Item 06 - 15215 Shannon Rd - Staff Report Exh.5November 15, 2016
Job No. 4130.50
Jennifer Armer
Associate Planner
Town of Los Gatos
110 E . Main Street
Los Gatos , CA 95030
Re : Proposed PO Zoning
15215 Shannon Road , Sahadi Property
five Single-family residential lots
Dear Jennifer:
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NOV 1 5 2016
TO WN OF LOS GATOS
PLANNING DIVISION
This letter is intended to provide supplemental and background information on the technical
aspects of the proposed Sahadi property subdivision . The proposed project is a five-lot
residential subdivision of a 13-acre parcel located at 15215 Shannon Road. See attached
EXHIBIT A . Each proposed residential lot is planned to allow one custom single-family
detached (SFD} residence . The existing SFD residence on the site will remain on its own lot.
Custom homes are proposed on each of the remaining four lots . Each custom home will be
submitted for review and approval with separate Architectural and Site applications at a later
date . A new shared private drive is proposed to provide access to each lot from Shady
Lane/Santella Drive while maintaining vehicular connectivity with the existing paved private
driveway to Shannon Road. The arena will remain within a common use easement for use by
each new lot owner. The Private drive, retaining walls, and utilities (public and private} will be
within appropriate easements on the lots and all shared private facilities, including the arena ,
will be ma intained by a new Home Owners Association .
I. EXISTING CONDITIONS
The existing 13-acre site is comprised of rolling hills and a relatively flat ridge line with
generous open areas. There are over 360 scattered oak trees throughout the site and
several existing structures that include:
• An occupied single-family dwelling unit
• A detached dwelling un it (guest cottage} located adjacent to the existing pool and deck
• A detached structure adjacent to the existing single-family house without a kitchen.
• Four sheds that are not fully enclosed and are scattered throughout the property
• One enclosed shed structure on the north side of the property
• A barn with stables on the north side of the property
• A breaking ring structure on the northwest side of the property
• A run -i n-shed that is located adjacent to the breaking ring
Site access is obtained from Shannon Road with a well-maintained , paved private driveway
located within an access easement on the adjacent undeveloped property to the south.
EXHIBIT 5
1570 Oakland Road 1 San Jose, California 95131 1 (408) 487-2200 I (408) 487-2222 F ax I www.HMHca .com
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II. PROJECT PROCESSING, ENTITLEMENT, AND APPROVALS
A. ANNEXATION AND ZONING
The project site is located within unincorporated Santa Clara County and is currently
zoned A-20s-d1. The Town of Los Gatos General Plan land use diagram designates the
site as HR-5 Prezone. The surrounding lands to the north, west, and southwest are
located within the Town of Los Gatos and are zoned Hillside Residential-2.5 (HR-2 .5);
the property to the east is in unincorporated Santa Clara County.
As shown on the attached EXHIBIT B, the project site is surrounded by adjacent
property already incorporated into the Town of Los Gatos. HMH has coordinated with
San Jose Water Company and West Valley Sanitation District and confirmed that both
agencies have the capacity to provide the flow capacity and services required for the
proposed annexation into the Town of Los Gatos .
Also shown in EXHIB IT B, adjacent surrounding zoning is HR-2.5 with lot sizes ranging
from just under 1.0 acre to 3.9 acres to the west, 1 .1 to 4.1 acres to the northwest at the
Highlands of Los Gatos subdivision, and larger residential and undeveloped lots to the
north , south and east. The proposed 2.59-acre lots are configured to meet the
requirement of HR-2.5 zoning for residential use and provides an appropriate lot size
transition from the smaller lots to the west to the larger lots to the east.
B. CONCEPTUAL DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE
HMH began design services for the project in 2014. We coordinated and met with
agency staff including Town of Los Gatos planning and engineering division staff,
County of Santa Clara (Fire), San Jose Water Company, and West Valley Sanitation
District. After several design iterations , HMH has satisfied all preliminary comments
received and submitted an application to the Town for review by the Conceptual
Development Advisory Committee (CDAC). The project was discussed at the December
10, 2014 regular meeting .
A discussion item summary was provided after the meeting and we provided responses
to each item (see attached EXHIBIT C). The CDAC recommendations were
incorporated into a PO Zoning plan set which was submitted and further revised, working
to incorporate all Town staff and agency comments during 2015 and 2016. Through that
process , project design has been refined to a nearly construction-ready level.
C . INITIAL STUDY AND MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION
The Town initiated the preparation of an Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration
(MND) that was finalized in August 2016 and circulated for public comment. The
findings and reasons support the project as stated below (directly quoted from the MND
document):
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"The Initial Study identified potentially significant effects on the environment.
