Portola Valley Notes: Council OKs draft housing report Portola Valley Notes: Council OKs draft housing report (May 05, 2004)

The Portola Valley Town Council approved a draft April 28 of a detailed policy -- called a housing element -- that concerns the availability of housing in town for people with moderate to low and very low incomes.

The town has the capacity to produce enough units to meet the estimated needs through June 30, 2006, as defined by the Association of Bay Area Governments, the report said. The policy is updated about twice a decade. A draft of the town's policy will now be sent to the state Department of Housing and Community Development for approval.

When compared to the previous housing element for Portola Valley, one of the most significant differences is a required change to town regulations for housing for people with disabilities. A family care home, foster home or group home with six or fewer residents no longer requires a conditional use permit, but is to be treated as a single family home, the report said.

At the same meeting, the town approved a policy defining who in town is eligible to live in housing designed for people with moderate, low and very-low incomes.

Local funding initiative

Taking only seconds to make a motion and approve it, the Portola Valley Town Council voted 4-0 -- with Councilman Ed Davis absent -- to support the Local Taxpayers and Public Safety Protection Act.

The November ballot initiative would make it more difficult for the state Legislature to redirect local government revenues into state coffers. Voters would have to approve any draw-down of local government revenues from vehicle license fees, sales taxes and property taxes.

The state would also have to either reimburse local governments for mandated costs, such as animal control and managing flood-water runoff, or allow the municipality to opt out of the program.

New bleachers

Plans to install new bleachers with seats of recycled plastic at Rossotti Field can go ahead now that the Portola Valley Town Council has approved a $45,000 contract with West Bay Concrete Contractors Inc.

The field is located on Alpine Road near the Alpine Inn. The recycled plastic seats will be used instead of redwood seats, said Public Works Director Howard Young at the council's April 28 meeting.

E-mail a friend a link to this story.