1 French, Amy
From: Nitin Handa <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, October 19, 2023 8:35 AM
To: Stone, Greer
Cc: Lait, Jonathan; Sauls, Garrett; French, Amy; Hayes, Ken Subject: 702 Ellsworth - Alternate Proposal
Attachments: Attachment 2.pdf; Attachment 1[1].pdf; attachment 3.pdf; Letter to Council from Nitin Handa re Fence Proposal.pdf
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Hello Honorable Vice Chair Stone,
Me and My wife are the owners of property at 702 Ellsworth Pl.
As you know, the council members were contemplating a few options on how to resolve the issue we all face with this property. We thought about those options and have drafted the attached proposal with 2 options to help things move forward.
See attached letter containing these 2 options along with Pictures supporting the same. We are agreeable to either of these 2 options.
PS ‐ This letter is being sent to all council members
Some people who received this message don't often get email from [email protected]. Learn why this is important 1 October 19, 2023
Mayor Kou and Members of the City Council
City of Palo Alto
[email protected]
Via Email
Re: 702 Ellsworth Place - November 6, 2023, Council Agenda Dear Mayor Kou and Members of the City Council:
My family and I plan to build our home on 702 Ellsworth Place. After five public hearings over eight months, including a City Council hearing on September 18, 2023, the City Council continued the matter to November 6th with a motion on the table that included reducing my front fence along Middlefield to just twelve inches high.
A twelve-inch high front yard fence on Middlefield Road is not really a fence that provides any security or privacy, especially given that the existing sidewalk is 6 inches higher than the proposed top of a 12 inch fence (set four feet back from sidewalk). I have a 4 year old son who can easily step out to Middlefield road from this short fence. Requiring a twelve inch fence also differs from other fences along Middlefield that are 36 inches.
The stated purpose of a twelve inch height limit was to avoid obstruction of sight lines exiting Ellsworth Place onto Middlefield. However, as shown in the enclosed photos (Attachment 1), a 36-inch high fence set four feet back from the edge of the sidewalk does not obstruct line of sight. This is supported by the Hexagon Transportation Consultants, Inc. memos dated April 14, 2023 and July 12, 2023 respectively, and was recommended by City staff, including Transportation Planning Manager Slyvia Star-Lack who elaborated on this recommendation at the July 12, 2023 Planning Commission meeting:
2 Despite this, there was some discussion about line of sight issues at the September 18 Council meeting. In attempt to further address this while preserving some version of a 36 inch high fence, please consider the following two alternate proposals:
Alternate Proposal A:
Allow for a 36 inch high wrought iron fence with minimum 3 inch gapping (Picture Given Below) within the 35-foot site triangle along the Middlefield frontage, set back 4 feet from the back of sidewalk, in exchange for increasing the offered swath of pavement and easement offered to the neighbors fronting Ellsworth by one foot (from 18 inches wide to 30 inches wide) alongside Ellsworth Place beginning at the Middlefield Road curb line and extending approximately 42 feet to the proposed walkway to the single- family residence
Or
Alternate Proposal B:
Allow for a 36-inch high wrought iron fence with minimum 3 inch gapping (Picture Given Below) within the 35-foot site triangle along the Middlefield frontage, set back 4 feet from the back of sidewalk, with the requirement that this fence be angled as shown in Attachment 2. Photos of this mocked up fence design are included in Attachment 3.
Thank you for your consideration. Should you have any questions or wish to discuss I am more than happy to meet with any of you individually either in person at the site, or by zoom.
Sincerely,
Nitin Handa and Priyanka Handa
3 Cc: Jonathan Lait, Planning Director
Amy French, Chief Planning Official
Garret Saul, Project Planner
Views approaching stop sign: Man walking.
Views approaching stop sign: Woman on bike. ATTACHMENT 1
Photo showing angled 36” tall fence up close
Photo showing angled 36” tall fence from across drive ATTACHMENT 2
PP
S38°00'00"W 100.00'
S47°12'00"W 101.30'
S52°00'00"E 117.11'(T)
44.50'
100.00'
44.50'
56.42'
72.61'
42'-0"
10'-0"
SB
37'-9"
18"
LOT B
127-35-152
702 ELLSWORTH
REAR YARD
(E)
4 COVERED
PARKING
SPACES
ELLSW
ORTH PLACE
BLDG.
10' X 30'
SU-30
DELIVERY
SPACE
16 (E) AC
PAVING
EXISTING
LANDSCAPING
RELOCATE CABLE
BOX FOR UTILITY
PURPOSES
B.O. SIDEWALK
(E)
FIRE
HYDRANT
20'-0"
(E) EASEMENT
30"
37'-0"
24'-0"
EASEMENT OPTION
4'-0"
16'-0"
24'-0"
SSB
6'-0"
SB
14'-2"
8'-6"3'-0"
4'-0"
PAVERS
ZONE
10'-0"
6'-0"
4'-0"
RETURN
MIDDLE FIELD AVENUE 3' TALL
WROUGHT
IRON FENCE
35' SITE
TRIANGLE TYP.
(N) DRIVEWAY APRON
PER CITY STANDARD
(E) GROUND BRACE
TO BE RELOCATED
OR REMOVED BY CPA
UTILITIES.
GAS
METERS
CL
TO FIRST WIRE
ANCHOR
(N) BOLLARDS
AS NEEDED
B.O. SIDEWALK
FUTURE SINGLE
FAMILY HOME
FUTURE
DETACHED
GARAGE
ATTACHMENT 3 N