However, the proposed project has been mitigated (see Mitigation Measures
below which avoid or mitigate the effects) to a point where the proposed project
will not have the p otential to significantly degrade the environment; will have no
significant impact on long-term environmental goals; will have no significant
cumulative effect upon the environment; and will not cause substantial adverse
effects on human beings, eith er directly or indirectly.
The following re asons will support these findings :
1. Identified adve rse impacts are proposed to be mitigated through
implementation of mitigation measures incorporated herein.
2. The proposed project is consistent with the adopted goals and policies of the
Los Gato s general Plan and the Los Gatos Municipal Code.
3 . Town staff independently reviewed the Initial Study, and this Mitigated
Negative Declaration reflects the independent judgement of the Town of Los
Gatos."
After Planning Commiss ion a nd Town Council approval of the proposed PO Zoning, a five-lot
Tentative Subdivision Map will be submitted for approval. After approval of the Tentative Map, a
Final Map will be submitted for approval and recordation to create five lots with the required
easements for common area, access, and utilities. Along with the Final Map, a grad ing, paving ,
and utility plan will be submitted for approval for the construction of the shared private drive and
utilities. Each home site will be processed later through separate Architectural and Site
development permit applications .
Ill. PROPOSED SITE DESIGN
The proposed five -lot subdivision includes a lot configured to maintain the existing single-family
home in place and provide four additional lots for new custom homes . The four new custom
homes are proposed to be evenly distributed throughout the site in areas with minimal grading
and impact to existing trees . Each lot will be 2 .59 acres, and all home sites will be within the
Least Restrictive Development Area (LRDA).
A. PROPOSED PRIVATE DRIVE
HMH performed preliminary design and coordinated with Town engineering staff and the
Santa Clara County Fire Department to obtain acceptance , indicating that the proposed
design meets both County Fire and Town of Los Gatos engineering standards for
general and emergency vehicle access . The project site topography includes a flat area
previously used as a horse arena surrounded by slopes that e xceed 30%. The slope
flattens at an intermediate ridge surrounded by dense trees . Several access road
alignments were considered, but, because of the topographic site constraints, all would
require an alignment that is outside of the LRDA over the sloped area of the site . The
proposed option provides an appropriate configuration with the least amount of
disturbance to site grade, natural drainage, existing trees , and adjacent properties . The
proposed access drive begins at th e terminus of Santella Drive, a public street with in the
Highlands of Los Gatos project, and will extend through the adjoining property w ith in a
40-foot wide private access easement (an easement grant deed has been recorded) and
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extend into the site and provide private access to each lot. The new private drive will end
with a cul-de-sac and a connection to the existing private access drive that will remain in
place as a secondary access to Shannon Road .
The proposed private drive has been designed to provide the most favorable opportunity
to save trees and minimize grading and retaining walls while maintaining an acceptable
design standard . In doing so, portions of the proposed road are as steep as 20%, but
only for two sections that are no more than 250' in length . In order to provide the best
opportunity to preserve the trees, roadway grade and location have been designed to
yield the greatest separation to tree trunks as possible , resulting in a retaining wall
heights of up to six feet. The plan currently shows the removal of 16 trees to build the
private drive . Half of those trees are identified in the arborist report to be in fair to poor
condition . With additional refinements in the roadway alignment, we may be able to
further reduce the tree removal requirement and will work toward that goal during the
preparation of construction documents.
We consider this proposed site access road to be the superior alignment that minimizes
impacts to the site while maintaining a compliant design standard .
B . EXISTING DRIVEWAY I SECONDARY ACCESS
The project includes utilizing the existing paved driveway to the site from Shannon Road
as a secondary access . The intent is to leave the driveway open , as it exists today,
without gates. With the use of this existing driveway and the new proposed private
access drive, enhanced connectivity is provided for the project site and further egress
opportunities are provided, beneficial for surrounding areas in the event of an
emergency .
The project was initially evaluated using this existing driveway fo r primary access. To
meet the required design standards, modifications would be required that involve
significant grade changes with excessive grading, pavement removal and replacement,
removal of large trees , grading on adjacent properties , formal vacation of an existing
access easement, acquisition of a new access easement, and fill within an existing
natural drainage channel. Because of the added complexity and potential impacts, we
determined that the existing driveway should remain as it is , used for secondary access.
