TOWN OF PORTOLA VALLEY
Regular Meeting of the Town Council
Monday, January 9, 2023
1:00 P.M.
Jeff Aalfs, Mayor
Sarah Wernikoff, Vice Mayor
Judith Hasko, Councilmember
Mary Hufty, Councilmember
Craig Taylor, Councilmember
VIRTUAL PARTICIPATION VIA ZOOM
To access the meeting by computer:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81218814521?pwd=Q2M3ZjJjc0pLdW5CeW9kb1NpNDNDUT09 Webinar ID: 812 1881 4521
Passcode: 636965
To access the meeting by phone:
1-669-900-6833 or
1-888-788-0099 (toll-free)
Mute/Unmute – Press *6 / Raise Hand – Press *9
SPECIAL HYBRID MEETING
HISTORIC SCHOOLHOUSE - 765 Portola Road, Portola Valley, CA 94028 Remote Public Comments: Meeting participants are encouraged to submit public comments in writing in advance of the meeting. Please submit your comments using this online form by 1:00 PM on the day of the meeting. Time permitting, your correspondence will be uploaded to the website. All received questions will be forwarded to Council, Commission, or Committee members for consideration during the meeting and included in the public record.
Additionally, the public body will take questions using the Raise Hand button for those who attend the meeting online or by phone. Phone callers may provide comments by pressing *9 on your phone to "raise your hand" and *6 to mute/unmute yourself. The meeting Chair will call on people to speak by the phone number calling in.
Assistance for People with Disabilities: In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact the Town Clerk at (650) 851-1700 or by email at [email protected]. Notification 48 hours prior to the meeting will enable the Town to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to this meeting.
Residents have asked if they are able to see a list of participants in Zoom webinar-meetings. Craig Hughes has put together a simple website integrated with Zoom data to provide this for Town webinars. You can visit the site at https://pv-zooms.rungie.com/ which will show a list of meetings. Clicking on a meeting will then display all participants in the meeting, as well as those who had been in the meeting but have left. The site will only show meetings once they have started and the first participant has joined.
1. CALL TO ORDER
2. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
Persons wishing to address the Town Council on any subject may do so now. Please note, however, that the Council is not able to undertake extended discussion or action tonight on items, not on the agenda. Speakers' time is limited to three minutes.
3. SPECIAL MEETING
a. Conduct Interview Sessions for the Following:
• Two Short-Term Vacancies on the Planning Commission, with One Seat’s Term Expiring in December 2023, and One Seat’s Term Expiring in December 2024 • Two Short-Term Vacancies on the Architectural Site Control Commission, with One Seat’s Term Expiring in December 2023 and One Seat’s Term Expiring in December 2024
4. ADJOURNMENT
The next Regular Town Council meeting will be held on January 11, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. ______________________________________________________________________________________ TO: Mayor and Members of the Town Council
FROM: Melissa Thurman, Town Clerk
DATE: January 9, 2023
RE: Interviewing of Applicants to the Architectural Site Control Commission and Planning Commission
DISCUSSION
On November 17, 2022, the Town of Portola Valley launched a recruitment to fill vacant positions on both the Architectural Site Control Commission and the Planning Commission.
Details of the vacant seats are as follows:
• Two Short-Term Vacancies on the Planning Commission, with One Seat’s Term Expiring in December 2023, and One Seat’s Term Expiring in December 2024; and • Two Short-Term Vacancies on the Architectural Site Control Commission, with One Seat’s Term Expiring in December 2023 and One Seat’s Term Expiring in December 2024
A deadline to submit a letter of interest to serve on either Commission was given as December 19, 2022 by 5:00 p.m.
Six residents of Portola Valley submitted letters of interest by the deadline listed above to the Town Clerk.
For the Architectural Site Control Commission, two letters of interest were received from:
• Lucy Neely
• Carter Warr
For the Planning Commission, four letters of interest were received from:
• Lynda Brothers
• Rebecca Flynn
• Ronny Krashinsky
• Karen Vahtra
TOWN OF PORTOLA VALLEY
STAFF REPORT
TOWN OF PORTOLA VALLEY
ASCC & PC Interview Sessions
January 9, 2023
An initial interview date was provided to the public of January 4, 2023; however, due to the major storm event impacting Northern California, staff postponed the interview sessions to January 9, 2023.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with the interviews, nor the appointments of volunteers to Town Committees and Commissions.
ATTACHMENT
1. Letters of Interest from All Applicants
Lucy E Neely
Portola Valley, CA 94028
Town Council
Town of Portola Valley
765 Portola Road
Portola Valley, CA 94028
December 22, 2022
Dear Town Council of Portola Valley,
I’m writing to express my interest in applying for the position of a Commissioner on the Architectural and Site Control Commission.
I grew up in Portola Valley and have lived here for going-on eight years as an adult. I think I’m from the most beautiful place on earth. I feel the place as an extension of my own body and count my blessings everyday to be home here. I appreciate the harmony of landscape and built environment and the ability to connect with the stars at night.
