing police station at the Civic Center. Funding options under consideration include a
voter-approved tax or loans.
Technology
Los Altos PD is increasingly making use of technology
to assist with crime prevention and enforcement. For
example, the department uses automated license plate
recognition (ALPR) technology to provide the vehicle and license plate evidence needed to help solve crimes. Los Altos PD has established a partnership with Flock Safety to install 15 fixed ALPR cameras in strategic locations around Los Altos, allowing cameras to capture a vehicle’s specific characteristics, including body type, make, color, and more. Los Altos PD also uses Unmanned Aircraft
Systems, or drones, as a strategic tool to enhance public safety and protect property in situations where traditional resources are less effective. To address privacy concerns, the program operates under strict adherence to Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations, constitutional rights, and comprehensive department policies. All
department operators are FAA Part 107 certified and have completed specialized training through the California
Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training. The City maintains transparency by providing public access
to recent flight data and logs, ensuring the community
remains informed about how this technology is deployed
within the city.
Chapter 05 | Parks and Public Services
5-12
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Los Altos
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Map 5-4: Public Facilities in Los Altos
Technical Background Report | Los Altos General Plan Update 5-13
TH AVE
Response
During fiscal year 2024-2025, the Los Altos PD received approximately 36 calls per day for a total of 13,122 calls for the year. On average, Los Altos PD responded to calls within 10 minutes and 50 seconds during the fiscal year.
Table 5-3 below shows service call numbers, response
times, and 911 call answer times for the past three fiscal years as reported in the City’s CIMMP FY 2026-2030.
There are no strictly enforced national standards for police response times in the United States. Repose time targets are typically set by local jurisdictions based on resources, geography, and call volume. Generally, emergency 911
response times average 8–12 minutes, though urban areas often aim for under 10 minutes.
Community Programs
Los Altos PD prioritizes community safety through a
variety of proactive, community-based crime prevention
programs and services designed to empower residents
and deter criminal activity. At the heart of these efforts is the Neighborhood Watch program, which fosters a
partnership between the police and the community
by encouraging neighbors to look out for one another
and report suspicious activity to enhance the security
of their local blocks. Each group has a block captain to connect neighbors to the Police Department and share
information on crime trends and prevention tips. For
residents seeking a more personalized assessment of their property, the department offers a Home Security Inspection program. By submitting an online request form, homeowners can have a trained officer evaluate their
residence and provide professional recommendations on
improving physical security, such as lighting, locks, and landscaping. Further, Los Altos PD is dedicated to public education and offers group presentations on nearly any
safety-related topic, allowing schools, businesses, and community organizations to request tailored informational sessions that address their specific concerns and promote a culture of vigilance throughout the city.
FIRE AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL
SERVICES
The City of Los Altos currently contracts with the Santa Clara County Central Fire Protection District (County Fire) for fire and emergency medical services within the City boundaries. County Fire provides emergency response to
over 244,000 residents in the communities of Campbell,
Cupertino, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, Redwood Estates, Saratoga, San Martin and
adjacent unincorporated areas, covering a service area
of 423 square miles6. Key services include emergency
medical services, fire suppression and rescue, hazardous materials, fire prevention and education, and emergency management.
The current fire protection contract is expected to expire in December 2026. As of June 2025, the City is currently in discussion with County Fire to evaluate options that better align with its fiscal priorities and meet community expectations for reliable, high-quality emergency services. This includes re-evaluating the structure, cost, and long-term sustainability of the current fire protection contract, as 6 Santa Clara County Fire Department, 2025. SCCFD Overview.
Available: https://www.sccfd.org/about-sccfd/sccfdoverview/. Accessed: February 4. 2026.
Table 5-3: Los Altos PDD Program Performance
Measurements from FY2022-2025
ACTIVITY MEASUREMENT
METHOD FY 2022-23 FY 2023-24 FY 2024-25
Service Calls Quantity 14,176 11,635 13,122
Response Times Time 7 minutes, 36
seconds
8 minutes, 16
seconds
10 minutes, 50
seconds1
911 Call Answer Time within
10 seconds
Percentage 96.04% 96.15% 96.46%
Notes:
1. As noted in the CIMMP, the formula used to calculate response time was changed. Had the previous calculation was used, the response time would have been five minutes and two seconds.
Source: City of Los Altos, 2025. Operating Budget FY 2025-26 & Capital Improvement & Major Maintenance Program FY 2026-30.
Chapter 05 | Parks and Public Services
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well as exploring potential governance alternatives such as annexation into the County Fire protection district. These negotiations may result in a change of service levels and facilities maintenance available to the city. It would require new collaboration efforts between the two entities to
ensure improvements in service reliability and emergency preparedness.
Staffing and Response
County Fire employs over 330 fire prevention, suppression, investigation, administration, and maintenance personnel.
County Fire’s daily 24-hour emergency response staffing is comprised of 79 firefighters7. The department’s structure is composed of eight distinct divisions: Operations, Fire Prevention, Training, Administration and Planning, Support Services, Business Services, Personnel Services, and Information Technology.
In 2024, County Fire responded to a total of 22,437 service calls, where 63 percent (14,136 calls) were for emergency medical services, 20 percent (4,460 calls) were for
customer service calls, 7 percent (1,594 calls) were for fire 7 Ibid.
alarm calls, and 3 percent (608 calls) were for fires8. Further, County Fire has been a Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) accredited organization for over 20 years. Performance measures and statistics for 2024
are summarized in Table 5-4. In 2024, County Fire met
baseline performance for the time of first unit to arrive at a moderate risk fire incident for both urban settings (7:40) by 2 minutes and 41 seconds and rural settings (10:40) by 2 minutes and 45 seconds, as well as the containment of fire to room of origin 50 percent of time, and maintenance of a fund reserve balance of at least 15 percent.
Facilities
County Fire currently operates 19 fire stations throughout their service area; two stations are within City of Los Altos, as shown Map 5-4. Table 5-5 lists the address of each
station and the equipment housed.
County Fire is an all-hazard fire department capable of 8 Santa Clara County Fire Department, 2024. 2024 Annual Report. Available: https://www.sccfd.org/wp-content/
uploads/2025/03/2024.3.24_SCCFD_Annual-Report_FINALWEB.pdf. Accessed: February 4, 2026.
Table 5-5: County Fire Stations, Locations, and Equipment
STATION LOCATION EQUIPMENT SIZE
Los Altos Fire
Station
10 Almond Ave,
Los Altos, 94022
On Duty Staffing: 3 Personnel, Engine 75 (3),
Engine 675 (Select Call), Engine 175 (Reserve),
1929 Model A (Antique)
9,350 sq. ft., 3-bay
double-deep, drivethrough apparatus bay
Loyola Fire
Station
765 Fremont Ave,
Los Altos, CA
94024
On Duty Staffing: 3 Personnel, Engine 76 (3),
Engine 176 (Reserve)
2,400 sq. ft., 2-bay, singledeep, drive- through
apparatus
Source: Santa Clara County Fire Department, 2026. Facilities and Fire Stations. Available: https://www.sccfd.org/about-sccfd/facilitiesand-fire-stations/. Accessed: February 4, 2026.
Table 5-4: County Fire 2024 Performance Measures
PERFORMANCE INDICATORS MEASUREMENT
Average time for a unit to arrive at a moderate risk emergency medical services (EMS) incident (urban/rural)
4:39/6:20
Average time for the first unit to arrive at a moderate risk fire incident: 7:40/10:40 (urban/rural)
4:59/7:55
Average turnout time for an urgent emergency medical services (EMS) incident 1:16 Average turnout time for an urgent fire incident 1:27
Contain fire to room of origin: 50% of the time 63%
Maintain a fund reserve balance: 10-15% 29%
Source: SCCFD 2024 Annual Report.
Technical Background Report | Los Altos General Plan Update 5-15
responding to fires, medical emergencies, hazardous
materials incidents, and technical rescues. The department responds with 38 frontline fire apparatus and 4 command vehicles from 19 fire stations. In addition to
typical fire engines, firefighters can deploy a number of specialty vehicles including nine wildland fire engines, three aerial trucks, three rescue vehicles, three command vehicles, one 2,500-gallon water tender, one Type 1
Hazardous Materials Response Team, and one Type 1
Urban Search and Rescue company. As discussed above,
the City of Los Altos is currently addressing critical infrastructure needs for its public service facilities, specifically the city’s two fire station, as part of its 2024-2025 Strategic Goals. A focused facility condition assessment was done in 2016 and revealed that the Almond Avenue Fire Station structure was in “poor to fair” condition, with the most critical deficiency being its failure to meet modern seismic safety standards for an essential services facility. Funding options under consideration include a voter-approved tax or loans.
Community Programs and Volunteers
The Santa Clara County Fire Department offers a robust
suite of Community Education Programs designed to
enhance public safety and emergency preparedness
for residents. Their Adult and Senior Safety Programs
provide specialized training for residents aged 50 and
older, featuring courses such as Crime Prevention &
Home Fire Safety, which addresses identity theft and
personal security, and a Fall Prevention Program developed in partnership with Stanford Health Care to help seniors identify home hazards and maintain wellness.
For younger residents, the SafeSitter Babysitting Training targets students ages 12 to 15, equipping them with
essential childcare skills, business ethics, and life-saving techniques, including Hands-Only CPR and AED use,
to ensure they are prepared to stay home alone or care
for younger children. The Department’s comprehensive
School Programs span all educational levels, ranging
from interactive preschool visits that introduce fire
engine operations to ages 3-6, to high school presentations focused on career exploration in the fire service and specialized Cooking Safety classes that teach students
how to recognize kitchen hazards and operate portable
fire extinguishers. Managed by the Community Education Office, these initiatives emphasize the department’s motto of Courtesy and Service by providing vital resources and training that foster a culture of safety and resilience throughout the community. County Fire provides emergency response and non-emergency response
volunteer opportunities for those seeking a career in the fire service. The Volunteer programs provide practical
experience through regular training, ride-a-longs and
participation in organized public education activities.
Chapter 05 | Parks and Public Services
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Schools
Los Altos schools are a community asset, recognized for their well-rounded educational programs that emphasize high achievement, college and career readiness, and supporting learning environments along with robust
extracurricular activities. In 2023, the estimated studentaged population in Los Altos was 8,087, comprising Table 5-6: Public School District Enrollment Trends by School in Los Altos
SCHOOL NAME GRADES
SERVED
ENROLLMENT
CAPACITY*
2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25
Los Altos School District
Oak Avenue Elementary K-6 295 313 332 328 334 297
Loyola Elementary K-6 300 303 334 351 367 468
Springer Elementary K-6 346 388 335 365 365 486
Covington Elementary K-6 370 446 441 404 404 573
Almond Elementary K-6 323 359 353 354 354 315
Santa Rita Elementary K-6 219 377 385 326 326 411
Gardner Bullis Elementary K-6 234 247 259 293 313 420
Georgina P. Blach Junior High 7-8 423 418 416 399 388 714 Egan Junior High 7-8 546 493 497 517 517 594
Total -- 3,056 3,344 3,352 3,358 3,368 4,278
Cupertino Unified Elementary School District
Montclaire Elementary TK-5 410 388 382 406 442 625
Total -- 410 388 382 406 442 625
Bullis Charter School
Bullis Charter School (North
and South Campus)
TK-8 1,093 1,067 1,058 1,025 997 -
Total - 1,093 1,067 1,058 1,025 997 -
Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District
Los Altos High School 9-12 2,209 2,136 2,141 2,114 2,170 2,229 Total -- 2,209 2,136 2,141 2,114 2,170 2,229
Source: DataQuest. 2025. Enrollment by Grade. Los Altos Elementary Report (43-69518), Cupertino Union Report (43-69419), Bullis Charter Report (43-10439-0106534), and Los Altos High Report (43-69609-4334116). Available: https://dq.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/ dqcensus/EnrGrdYears.aspx?cds=00&agglevel=state&year=2024-25. Accessed: February 6, 2026 and June 24, 2026. Los Altos School District, 2018. Developer Fee Justification Study Addendum. Available: https://tinyurl.com/ysjd73bn. Accessed: February 23, 2026. *Capacity shown includes classrooms. Capacity numbers are based on a 2018 Los Altos School District (LASD) Developer Fee Justification Study Addendum. According to the Study Addendum, portable structures are left out of the baseline facility capacity numbers because they do not provide an adequate long-term educational environment. The Study explains that the district’s schools were not originally designed with enough foundational “core facilities” (such as libraries, restrooms, and administrative offices) to properly support the excess student population that portables accommodate. Therefore, capacity is measured primarily against permanent, core-supported classroom structures.
approximately a 26.4 percent of the total citywide population. There are four public school districts serving Los Altos (Los Altos School District, Cupertino Union School District, Mountain View Los Altos High School District, and Fremont Union High School District ) with ten public schools in the city. Table 5-6 summarizes enrollment
trends at public schools in the Planning Area since 2020.
This section discusses enrollment, facilities, funding, and programs of schools in and near the Planning Area.
Technical Background Report | Los Altos General Plan Update 5-17
LOS ALTOS SCHOOL DISTRICT
Service Area and Enrollment
Los Altos School District (LASD) is a public school district serving the cities of Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Mountain View, and Palo Alto. As shown in Map 5-4, LASD serves
a majority of the City of Los Altos except for the part of the city south of Fremont Avenue and west of Permanente Creek, which is served by Cupertino Union School District, further discussed below. LASD offers Transitional Kindergarten through sixth grade education across seven elementary schools and two junior high schools serving
grades seven and eighth. All but two LASD schools are
located in Los Altos; Springer Elementary at 1120 Rose
Avenue in Mountain View and Gardner Bullis Elementary
School is located at 25890 Fremont Road in Los Altos Hills.
As shown in Table 5-6, enrollment at LASD schools has
remained steady since 2021-2022, though there was a
slight uptick of enrollment in students from 2020-2021 to 2021-2022 following the Covid-19 pandemic. The classroom capacity numbers shown in Table 5-6 are as reported in a 2018 Los Altos School District (LASD) Developer Fee Justification Study Addendum and include only permanent classroom structures. Portable structures are left out of the baseline facility capacity numbers because they do
not provide an adequate long-term educational environment. Based on 2024-25 enrollment, most LASD schools are under their reported capacity, except Oak Avenue
Elementary and Almond Elementary. According to the
2024 LASD Long Range Facilities Master Plan, 16 percent of classroom space for TK though 6th grade district-wide is housed in portable structures.
Facilities and Funding
LASD is a community funded school district that relies
on local funding sources, including donations, parcel
taxes and bond measures. As such, LASD received very
little State aid under the Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) or Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF)9.
During the 2023-2024, LASD engaged in a comprehensive
facilities master planning process to assess site-specific infrastructure needs and long-term improvement priorities. The draft Facilities Plan and recommendations were presented to the Board of Trustees on July 29, 2024, in order to gather feedback about priority projects10.
In the spring of 2026, the Board of Trustees will identify the initial priority projects to move forward, with a strong focus on school modernization while also constructing a new school at the San Antonio campus in Mountain View.
It is anticipated that the Board will prioritize a phased approach, upgrading two to three schools each summer
to ensure steady progress across all campuses. With
more than $800 million in identified facilities needs and a $350 million bond, the District will be able to complete significant modernization projects. LASD also anticipates pursuing future bond measures to continue upgrading
the public school facilities in alignment with neighboring school districts. Dedicated bond dollars will allow the district to invest in modernized classrooms, updated technologies, and upgraded learning environments for all students. The campus modernization at all schools in Los Altos will likely include HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) and fire alarm upgrades, classroom audio
visual (AV) technology, LED lighting and daylight controls, exterior paint, and roofing. In parallel, LASD continues to utilize routine restricted and deferred maintenance funds to ensure that current facilities remain clean, safe, and in good repair throughout the year.
CUPERTINO UNION ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL DISTRICT
Service Area and Enrollment Trends
The Cupertino Union School District (CUSD) serves a large area in the heart of Santa Clara County, encompassing
the entire city of Cupertino and significant portions of 9 Los Altos School District, 2026. 2025-26 Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP). Available: https://www. lasdschools.org/133338_3. Accessed: February 9, 2026.
10 Los Altos School District, 2024. Board of Trustees Meeting Facilities Master Plan Update. Available: https://simbli. eboardsolutions.com/meetings/TempFolder/Meetings/
Presentation%20-%20Facilities%20Master%20Plan%20
Update_859328p3gwp41opamnh0f03gcxuswq.pdf.
Accessed: February 23, 2026.
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Sunnyvale, San Jose, Saratoga, Santa Clara, and Los Altos.
As an elementary school district, it provides public education for students in Transitional Kindergarten through eighth grade, after which students typically matriculate into the Fremont Union High School District. Within Los Altos, CUSD specifically serves the eastern neighborhood surrounding Montclaire Elementary School, while most of Los Altos is served by the Los Altos School District (LASD), as shown on Map 5-4. Enrollment at Montclaire Elementary School, the only CUSD school within the Los Altos city limit, has fluctuated the past five years as shown on Table 5-6. There was a steady decrease after 2020-2021, though the number of enrolled students has since increased in
the 2023-24 school year.
Facilities and Funding
CUSD is a community-funded school district, also known
as a basic aid district, that relies on local funding sources, including donations, parcel taxes and bond measures. In 2020, CUSD developed a Facilities Master Plan to align
the District’s physical infrastructure with its long-term educational goals over the next ten to 20 years. The
outcome of the process was a comprehensive tool kit for decision-making that identified over $1 billion in districtwide facility needs, providing the basis for future bond measures, such as Measure H and later Measure Z, and
ensuring that investments directly support student
achievement and future learning environments. Specifically for Montclaire Elementary School in Los Altos, the Facilities Master Plan identifies several infrastructure needs based on site visits and interviews. The specific physical requirements and recommended improvements
identified for Montclaire Elementary School include site and field upgrades like improvement of drainage, infrastructure modernization like replacement of aging portable classrooms with permanent construction, circulation and parking improvements like reconfiguring the parking lot to improve traffic flow, and update technology infrastructure.
BULLIS CHARTER SCHOOL
Service Area and Enrollment Trends
Bullis Charter School (BCS) is a family-founded, public charter school primarily serving students who reside
in Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Mountain View and the
surrounding area. As a charter school, it is a tuition-free public school that operates independently of the local
school district board under a contract authorized by the Santa Clara County Office of Education. Charter schools are given the freedom to design unique curricula and
tailor their programs to student needs, but in exchange, they must meet strict performance and accountability
standards outlined in a renewable contract known as a
“charter.” BCS offers a Transitional Kindergarten through eighth-grade education distributed across two campus
locations within the City of Los Altos. As shown on Map 5-4, Bullis Charter North is co-located at Egan Junior High School and accommodates grades TK through 8, while
Bullis Charter South is co-located at Blach Junior High School and serves grades TK through 5.
Enrollment at Bullis Charter School has remained steady, with a total enrollment of nearly 1,000 students across both campuses for recent academic years under its current
charter term, seen in Table 5-6. According to school enrollment guidelines, students are assigned to either the North or South campus based on class size balance and student distribution. As an independent public choice school,
BCS is funded by public tax dollars and does not charge tuition, utilizing a public random lottery system to admit new students when the number of applicants exceeds the
school’s designated facility capacity.
Facilities and Funding
As a public charter school, the facilities and funding framework for BCS is structured under specific state regulations and local district agreements. The Los Altos School District (LASD) provides facilities to BCS, currently split across two campuses shared with Egan Junior High and Blach Junior
High School. BCS currently has a facilities agreement with LASD that has been extended for multiple years and runs through June 2027. Financially, BCS is funded primarily through public state and local tax allocations distributed from the district’s operational budget based on average daily attendance.
MOUNTAIN VIEW-LOS ALTOS UNION
HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT
Service Area and Enrollment
The Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District
(MVLA) serves an area that encompasses portions
of Mountain View, Los Altos, and Los Altos Hills. Its
Technical Background Report | Los Altos General Plan Update 5-19
boundaries are roughly contiguous with those of its two feeder elementary districts, the Mountain View Whisman
School District and the Los Altos School District (LASD).
In addition to these jurisdictions, the MVLA’s service area includes portions of unincorporated Santa Clara County
and certain residential pockets that may share postal
addresses with neighboring cities but fall within the
district’s legal tax and attendance boundaries. The district operates two high schools, Mountain View and Los Altos, which draw students from across these jurisdictions to
provide education for grades nine through 12. Overall,
enrollment at Los Altos High School, the only high school within the Los Altos City limit, has remained steady since 2020-2021 as shown Table 5-6, although there was a slight decrease of students from 2020-2021 to 2021-2022 following the Covid-19 pandemic.
Facilities and Funding
In 2017-18, MVLA completed a comprehensive Facilities
Master Plan to address facilities’ needs and sustained
enrollment growth in the school district11. Through this process, the MVLA Board of Trustees unanimously voted
to place a $295 million bond measure on the June 5, 2018 ballot. As a result, Measure E was passed. This local source of funding aimed to combat growing enrollment in the
district and upgrade aging classrooms, labs and school
facilities. Following Measure E’s approval, MVLA identified priority school upgrades relying heavily on community
recommendations outlined in the Facilities Master Plan.
Projects were divided into three phases. Phase I included new classroom buildings and STEM labs at each campus to accommodate enrollment and support the latest 21st-century instructional methods, along with urgent repairs to existing facilities, which were completed in Summer 2021.
Completed Phase II projects include: construction of
student services buildings at both high schools, completion of auxiliary gymnasiums at both high schools, and construction of new classrooms and labs for Freestyle
Academy. Phase III projects that are currently underway include: modernization of existing libraries, upgraded
cafeterias, expansion of existing classrooms and labs that are currently undersized to support modern learning and increase capacity of music and arts programs.
11 MVLA, 2026. Measure E Bond. Available: https://www.mvla.net/ Departments/Business-Services/District-Bonds/Measure-E-Bond/ index.html. Accessed: February 9, 2026.
FREMONT UNION HIGH SCHOOL
DISTRICT
Service Area and Enrollment Trends
The Fremont Union High School District (FUHSD) serves
nearly all Sunnyvale and Cupertino, as well as West San Jose and portions of Santa Clara and Saratoga. While most of the City of Los Altos fall under a different high school district, MVLA, FUHSD’s Homestead High School – located in Cupertino – also serves southern Los Altos. There are no FUHSD schools within Los Altos City limits.
Libraries
The Santa Clara County Library District (SCCLD) is a public library system that has served the Santa Clara County
region since 1914. The District is governed by a Joint
Powers Authority and provides comprehensive library
services to approximately 460,000 residents across a
1,046-square-mile service area, specifically covering the cities of Campbell, Cupertino, Gilroy, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Milpitas, Monte Sereno, Morgan Hill, and Saratoga, as well as all unincorporated areas of Santa Clara County. The SCCLD operates through seven major community libraries, one branch library, and a mobile fleet of bookmobiles and outreach vehicles.
As illustrated in Map 5-4, there are two SCCLD library
branches within Los Altos: Los Altos Library (13 S San
Antonio Road) and Woodland Branch (1975 Grant Avenue).
The Los Altos Branch location is near the center of the city near Downtown, and the Woodland Branch is located in
southern Los Altos serving residents in southern Los Altos.
The Los Altos Library provides services and programs
furthering educational development and cultural vitality of patrons of all ages and backgrounds in the Los Altos area. The Woodland Library is the branch location of
Chapter 05 | Parks and Public Services
5-20
the Los Altos Library. Both the Los Altos and Woodland
Libraries provide programs for all ages, such as monthly book clubs, toddler storytime, family dance parties, and English as a Second Language (ESL) classes. The Los
Altos Library includes a community meeting room with
a capacity of up to 100 people, a dedicated children’s and teen spaces, an extensive collection of over two million books, movies, non-English language collections, as well as public-use computers and technology equipment. The
Woodland Library branch offers the same equipment and
collection as the Los Altos Library, with the exception of the community meeting room. The Los Altos branch is
the second oldest and the second smallest of the seven
SCCLD branches, yet the second busiest in the number
of visitors12.
The Library Commission serves as the primary bridge
between the Los Altos City Council, the Los Altos Hills Town Council, and the Santa Clara County Library District.