C . GRADING
Grading is proposed for the construction of the new access road . The majority of the
grading involves cuts and fills of up to five feet with strategically placed retaining walls
along the outer edge of the roadway. The roadway alignment and use of retaining walls
are proposed to minimize the disturbed area and preserve trees. No pad grading is
proposed for the building sites ; each building site will be designed to minimize ground
disturbance and comply with the grading criteria established within the Hillside
Development Standards and Guidelines and this PO Zoning . After the shared private
drive is constructed , with separate A&S approvals, each home site will be graded to
construct a driveway and fin ish grade around the home .
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D. BUILDING SITES
No house designs have been prepared at this time; however, the vision for the
architecture is to follow a high level of design to fit the property. Each custom home site
will be submitted at a later time with separate Architectural and Site app lications that w ill
show the details of each site development and site-specific grading. The existing site
configuration provides a unique opportunity to create a hillside community with minimal
grading and tree impacts, making use of the naturally flat and open building sites that
already exist at the site .
IV. T REE IM PACTS
More than 360 existing and mature oak trees exist on the site. The four lots proposed for new
homes already have flat areas that are mostly free of existing trees . The site design makes use
of these natural building sites and the site access drive has been careful ly configured to
minimize impacts to existing trees. We have met with the Town Arborist to discuss potential
impacts to the existing trees along the proposed access drive alignment and evaluate design
options to minimize tree removal. Mitigation for tree removal w ill include on-site tree planting to
the greatest extent practical , filling in open area and providing additional perimeter screen ing .
As the final design progresses, we will continue to work cl osely with th e town arborist to refine
the design of the site and work to preserve as many trees as possible.
V. VI SIBILITY
The proposed access drive and lots are being established to provide bu il ding sites that will not
be more than 25% visible from the viewing platforms as stated in the Hillside Development
Standards and Guidelines. A visibility study has been completed for each viewing platform
utilizing Google Earth, modeled building masses, and actual photos. Elevation reference
markers (poles and netting held with height markings) were used to provide reference location
and elevation of proposed homes as photos were taken from areas around each viewing
platform and other areas around the valley floor . An existing dead pine tree stands along the
perimeter of proposed Lot 5 that provided a good reference point to the site; the top of it can be
seen from many areas around the valley. That proved to be very useful in establish ing height
and location of the proposed homes well below the tree lines as seen from the valley, as shown
in EXHIBIT D. To demonstrate site visibility, we have compiled a video that shows the site
modeling methodology, clearly shows the site lines from and around the viewing platforms, and
demonstrates how the proposed building locations are situated behind hills and existing tree
canopies. That video will be .presented at the hearing .
In Google Earth , home massing e lements were created as 3D models to analyze potential
visibility seen from the viewing platforms and surrounding areas. The homes were schematically
drawn with a section of 18 feet in height and another section of 25 feet in height. A "sight-line"
was drawn in Google Earth from each viewing platform to the top of the modeled home . By
inspection, these homes would not be visible from the viewing platforms as the "site lines"
clearly cut through e xi sting ground and existing trees on and off the site. The perimeter trees
that are screening the potential homes on the project site are not proposed to be removed .
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To further study the potential visual impacts, we performed additional visual inspections of the
site from many areas between the viewing platforms. Using the same reference poles , we
found no visibility of any of the proposed home sites in most locations . Depending on specific
home site design , a small portion of the home (less than 15%) may be visible at lot 1 from the
valley floor near Union Middle School. Another limited area of possible home views is from the
areas around Blossom Hill I Los Gatos Almaden Road, at a distance of about 1.6 miles from the
site (closer areas are obscured by an intervening hill). Current modeling shows no visibility , but
again , depending upon specific home site design, very small portions of the proposed homes at
Lots 4 and 5 may be visible from a great distance .
Of particular note, the building height of 18' or 25 ' for all lots did not change the visibility of the
home sites . Topographic and vegetation obstructions provide screening in excess of these
heights. Visibil ity from the viewing platforms and other areas will be further demonstrated in the
visibility analysis video to be presented at the hearing .
V I. UTILITIES
Preliminary design has been completed and coordinated with the Town engineering department
staff for water supply, sanitary sewer, and storm drainage for the proposed project.
A. DOMESTIC WATER
Two options for a water main extension within the proposed private drive for domestic
and fire water are shown on Sheet 14 of the PO Zoning package .
Option 1 shows the proposed waterline connecting to the existing waterline on the
adjacent property to the north . The new water main is proposed under the private drive
with water services clustered at the northwest corner of the property (where there is
adequate pressure). The main would extend up the private drive to a new fire hydrant.
Option 2 would connect to the existing water main at the tank site to the immediate
north . This water main would enter the site adjacent to the tank site and extend under or
adjacent to the existing paved arena access road to the same service location described
above . The main would then extend up the private drive to a new fire hydrant.
