Planning Commission - public_hearing

Very well, let's start. Well, good afternoon, welcome. Welcome to the public audience on the administrative zoning of September 9, 2026. My name is Georges Roder and I am the president of today's audience as the Zoning Administrator. I open today's session at 4.01 p.m. The audience will take place in a hybrid format. The staff, the asker and a number of the community are present in person. However, we will also ask the members of the community who join us virtually if they wish to intervene on a certain point of the meeting. When these opportunities will be presented, generally during the part reserved for comments from the public for each point. As of today, those who wish to express themselves will be able to do so by using the function raise your hand in ZOOM when I announce the point concerned. Intervenants will be informed of their return shortly before being called to speak. All virtual or face-to-face participants will have 2 to 3 minutes to express themselves, the duration depending on the total number of participants for each point. If you are present and wish to comment on a point of the order of the day, please fill in a yellow participant sheet so that we can correctly authorize your name for the verbal trial. The next part of the meeting is reserved for oral communication with the public. This is a time reserved for people who wish to address the zoning administrator on any subject, let alone the order of the day. Interventions are limited to 3 minutes and the law prohibits any action on subjects that are not in the order of the day. Is there anyone who would like to express himself on subjects that are not in the order of the day, without seeing anyone on site? Is there anyone online who would like to express himself during oral communications?

No one. Thank you Roxane.

I will now move on to point 3, which is the public audience of the administrator of the zoning. Point 3.1 concerns the 191 Eastel Camino Real, with a request for a development examination permit to carry out minor modifications to the site, including the demolition of 12 unprotected trees and associated landscaping, as well as a permit for the demolition of protected trees to remove 26 protected trees in a mobile home park on 17.34 acres. and a recommended determination according to which the project is categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act or CEQA according to section 15 and 304 of the CEQA directives concerning minor land alterations. Madeleine Follas is in charge of the project. Madeleine, did you have a presentation from the staff?

Okay, thank you. Madeleine Follas, in charge of the project. I would like to start with a brief history of the project. The demander began to study a non-indigenous eucalyptus removal project on its property along Stevens Creek following a major erosion event in 2011. A landslide and partial collapse of the riverbank threatened some mobile homes on the site, causing initial work to repair and stabilize the dam. At this time, the demander launched evaluations of the dam zones along the stream and discovered other erosion zones. Tree demolition has been considered as a proactive measure to prevent future destabilization of these banks. Eucalyptus tend to have superficial root systems and are susceptible to falling during storms or violent winds. If a tree falls, the risk of collapse of the river bank could increase. Je vais également fournir un bref résumé du projet. Dans le cadre des travaux proposés, 33 arbres doivent être abattus, dont 26 arbres patrimoniaux et 7 arbres non patrimoniaux. Des modifications paysagères sont proposées sous la forme d'un plan de végétalisation avec 100% de plantes indigènes. The abatements planned are spread along the stream and on the project plans, they are divided into four clearly defined zones surrounded by closure of delimitations during work. Zone 1 is the most southern section of the abatements, just south of an existing support wall on the property. Zone 2 is located just north of this same support wall. Zone 3 is a little more to the north and only one heritage tree must be destroyed. Zone 4 is the most northern. According to the proposed vegetation plan, a new landscape layout composed of 100% indigenous species will replace destroyed trees. According to the requirements for the replacement of the city, heritage trees are generally replaced according to a ratio of 2 for 1 and non-heritages 1 for 1. Le demandeur a proposé un plan de végétalisation spécifique au site pour compenser la perte de chaque arbre par un arbre de remplacement, soit un total de 38 arbres. Chaque arbre de remplacement sera un pot de 4 pouces ou de 1 gallon si celui-ci n'est pas disponible. De plus, le plan propose 80 arbustes d'espèces indigènes variées et l'épandage d'un mélange de graines indigènes dans les zones d'abattage. These indigenous plants are adapted to the river habitat and have deep roots that will help stabilize the banks. To ensure the good growth of the plants, the applicant offers a continuous follow-up of the re-vegetation areas after planting. The arborist of the city examined the proposed vegetation plan and judged it appropriate. The limited planting areas along the Scarpae ridge can not accommodate more trees and the small size of the replacement trees is appropriate to limit the risk of future erosion. After the publication of the time of day, the staff discovered an error in the documents published. Four trees located off site and a branch have been counted by error as non-hereditary tree deforestation. The number of non-hereditary trees whose deforestation is proposed must be revised to 7. The Division of Urbanism received two comments before today's meeting which are accessible via the details of the online meeting and copies are also available in this room. This concludes the presentation of the person. Here are the recommendations. To conclude, the municipal services have completed the project review and recommend its approval based on the conclusions and approval conditions in the June report. Municipal services also recommend to determine that the project is categorically exempted according to Article 15.504 minor modifications of the land of the California Environmental Quality Act or CUQA. The staff is available to answer any questions. Thank you, this concludes the presentation of the staff.

Okay, thank you madam. It is now the turn of the asker to make his presentation. So if you want to say a few words or make a presentation, please get closer to the microphone please.

Hello, my name is Bren Zakaria. I am a civil engineer at Waterways Consulting. I assisted the owner in the development of the design of the project and the request documents, as well as working with the city for the demolition permit of heritage trees. I think that MADI covered most of what the project implies. Je suppose qu'une chose que je vais ajouter, c'est qu'il y a quelques années, des arbres ont été enlevés sous d'autres permis et le propriétaire a maintenu les plantes indigènes à cet endroit, comme il le fera avec ce projet, pour s'assurer de sa réussite et du rétablissement du corridor ivrin avec des espèces indigènes au lieu de l'eucalyptus invasif.

Thank you. Very well, we will now open the public comment section. And I don't see any members of the public in the assembly today. So we're going to ask if anyone online wants to express themselves on this point, this is the moment. Please use the function you have in your hand in Zoom to manifest your wish. Roxane, do we have any members of the public? Okay. Seeing that there is no one else who has just arrived in the assistance, I will ask the requesters if you have any other comments. Seeing that there is none, I will now close the public hearing and I will propose a motion to approve point 3.1 on the basis of the conclusions and conditions published online and the documents of request examined by the municipal services. I also note the change concerning the 7 unclassified trees, a lower number than the one indicated in the project documents. and I will establish the required conclusions to grant the abatement permits of the classified trees. I simply want to emphasize that the abatement works will reduce the risks for people and goods, given their state, their adequacy to this river habitat and their location near existing dwellings. The tree protection plan includes measures aimed at reducing any potential damage to neighboring trees. The slope leading to the stream will be protected during the workings and will be re-vegetated with plantations and indigenous trees more appropriate to this riparian environment. In addition, these dams are supported by the Division of Urban Forests of the City and by Valley Water, which has jurisdiction over the Stevens Creek and the servitude where the work will take place. Please note that my decision of approval can be subject to a request from the Municipal Council within a period of 10 days. This concludes our public audience today at 4 p.m. If you have any questions about one of the points of the order of the day, please contact Mélanie Foll.