1 City Council Special Meeting Agenda
November 17, 2025
Town of Los Altos Hills
City Council Special Meeting Agenda
Monday, November 17, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Council Chambers, 26379 Fremont Road
Los Altos Hills, California
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NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE
LOS ALTOS HILLS CITY COUNCIL WILL BE HELD ON
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2025, AT 5:00 P.M.
Meetings of the City Council are held in-person. As a courtesy, and in compliance with applicable state law, staff and members of the public may participate in the meeting in person at Town Hall or virtually via Zoom Video Conference. Members of the City Council may participate remotely from time to time in accordance with the provisions of Government Code section 54953.
To attend the meeting in person:
City Council Chambers, 26379 Fremont Road, Los Altos Hills, CA 94022 To provide Public Comment in person:
Members of the public wishing to speak are requested to complete a speaker card and submit it to the City Clerk at the meeting.
To participate in the meeting via Zoom Video Conference, please follow the instructions below:
Public comment will also be accepted via email at [email protected] prior to the start of the meeting. Written comments will be posted on the website and distributed to the Council.
If you choose to email your comments, please indicate in the subject line “FOR PUBLIC COMMENT” and indicate the item number.
If you wish to submit a public comment during the meeting, please use the following information.
Before speaking, please identify yourself by name and where you reside. The City Council meeting will be live-streamed on the Town’s website and via Zoom at the following location:
https://bit.ly/November17SpecialCCMeetingLAH
Webinar ID: 878 7799 6455
Passcode:94022
NOTICE TO PUBLIC
Any writings or documents provided to a majority of the City Council regarding any item on the open session portion of this agenda will be made available for public inspection in the City Clerk’s office located at 26379 Fremont Road, Los Altos Hills, California during normal business hours. These materials will also be made available on the City website at www.losaltoshills.ca.gov subject to Staff’s ability to post the documents before the meeting.
2 City Council Special Meeting Agenda
November 17, 2025
Public testimony will be taken at the direction of the mayor and members of the public may only comment during times allotted for public comments. This meeting will be broadcast via livestream service at http://www.losaltoshills.ca.gov.
CALL TO ORDER (5:00 PM)
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
ROLL CALL
1. PUBLIC COMMENT (Public Comment is Limited to Items which are the Subject of the Special Meeting)
2. NEW BUSINESS
A. Informational Report on Potential Ballot Measure Amending the Open Space Initiative of 2002 to Redesignate Portion of O’Keefe Property from the Open Space Preserve Designation to Multi-Family Residential and to Remove the Voter Approval Requirement for Conveyance of the Land for Multi-Family Housing. (Staff: S. Mattas)
3. ADJOURN
ASSISTANCE FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in the meeting, please contact the City Clerk at 650-941-7222. Notification 48 hours prior to the meeting will enable the City to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to this meeting.
Copies of all agenda reports and supporting data are available for inspection at Town Hall, 26379 Fremont Road 72 hours in advance of the meeting.
A complete agenda can be found on the Town’s webpage: http://www.losaltoshills.ca.gov. A complete packet of information is available for inspection during the meeting at the table to the back of the Council Chambers and online. Council may take action on any agendized matter in any manner deemed appropriate by Council.
ITEM 2A STAFF REPORT
THE TOWN OF LOS ALTOS HILLS
Staff Report to the City Council
November 17, 2025
SUBJECT: Informational Report on Potential Ballot Measure Amending the Open Space Initiative of 2002 to Redesignate Portion of O’Keefe Property from the Open Space Preserve Designation to Multi-Family Residential and to Remove the Voter Approval Requirement for Conveyance of the Land for Multi-Family Housing.
FROM: Steve Mattas, City Attorney
RECOMMENDATION
That the City Council receive an information report on a potential ballot measure amending the Open Space Initiative of 2022 to redesignate the O’Keefe Property.
BACKGROUND
In 2002, the City Council adopted an initiative submitted by Los Altos Hills voters, known as the Open Space Initiative of 2002. The 2002 Los Altos Hills Open Space and Public Recreation Initiative redesignated, among other lands owned by the Town, the property commonly known as the “O’Keefe Property” (APN 175-39-012) as Open Space Preserve. This protective designation is subject to revision only by a subsequent vote of the people. In addition, the Open Space Initiative requires, with limited exceptions, that Town voters approve any proposed conveyance, sale, or abandonment of the O’Keefe Property along with other designated properties covered by the Initiative.
In recent years, a severe housing crisis has arisen in the State of California with the demand for housing outstripping supply. California Housing Element Law (Government Code section 65580 et seq.) requires each jurisdiction to have sufficient land zoned to accommodate its fair share of the regional housing need by unit number and also by income category, including extremely low-, very low-and low-income units, during an eight-year planning period. This obligation is known as the Regional Housing Need Allocation (“RHNA”).
The Town’s RHNA obligation for the 2023-2031 planning period is 489 units including 197 extremely low-, very low- and low-income units. As a part of the Town’s 2023-2031 Housing Element of the General Plan, the Town has committed to make certain parcels available and rezone them to multi-family land use designations to facilitate housing production and encourage an increase in housing supply and mobility. During the 2023-2031 planning cycle, the Town must maintain adequate sites available to accommodate the remaining unmet RHNA or must identify and rezone new sites as appropriate.
The Town, through an Ad Hoc Committee of the Council and input of its residents, has been exploring opportunities to identify potential suitable housing sites. Through these efforts, the O’Keefe property was identified as a potential suitable housing site. In order to make this property
ITEM 4.2 STAFF REPORT
City Council Page2
Informational Report on Potential Ballot Measure Amending the Open Space Initiative of 2002 to Redesignate Portion of O’Keefe Property from the Open Space Preserve Designation to Multi-Family Residential and to Remove the Voter Approval Requirement for Conveyance of the Land for Multi-Family Housing a potential site for multi-family development, the O’Keefe property would need to be redesignated from its Open Space Preserve designation in the Town’s General Plan Land Use Diagram to MultiFamily Residential. Such redesignation, per the 2002 Open Space Initiative, requires a vote of the electorate.