Another water service option is provided through four existing water service lines that
have been installed from the existing termination point of Santella Drive, through private
water line easements across Highlands Lot 14 and Land or Re . One of these services is
now in operation , providing service to the existing home and will most likely be used to
provide service to Lot 3 .
Air-gap tanks with booster pumps will be required to provide domestic water service to
each home . A storage tank will be provided at each home site to provide fire water
protection .
San Jose Water Company will provide water service to the project. See attached "Will
Serve" letter (EXHIBIT E).
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B. SANITARY SEWER
Sanitary sewer service will be provided by West Valley Sanitation District (WVSD). We
·have coordinated with Town engineering staff and WVSD staff to prepare our prel iminary
plan, which includes an on-site gravity system and a shared pump/force main that
connects to the WVSD main with a private (HOA maintained) force main at the Santella
Drive/Santella Court/Shady Lane intersection. Private easements for the force main
have already been secured from the adjacent property owners. A portion of the private
force main is proposed within the Santella Drive public right-of-way. WVSD has
performed a capacity analysis and has determined that their system has sufficient
capacity to provide service for the proposed project.
West Valley Sanitation District will provide sewer service for the project. See attached
"Will Serve" letter (EXH IBIT F).
C. STORM DRAIN
The site design for storm drainage introduces a passive methodology where no
stormwater is collected or concentrated into a manufactured storm drain facility. All site
stormwater will be collected into infiltration trenches strategically located onsite. All
roadways will have a cross-slope to allow water to flow across the surface. Tributary
drainage areas will not be altered by the development.
VII. STORM WATER QUALITY AND QUANTITY
The subject property is located in an area that is subject to hydromodification management
requirements as set forth in the C .3 Stormwater Handbook prepared by the SCVURPPP and the
Municipal Regional Permit.
Soil mapping prepared by the National Resource Conservation Service shows that the entirety
of the site is underlain by soils in the Zeppelin-Aiumrock complex . These soils are categorized in
Hydrologic Soil Group C, indicative of relatively low infiltration rates and correspondingly high
runoff potential. However, according to the geotechnical engineer, a fractured shale layer lies
beneath the surface soils with an infiltration rate that ranges from 0.67 to 1.35 inches/hour. To
fully comply with the requirements as set forth in the C.3 Stormwater Handbook, all treatment
control facilities at the site are designed to infiltrate required stormwater into the native soil. This
will be accomplished by constructing infiltration trenches scattered throughout the site. The
infiltration trenches are strategically located in areas where runoff will occur.
Hydromodification impacts and mitigation were assessed by Balance Hydrologies and
presented in a 161-page report dated October 28, 2016. Analysis was based on the Bay Area
Hydrology Model (BAHM), a tool for analyzing the potential hydrograph modification effects of
land development projects. Also , the minimum required trench volume was calculated using the
SCVURPPP Volume Sizing Criteria. These calculations were compared with the actual design
volume of the trenches provided by BAHM, and all of them are larger than the required volume.
The infiltration trenches contain drain rock that varies in depth. All of the trenches were modeled
and sized to infiltrate at a rate of 0 .67 inches/hour, a conservative rate provided by the
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geotechnical engineer. In a large storm event, overflow of most trenches will sheet flow down
the slopes. For the trenches that are located at the back of the retaining wall , overflow will occur
through weep holes in the wall . Sheet 17 in the PO Zoning package shows the drainage areas
and the conceptual locations of all proposed infiltration trenches .
Stormwater mitigation facilities will be installed with the construction of the private drive as
needed to mitigate for the roadway . Additional mitigation w ill be designed and constructed with
each home site (shown only as a concept on the project plans at this time).
VIII. DEVELOPMENT DENSITY
The proposed project includes five lots with an area of 2.59 acres each over the 13-acre site.
With the proposed zoning of HR-2.5 , the minimum required lot size has been determined using
the Town methodology for determining the average slope and minimum lot area . At the time of
our CDAC meeting, we produced a preliminary calculation based upon the available aerial
topographic base map ·and determined that the site's average slope was about 24.1% and the
minimum lot size should be about 2 .5 acres. Since the CDAC meeting of December 10, 2014,
HMH has performed a field topographic survey to locate existing trees and obtain spot
elevations to field-check the elevations shown on the topographic base map (since the existing
map was compiled by photogrammetric methods, an accuracy of one-half the contour interval is
expected-one foot in this ca·se). It also must be noted that much of the site ground surface is
obscured from view under a dense tree canopy, requiring guess-work when producing the
contour map -this can lead to expected errors of several feet in those locations. As expected,
we found the topographic base map elevations to be within a foot or less of our obtained spot
elevations over the open areas of the site. However, in the steeper, heavily wooded areas of
the site we found elevation differences of several feet. Using our obtained spot elevations, we
adjusted the contours on the base map to fit the elevations determined by field survey. The
updated topographic base was used as a basis for computing the required minimum lot size. As
shown on the development density calculation included on the PD Zoning plan set, we added
the minimum lot size resulting from the average slope for site areas less than 50% to the
minimum lot size resulting from the site areas greater than 50%. This analysis demonstrated
that the provided lot size of 2.59 acres meets the minimum required lot size, supporting the five-
lot proposa l.