Additionally, the Commission coordinates with community organizations that provide essential funding, such as the North County Library Authority, the Los Altos Library Endowment, and the Friends of the Los Altos Library.
The Library Commission outlines goals for each year in a dedicated work plan. The work plan details goals, projects for the year, status, and assignment of commission
members. The most recent work plan for 2026 includes
goals to improve infrastructure, improve services, increase awareness, and enhance partnerships13. Projects for the year include: improvements to the main library building to maximize the limited space and develop enclosed areas
for private study and meetings; research new services,
programs, and events for the library; and exploration of targeted outreach to seniors, youth, and general public that are in line with the County Library Strategic Plan.
Additionally, the Los Altos Library Endowment invests in improving the library’s physical spaces to create welcoming places for the community to learn, gather, and connect. The Endowment was created 25 years ago to
support a library that meets the needs of everyone in the 12 Los Altos Town Crier, 2025. Whose Library is it Anyway? Available:
https://www.losaltosonline.com/opinion/whose-library-is-it-anyway/ article_b1a85183-d642-4432-b6a3-7316be699a81.html. Accessed:
February 23, 2026.
13 City of Los Altos, 2026. 2026 Los Altos Library Commission Work Plan. Available: https://www.losaltosca.gov/DocumentCenter/ View/2413/2026-Library-Commission-Work-Plan-2-10-26. Accessed:
February 24, 2026.
Los Altos community. It grew out of a 1990 community
campaign focused on enhancing and expanding library
resources for local residents. The Endowment is investing in two projects (one at each library), in Los Altos to elevate the library experience for all. The new Orchard View Courtyard at the Los Altos Library will offer an outdoor gathering space with heritage orchard views and room for seating
for up to 125 people. The Woodland Branch Terrace at the Woodland Library will offer an outdoor space with seating areas, tables, umbrellas, open play surfaces for games, and an educational space to learn about native habitats.
Community Centers
Los Altos Community Center
The Los Altos Community Center is a 24,500 square
foot center that opened in October 2021 and features a
dedicated space for seniors, teens, and preschool-age
programs, and indoor and outdoor gathering spaces to
accommodate rentals, programs, classes, and events. It
is located at 97 Hillview Avenue near the Los Altos Library and Los Altos Police department adjacent to Downtown.
Amenities in this state-of-the-art facility include a large multipurpose room for events; various smaller multipurpose rooms for meetings, seminars, and activities; rooms with flat screen monitors, presentation boards, sound
systems with microphones (wired and wireless) and assisted-listening devices; an all-electric, commercial kitchen; and a designated arts and crafts room.
Grant Park Community Center
The Grant Park Community Center is a multi-use facility that can be used for meetings, trainings, gatherings, and special events. The center is located at 1575 Holt Ave in southern Los Altos within Grant Park. Amenities include a large multipurpose room for events that features a kitchen with an electric stove and oven, refrigerator, and a small freezer; a stage; classrooms with sinks and counter space; and rooms equipped with whiteboards.
Technical Background Report | Los Altos General Plan Update 5-21
Cultural Facilities and
Organizations
Los Altos also has an array of arts and cultural programming, offered through City-sponsored programs and the activities of non-profit groups.
Los Altos Stage Company
The Los Altos Stage Company (LASC) is a neighborhood
playhouse celebrating American theater, operating with
strong community support and initial funding from The
David and Lucile Packard Foundation and the Los Altos
Community Foundation. Each season, the LASC seeks to
balance works that entertain, engage, provoke and inspire the audience and community. Leveraging the special
nature of its intimate 99-seat theater, the Los Altos Stage Company plays an essential role in the community by
creating and presenting live theater in Los Altos, serving as a cultural hub for local residents, and inspiring a passion for the performing arts in current and future generations. Since its inception, the Los Altos Stage Company has produced more than 100 productions that included
hundreds of artists and volunteers with various levels of theatrical experience.
Public Art Program
The City of Los Altos Public Art Program, overseen by
the Parks, Arts, Recreation, & Cultural Commission, is
dedicated to enhancing the community’s cultural and
aesthetic landscape through a diverse collection of over 25 permanent and temporary sculptures. A cornerstone
of the initiative is the “Art Without Walls” program, which creates an outdoor gallery by rotating loaned works from artists into public spaces like parks and business districts for two-year exhibitions.
Arts Los Altos
Arts Los Altos is a volunteerled non-profit organization dedicated to enriching the cultural and economic vitality of Downtown Los Altos through the installation of curated public art. Founded in 2020, Arts Los Altos
focuses on implementing murals, sculptures, and innovative augmented reality experiences primarily on private property. By partnering directly with local businesses, property owners, and artists, Arts Los Altos works to
quickly transform urban spaces into vibrant, accessible galleries. Their work fosters social connections, celebrates local history, and seeks to establish the downtown area as an artistic hub that inspires imagination and supports local commerce.
Cultural/Festive Programming
The City of Los Altos offers cultural and festive programming designed to foster community engagement and celebrate local heritage. The Los Altos Parks & Recreation department hosts numerous annual events, including the Spring Egg Hunt, Family Fun Days, Glorious 4th, Summer Concert Series, and Open House, which
showcase the city’s inclusive recreational activities. Major festive highlights include: the Annual Los Altos Arts & Wine Festival and the seasonal Farmers’ Market hosted
by the Los Altos Village Association, and Fine Art in the Park hosted by the Rotary Club, all of which draw many
residents and visitors to the Downtown area. Cultural
enrichment is further provided through the Los Altos
History Museum, which offers rotating exhibits such as
the “10,000 Memories: Partition of India and Pakistan” and other local history displays.
Chapter 05 | Parks and Public Services
5-22
• Regional Open Space. There is a wealth of regional
open space surrounding Los Altos and residents enjoy
easy access to over 10,000 acres of dedicated open
space preserves immediately bordering or within a
few miles of the City limit. Regional facilities feature meadows, creeks, wildlife, hiking trails and passive
open space. Major facilities include: Rancho San
Antonio County Park & Open Space Preserve (~3,988
acres); Monte Bello Open Space Preserve (3,436 acres);
Windy Hill Open Space Preserve (1,414 acres); Bear
Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve (1,430 acres);
Foothills Preserve (212 acres); and Byrne Preserve (~75+ acres). Much of this open space is managed by the
Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (Midpen).
• Local Parks. Within Los Altos, residents also enjoy
access to 13 public parks offering an array of amenities, from play areas, picnic tables, barbeques, and walking
paths to ball fields, tennis courts, bocce ball courts, and nature trails.
• Parkland Ratio. The City has established a standard
of 3.0 acres of parkland per thousand residents. With a total of 45.45 acres of existing parkland and a population of approximately 30,698 residents, the City is currently providing 1.48 acres of parkland per thousand residents, below the established standard. An additional 46.8
acres of public parkland would be needed to meet the
Key Findings and Planning Considerations
established standard. Two new parks are planned in
the north of the city, which will help address the deficit of public parkland; however, additional facilities and
strategies will be needed to meet the needs of existing and future residents.
• Access to Parks. Parks are generally well distributed throughout the city, although there are currently no
parks north of Mount Hamilton Avenue. Approximately
half of residential neighborhoods in the city have a
park within a 5-to 10-minute walk from home. Parks
with the best access on foot tend to be clustered in the neighborhoods around Downtown and in the south,
while neighborhoods closer to the periphery tend not
to have a park within easy walking distance.
• Parks Acquisition and Improvements. The City has
enacted an ordinance requiring new development
to dedicate land or pay fees to help ensure sufficient
parkland to meet the established standard of 3 acres
per thousand residents. As residential development
occurs, parks are provided by the developer, or a
contribution is made to a fund which the City uses as
needed to construct park facilities to meet demand
from new residents. The 2012 Parks Plan also identifies other potential sources to fund park acquisition
and improvement projects, including grant funding
opportunities and bond and tax measures.
Technical Background Report | Los Altos General Plan Update 5-23
• Potential Park Locations. Given that there is very little vacant land in Los Altos, identifying locations for new parks is a challenge. The 2012 Parks Plan identifies
four City-owned properties as potential locations for
new parks. The Parks Plan also suggests property
acquisitions through easements, land gifts, and
development agreements with redevelopment project
proponents as potential strategies for increasing
parkland. The General Plan Update represents an
opportunity to explore strategies for increasing public parkland in Los Altos to meet the needs of current and
future residents.
• Operation and Maintenance Funding. The City funds
operation and maintenance of parks and recreational
facilities through General Fund monies and fee-based
programming for certain activities. Volunteer initiatives and sponsorship opportunities are additional avenues
that can help offset operational and maintenance costs. • Trails. A survey conducted for the 2012 Parks Plan found that Los Altos residents place a high priority on outdoor activities like hiking and walking. The Plan identifies additional opportunities for trails in and around Los
Altos, including a potential trail along Stevens Creek to be developed in coordination with Cities of Cupertino,
Mountain View and Sunnyvale.
• Public Safety Facilities. The City of Los Altos is currently addressing critical infrastructure needs for its public safety facilities as part of its 2024-2025 Strategic Goals, including the police station at 1 North San Antonio
Road and the city’s two firehouses. A focused facility
condition assessment found significant structural and
operational deficiencies in the existing police station at the Civic Center. Funding options under consideration
include a voter-approved tax or loans.
• Public Schools. Los Altos schools are a community
asset, recognized for their well-rounded educational
programs that emphasize high achievement, college
and career readiness, and supporting learning
environments along with robust extracurricular
activities. The community is served by four public
school districts, although only three have schools
in Los Altos. Within the last 10 years, all four districts have completed Facilities Master Plans and are
implementing strategies to fund and provide facilities
to meet the needs of current and future students. There are ten public schools in the city; almost all currently operate below capacity. Elementary schools have seen
a modest increase in enrollment since 2020, while there has been a modest decrease in enrollment at Los Altos
High over the same period.
• Libraries. There are two Santa Clara County Library
District branches in Los Altos: the Los Altos Library in the north and the Woodland Branch in the south. Both
are cultural and community hubs offering a range of
facilities and services to residents. Library facilities and services are supported with investments by the
Los Altos Library Endowment, which grew out of a
community campaign 25 years ago.
• Community Centers. The City operates two
community centers: Grant Park Community Center, a
multi-use facility in the south of the city, and the newly constructed, state-of-the-art Los Altos Community
Center that is part of the civic center complex off North San Antonio Road.
• Arts and Cultural Programming. Los Altos has
an array of arts and cultural programming, offered
through City-sponsored programs and the activities
of non-profit groups that meets the diverse needs of
the community. These include the City’s Public Art
Program, cultural and special event programming, as
well as programming and activities offered by nonprofit groups, including the Los Altos Stage Company and Arts Los Altos.
COMMUNITY HEALTH AND
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
6 Community health refers to the physical, mental, and social well-being of a community’s population and populations
within a larger community. It is shaped by a wide range of factors, including access to health care, prevalence of chronic health issues, and socioeconomic conditions.
Public policies, community programs, and the quality
of the built environment all play key roles in supporting healthier communities. New State law also requires that strategies to promote environmental justice, and
address pollution exposure and negative health impacts
from neighborhood conditions be incorporated into the
General Plan. At the root, public health and environmental justice are closely related, as both seek to address social, environmental, and health inequalities that disproportionately affect vulnerable populations. This report has been prepared to document current trends and conditions
Chapter 06 | Community Health and Environmental Justice 6-2
related to public health and environmental justice in Los Altos in order to characterize key issues and inform the development of policies and programs for the General
Plan Update.
Community Profile
Before diving into health data, looking at the broader
profile of the community through education, income,
and household characteristics can provide context for
possible health focus areas. These socioeconomic factors influence access to healthcare, the impact of and ability to manage chronic disease, and life expectancy – higher levels of income and education have been linked to higher life expectancy than those with lower levels of income
and education. Below is a Los Altos’ community profile
summary.
The City of Los Altos is home to nearly 31,000 people.
It’s largely a community of families with kids, although older adults make up a growing share of the population.
Compared to Santa Clara County overall, Los Altos has
more children and teens, more adults aged 45 and up,
and fewer young professionals in their 20s and 30s (see Figure 6-1). Just over one in five residents is 65 or older, with notable concentrations of senior living in the northwest and southwest parts of the city as shown on Map 6-1.
The population is mostly White and Asian, and a little over a third of residents were born outside the United States.
It’s a multilingual community, too—more than a third of households speak a language other than English at home, especially Asian and Pacific Island languages and other Indo-European languages (see Figure 6-2). More than 80
percent of residents own their homes, but households
are relatively small, averaging around three people. About three-quarters of households are couples, and the next
most common household type (though much smaller
in number) is women-led households without a spouse
or partner. The community is also highly educated, with most adults holding a bachelor’s degree or higher. With a median household income above $250,000 and very low
poverty rates, Los Altos is an affluent community.
Figure 6-1: Age Distribution, Los Altos and
Santa Clara County
Figure 6-2: Language Spoken at Home,
Population Five Years and Older
Source: American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates, Table S0101.
Source: American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates. Table DP02.
Map 6-1: Concentration of Seniors
Chapter 06 | Community Health and Environmental Justice 6-4
Environmental Justice
and Disadvantaged
Communities
WHAT IS ENVIRONMENTAL
JUSTICE?
Environmental justice is the idea that all people have
the right to live and thrive in safe and healthy environments. Throughout California and beyond, low-income communities and communities of color have historically
experienced discrimination, negligence, and political and economic disempowerment, with the result that today,
these groups struggle with both a disproportionate
burden of pollution and health impacts as well as disproportionate social and economic disadvantages such as poverty or housing instability. This situation is considered environmental injustice, and it contributes to health disparities (e.g., disproportionate rates of asthma, lead poisoning, and obesity) among populations of different
races, ethnicities, and socioeconomic status. Environmental justice aims to reduce and eliminate the pollution burdens for populations and communities experiencing
the adverse effects of that pollution, so that the pollution-related health risks are not disproportionately borne by disadvantaged communities. Environmental justice
provides a specific lens through which to advance equity and protect human health.
DEFINING DISADVANTAGED
COMMUNITIES
California state law (Senate Bill 1000, the Planning for Healthy Communities Act) requires cities that have areas within their city experiencing disproportionate levels of pollution, socioeconomic stress, historic disinvestment, and adverse health outcomes to address environmental
justice in General Plans. For this purpose, these areas are considered Disadvantaged Communities (DACs).
DACs are identified through the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA)’s CalEnviroScreen, a geographic and methodology-based tool that identifies
areas most affected by sources of pollution and where
people are often especially vulnerable to pollution’s
effects. CalEnviroScreen uses data on 23 indicators of
pollution, environmental quality, and socioeconomic and public health conditions, which are categorized into two main groups of indicators: pollution burden and population characteristics. An overall score combines these two groups and is calculated for each of the state’s 9,107 census tracts. Census tracts are then ranked against other tracts in the state so that different communities can be compared; an area with a high score is one that experiences a much higher burden than areas with low scores.
Under SB 535, a DAC is defined as an area scoring in the top 25 percent (75th – 100th percentile) of all California census tracts for pollution burden and socioeconomic
factors as measured in CalEnviroScreen, but this designation follows a separate process and can include tracts that lack an overall score due to data gaps but have
especially high pollution burden, tracts that have recently improved scores but were previously designated as a DAC to account for the historic burden, as well as areas under control of federally recognized Tribes. For this report, the definition of a tract in the top 25 percent is considered to be a DAC.
Los Altos does not have any designated DACs and in
fact all tracts in the city score below the sixth percentile, meaning they have better conditions than 94 percent of
tracts in the rest of California. Elsewhere in Santa Clara County there are 18 tracts designated as DACs, concentrated largely in San Jose and Gilroy. Santa Clara DACs tend to have significantly lower median incomes and
significantly higher shares of non-White residents than Los Altos.
Technical Background Report | Los Altos General Plan Update 6-5
Community Health
Assessment
METHODOLOGY AND DATA SOURCES
This section presents a series of indicators used to characterize existing conditions related to community health in Los Altos. It relies on both qualitative themes and
more specific measurable data points. The El Camino
Healthcare District and Kaiser Community Health Needs
Assessments provide brief overviews of issues and
disparities affecting the region. This qualitative data is complemented with tract and city-level data from the
Centers for Disease Control PLACES Project, American
Community Survey, CalEnviroScreen, California Department of Public Health, Healthy Places Index, Santa Clara County Public Health Department, and UCLA Center
for Health Policy Research’s California Health Interview Survey. Sources were selected that provided available data at the city and/or tract-level and reflected recent conditions. These criteria resulted in excluding some middle school and high school student data that were over ten
years old and were only available at the county and school district level, which combined several cities.
Regional Sources
El Camino Healthcare District Community Health
Needs Assessment
El Camino Healthcare District (also known as El Camino
Health) is a local agency that seeks to establish, maintain and operate, or provide assistance to health facilities or services for the benefit of residents in Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Sunnyvale, and a portion of Cupertino.
El Camino Health prepares a Community Health Needs
Assessment (CHNA) every three years with coordination
from nonprofit hospitals, public health departments, and other local organizations to evaluate overall health status, needs, and priorities of residents in their coverage area.
The CHNA is used to meet federal and State requirements, guide strategic planning, and inform the development of implementation strategies that member organizations will use to direct resources and programs where they are most needed.
The 2025 CHNA was based on community feedback and
secondary data, which identified five significant health needs:
1. Healthcare access and delivery
2. Behavioral health (including domestic violence and
trauma)
3. Diabetes and obesity
4. Chronic conditions (besides diabetes and obesity)
5. Economic stability (including food insecurity, housing, and homelessness).
Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara Medical Center
Community Health Needs Assessment
Similar to El Camino Health, Kaiser Permanente Santa
Clara Medical Center produces a CHNA every three years
with collaboration from hospitals, local agencies, and
community organizations and secondary data to identify
and prioritize significant community health needs. Kaiser defines health needs as a health outcome or the related social, economic, and environmental conditions that
contribute to health outcomes. Prioritization depended on the severity and magnitude of the need, the community’s importance of the issue, and any health disparities associated with the need. Kaiser Permanente’s 2025 CHNA identified the following significant health needs in the Santa Clara service area, which covers San Jose, Mountain View, Milpitas, and smaller cities, including Los Altos:
1. Housing
2. Mental and behavioral health
3. Access to care
4. Income and employment
5. Family and social support
Kaiser Permanente and El Camino Health’s CHNAs each
identified mental and behavioral health as the second
priority health need, respectively, as well as healthcare access and economic factors, including housing and
income, as important health needs.
Chapter 06 | Community Health and Environmental Justice 6-6
INDICATORS AND FINDINGS
The CHNAs described above provide overarching themes
of health needs in Santa Clara County. Los Altos is a small city within the region and may have different needs or
priorities found at its smaller scale. Data for the City of Los Altos is presented in Tables 6-1A and 6-1B, with tract-level data in Tables 6-2A and 6-2B, and highlights conditions affecting the community as a whole. This is supplemented with data for Santa Clara County as a whole and four peer cities (Campbell, Los Altos Hills, Los Gatos, and Saratoga) for comparison. The cities were selected based on size
and socioeconomic characteristics such as racial/ethnic characteristics, and/or median household income that
were similar to Los Altos. Color coding illustrates indicators where Los Altos is worse off or better than the County and peer cities.
Indicators across four broad categories were gathered at the tract-level and the most recent available data. These categories include:
• Health outcomes: This category tells us whether
a community is healthy based on recorded health
issues. It includes life expectancy and chronic health
conditions such as diabetes, obesity, depression, high
blood pressure, and asthma.
• Access to healthcare services: Access to healthcare is an important indicator of community health because
it determines whether people can obtain timely,
appropriate, and effective medical services to prevent, diagnose, and treat health conditions. Dental care,
routine checkups, and the percentage of people lacking
health insurance are key indicators in this category.
• Health behaviors: Physical inactivity, binge drinking, sugar drink consumption, and cigarette smoking are
key indicators presented for this category. These reflect the daily actions and lifestyle patterns that may most
directly influence an individual’s health and well-being. • Natural and built environment: Natural and built
environment indicators include aspects of the
environment that have positive impacts on health,
such as tree canopy, access to healthy food, and
active commuting; and aspects that have negative
impacts on health, such as pollution exposure. These
are important determinants of community health and
environmental justice as they shape the physical spaces where people live, work, and play—directly influencing
their behaviors, safety, and overall well-being. It is also important as it is an aspect of community health that
planning can directly influence.
Health Outcomes
Overall, Los Altos residents tend to have better health outcomes than residents of Santa Clara County as a
whole and similar health outcomes to residents of peer
communities. Los Altos residents live two years more
than residents of Santa Clara County (see Table 7-1A), with an average life expectancy of 84 years compared to 82
years. This is also higher than peer cities Los Gatos and Campbell (both 81 years), yet lower than Saratoga and
Los Altos Hills (85 and 88 years, respectively). An analysis of chronic health indicators from Table 7-1A shows that Los Altos residents experience lower rates of adult obesity (19.7 versus 21.9 percent), diabetes (9.5 versus 10.5 percent), and depression (17.7 versus 17.8 percent) compared to the county as a whole and perform similarly compared to peer cities on these indicators. However, Los Altos residents generally experience higher rates of asthma, high blood pressure, and coronary heart disease than Santa Clara
County as a whole, although these rates are also comparable to those of peer cities. Table 7-2A shows the tract-level data. These results suggest potential areas of focus for community health initiatives in Los Altos.
Table 6-1A: Community Health Indicators, Peer Cities Comparison - Health Outcomes and Access to Care
HEALTH OUTCOMES ACCESS TO CARE
ASTHMA
(%)1
CORONARY
HEART
DISEASE
(%) 1
DEPRESSION
(%) 1
DIABETES
(%) 1
HIGH
BLOOD
PRESSURE
(%) 1
LIFE
EXPECTANCY
(YEARS)2
OBESITY
(%) 1
DENTAL
CARE (%) 1
ROUTINE
CHECKUP
(%) 1
UNINSURED
<65 Y.O. (%) 1
City of Los Altos 8.0 5.0 17.7 9.5 29.8 84 19.7 79.2 76.9 2.5 Peer Cities
Campbell 8.9 4.4 20.8 9.2 26.8 81 24.0 69.9 71.4 5.7
Los Altos Hills 8.0 5.7 17.4 10.8 32.3 88 19.5 79.4 78.3 2.5 Los Gatos 8.9 5.1 20.4 9.2 29.8 81 22.8 77.7 75.5 3.3
Saratoga 7.3 5.2 15.3 11.1 31.0 85 17.6 79.4 78.3 2.6
Santa Clara
County
7.9 4.5 17.8 10.5 27.0 82 21.9 66.9 71.2 6.8
Notes: All values except for life expectancy are the crude prevalence values. All data is for adults. Indicators color-coded in green indicate that Los Altos performs the same or better than the county and three or all peer cities; Indicators in pink indicate that Los Altos performs the same or better than the county but worse than two or more peer cities; indicators in orange indicate that Los Altos performs the same or better than three or all peer cities but worse than the county.
Source: 1. Centers for Disease Control, PLACES Project. Data from 2023, 1-year modeled crude prevalence estimate. 2. Santa Clara County Public Health Department. Life expectancy data from 2016 and 2018.
Table 6-1B: Community Health Indicators, Peer Cities Comparison - Health Behaviors and Natural Built Environment
HEALTH BEHAVIORS NATURAL BUILT ENVIRONMENT
BINGE
DRINKING
(%)1
CIGARETTE
SMOKING
(%)1
PHYSICAL
INACTIVITY
(%)1
SUGAR DRINK
CONSUMPTION
(%)2
ACTIVE
COMMUTING
(%)3
HEALTHY
FOOD
ACCESS (%)4
POLLUTION
EXPOSURE
(PERCENTILE)5
CHILDREN’S
LEAD RISK
(PERCENTILE)5
DIESEL
PARTICULATE
MATTER
(PERCENTILE)5
TRAFFIC
IMPACTS
(PERCENTILE)5
TREE CANOPY
(PERCENTILE)6
City of Los Altos 12.2 5.1 15.7 5.6 4.2 64.3 21.5 36.7 37.8 51.7 74.3 Peer Cities
Campbell 14.9 8.4 19.5 7.3 2.2 17.0 43.9 50.9 61.2 61.2 55.4 Los Altos Hills 11.4 5.0 16.5 6.0 4.1 0.0 19.4 63.2 90.9 90.9 87.4 Los Gatos 13.9 6.5 16.5 7.3 2.8 40.7 39.0 42.4 47.5 47.5 75.7 Saratoga 10.1 5.1 17.7 6.5 1.2 50.0 27.7 22.0 17.6 17.6 73.8 Santa Clara
County
12.9 8.1 22.2 8.7 3.5 19.3 41.6 49.6 56.9 56.9 41.1
Notes: All health behavior data is for adults. Indicators color-coded in green indicate that Los Altos performs the same or better than the County and three or all peer cities; Indicators in pink indicate that Los Altos performs the same or better than the county but worse than two or more peer cities..