DISCUSSION
The O’Keefe property site is vacant public land owned by the Town; it is located near major arterial roadways including being adjacent to Interstate 280/Junipero Serra Freeway and El Monte Road.
The property is also located in close proximity to Foothill College, a property of the Foothill-De Anza College District identified in the Town’s Housing Element as a housing inventory site, and to the St. Nicholas School, another site identified in the Town’s Housing Element. Both Foothill College and St. Nicholas School are subject to planned rezonings to establish multi-family overlay zones to facilitate housing development. The O’Keefe property therefore has potential to serve as a multi-family development site.
At the Council’s request, the City Attorney’s Office prepared a draft initiative that would, if adopted, amend the 2002 Open Space Initiative to redesignate the O’Keefe property from the “Open Space Preserve” land use designation of the Los Altos Hills General Plan to the “Multifamily Residential” designation. In addition, the draft initiative would allow the Town to sell, convey, or lease portions of the O’Keefe property for multi-family residential uses. It should be noted that the proposed redesignation would not change the “Open Space Conservation Area” designated on the Land Use Diagram that’s towards the southern end of the property. The redesignation would also preserve the Purissima Creek streambed, which runs through the property, as well as a 50-foot setback area from top of the creekbank on either side of the creek. As such, if redesignated, these areas would not permit multi-family development as their land use designation would remain unchanged. This is consistent with the proposal in the Multi-Family Objective Standards adopted by the Council which prohibits development activities within 50 feet of the outermost edge of streambeds, creeks and other waterways.
A preliminary review of the O’Keefe property’s records has shown that the property was conveyed to the Town by the State of California subject to the condition that the property be used exclusively for public purposes. This condition is secured by a reversionary interest in the deed. Based on the deed, the O’Keefe property could revert back to the State of California if the Town ceases to use the property for public purposes. Town staff is ordering a preliminary title report to determine if the property is subject to any additional encumbrances.
With said reversionary interest in mind, we believe that a use of the property for affordable housing would qualify as a public purpose. The California Supreme Court has held in multiple decisions that affordable housing is a legitimate government interest. See Santa Monica Beach, Ltd. v. Superior Court (1999) 19 Cal.4th 952, California Building Industry Assn. v. City of San Jose (2015) 61 Cal.4th 435. In addition, the State Legislature has declared in Government Code section 65580 that the availability of housing is of vital statewide importance and that “[l]ocal and state governments have a responsibility to use the powers vested in them to facilitate the improvement and development
ITEM 4.2 STAFF REPORT
City Council Page3
Informational Report on Potential Ballot Measure Amending the Open Space Initiative of 2002 to Redesignate Portion of O’Keefe Property from the Open Space Preserve Designation to Multi-Family Residential and to Remove the Voter Approval Requirement for Conveyance of the Land for Multi-Family Housing of housing.” Additionally, Executive Order N-06-19 (2019), signed by Governor Newsom, requires state agencies to inventory excess state lands and prioritize them for affordable housing development. State agencies are also required to consider exchanging excess state land with local governments for other parcels for purposes of affordable housing development and preservation. Thus, the Town potentially has the ability to engage in discussion with the State regarding land exchanges or other affordable housing development opportunities at the parcel, should it be redesignated.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Draft Initiative to Remove Certain Publicly Owned Land Commonly Known as the “O’Keefe Property” from the “Open Space Preserve” Land Use Designation of the Los Altos Hills General Plan as Established by the 2002 Open Space Initiative
2. Diagram of Proposed Land Use Designation for the O’Keefe Property (Also Exhibit D to Initiative)
3. Schedules for Citizen-Sponsored Initiatives for June 2026 and November 2026 Elections
4. Power Point Presentation
Initiative to Remove Certain Publicly Owned Land Commonly Known as the “O’Keefe Property” from the “Open Space Preserve” Land Use Designation of the Los Altos Hills General Plan as Established by the 2002 Open Space Initiative To the Honorable Clerk of the Town of Los Altos Hills:
We, the undersigned, registered and qualified voters of the Town of Los Altos Hills ("Town of Los Altos Hills"), hereby propose an initiative to amend the Town of Los Altos Hills General Plan and General Plan Land Use Diagram. We petition you to submit the initiative to the City Council of the Town of Los Altos Hills to immediately submit the initiative to a vote of the people of the Town of Los Altos Hills at the earliest general election for which it qualifies. The measure provides as follows:
Initiative to Remove Certain Publicly Owned Land Commonly Known as the “O’Keefe Property” from the “Open Space Preserve” Land Use Designation of the Los Altos Hills General Plan as Established by the 2002 Open Space Initiative The people of the Town of Los Altos Hills hereby ordain as follows:
Section 1: Purpose
A. Protection and long-term preservation of outdoor recreational and open space areas in the Town of Los Altos Hills ("Town of Los Altos Hills" or "Town") is of critical importance to Los Altos Hills residents. The Town was founded as a semi-rural residential community and many residents moved to Los Altos Hills because of this distinctive feature. The Town's unique character and the quality of life of its residents depend on protecting the significant environmental, scenic, and recreational benefits that these lands provide to the community. Indeed, the preservation of these recreational and open space lands, many of which are owned by the Town itself, is critical to the vitality of the Town's native environment, social fabric, and long-term quality of life.