IX. PD ZONING STANDARDS
With our application for the project, we intend to meet the governing standards for development
with the following exceptions:
1. The proposed private dive will be constructed as required to provide site access. A
portion of the private roadway with associated grading, paving, walls and utilities will be
constructed outside of the LRDA.
2 . Grading cut and fill depths may extend up to six feet in depth along the outer edges of
the private drive and a portion of the private drive near the cul-de-sac as shown on sheet
11 of the PD Zoning plan set.
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3 . Building sites will be located along the intermediate ridgeline on the site. Future building
heights may be considered up to 25 ' if shown to min i mize site impacts and not exceed
the building visibility standard of 25%.
4. Roadway grades will not exceed 20% over a continuous distance of 300' maximum.
Adjoining sections of roadway in excess of 15% will be separated by at least 1 00'.
5. Retaining walls along the private drive will not exceed six feet in retaining height. Walls
longer than 50' in length will be staggered to break up the appea rance of a single, long
wall.
6. Individual lot Architectural & Site applications may be approved by the Town's
Development Review Committee with conformance to these standards.
We appreciate your consideration of our project proposal. Please let us know if you have any
questions or require any additional information .
Sincerely,
HMH
David Wilson, P.E.
LANDS OF SAHADI
HMH#41 30.50 I Drawn : JC I Revi ewer: OW I N.T.S.I Date : 11 .02.16
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EXHIBIT 'A'
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LEGEND
LOCATION OF P ROPOSED
PRIVATE ROAD
1570 Oakland Road (408 ) 487-2200
San Jose, CA 95131 H MHca.com
HR.Z1i2
LANDS OF SA HAD I
HMH#41 30.50 I Drawn: JC I Reviewer: OW I N.T.S.I Date: 11.02.16
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EXHIBIT 'B'
ZONING MAP
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LEGEND
HR-2 1/2 ZONE
1570 Oakland Road (408) 487-2200
San J ose, CA 95131 HMH ca .com
EXHIBIT C
CDAC Comments and Responses:
o Clari fy if the proposed road is a cu l-de-sac, through-road, or shar ed driveway.
The new road is an extension of Santella Drive. Within the already dedicated Town right-of
way, this will be a public street. As it extends onto the adjacent property, it becomes a
private shared drive for use by both the Sahadi property and the Greenridge Terrace
property. On the Sahadi property, the private shared drive terminates in a cul-de-sac. A
secondary access will remain that connects to Shannon Road using the existing driveway.
The location and diameter of the cul-de-sac has been reviewed by the Town of Los Gatos
and the Santa Clara County Fire Marshall, and the applicant believes that both the size and
location ofthe turnaround is acceptable to both the Town and the County.
• C larify the size of fire truck that the proposed cul-de -sac bulb would accommodate.
The bulb, or cul-de-sac, is designed to meet the County of Santa Clara standards and has
been preliminarily reviewed by the Santa Clara County Fire Marshall. So, it seems
reasonable to assume that the cul-de-sac would accommodate fire trucks and other
emergency vehicles.
• Clarify if the proposed road would be maintained by a Homeowner's Association or the
Town.
The Town would maintain the extension of the road within the existing public right-of-way.
The remaining private road will be privately maintained through a Homeowner's
Association. The Homeowner's Association would be responsible for the repair,
maintenance and replacement of any portion of the private driveway that would serve this
site. Monthly Homeowner's Association dues will be paid by the homeowners and funding
reserves will be set up for any repair, maintenance and replacement needed to keep the
private road in good repair and aesthetica1Iy attractive.
ta Confirm that most of the access road and portions of the driveways are located outside of the
least restrictive development area (LRDA).
The shared access road and/or private roadway, including individual driveways, cross areas
that are outside of the LRDA. The site topographic constraints do not provide much option
in the configuration of the access road. However, that is not to suggest that the lack of
options result in a compromised roadway. Avoiding trees is a primary concern for us.
