Portola Valley releases latest draft housing element plan | News

The latest iteration of Portola Valley’s condominium design is due for review by city officials after the state-mandated document was submitted in late January. The draft, which is expected to be approved on March 29, contains few changes but reveals more about future development plans for sites around the city.

On Jan. 25, the city council instructed employees not to turn in the housing element by Jan. 31, saying the plans weren’t ready. At the time, other Bay Area cities were rushing to submit compliant items to the state in late January. Portola Valley has to plan 253 new units that could reasonably be built between 2023 and 2031 under the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) 2023-31.

The draft changes the classification of Dorothy Ford Field, where 50 housing units at 20 units per acre are planned, from vacant to non-vacant land. It also requires a general plan change to allow for a repurposing of the 2.48-acre site.

Deputy Mayor Sarah Wernikoff said HCD (the state Department of Housing and Community Development) has a strict definition of “empty” that doesn’t conform to common usage. The site includes the baseball diamond, and while the project would preserve or enhance the baseball diamond, the city thought it best to strictly follow HCD guidelines, she said.

The descriptions of the locations at Alpenstrasse 4394 and Alpenstrasse 4370 in the Nathhorst triangle have been significantly updated following concerns from the owner and neighbors, respectively, according to staff.

The Planning Commission discussed the new plan during a four and a half hour meeting on Monday March 6th.

4394 and 4370 Alpine Road

The apartment plan has been updated to include the fact that there are no apartments planned for Alpenstrasse 4394 yet.

Portola Valley residents who own the Willow Commons project at 4388 Alpine Road acquired the adjacent property at 4394 Alpine Road in 2021. The owners have not yet developed a housing plan for the site but may do so in the coming years. The owners plan to use the property to support their philanthropic mission to build sustainable, affordable housing for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

“The owners have been researching supportive living models across the United States and hope to bring a collection of best practices to this new website,” the draft reads. “Some of the options being considered are a self-contained supported housing site similar to the 4388 Alpine project; development of additional supportive living programs to complement 4388 Alpine; Development of other housing models (e.g. shared apartments) aimed at vulnerable population groups; or a combination of these or other alternatives.”

Proposers are also exploring some mixed-use ideas, such as retail or an art gallery that would provide both job training and revenue, as well as a mix of commercial-market housing units to allow for the integration of tenant populations and additional revenue to cross-subsidize below-market units, according to the statements of the staff.

“The City wishes to support and facilitate the owners’ philanthropic efforts and recognizes that this is a rare opportunity to show that a vital but scarce form of housing can be developed at the core of an affluent suburban community,” the statement said new draft .

The plan now calls for 4370 Alpine to be an abandoned tennis court and unused parking lot, as well as an office. The main problem at this site is Nathhorst’s neighbors, who have raised concerns about increasing density in their neighborhood, according to a staff presentation to the Planning Commission on March 6.

City consultant Lisa Wise Consulting prepared an early concept plan showing that 20 units per acre would be feasible with a complete redevelopment of the site. The Ad Hoc Housing Element Committee came to a different conclusion, noting that the site would be appropriate at six units per acre (with a total of nine units) and recommended a new mixed-use neighborhood. The city’s site inventory estimates that nine townhouses could be developed, with five units being developed at the rear and four at the front.

Property owner Richard Thesing also expressed interest in a renovation in talks with employees. His plans focused on the back of the property and indicated that up to 11 units (comprising nine 1,782 square foot three-bedroom units and two additional one-bedroom units) could be developed on the back. The development potential of the property is much higher when included as a residential lot and depending on the element, the property owner has a significant financial incentive to develop residential units.

Thesing told the Planning Commission during the March 6 review of the plan that he did not think it would be feasible to build four residential units at the front of the property because of the nearby office buildings that are not scheduled to be demolished.

The plan now also provides for structural setbacks at the site.

Nathhorst residents Bob Adams and Bill Russell thanked the city for working with residents and compromising sites in its neighborhood during the Planning Commission’s review.

Fire risk and feedback from residents

The latest draft also specifies the fire hazard at each proposed site.

For example, The Sequoias is characterized as a fire prone oak forest (highest risk) and a fire prone urban forest (high risk). Christ Church stands on mown grass (low) and fire-prone urban forest (high). The Stanford Wedge is described as a fire prone urban forest (highest) and chaparral (highest).

However, fire mitigation efforts during site development could alter each site’s fire risk.

Overall, residents praised the city staff’s work in refining the housing element plan during the planning commission meeting.

Some residents said they felt they did not have enough time to review the new draft, released Thursday March 2, for the March 6 planning commission review.

Local residents were also calling for major setbacks at several locations.

Resident Rita Comes said she was disappointed by inaccuracies in the draft, including misidentifying Dorothy Ford Park as Dorothy Ford Field.

Next Steps

The plan will next be reviewed at a city council study session on Wednesday, March 15. The Council will consider adopting a first study/weakened negative statement at a meeting on March 22nd. The council will then consider adopting the draft housing element at a March 29 meeting.

Read the full draft here.

Watch a video of the Planning Commission meeting here.