Sources: 1. Centers for Disease Control, PLACES Project. Data from 2023, 1-year modeled crude prevalence estimate. 2. UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. AskCHIS Neighborhood Edition. Data from 2021-2022. 3. American Community Survey, 2024 5 Year Estimates. Table S0801. 4. California Department of Public Health, Modified Retail Food Environment Indicator, 2022.
The data source is ESRI’s Business Analyst database (2022), and the methodology is from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 5. Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. 2026. CalEnviroScreen Draft 5.0. Scores averaged to get city-level data by Dyett & Bhatia staff. 6. California Healthy Places Index 3.0. Data from California Department of Public Health/ National Land Cover Database, 2011.
7-7
Table 6-2A: Community Health Indicators, Census Tract Comparison - Health Outcomes and Access to Care
HEALTH OUTCOMES ACCESS TO CARE
ASTHMA
(%)1
CORONARY
HEART
DISEASE
(%) 1
DEPRESSION
(%) 1
DIABETES
(%) 1
HIGH
BLOOD
PRESSURE
(%) 1
LIFE
EXPECTANCY
(YEARS)2
OBESITY
(%) 1
DENTAL
CARE (%) 1
ROUTINE
CHECKUP
(%) 1
UNINSURED
<65 Y.O. (%) 1
Los Altos (average) 8.0 5.0 17.7 9.5 29.8 84 19.7 79.2 76.9 2.5 Tract 5105.00 8.0 6.1 17.3 10.6 33.3 87 19.8 79.9 78.8 2.6 Tract 5104.00 7.8 4.0 17.5 8.4 26.3 86 19.0 78.6 75.0 2.4 Tract 5103.00 8.2 4.9 18.2 9.2 29.8 89 20.3 80.4 77.3 2.4 Tract 5102.00 8.1 4.7 18.0 9.3 29.2 84 19.9 78.9 76.5 2.5 Tract 5100.01 7.9 4.7 17.3 9.3 29.4 85 19.0 79.0 77.2 2.2 Tract 5100.02 7.9 4.5 17.4 9.2 28.6 85 19.4 79.9 76.5 2.4 Tract 5101.00 8.3 5.9 18.1 11.1 32.9 85 21.0 78.5 78.0 2.8 Santa Clara
County
7.9 4.5 17.8 10.5 27.0 82 21.9 66.9 71.2 6.8
Notes: All data is for adults. A value of 0 does not necessarily mean the issue is non-existent, in some cases it may represent a lack of available data. Indicators that are worse than both the city and the county averages are highlighted in orange.
Source: 1. Centers for Disease Control, PLACES Project. Data from 2023, 1-year modeled crude prevalence estimate. 2. Santa Clara County Public Health Department. Life expectancy data from 2016 and 2018.
Table 6-2B: Community Health Indicators, Census Tract Comparison - Health Behaviors and Natural Built Environment
HEALTH BEHAVIORS NATURAL BUILT ENVIRONMENT
BINGE
DRINKING
(%)1
CIGARETTE
SMOKING
(%)1
PHYSICAL
INACTIVITY
(%)1
SUGAR DRINK
CONSUMPTION
(%)2
ACTIVE
COMMUTING
(%)3
HEALTHY
FOOD
ACCESS (%)4
POLLUTION
EXPOSURE
(PERCENTILE)5
CHILDREN’S
LEAD RISK
(PERCENTILE)5
DIESEL
PARTICULATE
MATTER
(PERCENTILE)5
TRAFFIC
IMPACTS
(PERCENTILE)5
TREE CANOPY
(PERCENTILE)6
Los Altos (average) 12.2 5.1 15.7 5.6 4.2 4.3 21.5 36.7 37.8 51.7 74.3 Tract 5105.00 10.9 5.2 17.4 5.1 3.7 66.7 13.5 22.3 23.1 50.3 86.0 Tract 5104.00 13.2 4.8 14.3 5.7 4.6 20.0 31.2 26.9 59.5 52.7 81.0 Tract 5103.00 12.4 4.7 14.8 5.4 6.9 100.0 22.0 33.0 32.7 36.5 89.7 Tract 5102.00 12.7 5.4 15.4 5.8 3.4 100.0 19.2 37.4 24.7 28.4 90.3 Tract 5100.01 12.2 4.7 15.0 5.6 4.1 0.0 29.8 42.8 23.2 68.6 83.7 Tract 5100.02 12.6 4.9 14.8 6.0 4.7 100.0 13.2 49.3 34.0 34.6 85.9 Tract 5101.00 11.3 6.0 17.9 5.8 1.2 0.0 21.8 45.5 67.3 90.7 92.3 Santa Clara
County
12.9 8.1 22.2 8.7 3.5 19.3 36.8 41.6 49.6 56.9 41.1
Notes: All health behavior data is for adults. Indicators that are worse than both the city and the county averages are highlighted in orange.
Sources: 1. Centers for Disease Control, PLACES Project. Data from 2023, 1-year modeled crude prevalence estimate. 2. UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. AskCHIS Neighborhood Edition. Data from 2021-2022. 3. American Community Survey, 2024 5 Year Estimates. Table S0801. 4. California Department of Public Health, Modified Retail Food Environment Indicator, 2022. The data source is ESRI’s Business Analyst database (2022), and the methodology is from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 5. Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. 2026. CalEnviroScreen Draft 5.0. Scores averaged to get city-level data by Dyett & Bhatia staff. 6. California Healthy Places Index 3.0. Data 7-8 from California Department of Public Health/National Land Cover Database, 2011.
Technical Background Report | Los Altos General Plan Update 6-9
Access to Healthcare
Overall, Los Altos residents tend to have better health outcomes than residents of Santa Clara County as a
whole and similar health outcomes to residents of peer
communities. Los Altos residents live two years more than residents of Santa Clara County (see Table 6-1A), with
an average life expectancy of 84 years compared to 82
years. This is also higher than peer cities Los Gatos and Campbell (both 81 years), yet lower than Saratoga and Los Altos Hills (85 and 88 years, respectively). An analysis of chronic health indicators from Table 6-1A shows that Los Altos residents experience lower rates of adult obesity (19.7 versus 21.9 percent), diabetes (9.5 versus 10.5 percent), and depression (17.7 versus 17.8 percent) compared to the county as a whole and perform similarly compared to peer cities on these indicators. However, Los Altos residents generally experience higher rates of asthma, high blood pressure, and coronary heart disease than Santa Clara
County as a whole, although these rates are also comparable to those of peer cities. Table 6-2A shows the tract-level data. These results suggest potential areas of focus for community health initiatives in Los Altos.
Health Behaviors
Healthy behaviors, such as being physically active, eating fewer processed foods, and avoiding smoking can
improve one’s health. Conversely, unhealthy behaviors,
like being physically inactive, eating processed foods, smoking, and drinking alcohol heavily can negatively
impact one’s health. Los Altos residents generally make healthier choices and engage in unhealthy behaviors
less than Santa Clara County as a whole and peer cities (Table 6-1B). For example, on average Los Altos residents aged 18 and older tend to be more physically active than the county as a whole and peer cities, and they tend to drink fewer sugary beverages by comparison as well.
Rates of binge drinking alcohol in Los Altos (12.2 percent) are similar to peer communities (ranging from 10.1 to 14.9 percent) and slightly lower than the county (12.9 percent).
Only 5.1 percent of Los Altos residents smoke cigarettes regularly, which is less than the county as a whole (8.1 percent smoke cigarettes regularly) and peer cities (5.0 to
8.4 percent smoke cigarettes regularly). Table 6-2B shows tract-level data. Indicators show that all tracts in Los Altos are lower than county averages except for one tract with a slightly higher rate of binge drinking and one tract with limited access to healthy food. Nevertheless, encouraging physical activity and healthy lifestyles are an important part of an overall community health strategy for residents of all ages, helping youth development, independent
living and aging in place for seniors, and reduction of chronic health conditions.
Chapter 06 | Community Health and Environmental Justice 6-10
Natural and Built Environment
The natural and built environment around us contributes not only to quality of life but also has an important influence on our health. Access to healthy foods, having street trees to provide heat mitigation through shade
and cooling during extreme heat, and having safe and
convenient access to bike and pedestrian facilities are important aspects of the built environment that support community health. Los Altos has greater access to healthy food than the county as a whole and peer cities (see Table 6-2A). Almost two-thirds (64.3 percent) of retailers, such as supermarkets, fruit and vegetable stands, and warehouse stores in the city offer healthy foods (e.g., fruits and vegetables, whole and nutritionally-dense foods) compared to
19.3 percent in Santa Clara County. Tree canopy coverage in Los Altos is similar to peer cities and higher than the county as a whole. In fact, tree canopy coverage in Los Altos is better than in three-quarters of communities
elsewhere in California based on California Healthy Places Index data. The Los Altos Climate Action and Adaptation Plan identified extreme heat as a primary risk in Los Altos, so tree canopy is a critical tool for climate adaptation in the city. Los Altos residents also tend to walk and bicycle to work and school more (4.2 percent) than residents in peer cities (1.2 to 4.1 percent) and Santa Clara County (3.5 percent).
The natural and built environment can also be a source of exposure to pollution and hazards, which can negatively impact health. The pollution exposure indicator in the
tables above combines many factors in the environment that can negatively impact health: exposure to air pollution, drinking water contaminants, traffic pollution, and risk of lead exposure; and locations of toxic chemicals, like hazardous waste and solid waste facilities. The data shows that Los Altos residents are exposed to less pollution and toxins than most communities in California, ranking in the 22nd percentile (i.e. less exposed than 78 percent of California’s other communities). By comparison, the county’s average tract ranks in the 37th percentile in the state. The indicators represent proximity to pollution sources, but not necessarily the presence of harmful risk.
For example, the primary source of air pollution in the city is vehicle and truck traffic on major regional roadways, including I-280 and Foothill Expressway; however, trees and vegetation help to disperse harmful pollutants and
contemporary building materials protect residents from
exposure. Serious health risk results from prolonged
exposure to high levels of air pollution over decades.
Similarly, gas stations have underground storage tanks
and dry cleaners store hazardous chemicals for use in
their operations; however, compliance with federal, State and local regulations regarding the handling and storage of these materials helps effectively manage the risk of exposure. Overall, the results in Table 6-2B suggest that Los Altos is not overly burdened by pollution. However, indoor air quality is a growing public health concern, as pollution from gas stove combustion has been linked
to increased respiratory issues such as asthma, a health concern in Los Altos. While indoor air quality varies greatly within buildings and community-level data is not available, it may be a focus the City may want to incorporate, in addition to other natural and built environment factors, into strategies for raising public awareness of risks and actions that can be taken to reduce them in the General Plan.
Technical Background Report | Los Altos General Plan Update 6-11
Current Health Initiatives
Community health has been a long-standing priority
in Los Altos, with local organizations such as El Camino Healthcare District established as far back as 1956. A
wide range of organizations in Los Altos and Santa Clara County collaborate to promote health and well-being in
the community. Key entities leading these efforts include the City of Los Altos, Cities Association of Santa Clara County, Pacific Clinics, Santa Clara County Public Health Department, Mountain View-Los Altos High School and
Los Altos School District, El Camino Healthcare District, Community Services Agency, and Stanford Children’s
Health; details are provided below. Together, they work to ensure a comprehensive, community-wide approach to
improving health outcomes and overall quality of life in Los Altos.
AGE-FRIENDLY LOS ALTOS
Los Altos has a long history of planning for the needs of older adults, having established its Senior Program in
1976, now known as the Adult 50+ Program. Los Altos
and neighboring Los Altos Hills were the first cities in California to be recognized as an Age-Friendly City by
the World Health Organization (WHO) in November 2011.
More recently, Los Altos also received the Age-Friendly City designation from the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), a WHO designee, on May 14, 2024. These
distinctions highlight the City’s dedication to creating an inclusive and supportive environment for all ages. The
Adult 50+ Program offers various activities and services such as bridge, cultural exchange programs, excursions
and events, community luncheon programs, RideCare
program, and a wide array of services, some free of charge, while others are fee-based. These programs provide social and mental stimulation for older adults, while the cultural exchange programs promote diversity and inclusivity.
Older adults make up a significant and growing share of the population in Los Altos, so continuing these programs is integral to supporting a healthy aging community.
Los Altos Age-Friendly City Action Plan
In 2024, the City of Los Altos prepared a 2025-2028
Age-Friendly City Action Plan as a roadmap to enhance
quality of life and promote wellness for everyone in the community, especially for those over fifty. The Action Plan is a living document with goals informed by input from
community seniors. Community input identified five
top priority areas to address in achieving an age-friendly community: transportation, aging in place, updating the senior center, staying physically and mentally active, and meeting emergency preparedness needs. These priorities
are essential to support seniors’ ability to “age in place” and continue to lead healthy and happy lives. Aging in place allows seniors to live independently longer in a familiar community, reducing isolation and delaying the need
for institutional care. This focus on aging in place reflects the fact that 92 percent of respondents to a survey that informed the Action Plan consider aging in place “very
important.” City planning and actions can support aging in place through a senior-centered approach to public
transportation routes and schedules, traffic calming
measures, and information on affordable housing opportunities and trusted home repair providers, all of which are described as strategies in the Action Plan.
MENTAL HEALTH INITIATIVES
There is a growing awareness of mental health as an
important component of community health. A range of
organizations and programs support mental health in Los Altos and Santa Clara County, as described below. Kaiser’s 2025 CHNA identified mental and behavioral health as the second-highest priority in the Santa Clara service area, as needs have increased due to isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing stressors like the high cost of
living. El Camino Healthcare District’s 2025 CHNA identified behavioral health (including mental health) as the second-highest priority, citing mental healthcare access for youth especially as poor compared to State and neighboring San Mateo County and seeing increases in feelings of loneliness and isolation among community members
of all ages, including older adults and youth. Santa Clara County’s 2025 Children’s Data Book revealed that 34
percent of high schoolers in Santa Clara County reported feeling sad or hopeless and 30 percent had distressing thoughts. New data shows that climate change is a growing source of distress and anxiety, especially among youth. Los Altos and the surrounding area have mental
health services and initiatives for children, youth, families, and adults.
Cities Association of Santa Clara County
The Cities Association of Santa Clara County has a Mental Health Awareness Initiative, which is a coordinated effort
Chapter 06 | Community Health and Environmental Justice 6-12
among several Santa Clara County cities and includes
consistent messaging and destigmatizing and encouraging signage for cities to display, which Los Altos has participated in. The initiative highlights key support
phone numbers and local behavioral health services.
These services include support for young people ages 12 to 25 and destigmatizing mental health support on school campuses.
Clinical Mental Health Services
Affordable mental health care has been provided in Los
Altos and northern Santa Clara County since 1973, originally by the Community Health Awareness Council and now Pacific Clinics. Community-based mental health
and substance use services will continue to be provided, and support services have been expanded for children,
youth, families, and adults in Los Altos. Pacific Clinics also partners with schools to provide on-campus support,
described below.
School-based Mental Health Resources
El Camino Healthcare District identifies many crucial
social issues as having roots in adolescence, the driving force behind their substantial investment in school-based mental health programs throughout Santa Clara County.
Through collaborations with both Los Altos and Mountain View-Los Altos High School Districts, El Camino Healthcare District, along with Pacific Clinics, Stanford Children’s Health, and Santa Clara Behavioral Health Services,
partner to provide school-based mental health support
through on-campus wellness centers. Every school in Los Altos School District has a school psychologist and therapists to provide counseling and mental health services.
Mountain View-Los Altos High School and Los Altos School District participate in the Schools for Suicide Prevention Partnership with Santa Clara County Behavioral Services, which provides suicide prevention training to school staff.
These services bring mental health awareness directly to students in the classroom, a critical avenue for early intervention as youth are a key population experiencing mental health issues in Santa Clara County.
COMMUNITY HEALTHCARE
SERVICES
Los Altos, a community with a higher proportion of both youth and older adults than Santa Clara County, has
community healthcare services supporting those groups.
The two services described below are supported by the
El Camino Healthcare District’s Community Benefit Grant Funding, which funds nonprofits and public organizations serving residents within the El Camino Healthcare District for services addressing the five health needs identified through the 2025 CHNA.
Community Services Agency
The nonprofit Community Services Agency (CSA) has
provided vital social services for residents of Mountain View since 1957 and Los Altos and Los Altos Hills since 1982. The CSA serves individuals and families on low or fixed incomes, as well as those who are experiencing
homelessness and seniors (60 years and older). The organization offers support to low-income families or those at risk of losing their housing through emergency financial assistance for rent and utilities, back-to-school gift cards, a holiday gift drive, and fee waivers for Mountain View Parks & Recreation programs. They offer people who are experiencing homelessness with assistance to secure benefits and health services, financial assistance, and information on affordable housing. Low-income individuals can also
access the CSA’s food pantry and take nutrition education workshops. CSA also provides numerous services for seniors. Social workers provide support to seniors who live independently, such as support for chronic health conditions and assistance with transportation and shopping.
Seniors can also enjoy a free, nutritious lunch five days a week, accompanied by educational classes and social
activities through their Senior Nutrition Program at the Mountain View Senior Center. These programs support
the basic needs of low-income families as well as seniors, which are foundational to health and well-being.
Stanford Medicine Children’s Health Teen
Health Van at Los Altos High School
The Stanford Medicine Children’s Health Teen Health
Van is a mobile clinic operating out of Stanford Medicine Children’s Health. It offers free health services to uninsured and underinsured youth, ages 12 to 25, with recurring site visits at Los Altos High School, among other high schools in the area. It offers mental health services, family planning options and testing, substance use and nutrition counseling, wellness groups, and routine care, such as physical exams, vaccinations, medications, and acute illness and injury care.
Technical Background Report | Los Altos General Plan Update 6-13
• Overall Community Health. Los Altos residents
generally experience better health out-comes than
residents of Santa Clara County as a whole and similar
health outcomes to com-parable cities, including
higher life expectancy and lower rates of adult obesity, diabetes, and depression than the county. Access to
routine and preventive healthcare is also comparatively high, and overall rates of residents without health
insurance are low.
• Older Adults. Seniors are a significant and growing
share of Los Altos’ population. They live throughout
the city but are concentrated in the northernmost
and southernmost tracts. Los Altos has already
taken important actions to address seniors’ needs by
developing an Age-Friendly City Action Plan to foster
an age-friendly Los Altos that is supportive of aging in place. Implementing strategies from the Age-Friendly
City Action Plan and integrating the Action Plan’s goals into General Plan policies with consideration for areas with a high concentration of seniors is important to
continue the City’s supportive planning for the large
and growing share of senior residents.
Key Findings and Planning Considerations
• Other Findings. Los Altos residents generally
experience higher rates of asthma, coronary heart
disease, and high blood pressure than Santa Clara
County as a whole. While physical activity and healthful behaviors are already prevalent in Los Altos compared
to the County and peer cities, continuing to promote
healthy lifestyles can help prevent and reduce chronic
health issues such as heart disease and high blood
pressure, making them an important part of an overall
community health strategy and can be a focus for
community health initiatives.
• Environmental Justice. There are no census tracts
in Los Altos classified as DACs, where residents
experience disproportionate exposure to pollution and
adverse health outcomes. While social and economic
factors - such as unemployment, access to broadband,
and poverty levels - can affect community health, these factors do not appear to be a significant determining
factor for health in Los Altos. However, those who
work in Los Altos, such as in service, construction, and landscaping industries, may live in DACs outside of the city, yet spend a significant amount of time in Los Altos.
The General Plan can help ensure that the City’s health policies protect everyone who lives and works in the
city.
Chapter 06 | Community Health and Environmental Justice 6-14
• Focus on Community Health. Community health
has been a long-standing priority in Los Altos and
Santa Clara County. Locally, the El Camino Healthcare
District and Community Services Agency specialize
in a wide range of high-quality, direct client services and supportive programs serving the continuum of
health care, including transitional care services, case management, chronic disease management, and
educational resources for adults, the elderly, and youth.
These providers are an asset for the community, using
a systematic yet community-oriented approach by
providing mobile care and assistance.
• Mental Health Prioritization. There is a growing
awareness of mental health as an important
component of community health, and there are several
initiatives and programs in place to address it and
support Los Altos residents. Community-based mental
and behavioral health services, government awareness
initiatives in the region, and funding for on-campus
resources continue to support youth, families, and
adults in Los Altos.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES
7 This chapter summarizes existing conditions and issues relevant to the environment in the Planning area. It also describes air quality; biological resources; hydrology, flooding and watersheds; hazards and hazardous materials; geology and soils; noise; and wildfire. A summary of findings and implications is provided at the end of the chapter..
Chapter 07 | Environmental Resources
7-2
Air Quality
EXISTING CONDITIONS
Bay Area Air Quality Management
District
The City of Los Altos is located within the San Francisco Bay Area Air Basin (Basin), which is under the jurisdiction of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD). The 5,600-square-mile Basin encompasses
the nine counties that surround the San Francisco
Bay, including all of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Napa counties; the southwestern portion of Solano County; and the southern portion of Sonoma County. The Basin is designated as in attainment or unclassifiable attainment for all federal air quality standards except 8-hour ozone and 2.5-micron
particulate matter (PM2.5) standards, for which it is classified as nonattainment, largely due to exposure of vehicle emissions. At the State level, the Basin is designated as in nonattainment for the 8-hour ozone and PM2.5 and
additionally is in nonattainment of state 10-micron particulate matter (PM10) standards, also due primarily to vehicle emissions.
Regional Climate and Meteorology
The Planning Area sits within the Peninsula subregion of the San Francisco Bay Area Air Basin, an area stretching from northwest San Jose to the Golden Gate Bridge. The
Santa Cruz Mountains bisect the Peninsula subregion,
creating a climatic divide where the coastal side stays foggy while the southeast remains warmer and clearer.
This mountain ridgeline prevents the cooling marine layer and cleansing winds from reaching the interior, leading to more stagnant air patterns on the eastern side. Consequently, the southeastern Peninsula faces the highest air pollution potential because it traps heavy emissions from vehicles and industry without the benefit of natural coastal ventilation. As noted in Chapter 6, Community
Health and Environmental Justice, the primary source of air pollution in the City is vehicle and truck traffic on major regional roadways, including I-280 and Foothill Expressway; however, trees and vegetation help to disperse harmful pollutants and contemporary building materials
protect residents from exposure.
Biological Resources
EXISTING CONDITIONS
The City encompasses a mix of developed urban land,
natural open space, surface water within creeks, vegetation, and remaining orchards. Biological resources of the planning area can be characterized by an established
urban forest and riparian corridors in a largely built-out suburban residential landscape.
Vegetation Communities
Though Los Altos and its immediate surroundings are
mostly urbanized, significant vegetation communities
and biological resource consisting of riparian corridors and tree groves exist along creek corridors and within the Redwood Grove Nature Preserve, as shown in Map 8-1.
These areas provide habitat for a variety of animal species.
Mature trees are also scattered throughout the city’s
residential neighborhoods, parks, and school sites. Further, Los Altos was historically an agricultural community. While not naturally occurring, the few small remaining orchards provide open space resources and a historical connection for the community. Vegetation communities and land
cover types within the planning area, including the Sphere of Influence, are shown in Table 7-1.