B. The General Plan establishes as Town objectives "the maximum feasible preservation of open space in and adjoining the Town," the preservation of the Town's "natural beauty," and the provision of "open space for outdoor recreational needs." C. In 2002, Los Altos Hills voters submitted to the Town’s City Council an initiative titled “An initiative to amend the Town of Los Altos Hills General Plan and General Plan Diagram to readopt existing land use designations for certain Town-owned properties; redesignate the land use designations of other Town-owned properties; and prohibit the conveyance, sale or abandonment of certain Town-owned properties, or further amendment to General Plan land use designations approved in this initiative, with certain specified exceptions, without a vote of the Town electorate” (“2002 Los Altos Hills Open Space and Public Recreation Initiative” or “Open Space Initiative”).
D. The 2002 Los Altos Hills Open Space and Public Recreation Initiative redesignated, among other lands owned by the Town, the property commonly known as the “O’Keefe Property”
as Open Space Preserve. The general location and designation of this property is shown on the Land Use Diagram attached hereto as Exhibit A. This protective designation is subject to revision only by a subsequent vote of the people. In addition, the Open Space Initiative requires, with limited exceptions, that Town voters approve any proposed conveyance, sale, or abandonment of the O’Keefe Property along with other designated properties covered by the Initiative.
E. On December 19, 2002, the Town’s City Council adopted the 2002 Los Altos Hills Open Space and Public Recreation Initiative without change. Subsequently in 2007 and 2008, the Council further amended the Open Space, Recreation, Land Use and Pathways Elements of the Los Altos Hills General Plan for additional revisions and internal consistency changes.
F. In recent years, a severe housing crisis has arisen in the State of California with the demand for housing outstripping supply. The State Legislature has declared in Government Code section 65580 that the availability of housing is of vital statewide importance and that “[l]ocal and state governments have a responsibility to use the powers vested in them to facilitate the improvement and development of housing.” California Housing Element Law (Government Code section 65580 et seq.) requires each jurisdiction to have sufficient land zoned to accommodate its fair share of the regional housing need by unit number and also by income category, including extremely low-, very low-and low-income units, during an eight-year planning period. This obligation is known as the Regional Housing Need Allocation (“RHNA”).
G. The Town’s RHNA obligation for the 2023-2031 planning period is 489 units including 197 extremely low-, very low- and low-income units. As a part of the Town’s 2023-2031 Housing Element of the General Plan, the Town has committed to make certain parcels available and rezone them to multi-family land use designations to facilitate housing production and encourage an increase in housing supply and mobility. During the 2023- 2031 planning cycle, the Town must maintain adequate sites available to accommodate the remaining unmet RHNA or must identify and rezone new sites as appropriate. The Town, through efforts by the City Council and collaborative input of its residents, has been exploring opportunities to identify potential suitable housing sites.
H. The O’Keefe Property, designated as Open Space Preserve in the General Plan Land Use Diagram as reaffirmed and readopted by the 2002 Los Altos Hills Open Space and Public Recreation Initiative, is a suitable property to include in the Town’s housing site inventory.
This site is vacant public land owned by the Town; it is located near major arterial roadways including being adjacent to Interstate 280/Junipero Serra Freeway and El Monte Road. The property is also located in close proximity to Foothill College, a property of the FoothillDe Anza College District identified in the Town’s Housing Element as a housing inventory site, and to the St. Nicholas School, another site identified in the Town’s Housing Element.
Both Foothill College and St. Nicholas School are subject to planned rezonings to establish multi-family overlay zones to facilitate housing development. Due to these location and site features, it is the view of Los Altos Hills residents that the O’Keefe Property may be a suitable site for housing and development and its removal from the Open Space Preserve General Plan Land Use designation would be a significant contribution to the Town’s
commitment to meet its RHNA obligations and its efforts to alleviate the state housing crisis.
I. Los Altos Hills residents therefore wish to amend the 2002 Los Altos Hills Open Space and Public Recreation Initiative to redesignate the O’Keefe Property to the General Plan “Multifamily Residential” designation, to be reflected as such on the General Plan Land Use Diagram, provided that only residential uses, and no other accessory or conditional uses, will be allowed on the property.
J. The following documents are attached to this Initiative as exhibits for illustrative purposes.
These documents are:
• Exhibit A: Town of Los Altos Hills General Plan Land Use Diagram, dated March 18, 2008.
• Exhibit B: Town of Los Altos Hills General Plan, Open Space and Recreation Element, adopted April 26, 2007.
• Exhibit C: Town of Los Altos Hills General Plan, excerpt (pp. LU-5 to LU-16) from Land Use Element, adopted May 8, 2008.
• Exhibit D: Diagram of the proposed designations for the O’Keefe property.
Exhibits A, B, and C, which are portions of the Town's General Plan, provide context for the Initiative's specific amendments to that document, and are incorporated herein by this reference.
All references in this Initiative to the "General Plan" are to the Town of Los Altos Hills General Plan adopted on May 1, 1975, as modified by any amendments to that General Plan adopted up to and including November 20, 2025. Except as expressly provided in this Initiative, this Initiative does not amend or readopt the Town's General Plan, including the Exhibits listed above.
Section 2 General Plan Amendments
This Section of the Initiative enacts amendments to the Town of Los Altos Hills General Plan.
A. Amendments to the General Plan Land Use Diagram: Redesignation of O’Keefe Property from “Open Space Preserve” to “Multifamily Residential.” The General Plan Land Use Diagram, attached hereto as Exhibit A, is amended by this Initiative as follows:
The portion of the publicly owned land commonly known as the O’Keefe Property, identified by the Assessor’s Parcel Number 175-39-012 and that is not designated as “Open Space Conservation Area” or occupied by the Purissima Creek streambed as depicted on the General Plan Land Use Diagram and within 50 feet of the outermost edge of the top of bank of said streambed, is hereby redesignated from “Open Space Preserve” to “Multifamily Residential,” with the limitation that the use shall be limited to residential uses and shall not include other uses which may be otherwise allowable under the “Multifamily Residential” designation in the General Plan or Zoning Ordinance. This redesignation does not amend or otherwise impact the “Open Space Conservation Area” overlay applicable to a portion of the O’Keefe property or the Purissima Creek streambed
area and the area within 50 feet of the outermost edge of the top of bank of said streambed as shown on the General Plan Land Use Diagram.