• Clarify if individual parcels would have easements.
Easements will be provided to allow for vehicular access and utility connections for each lot
and use of the shared equestrian facilities.
• Clarify if the proposal meets density requirements.
At the outset, we utilized the Town of Los Gatos Slope Density Calculations, and the site's
average slope of about 28.2%. That preliminary analysis indicated that the lots should be
configured to average about 2.8 acres in size. Our proposed project includes five lots that
average 2.635 acres in size. We believe that these proposed lots fit in naturally with the
existing site topography and provide consistency with the surrounding land use and adjacent
residential lot sizes. Beginning in 2000, over 56 tons of poison oak material was removed
and the re-building of the site in its entirety as a result of the deferred maintenance was
commenced. The zoning requirement and the recalculated slope density calculation yield for
Conceptual Development Advisory Committee
December 10 ,2014
Page 2
minimum lot sizes is 2.73 acres, well less than the 2.8-acre blended average initially
represented. It should be noted that the proposed development is configured to minimize
grading and land disturbances by situating building sites within Oat areas of the site.
Grading profiles for each lot will be provided and the grading need is next to nothing.
While we have outlined the disparity at the outset for clarity, it is our belief that the disparity
is sigmficantly less and that the quality, image and identity of the lots and site in general
would not be different if the lots were a tad larger. It is our belief that the PD provision was
designed to allow for a bit of leeway to accommodate a better development and this
development may be a classical example of a constructive use of PD approval. This is a
better, more balanced development with five lots rather than four. The LRDA for each lot
would not change if the lots were larger.
• C larify is Town codes, regulations, a nd/or guidelines permit the roadways to be built outside
the LRDA.
We understand that consideration is given to provide access outside of the LRDA. This
determination seems to be within the province ofthe Town staff and the applicant believes
that we are not violating in any material way Town codes, regulations and/or guidelines.
• C lari fy if the exi sting roadway (from Shannon Road) is outside of the LRDA.
The right of way from Shannon Road up to the site is 20-feet wide. It has recently (within
the last year) been re-graded, re-base rocked and repaved starting at Shannon Road and
traversing the entire property down to the area immediately adjacent to the arena and
breaking ring. The grade on the road for the most part is 15% or less with a small portion of
the road exceeding that grade. The newly re-built road is bordered on each side by 2 x 6
pressure treated material or 2 x 6 redwood material so that the road is finished and flush with
the perimeter header boards. The existing topography of the new roadway and existing
roadway are both outside of the LRDA.
• C larify if homeowner s wou ld be a llowe d access without a gate to th e secondary acces s
roadway (from Shannon Road).
No gate exists and no gate is proposed that would preclude ingress or egress from and to
Shannon Road.
• A voi d mi stakes the Highlands development made.
We have met with Town planning and engineering staff to discuss the design option
available to us to best meet the combined interests of the property owner and Town. No
specific "mistakes" were described other than the quality of construction causing excessive
reconstruction later. That will be avoided.
• Questionable if fi ve parcels would b e acceptable .
The site naturally lends itself to 5, 2.6+ acre parcels in balance and in symmetry with the
land. The 5 building sites are mostly devoid of trees and no grading of consequence is
needed and/or required. To justify the investment in water service, sanitary sewer service,
roads and particularly access from Santella Drive, 5 lots are needed to insure the very highest
Conceptua l D evelopment Advisory Co mmittee
December 10 , 2014
Page 3
quality, image and identity for this development. We believe 5 lots are best suited for this
site.
~ Fi ve p<:rce ls wou ld b e the maximum for thi s site.
Acknowledged. In this regard, more than 5 parcels would be totally inappropriate due to the
lay of the land and the 5 natural building sites that now exist. These lots are nicely balanced
and about the same size.
• Concerned about retaining walls, specifically the height, length, and impact on wildlife.
Retaining wall location and height will be coordinated with design options to accommodate
grade and tree preservation. The retaining walls here are no different than The Highlands
and the materials used for the retaining walls will be equal to The Highlands, or better. The
design criteria for the overall development, including but not limited to the retaining walls,
will be to project the same type of quality, image and identity as The Highlands.
• Concerned about the roadway and driveways outside ofLRDA.
Acknowledged.
• Concerned about the appearance of the retaining walls.
The intent is to match the appearance at The Highlands ofLos Gatos project. We are open to
alternatives, if preferred by the Town.
o Clarify if there would be walking and biking access for the residents.
We are not proposing separate trails other than the access roads that already exist on the
property, plus the new private roadway built to provide access to the site and each lot. These
can accommodate walking, biking and equestrian uses.
• The proposal looks like it could work.