Map 7-1: Vegetation Communities
Chapter 07 | Environmental Resources
7-4
Table 7-1: Vegetation Communities and Land Cover Types within the Planning Area
VEGETATION COMMUNITY AND LAND COVER TYPE ACREAGE
Agricultural Lands
Orchard agriculture 4.1
Vineyard – shrub agriculture 0.3
Grassland (Herbaceous, non-woody vegetation)
Annual grasses and forbs 8.1
Oak Woodland/ Native Forest (Tree-dominated, mostly native upland vegetation) Blue oak woodland 7.6
Coast live oak woodland 159.3
Valley oak woodland 9.5
Conifer & Mixed Forest (Tall, closed-canopy forests)
Redwood 5.3
Eucalyptus (non-native but forest-structured) 8.4
Riparian / Wetlands (Vegetation associated with streams, rivers, and wet soils) Willow 2.4
California sycamore 3.3
Red alder 13.2
Developed / Urban Land (Built or heavily modified areas) Urban / developed 3,185.0
Non-native / ornamental conifer / hardwood (typically landscaped urban/ suburban trees)
1,371.4
Open Water (Non-vegetated aquatic areas)
Water 2.7
Not Available 24.6
Total 4,805.2
Special-Status Plant Species
Plant species are considered sensitive or “special status” species if they are (1) listed by State or federal agencies as threatened or endangered or are proposed for listing1; (2) included on California Native Plant Society (CNPS) California Rare Plant Ranks 1, 2, 3, or 4; or (3) considered rare, endangered, or threatened by local conservation organizations or specialists. There are no identified sensitive plant species within Los Altos.
Special-Status Wildlife Species
Wildlife species are considered sensitive or “special
status” if they are (1) listed by State or federal agencies as 1 CDFW, Special Animals List, Periodic Publication, July 2022c; CDFW, State & Federally Listed Endangered & Threatened
Animals of California, July 2022d.
threatened or endangered or are proposed for listing or (2) considered rare, endangered, or threatened by California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) or local conservation organizations or specialists. A total of six sensitive wildlife species have been recorded in the vicinity of
Los Altos, which include the San Francisco garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia), Pallid bat (Antrozous pallidus), Hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus), Townsend’s
bigeared bat (Corynorhinus townsendii), American badger (Taxidea taxus), and Santa Ana sucker (Catastomus santaanae). Table 7-2 indicates the sensitivity status of each wildlife species that has been recorded in the vicinity of Los Altos. Map 7-2 presents the locations of U.S Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) listed wildlife points, as well as the locations of CNDDB species records with an accuracy of at least 0.2 mile or better.
Technical Background Report | Los Altos General Plan Update 7-5
Map 7-2: Sensitive Species
Chapter 07 | Environmental Resources
7-6
Cultural Resources
EXISTING CONDITIONS
Tribal cultural resources within the Los Altos are intertwined with the region’s natural landscape, particularly its network of waterways. Historically, indigenous settlements and resource gathering sites were established in close proximity to creeks and streams, such as Adobe
Creek, Stevens Creek, and Permanente Creek, which
provided essential water, food, and transportation routes.
These riparian corridors remain highly sensitive areas
where evidence of ancestral activity is most likely to be encountered. According to documentation from the
Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC), there are
nine tribes identified within Santa Clara County and the surrounding planning area that maintain cultural affiliations with these lands. Recognizing these resources is vital to preserving the heritage of the tribal people who have stewarded this land and continue to provide contemporary guidance on the protection of their ancestral sites.
These tribes include: Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, Amah
Mutsun Tribal Band of Mission San Juan Bautista, Costanoan Rumsen Carmel Tribe, Indian Canyon Mutsun Band of Costanoan, Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the SF Bay
Area, Northern Valley Yokut / Ohlone, Tamien Nation, The Ohlone Indian Tribe, and Wuksachi Indian Tribe/Eshom
Valley Band.
Geology and Seismicity
EXISTING CONDITIONS
Due to its proximity to active faults, the City of Los Altos is vulnerable to both primary and secondary earthquake hazards. Primary hazards result directly from earth movement and include ground shaking, rupture,
displacement, and shifts in elevation like subsidence or uplift. These initial events can then trigger secondary hazards, ranging from ground failures like liquefaction and landslides to water-related threats such as tsunamis and dam failures, as well as indirect risks like fires and sympathetic fault movement.
SOILS
The Planning Area sits on deep alluvial soils of the Santa Clara Valley floor. These soils, consisting of silt, clay, sand, and gravel deposits, can extend to a depth of 4,000 to
5,000 feet throughout most of the city. The geology of
the planning area may be susceptible to expansive soils due to groundwater. The city is within the Santa Clara
Valley, which is characterized by high groundwater levels and potentially high clay content. Map 7-3 shows that
majority of soil throughout the Planning Area is human
transported material and eroded alluvium, meaning there may be swelling potential within these soils. Expansive soils have not been well documented throughout the city, but the potential for expansive soils exists throughout the area where the Santa Clara Valley contains groundwater
and soil conditions that are conducive.
Table 7-2: Sensitive Wildlife Species within Los Altos
SPECIES NAME COMMON NAME FEDERAL STATE
Reptiles
Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia San Francisco garter snake E E; FP Mammals
Antrozous pallidus Pallid bat -- SSC
Lasiurus cinereus Hoary bat -- --
Corynorhinus townsendii Townsend’s big-eared bat -- SSC Taxidea taxus American badger -- SSC
Amphibians
Catastomus santaanae Santa Ana sucker FT --
Notes:
E = Endangered; FP = California fully protected species; SSC = CDFW Species of Special Concern; T = Threatened Source: California Natural Diversity Database, California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), January 2026.
Technical Background Report | Los Altos General Plan Update 7-7
Map 7-3: Soil Types
Chapter 07 | Environmental Resources
7-8
SEISMIC CONDITIONS
Surface Rupture/ Seismology
Earthquakes resulting from fault movement can result in surface rupture along an active or potentially active fault.
The risk of seismic hazards within the planning area is based on the approximate location of earthquake faults
within and outside the region. Seismic activity in the area poses a significant risk, as an earthquake or fault rupture could lead to injuries and substantial property damage. In addition to the initial shaking, hazards such as aftershocks, fires, landslides, dam failure, and liquefaction may further threaten public health and safety. California contains
numerous active faults, reflecting its overall seismicity. Los Altos lies within a State-designated Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Zone, where state law prohibits construction of buildings intended for human occupancy directly atop active fault traces. The nearest Holocene-active fault (a fault that has had surface displacement within the last 11,700 years) is the San Andreas Fault, which runs to the west of the city. Other faults in and around the city include the Monte Vista fault, along with several older, pre-Holocene fault systems, as shown in Map 7-4.
Ground Shaking
Ground shaking is the effect of surface motion generated by an earthquake that results in the vast majority of damage during seismic events. Given the city’s proximity to active faults in the region, seismic ground shaking could damage buildings and cause objects to fall, creating hazards to life and property.2 Because Los Altos is in an earthquake prone area of Northern California, and due
to the close proximity to the San Andreas fault, seismic shaking would most likely be felt throughout the city.
The effects of significant ground shaking would be most 2 City of Los Altos, 2025. Safety Element. Available: https:// www.losaltosca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1766/Los-AltosSafety-Element?bidId=. Accessed: January 15, 2026. severe in areas with steep slopes, weak soils, and vulnerable structures. In a probable earthquake scenario, the majority of one- and two-story wood structures in the
planning area would not sustain serious damage. Older,
unreinforced masonry buildings in the downtown area
that were built prior to improved building codes may be subject to severe damage or collapse in the event of an earthquake.
Liquefaction
Liquefaction is a seismic phenomenon in which loose,
saturated, granular soils behave similarly to a fluid when subject to high intensity ground shaking. Liquefaction
occurs when three general conditions exist: (1) shallow groundwater; (2) low density noncohesive (granular) soils; and (3) high intensity ground motion. Areas surrounding Adobe Creek, Hale Creek, Permanente Creek, and Stevens
Creek are areas of potential liquefaction, as shown on
Map 7-5. The City has adopted the California Building
Code (CBC), which outlines standards for seismic design, foundations and drainage, and requires that geotechnical engineering studies be undertaken for any development
in areas where potentially serious geologic risks exist.
Landslides
Landslides occur when masses of rock, earth, or debris
move down a slope, including rock falls, deep failure of slopes, and shallow debris flows. Landslides are influenced by human irrigation of slopes, mining activity, and by natural factors such as precipitation, geology/soil types, surface/subsurface flow of water, and topography.
Frequently, they may be triggered by other hazards such as floods and earthquakes. Areas with steep or unstable slopes have the highest landslide risk in Los Altos.
Landslides are also likely on hillsides where rock strata parallel surface slopes, high clay content absorbs excess water, displacement fractures a fault zone, or erosion or human activity removes a slope’s base. Landslides are
unlikely on slopes under 15 percent. Slopes of 15 percent or more are isolated to Los Altos’ southwest, as shown on Map 7-63. While no recent landslides have occurred in the planning area, development on such slopes should be
carefully reviewed to mitigate risks.
3 City of Los Altos, 2025. Safety Element. Available: https:// www.losaltosca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1766/Los-AltosSafety-Element?bidId=. Accessed: January 15, 2026.
Technical Background Report | Los Altos General Plan Update 7-9
Map 7-4: Regional Faults Nearby
Chapter 07 | Environmental Resources
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Map 7-5: Liquefaction Zones
Technical Background Report | Los Altos General Plan Update 7-11
Map 7-6: Landslide Susceptibility
Chapter 07 | Environmental Resources
7-12
Hazards and Hazardous
Materials
EXISTING CONDITIONS
Certain natural conditions and human activities in Los
Altos create risks to individuals and properties within the community. Hazards of potential concern in the planning area include flooding, fires, and urban pollutants (e.g., fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, and other hazardous materials)..
Hazardous Materials
A hazardous material is any substance that may be explosive, flammable, poisonous, corrosive, radioactive, reactive, or any combination thereof, because of its quantity,
concentration, or characteristics. Hazardous materials
require special care in handling due to the hazards they pose to public health, safety, and the environment. Potential hazards associated with hazardous materials include fires, explosions, and leaks. Releases of hazardous materials can be damaging when they occur in highly populated areas or along transportation routes.
Hazardous Materials Sites
The Hazardous Waste and Substances Sites (Cortese)
List is a planning document that provides information
about the location of hazardous materials release sites in the state. Government Code section 65962.5 requires
the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) to develop at least annually an updated Cortese List. The California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) is responsible for a portion of the information contained in the Cortese List that is contained in their Envirostor Table 7-3: Active Envirostor and Geotracker Hazardous Materials Sites
SITE DESCRIPTION LOCATION
Envirostor Sites1
EN-1 Los Altos High School Expansion Site Type: School Cleanup Status: Active
201 Almond Avenue
Los Altos, CA 94022
EN-2 Los Altos Cleaners Site Type: Voluntary Cleanup
Status: Refer: Local Agency
392 1st Street
Los Altos, CA 94022
Geotracker Sites2
GEO-1 245 Hawthorne Avenue Clean-up Program Site
Status: Open – Remediation
245 Hawthorne Avenue
Los Altos, CA 94022
GEO-2 Former Tops Drive-in Cleaners Land Disposal Site
Status: Open – Site Assessment
366 1st Street
Los Altos, CA 94022
GEO-3 Los Altos Cleaners Cleanup Program Site
Status: Open – Site Assessment
392 1st Street
Los Altos, CA 94022
GEO-4 Loyola Corners Development Cleanup Program Site
Status: Open – Long Term Management –
and Use Restrictions
1540 Miramonte
Avenue
Los Altos, CA 94024
GEO-5 Miller’s Dry Cleaning LUST Cleanup Site
Status: Open – Remediation
1554 Miramonte
Avenue
Los Altos, CA 94024
Source: 1 ) California Department of Toxic Substances Control, EnviroStor Database, 2026. Available at https://www.envirostor.dtsc. ca.gov/public/. 2) State Water Resources Control Board, Geotracker Database, 2026. Available at http://geotracker.waterboards.ca.gov/.
Technical Background Report | Los Altos General Plan Update 7-13
Map 7-7: Hazardous Materials Sites
Chapter 07 | Environmental Resources
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database (2026). The other main source of information
for sites in the Cortese List is the State Water Board’s Geotracker Database (Geotracker; 2026). Map 7-7 depicts the location of active Envirostor and Geotracker hazardous materials sites. As shown on Map 7-7, there are two active Envirostor sites and five active Geotracker hazardous materials sites within the city. Table 7-3 lists each site location and describes the site listing.
The majority of active sites involve dry cleaners, a multifamily property, and a school cleanup. As shown on Table 7-3, five sites were shown to have ongoing activities
related to the previously known or suspected release of hazardous materials to soil and groundwater in Los Altos.
EN-1 involves the cleanup of contaminants of concern
within a school, including lead, naturally occurring
asbestos (NOA), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and
organochlorine pesticides (OCPs). This case is active.
EN-2 / GEO-3 consists of a dry cleaner that has historically used tetrachloroethylene (PCE). In 2007, the dry-cleaning business was taken over by a new operator who switched
to the use of hydrocarbons as the cleaning solvent. A
limited environmental assessment was performed, in
which preliminary subsurface investigations detected PCE in soil vapor above commercial/industrial screening levels.
The County of Santa Clara, Department of Environmental
Health is currently overseeing remediation at the site.
GEO-1 involves the remediation of a private residence.
GEO-2 involves remediation of a former dry cleaners
that had used PCE and trichloroethylene (TCE). GEO-4
was previously a gas station and auto service facility
with hydraulic car lifts. During lift removal, hydraulic fluid impacted soil was reported. During redevelopment
of GEO-4, impacted soil will be removed with agency
over-sight. GEO-5 consists of a dry cleaner with elevated concentrations of PCE.
Hydrology
EXISTING SETTING
Flooding
Flood hazards fall into three categories within the Los Altos area: natural flooding, dam inundation, and mud and debris flows.4 Flooding occurs when a waterway (either
natural or artificial drainage channel) receives more water than it is capable of conveying, causing the water level in the waterway to rise. Depending on how long these
conditions last and the amount of runoff the waterway
receives in proportion to its capacity, the rising water level may eventually overtop the waterway’s banks or any other boundaries to the drainage area, resulting in flooding. The Planning Area is subject to periodic flood hazards associated with creek overflow, dam inundation, and potential mud and debris flows during rainstorms of a few hillsides.
The Planning Area contains both 100- and 500-year floodplain areas as show in Map 7-8. Majority of the Planning Area is located in 500-year floodplain, except areas in the south. Areas of 100-year floodplain are located near Permanente Creek, Hale Creek, and Adobe Creek. Map
7-8 and Table 7-4 identify the FEMA floodplains/floodways throughout the Planning area. 4 City of Los Altos, 2025. Safety Element. Available: https:// www.losaltosca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1766/Los-AltosSafety-Element?bidId=. Accessed: January 15, 2026.
Table 7-4: FEMA Floodplains/Floodways within the Planning Area
FLOODPLAIN/ FLOODWAY DESCRIPTION
100-year Floodplain* 81.5
500-year Floodplan 3,571.40
Grand Total
Notes:
*100-year flood zone includes 11.5 acres of the floodway.
Source: FEMA, 2025.
Technical Background Report | Los Altos General Plan Update 7-15
Map 7-8: FEMA Flood Zones
Chapter 07 | Environmental Resources
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Drainage
The Santa Clara Valley Water District (Valley Water) serves as the primary flood control agency for the region, providing planning, construction and maintenance of facilities to reduce flooding hazards. Within the City, stormwater is conveyed through natural channels that form part of
the larger drainage system. The City’s drainage system
includes Adobe Creek-Frontal San Francisco Bay Estuaries, Permanente Creek-Frontal San Francisco Bay Estuaries,
and Stevens Creek.
Watersheds
Watersheds in the Planning area include Adobe
Creek-Frontal San Francisco Bay Estuaries, Permanente
Creek-Frontal San Francisco Bay Estuaries, and Stevens
Creek, as discussed above. These watersheds are essential for managing stormwater and maintaining water quality in the City of Los Altos. To further support flood control efforts, portions of these creeks within Los Altos have been channelized to increase capacity and reduce
flooding.
Adobe Creek
Encompassing roughly 10 square miles in northwestern
Santa Clara County, the Adobe Creek watershed consists
of eight square miles of mountainous terrain and two
square miles of valley floor.5 The creek begins on the
northeastern slopes of the Santa Cruz Mountains, traveling northward through steep, timbered landscapes until it converges with the North, West, and Middle Adobe
Forks. In the upper reaches of the watershed, Moody and Purissima Creeks serve as the other primary tributaries.
The drainage zone situated above the confluence of the
Adobe Forks remains preserved as undeveloped open
space, while the rest of the watershed is largely characterized by residential neighborhoods. As it crosses the valley floor, Adobe Creek passes through the communities of Los Altos Hills, Los Altos, Palo Alto, and Mountain View. After joining with Barron Creek to the west of Highway 101, the waterway transitions into a tidally influenced estuarine environment before discharging into the Palo Alto Flood Basin and the Lower South San Francisco Bay.
Permanente Creek
The Permanente Creek watershed encompasses roughly
17.5 square miles along the northeastern slopes of the
Santa Cruz Mountains.6 Its source begins near Black
Mountain on the Montebello Ridge, from which the creek
travels eastward through five miles of unincorporated
county territory. Upon reaching the base of the foothills, the waterway turns northward, traversing the valley floor for another eight miles through the cities of Los Altos and Mountain View before finally discharging into the
Lower South San Francisco Bay. The primary tributaries
within this system are Hale Creek and the West Branch of Permanente Creek. In a departure from most Santa Clara
Basin watersheds, the Permanente Creek headwaters are
not preserved as open space but are instead utilized for mining and light industrial operations. Only the headwaters of the West Branch are currently protected as open space by the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District.
Downstream from the confluence of these tributaries, the majority of the watershed is occupied by high-density
5 Santa Clara Valley Urban Runoff Pollution Prevention
Program, 2026. Adobe Watershed. Available: https://
scvurppp.org/watersheds/santa-clara-basin-watersheds/
adobe-watershed/. Accessed: January 20, 2026.
6 Santa Clara Valley Urban Runoff Pollution Prevention
Program, 2026. Permanente Watershed. Available: https:// scvurppp.org/watersheds/santa-clara-basin-watersheds/
permanente-watershed/. Accessed: January 20, 2026.
Technical Background Report | Los Altos General Plan Update 7-17
residential areas, with commercial zones concentrated
along major arteries like El Camino Real. Additionally, clusters of heavy industry are located near Highway 101 within the lower watershed adjacent to the Bay.
Stevens Creek
The Stevens Creek watershed encompasses a drainage
area of roughly 29 square miles, with its headwaters
beginning in the Santa Cruz Mountains within Santa
Clara County and the City of Palo Alto.7 Much of this upper region is preserved as protected open space, overseen
by the County and the Midpeninsula Regional Open
Space District. In its higher reaches, the main channel travels southeast for approximately five miles along the San Andreas Fault before turning north-east for another three miles to reach the Stevens Creek Reservoir. From
that point, the creek continues northward for 12.5 miles, winding through the foothills of Cupertino and Los Altos and across the alluvial plains of Sunnyvale and Mountain View, eventually discharging into the Lower South San
Francisco Bay. Downstream of the reservoir, the land is predominantly used for residential neighborhoods, with
commercial activity concentrated along major transit
corridors like El Camino Real.
Water Quality
The City’s water quality is regulated under the jurisdiction of the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB). The San Francisco Bay RWQCB’s Basin
Plan establishes beneficial uses, water quality objectives, and implementation programs to protect surface waters
and groundwater resources.8 Within the region, urban
runoff and stormwater discharges are the primary sources of water quality issues. The Clean Water Act Section 303(d) lists surface waters in the area as impaired waterbodies for pollutants. These surface waters include Permanente Creek and Stevens Creek.
Groundwater
The City of Los Altos is located within the Santa Clara Subbasin (Basin 2009.02) of the Santa Clara Valley
7 Santa Clara Valley Urban Runoff Pollution Prevention
Program, 2026. Stevens Watershed. Available: https://
scvurppp.org/watersheds/santa-clara-basin-watersheds/
stevens-watershed/. Accessed: January 20, 2026.
8 San Francisco Bay Accessed September 2025. https://www. waterboards.ca.gov/sanfranciscobay/basin_planning.html.
Groundwater Basin, where groundwater resources are
managed by the Santa Clara Valley Water District (Valley Water). As the designated Groundwater Sustainability
Agency (GSA) for the entire county, Valley Water has the legal authority and responsibility under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) to ensure the
basin remains sustainable; its 2021 Groundwater Management Plan was recently approved by the state as a valid “Alternative” to a standard Groundwater Sustainability Plan9. In Los Altos, water is primarily delivered by the California Water Service, which utilizes a supply blend consisting of approximately 28 percent local groundwater from its own wells and 72 percent treated surface water purchased from Valley Water10. Existing groundwater conditions in the area are generally stable due to Valley Water’s management, which includes replenishing
the basin with imported water and monitoring for land
subsidence and saltwater intrusion to protect long-term reliability and water quality.
Dam Inventory and Failure Risks
Dam inundation is a potential flood hazard in south Los Altos from the failure of the Stevens Creek Dam. According to the California Department of Water Resources, Division of Safety of Dams (DSOD), the downstream
hazard from Stevens Creek Dam is classified as extremely high11. The downstream hazard is based solely on potential downstream impacts to life and property should a dam
fail when operating with a full reservoir, and is expected to cause considerable loss of human life or result in an inundation area with a population of 1,000 or more. Built in 1935, the dam is owned and operated by Santa Clara
Valley Water District and is in fair condition based on the DSOD report from September 2022.
9 Santa Clara Valley Water District (Valley Water). Sustainable Groundwater Management. Available: https://www.
valleywater.org/your-water/where-your-water-comes/
groundwater/sustainable. Accessed: January 20, 2026.
10 California Water Service, 2021. 2020 Urban Water
Management Plan – Los Altos Suburban District. Available:
https://www.calwater.com/docs/uwmp2020/LAS_2020_
UWMP_FINAL.pdf. Accessed: January 20, 2026.
11 California Department of Water Resources, 2022. Dams Within Jurisdiction of the State of California Listed. Avail-able:
https://water.ca.gov/-/media/DWR-Website/Web-Pages/
Programs/All-Programs/Division-of-Safety-of-Dams/Files/ Publications/Dams-Within-Jurisdiction-of-the-State-ofCalifornia-Listed-Alphabetically-by-Name-September-2022. pdf. Accessed: January 20, 2026.
Chapter 07 | Environmental Resources
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Map 7-9: Dam Inundation Areas
Technical Background Report | Los Altos General Plan Update 7-19
Noise
EXISTING CONDITIONS
The City of Los Altos is a community located at the
southern end of the San Francisco Peninsu-la. The City
is bordered by Palo Alto to the north and northwest, t, Mountain View to the east, Cupertino to the southeast and Los Altos Hills and portions of unincorporated Santa Clara County to the south and west. Noise measurements show
the most common and primary source of noise in the city is motor vehicles (e.g., automobiles, buses, trucks, and motorcycles) along Interstate 280 and State Highway 85, as well as major arterial roads such a Foothill Ex-pressway and San Antonio Road. Motor vehicle noise is of particular concern because it is char-acterized by a high number of individual events, which often create a sustained noise level, and because of its proximity to noise-sensitive uses.
Noise Measurements
Long term noise measurements at seven different
locations in Los Altos were performed in late February
2026. The distances listed are from the roadway centerline.
As shown in Map 7-10 and Table 7-5, Interstate 280 and
Foothill Expressway are loudest at a normalized distance of 50 feet.
REGULATORY FRAMEWORK
State Regulations
General Plan Guidelines
The General Plan Guideline’s land use compatibility
chart for community noise prepared by the Governor’s
Office of Planning and Research provides a tool to gauge the compatibility of land uses relative to existing and future noise levels by identifying normally acceptable, conditionally acceptable, normally unacceptable, and
clearly unacceptable noise levels for various land uses.