B. Amendments to General Plan Text: Limitation on Conveyance, Sale, or Abandonment of Specified Publicly-Owned Open Space and Recreation Land.
Policy 1.10 of Goal 1, “Protect and preserve open space lands for future generations” on Page 9 of the General Plan Open Space and Recreation Element, attached hereto as Exhibit B, shall be amended as set forth below. Text to be inserted is shown in red underline and text to be deleted is presented in strikethrough type:
The lands owned by the Town of Los Altos Hills commonly known as Byrne Preserve, Central Drive, Juan Prado Mesa Preserve, O’Keefe Property, Rhus Ridge Properties, Murietta Ridge, Little League Fields on Purissima Road, Westwind Community Barn, and Edith Park shall not be conveyed, sold, or abandoned in whole or in part for any purpose, except pursuant to a vote of the Town electorate; provided, however, that this paragraph shall not require a vote of the electorate for any conveyance by the City of a leasehold, easement, or other property interest in these lands for a use consistent with the property's General Plan designation or for conveyance by the City through either a sale, conveyance or long-term lease for residential use only of the portion of the O’Keefe Property that is not designated as “Open Space Conservation Area” or the Purissima Creek streambed and within 50 feet of the outermost edge of the top of bank of said streambed.
Section 3: Conforming Amendments
In light of the General Plan amendments set forth above in Section 2 of this Initiative, the General Plan is hereby further amended as set forth below to promote internal consistency among the various elements of the Plan.
A. Amendments to the Open Space and Recreation Element.
1. The “Town-Owned Open Space and Recreation Areas” Table on Page 4 of the General Plan Open Space and Recreation Element, attached hereto as Exhibit B, is hereby amended as set forth below. Text to be inserted is indicated in red underline while text to be deleted is presented in strikethrough type:
Town-owned Open Space and Recreation Areas
Open Space Preserves Size (Acres)
Byrne Preserve 88
Juan Prado Mesa Preserve 13
Murietta Ridge Preserve 14
O’Keefe Lane Preserve 8
Rhus Ridge Preserve 5
Central Drive Preserve 1
Saddle Mountain Preserve 3
132 124 acres
Recreation Areas and Facilities
Westwind Community Barn 15
Edith Park 1
Little League Fields & Riding Arena 10
26 acres
2. Section 416 on Page 5 of the General Plan Open Space and Recreation Element, attached hereto as Exhibit B, is hereby amended by deleting the following text in its entirety as shown in strikethrough:
Town-owned Open Space Preserves
The following open space preserves are owned and managed by the Town of Los Altos Hills:
• Byrne Preserve is the largest and most significant open space area in Los Altos Hills. The area consists of 88 acres of grasslands and woodlands located along the upper length of Altamont Road and adjacent to Westwind Community Barn. The land was purchased by the Town in 1968 from the Nature Conservancy. Under the purchase agreement, the Town is required to keep the land in open space. Byrne Preserve is used for horseback riding, hiking and outdoor education, as well as grazing horses. • Juan Prado Mesa Preserve consists of 13 acres located between Dawson Drive and Neary Lake. The area can be reached by off-road pathways leading from Dawson Drive, Kate Drive and Stonebrook Drive. The area features a pathway through the Hale Creek canyon and provides a number of scenic, open space and recreation opportunities.
• Murietta Ridge Preserve consists of 14 acres located south of Moody Road. This area serves as a valuable open space buffer between Hidden Villa and the adjacent MROSD open space preserve, and provides a heavily wooded refuge for a variety of animals, birds, and native plants and trees.
This area is relatively inaccessible and is considered to be more appropriate for conservation than for recreation use.
• O’Keefe Lane Preserve consists of 8 acres located north of Interstate 280 along O’Keefe Lane. This beautiful area includes two recreational pathways, a magnificent Heritage Oak, and shady, creekside thickets that provide shelter for both land animals and pond-dwellers. Access is provided by a footbridge off O’Keefe Lane.
• Rhus Ridge Preserve consists of approximately 5 acres located south of Moody Road. This area provides access to MROSD open space preserves via the Rhus Ridge pathway and a scenic pathway that connects the off-road trail from Hidden Villa to the Rhus Ridge hiking area and Summit Road.
• Central Drive Preserve is a narrow, 1-acre strip of undeveloped land adjacent to the western boundary of Byrne Preserve and provides an extension of the larger preserve.
• Saddle Mountain Preserve is 3 acres located near the junction of Arastradero and Page Mill Roads, between Saddle Mountain Drive and Stirrup Way, and includes a walking path.
3. The “Town of Los Altos Hills Open Space Preserves and Public Recreation Areas” Diagram on Page 6 of the General Plan Open Space and Recreation Element, attached hereto as Exhibit B, shall be amended to remove “O’Keefe Lane OSP” from the Open Space Preserve land use designation depiction. This change does not modify either the “Open Space Conservation Area” designation applicable to a portion of the O’Keefe property or the Purissima Creek streambed area.
B. Amendments to the Land Use Element.
1. The “Town of Los Altos Hills Land Use Diagram” Diagram on Page LU-6 of the General Plan Land Use Element, attached hereto as Exhibit C, shall be replaced with the General Plan Land Use Diagram as amended by Section 2A of this Initiative.