I’ve always been and grow increasingly interested in architecture, space, landscaping, and the interplay between the natural and built environment. I appreciate Portola Valley’s particular attention to these relationships and the strong ethos of denizen-driven processes that work to maintain these relationships in harmony.
I’ve served on the town Finance Committee for four years now, including three as chair. For the past year I’ve also been a member of the newly formed Race and Equity Committee. I’m interested in serving this place I love and helping it develop in the best way possible during these fascinating times of accelerating change.
Furthermore, I like the remaining members of the ASCC and would enjoy serving with them.
I look forward to conversing with you further. There’s so much good work to be done.
Sincerely yours,
Lucy Neely
1 Melissa Thurman
From: Carter Warr
Sent: Thursday, December 1, 2022 5:01 PM
To: Town Center
Cc: Eden Licup; Jeremy Dennis
Subject: ASCC - Application
Town Council;
I am submitting my letter of interest in again serving on the Architecture and Site Control Commission or the Planning Commission for the Town of Portola Valley.
Tami and I moved to Portola Valley in 1988, 34 years ago. We bought a very small home on likely the smallest lot in Town. We made Portola Valley our permanent home. Tami was a middle school science teacher for 9 years at Corte Madera School. Our daughter Emily has spent her entire life here attending preschool at Carillon, PVTC for theater, Ormondale for grade school, Corte Madera for middle school, and the Woodside Priory for high school before heading off to attend college at TCU. Emily and I have our horses on our property. We actively ride the trails and keep our horses fit with cutting horse practice in our small pen. I moved my practice of Architecture to Portola Valley in 1990 after a year of commuting to and from San Mateo. I have practiced here ever since. The majority of my work is with 20 minutes of my office. Many weeks a year I never leave Town.
I love this valley and what it represents as a home for those who appreciate a rural lifestyle in close proximity to the busy world of the Bay Area. Portola Valley is a treasure founded on great principles set down in the early 1960's by those with courage to protect open space, a rural lifestyle, and the aesthetics/land practices associated. That courage and determination has been inspiring. I had the great privilege to know personally and count as friends several of the Town's founding members and their families. John James, as a sitting Council Member, came to my office in the fall of 1990 at the urging of the planning manager to solicit my participation on the ASCC. I was initially reticent since I was a relatively new member of the community. John spent a long time with me telling me the story of the Town's founding and how important it was to carry on the memories and the principles that carved Portola Valley out of the County's jurisdiction. 'It is our volunteers that make this Town special' he said. "We need talented caring volunteers on the ASCC to be the first line of defense" he repeated. From that day it has been important to carry on these intimate memories and stories to the next generations of Portola Valley volunteers.
John convinced me to serve. I served from 1991 to 2012. My first meeting was with another longtime volunteer and first time ASCC member Bub Eisberg at a site meeting to walk the lands that were eventually approved as the Blue Oaks subdivision. I served through a tough period during the Design Standards ReReview where nearly all of the original standards were modified to guide and protect future Portola Valley from becoming like some of the other adjacent communities. Many of those years the preparation and meetings were intense trying to be vigilant to protect a way of living. During my 21 years I was keenly aware that my experience as a practicing Architect was valued by the town staff, applicants, and the public. To this day I am stopped at public events and at local stores by previous design review participants to express their gratitude for my measured guidance and carefully balanced attention to all sides of the design review process.
I continue to feel the Town benefited because I was a volunteer. 2 Before and since 2012 I have volunteering at the Councils' behest on various other official and unofficial committee assignments.
I feel the Town would benefit by having, again, a practicing design professional on either the ASCC or the Planning Commission. I look forward to an interview with the Council and an opportunity to contribute again as a volunteer.
Carter J. Warr, AIA, CSI, NCARB lic. No. C-19397
CJW Architecture
130 Portola Road (business)
(residence)
www.cjwarchitecture.com
Portola Valley, CA 94028
Dec. 21, 2022
Re: Planning Commission
To: [email protected]
After much deliberation and consulting with other residents about the ASCC and the Planning Commissions, I’ve decided to volunteer to serve on the Town's Planning Commission (PC).
Portola Valley is facing important planning decisions over the next year and beyond that will shape how the Town can develop in a manner that will respect our commitment to the preservation of open space and the conservation of our natural environment. All decisions of the Planning Commission must be made balancing our General Plan with the laws and regulations of the state of California.
Portola Valley exists in a stunningly beautiful landscape of mountains, hills, and steep ridges straddling the geologically active San Andreas Fault, covered with oak forests and riparian zones along creeks and riverbeds. It’s critical that all land use plans respect and preserve that uniqueness while also making it possible for a wider variety of families and individuals to join Portola Valley.
There are several activities in my background that would be relevant for the Planning Commission.
I have a very strong analytical background with master’s degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and INSEAD in France. This background enables me to easily grasp complex concepts, understand detailed government regulations, and make logical decisions.