Table 7-5: Noise Measurement Survey Results
NOISE
MEASUREMENT
LOCATION
ROADWAY
MEASUREMENT
DISTANCE FROM
ROADWAY
CENTERLINE
MEASURED
NOISE LEVEL
(DNL1)
NOISE
LEVEL (DNL)
“NORMALIZED”
TO A DISTANCE
OF 50 FEET
1 El Camino Real 50 70 dB 70 dB
2 South San Antonio Road 35 70 dB 68 dB
3 Foothill Expressway 45 74 dB 74 dB
4 Foothill Expressway 60 72 dB 73 dB
5 I-280 140 752 dB 79 dB
6 Foothill Expressway 110 69 dB 72 dB
7 Oak Avenue (residential
area)
25 60 dB n/a3
Notes:
1. DNL (Day-Night Average Sound Level) – A descriptor for a 24-hour A-weighted average noise level. DNL accounts for the increased acoustical sensitivity of people to noise during the nighttime hours. DNL penalizes sound levels by 10 dB during the hours from 10 PM to 7 AM. For practical purposes, the DNL and CNEL are usually interchangeable. DNL is sometimes written as Ldn.
2. This value has been adjusted 2 dB up from a measurement of DNL 73 dB due to minor shielding of traffic noise at the measurement position. The adjusted value was developed by referencing published Caltrans traffic volume data and a similar measurement along I-280.
3. In this residential area, the measured noise level is due to a mixture of local residential traffic, distant traffic noise, and local residential activity. With multiple sources, it might not be valid to estimate the level at a different distance from the roadway. This measurement was requested to capture typical noise levels within a residential area. For reference, the average background noise at this location without car passbys and local activity was approximately 50 dBA during the day and approximately 40 dBA in the middle of the night.
Source: Salter, Inc, 2026.
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Map 7-10: Noise Measurement Locations
Technical Background Report | Los Altos General Plan Update 7-21
Map 7-11: Existing Noise Contours
Chapter 07 | Environmental Resources
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A conditionally acceptable designation implies new
construction or development should be undertaken only
after detailed analysis of the noise reduction requirements for each land use and needed noise insulation features are incorporated in the design. By comparison, a normally acceptable designation indicates that standard construction can occur with no special noise reduction
requirements. These standards provide general guidance
for local jurisdictions to use when developing their own Noise Element standards. These standards may be
adjusted in order to arrive at noise-acceptability standards that reflect the noise-control goals of the community,
the particular community’s sensitivity to noise, and the community’s assessment of the relative importance of
noise pollution
The State building code also provides interior noise
standards that new development is required to adhere to in order to protect occupants in areas potentially affected by noise.
Local Regulations
City of Los Altos Municipal Code
Chapter 6.16 of the Municipal Code contains standards
and regulations to control unnecessary, excessive, and
annoying noise and vibration within the City. Specifically, Section 6.16.50 of the Los Altos Municipal Code establishes exterior noise limits for various zoning districts as shown in Table 7-6.
The Municipal Code prohibits the production of noise on one property that would (i) exceed the noise standard on any other property for a cumulative period of more than thirty minutes in any hour; (ii) exceed the noise standard plus five dB on any other property for a cumulative period of more than fifteen minutes in any hour; (iii) exceed the noise standard plus 10 dB on any other property for a
cumulative period of more than five minutes in any hour; (iv) exceed the noise standard plus 15 dB on any other
property for a cumulative period of more than one minute in any hour; or (v) exceed the noise standard plus 20 dB or the maximum measured ambient on any other property
for any period of time. The City’s Municipal Code states that if the measured ambient level exceeds the maximum
permissible noise level within any of the first four situations described above, the allowable noise exposure standard shall be increased in five dB increments in each category. In the event the ambient noise level exceeds the fifth noise limit category, the maximum allowable noise level under said category shall be increased to reflect the maximum ambient noise level. If the noise measurement
occurs on a property adjacent to a zone boundary, the
noise level limit applicable to the lower noise zone, plus five dB is the applicable noise limit.
To ensure that unnecessary or excessive noise disturbances from specific activities and equipment are avoided, the Noise Control Ordinance sets noise thresholds for musical instruments, loud-speakers, loading and unloading, construction and demolition, and air-conditioning equipment (Section 6.16.070). Exceeding those thresholds is considered a prohibited act and would
Table 7-6: Exterior Noise Limits
RECEIVING LAND USE CATEGORY TIME PERIOD NOISE LEVEL (DBA)1 All R1 Zoning Districts 10:00PM—7:00AM
7:00AM—10:00PM
45 55
All R3 Zoning Districts 10:00PM—7:00AM
7:00AM—10:00PM
50 55
All R3 Zoning Districts 10:00PM—7:00AM
7:00AM—10:00PM
55 60
All OA Zoning Districts 10:00PM—7:00AM
7:00AM—10:00PM
60 65
All C Zoning Districts 10:00PM—7:00AM
7:00AM—10:00PM
60 65
Notes:
1. Levels not to be exceeded more than 30 minutes in any hour.
Technical Background Report | Los Altos General Plan Update 7-23
constitute a violation of the Ordinance. Chapter 6.16.070 of the City’s Municipal Code establishes allowable hours of construction within residentially zoned properties
between 7:00 AM and 5:30 PM Monday through Friday
and between 9:00 AM and 3:00 PM on Saturdays.
Construction occurring during allowable hours is limited to 75 dBA in single-family residential areas (all R1 Zoning Districts), 80 dBA in multifamily residential areas (all R3 Zoning Districts), and 85 dBA in commercial areas (all OA and C Zoning Districts).
Wildfire
EXISTING CONDITIONS
Wildfire Hazards
A wildfire is defined as an unplanned and unwanted
wildland fire, including unauthorized human-caused fires, escaped wildland fire use events, escaped prescribed fire projects, and all other wildland fires where the object is to extinguish the fire. Wildfire is a natural part of the California ecosystem, helping to clear brush and debris, and is a necessary part of various species’ life cycles. Wildfires can be sparked by lightning, accidents, or arson.
Los Altos is characterized by little direct fire hazard within City limits, though it remains vulnerable to indirect
impacts from the neighboring Wildland-Urban Interface,
such as smoke and ash. While the city itself is not currently designated as a California Department of Forestry and Fire (CAL FIRE) Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, its proximity to the steep, vegetated terrain of Los Altos Hills and the Santa Cruz Mountains exposes residents to significant risks from ember cast and smoke during regional events.
As shown in Map 7-12, there are no areas identified as a Very High FHSZ within the city. However, the unincorporated areas of Santa Clara County to the southwest, which include Rancho San Antonio County Park and the Santa
Cruz Mountains, are identified as State Responsibility Area with areas of High and Very High FHSZ. Therefore, the
southwestern area of the city, which abuts these severity zones under state responsibility, is at risk for wildfires.
Further, the Santa Clara County Community Wildfire
Protection Plan identifies wildland urban interface areas within the City of Los Altos, as shown on Map 8-13. The majority of the city is not a designated wildland urban interface area. The city is mostly developed which has a low risk for wildfire; however, development intermingles with undeveloped, open space, and natural areas that are prone to wildfire. Further, the City recently updated the Safety Element that focuses on mitigating risks associated with various disasters, including fire hazards and wildfire risk management.
While Los Altos is primarily a suburban, developed area, its proximity to the wildland-urban interface of Los Altos Hills and the Santa Cruz Mountains means it has been
impacted by both direct structure fires and indirect
wildfire threats. The most recent fire event occurred in 2025 when a vegetation fire broke out in Los Altos Hills, which was quickly knocked down by Santa Clara County
and Palo Alto fire crews. Within Los Altos, in 2023, a 3-alarm fire on Christmas morning gutted a two-story commercial building, displacing small businesses including a judo school and hair salon. In 2020, the Santa Clara Unit (SCU) lighting complex fire impacted the city indirectly through significant air quality degradation and regional resource strain as the third-largest wildfire in California history.
Fire Response Resources
The City of Los Altos currently contracts with the Santa Clara County Central Fire District (County Fire) for fire protection services within the City boundaries. Services provided by County Fire include fire prevention,
emergency medical services, hazardous materials, and fire investigations. Two fire stations serve the City of Los Altos:
Los Altos Fire Station at 10 Almond Avenue and Loyola Fire Station at 765 Fremont Avenue. Additionally, the mutual aid agreement between Los Altos and the Santa Clara
Chapter 07 | Environmental Resources
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Map 7-12: CalFire Fire Hazard Severity Zones
Technical Background Report | Los Altos General Plan Update 7-25
Map 7-13: Wildland Urban Interface
Chapter 07 | Environmental Resources
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County Fire Department includes automatic response
from the 17 other fire stations in the event of large-scale fire events.
In coordination with County Fire, the City partners with Resilient Los Altos, a program dedicated to improving
the ability of groups of people to respond to and recover from adverse situations, such as natural disasters, acts of violence, economic hardship, and other challenges
to the community of Los Altos and the adjacent areas.
Resilient Los Altos offers classes, events, and webinars on emergency preparedness topics. Stakeholders include Los Altos Block Action Team members, the Los Altos Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) members, Los Altos Amateur Radio Emergency Service members, Los
Altos School District representatives, Mountain View
Los Altos High School District, faith-based community
representatives, allied health representatives, and representatives from the business community.
The current fire protection contract is expected to expire in December 2026. As of June 2025, the City is currently in discussion with County Fire to evaluate options that better align with its fiscal priorities and meet community expectations for reliable, high-quality emergency services. This includes re-evaluating the structure, cost, and long-term sustainability of the current fire protection contract and exploring potential governance alternatives such as
annexation into the County Fire protection district (See also Chapter 5: Parks and Public Services). These negotiations may result in a management change of resources available to the city and would require new collaboration efforts between the two entities.
Technical Background Report | Los Altos General Plan Update 7-27
The following is a summary of key findings and implications for the General Plan Update process related to environmental considerations:
• Regional Air Quality. Air quality in Los Altos is primarily a regional issue rather than a localized one[TK11.1],
driven almost entirely by vehicle emissions from
major thoroughfares like Interstate-280 and Foothill
Expressway. While the San Francisco Bay Area Air Basin
is currently in “nonattainment” for certain federal and State standards, the impact on Los Altos residents is
significantly minimized. Due to the city’s extensive
tree canopy which helps disperse pollutants and the
use of modern building materials that protect indoor
environments, air pollution remains a managed regional
challenge with minimal direct impact on the immediate
health and safety of the Los Altos community.
Nevertheless, a survey conducted in 2022 for the CAAP
indicates that air quality is a highly valued community asset and the General Plan Update can explore strategies to protect and en-hance local air quality.
• Urban Forest in Community. While Los Altos is a largely built-out suburban landscape with nearly 66 percent
of land classified as urban/developed, its biological
identity is defined by its urban forest throughout the
community. There are significant native biological
resources, specifically the Coast live oak woodlands
and riparian corridors. These areas, along with the
Redwood Grove Nature Preserve, provide the primary
habitat for local wildlife.
Key Findings and Planning Considerations
• Tribal Cultural Resources. The Los Altos Planning area remains a sensitive zone for tribal cultural resources, particularly along the riparian corridors of Adobe,
Stevens, and Permanente Creeks where ancestral
settlements were historically established. Nine regional tribes maintain cultural affiliations with these lands, emphasizing the high potential for encountering
indigenous heritage sites within the city’s natural
landscape.
• Seismic Vulnerability and Local Geologic Hazards.
Los Altos is characterized by high seismic vulnerability due to its location within a Alquist-Priolo Earthquake
Fault Zone and its immediate proximity to the San
Andreas and Monte Vista faults. While the entire city is susceptible to significant ground shaking, the physical risks are highly dependent on local geography and
building age. Landslide hazards are located in the
southwest portion of the city, where steep slopes exist. • Hazardous Material Sites. State databases identify
seven hazardous material sites identified within Los
Altos – all are subject to regulatory oversight and
either actively undergoing clean up or currently under
assessment and do not pose an unmanaged threat to
the community. The majority of these sites are linked
to historical land uses, such as former dry cleaners
and a gas station, and are currently undergoing active
remediation or monitoring.
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• Flood Risks. The majority of Los Altos sits within a 500- year floodplain, meaning there is a 0.2 percent chance
of flooding in any given year. Low lying areas adjacent to Adobe, Permanente, and Stevens Creeks are most
at risk, although the City’s development regulations
require the use of site design and building techniques
to reduce the risk of loss or damage. The Stevens Creek Dam poses a critical, albeit low-probability, risk in the southern part of the City. While the dam is currently in “fair” condition, it is classified as an “extremely high” downstream hazard, meaning a failure would result in
significant inundation and impact a population of over
1,000 residents in south Los Altos.
• Wildfire Hazards. While Los Altos is primarily a
developed suburban area with minimal direct wildfire
risk, it remains highly susceptible to the indirect
impacts of regional wildland fires. The city’s proximity to the steep, terrain of the Santa Cruz Mountains and
Los Altos Hills means that even fires occurring outside city limits can pose a major threat through ember cast
and significant air quality degradation.
WATER, SEWER, AND STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE
8 This chapter provides an overview of the water, wastewater, and storm drain utility systems that serve the City of Los Altos and focuses on identifying any deficiencies, active or ongoing improvement projects, and opportunities for improvements within each system. This analysis was based on a review of the 2013 Sanitary Sewer Master Plan, 2016 Storm Drain Master Plan, 2020 Urban Water
Management Plan, as well as the City of Los Altos Capital Improvement and Major Maintenance Program FY
2024-2029 (CIMMP).
Chapter 08 | Infrastructure and Capacity
8-2
Water Infrastructure
WATER SYSTEM OVERVIEW
Potable water supply for the City of Los Altos is served by California Water Service (Cal Water) through its Los Altos Suburban District (District). The District serves Los Altos, and parts of Los Altos Hills, Cupertino, Mountain View, and Sunnyvale. The District owns and operates the Los Alto
Public Water System, which provides drinking water for
human consumption, and is regulated by the State Water
Resources Control Board (SWRCB). The District completed the 2020 Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP) in June
of 2021. Urban Water Management Plans are required
every 5 years. It is anticipated that a new UWMP will be issued sometime in 2026. Per the UWMP, the District has 18,559 municipal connections, 13,087 acre-feet of supplied water volume, and an estimated service area population of 70,161 people. In addition, the District operates 22 groundwater wells, 46 storage tanks, 65 booster pumps,
and 297 miles of pipeline1. Residential connections made up 72 percent of the District’s water uses. Non-residential connections make up 22 percent of water use, and the
remaining 6 percent account for losses within the system.
WATER SYSTEM SOURCES
The Los Altos Suburban District obtains water from three sources. The largest source of potable water in the District comes from purchased treated surface water from Valley
Water, formerly the Santa Clara Valley Water District. Valley Water obtains roughly 40 percent of its annual supply
from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, via the State
Water Project (100,000 AFY allocation) and Central Valley Project (152,500 AFY allocation), with additional surface water provided via local watersheds runoff.
1 Source: 2020 Urban Water Management Plan
Treated surface water is delivered to the District from Valley Water’s Rinconada Water Treatment Plant via a
large-diameter high pressure pipeline, commonly referred to as the West Pipeline. A lesser, but still significant, portion of water provided by the District is sourced from groundwater from the Santa Clara subbasin. Sustainable
groundwater management is handled by Valley Water. A
small portion of non-potable water is provided via recycled water from the Sunnyvale Water Pollution Control Plant
(WPCP). Through 2045, it is project-ed that 69 percent
of water supplied to the district will be purchased or
imported from Valley Water, 30 percent will be groundwater from the Santa Clara subbasin, and the remaining 1 percent will be recycled water supplied from the Sunnyvale WPCP.
WATER SYSTEM PROJECTED
SUPPLY AND DEMAND
Table 8-1 summarizes water demands from 2016 through
2020, while Table 8-2 summarizes the projected water
demands through 2045, as presented in the 2020 UWMP.
Projected service population is based on population,
housing, and employment projections.
While projected water demand is expected to increase
from 2020 to 2045, since the mid 2000s, water use in the District has been decreasing. This is due to efforts by Cal Water to conserve water by implementing conservation
pricing which provides financial incentives to customers to use water efficiently. Additionally, appliance efficiency standards and plumbing codes have contributed to significant improvements in the average water use efficiency of appliances and plumbing fixtures. In 2020, per capita water use was 32 percent below its peak in the early
2000s. The projected water demand forecast includes
the effects of appliance standards and plumbing codes,
conservation programs, and an increase in the cost of
water service on average water use.
Table 8-1: Past Water Use
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Demand 10,194 11,656 12,438 11,982 13,023
Notes:
1. Volumes are in units of Acre-Feet (AF)
2. Water demands are based on the 2020 Urban Water Management Plan Source: 2020 Urban Water Management Plan.
Technical Background Report | Los Altos General Plan Update 8-3
Table 8-2: Projected Demand and Water Use
2020 2025 2030 2035 2040 2045
Service
Population
70,161 70,454 70,815 71,560 72,708 73,911
Potable Water 13,032 13,007 13,003 13,324 13,666 14,097 Recycled
Water
64 100 100 100 100 100
Total Water
Use
13,087 13,107 13,103 13,424 13,766 14,197
Notes:
1. Volumes are in units of Acre-Feet (AF)
2. Water demands are based on the 2020 Urban Water Management Plan Source: 2020 Urban Water Management Plan.
WATER SYSTEM FUTURE VIABILITY
The UWMP projects that the District’s three water sources (Valley Water, groundwater, and recycled) will be enough to fully meet water demands in all hydrologic conditions, including a multiple-year drought, through 2045. Additionally, a Water Shortage Contingency Plan was created for the District that contains specific policies/procedures to be enacted depending on the kind of scenario occurring.
The UWMP identifies multiple dry years as the greatest
challenge to sufficient water supply from Valley Water, with recent occurrences from 1988-1992 and 2012-2016.
The goal of Valley Water is to be able to provide “100
percent of annual water demand during non-drought
years and at least 80 percent of annual water demand
during drought years. The UWMP also found, however,
that any shortages in surface water supply during multiple dry years could be made up via groundwater and recycled water supplies. Groundwater supplies, despite declining during the drought conditions, later quickly returned to normal levels due to sustainable groundwater management methods. Table 8-3 shows the projected supply and demand totals for a normal year, from 2025 to 2045, as
shown in the UWMP.
Tables 8-4 and 8-5 show the project supply and demands
for a single dry year, as well as multiple dry year scenarios, as shown in the UWMP. The supply totals listed in Tables 8-3 through 8-5 do not represent the total water supply available to the District, but rather reflect that the available purchased water, groundwater, and recycled water supplied is sufficient to meet the projected demands.
The UWMP also considers water quality issues during
drought years, with algae and disinfection byproduct
precursors being described as especially challenging.
Additionally, the District is located in close enough proximity to the San Andreas, Berrocal, Pilarcitos, Hayward, and Calaveras Faults that any one of them could produce an
earthquake that could potentially disrupt water services.
Water availability from Valley Water can vary due to a host of factors not related to drought. Conveyance limitations can be due to infrastructure issues or limited infrastructure capacity. Similarly, catastrophic system issues could occur due to levee failures. Even with adequate infrastructure, regulations may be in place that limit water availability, such as those to protect fisheries and water quality.
RECYCLED WATER SYSTEM
The District does not produce recycled water within
its service area, but does receive recycled water from
the Sunnyvale Water Pollution Control Plant. In 2020,
the District received approximately 21 million gallons of recycled water that served landscaping irrigation. There is no planned expansion of the recycled water distribution system in Los Altos, so future projections of recycled water utilization remain steady at 33 million gallons per year until 2045.
Chapter 08 | Infrastructure and Capacity
8-4
Table 8-3: Projected Supply and Demand for a Normal Year 2025 2030 2035 2040 2045
Supply Total 13,107 13,103 13,424 13,766 14,197
Demand Total 13,107 13,103 13,424 13,766 14,197
Difference 0 0 0 0 0
Notes:
1. Volumes are in units of Acre-Feet (AF)
2. Water demands are based on the 2020 Urban Water Management Plan Source: 2020 Urban Water Management Plan.
Table 8-4: Projected Supply and Demand for a Single Dry Year 2025 2030 2035 2040 2045
Supply Total 13,702 13,968 14,029 14,381 14,825
Demand Total 13,702 13,968 14,029 14,381 14,825
Difference 0 0 0 0 0
Notes:
1. Volumes are in units of Acre-Feet (AF)
2. Water demands are based on the 2020 Urban Water Management Plan Source: 2020 Urban Water Management Plan.
Table 8-5: Projected Supply and Demand for Multiple Dry Years 2025 2030 2035 2040 2045
First Year
Supply Total 14,070 14,066 14,404 14,761 15,214
Demand Total 14,070 14,066 14,404 14,761 15,214
Difference 0 0 0 0 0
Second Year
Supply Total 14,070 14,066 14,404 14,761 15,214
Demand Total 14,070 14,066 14,404 14,761 15,214
Difference 0 0 0 0 0
Third Year
Supply Total 14,070 14,066 14,404 14,761 15,214
Demand Total 14,070 14,066 14,404 14,761 15,214
Difference 0 0 0 0 0
Fourth Year
Supply Total 14,070 14,066 14,404 14,761 15,214
Demand Total 14,070 14,066 14,404 14,761 15,214
Difference 0 0 0 0 0
Fifth Year
Supply Total 14,070 14,066 14,404 14,761 15,214
Demand Total 14,070 14,066 14,404 14,761 15,214
Difference 0 0 0 0 0
Notes:
1. Volumes are in units of Acre-Feet (AF)
2. Water demands are based on the 2020 Urban Water Management Plan Source: 2020 Urban Water Management Plan.
Technical Background Report | Los Altos General Plan Update 8-5
Wastewater
Infrastructure
WASTEWATER SYSTEM OVERVIEW
The City of Los Altos owns and maintains the wastewater collection system in the City and its Sphere of Influence.
The system also serves the Town of Los Altos Hills and a small area of the City of Mountain View. Local wastewater is collected in the City sewer system and conveyed to the 42-inch San Antonio Trunk Sewer line, which then transports wastewater to the Palo Alto Regional Water
Quality Control Plant (RWQCP) to be treated for re-use or discharge.
The City of Los Altos’ underground sewer collection
system is comprised of approximately 140 miles of pipe, 3 pump stations, 3,279 manholes, 0.1 miles of force mains, and 11,739 service connections. Around 75 percent of the City sewer system was installed in the 1960’s and 1970’s and over 90 percent of the sewer system is comprised of 6-inch and 8-inch vitrified clay pipe. Refer to Map 8-1 for a map of the underground sanitary sewer infrastructure.
The Palo Alto Regional Water Quality Control Plant
(RWQCP) is located in the City of Palo Alto near the San Francisco Bay. It was constructed in the late 1960’s to early 1970’s as part of the Joint Sewer System Agreement between the Cities of Los Altos, Mountain View, and Palo Alto. The plant provides secondary and tertiary wastewater treatment. The plant has an average day dry weather flow capacity of 38 million gallons per day (mgd), of which, the City of Los Altos is allotted 3.6 mgd. Treated wastewater is discharged into the San Francisco Bay, or it is re-used as recycled water. The RWQCP produces approximately
1.0 mgd of recycled water, however it does not serve the City of Los Altos.
WASTEWATER DEMAND
The City of Los Altos sewer system has a reserved capacity at the RWQCP of 3.6 mgd. Per the 2013 Sewer Master
Plan (2013 SSMP), the demands were at 80 percent of this capacity. As part of the Master Plan, future wastewater demands were estimated based on the City’s GIS, General Plan 2002-2020, and the City 2009 House element flow
data. The projected build out demand estimated by the
2013 SSMP is 3.29 mgd, which is approximately 91 percent of the allotted capacity.
Based on updated flow monitoring data from July 2019
through September 2025, Los Altos’ current wastewater flows remain well below the City’s reserved 3.6 mgd capacity at the RWQCP. Analysis of dry‑season months
(May–September) indicates an average dry‑weather flow
of approximately 1.7 mgd, while non‑dry‑season months
show an average wet‑weather flow of approximately 1.9
mgd. These values are significantly lower than the 3.29 mgd buildout projection cited in the 2017 SSMP, suggesting that actual system demands have grown more slowly than previously estimated.
