03-04-21 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
MARCH 4, 2021
The General Plan Update Advisory Committee of the Town of Los Gatos conducted a Regular
Meeting on March 4, 2021, 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 partic ipated from
remote locations and all voting was conducted via roll call vote. In accordance with Executive
Order N-29-20, the public could only view the meeting online and not in the Council Chamber.
MEETING CALLED TO ORDER AT 7:00 P.M.
ROLL CALL
Present: Chair Melanie Hanssen, Vice Chair Kathryn Janoff, Council Member Mary Badame,
Council Member Maria Ristow, Committee Member Susan Moore Brown, Committee Member
Todd Jarvis, Committee Member Joseph Mannina, Committee Member Steven Piasecki,
Committee Member Ryan Rosenberg, Committee Member Emily Thomas, Committee Member
Lee Quintana, and Committee Member Carol Elias Zolla.
Absent: None.
Staff present: Jennifer Armer, Joel Paulson, Laurel Prevetti, Matt Morley, Sally Zarnowitz, and
Rob Schultz.
VERBAL COMMUNICATIONS
Dashiell Leeds
- Commented that it would be good for the General Plan to include policies for dark sky
and bird safe design to protect birds.
Giulianna Pendleton – lifelong lg resident
- Commented that it is great that sustainability is a guiding principle, the environment
should be specifically mentioned in each Element including creek and riparian zone
protection zones, bird safe design, light pollution initiative, green corridors or green
ways to prioritize walking, biking, and native plantings.
Shani Kleinhaus
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- Commented that the General Plan should have policies for b ird safety, light pollution,
urban ecology.
CONSENT ITEMS (TO BE ACTED UPON BY A SINGLE MOTION)
1. Approval of Minutes – February 18, 2021
MOTION: Motion by Committee Member Piasecki to approve Consent Items.
Seconded by Council Member Badame.
VOTE: Motion passed 11-0-1 with Committee Member Zolla abstaining.
DISCUSSION ITEMS
2. Continued Review of the Revised Initial Draft of the Community Design Element.
Jennifer Armer, Senior Planner, presented the staff report.
Open Public Comment.
Jim Foley
- Commented that he submitted a desk item to share that it is important to be careful
with FAR, height, densities so that development can occur. Upon further review of
the most recent documents it appears that the draft Land Use Element will foster
development. In the downtown area, the 2.0 FAR is a step forward from the current
regulations, and the 3.0 FAR on Los Gatos Boulevard is just right.
Closed Public Comment.
Committee discussed the matter and provided the following comments and direction:
- Historic Preservation Committee (HPC) comments should be implemented for
Section 4.3.
- Add a note to introduction that historic preservation contributes to the sustainability
of our community.
- In Policy CD-3.4 – Delete the second half of this policy, after the comma, as
recommended by HPC.
- In Policy CD-3.6 replace the word “blend with” with “complement.”
- In Goal CD-5 – Delete “by regulating new homes.”
- Rewrite Policy CD-5.2 to show focus on fire safety. Limit hillside development to
mitigate fire safety risk.
- Policy CD-5.5 – Delete “inappropriate.”
- Because the policies under Goal CD-6 include a lot of duplicate details with the
Hillside Development Standards and Guidelines these goals should either be
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consolidated, made to be more general and high level, or deleted with Goal CD -6
becoming a policy under Goal CD-5.
- Add a cross reference box under the Hillside Development section referring to fire
safety policies in the Hazards and Safety Element.
- Delete Policy CD-6.5.
- In Policy CD-5.3 – Consider removing second sentence.
- Remove references to Hillside Specific Plan.
- Consider simpler and more active language in Goal CD -7, and consider wording to
specify the purpose, possibly including the following three points: Create unique
livable walkable neighborhoods; These areas are our vehicle for growth; and
Redevelop with an emphasis on mixed use.
- Delete Policy CD-7.1.
- On Figure 4.2 put the names of the districts on the map itself.
- Consider reducing the size of illustrations (like the house on page 4-29) and better
fitting to policies.
- Change photos used for Downtown, the two from Old Town are photos of buildings
that are relatively new.
- Add a cross reference box to Section 4.5 to Missing Middle Housing information in
Land Use Element.
- Add to the introduction of Section 4.5 to address the low and medium density
residential in and adjacent to the Community Place Districts.
The next GPAC meeting will be on Thursday, March 18, 2021.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 9:29 p.m.
This is to certify that the foregoing is a true
and correct copy of the minutes of the
March 4, 2021 meeting as approved by the
General Plan Update Advisory Committee.
/s/Joel Paulson, Director of Community Development