06-18-20 Minutes - GPAC
110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● 408-354-6832
www.losgatosca.gov
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
GENERAL PLAN UPDATE
ADVISORY COMMITTEE REPORT
MINUTES OF THE GENERAL PLAN UPDATE ADVISORY COMMITTEE
JUNE 18, 2020
The General Plan Update Advisory Committee of the Town of Los Gatos conducted a Regular
Meeting on June 18, 2020, at 7:00 p.m., via teleconference.
This meeting was conducted utilizing teleconferencing and electronic means consistent with
State of California Executive Order N-29-20 dated March 17, 2020, regarding the COVID-19
pandemic and was conducted via Zoom. All committee members and staff participated from
remote locations and all voting was conducted via roll call vote.
MEETING CALLED TO ORDER AT 7:00 P.M.
ROLL CALL
Present: Chair Melanie Hanssen, Vice Chair Kathryn Janoff, Mayor Marcia Jensen, Vice Mayor
Barbara Spector, Committee Member Kendra Burch, Committee Member Steven Piasecki,
Committee Member Ryan Rosenberg, Committee Member Lee Quintana, Committee Member
Susan Moore Brown, and Committee Member Carol Elias Zolla.
Absent: Committee Member Todd Jarvis.
Staff present: Jennifer Armer, Joel Paulson, Laurel Prevetti, Rob Schultz, Lynne Lampros, and
Matt Morley.
VERBAL COMMUNICATIONS
Mathew Hudes
- Comment on the residential focus of the land use element with a suggestion that this should
refocus on supporting dining, innovation centers, and opportunity zones. Commented that
projections for residential were done before receiving housing RHNA numbers , and should be
reconsidered once RHNA numbers are received. Commented on the need for objective
standards. Commented that a timeframe of 20 years may be too long. Asked how traffic
would be addressed, and commented that it shouldn’t just be done through CEQA which is
now using VMT.
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MINUTES OF GENERAL PLAN UPDATE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON JUNE 18, 2020
CONSENT ITEMS (TO BE ACTED UPON BY A SINGLE MOTION)
1. Approval of Minutes – March 5, 2020
MOTION: Motion by Committee Member Rosenburg to approve Consent Item.
Seconded by Committee Member Burch.
VOTE: Motion passed 7-0-3 with three abstentions (Piasecki, Zolla, Jensen),
Jarvis absent.
DISCUSSION ITEMS
Discussion Item 3 was heard first, followed by Discussion Item 2.
3. Review and Discussion of the Revised Draft of the Open Space, Parks, and Recreation
Element
Jennifer Armer, Senior Planner, presented the staff report.
Open and Closed Public Comment.
Committee further discussed the matter and provided the following comments and
direction:
- Ensure clarity in the overall organization of the Element for use by the general
public.
- Definitions, like open space and preserves should be defined and used consistently.
- Parks should be available at or above existing level and distributed throughout all
neighborhoods in Town. The Implementation Program to create an acquisition plan
should be implemented sooner.
- The General Plan or Town Code should have more specifics for quantity of
recreation space for young children and open space requirements generally.
MOTION: Motion by Committee Member Piaseki to approve, comments of GPAC
have been addressed with two additional modifications to add a
reference to PFS-10.1 and to add a minimum open space requirement for
children and generally in the land use development standards. Seconded
by Committee Member Burch.
VOTE: Motion passed unanimously, Jarvis absent. With the following
remaining concerns from Committee Member Quintana:
- Overall organization could be clarified to make more concise and less
repetitive.
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MINUTES OF GENERAL PLAN UPDATE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON JUNE 18, 2020
- Definitions could be clarified to reduce confusion between different
types and characters of open space: public verses private space, open
space areas and preserves, hillside open space areas, agricultural
lands, natural characteristics of open space, passive open space, and
parks.
- The element is missing an overall statement that ties open space to
sustainability and habitat preservation .
2. Review and Discussion of the Initial Draft of the Public Facilities, Services, and
Infrastructure Element
Jennifer Armer, Senior Planner, presented the staff report.
Open Public Comment.
George Rossmann – Chair of Community Health and Senior Services Commission
- Commented that the public health needs of the community are more substantial
than those in the GP 2020. Will provide more specific proposals once Community
Health and Senior Services Commission has a chance to meet on this.
Closed Public Comment.
Committee further discussed the matter and provided the following comments and
direction:
- Change Policy PFS-10.1 – Use “active recreation space,” rather than “exercise.”
- Page 5-9 – Consider language to address changes expected in solid waste, including
state laws, negotiations with Guadalupe landfill, and changes in recycling.
- Consistency in use of verbs, rather than nouns when starting goals and policies, and
quantification and objective language where possible.
- Suggest incorporating use, or at least preparation for use of recycled water where
available.
- Encourage LEED certification, or meeting the requirements without having to go
through the certification process.
- Add a definition of aquifer.
- Definition of wetlands has repetitiveness.
- Use either “shall” or “require”, no need to use both.
- The third comment received from the youth commissioner should be included in the
General Plan.
The next GPAC meeting will be on Thursday, July 2, 2020.
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MINUTES OF GENERAL PLAN UPDATE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON JUNE 18, 2020
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 8:58 p.m.
This is to certify that the foregoing is a true
and correct copy of the minutes of the
June 18, 2020 meeting as approved by the
General Plan Update Advisory Committee.
/s/Joel Paulson, Director of Community Development