WASTEWATER ASSESSMENT
As part of the 2013 Sanitary Sewer Master Plan, a condition assessment was performed to determine the condition
of the City’s sewers and pump stations, and to provide
recommendations for improvements. The Master Plan
included a physical assessment of sewer infrastructure through analysis of CCTV inspection data, which was collected between 2007 and 2010. It also included
a hydraulic assessment of the sewer collection system,
which was used to identify any deficiencies within the
system capacity. Operations and maintenance programs
were also assessed as part of the Master Plan.
Chapter 08 | Infrastructure and Capacity
8-6
Map 8-1: Municipal Sanitary Sewer System
Technical Background Report | Los Altos General Plan Update 8-7
The Master Plan identified and prioritized sixteen capital improvement projects. The Master Plan recommended
annual projects and program including GIS updates,
chemical root treatments, and a fat, oil, and grease (FOG) program. Additionally, it categorized improvement projects into four separate priority categories, 1, 2, 3, and 4. Priority 1 projects included 3 projects, one to address hydraulic capacity deficiencies, one to address structural deficiencies, and one to address issues at sewer needing regular maintenance. Priority 2 projects included two corrosion rehabilitation projects for the trunk sewer line outfall.
Priority 3 projects included an additional corrosion rehabilitation project, replacement of sewer lines experiencing structural deficiencies, and two projects to address issues at sewers needing regular maintenance. Priority 4 projects included a new Master Plan Update, Bi-Annual Sanitary
Sewer Management Plan Update, Future Sewer Main
CCTV, and a Condition Assessment and Database Update.
The Master Plan also recommended that the City continue to replace the 6-inch diameter sewer pipes within the City system with 8-inch pipes, aligning with current standards.
The Master Plan has been implemented incrementally
in the years since adoption, with substantial progress
made through a combination of ongoing maintenance
programs, system monitoring, and capital improvements.
Annual implementation measures have been consistently carried out, including continuous GIS database updates, recurring root control treatments, and a fats, oils, and grease (FOG) management program that has
been maintained since 2014. Significant rehabilitation and replacement projects identified as the highest priorities have been completed, including major improvements
to the South Sewer system along Fallen Leaf Lane, Grant Road, and Fremont Avenue. Notable progress has also
been made in other priority categories as well.
In addition to these identified projects, the City completed several cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) rehabilitation projects in areas adjacent to planned improvements, further
enhancing system performance. System management
activities have continued through periodic CCTV inspections, condition assessments, and database updates, while Sewer System Management Plan (SSMP) updates
were completed in 2012, 2015, and 2017. The City initiated a SSMP update in 2022 and is working to complete the
update in 2026.
Capital Improvement and Major
Maintenance Program
The City’s current 5-year CIMMP list includes eight sanitary sewer infrastructure related projects, many of which were recommended in the 2013 Master Plan. These projects
include:
• Adobe Creek Sewer Main Replacement
• Annual Sewer System Repair Program
• Annual CIPP Corrosion Replacement
• Annual Root Foaming2
• Annual Fats, Oils, and Grease Programs (FOG)
• Sewer System Management Plan Update
• Sewer Video Inspection
2 This project will be moved out of the CIP to MSC maintenance project FY 26/27.
Chapter 08 | Infrastructure and Capacity
8-8
Map 8-2: Public Stormwater Infrastructure
and Watershed in Los Altos
Technical Background Report | Los Altos General Plan Update 8-9
Stormwater
Infrastructure
HYDROLOGY AND INFRASTRUCTURE OVERVIEW
The City of Los Altos is situated on the southern end of the San Francisco Peninsula. Stormwater runoff is generated within the City boundary and is conveyed to four creeks that run through the City: Adobe Creek, Hale Creek, Permanente Creek, and Stevens Creek. The creeks then
convey runoff north, to the San Francisco Bay. Within the City, there are five major watersheds, delineated based on the City of Los Altos’ storm drain network. The five watersheds include Hale Creek, Adobe Creek, Permanente/ Stevens Creek, Permanente Creek, and Stevens Creek.
Within each watershed, stormwater runoff is collected by the City storm drain network, and conveyed to the neighboring creeks. Refer to Map 8-2. In addition to the four creeks, the Permanente Creek Diversion Channel diverts
stormwater from Permanente Creek to Stevens Creek
during large storm events and provides flood protection to residential areas of the City. The creeks and diversion channel, which provide flood protection for Los Altos, are maintained by the Valley Water.
The City of Los Altos owns and maintains the storm drain infrastructure within City limits, which consists of approximately 55 miles of storm drainpipe (12-inch and larger).
Additionally, there are areas throughout Los Altos that are not served by City’s storm drain network. These areas were constructed prior to the installation of the City’s formal network and instead are served by drywells, which allow water to percolate into the ground. Per the Storm Drain Master Plan, it recommended that eventually all drywells be removed and replaced with formal drainage systems
and connected into the City stormwater network.
FLOODING
The majority of the City is within the 500-year flood plan, and the existing network of storm drain pipes, structures, and creeks are intended to provide flood protection for the City. The City is also known to experience local flooding during large storm events. The most common cause for
local flooding is due to vegetation and debris blocking storm drain infrastructure, reducing their overall capacity and effectiveness. Additionally, areas served by drywells are more prone to experiencing flooding during larger
storms. Over the years, drywells have become less effective due to siltation and sedimentation, and during large storm events, the drywells cannot percolate storm-water as effectively.
Known problem areas of local flooding have been provided by the City. These areas require regular maintenance and cleaning by the City to prevent more widespread flooding issues.
• Windermere Ditch
• Vineyard and Foothill Ditch
• Toyon Dam
• Loma Prieta Court
• Mount Hamilton Court
• Woodland Library/Holt Avenue
• Marshal Court/Fall Leaf Drive
• Foothill Expressway/Loyola Bridge
• End of Shasta Street/1st Street
• Saint Charles Court
• Grant Road V Ditch
• Deodara Ditch
• Woods Lane
• Stratford Place
• Sequoia Drive and Arboretum Drive
• Milverton Road
• Deodara Drive
• Fremont Avenue/Grant Road
• Sierra Ventura Drive Waterway
Chapter 08 | Infrastructure and Capacity
8-10
CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS
A Storm Drain Master Plan was completed in 2016, and
identified deficiencies in stormwater infrastructure, and provided recommendations for prioritizing future capital infrastructure improvements. Nine high priority projects were identified in the Master Plan as being needed to
remedy reoccurring or significant drainage problems.
Additionally, 16 moderate priority, and 45 low priority projects, and recommended the City allocate specific
CIMMP funds to complete the recommended improvements projects.
Following adoption of the 2016 Stormwater Master Plan,
the City pursued a storm drainage fee to fund identified capital improvements; however, the Proposition 218 ballot measure was rejected by property owners in June 2019
(2,570 opposed vs. 2,039 in favor), and the fee was not adopted. Currently, there is no funding for storm projects.
Two high priority projects—the 2017 Trash Capture
Requirement and the Green Infrastructure Plan—were
completed in 2019. One moderate priority project, Loma
Prieta Court, is being completed as part of the Transportation Annual Street Project for FY 2025/26.
In the adopted FY 2024-2025 Capital Improvement
and Major Maintenance Program for FY 2024-2029, the
City currently includes budget for “Annual Storm Drain
improvements” in order to provide “rehabilitation or
replacement of existing infrastructure, installation of new infrastructure, and professional services as they relate to special studies or reports needed to remain in compliance with the San Francisco Region Permit (MPRP).” Specific
improvement projects and locations have not been identified in the 5-year CIMMP.
REGULATORY COMPLIANCE
Under the federal Clean Water Act, the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) requirements apply to all stormwater and urban runoff that discharges into the City’s storm drain network. The City of Los Altos is part of the Santa Clara Valley Urban Runoff Pollution Prevention Program (SCVURPPP), which regulates the
requirements of the San Francisco Municipal Regional
Permit (MPR) a County wide level. New development is
subject to requirements of the MRP and NPDES which
will require the use of Low Impact Development (LID)
measures and other post construction BMP’s to control
the quantity and quality of stormwater prior to discharging into the City storm drain network.
Technical Background Report | Los Altos General Plan Update 8-11
• Water Supply and Demand. California Water Service,
Los Altos Suburban District owns and operates the
water distribution system within the City of Los Altos, and provides water service to approximately 18,559
service connections. The majority of the water supply
is purchased treated surface water from Valley Water.
Given water conservation efforts and the effects of
appliance efficiency standards and plumbing codes,
water supply is expected to exceed demand for the
foreseeable future.
• Sewer System Infrastructure and Improvements. The
City of Los Altos owns and maintains an underground
sewer collection system. The majority of the system was construct-ed in the 60’s and 70’ and consists of 6-inch and 8-inch pipes. A Sewer Master Plan was completed
in 2013 and identified deficiencies within the City sewer system. The majority of planned CIMMP sewer system
improvement projects align with the recommendations
of the Sewer Master Plan, and consist of annual
maintenance programs, like root clearing, sewer video
inspections, GIS updates, and the Fat Oil and Grease
Program. Additional improvement projects include
the Adobe Creek Sewer Main Replacement, Structural
Reach Replacements, and Corrosion Rehabilitation in
the 42-inch trunk sewer. The City continues to dedicate CIMMP funds to maintain and improve its sewer system.
• Storm Drain Infrastructure. The City of Los Altos owns and maintains its storm drain infrastructure which
consists of underground pipe, manhole, and collection
Key Findings and Planning Considerations
structures. A storm drain Master Plan was completed
in 2016 and identified high, moderate, and low priority projects within the storm drain system. The City’s 5-year CIMMP list includes budget for annual storm drain
improvements, but does not identify specific projects.
• Flooding. The majority of the City is located outside the FEMA Special Flood Hazard Areas, including the 1
percent annual chance flood zone. However, the City
is known to experience flooding during large storm
events, mostly due to vegetation and debris blocking
storm drain infrastructure and reducing its overall
capacity. Additionally, drywells, likely installed in the 1960’s, are a source of flooding during large storm
events and are recommended to be removed and
replaced with formal drainage systems. Problem areas
are addressed by Public Works on an as needed basis.
• Stormwater Regulations. Future development will be
required to comply with MRP and SWPPP Regulations
that require the use of low impact development and
post construction BMP’s to control the quantity and
quality of stormwater prior to entering the City’s storm drain network. The City’s 5-year CIMMP list includes
budget for stormwater system improvements to
maintain compliance with stormwater regulations and
funding for Green Stormwater Infrastructure Retrofit
Program for MRP3.0 requirements.
Los Altos
General Plan
Update Phase 1
Outreach
Report
ATTACHMENT 3
Table of Contents
Introduction ....................................................................................................i Community Open House Summary A-1
Community Survey Report.................................................................... B-1 Pop Up Outreach Summaries .............................................................. C-1 Valentine’s Day Choco-Stroll Pop-Up Summary�������������������������������������������������������������C-2 50+ Luncheon Pop-Up Outreach Summary���������������������������������������������������������������������C-6 Woodland Branch Library Pop-Up Summary���������������������������������������������������������������C-28 Spring Egg Hunt Pop-Up Summary.....................................................................................C-30 Open Commission Study Session Summaries ............................... D-1 Open Commission Study Sessions #1 and #2 Summary ����������������������������������������D-2 Historical Commission Study Session Summary�����������������������������������������������������������D-7
Introduction | Phase 1 Outreach Report
i
Introduction
The City of Los Altos is updating its General Plan, the long-range policy document that guides decisions related to land use, housing, mobility, parks and open space, economic vitality, public facilities, sustainability, and community character.
The process provides an opportunity for community members to come together and establish a shared vision for Los Altos that will help guide future decision-making over the next two decades.
This report summarizes community outreach and engagement conducted during Phase 1: Visioning of the General Plan Update. It documents engagement activities, participation, and key themes that emerged through engagement with residents, business owners, community organizations, City commissions, and other stakeholders. Input gathered during Phase 1 informed the Draft Vision and Guiding Principles and will help shape future phases of the General Plan Update.
BACKGROUND
The City of Los Altos last comprehensively updated its General Plan in 2002. Since then, the community has experienced changes in housing needs, mobility patterns, environmental conditions, technology, and economic trends. New State laws have introduced requirements and best practices related to housing, sustainability, climate resilience, transportation, and environmental justice. Together, these changes create an opportunity to update the General Plan, so it continues to reflect community priorities and provides a framework for addressing emerging opportunities and challenges.
To respond to these changes, the City launched a comprehensive General Plan Update in 2025. The multi-year process is organized into four phases:
• Phase 1: Visioning focused on understanding existing conditions, identifying issues and opportunities, and developing a community vision and guiding principles for the future of Los Altos. • Phase 2: Alternatives will evaluate alternative approaches for land use, mobility, conservation, and other topics, culminating in a Preferred Plan that reflects community input and City direction. • Phase 3: Draft Plan will prepare the Draft General Plan Update and Environmental Impact Report, translating the community vision and Preferred Plan into goals, policies, and implementation actions. • Phase 4: Adoption will involve public review, hearings, and consideration by the Planning Commission and City Council prior to adoption of the updated General Plan.
Phase 1 focused on understanding existing conditions, identifying issues and opportunities, and developing a shared vision for the future of Los Altos. Through a combination of community events, stakeholder discussions, online engagement, and public meetings, residents, business owners, community organizations, and other stakeholders shared their ideas and priorities for the city’s future. The resulting Draft Vision and Guiding Principles establish a foundation for evaluating alternatives and developing goals, policies, and implementation strategies in subsequent phases of the General Plan Update.
Phase 1 Outreach Report | Introduction
ii
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
An important focus of Phase 1 was community outreach and engagement to raise awareness of the General Plan Update and gather input on the issues, opportunities, and priorities that should help shape the future of Los Altos. Community members were invited to share their perspectives on what makes Los Altos unique, the challenges and opportunities facing the city, and their vision for the future.
To reach a broad cross-section of the community, the City and consultant team conducted a variety of engagement activities between January and June 2026, including stakeholder interviews, neighborhood outreach events, a familyfriendly community open house, a citywide online survey, meetings with City commissions and decision-makers, and ongoing engagement through the project website.
A key component of Phase 1 was a “go-to-them” outreach approach. Rather than relying solely on traditional public meetings, the project team participated in community events and activities throughout Los Altos to connect with residents where they already spend time. Neighborhood pop-ups at community gathering places and events and a citywide online survey were conducted to provide stakeholders with convenient opportunities to participate.
Between January and May 2026, nearly 1,000 community members shared ideas and feedback that helped shaped the Draft Vision and Guiding Principles. Engagement included 660 online survey responses, approximately 100 participants at the community workshop, 45 commissioners and 15 community members at open study sessions, and approximately 115 participants at neighborhood pop-up events. Input was received from residents, business owners, community organizations, youth, older adults, commission members, and other stakeholders across the community.
Community
Open House
Summary
Memorandum
To: Brittany Whitehill, City of Los Altos
From: Tishya Rao, Dyett & Bhatia (D&B)
Re: Outreach Summary - April 11 Community Open House
Date: April 17, 2026
Dear Brittany:
The City, in collaboration with Dyett & Bhatia (D&B), hosted a family-friendly Community Open House on Saturday, April 11, 2026 as part of the Visioning Phase (Phase I) of the Los Altos General Plan Update. The event aimed to raise awareness on the General Plan in the community, and gather input from stakeholders on key issues, opportunities, and strategies to consider in updating the General Plan. Feedback collected will also help inform a shared vision and guiding principles for the project. This memo provides a recap of the event and a summary of community input received.
Time and Location
Date/ Time: Saturday, April 11, 2026, 10:30am to 12:30pm Location: Grant Park Community Center, 1575 Holt Avenue, Los Altos, CA 94024
Meeting Summary
The event was held in an open house format with five stations set up around the venue, along with a sign in/ welcome station and two kids' activity tables.
Each station had a series of display posters and post-it notes or comment cards for people to use to make comments.
Community members were able to drop in at any time between 10:30am to 12:30pm and stay for as long as they like. Attendees were encouraged to circulate amongst stations, engage in interactive activities, and provide input on key topics in order to get a stamp on their event passport card. Those participants who visited all stations could exchange their completed passports for a shaved ice treat from the Kona Ice Food Truck, courtesy of the City.
In total, approximately 100 community members attended the outreach workshop, and 212 comments in the form of post-it notes and comment cards were collected across all the stations by the end of the event. A summary of community from each of the stations is provided below together with copies of the comment cards and post-it notes filled out by participants.
Memorandum
Overall, there are five key findings derived from the results:
• Vision and Guiding Principles. Community input emphasized preserving Los Altos' small-town character while enhancing opportunities for connection, safety, and inclusivity. Participants frequently envisioned a family-friendly city with high quality schools, expanded youth activities, and vibrant community spaces such as parks, events, and farmers markets. Maintaining the city's unique sense of place - particularly Downtown Los Altos' scale and charm - was a priority, with many expressing concerns about large-scale development, parking structures, and the need to protect historic and natural resources.
Mobility improvements were also a key theme, with strong support for safer, more connected walking and biking infrastructure, especially for children, alongside enhanced transit options for seniors. Participants would also like to see focused efforts on preserving the City’s tranquility, expanding green space, and maintaining safety to improve quality of life in Los Altos.
• Mobility and Transportation. Survey responses indicate that driving is the dominant mode of travel in Los Altos across most trip types, particularly for commuting, school, church, and shopping trips, while walking and bicycling serve as important secondary options, particularly for school travel and leisure trips. Transit use was notably absent and rideshare was used only minimally. Overall, responses highlight a reliance on private vehicles alongside limited use of active transportation, with some barriers noted for walking longer distances to destinations such as Downtown.
Memorandum
• Parks and Recreation. Attendees participated in three activities to gather insight on popular gathering spaces in Los Altos and recommend improvements. Participants liked to spend most of their time at parks across the city and open spaces like Redwood Grove. When asked about potential new park locations, majority of participants indicated sites along Foothill Expressway and Grant Avenue in South Los Altos, as well as Green Oaks Lane/Bendigo Drive and Woodland Library, which were previously identified as potential new park locations in the 2012 Parks Plan. There was also an emphasis for more new neighborhood parks in North Los Altos instead of the proposed Downtown Park project. Other popular gathering spots include community facilities like Woodland Library, Los Altos Community Center, and the Main Library, as well as shopping areas like Downtown Los Altos, Foothill Shopping Center, Rancho Shopping Center, and Lucky's Plaza. Participants were also asked to rank potential strategies to transform neighborhood commercial centers into vibrant gathering spaces. The most popular options were occasional activity programming like live music, pop-up exhibitions, and seasonal themed events, followed by outdoor seating/patios and small office/co-working spaces. Attracting recognizable name brand stores received the lowest score as a result of mixed reviews; the strategy was popular amongst younger respondents while older residents preferred to retain Los Altos unique local businesses and boutiques.
• Focus Areas. Feedback from comment cards indicate that participants were more inclined to envision El Camino Real (Focus Area 1) and Loyola Corners (Focus Area 3) as potential areas for new development compared to Downtown Los Altos (Focus Area 2), Lucky Shopping Center (Focus Area 4) and Foothill Shopping Center (Focus Area 5).
However, there was an emphasis on encouraging more balanced development with a mix of housing densities, commercial and serviceoriented uses, and green spaces especially along El Camino Real. For other focus areas, participants would like to retain its low-density characteristics and neighborhood-oriented services like grocery stores and auto-servicing stores. Comments also indicated a general concern of long-term affordability and increased traffic and safety issues as a result of new development. Several participants suggested a suite of strategies such as off-site residential parking requirements, improved transit connectivity, and upgraded bicyclist/pedestrian infrastructure to address these concerns.
• Demographics. Several participants voluntarily provided information on where they live. Majority of participants lived in South Los Altos. Other
Memorandum
neighborhoods represented at the event include Woodland Acres/ The Highlands, North Los Altos, Central Los Altos, Old Los Altos, and the Country Club. It should also be noted the event was attended by a mix of individuals, families, youth/teens, and seniors.
Summary of Community Input
The following provides a description of the activity at each station and presents a summary of community feedback received, along with related charts and a transcription of comments collected. A photo of the boards are included in Appendix A, while copies of comment cards filled out by participants for Station 5: Focus Areas can be found in Appendix B.
Sign-In Station and Kids' Activity Tables
Participants were first greeted at the Welcome station, where they signed in and received their nametags and event "passport" card to be used at other stations. Facilitators also shared business cards with project website links and encouraged attendees to subscribe to the project's mailing list. Through the event, attendees could also meet with City staff to discuss the General Plan Update or inquire about other planning efforts undertaken by the City.
Two kids' stations - equipped with coloring sheets, crayons, and a face painter - were also set up in the center of the venue for children attending the event. This enabled parents and/or individuals to comfortably visit and provide feedback at each consecutive station.
Station 1: Orientation
This station included three display boards providing an overview of what a General Plan is, and outline of the Los Altos General Plan Update timeline and project phases. It also had an ice breaker activity in which participants were asked to place a pin on an aerial map of the planning area to indicate where they live (see Appendix A, Board 1C).
Thirty-eight residents participated in the activity, representing neighborhoods throughout Los Altos. More than half of the participants (21 of 38 residents) lived in South Los Altos. Other notable neighborhoods include Woodland Acres/ The Highlands (eight residents), North Los Altos (four residents), Central Los Altos (three residents), Old Los Altos (one resident), and the Country Club (one resident). There were no comments collected as part of this activity.
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Station 2: Guiding Principles
Guiding principles are an important first step for long-range planning, setting the tone for the General Plan by identifying key themes and priorities. They are broad aspirational statements that describe a shared image of the kind of place that Los Altos residents would like their city to be in the future. It lays the foundation for more specific, detailed language of the goals and policies in the plan.
The Vision/ Guiding Principles station featured boards with background information on what a guiding principle is, how they will be used in the planning process, and examples. As the first step of the input process, participants were asked to write their own guiding principles for Los Altos and post them on the board under four broad topics: Community and People; Development and Conservation; Mobility and Transportation; and Quality of Life (see Appendix A, Board 2B). Each category was supplemented with a prompt to facilitate input from community members:
• "In the future Los Altos will be a place where…"
• "In 2050 Los Altos will provide…"
• " In 2050, Los Altos will be a community that…"
• "In the future, Los Altos will support…"
In total 78 responses were collected on post-it notes from this activity, ranging from 16 to 22 responses per topic.
Key Takeaways
• Community and People. Six of 17 responses in this category envisioned Los Altos to be a place where families can come and thrive in the future, equipped with high quality schools, more children/ youth activities, and opportunities for more positive engagement/ involvement from young residents. Five responses described a diverse, inclusive, and safe city with spaces that bring people together like community events (First Fridays, concerts, and festivals), functional parks, farmers markets, and community amenities. Other comments touched upon age-friendly city and services (2 response), retaining the small-town character of the city (2 responses), and adapting to new technologies like Artificial Intelligence (1 response).
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• Development and Conservation. Preserving Los Altos' unique sense of place was a recurring theme in this category. Six of 22 responses in this category emphasized maintaining the small-town charm of Downtown Los Altos and the city as a whole. Several participants also advocated for prohibiting parking garages (three responses) and high-rise developments above 2 stories (two responses), and regulating singlefamily and ADU housing sizes to ensure consistency with existing lowdensity neighborhood character (two responses). Additionally, participants expressed interest in increased efforts towards to preserve historic resources, trees/orchards and other natural resources (four responses), as well as a preference for updating existing parks rather than designing new ones (five responses) in the future. • Mobility and Transportation. Participants expressed a desire for Los Altos to become a safe, walkable, and bike-friendly community in the future, enabling greater independence—especially for children (12 of 20 responses). Suggested improvements include enhanced bike lanes and sidewalks connecting schools, parks, and Downtown Los Altos, implementing school bicycle licensing programs, and requiring on-site parking as part of new housing developments. Some respondents emphasized the need to prioritize public transportation and provide options for suitable for seniors in the future (five response), while others advocated for avoiding large parking garages in Downtown (two responses).
• Quality of Life. There were 16 responses collected in this category.
Preserving Los Altos' tranquil and small-town/ village feel (seven responses) and incorporating more trees, green spaces (six responses), and community facilities like a pool or sports center (one response) were important for participants to maintain Los Altos' quality of life.