2. Section 138 on page LU-13 of the General Plan Land Use Element, attached hereto as Exhibit C, shall be amended as set forth below. Text to be inserted is indicated in red underline while text to be deleted is presented in strikethrough type:
Public Recreation Facilities
Town-owned parks and recreation facilities include Byrne Preserve and six five other open space preserves; Westwind Community Barn; Purissima Playing Fields (Little League Fields); the Riding Arena; and Edith Park. In addition, the community’s extensive system of roadside and off-road paths provides recreational opportunities.
Recreation programs sponsored by the Town include youth camps, fitness programs and the annual Pathways Run.
Section 4: Implementation
A. Effective Date. Upon the effective date of this Initiative, the Town of Los Altos Hills General Plan is amended as shown in Sections 2 and 3 of this Initiative, except that if the four amendments of the General Plan permitted in a calendar year as prescribed under California Government Code section 65358 have been utilized prior to the effective date of this measure, this General Plan amendment shall be the first amendment added to the General Plan on January 1 of the following year. At such time as the General Plan amendments enacted by this Initiative are inserted into the General Plan, any provision of the Town's Zoning Code inconsistent with this Initiative shall not be enforced.
B. Interim Amendments. The Town of Los Altos Hills General Plan in effect at the time the Notice of Intention to circulate this Initiative was submitted to the Town's election official
([INSERT DATE], "submittal date"), and that General Plan as amended by this Initiative comprise an integrated, internally consistent and compatible statement of policies for the Town. In order to ensure that the Town's General Plan remains an integrated, internally consistent and compatible statement of policies for the Town as required by State law and to ensure that the actions of the voters in enacting this Initiative are given effect, any provision of the General Plan that is adopted between the submittal date and the date that the General Plan is amended by this measure shall, to the extent that such interim-enacted provision is inconsistent with the General Plan provisions adopted by Sections 2 and 3 of this Initiative, be amended as soon as possible and in the manner and time required by State law to ensure consistency between the provisions adopted by this Initiative and other provisions of the Town's General Plan.
C. Other Town General Plan Provisions, Ordinances, and Policies. The Town is hereby authorized and directed to amend other provisions of the General Plan, Zoning Code, and other ordinances and policies affected by this Initiative as soon as possible and in the manner and time required by State Law to ensure consistency between Sections 2 and 3 of this Initiative and other provisions of the Town's General Plan, the Town Zoning Code, and other Town ordinances and policies.
Section 5: Severability and Interpretation
This Initiative shall be interpreted so as to be consistent with all federal and state laws, rules, and regulations. If any section, sub-section, sentence, clause, phrase, part, or portion of this Initiative is held to be invalid or unconstitutional by a final judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction, such decision(s) shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this Initiative. The voters hereby declare that this Initiative, and each section, sub-section, sentence, clause, phrase, part, or portion thereof would have been adopted or passed even if one or more sections, sub-sections, sentences, clauses, phrases, parts, or portions are declared invalid or unconstitutional. If any provision of this Initiative is held invalid as applied to any person or circumstance, such invalidity shall not affect any application of this Initiative that can be given effect without the invalid application. This Initiative shall be broadly construed to achieve the purposes stated in this Initiative.
Section 6: Amendment or Repeal
Except as otherwise provided herein, this Initiative may be amended or repealed only by the voters of the Town of Los Altos Hills.
Exhibit List:
Exhibit A: Town of Los Altos Hills Land Use Diagram, dated March 18, 2008.
Exhibit B: Town of Los Altos Hills General Plan, Open Space and Recreation Element, adopted April 26, 2007.
Exhibit C: Town of Los Altos Hills General Plan, excerpt (pp. LU-5 to LU-16) from Land Use Element, adopted May 8, 2008.
Exhibit D: Diagram of the proposed designations for the O’Keefe property.
Schedules for Citizen-Sponsored Initiative
A. Option 1: June 2, 2026 Election
Date Action Description Reference
November 21, 2025 Proponents of the initiative file notice of intention with the City Clerk.
Cal. Elec. Code § 9202
November 28, 2025
Assuming ballot title
and summary will be
prepared within 7 days.
(Within 15 days after
the notice of intention
is filed.)
City Attorney prepares a ballot title and
summary for the initiative and the City Clerk
returns the same to the proponents.
Cal. Elec. Code § 9203
December 6, 2025 Proponents must publish or post (or both) the notice of intention and the ballot title and
summary.
Cal. Elec. Code § 9205
December 16, 2025
(Within 10 days of the
date of publication or
posting.)
Proponents must file with the City Clerk a copy
of the notice and ballot title and summary as it
was published, along with an affidavit made by a
representative of the newspaper where the
notice was published.
Cal. Elec. Code § 9206
December 6, 2025 –
January 6, 2026
Assuming faster
signature collection
(Within 180 days after
publication of the
ballot title and
summary.)
Proponents circulate the petition among
registered voters for signatures.
Cal. Elec. Code §§
9207, 9208
January 6, 2026
(Within 180 days after
publication of the
ballot title and
summary.)
Proponents file all parts of the petition with the
City Clerk. City Clerk conducts prima facie review
of petition and accepts filing if the petition is
sufficient.
Cal. Elec. Code
§§ 9208, 9210
January 6, 2026 –
February 19, 2026
(Within 30 days of the
filing of the petition,
excluding Saturdays,
Sundays and holidays.)
City Clerk works with the County elections office
to determine whether there are a sufficient
number of valid signatures on the petition.
Cal. Elec. Code §§
9211, 9114
February 19, 2026 –
March 6, 2026
If the petition is found to be sufficient, the City
Clerk shall certify the results of the examination
to the City Council at the next regular meeting of
Cal. Elec. Code §
9115(f)
(Next regular meeting
of the Council.)
the Council. The next regular Council meeting
would be February 19, 2026.
