Item 2 - Staff Report and Attachments 1 - 4
PREPARED BY: AZHAR KHAN
Assistant Planner
Reviewed by: Planning Manager and Community Development Director
110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● 408-354-6832
www.losgatosca.gov
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
CONCEPTUAL DEVELOPMENT
ADVISORY COMMITTEE REPORT
MEETING DATE: 06/12/2019 ITEM NO: 2
DATE: JUNE 7, 2019 TO: CONCEPTUAL DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE FROM: JOEL PAULSON, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR SUBJECT: CONCEPTUAL DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE APPLICATION CD-19-002. PROJECT LOCATION: 14926 LOS GATOS BOULEVARD. APN 424-19-009. PROPERTY OWNER: UNIDINE TSAI. APPLICANT: JOHN LIEN ARCHITECTS. REQUESTING PRELIMINARY REVIEW TO CONSTRUCT A MIXED-USE BUILDING WITH A SUBTERRANEAN PARKING GARAGE AND TO REZONE THE PROPERTY FROM R-1:10 TO CH.
ROLE OF THE CDAC:
The Conceptual Development Advisory Committee (CDAC) advises a prospective applicant on
the overall consistency of a project with Town policies prior to submitting a formal application
and investing in the development review process. The Committee also endeavors to identify
the potential issues that will need to be addressed during the development review process
should the applicant wish to submit an application. The issues identified by the Committee are
not intended to be all-inclusive and other additional issues may be identified during the formal
development review process.
None of the Committee's comments are binding on the Town and in no way are they intended
to indicate whether the project will be received favorably by the various review bodies that are
charged with evaluating and deciding the application. As noted in this memorandum, if an
application is filed, technical analysis would need to be done during the evaluation of the
proposal. In addition, public input is a required and essential component in the development
review process. Notice has been sent to residents and property owners within 300 feet of the
project site. In addition to the public comments received at this meeting, all applicants are
strongly encouraged to hold neighborhood meetings to receive input as the design of the
project evolves should they decide to proceed with the development review process.
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PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
The applicant has submitted a project description (Attachment 3) and conceptual development
plans (Attachment 4) for 14926 Los Gatos Boulevard, a .49-acre (gross) property located on the
north east corner of Los Gatos Boulevard and Terreno De Flores Lane (Attachment 1). The
property is currently a vacant parcel. Key elements of the proposed project are as follows:
• Rezone the property from R-1:10 (Single-Family Residential) to CH (Restricted Commercial
Highway);
• Construction of a new 24-foot, six-inch high, two story, mixed-use building with reduced side
setbacks. The Building would have 6,226 square feet of ground floor commercial place, and
five residential units ranging from 648 square feet to 1,065 square feet on the second floor;
and
• 34 underground parking spaces.
EXISTING GENERAL AND SPECIFIC PLAN AND ZONING DESIGNATIONS:
1. General Plan designation: Mixed Use Commercial, which permits a mixture of retail, office,
and residential in a mixed-use project, along with lodging, service, auto-related businesses,
non-manufacturing industrial uses, recreational uses, and restaurants. Projects developed
under this designation shall maintain the small-town, residential scale and natural
environments of adjacent residential neighborhoods, as well as provide prime orientation to
arterial street frontages and proper transitions and buffers to adjacent residential
properties. This designation should never be interpreted to allow developments of
independent commercial facilities with principal frontage on the side streets.
2. Surrounding General Plan designations: Mixed Use Commercial to the north, south, and
east; and North Forty Specific Plan across Los Gatos Boulevard to the west.
3. Zoning designation: R-1:10 (Single-Family Residential).
4. Surrounding zoning designations: R-1:10 to the north and south; CH:PD to the east; and
North Forty Specific Plan across Los Gatos Boulevard to the west.
POTENTIAL CONSIDERATIONS AND ISSUES:
The following is a brief list of issues and topics for consideration by the CDAC. Staff has not
reached conclusions on these topics. Staff is identifying them here to help frame the discussion
and to solicit input. The main question for the CDAC is whether or not the applicant’s concept
for the project creates a high-quality plan appropriate for Los Gatos in this location. If an
application is filed, staff would evaluate the technical issues.