Participants also appreciated how safe the city feels but identified potential for improvements in areas near Fremont Avenue in South Los Altos (two responses).
• Other. The two comments collected as part of this category highlighted the need for continued public art initiatives, maintenance of public landscaping, and giving homeowners more flexibility with zoning to help with meeting the City's housing needs.
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Station 2 Comments: Write Your Guiding Principles for Los Altos! (Board 2B) Community and People
City must stop trying to sell and tell the residents. Let them vote. Be quantitative.
Continue First Fridays and festivals. Farmers markets, community pool.
Support the local newspaper (online + print) by offering internships paid for by the City to local altos students.
I envision los altos will be a place where people feel safe taking walks late at night or leaving their things out on the driveway overnight.
I'd like los altos to preserve what makes it unique, like its small town feel + vibrant downtown. I hope the parking lots stay + a theater downtown is not built. Los altos is special "as is".
More positive engagement & involvement from young people.
Retain schools.
Serves all citizens, thoughtful about diversity, inclusion.
Retain the sort of smaller town charm it already has.
More child/youth acitivities within city limits.
Love the diversity of los altos.
People come together park, concert, farmers market and place where everyone is.
Has nationally awarded schools at all levels elementary to high school.
Family friendly geared for children events + more camps in Los Altos.
More functional parks rather than green spaces + age friendly.
Young familities can come and thrive.
Mobility and Transportation
We do not need large parking garage in downtown. Thank you.
I envision the future Los Altos to be a city which is well connected through public transport and is more bike friendly. Instead of big buses we can start with smaller ones. safe for walking and biking
mobility improvements/options especially for senior community is safe for biking and walking as a priority
improve/ add sidewalks for access to public parks & town free hop on/hop off buses (small jitneys) to take people around the community safe walking and biking routes protected from traffic especially for kids to get to schools or parks
keep parking in downtown
high school traffic flows - more safety and convenience, more parking solutions at drop off/ pickup
love for kids to bike independently
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bike routes/ crossing areas for teens/kids to bike/ride safely more school bike licenses
let us maintain city as a paradise for walkers, bikers and narrow roads to discourage drivers priorities public transportation, and no emission travel like bikes or solar powers safety for pedestrians cyclists when approving developments in the city. Consider safety impacts, require on-site parking for residents (all)
support biking and school buses to CMS + homestead!
more options for seniors to self transport
safe routes to school - biking and walking
walking! No e-bikes on sidewalks. School bike licenses.
Development and Conservation
reduce allowable housing sizes to prevent large McMansions on 1/4 acre lots Preserve trees and natural resources
protect orchard & historic resources
support birding opportunities
keep downtown charm and ambience but more spaces for people who live downtown keep the small town feel of the city and would like more in the future. Find balance of community with residents.
update existing parks with additional parking. Many parks are neglected/ better upkeep no parking garages
upgrade existing parks equipment
maintain character of downtown + no parking garages + keep parking accessible eliminate pop ups on parking lots (Main street)
develop loyola corners
very convenient in downtown - keep it that way
keep it like a small town, family friendly
protect orchard
minimize high rise development - 1 to 2 storey max in downtown rather than investing in a downtown parking structure, invest in improving current parks! maintain easement rules and quality of quietness
be more cognisant on what is being planned - not always a park no parking garage; don't cut the trees for a garage; minimize high rise development in the city supportive of ADUs but getting too big. Be careful of allowed sizes and limit high density housing
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no large parking farage in the downtown. Instead, offer free trolleys/ buses at designated stops inbound Los Altos.
Quality of Life
Reduce development in favor of trees/ healthy communities Los Altos public pool for children/ sports center for children (5 - 13) upgrade existing parks, shoup new interpretation, protect redwood trees quality of life should be the guiding principle
trees/ shady green areas. Improve existing parks
its small town feel is a value to me while it is still in the middle of a metropolis whatever we can do to keep it small seems helpful. No fancy parking + high spped thoroughfare green spaces
we love how safe it feels. Keep it safe and clearn. We love how active the downtown is with all the ongoing events LAVA hosts for example
mountain village feel
support a tranquil and quality lifestyle, preserving where peace and greening and preserving vibrant sports are allowed like having gems on a vast green canvas. when approving multi-housing developments, consider architectural appeal so Los Altos maintains charm and does not become a bland suburb
semi rural village character matters in all Neighborhoods improve safety near fremont avenue near South Los Altos (address homeless camps) maintain the vilage feel
maintain the vilage feel
more hiking areas
Other
City to retain the feel of some of the historical facades. History max on housing mixed use buildings. Housing on top, safe pedestrian & cycling access. Continued public art. Maintenance of public landscaping
Give homeowners flexibility with zoning and ability to help city with its housing needs.
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Station 3: Mobility and Transportation
This station aimed to gather topic-specific feedback from community members on their transportation and mobility priorities in Los Altos. The information board presented facts and figures current travel patterns, along with a map illustrating existing and planned pedestrian and bicycle improvement connections. Participants left a total of 13 comments on the board, highlighting the need for better transit connectivity or shuttles within Los Altos and to neighboring cities (four responses), traffic and parking solutions near schools (three responses), and safer bike lanes near Loyola Corners and South Los Altos (three responses), among other concerns.
Participants could also engage in two activities at this station (see Appendix A, Board 3B and C). The first was a dot survey, in which participants place dot stickers on a matrix of key destinations (vertical axis) and mode choices (horizontal axis) to indicate travel within Los Altos. Key destination categories included work, school, church, leisure, and shopping, while mode-choices included drive, walk, bicycle, rideshare (uber/lyft/waymo), bus, and other (scooter, carpool, etc.).
This activity garnered 167 dot responses, as illustrated in Figure 1 below, and three post-it comments from participants.
Figure 1: Mode-share Choices to Key Destinations
14 14
8 14
25 1
9 2
24 13
4 12
1 13
4 1 1
0 3
2 0 0 0 0 0
1 0 0
1 0
0 5
10 15
20 25
30 Work School Church Leisure Shopping
Drive Walk Bicycle Rideshare Bus Other
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Key Takeaways
• Overall Mode-Choice. In general, respondents preferred to drive in private vehicles to key destinations (75 of 167 responses), followed by walking (49 responses) and bicycling (34 responses). Bus transit was the least favorable option with zero responses from participants, while rideshare and "other" travel options were used minimally (9 responses). • Travel to Work. Of the 21 responses received in this category, majority of participants (14 responses) preferred to drive to work. Other favorable options include bicycling (four responses), walking, rideshare, and "other", all receiving one response each. One participant also commented that they bike to Caltrain for their work commute.
These results are consistent with 2024 commuting data from the American Community Survey (see Appendix A, Board 3A), which illustrates that most residents (51 percent) drive to work and less than ten percent walk, bike, or use transit in the city.
• Travel to School. Driving and bicycling were the two post popular modechoices, receiving 14 and 12 responses respectively out of 36 total responses. Walking (nine responses) and rideshare (one response) was also favored, while bus and other mode-choice categories received zero responses.
• Travel to Church. This category received 11 responses with driving as the preferred option (8 responses) amongst participants. Other modechoices included walking (2 responses) and bicycling (1 response). • Travel to Leisure Destinations. Unlike other categories, walking to was the most prominent mode-choice amongst participants, receiving 24 out of 55 total responses. There were similar preferences for driving (14 responses) and bicycling (13 responses) to leisure designations. Few participants use rideshare (3 responses) or "other" options (1 response). • Travel for Shopping. Majority of respondents (25 out of 44 responses) preferred to drive to shopping destinations. One participant commented that it is difficult to walk to shopping areas located more than 2 miles away from residential neighborhoods, citing Downtown Los Altos as an example. Similar to most other categories, walking and bicycling were also popular options, with 13 and four responses respectively. These trends were in line with non-commute travel data from the American Community Survey, as seen in Appendix A, Board 3A.
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The second activity asked participants to rank eight transportation improvements on a scale of 1 to 5 (1= least effective; 5= most effective) that would most encourage them to bike or walk in Los Altos. Improvements may include protected bike lanes, improved lighting, safer intersections, more bike parking, traffic calming, pedestrian amenities, etc.
Each of the concepts received an average of 15 responses, which was used to calculate individual ranking scores to determine the most popular strategies amongst participants. These are illustrated in Figure 2 and 3 below.
Participants also left 42 post-it comments on the activity board by the end of the event.
Figure 2: Walking Improvement Strategies Average Ranking Scores Figure 3: Biking Improvement Strategies Average Ranking Scores
4.8 4.3
2.9 2.9
3.7 0
1 2
3 4
5 6
Sidewalks or Walking
Paths
Pedestrian Amenities Wayfinding and Signage Pedestrian-scaled Lighting
Themed Walking Loops
Average Ranking Score (out of 5)
4 4
4.4 3.7
3.9 3.2
3.4 3.6
3.8 4
4.2 4.4
4.6 More Bike Lanes Improved Wayfinding
and Bike Route Signage
Traffic Calming
Measures
Improved lighting for
evening and nighttime
cycling
More Bike Parking and
Secure/Covered storage
at key destinations
Average Ranking Score (out of 5)
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Key Takeaways
Walking
• Ranking Scores. Participants would like to see improved sidewalk conditions (ranking score 4.8 out of 5), pedestrian amenities like benches, waterbottle refilling stations, and greenery (4.3 out of 5), and themed walking loops (3.7 out of 5) in the city. Wayfinding/ signage and pedestrian-scaled lighting improvements were least favored, each receiving a score of 2.9 out of 5.
• Existing Sidewalk Improvements. A key issue amongst respondents was the lack of maintenance of existing sidewalks (three responses), which were characterised as "dangerous" and in "a state of disrepair".
Furthermore, some participants called for more street trees and (two responses) widened sidewalks (one response) to improve sidewalk conditions in the city.
• Safe Routes to School. Two respondents suggested adding specific improvements along safe routes to schools like pavement repair and traffic enforcement to ensure the safety and well-being of children as they travel to/from school.
• Direct/Attractive Walking Paths. Some participants proposed more scenic routes, hiking-friendly streets or streets lined with shops or storefronts to make places fun/ enjoyable to walk to (four responses), while other would like to see more direct routes to reduce chances of exhaustion while walking (two responses).
Bicycling
• Ranking Scores. Most participants were strongly in favor of traffic calming measures as a way to encourage more biking in Los Altos (ranking score 4.4 out of 5). More bike lanes and improved wayfinding/ signage were also popular amongst participants; each receiving a score of 4.0 out of 5. Bike parking and improved lighting strategies received the lowest scores of 3.9 and 3.7 out of 5 respectively. • Improved Safety Measures. Majority of responses (13 responses) called for more measures to improve safety for bicyclists in Los Altos. This includes more protected/separated bike lanes especially in areas like Montclaire and South Los Altos (five responses), visible bike markings (one response), and fixing tree root bumps along Foothill Expressway
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(three responses). Furthermore, participants believe biking infrastructure improvements should be supplemented with traffic calming measures (two responses) and efforts to increase driver etiquette awareness (two responses).
• Child/teen-friendly Bike Paths. Like walking, participants raised the need for biking improvements along Safe Routes to School (four responses) and better direct routes to Downtown Los Altos (two responses) so that children can travel on their own within the city. • New Bike Lanes. Three participants would like to see more bike lanes connecting residential neighborhoods to key commercial areas, especially in South Los Altos along Foothill Expressway. One participant appreciated the new bike lane on Castle Lane. On the other hand, two respondents expressed concern that new bike lanes have also increased confusion amongst commuters, as seen on El Monte Avenue and along Foothill Expressway.
Other
• Public Transit Improvements. In addition to walking and bicycling improvements, three responses highlighted public transit as a convenient way to move around the city and called for better connectivity within the City. One respondent also proposed more frequent city-run bus transit at designated stops between 8am to 5pm, 7 days a week.
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Station 3 Comments: Mobility and Transportation
Board 3A: Mobility and Transportation
Where is VTA Access?
Too many sidewalk gaps
Where can students park? Where can parents?
Need shuttles like our neighboring cities.
Not enough parking at schools --> conflict between residents and students needs Los Altos high issues with parking, safety for all modes If we have a good network of public transit, more people will use it. We need better public transit.
Do NOT do to Los Altos what has been done to El Camino
Biking for foothill to loyola corners, barrier at foothill, preser road for biking. need more public transit
no bollards on San Antonio Road. We have attractive safe routes for bikes and pedestrians. would consider public transit if it was accessible between South Los Altos and North Los Altos.
Board 3B: How do you get around Los Altos?
Long walk to downtown (> 2 miles)
Love separates bike lanes - good for kids
Bike to Caltrain for work
Board 3C: What would encourage you to bike or walk more? City needs to better understand intersections are unsafe Routes to school are very dangerous for kids biking
Need connected bike lanes for kids. Live near downtown with kids, not safe for my kids to go out on their own.
public transit is convenient (for away, infrequent)
commercial areas and residential areas have different needs. Commercial areas need bike infrastructure.
for los altos could be great for biking - need biking infrastructure, traffic calming bikes already take granger are/ side lanes/ fremont are to avoid foothill expressway. Not interested on adding bike path from foothills.
fixing bike lanes on foothill to smooth at tree root bumps. Drafting a better solution to bring.. It is a
signage difficult with tree
either add measures for traffic calming and multi new improvements prefer bike lanes included on the road
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operate city-run (free) transit at designated stops 7 days per week (8 to 5pm) driver awareness to cyclists
design bike infrastructure to be as important as car infrastructure conflicts with pedestrians and cars
narrow roads to school traffic
new castle bike lane is great
need bike path maintenance
Sidewalks break - up the "Rural nature of neighborhoods". Side walks should be used only when necessary.
shops/ storefronts make places fun/enjoyable to walk
linking pavement repair to safe routes to the school premises using funding from complete streets
sidewalk groups ok because wide streets have benefits. Don't need to navigate around trees. safety enforcement (driving) especially along safe routes to school sidewalk maintenance is an ongoing issue. Don't want to maintain sidealks and street trees shade trees & greenery don't need water refill
transit to/from downtown (not everyone can drive) and more transit in general. separated bike lanes feel safer
more pedestrian crossings and bike lane markings on the street dead end streets have walking paths which is nice
kid friendly bike paths
sidewalks in disrepair, which is dangerous. Better maintenance needed. more scenic, enjoyable routes
protected bike lane on El Monte - added more confusion. All modes are confused. overpass without lighting on the way to school (unsafe) - crossing 85 protected bike path to mount clair and south los altos
too far for kids to walk - get tired
no LED lights
no bollards
would bike if safer. Not safe to bike to school w/ my kids more mature/ hiking streets
direct walking routes
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Station 4: Parks and Open Space
Parks and gathering places make an important contribution to the quality of life in the community. Stakeholders focus groups and community members expressed interest in more community gathering places during other Phase I outreach initiatives. This station sought to build on that interest and gather more topic-specific feedback from event attendees through three different activities.
Background information on the Quimby Act, current versus required parkland ratios was presented on Board 4A (see Appendix A, Board 4A). It also included a map showing the location of existing facilities with short profiles as well as potential locations for new parks identified in the current 2012 Parks Plan. The first activity asked participants to stick a pin on the map to indicate potential locations for new parks in Los Altos. Eleven pin locations and 22 comments were collected as part of this activity.
Key Takeaways
• South Los Altos Park Locations. Majority of locations (nine pins) were concentrated in south Los Altos along Foothill Expressway and Grant Road. Participants were also in favor of Green Oaks Lane/Bendigo Drive and Woodland Library, two potential locations previously identified in the Parks Plan. Furthermore, input from four comments indicates a strong desire for Woodland Library to be further expanded with community gardens, landscaping, and other park elements. • North Los Altos Park Locations. Locations in North Los Altos include the proposed Downtown Park and near Portola Avenue (two pins and one comment). Although some participants were in favor of the Downtown Park project, others would like the site to be retained as a surface parking lot and prioritize new parks in other areas of North Los Altos (three comments).
• New Park Amenities. Three participants would like to see playgrounds designed for older children, a community pool, and a dedicated pickleball court as part of new parks proposed in the city. • Existing Park Improvements. Eight commenters requested for more efforts in improving existing parks in the city instead of proposing new ones. Suggestions include improving amenities (tennis courts and new play structures) and parking at Merrymeade, Hillview, and Grant Park (five comments), and investing in park maintenance efforts like
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pavements, drainage, and benches at Montclaire, Shoup, and McKenzie Park (three comments). Additionally, two commenters highlighted the need to prioritize natural turf rather than artificial/synthetic surfaces in existing parks.
The second activity was a map-based activity to solicit input on popular gathering places in Los Altos (see Appendix A, Board 4B). Participants indicated spots around town where they with friends and family by sticking a pin on the map and/or writing the name of the spot on a post-it note. There were 77 pins and ten comments collected from participants by the end of the event.
Key Takeaways
• Parks. Majority of visitors to this station liked to spend their free time at Los Altos' parks and other open spaces, as indicated by 42 out of 77 map pins. These include four parks in North Los Altos (Hillview Park, Shoup Park, and Rosita Park) and five parks in the south (McKenzie Park, Heritage Oaks Park, Marymeade Park, McKenzie Park, and Grant Park).
Other open spaces like Redwood Grove was also popular amongst participants (five map pins).
• Park Recommendations. Some participants also chose to leave comments on park improvements they would like to see in the city. For instance, one participant would like to see improved sidewalk conditions from Highlands neighborhoods to Marymeade Park, while five other participants recommended adding amenities like shading structures at Montclaire Park, biking/walking trails at Shoup Park, more tennis courts and pickleball courts, and youth-oriented programs. Like the Board 4A activity, two comments highlighted the need for more parks in North Los Altos - near Marich Way, Jordan, Panchita, and Distel Drive - rather than the proposed Downtown Park project.
• Community Facilities and Schools. Woodland Library (seven pins), the Main Library (two pins), and the Los Altos Community Center (one pin) were perceived as important gathering spaces by participants.
Furthermore, three participants indicated schools like Bullis Charter School, Egan Junior High School, and Oak Avenue Elementary School. • Commercial Districts and Shopping Centers. Four participants suggested they enjoy spending time in Downtown Los Altos, with one commenter highlighting its walkability. Participants also frequently visited Foothill Crossing (three pins), Lucky's Plaza (two pins), and Whole
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Foods on El Camino Real (two pins). Rancho Shopping Center was also popular amongst participants, indicated by one pin and three comments from the activity.
Lastly, attendees were asked to participate in a dot-survey on strategies to strengthen Los Altos' neighborhood shopping centers as key community gathering spaces. Participants ranked six strategies on a scale of 1 to 5 ((1= least effective; 5= most effective). These included outdoor seating/ patios, public art, occasional activity programming, attracting recognizable name brand stores, more service-oriented businesses, and small office and co-working spaces.
Responses collected was used to calculate average ranking scores to determine the most popular strategies amongst participants. Each strategy received an average of 27 responses, and ranking scores are illustrated in Figure 4 below. Participants also left seven comments on the activity board.
Figure 4: Gathering Spaces Strategies Average Ranking Scores Key Takeaways
• Occasional Activity Programming. With a ranking score of 4.6 out of
5.0, participants would most like to see occasional activity programming like live music, pop-up exhibitions, seasonal themed events, and public performances as a way to create vibrant gathering spaces at neighborhood shopping center areas.
• Other Popular Strategies. Outdoor Seating (4.3 out of 5.0), Small Offices/Co-working Spaces (2.9 out of 5.0), and Public Art (2.8 out of 5.0) were also highly favored amongst participants.
4.3 2.8
4.6 2.5 2.6
2.9 0
0.5 1
1.5 2
2.5 3
3.5 4
4.5 5
Outdoor Seating,
Patios, and
Terraces
Public Art Occasional Activity
Programming
Name Brand Stores Service-oriented
businesses
Small Offices and
Co-working spaces
Average Ranking Score (out of 5.0)
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• Name Brand Stores. Name brand stores was the least popular strategy with a ranking score of 2.5 out of 5.0. Based on comments collected as part of this activity, participants would like to promote Los Altos' local businesses and boutiques instead of attracting large name brands especially in Downtown Los Altos (four comments). However, younger participants were more likely to be favor of this concept, as indicated by two comments.
• Service-oriented Business. Although this strategy received a low score of 2.6 out of 5.0, comments indicate that there is a need for balanced neighborhood-oriented services like clinics, animal grooming, and grocery stores so that residents can run errands without the need to drive elsewhere.
Station 4 Comments: Parks and Recreation
Board 4A: Parks and Open Spaces in Los Altos
use land near main library + woodland, plus schools to create community gardens to offer low priced produce to a city run food pantry.
update/ new grand park building with parking
we would love to have any of the proposed downtown park ideas! A public gathering place with shade + play areas is so important for families
big kids in playground
focus on buying available lots in neighborhoods to make neighborhood parks. maintain and improve existing parks
no plastic in parks. No artificial turf or synthetic surfaces preserve downtown parking as is
need a park in north los altos, not downtown
quality of park? Cupertino has nice parks like serra porte would like to see nice ones here. improve pavement, drainage, benches, at Monteclaire park and consider adding a bathroom! invest in improvements at mcKenzie, shoup, montclaire and grant community pool
redo the fields with a proper lawn. It is a trip hazard with all the mounds of weeds woodland library should be bigger with more options
landscape the open space area next to woodland branch library open space near Marymeade should be improved into a park Add parking to Marymeade (in addition to the tennis spots, put by some playground)
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parks in north los altos at El … should be highest priority I think there should be a park at woodland
Hillview park is a large space but it seems underused. It could have more amenities like a play structure, paths to walk, or picnic, more trees and shade should help. a dedicated pickleball court
Board 4B: Where do you spend your free time?
more city kids classes and activities in south los altos such as Grant Park Rancho San Antonio and Los Altos street walking
no park in downtown
no park in north los altos! (Marich way, Jordan, Panchita, Distel) Rancho San Antonio neighborhood entrance mora drive
more youth (7-18) sports programs
cuesta park, Sunnyvale tennis center, Rancho San Antonio more tennis courts and pickleball courts
put sidewalks in to reach marymeade park with stroller on Fremont and grant from Highlands neighborhoods
Montclaire Park - shade structure; Shoup Park - Garden house with parking and bike/walking trails
Board 4C: Create Vibrant Gathering Places
don't want/ don't need brand name stores in downtown Los Altos No name brand stores please! I really love how downtown has mostly small businesses and doesn't feel like a cookie cutter copy/paste of so many shopping centers across the world with the same brands
we need to improve public transportation, reduce the need for parking lots downtown that space is used for parking can be used for areas where people can walk, gather, enjoy art we need to maintain a diverse and balanced set of businesses downtown which serves the people of Los Altos such that they can do most of their errands downtown and don't need to drive elsewhere.
having neighborhood services give a sense of community. i.e. Loyola Corners young people would like to see brand name stores
boutique type of stores (not limited to clothes). Examples: activity stores (board games, D&D, strategy), little shops like boba, crafty bakeries, pottery.
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Station 5: Focus Areas
Focus areas are targeted locations in Los Altos where change is forseeable in the next ten to 20 years. They typically comprise clusters of vacant and underutilized parcels that present opportunities for redevelopment.
Concentrating planning efforts on these areas allows the community to develop a shared vision for how they should evolve and to align the General Plan accordingly.
This station provided background information on five focus areas identified in Los Altos: El Camino Real, Downtown Los Altos, Loyola Corners, Lucky Shopping Center, and Foothill Shopping Center (see Appendix A, Board 5B).
Participants were asked to provide feedback on what they would like to see in each one. Items could include specific land uses, amenities, design features, or programs they would like implemented. Input was collected via comment cards placed near the station and will be used to craft Alternatives in Phase 2.
There were 42 comment cards collected by the end of the event (see Appendix B). Key takeaways for each of the focus areas are listed below.
Key Takeaways
• Focus Area 1: El Camino Real. Three participants shared suggestions on improvements they would like to see within this focus area. Overall, El Camino Real should be developed as a balanced community featuring a mix of housing densities, commercial spaces, community facilities (art galleries, theatres, and farmers markets), and gathering areas (parks, greenbelts, lawns, and courtyards). There was also a general concern for increased traffic along the corridor because of new development, with participants calling for improved transit connectivity, on-site residential parking, and pedestrian/bicyclist safety interventions as potential strategies to tackle future traffic issues.
