07-16-20 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
JULY 16, 2020
The General Plan Update Advisory Committee of the Town of Los Gatos conducted a Regular
Meeting on July 16, 2020, at 7:00 p.m., via teleconference.
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 Todd Jarvis, 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 Kendra Burch
Staff present: Jennifer Armer, Joel Paulson, Laurel Prevetti, Lynne Lampros, Rob Schultz, and
Matt Morley, Sally Zarnowitz, Ying Smith.
VERBAL COMMUNICATIONS
None.
DISCUSSION ITEMS
1. Review and Discussion of the Initial Draft of the Mobility Element
Jennifer Armer, Senior Planner, presented the staff report.
Open Public Comment.
Gillian Verga - Member of the Complete Streets and Transportation Commission
- Commented that as we add housing density, we need ways to we ensure that traffic
flows freely and other types of transportation are used.
Kira Barsten
- Commented in support of sustainability and identification of policies with the leaf
icon. Expressed appreciation for MOB-3.4 (bicycle parking requirement), MOB-7.1
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(encouraging scooters (e-bikes)), MOB-8.4 (widened sidewalks), MOB-11 (safe
cycling), MOB-14 (increase public transit use), and the idea of a community shuttle
system.
Closed Public Comment.
Committee further discussed the matter and provided the following comments and
direction:
- Many references to equestrian have been removed, except on page 37.
- Importance of the issue of weekend beach traffic, and other cut-through traffic.
- Importance of high-level goals for improving mobility.
- Start the Element with a goal or overarching statement about reduction of Vehicle
Miles Traveled (VMT) through alternatives to the car.
MOTION: Motion by Committee Member Rosenberg to add a new Goal “Do all
possible to mitigate the impact of cut-through traffic, with the objective
of making it easy for residents to move around Town while ensuring that
Los Gatos remains a welcoming place for those coming to visit.” and
define cut-through traffic as coming from and going to locations outside
of Town without a stop in Town. Seconded by Committee Member
Piasecki.
Committee discussed the motion.
VOTE: Motion passed 7-3-0 with three no votes (Jensen, Janoff, Quintana), and
Burch absent.
Committee further discussed the matter and provided the following comments and
direction:
- Use “optimize” instead of “Design and manage” in MOB-1.
- Keep goals concise.
- Consider reclassification of roadways to focus on facilities, rather than the ability to
move traffic and access properties.
- MOB-5 should end after the word “access’, so that it reads “Ensure that hillside
streets maintain the rural atmosphere, minimize disruption of ecological integrity,
and provide safe and continuous access.”
- Combine MOB-6 and MOB-7 to make all of Town walkable, not just Downtown.
- Shorten MOB-8 by stopping at “all users” and include the rest in the introductory
paragraph.
- MOB-12.2 needs to include other schools/districts and SRTS.
- Further reduce the number of policies under VLR.
- Goal MOB-20, under Transportation Demand Management, is critical and should be
moved to the front of the Element.
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- MOB-20 uses technical terms that are not good for general public understanding.
- Provide the GPAC with information about the Downtown parking study.
- Goal MOB-22 should be focused parking Downtown and use “employees” not
“commuters.”
- Consider implementing a TDM for Downtown.
- Should have more emphasis on mobility, especially through alternative modes of
transportation, for all users.
Continued to August 6.
The next GPAC meeting will be a Special meeting on Thursday, July 30, 2020.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 9:35 p.m.
This is to certify that the foregoing is a true
and correct copy of the minutes of the
July 16, 2020 meeting as approved by the
General Plan Update Advisory Committee.
/s/Joel Paulson, Director of Community Development