Item 2 - Desk Item with Attachment
PREPARED BY: JENNIFER ARMER, AICP
Senior Planner
110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● 408-354-6832
www.losgatosca.gov
MEETING DATE: 03/04/2021
ITEM: 2
DESK ITEM
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
GENERAL PLAN UPDATE ADVISORY COMMITTEE
REPORT
REPORT
DATE: March 4, 2021
TO: General Plan Update Advisory Committee
FROM: Joel Paulson, Community Development Director
SUBJECT: Review and Discussion of the Revised Initial Draft of the Community Design
Element.
REMARKS:
Attachment 29 contains public comment received after the completion of the Addendum
Report.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachments previously received with the November 5, 2020 Staff Report:
1. June 11, 2020 Community Workshop and Online Survey Summary
2. Initial Draft of Land Use Element
3. Initial Draft of Community Design Element
4. Public Comment received by 11:00 a.m., Friday, October 30, 2020
Attachments previously received with November 5, 2020 Addendum:
5. Committee Member Comments
6. Public Comments received between 11:01 a.m., Friday, October 30, 2020 and 11:00 a.m.,
Wednesday, November 4, 2020
Attachment previously received with the November 5, 2020 Desk Item:
7. Committee Member Comments
Attachments previously received with the November 19, 2020 Staff Report:
8. November 17, 2020 Town Council Staff Report with Attachments 1-7
9. Committee Member Comments
Attachments previously received with the November 19, 2020 Desk Item Report:
10. Committee Member Comments
11. Public Comment
PAGE 2 OF 2
SUBJECT: Revised Initial Draft of the Community Design Elements
March 4, 2021
N:\DEV\GPAC\GPAC Staff Reports\2021\03-04-21\Word-Old Docs\Item 2 - Desk Item.docx
ATTACHMENTS (continued):
Attachments previously received with the January 7, 2021 Staff Report:
12. Revised Initial Draft of Land Use Element
13. Comment Response Summary Table – Land Use
14. Revised Initial Draft of Community Design Element
15. Comment Response Summary Table – Community Design
16. Updated Potential Housing Production Table
Attachments previously received with the January 7, 2021 Addendum Report:
17. Committee Member Comments
18. Public Comment
Attachments previously received with the January 21, 2021 Staff Report:
19. Maps of the Area Described in a Public Comment
20. Committee Member Comments
Attachment previously received with the January 21, 2021 Addendum Report:
21. Historic Preservation Committee Comments
Attachment previously received with the January 21, 2021 Desk Item Report:
22. Committee Member Comments
Attachments previously received with the February 4, 2021 Staff Report:
23. Updated Comment Response Summary Table – Community Design Element
24. Committee Member Comments
Attachment previously received with the February 4, 2021 Addendum Report:
25. Committee Member Comments
Attachments previously received with the February 18, 2021 Addendum Report:
26. Committee Member Comments
27. Public Comment
Attachment previously received with the March 4, 2021 Addendum Report:
28. Committee Member Comments
Attachment received with this Desk Item:
29. Public Comment
March 3, 2021
223 W. Main St. Suite D2 | Los Gatos, CA | 95030
www.pennantproperties.com
Dear Los Gatos General Plan Update Advisory Committee,
Thank you once again for your work at the last several meetings regarding your continued review of the
development parameters (DU/AC, height, coverage, and F.A.R.) as it relates to the community design element of
the General Plan Update. I continue to question the guidance that is being given with regard to F.A.R. If you are
really trying to provide for meaningful and responsible mixed-use development, the F.A.R. needs to increase in the
areas you have identified where this type of development has been deemed appropriate. In the preferred
alternative, the highest F.A.R. was for HDR at 1.25. This will not accomplish what is desired. F.A.R. needs to
increase to 2.0 or more in the places that can handle it. Los Gatos Boulevard and Downtown can easily
accommodate this. Right now we already have existing buildings downtown that are at or even over 2.0 F.A.R., so
changing it to 1.0 is not meaningful. At some point in our history the Town clearly approved the construction of
the existing buildings, then subsequently reduced the allowed F.A.R. to .60. This should be revisited.
Of course, a major concern is preserving the hillside views from both Los Gatos Boulevard and N Santa Cruz/Main
St. There are other parameters that you can institute, including adding or revising the existing view corridor
method to ensure we do not wind up with a “corridor” of buildings like Santana Row. You can also create
restrictions on third or fourth floor construction in order to break it up and step it back, so the buildings maintain
character and we do not create tall square building blocks.
The root of the question is are you crafting the land use parameters to comply with the State of California housing
mandates but also trying to ensure development does not occur, or are you trying to foster responsible
development for the future smart-growth of our Town over the next several decades?
Land costs and construction costs are at an all-time high and have no sign of slowing down. As you know there are
physical and legal limitations to development opportunities, as well as discretionary property rights that come in
to play. In order to achieve the vision you are outlining in your work so far, F.A.R. needs to be further reviewed. I
am hopeful I can provide some examples of project analysis and underwriting in coming weeks to assist in your
analysis of this issue.
Please remember, there is a lot of discretion when it comes to approval of these projects in the future so I would
not worry too much about having an out of place development occurring. Please continue to consider increases in
development parameters in these zoning districts, particularly F.A.R.
Thank you,
Jim Foley
Principal
Pennant Properties
ATTACHMENT 29
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