Acknowledged.
• The Planning Commission (PC) would look strictly at Hillside Development Standards and
Guidelines (HDSG).
The design conforms to the HDSG to the greatest extent possible. We have spent an
enormous amount of time and energy to conform to the HDSG. It is the unique lay ofthe
land that provides the conformity. However, exceptions may be shown to yield favorable
results, such as additional tree preservation with the use of higher walls.
• PC would not support too many exceptions.
Acknowledged.
o Carefully consider impacts to ridgelines.
The site is relatively isolated with a heavy concentration of mature trees encompassing the
perimeter of all lots . The location oflots and the height of the ridge line on which the lots are
Conceptua l Development Advisory Committee
December 10 , 2014
Page4
located make it impossible for any of the 5 lots to impact ridgeline s . Ridge! inc vtsibility will
be carefully considered m the design of each specific home s ite.
• Consider the rare b lue oa ks and avoid deve lo pment impacts to the blue oaks.
Agreed.
• The property is beautiful.
Agreed .
• The flatness of the property may be good for development.
Agreed.
• The project will be reviewed very carefull y against the HDSG.
Agreed.
Please incorporate our response to the bullet point set out above that provides, "The Planning
Commission (PC) would look strictly at Hillside Development Standards and Guidelines
(HDSG).
• The deciding bodies would rely on staff input.
Acknowledged.
• The deciding bodies would look at grading, visibility, LRDA, number oflots, and r etaining
walls.
Acknowledged.
As indicated above, it appears that grading and visibility are non issues .
• The project may accommodate fiv e lots, may accommodate four lots.
Acknowledged.
• More open to the proposed number of lots on this development as opposed to other
developments.
Acknowledged.
As indicated above, this site is nicely balanced with 5 natural building lots that have existed
since time immemorial. The lots are particularly nourished by the unique common areas,
such as the arena and existing equine facilities that complement each other. The arena can
and will be used for a variety of recreational activities, including but not limited to
equestrian uses , sports such as football (touch and flag) soccer, volleyball and any number of
communal activities that require a relatively large, flat, open space.
$ The Town is reviewing th e Planned D eve lopment (PD) Ordinance and the original intent.
We are critically aware of the Planned Development (PD) Ordinance analysis that is going
on within the Town process . We have read carefully all of the minutes of every public
hearing relating to the Planned Development Ordinance concerns. We think that this
development is a classical example of selective use of Planned Development Approval since
Conceptual Development Advisory Committee
December 10 , 2014
Page 5
it will be a be tter project for th e T o w n a nd homeowners with a bit o f fle x ibility bred into th e
process . This is a site offby itself, isolated to some extent from the rest of the Town and as
s uch does not seem to result in an abuse of Planned Development Approval.
o Con cerned about a PD.
Acknowledged.
• Con side ring the trees and v iews a PD may be appropriate in this case.
Acknow !edged.
• Conc erned about visibi lity from vi ewing platforms.
As set out above, visibility from viewing platforms is virtually non-existent as a result of
what nature has provided.
• The proposal appears to try to preserve trees.
We have carefully considered and pursued tree pr eservation. While there are well over 350
mature trees on the property, each one is a treasure and we have tried hard to save every one.
• Would like to see accurate grading information.
But for the new access road , grading is a re lative non-issue. The applicant will provide lot
and road profiles and all other normal and usual grading information needed with our
application to the Planning Commission. Additional grading and tree details will be
provided with the zoning appli cation.
• Appreciate th e existing fl at pads and locatin g the development th ere.
Acknowledged.
• C larify if the proposed roadway being located outside of th e LRDA is the best
configuratio n/loc ation for a roadway.
Alternate roadway designs were considered and a preliminary design has been developed.
Utilization of the original roadway resulted in excessive roadway reconstruction and grading
within steep slope areas and fill within an existing drainage channel. Additional land rights
would also be required for roadway realignment (the existing roadway is within an acce ss
easement on adjacent properties.) It is far less effective and efficient than the new roadway
from Santella Drive .
• Wh en an app li cation is submitted, provide background information and justi fication for
proposed roadway.
That will be provided.
• The proposal may work but conside r issues raised b y the Conceptual Development Advisory
Co mmittee.
A greed .
Conceptual Development Advisory Committee
December 10 , 2014
Page 6
As this communication is evidence, we have attempted to consider every issue raised by the
CDAC.
~ Each home s hou ld come through th e Arc hitecture and Site app lic ation process individually.
Acknowledged.