February 19, 2026 -
March 6, 2026
Council submits the initiative, without
alteration, to the voters at a special or general
election. [The Council may instead request a
“9212 report” that discusses the initiative’s
impact on a range of municipal matters. The
report shall be presented to the Council within
30 days of the Council’s. The Council has 10 days
after receiving the report to submit the initiative
to the voters.]
Cal. Elec. Code §§
9215(b), 1405
June 2, 2026
(No sooner than 88
days but no later than
103 days after the
special election is
called.)
Initiative will be on the ballot at the June 2, 2026
special election.
Cal. Elec. Code §§
1405(b), 9215
Date vote is declared
+10 days
(10 days after the vote
is declared by the City
Council.)
Initiative will go into effect. Cal. Elec. Code § 9217
B. Option 2: November 3, 2026 Election
Date Action Description Reference
December 1, 2025 Proponents of the initiative file notice of intention with the City Clerk.
Cal. Elec. Code § 9202
December 8, 2025
Assuming ballot title
and summary will be
prepared within 7 days.
(Within 15 days after
the notice of intention
is filed.)
City Attorney prepares a ballot title and
summary for the initiative and the City Clerk
returns the same to the proponents.
Cal. Elec. Code § 9203
December 15, 2025 Proponents must publish or post (or both) the notice of intention and the ballot title and
summary.
Cal. Elec. Code § 9205
December 26, 2025
(Within 10 days of the
date of publication or
posting.)
Proponents must file with the City Clerk a copy
of the notice and ballot title and summary as it
was published, along with an affidavit made by a
representative of the newspaper where the
notice was published.
Cal. Elec. Code § 9206
December 15, 2025 –
May 29, 2026
Assuming faster
signature collection
(Within 180 days after
publication of the
ballot title and
summary.)
Proponents circulate the petition among
registered voters for signatures.
Cal. Elec. Code §§
9207, 9208
May 29, 2026
(Within 180 days after
publication of the
ballot title and
summary.)
Proponents file all parts of the petition with the
City Clerk. City Clerk conducts prima facie review
of petition and accepts filing if the petition is
sufficient.
Cal. Elec. Code
§§ 9208, 9210
June 1, 2026 – July 16,
2026
(Within 30 days of the
filing of the petition,
excluding Saturdays,
Sundays and holidays.)
City Clerk works with the County elections office
to determine whether there are a sufficient
number of valid signatures on the petition.
Cal. Elec. Code §§
9211, 9114
July 16, 2026
(Next regular meeting
of the Council.)
If the petition is found to be sufficient, the City
Clerk shall certify the results of the examination
to the City Council at the next regular meeting of
the Council. The next regular Council meeting
prior to August 6, 2026 would be July 16, 2026.
Cal. Elec. Code §
9115(f)
July 16, 2026 Council submits the initiative, without
alteration, to the voters at a special or general
election. [The Council may instead request a
“9212 report” that discusses the initiative’s
impact on a range of municipal matters. The
report shall be presented to the Council within
30 days of the Council’s. The Council has 10 days
after receiving the report to submit the initiative
to the voters.]
Cal. Elec. Code §§
9215(b), 1405
November 3, 2026
(No sooner than 88
days after the election
is called.)
Initiative will be on the ballot at the November 3,
2026 general election.
Cal. Elec. Code §§
1405(a), 9215
Date vote is declared
+10 days
(10 days after the vote
is declared by the City
Council.)
Initiative will go into effect. Cal. Elec. Code § 9217
POTENTIAL BALLOT MEASURE AMENDING
THE OPEN SPACE INITIATIVE OF 2002
Town of Los Altos Hills
Special City Council Meeting
November 17, 2025
2 BACKGROUND
• California Housing Element Law requires Town to maintain sufficient inventory sites to meet RHNA during the 2023-2031 planning period.
• 2023-2031 RHNA obligation: 489 units, including 197 extremely low-, very low-, and lowincome units. • Town also needs to maintain No Net Loss
o Site inventory must accommodate RHNA and income category as projected o If approval of a project results in a net loss, and existing sites are insufficient to cover the difference, the Town must within 180 days identify and make available additional sites • Council Ad Hoc Committee formed to explore potential alternative sites o The “O’Keefe property” was identified as a potential suitable housing site.
1 2002 OPEN SPACE INITIATIVE
• In 2002, the City Council adopted an initiative
submitted by Los Altos Hills voters known as the
Open Space Initiative of 2002 that redesignated
(or reaffirmed the designation of) several
properties owned by the Town, including the
O’Keefe Property, as ”Open Space Preserve.”
• This protective designation is subject to revision
only by a subsequent vote of the people.
• The 2002 Open Space Initiative also requires,
with limited exceptions, that Town voters
approve any proposed conveyance, sale, or
abandonment of the covered properties.
3 POTENTIAL BALLOT MEASURE TO REDESIGNATE
• Purpose: make the O’Keefe property available as a potential housing site • Redesignate the property from the “Open Space Preserve” designation to the “Multifamily Residential” designation.
o Allow for multi-family residential uses on the property o Keep “Open Space Conservation Area” and Purissima Creek streambed under OSP • Allow the Town to sell, convey, or lease portions of the redesignated property for multi-family residential uses.
• Per the 2002 Open Space Initiative, this redesignation requires a vote of the Town’s electorate.
4 ILLUSTRATION OF O’KEEFE REDESIGNATION
• As shown on the diagram, the draft
initiative would not affect the portion
of the O’Keefe property that is
designated “Open Space Conservation
Area” or the portion that is occupied by
the Purissima Creek streambed and
the area within 50 feet of the
outermost edge of the streambed
• The draft initiative would also not
affect the other designated Open Space
Preserve properties that are included
in the 2002 Open Space Initiative.
