07-18-19 Minutes - GPAC
110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● 408-354-6832
www.losgatosca.gov
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
GENERAL PLAN ADVISORY
UPDATE COMMITTEE REPORT
MINUTES OF THE GENERAL PLAN UPDATE ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING
JULY 18, 2019
The General Plan Update Advisory Committee of the Town of Los Gatos conducted a Regular
Meeting on July 18, 2019, at 7:00 p.m.
MEETING CALLED TO ORDER AT 7:00 P.M.
ROLL CALL
Present: Chair Melanie Hanssen, Vice Chair Kathryn Janoff, Vice Mayor Marcia Jensen, Council
Member Barbara Spector, Committee Member Jeffrey Barnett, Committee Member Susan
Moore Brown, Committee Member Ryan Rosenberg, and Committee Member Carol Elias Zolla
Absent: Committee Member Steven Piasecki and Committee Member Todd Jarvis
Staff present: Arn Andrews, Jennifer Armer, Joel Paulson, and Laurel Prevetti
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Committee Member Susan Moore Brown led the Pledge of Allegiance. The audience was
invited to participate.
VERBAL COMMUNICATIONS
Susan Burnett (85 Ellenwood, Los Gatos resident)
- Commented that she is concerned about access specific to Ridgecrest Avenue regarding
beach traffic and wildfire safety.
Lee Fagot (Los Gatos resident)
- Commented on emergency escape routes and announced that the Los Gatos Democracy Tent
is hosting an event on August 1, 2019 at 7:00 p.m. at the Los Gatos Adult Recreation Center to
discuss wildfire preparation. Assistant Town Manager, Arn Andrews, will discuss and
collaborate with local emergency agencies to draft a wildfire evacuation assessment for Los
Gatos.
Heidi Owens (Northern California Firefighter Families, Los Gatos resident)
- Encouraged the committee to take a bold and new approach to the General Plan versus little
updates to the existing plan as Los Gatos faces immense changes concerning the job, housing,
traffic, and transportation crises. She also commented that if there is a wildfire in the hillside
PAGE 2 OF 3 SUBJECT: MINUTES OF GENERAL PLAN UPDATE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON JULY 18, 2019
N:\DEV\GPAC\GPAC Minutes\2019\7-18-19.docx
area that the Fire Department can access it and this information should be communicated
better to the residents.
Committee members asked if the focus of this meeting is wildfires. Staff responded that the
focus of this meeting is land use.
CONSENT ITEMS (TO BE ACTED UPON BY A SINGLE MOTION)
1. Approval of Minutes – June 20, 2019 (Item tabled to the August 15, 2019 meeting)
DISCUSSION ITEMS
2. Continue Discussion and Provide Direction for Draft Land Use Alternatives
Jennifer Armer, Senior Planner, presented the staff report.
Jim Harnish, Principal and Owner of Mintier Harnish, spoke on the land use alternatives
process.
Committee discussed the following topics:
- Is the Environmental Impact Report different from the Alternatives Report;
- What approach does the committee need to take to develop alternatives for the
analysis; and
- How many alternatives are ideal to discuss, what are the parameters of the analysis,
do they remain a part of the report going forward, and how are the preferred
alternatives determined throughout the process by the consultants.
Committee continued the discussion of allowances for additional residential units and
commented on the following:
- Beach traffic;
- Wildfire concerns;
- Emergency Access;
- Difference between EIR alternatives and the alternatives in the Alternatives Report;
- Estimates of number of residential units required by RHNA;
- General consensus that planning for at least 2000 new residential units is reasonable;
- General consensus that higher density smaller units (less than 1,000 sq. ft.) is needed;
- Housing needs of seniors and young adults;
- Mixed use;
- Services to support new housing, neighborhood commercial;
- Increased heights on Los Gatos Boulevard; and
- Reduced parking requirements.
PAGE 3 OF 3 SUBJECT: MINUTES OF GENERAL PLAN UPDATE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON JULY 18, 2019
N:\DEV\GPAC\GPAC Minutes\2019\7-18-19.docx
MOTION: Motion by Chair Hanssen that the Committee target residential growth in
terms of numbers and units based on State requirements, the economy,
and population in the area. Also, the Committee shall acknowledge that
there is a need for different types of housing other than single-family
units that are smaller and can accommodate the Los Gatos population.
Seconded by Committee Member Burch.
VOTE: Motion passed 9-3, Vice Mayor Jensen, abstained and Committee
Member Jarvis and Committee Member Piasecki, absent.
After further discussion, the Committee requested additional information that would
include examples of different housing types and densities.
Chair Hanssen commented that potential changes to commercial uses will be addressed
at the next meeting.
The next GPAC meeting will be on Thursday, August 15, 2019.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 9:05 p.m.
This is to certify that the foregoing is a true
and correct copy of the minutes of the
July 18, 2019 meeting as approved by the
General Plan Update Advisory Committee.
/s/ Joel Paulson, Director of Community Development