Los Altos Hills Special City Council Meeting Minutes Page 1 Wednesday, January 15, 2025
Town of Los Altos Hills
City Council Special Meeting Minutes
Wednesday, January 15, 2025
Council Chambers, 26379 Fremont Road, Los Altos Hills, California 8216 E. Orange Blossom Ln., Scottsdale, AZ 85250
171 Jor Bagh, New Delhi 110003, India
Present: Mayor Kavita Tankha, Vice Mayor Rajiv Bhateja, Council Member Stanley Mok.
Council Member Linda Swan, and Council Member George Tyson
Absent: None
Staff: City Manager Peter Pirnejad, City Attorney Steve Mattas, City Clerk Arika Birdsong-Miller, Deputy City Manager Cody Einfalt
1. CALL TO ORDER (5:00 P.M.)
Mayor Tankha called the meeting to order at 5:00 P.M.
2. ROLL CALL
Mayor Kavita Tankha, Vice Mayor Rajiv Bhateja, Council Member Stanley Mok. Council Member Linda Swan, and Council Member George Tyson were present.
Mayor Tankha participated remotely from 171 Jor Bagh, New Delhi 110003, India Council Member Swan participated remotely from 8216 E. Orange Blossom Ln., Scottsdale, AZ 85250.
3. PUBLIC COMMENT (Public Comment is Limited to Items which are the Subject of the Special Meeting)
1. Birgitta Indaco, a Los Altos Hills resident, thanked the City Council for their diligence and efforts in addressing challenging issues. She encouraged the Council to collaborate closely with the Planning Commission to address the Housing Element matter effectively.
2. John O’Connell, a Los Altos Hills resident, recognized Council Member Linda Swan and highlighted how, during her tenure as Mayor of the Town of Los Altos Hills, she navigated the challenges of inheriting an expired Housing Element. Mr. O’Connell expressed concern about the limited public outreach conducted during this process and recommended that a Public Hearing for residents be held prior to initiating any development discussions.
3. Martha Bowden, a Los Altos Hills resident, recounted her experience during a wildfire in July 1985, when she had to climb onto her roof to hose it down in an effort to prevent the fire from spreading to her home. She expressed concerns about the addition of even 92 units in Twin Oaks, describing it as a significant challenge, and shared her apprehension about exceeding that number due to the area’s single exit in case of an emergency.
Approved January 29, 2025
Los Altos Hills Special City Council Meeting Minutes Page 2 Wednesday, January 15, 2025
4. Carol Gottlieb, a Los Altos Hills resident, emphasized the far-reaching consequences of the Housing Element, expressing concern that it could fundamentally alter the character of the Town. She noted the lack of adequate roads for evacuation in emergencies and urged that the Housing Element be amended.
5. Michael Grady, a Los Altos Hills resident, acknowledged the importance of gaining time with the Housing Element and avoiding the implications of the builder’s remedy. He urged the Town to improve the Housing Element to prevent the construction of multi-hundred-unit developments.
6. Hari Sankar, a Los Altos Hills resident, called for a revision of the Housing Element, expressing frustration that no progress was made in 2024. He advocated for distributing housing requirements more evenly throughout the Town rather than concentrating them in a single area. Additionally, he suggested utilizing accessory dwelling units (ADUs) as a strategy to meet the Housing Element requirements.
4. ADJOURN TO CLOSED SESSION TO DISCUSS THE FOLLOWING:
A. Conference with Legal Counsel – Anticipated Litigation (Pursuant to Government Code Section 54956.9(d)(2)
Significant Exposure to Litigation – One case
B. Conference with Legal Counsel – Existing Litigation
(Pursuant to Government Code Section 54956.9(d)(1))
Sea Landing Limited Partnership v. Town of Los Altos Hills, Case No. 22CV400255
5. ADJOURN CLOSED SESSION
Mayor Tankha adjourned the Regular Meeting to Closed Session at 5:15 P.M.
6. REPORT OUT OF CLOSED SESSION
There was no reportable action from the Closed Session.
7. ADJOURN
The meeting was adjourned at 8:20 P.M.
Respectfully submitted,
Arika Birdsong-Miller