Making It in the Bay

Property Owner's Low-Income Housing Proposal at Issue in Los Altos Hills

NBC Universal, Inc.

A land battle is brewing in Los Altos Hills, where a property owner wants to raze his single-family home and build a low-income housing complex.

Town officials were set to meet with homeowners opposing the project that would allow multi-unit housing on a single property, counter to the town's building ordinances.

Some residents during Wednesday's meeting were upset with the town for not coming up with a state-mandated plan for affordable housing, which essentially opened the door for builders to override local ordinances.

Because Los Altos Hills did not meet the state's deadline with its housing plan, developers can legally bypass local ordinances under the state's "builder's remedy," as long as 20% of the units are low income or all are moderate income.

Los Altos Hills currently allows one unit per acre. The town's housing plan is not in compliance with the state's requirements, according to an update this week from the Department of Housing and Community Development.

City Manager Peter Pirnejad on Wednesday released a statement to NBC Bay Area:

"The Town of Los Altos Hills remains dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive community, where housing opportunities are accessible to all residents. We appreciate the concerns expressed by the protesters and recognize the urgency of addressing the issue of affordable housing. Our ongoing collaboration with HCD and the public demonstrates our commitment to transparency, public engagement, and the pursuit of sustainable solutions."

Several homeowners who attended Wednesday's closed-door meeting with town officials said they support affordable housing, but they want a say in the plan so it's what works for the town, not developers.

"We were supposed to have a dialogue; we were supposed to move the ball to get something a little more appropriate, and we were handed a lawyer and a city manager. No one with any authority to do anything," resident Ian Earnest said.

Resident John O’Connell added: "Los Altos Hills needs 20 to 40 distributed sites where the people who come to live in this community live as part of this community. They don’t need to be put into segregated site in an inappropriate location."

Residents say they plan to appeal to the state, and if that doesn't send a strong enough message, they'll take more drastic action.

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