VIEWING PLATFORM-SELINDA DR@ ALMADEN ROAD
ETREE
USED AS VISUAL
REFERENCE . TREE
HEIGHT IS ±60'
APPROXIMATE
HOUSE LOCATION
LOT 5 WITH NO VEGETATION SHOWN
NOTE: WITH EXI
DEAD PINE TREE
USED AS VISUAL
REFERENCE
NOT BE VISIBLE FROM SELINDA DRIVE AND
ALMADEN ROAD VIEWING PLATFORM
LOT 5 WITH VEGETATION SHOWN
LANDS OF SAHADI
HMH#4130 .50 I Drawn : JC I Reviewer: DW I N.T.S .I Date : 11 .02 .16
PLOTTED : 11 /4/2016 2 :52PM S:\PROJ ECTS\41 3050\PL\EXHIBITS\20 16 1102 41 3050 VISIBILITY EXHI BIT D .DWG
LOS GATOS ALMADEN ROAD I LOS GATOS BOULEVARD
EXHIBIT 'D'
VISUAL ANALYSIS
DEAD ETA
USED AS VISUAL
REFERENCE. TREE
HE IGHT IS ±60'
APPROXIMATE
HOUSE LOCATION
-25'
LOT 5 WITH NO VEGETATION SHOWN
DEAD PINE TREE
USED AS VISUAL
REFERENCE
NOTE : WITH EXISTING ATI
NOT BE VISIBLE FROM LOS GATOS ALMADEN ROAD I
LOS GATOS BOULEVARD
LOT 5 WITH VEGETATION SHOWN
1570 Oakland Road (408 ) 487-2200
San Jose , CA 95131 HMHca .com
San .Jose
Water
Company
i 10 W. Taylor Street
San Jose, CA 95110-2131
Fred Sahadi
800 Pollard Road. C-36
Los Gat os, CA 95032
EXHIBIT E
? .. ...
May 23 _ 20 14
REFE RENCE: Proposed 5 Lot S ubdi v is ion
15215 Shannon Road. Los Gat os
APN 537-25-002
Dear Mr. Sahadi:
San Jose Water Company
Water Serv~ces A dmm1strat1on
1265 S Bascom Ave .. San Jose CA 95128
Facsimile · 408 -279-7889
Writer's Direct Di al 408-2 79-7874
The above-referenced site is within the jurisdiction of the San Jose Water
Compa ny. Please be infom1ed that we will serve further development of the property in
accordance with our rule s and regulations in effect and on fil e w ith t he Cal iforni a P ublic
U tiliti es Commi ssion.
L k?._-A~
JAMES R . BAR JTEA U
Senior Water Services Re presentative
JRB:bc t
152 15 Shanno n Road (Sah adi).doc
Letter e-ma i1 ed and mailed to: Pedcr Jorgen sen w 1Schaaf & Whee ler
September II , 2015
Trang TuNguyen, P.E.
HMH Engineers
1570 Oakland Road
San Jose, CA 95131
EXHIBIT F
Re: 15215 Shannon Road, Los Gatos (5 SFD Lot Subdivision)-Will Serve
Dear Ms. TuNugyen:
This letter will serve as the West Valley Sanitation District's (District) "WILL SERVE" for the
proposed 5 single family home development lot subdivision located at 15215 Shannon Road. in
unincorporated Los Gatos.
It is the District understanding , the Town of Los Gatos is planning annexation of the proposed
development and annexation into the District will occur simultaneously. This will serve letter
shall be contingent upon successfully completion of the annexation process . The existing public
sewer adjacent to the development includes the 6-inch sewer and manhole located at the
intersection of Santella Court and Santella Drive as shown in the attached map. Connection to
this public sewer shall be made through a private sanitary sewer system. A copy of all private
sanitary sewer easements and maintenance agreements shall be provided to the District prior to
recordation of the Final Map.
Pursuant to District Ordinance Code Section I 0.130 , the owner is required to pay all applicable
fees prior to the recordation of the Final Map. The District will issue a clearance letter for the
recording of the Final Map after the fees are paid.
Please contact me at ( 408) 385-3030 or akam@westvalleysan.org if you have any questions
regarding this mater.
Alan Kam
Senior Civil Engineer
A ttachmen t
c : Mike Wl!isz -Town of Los Gatos
West Valley Sanitation District of Santa Clara County
Serving: City of Campbell, Town of Los Gatos, City of Monte Sereno, City of Saratoga & Unincorporated Areas
100 East Sunnyoaks Avenue, Campbell, CA 95008-6608 tel408.378.2407 fax 408.364.1821 www.westvalleysan.org
0
15215 Shannon Road -
Prop osed 5 SFD Lot Subdivision
Current WVSD
Border