06-10-15 Minutes - CDACTOWN OF LOS GATOS
110 East M ain Street, Los Gatos, CA 95032 (408) 354-6874
SUMMARY OF DISCUSSION OF A R EGULA R MEETING OF THE CONCEPTUAL
DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE OF THE TOWN OF LOS GATOS FOR JUNE
10, 2015, HELD IN T HE TOWN COUNC IL CHAMB ERS , CIVIC CENTER, ll 0 EAST MAIN
STREET, LOS GATOS, CALIFOR NIA .
The meeting was called to order at 4:30P .M.
ATTENDANCE
Members Present : Absences:
Barbara Spector
Marcia Jensen
Kendra Burch
Thomas O 'Donnell
MaryBadame
Staff Present: Laurel Prevetti , A ss istant Town Manager/Community D evelopment Director
Joel Paulso n, Planning Manager
Jennifer Savage, Senior Planner
Applicant: J ohn Duquette (architect), Architectural Technologies
Shane Arters (applicant), LP Acqui sitions , LLC
Randy Lamb (applicant), LAMB Partners, LL C
Heard out of order
ITEM 2:
IT EM 3 :
Approval of Minutes from August 13,20 14
Approval of Minutes from December 10,2014
Barbara Specto r moved to approve the August 13, 2014 and December 10 , 2014 minute s. The
motion was seconded by Tom 0 'Donnell and approved unanim ou sly.
ITEM 1: 401 to 409 Alberto W ay
Con ceptual Development Advisory Committee Applicatio n C D-1 5-00 1
Requesting review of conceptual plans to demolish three existi ng office buildings
and con struct two , two-s tory office buildings with underground parking on
property zoned CH. APN 529-2 3-018.
PROPERTY OWNER: CW A Realty
APPLICANT: Shane Arters , LP Acquis ition s, LLC
PROJECT PLANNER: Jennifer Savage
The applicant team presented their proposal:
• Two Class A Office buildings.
• Two levels of underground parking.
• Faciliti es for bicyclists including 99 bicycl e parking spaces and showers.
Conceptual Development Advisory Committee
Junel0,2015
Page 2 of 4
• Architecture intended to reflect a small town feel.
• An opportunity to provide office space with a reverse commute.
• A traffic study was drafted and shows the study intersections will operate at acceptable
levels.
CDAC Comments and Questions:
This list is a high level summary of th e issues raised and responses (in italics) provided by th e
applicant team.
Use
• How did the applicant decide to expand office use in Los Gatos? Based on demand for Class
A office space.
• Does the applicant's office vacancy rate assume the new Netflix development {Albright
Way) is occupied, including the unbuilt buildings? Yes.
• How does the proposed office square footage compare to the existing office square footage?
Th e existing office square .footage is approximately 30,000 square feet; the proposed office
square .footage is approximately 90,000 s quare feet.
• What is the average square foot per person of the applicant's recent projects? The average
depends on the type of use.
• How many p eople would occupy the buildings? The occupancy depends on the type of use.
Traffic
• What intersections were studied in the traffic study? Los Gatos Boulevard and Highway 9 ;
Alberto Way and Highway 9; University Avenue and Highway 9; and Caldwell/Kennedy and
Los Gatos Boulevard.
• How does the applicant define a reverse commute? Southbound trips on Highway 17.
• Does the traffic study take into account traffic from the existing use? Yes.
• Concerned about traffic congestion; Highway 9 and Alberto Way is a busy intersection.
• Does the traffic study assume the Los Gatos Lodge use remains? Yes.
• Where does the traffic study assume vehicles will stack? The traffic s tudy will include this
information.
• Beyond the level of service calculations, what does the traffic consultant conclude about the
everyday operation of the intersections and experience of the delays on Los Gatos streets?
This is to be determined.
• Speaking from experience, there are severe delays on Los Gatos streets.
• Concerned about traffic issues.
• Concerned about the increase in building s quare footage and the traffic impacts from the
mc rease.
• How will TOM (Traffic Demand Management) work? The applicant will explore this.
• It is hard to understand that an increase in square footage would not increase traffic.
• The applicant should provide a construction management plan and consider school hours in
that plan.
Conceptual Development Adviso ry Committee
June 10 , 2015
Page 3 of 4
Parking
• How does the developer provide bicycle commute incentives? Bicycle parking, showers, and
lockers.
• Will the underground parking create buildin gs higher than the exi sting office buildings? This
is to be determined.
• Will the underground parking require digging under the exi sti n g p arking lot or filling above
it? Th e underground parking wi ll be under th e existing parking.
• What is the depth of excavation? The applicant will in clude this information with the
application.
• What is the volume of excavation? The applicant will include this information with the
application.
• How many trucks will be required for excavation? The applicant will include this
information with th e application.
• Is the applicant required to providing parking for the new restaurant across th e Alberto Way?
No, there are no parking agreements between the properties.
• The appl icant should talk to the restaurant abo ut parking.
Architecture
• Does the proposed FAR and coverage meet the Town's limi tations? The applicant believes
so and staff will study this question with the application.
• What are the appli cant's past projects in the Bay Area? On e example is in Los Altos.
• Concerned about building height.
• There is an existing nice feeling and environment on Albe rto Way and the pro po sed mass
may take away fro m the exis ting environme nt.
• What was the thought behind the proposed architecture? The style was us ed in other
developments.
• The mass of the proposal seems large.
• Can the applicant and/or architect minimize the mass of the project? The applicant will
exp lore this .
• Would the applicant be amenable to setback the second story from the fir st story? The
applicant will explore this.
• How d oes the hei ght and locati on of the north side of building # 1 compare wi th existin g
buildings? The applicant will include this information with the application.
• Will the residents see new building mass or walls? The applicant will include this
information with th e application.
• What is the scale of the proposed c hange to the residents? The applicant will include this
information with th e application .
• Residents may see a dramatic change in views.
• Wi ll residents' v iews and sunli ght be affected by project? The applicant will include this
info rmation with the application.
Conceptual Development Advisory Committee
June I 0, 2015
Page 4 of4
• The applicant should provide a perspective of the change in the residents ' views.
• Take into consideration the residential views.
Site Design
• The site is relatively hidden and setback.
• Explain the grade changes from the sidewalk to the site.
• Will the applicant save mature trees? There are trees along Highway 9 th at are not on the
subject property. Other tree information will be provided with th e application.
• Do the plans show where the neighboring residential buildings start? The applic ant will
include this with th e application.
• It appears that the new building will be located at existing trash and recycling locations.
Other
• The committee was pleased that the applicant intends to complete an EIR (Environmental
Impact Report).
• The applicant is encouraged to conduct community outreach, including outreach to the
residences across Alberto Way.
Verbal Communications:
A CW A Rea lty (property owner) representative commented that the restaurant has not approached
the property owner about parking.
ADJOURNMENT Meeting adjourned at 5:09p.m. The next regular meeting of the Conceptual
Development Advisory Committee is Wednesday, August 12 ,201 5 at 4:30
p.m.
Prepared by:
Jf Paulson, Planning Manager
)c: Planning Commission Chair
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