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POTENTIAL CONSIDERATIONS AND ISSUES (continued):
1. Zoning
a. The property is currently zoned R-1:10. The applicant is proposing to rezone the
property to CH to be consistent with the General Plan designation of Mixed Use
Commercial. The proposed mixed-use project could be permitted with a Conditional
Use Permit (CUP) in the CH zone.
2. Design
a. Projects developed under the Mixed Use Commercial General Plan designation shall
maintain the small-town, residential scale and natural environments of adjacent
residential neighborhoods, as well as provide prime orientation to arterial street
frontages and proper transitions and buffers to adjacent residential properties.
b. Is the proposed staircase from the underground parking adjacent to Los Gatos
Boulevard appropriate?
c. The maximum height of any building in the CH zone is 35 feet. The proposed two-
story building would be just under 25 feet (24 feet, six inches).
d. The maximum building coverage of a lot in a CH zone is 50 percent. The proposed
building would cover 42 percent of the lot.
e. The proposed building would be two-stories tall and would be adjacent to one and
two-story buildings.
f. The proposed project will require an Architecture and Site application.
3. Setbacks
Properties in the CH zone are required to have 15-foot front and street side setbacks, with
no required interior side and rear setbacks. These setbacks requirements increase along
each property line which abuts or is across the street from a lot in a residential zone.
Since the subject property abuts residentially zoned properties along both sides (north
and south), the side setbacks requirements increase to 15 feet. These setbacks which
abut residentially zoned properties are required to be increased by one-foot for each foot
of building height over 20 feet.
The proposed 24-foot, six-inch tall mixed-use building would be required to have 15-foot
front, 19-foot side, and no rear setbacks. The applicant’s proposal would require a
request for a reduced side setback of five feet along the northern property line. The
applicant’s proposal may also require a request for a reduced side setback along the
southern property line. The following are options for addressing the reduced side
setbacks:
a. Variance: Request a variance from the side setback requirements. The required
variance findings are as follows:
i. Because of special circumstances applicable to the property, including
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POTENTIAL CONSIDERATIONS AND ISSUES (continued):
size, shape, topography, location or surroundings, the strict application of
this ordinance deprives such property of privileges enjoyed by other
property in the vicinity and under identical zone; and
ii. The granting of a variance would not constitute a grant of special
privileges inconsistent with the limitations upon other properties in the
vicinity and zone in which such property is situated.
b. Rezone Neighboring Properties: Rezone the abutting property to the north from
R-1:10 to CH. This option would require a zone change application to be submitted
by the property owner. The property to the north is developed with a single-family
residence. If the northern property were no longer residentially zoned, the proposal
would comply with the side setback requirements; however, the existing residential
use to the north would become non-conforming. The neighboring properties to the
north and south have a General Plan designation of Mixed Use Commercial;
therefore, rezoning them to CH would make them consistent with the General Plan
designation.
4. Parking
a. EXISTING: The project site is currently vacant. If developed with a single-family
residence, the property would require two parking spaces.
b. REQUIRED: The five proposed residential apartment units each require one and one-
half parking spaces and up to one visitor parking space, for a total of thirteen spaces.
The proposed 6,226-square foot ground floor commercial space would require at
least 27 parking spaces (based on the requirement of one parking space per 235
square feet).
c. PROVIDED: The proposed project includes a 34-space underground parking garage.
d. The total provided parking spaces for the proposed project would not meet the
current minimum required for the proposed uses.
5. Below market Price (BMP) Unit
a. One of the residential units will be required to be a BMP unit available at the low
income level.
6. Traffic
a. A traffic analysis will determine whether a traffic study or mitigation fees will be
required.
7. Potential Tree Impacts
a. An arborist report will be required during the development review process to
evaluate the potential impacts to trees.
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POTENTIAL CONSIDERATIONS AND ISSUES (continued):
8. Dedication, Improvements, Net Lot Size
a. The applicant will be required to dedicate a portion of the lot along Los Gatos
Boulevard to the Town for right-of-way improvements that will be required. The net
lot size after the dedication would be approximately 15,500 square feet.
