Los Altos zoning administrator approves design review for 131 San Juan Court after neighbors raise noise, privacy and asbestos concerns

The Los Altos zoning administrator, Nick Sornsin, approved a design review for a new 3,502-square-foot two-story house with an attached ADU at 131 San Juan Court on May 15, 2024, after staff recommended conditions to reduce balcony depth and add evergreen screening to protect neighbors’ privacy.

Senior planner Sean Gallegos told the Zoning Administrator the proposed residence blends neo-classical and contemporary elements and includes materials such as a standing-seam metal roof, stucco, stone veneer, aluminum wood-frame windows and wood trim. Staff said the project’s balcony exceeds the city’s residential design guideline and recommended Conditions 4A and 4B to reduce the balcony depth to 4 feet and require evergreen screening along the side and rear yards. Staff recommended approval based on the findings and conditions.

Two neighbors spoke during public comment. Jessica Bernhardt of 1064 Nella Lane said the mailed notice was the first she had seen of the project and said prolonged construction would disrupt her household because several residents work from home. “My life is about to be disrupted,” Bernhardt said, asking whether compensation or stronger mitigation should be required. She also asked that pool equipment be placed away from her yard or heavily sound‑shielded and raised concerns about asbestos or other demolition debris affecting her organic garden adjacent to the shared fence.

Ted Goldstein, who said he works in medical research and works from home, urged the city to provide a construction schedule so neighbors can avoid the noisiest phases. “At the very least, we want to have a schedule of construction so maybe we can absent ourselves when they knock down the house,” he said.

Sornsin, who oversees planning, building and engineering for the city, said demolition and construction must comply with state and federal asbestos rules and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District’s requirements; licensed abatement and hauling are required if asbestos is found. He identified Condition 22 as the municipal condition that sets construction hours: 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Saturdays, with no work permitted on Sundays or city‑observed holidays. Sornsin said the Los Altos noise ordinance governs allowable decibel levels by time of day and district and that mechanical equipment must be maintained to remain compliant.

Staff explained that pool equipment shown on conceptual plans does not entitle construction of that exact location without a separate pool permit. Options to reduce noise include placing equipment in a below‑ground vault or constructing a concrete masonry unit (CMU) enclosure with a roof; both approaches can reduce audible impacts for adjacent properties. Staff encouraged the applicant to share a construction schedule with neighbors and to coordinate mitigations informally while noting many design details are reviewed again at building plan check.

After hearing the staff presentation and public comments, Sornsin approved the design review permit as proposed. Sean Gallegos will issue an approval letter enabling the applicant to proceed to building plan check and to apply for subsequent permits for the house and any pool work. The meeting was then adjourned.

What happens next: the applicant may submit building permit applications (including a separate pool permit if the owner pursues a pool); those submittals will be reviewed for compliance with the municipal code, noise limits, and any required asbestos abatement, and permits will include plans and documentation for equipment enclosures or vaults as needed.