• Focus Area 2: Downtown Los Altos. Of the seven comments received on Downtown Los Altos, four comments highlighted the need to preserve the area's existing cultural spaces and surface parking lots rather than proposing new parks/ theatres and supplemental parking structures. participants argued that Downtown Los Altos is charming and vibrant as it is and does not need to be reinvented with new uses.
Other suggestions include encouraging more businesses and job opportunities tailored for teens, shops and restaurants covering a variety of price points, and limiting pop-up stalls on Main Street.
Memorandum
• Focus Area 3: Loyola Corners. Participants shared a mix of opinions on this focus area. While some participants considered Loyola Corners as a promising opportunity for development (2 comments), others were more skeptical of adding new commercial/housing development in the area (three comments) citing concerns of unwanted street congestion and displacement of existing businesses.
• Focus Area 4: Lucky Shopping Center. Eight of 11 comments on this focus area indicated a preference for more local shops, communityoriented services (fitness centers and yoga/pilates studios) and plazas/green spaces that cater to existing residential communities and commuters, rather than new housing developments. Furthermore, there was an emphasis on retaining the existing grocery store and supporting more food-related facilities in the area like community gardens (two comments). Only one commenter shared their support for new housing in the area, but emphasized affordability as a key criteria • Focus Area 5: Foothill Shopping Center. The most pressing concern in the area is traffic safety and circulation (four comments), with respondents describing poor traffic flow, frequent conflicts between cars, cyclists, and pedestrians, and confusion at key access points such as Foothill Expressway and parking lot entrances. These issues are compounded by visibility challenges (two comments), particularly morning sun glare along Homestead Road, which reduces driver visibility and contributes to near-misses and accidents. As a result, participants would like to see improvements in pedestrian and bicycle safety especially along school routes and improved parking layout and access at Foothill Shopping Center. Respondents also expressed interest in enhancing retail and service amenities (four comments), including more coffee shops, a pharmacy (e.g., Walgreens or CVS), urgent care, and grocery options.
• Other Comments. There is a need to carefully balance growth with community character and infrastructure. While increased housing density is conditionally supported, concerns focus on ensuring adequate parking and avoiding negative spillover effects on residential streets, along with skepticism about long-term affordability benefits (two comments). Respondents expressed strong interest in expanding community facilities and public investments (two mentions), particularly youth-oriented amenities such as sports centers, pools, park improvements, and environmental programs, and in prioritizing this over additional residential development on limited land. There are also calls for enhanced parks and mixed-use community spaces (one
Memorandum
mention), updated zoning and development regulations to allow more flexibility for property owners (one mention), and transportation and streetscape improvements along Foothill Expressway (one mention).
Station 5 Comments: Focus Areas
Focus Area 1: El Camino Real
Continue to improve buildings + transit on El Camino. High density housing w/ barriers shielding neighbors.
El Camino Real should be centered as a balanced area, not a dump yard for all cluttered high density buildings or offices! As a balanced community in El Camino Real it needs gathering areas (parks, greenbelts, lawns, courtyards) among high rises, activity spaces (art gallery, tactical streets/ farmers market, theater); interesting commercials (game rooms, unique/local charactered boba, bakery, ice creams); potentially with outdoor seatings, reducing the felt density; green spaces that minimizes noise and concrete feels of density; Make El Camino belt inviting for Los Altos!
El Camino Real Development
- How will El Camino ? The nearby neighborhood streets support the extra traffic?? - I have a strong concern about pedestrian and cycling safety in the neighborhood. Nite that Jordan and Merich are cut through streets.
One suggestion for housing developments - require on-site parking for all residents.
Focus Area 2: Downtown Los Altos
Lets create parking garages along San Antonio and Foothill and lets reuse the large amount of space that downtown devotes to inefficient parking solutions for things that increase the value of downtown and improve the lives of the people who live nearby. Pedestrian only streets, nice large plazas to gather, and socialize. Theatres, museums things that would attract people other than restaurants and shops.
I hope los altos leaves downtown alone- it is wonderful the way it is! I'd hate to see it lose its parking lots, a theatre where you’d need to park underground etc. los altos downtown is wonderful + charming and vibrant as it is! Thank you for saving downtown! more parking on main street
Support adequate parking. At one point Los Altos intended to build a garage on Foothill and First and then sold the land. Several other towns built the infrastructure first to support a thriving/revitalized downtown (e.g. Campbell, Los Gatos, Mountain View).
Encourage shops and restaurants at a variety of price points No new theater. The immediate area has plenty of cultural options. We do not need to reinvent the wheel. Continue festivals & First Fridays and community building like the Pet & Winter parades.
Too many pop ups on Main Street!
More variety of businesses, including for teens. More job opportunities for teens. More shade everywhere and more senior-friendly housing.
Memorandum
Please preserve the existing surface parking in Los Altos downtown. It is one of the City's major assets that distinguishes Los Altos from other downtowns. The current parking areas with their Chinese Pistache trees is very much like a park already and is heavily used.
Focus Area 3: Loyola Corners
more retail, possible new parks
Loyola Corners is a promising opportunity for radical redevelopment, including consideration of traffic patterns due to some odd existing roads, intersections. This is a school route as well.
Please step back and imagine a mix of housing, commercial, and infrastructure improvement to make this a vibrant mini-downtown.
Focus Area 4: Lucky Shopping Center
I live near Lucky's + would be sad to see the shopping center torn down for housing + increased traffic + loss of sense of community as well as the loss of the small businesses there like the auto part shop
Continue to have a grocery store and services like car repair + whole area could be redone to add multistory housing and improve dated structures.
more stores; possible park
I think the main attraction has been the Lucky supermarket, so maybe the city could develop facilities around it! I also think the parking spaces right of Lucky's has potential for a three sided plaza with seats in the middle for dining. Service related stores don't attract much constant customers so the city should implement more food related facilities.
Redevelop Lucky's space into some affordable housing, grocery shops with underground parking. Outdoor spaces for cafes + community events.
Leave it as is, and attract new businesses to serve the commuters. No parks, no new housing.
Grocery, restaurant/café (casual), green space
Not a good location for housing or apartments. It would be better to make it into a green patch to help restore the green feel which is missing.
Designated dog park with bike track circling park for kids to ride bikes. Maybe a skateboard park for teens in area to hang out at. Teens in South Los Altos have no area to hang out at.
Maybe a community garden where volunteers can run classes, grow food for food banks, do vegetable/fruit share days for neighbors who have an abundance of produce they are growing. challenges with traffic flow at Fremont crossing at Loyola Corners. Can we do more with in-fill for affordable housing?
services/ spaces to bring community together- fitness center, yoga/pilates studio, little gym for kids, arts, play area for kids, areas to gather - cafes.
Focus Area 5: Foothill Shopping Center
Poor traffic flow and visibility in this area. Mix of cars going in/out of shopping center, lots of kids on bikes commuting to school, pedestrians. In the morning, there is direct sunlight in drivers eyes on Homestead. Sit in front of Peets coffee for 1 hour and you will witness multiple close incidents.
Better flow for cars entering parking lot.
would love to get more coffee shops/cafés. Need a Walgreens/CVS
Memorandum
Add a pharmacy, smaller PAMF urgent care, keep the grocery stores.
Similar amenities, better parking layout: coffee, services, restaurants (takeout and sit-down), trader joes, produce market, pharmacy, outdoor green space/outdoor tables Better pedestrian crossings (poor visibility in the morning on Homestead w/ direct sun) Foothill crossing traffic accidents- cars and bikes close to Grant Road entering Homestead Road. Confusion at peets entering/exit traffic entering from Foothill Expressway. Too many accidents, unsafe for kids biking to school.
Multiple Focus Areas
[3,4,and 5] make an intensive effort to engage the immediate neighborhoods [2,4, and 5] Keep local shopping (Lucky's, Foothill) as is for South Los Altos residents. Eliminate downtown "pop ups" and keep parking near adjacent to shopping in their present configuration - no parking structures or parks.
[3,4, and 5] I don't support large new commercial/housing projects here, but bring in businesses to use existing structures! I like the "breathing room" that walkable completes, and parking lots create, and don't want high-rises blocking out sun (like what has happened in downtown along Foothill :()
[4 and 5] housing would bring more unwanted street congestion. Foothill crossing needs more friendly shopping for this end of Los Altos.
[4 and 5] Focus 4 + 5 very unhelpful. All lots are underutilized - yes you can make more revenue but that cannot be the total focus. Be transparent. Listen to the residents.
All/Other
Increasing dense housing is okay BUT only if you insist on adequate parking for all the new residents, ruining the neighborhood by increasing car parked on residential streets should be avoided. Also understand that development will mostly benefit real estate. industrial complex, not really lower housing cost in the long run.
1) Community Facilities: I would like the city to invest in facilities/programs for youth development/community engagement. 1) community sports centre 2) swim pool 3) upgrade of equipment in existing parks 4) environment conservation programs. I am very much against using lucky space for residential buildings. it needs to be utilized for 1). most development happens in North Los Altos.
2) New development: retain residential character of los altos community I would love to have easier codes for people with properties on corner lots or flag lots to utilize their property as they want. There are stricter setback requirements for those homeowners which is not fair specially if the city wants to encourage more housing/fair housing. Please modify the codes. Some of them are just outdated and don't make sense anymore. Thanks!! Parks are always a good idea for people to hang out in a nice surrounding or kids to play while running errands. Restaurants should be added to them to again make it more desirable to go for retail where you can also eat and play.
replant fruit + olive trees down the median on Foothill Expressway for a Los Altos - run food bank and/or put a small trolley down Foothill Expressway between 280-Main Street to encourage people to take public transport to/from downtown.
Memorandum
Please consider architectural design so Los Altos maintains its charm and does not look like a bland suburb.
Memorandum
Appendix A
Open House Boards
1A. What is a General Plan?
Specific Plans,
Master Plans
General Plan
Zoning Ordinance
Design Standards
Capital Improvements
High Level View
Detailed View
Hierarchy of Planning Documents
The Los Altos General Plan is our blueprint for the future. It’s a long range plan built on a shared vision that describes the kind of community that residents want and identifies actions we can take to realize the vision.
The City is updating the General Plan to address emerging issues and new State laws and to achieve key objectives, including:
• Preserving and enhancing Los Altos’ distinctive sense of place; • Reinforcing the role of Downtown Los Altos in the life of the community; • Facilitating infill development in strategic locations; • Revitalizing older commercial centers with new uses to better serve the community; • Exploring options to enhance recreational amenities and foster community health; and • Advancing citywide goals for multimodal mobility, roadway safety, business vitality, environmental sustainbility, and housing availability.
• The General Plan is the City’s primary long range
planning document
• Implemented through a variety of mechanisms
What topics are covered in the General Plan?
What’s the role of the General Plan?
elements
8 required
Circulation
Conservation
Housing
Land Use
Open Space
Noise
Environmental
Justice
Safety
Required Elements
• By law, the General Plan must
address the 8 topics shown at
left that affect all aspects of
community life.
• It can also address key topics of
importance to the community,
such as:
• community health
• historic resources
• environmental sustainability
Where We
Are Now
Kick-Off
Community
Workshop
Decision-maker
Study Session
Decision-maker
Study Session
Community
Workshop
Pop-Up
Outreach
Events
Pop-Up
Outreach Events
Community
Workshop
Technical
Background
Report
Released
Preliminary
Alternative
Plans
Preferred
Plan
and Key
Strategies
Vision/Guiding
Principles Public Review
Draft General
Plan
Public Review Draft
Environmental
Impact Report
Final Environmental
Impact Report
Adopted General
Plan
Public
Hearings
Citywide
Survey #1
Citywide
Survey #2
Stakeholder
Interviews
Open
Commission
Study Session
Teen Video
Contest
Admin Draft
General Plan
Admin Draft
Environmental
Impact Report
Decision-maker
Study Sessions
PHASE 2
Alternatives
Exploration
PHASE 1
Visioning and Issue/
Opportunity Identification
PHASE 3
Draft Plan
Preparation
PHASE 4
Adoption &
Finalization
PLAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
& REVIEW PROCESS
2025 2026 2027
Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec 1B. Project Timeline
* Dates are approximate and subject to change.
§ Los Altos Neighborhoods
!! Los Altos City Limit
c:J Los Altos Sphere of Influence
Put a pin on the map
to show use where
you live, work or go
to school!
2A. What is a
Guiding Principle?
The Guiding Principles are an important first step for longrange planning, setting the tone for the General Plan by identifying key themes and priorities. Guiding Principles:
• Are broad, aspirational statements
• Describe a shared image of the kind of place that Los Altos residents would like their city to be in the future
• Lay the foundation for the more specific, detailed language of the goals and policies in the plan
• Should describe desired outcomes and why they are important.
We want your input to help write guiding principles for Los Altos! On the post-it notes provided, write your own guiding principle and stick it on the board to the right.
• The City utilizes sustainable
development and land use
planning practices that provide
for the needs of existing residents
and businesses while preserving
choices for future generations.
• The City’s unique sense of place
comes from its friendly, welcoming
people. It’s a family-friendly
community where generations
grow up and grow old together.
What should Los Altos’ Guiding Principles be?
Examples of Guiding Principles
Community & People Development & Conservation
Mobility & Transportation Quality of Life
JORDAN AVE
MAIN ST
STATE ST
2ND ST
NEWCASTLE DR
MARICH WAY
DISTEL DR
EVA NITSUA
LYELL ST
PORTOLA AVE
HOLT AVE
DISTEL DR
WHITNEY
AURA WY
ELSERENO AVE
1ST ST
FALLEN LEAF LN
GOLDEN WAY
MANOR WAY
ALTOS OAKS DR
LOUCKS AVE
LOS ALTOS AVE EVA SOTLA SOL
PINE LN
YERBA SANTA AVE
MT HAMILTON AVE
1ST ST
ALVARADO AVE
PANCHITA WAY
JARDIN DR
JAY ST
N CLARKE AVE
ALICIA WAY
N GORDON WAY
HILLVIEW AVE
EDITH AVE
N AVALON DR
S CLARKE AVE
PACO DR
VISTA GRANDE AVE
RAYMUNDO AVE
BENVENUE AVE
MERRITT RD
PEPPER DR HAWTHORNE AVE ELEANOR AVE
VAN BUREN ST
UNIVERSITY AVE
UNIVERSITY AVE
PALM AVE
MILVERTON RD
SHERMAN ST
COVINGTON RD
CAMPBELL AVE
ROSITA AVE
ARBOLEDA DR
PA
RMA WAY
ECHO
DR
RIVERSI
DE DR
BERRY AVE
COVINGTON RD
EDGE LN
PORTLAND AVE
SUFFOLK WY
COVINGTON RD
ALTAMEAD DR
OAKHURST AVE LISA LN
MCKENZIE AVE OAK AVE
RANCHITA DR
EVA NAMURT
WESSEX AVE
RICHARDSON AVE
THURSTON AVE
MORTON AVE
JUAREZ AVE
NL FAEL NELLAF
CHURTON AVE
FARNDON AVE ALFORD AVE
EVA AVE
ST JOSEPH AVE
ARBORETUM DR
ST JOSEPH AVE
DEODARA D
KENT
R
DR
HIGHLANDS CIR
BEECHWOOD LN
WOODS LN
SAN ANTONIO
R
D
CUESTA DR
GRANT RD
FOOTHILL EXPWY
FOOTHILL EXPWY
FOOTHILL EXPWY
EVA ETNOMARIM
SPRINGER RD
ALMOND AVE
FREMONT AVE
EL MONTE AVE
EDITH AVE
EL MONTE AVE
EL CAMINO REAL
SPHERE OF INFLUENCE
SPHERE OF INFLUENCE
LOS ALTOS CITY LIMIT
LOS ALTOS CITY LIMIT
LOS ALTOS CITY LIMIT
TIMIL YTIC SOTLA SOL
CUPE RTIN O
MOUN TAI N
VIEW
PAL O
A LTO
LOS A LTO S
HILL S
SUNNY VAL E
0 ¼ ½ ¾ 1
Mile
¯
Focus Areas
Potential Opportunity Sites
Tier 1
Tier 2
Tier 3
Tier 4
Tier 5
Pending Projects
Los Altos City Limit
Sphere of Influence
Park
Tier 1: Vacant Sites outside environmental constraints; Low AV Ratio and Low FAR (both) sites outside environmental constraints
Tier 2: Low AV Ratio or Low FAR (any) sites outside environmental constraints Tier 3: Medium AV Ratio and Medium FAR (both) outside environmental constraints Tier 4: Medium AV Ratio or Medium FAR (any) outside environmental constraints Tier 5: Remaining Vacant or underutilized sites with environmental constraints Low AV Ratio = 0.0 - 0.50; Medium AV Ratio = 0.50 - 0.99 Low FAR = 0.0 - 0.20; Medium FAR = 0.20 - 0.40
5A. What are Focus Areas?
What are Focus Areas? Focus Areas
Focus Areas are locations in Los Altos where
significant physical change is most likely to occur
over the next 10–20 years. Planning efforts will focus
on these areas to establish the character and mix
of uses the community prefers for each. Then the
Plan will be updated to better achieve that vision.
How were the Focus Areas
identified?
Several factors indicate how likely a property is to
be redeveloped. Los Altos properties were analyzed
and mapped on the basis of the factors, described
below, to identify areas most likely to change.
1. Vacant properties that could be developed.
2. Underutilized properties, where the land is
worth more than the buildings and structures
on it, such as properties with older buildings
and large surface parking lots, giving property
owners an incentive to redevelop with uses that
command higher rents or sales prices.
3. Pending projects - sites where development is
proposed but not yet constructed.
4. Development constraints - the presence/
absence of natural or humanmade hazards.
Properties with these characteristics were
mapped and evaluated to identify clusters
with the strongest potential for change
while avoiding areas with environmental
constraints.
4 5. Foothill Crossing
4. Lucky’s Center
3. Loyola Corners Area
2. Downtown Los Altos
1. El Camino Real
1 2
3 5
MAIN ST
STATE ST
2ND ST
LYELL ST
WHITNEY
1ST ST
1ST ST
HILLVIEW AVE
EDITH AVE
PEPPER DR
ELEANOR AVE
U
PALM
SHERMAN ST
LOS A LTO S
HILL S
FOOTHILL
EXPWY
EDITH AVE
SAN ANTONIA RD
Shoup
Park
Redwood
Grove Nature
Preserve
Village Park
Lincoln Park
Hillview Park
A
d obe
C r e ek
Adobe Cre e k
0 250 500 750 1,000
¯ Feet
This area features the Loyola Corners shopping center and some other commercial/office properties along Fremont Avenue/Foothill Expressway.
Existing development within the area includes a range of commercial and office uses, as well as a new senior housing complex and service station. The area is surrounded by residential neighborhoods within walking distance.
This area features several older, underused properties.
Small (15-acre) commercial area in the southern part of the city along Grant Road between Newcastle Drive and Farndon Avenue within walking distance from surrounding neighborhoods. Anchored by Luckys Supermarket, the area features businesses, like a nail salon, dry cleaners, and some professional offices. Underutilized properties and surface parking lots may present opportunities for redevelopment to serve the community.
Older shopping center at the southern gateway into Los Altos with good access from the Interstate 280, anchored by Trader Joes and Ace Hardware.
Surrounding uses include single family neighborhoods and the Springwood Apartment complex. Rite Aid recently closed, creating a vacancy.
JORDAN AVE
MARICH WAY
PORTOLA AVE
DISTEL DR
LOUCKS AVE
LOS ALTOS AVE
MOUN TAI N
VIEW
PAL O
A LTO
SAN ANTONIO RD
EL CAMINO REAL
¯ 0 250 500 750 1,000
Feet
?»
Focus Areas
Potential Opportunity Sites
Tier 1
Tier 2
Tier 3
Tier 4
Tier 5
Pipeline Projects
Los Altos City Limit
Located along El Camino Real between Los Altos Avenue and Casita Way, the corridor is well-served by public transit. Existing uses includes a mix of commercial, office, multifamily residential and restaurant uses. There is one vacant parcel along the corridor, along with various underutilized parcels and notable office vacancies.
Downtown Los Altos is an 89-acre triangular-shaped area between Edith Avenue, Foothill Expressway, and San Antonio Road in the northern part of the city. Existing uses are primarily retail, restaurant and daily service, while office uses are concentrated in the south and along San Antonio Road. The northern part of the area features a range of single-family and multifamily residential uses. There are several underutilized properties in the south along Whitner and San Antonio.
1. El Camino Real 2. Downtown
SHARE
YOUR IDEAS
Fill out a
comment card
to share your
ideas for what
these areas
should look
like in 2050.
AURA WY
MANOR WAY
EVA TSRUHKAO
LISA LN
MCKENZIE AVE
RICHARDSON AVE
ARBOR AVE
COUNTRY CLUB DR
TOPAR AVE
COUNTRY CLUB DR
MIRAMONTE AVE
FOOTHILL EXPWY
FREMONT AVE
FOOTHILL EXPWY
LOS ALTOS CITY LIMIT
McKenzie Park
Heritage
Oaks Park
P
e
rm
a
n
en
te
Cre e k
0 250 500 750 1,000 ¯ Feet
Focus Areas
Potential Opportunity Sites
Tier 1
Tier 2
Tier 3
Tier 4
Tier 5
Pipeline Projects
Los Altos City Limit
HOLT AVE
EL
SERENO AVE
CHURTON AVE
FARNDON AVE
ARBORETUM DR
DEODARA DR
WOOD LN
LN
ALFORD AVE
NEWCASTLE DR
FOOTHILL EXPWY
0 250 500 750 1,000
¯ Feet
Focus Areas
Potential Opportunity Sites
Tier 1
Tier 2
Tier 3
Tier 4
Tier 5
Pipeline Projects
Los Altos City Limit
BEECHWOOD LN
CRIST DR
EL SERENO AVE
GRANT RD
HOMESTEAD RD
DEODARA DR
VINEYARD DR
FOOTHILL EXPWY
FOOTHILL BLVD
LOS ALTOS CITY LIMIT
CUPE RTIN O
SUNNY VAL E
0 250 500 750 1,000 %&j ¯ Feet
Focus Areas
Potential Opportunity Sites
Tier 1
Tier 2
Tier 3
Tier 4
Tier 5
Pipeline Projects
Los Altos City Limit
3. Loyola Corners/Fremont 4. Luckys Center 5. Foothill Crossing Focus Areas
Potential Opportunity Sites
Tier 1
Tier 2
Tier 3
Tier 4
Tier 5
Pipeline Projects
Los Altos City Limit
5B. Potential Focus Areas
Key Map
1 2
3 4
5
Memorandum
Appendix B
Focus Area Comment Cards
Focus Area:!:/-
What's your vision for the future of this area?
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Focus Area: .5__
What's your vision for the future of this area?
Is this a good location for housing,jobs, retail/restaurants, or recreation/open space? What other improvements amenities should go here (eg. bike lanes, new parks, etc.)? Poor traffic flow and v1sibi)lty ,n -t-hJs area
Mix of cars- going 1·0/00± of Shopp io9 center>
lo--rs of Kids Qr'\ bikes cornrn<rtio9 to
sch o o l , p e d s.=> s t r 1· a D s .
'" th� morning, -there \s direct SL)f\ light ,n dr)vicrs eyes� Of\ Homestead.
s,1- 1o��froo-r o� Peets cof(ee for 1 hour a'1d
ya(� w 111 wit�t=>ss rn1J l+l· ple c)ose 1·nc1·dents.
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What's your vision for the future of this area?
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What's your vision for the future of this area?
Is this a good location for housing,jobs, retail/restaurants, or recreation/open space? What other improvements or amenities should go here (eg. bike lanes, new parks, etc.)? •
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location for housing,jobs, retail/restaurants, or recreation/open space? hat other im, 'Arne, t• � "I..,,,
hould ao here (eg. bi,� lan�s, new Rarks, etc,.)?
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