I have closely followed the massive efforts of the Ad-Hoc Housing Element Committee, Stanford Wedge Redevelopment project, and the Safety Element and have frequently contributed multiple ideas for meeting our housing goals. The efforts to refine the Housing Element as well as find solutions for increasing affordable housing in our Town in a manner that respects and preserves our natural environment will continue to be active efforts for several years to come as the Town grapples with finding locations for affordable housing.
I’ve been on the Sustainability Committee for many years (and the Water Conservation Committee, prior to that). Given the extreme and critical situation of climate change, it is vitally important that the Town continue to encourage the adoption of green and sustainable building practices and be at the forefront of those efforts. I routinely attend lectures, workshops, and green home tours on green building, air sealing, energy efficiency, water conservation, and passive house building and have a strong understanding of sustainable building practices.
In addition, I’ve recently been serving on the ADU Ambassadors Team where I’ve become very familiar with the new regulations for ADUs and JADUs. As the Town seeks to find lower impact housing, ADUs and JADUs represent a significant portion of our new Housing Element that can meet those requirements with less of a visual impact on the Town as a whole.
Finally, I’m very knowledgeable about building plans, zoning regulations, permitting, and architectural drawings as I have been involved in the past in designing my own remodel and general contracting a major project at my own property.
Regards,
s/Rebecca Flynn
1 Melissa Thurman
From: Ronny Krashinsky
Sent: Wednesday, December 21, 2022 4:12 PM
To: Town Center
Subject: Planning Commissioner letter of interest
Ronny Krashinsky
Portola Valley, CA 94028
December 22, 2022
Portola Valley Town Council
Portola Valley, CA 94028
via email
Dear Town Council members,
I am writing to express my interest in serving on the Planning Commission.
As odd as it may seem, I have a fond memory of reviewing the real estate disclosure packet for what would become our home in Portola Valley. My wife and I had long shared a dream of returning from San Francisco to our roots on the Peninsula to raise our children in a more rural environment. Expecting the usual legalese about leaks and lead paint, I was instead struck by the beauty of the Design Guidelines and Conservation Guide. As I read these documents late into the night, I realized that the Town character was not simply a byproduct of its scenic natural surroundings. The ethos which drew my family here derived from principled land-use planning, from the elegant drawings of structures integrated with the landscape, to the nearly poetic respect for flora, fauna, night skies, and view corridors.
After moving to Portola Valley, I learned that the Town was under great strain. The regional need for more housing was colliding with a desire to preserve the Town’s rural character and the need for geologic and fire safety. I found myself unexpectedly enthralled by these challenges. Over the past year, I have closely followed the Ad Hoc Housing Element Committee and related Planning Commission and Town Council meetings.
Through this, I learned about the spirit of volunteerism in Portola Valley. I joined the Sustainability Committee earlier this year and, as a member of the Town’s ADU Ambassador team, helped craft an ADU survey and educational materials.
My background is in Computer Engineering. I completed my undergraduate studies at UC Berkeley and earned a doctorate at MIT. I spent a couple of years at a startup, and then joined NVIDIA where I've worked for over a decade. I expect that my analytical skills will be helpful in the Planning Commision role. I have a rigorous attention to detail, yet am mindful of big picture goals and impacts. I would approach the Planning Commissioner position with humility, curiosity, and thoughtfulness.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
2 M m m
Ronny Krashinsky
Karen Vahtra
December 20, 2022
Dear Members of the Portola Valley Town Council,
I have lived in town for 20 years and believe my extensive experience volunteering within the town and in neighboring communities will be useful in helping guide decisions in front of the Planning Commission.
I co-founded a technology company that went public in November 2001. I am Electrical Engineer by trade and also have extensive business and marketing experience.
I chose Portola Valley over the neighboring communities because I love nature, open space, and a quiet environment. I am very familiar with the design and construction process as I participated extensively with the architect and contractor when I built a house here that was completed in 2006.
After extensively traveling the world, I have found the most satisfaction in giving back to the community. I have volunteered for ten years in a tax program run through the IRS and the United Way for low-income people as a Tax Preparer, Site Coordinator, and Tool Developer. I also volunteered at Stanford Hospital for several years.
In Portola Valley, I volunteered as the co-editor of the Portola Valley Post, created a small ad-hoc Technology Committee after a resident was robbed, served on the Wildfire Committee, and spearheaded an effort with many residents in town during the pandemic to sew and repair about 1,000 masks for the community at large. In the beginning of the pandemic, I walked every street and trail noting each address with a wood shake roof - so I am familiar with every street and neighborhood in town. During the pandemic, I also attended countless Housing Element, Town Council, and Planning Commission meetings and am well versed on how the town government operates.
I enjoy challenging volunteer activities. Both my professional and volunteer backgrounds will enable me to serve the town well as a commissioner.
I look forward to discussing the Planning Commission openings with you.
Sincerely
Karen Vahtra