Attachment 22 - Public Comments received between 1101 Oct. 16, 2017 to 1100 Oct. 17, 2017To Whom It May Concern,
I founded Sereno Group along with my lifetime best friend, Ryan Iwanaga, in
Los Gatos in the spring of 2006. We both grew up and have lived in
the Saratoga/Los Gatos area since the mid 1970's.
We were fortunate to secure a highly visible location for our flagship office which
presently remains at 214 Los Gatos - Saratoga Rd, Los Gatos. We began our
firm with 27 people and have grown to 400 occupying more than 12 physical
locations throughout Silicon Valley and over on the Santa Cruz coast.
Due to growth opportunities in Los Gatos and limited space in our main office, we
now must maintain 3 separate office locations/addresses in Los Gatos which is
quite inefficient for our business. We have to manage 3 sets of office staff,
equipment, logistics and culture strains of not having everyone together in one
suitable building.
It's apparent that reasonably visible (which is critical in our business), sizable and
modem office space is basically non-existent in Los Gatos and an office such as
the one proposed at Shelburne Way and Winchester Blvd would serve an
important Town need.
I would cite a new, modern, 3 story building which is being completed at the
comer of San Antonio and 1st Street in Los Altos as a great example of the
future for such office space offerings. Sereno Group plans to relocate from its
current, more dated/ranch style Los Altos office to this new building in order to
accomplish our future business growth and culture objectives.
Thank you taking into consideration the perspective of successful local business
owners and long-time residents.
ani
r & CEO
Seren . Group
ATTACHMENT 2 2
Sereno Group Real Estate 214 Los Gatos -Saratoga Rd. Telephone (408) 335.1400
wwwserenogroup.com Los Gatos, CA 95030 Fax (408) 399-7200
Bryan 1. Mekechuk
17509 Via Sereno
Monte Sereno, CA 95030
408.655.0400
bryan.mekechuk@comcast.net
October 17, 2017
Town Council
Town of Los Gatos
110 East Main Street
Los Gatos, CA 95030
Dear Town Council:
Re: 15860, 15880, 15894 Winchester Boulevard
This follows my letter dated October 14, 2017 where I reiterated my concern regarding the applicant
understating the building height. With Attachment 18 added, the building height can be estimated with cross
sections included in the applicant's original application.
Town Council should deny the appeal based on the height of the building. First, the building exceeds the
maximum height allowed in Office zone, which is 35 ft. above natural grade. Second, even if the building
complied with the maximum allowed height, the building blocks the views of the Los Gatos hillsides —those
very hillsides that the Town is committed to preserve.
Regarding the building height, the applicant selected the highest point on the sidewalk to use as a reference
point (383.84 ft.) and that reference point is used on the sheet "Reduced Building Heights". This sheet
includes a note stating (emphasis added), "Building height as shown measured from sidewalk grade; building
height measurement of proiect complies with Town Code." Sec. 29.10.020 states, "Height means the height of
all structures, excluding fences, shall be determined by the plumb vertical distance from the natural or finished
grade, whichever is lower and creates a lower profile, to the uppermost point of the roof edge, wall, parapet,
mansard, or other point directly above that grade."
The elevations of the natural grade are show as discrete points on the sheet "Building Shift Eliminated 2
Additional Trees Along Rear & Saved 1 Additional Tree Along Winchester". The maximum building height at
any point may only be 35 ft. higher than any of those point elevations. The natural grade under the roof peak
is 375 ft.
Starting from the sidewalk (383.84 ft.) the applicant shows the roof peak as 32 ft. 2 inches higher, or at an
elevation of 416 ft. The elevation of the natural grade under the roof peak is 375 ft., resulting in a building
height of 41 ft. This is 6 ft. higher than allowed by Los Gatos.
Again, I ask that the Town Council support the decision of the Planning Commission and deny the appeal.
Sincerely,
Bryan J. Mekechuk
383.84 + 32 ft. 2 inches = 416 ft.
32 ft. 2 inches
Sidewalk
383.84 ft.
416 - 375 - ft.
Roof peak
416 ft.
The roof peak will be 41 ft
above natural grade,
violating the maximum
height in Office zone
Elevation under roof peak
375 ft.
This Page
Intentionally
Left Blank