Attachments:
1. Location map (one page)
2. CDAC application (one page)
3. Project Description Letter (one page)
4. Conceptual Development Plans (two sheets)
Distribution:
John Lien Architect, 196 College Avenue, Los Gatos, CA 95030
Undine TSA, 276 Las Miradas Drive, Los Gatos, CA 95032
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ATTACHMENT 1
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ATTACHMENT 2
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ATTACHMENT 3
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GP CH
Zon
ing
CH PD Zoning GP CH
Zon
ing
ASSESSORS PARCEL MAP
APN 424-10-09
SITE
Dedica
t
i
o
n<E>RESIDENTIAL<E>RESIDENTIALU17R
D17R U17R
E
D17R
L o s G a t o s B o u l e v a r d1,770SF
1,726SF
R a m p D o w n1,020SF
T e r r e n o d e F l o r e s15' FSB15' SSB
SITE PLAN/COMMERCIAL
1" = 16'
TOTAL FLOOR AREA = 6,226sf
T
1,710SF
E X I S T I N G R E S I D E N T I A L = C H - P D Z O N I N GG E N E R A L P L A N = C H Z O N I N G
6' MASONRY FENCE5'5'
GARAGE BELOW
S I D E S E T B A C K = PL
B A C K S E T B A C K = PLC O U R T Y A R D
L o s G a t o s B o u l e v a r dR
WD
5Sh5Sh
B
648sf
5Sh
D17R
E
RW/D
E
1,032sf
R
D
1,065sf
W/D
SECOND FLOOR/APARTMENTS
1" = 16'
TOTAL FLOOR AREA = 4,600sf
R
W/D
D17R
A
930sf
30
"
x
4
8
"48" x 56"30
"
x
4
8
"
5Sh
W/DC
925sf
R
T e r r e n o d e F l o r e s E X I S T I N G R E S I D E N T I A L = C H - P D Z O N I N GG E N E R A L P L A N = C H Z O N I N G
5'5'<E>RESIDENTIALU17R
13
7
10 R a m p D o w n34 CARS
4
Eq't
E
U17R
Electrical
15' FSB15' SSB
UNDERGROUND PARKING
1 " = 1 6 'T e r r e n o d e F l o r e sL o s G a t o s B o u l e v a r d3'3'
TABULATION
Gross Lot Area = 21,313sf
Dedication = 5,649sf
Net Lot Area = 15,664sf/0.36Ac
Max Allowed Density = 20DU/Ac
Proposed Density = 5 ÷ 0.36 = 13.9DU/Ac
Residential = 5 Units x 2.5 cars = 13 cars
Commercial = (34 cars - 13 cars) x 300sf = 6,300sf
Proposed Commercial = 6,226sf
Total Parking Provided = 34 cars
Lot Coverage:
Maximum Allowed = 50%
Proposed = 6,476 ÷ 15,664 = 42%
MIXED USE
PROJECT
14926 LOS GATOS BOULEVARD
LOS GATOS
CALIFORNIA
6 APRIL 2019
1 9 6 C O L L E G E A V E N U E
L O S G A T O S
C A L I F O R N I A
9 5 0 3 0
4 0 8 . 3 9 5 . 3 5 2 5
JLAA R C H I T E C T
J O H N L I E N
ATTACHMENT 4
E A S T E L E V A T I O N
1 " = 1 6'
PLPL24'-2"T E R R E N O d e F L O R E S24'-6"E L E V A T I O N N O R T H C O U R T
1 " = 1 6'
PL PLL O S G A T O S B O U L E V A R DE L E V A T I O N S O U T H C O U R T
1 " = 1 6'
PLPL L O S G A T O S B O U L E V A R DN O R T H E L E V A T I O N
1 " = 1 6'
PLPL L O S G A T O S B O U L E V A R D6' MASONRY FENCE
W E S T E L E V A T I O N ~ L O S G A T O S B O U L E V A R D
1 " = 1 6'
PLPL T E R R E N O d e F L O R E S24' - 6"6' MASONRY FENCE
S O U T H E L E V A T I O N ~ T E R R E N O de F L O R E S
1 " = 1 6'
PL PLL O S G A T O S B O U L E V A R D21'-6"16'-6"MIXED USE
PROJECT
14926 LOS GATOS BOULEVARD
LOS GATOS
CALIFORNIA
6 APRIL 2019
1 9 6 C O L L E G E A V E N U E
L O S G A T O S
C A L I F O R N I A
9 5 0 3 0
4 0 8 . 3 9 5 . 3 5 2 5
JLAA R C H I T E C T
J O H N L I E N