5 ADDITIONAL TITLE ISSUES FOR O’KEEFE
• The O’Keefe property, per deed records, was conveyed to the Town by the State o Conveyance is subject to the condition that the property be used exclusively for public purposes.
o Property will revert to the State if the Town ceases to use the property for public purposes.
• Town’s use of property for affordable housing likely constitutes “public purpose” o Surplus Land Act exempts uses for 25% + affordable housing from statutory requirements o Courts have recognized, for example, the assistance of moderate-income households with their housing needs as a legitimate government purpose
• Executive Order N-06-19 (2019) requires state agencies to consider exchanging excess state land with local governments for other parcels for purposes of affordable housing development and preservation.
JUNE 2026 SCHEDULE
7 Date Action Description
November 21, 2025 Proponents of the initiative file notice of intention with the City Clerk.
November 28, 2025
Assuming ballot title and summary will be
prepared within 7 days. (Within 15 days
after the notice of intention is filed.)
City Attorney prepares a ballot title and
summary for the initiative and the City
Clerk returns the same to the proponents.
December 6, 2025 Proponents must publish or post (or
both) the notice of intention and the
ballot title and summary.
December 16, 2025
(Within 10 days of the date of publication
or posting.)
Proponents must file with the City Clerk a
copy of the notice and ballot title and
summary as it was published, along with
an affidavit made by a representative of
the newspaper where the notice was
published.
December 6, 2025 – January 6, 2026
Assuming faster signature collection
(Within 180 days after publication of the
ballot title and summary.)
Proponents circulate the petition among
registered voters for signatures.
January 6, 2026 (Within 180 days after
publication of the ballot title and
summary.)
City Clerk works with the County
elections office to determine whether
there are a sufficient number of valid
signatures on the petition.
Date Action Description
January 6, 2026 – February 19, 2026 (Within 30
days of the filing of the petition, excluding
Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.
City Clerk works with the County elections
office to determine whether there are a
sufficient number of valid signatures on the
petition.
February 19, 2026 – March 6, 2026
(Next regular meeting of the Council.)
If the petition is found to be sufficient, the
City Clerk shall certify the results of the
examination to the City Council at the next
regular meeting of the Council. The next
regular Council meeting would be February
19, 2026.
February 19, 2026 - March 6, 2026 Council submits the initiative, without alteration, to the voters at a special or general
election. [The Council may instead request a
“9212 report” that discusses the initiative’s
impact on a range of municipal matters. The
report shall be presented to the Council within
30 days of the Council’s. The Council has 10
days after receiving the report to submit the
initiative to the voters.]
June 2, 2026
(No sooner than 88 days but no later than 103
days after the special election is called.)
Initiative will be on the ballot at the June 2,
2026 special election.
Date vote is declared +10 days
(10 days after vote is declared by the City
Council)
Initiative will go into effect.
NOVEMBER 2026 SCHEDULE
8 Date Action Description
December 1, 2025 Proponents of the initiative file notice of intention with the City Clerk.
December 8, 2025
Assuming ballot title and summary will be
prepared within 7 days. (Within 15 days
after the notice of intention is filed.)
City Attorney prepares a ballot title and
summary for the initiative and the City
Clerk returns the same to the proponents.
December 15, 2025 Proponents must publish or post (or
both) the notice of intention and the
ballot title and summary.
December 26, 2025
(Within 10 days of the date of publication
or posting.)
Proponents must file with the City Clerk a
copy of the notice and ballot title and
summary as it was published, along with
an affidavit made by a representative of
the newspaper where the notice was
published.
December 15, 2025 – May 29, 2026
Assuming faster signature collection
(Within 180 days after publication of the
ballot title and summary.)
Proponents circulate the petition among
registered voters for signatures.
May 29, 2026 (Within 180 days after
publication of the ballot title and
summary.)
Proponents file all parts of the petition
with the City Clerk. City Clerk conducts
prima facie review of petition and accepts
filing if the petition is sufficient.
Date Action Description
June 1, 2026 – July 16, 2026
(Within 30 days of the filing of the
petition, excluding Saturdays, Sundays
and holidays.)
City Clerk works with the County
elections office to determine whether
there are a sufficient number of valid
signatures on the petition.
July 16, 2026
(Next regular meeting of the Council
If the petition is found to be sufficient, the
City Clerk shall certify the results of the
examination to the City Council at the
next regular meeting of the Council. The
next regular Council meeting prior to
August 6, 2026 would be July 16, 2026.
July 16, 2026 Council submits the initiative, without
alteration, to the voters at a special or
general election. [The Council may instead
request a “9212 report” that discusses the
initiative’s impact on a range of municipal
matters. The report shall be presented to
the Council within 30 days of the
Council’s. The Council has 10 days after
receiving the report to submit the
initiative to the voters.]
November 3, 2026
(No sooner than 88 days after the election
is called.)
Initiative will be on the ballot at the
November 3, 2026 general election.
Date vote is declared +10 days
(10 days after the vote is declared by the
City Council)
Initiative will go into effect.
Questions?
To: The Los Altos Hills Town Council
Re: O’Keefe as possible HE site
From: Anita Baldwin, Open Space Committee
Date: November 17, 2025
To the Town Council:
I’ll make this short and sweet!
POINTS TO CONSIDER
• The uncertainty at this point of what’s really going there. What would be put there? O’Keefe should be last resort.
• The precedent this sets – what about the next cycle?
• The problems with the site: floodplain, one way out, proximity to fires on 280 • Are residents to effect/process the initiative, which will put it to a vote? • Is John’s proposal, using smaller sites to make up the numbers, not as feasible because of the possibility that we will not be able to wring low-income etc housing out of small sites – that O’Keefe, being town-owned, can mandate that? • Sue’s point: commit to replacing the land lost at O’Keefe into OSP status • Land next to parcel – is it vacant? 25295 O’Keefe Lane? Near Cantata Way.
POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS- IF USING O’KEEFE
• Put only part of O’Keefe in multi-family status, and restrict it to that, and limit # of units, keeping “wild” areas. We want to do our part for affordable housing; • Put in language to tighten restrictions on any other OSPs; • Keep control of the property, if that is possible.
Thank you,
Anita Baldwin
Welch Public Comment for CC meeting Nov 17 2025.docx
TO: LAH City Council
SUBJECT: Public Comment for Council Meeting Nov 17, 2025 Item 2A: Informational Report on Potential Ballot Measure Amending the Open Space Initiative of 2002 to Redesignate Portion of O'Keefe Property from the Open Space Preserve Designation to Multi-Family Residential and to Remove the Voter Approval Requirement for Conveyance of the Land for Multi-Family Housing
FROM: Sue Welch
DATE: November 17, 2025 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Since early 2025, I have promoted use of part of O'Keefe OSP as a potential site for multi-family housing—with certain conditions. I understand the Town must meet RHNA requirements or be subject to draconian measures such as SB330 projects. O'Keefe could provide a potential site.
I cannot support the proposed Draft Initiative made public at this meeting.
O'Keefe has potential as a site for housing. But before asking residents to approve this plan—and destroy open space— the Town must:
1) Provide explicit plans about how the sale, conveyance, or lease of the land and its development will be carried out.
2) Include aUordable housing on the site.
3) Limit the change in Land Use Designation to only 50-60% of O'Keefe. 4) Strengthen protections for other OSPs so they cannot be destroyed by the same mechanism. 5) Commit to replacing the open space land lost from O'Keefe.
1. Residents have a right to know what is proposed for the site before voting for this plan.
The current plan lacks su=icient information about how the site will be developed. — Provide more specific information about how development on O'Keefe land would fit with the Town's OVERALL PLAN to meet RHNA housing requirements.
— Provide more information about how O'Keefe land would be conveyed and developed. • What would be allowed as "residential use", the term used in the proposed amendment to Policy 1.10 Goal 1 in the General Plan Open Space Element? Is the plan to change the Land Use Designation to "Residential (R) designation (1 unit/parcel) or to "Multifamily Residential (MF) designation (20-24 du/acre) as defined in the amended Land Use Element? Or both?
/pg 4/8 in Agenda Packet/
The lands owned by the Town of Los Altos Hills commonly known as Byrne Preserve, Central Drive, Juan Prado Mesa Preserve, O’Keefe Property, Rhus Ridge Properties, Murietta Ridge, Little League Fields on Purissima Road, Westwind Community Barn, and Edith Park shall not be conveyed, sold, or abandoned in whole or in part for any purpose, except pursuant to a vote of the Town electorate; provided, however, that this paragraph shall not require a vote of the electorate for any conveyance by the City of a leasehold, easement, or other property interest in these lands for a use consistent with the property's General Plan designation or for conveyance by the City through either a sale, conveyance or long-term lease for residential use only of the portion of the O’Keefe Property that is not designated as “Open Space Conservation Area” or the Purissima Creek streambed and within 50 feet of the outermost edge of the top of bank of said streambed.
Welch Public Comment for CC meeting Nov 17 2025.docx
• One development site or multiple sites with diUerent developers? Sell or lease sites? Town to develop site with non-profit partner? Is the Town legally obligated to sell/lease to the highest bidder?
• How much housing could be built on the site(s)? Who decides? What density (dwelling units/acre) is under consideration? (20-24 du/ac? or a newly defined higher density designation?
• What type of housing will be developed? Duplex/Triplex? Townhouses? Multi-story apartments? Would ancillary buildings be allowed? Pools? Outdoor sports courts? • Where and how will road access to the proposed housing be built? Access from O'Keefe Lane will require a bridge over Purissima Creek.
2. Require that housing on O'Keefe include AFFORDABLE (below market-rate) units. Proximity to transportation (I280, El Monte, VTA bus line), as well as Foothill College and St Nicholas School make this one of the best locations in Town for aUordable housing. Town could consider partnering with a non-profit for this.
3. Limit change in Land Use designation to only 50-60% of the 8-acre O'Keefe Preserve land.
Converting only the relatively flat, treeless area on the southern part of the parcel would provide 4 - 5 acres for housing and would protect the more sloping northern portion, which has significant open space value (mature oaks, understory, Purissima Creek). Trees on the northern portion can provide screening from homes along that border. Development in the center of the parcel would require removal of many mature trees, including Heritage oaks.
4. The General Plan must be amended to prohibit conversion of other OSPs to other Land Use Designations under any circumstances—with or without a vote of the electorate.
Assure that what is proposed for O'Keefe can NEVER HAPPEN to Byrne Preserve or other Open Space Preserves.
5. Town must commit to replacing the OSP land on O'Keefe that would be lost to housing. • As a condition of this Initiative, the Town must find alternative open space land to replace O'Keefe within a specified time.
• Set aside funds from sale/lease of O'Keefe land specifically for this purpose.
Thank you for your consideration and for your commitment to trying to preserve the character of our Town under the State mandates.
Sue Welch
LAH Resident
From: Era Nangia
To: City Council
Subject: City Council meeting Nov 17th at 5PM
Date: Monday, November 17, 2025 8:59:25 AM
Hello.
This is to inform you that a number of OKeefe residents will be joining the zoom call this evening.
Regards
Era Nangia
From: [email protected]
To: City Council
Subject: O"Keefe Preserve
Date: Sunday, November 16, 2025 6:07:45 PM
LAH City Council,
I have visited O’Keefe Preserve many times, and love the large open meadows, oak trees, adjoining Purissima Creek, and the remains of an old residence there. I oppose removing the Open Space Preserve status of this property without a vote of the citizens.
-Peter Brown