10-13-21 Minutes - PC
110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● 408-354-6832
www.losgatosca.gov
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
PLANNING COMMISSION
REPORT
MINUTES OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING
OCTOBER 13, 2021
The Planning Commission of the Town of Los Gatos conducted a Regular Meeting on
Wednesday, October 13, 2021, at 7:00 p.m.
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 COVID19
pandemic and was conducted via Zoom. All planning commissioners 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 Kathryn Janoff, Vice Chair Kendra Burch, Commissioner Jeffrey Barnett,
Commissioner Melanie Hanssen, Commissioner Jeffrey Suzuki, Commissioner Reza Tavana, and
Commissioner Emily Thomas.
Absent: None.
VERBAL COMMUNICATIONS
None.
CONSENT ITEMS (TO BE ACTED UPON BY A SINGLE MOTION)
1. Approval of Minutes – September 22, 2021
MOTION: Motion by Commissioner Barnett to approve adoption of the Consent
Calendar. Seconded by Vice Chair Burch.
VOTE: Motion passed unanimously.
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MINUTES OF PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING OF OCTOBER 13, 2021
PUBLIC HEARINGS
2. 16466 Bonnie Lane
Subdivision Application M-21-003
APN 532-02-053
Applicant: Tony Jeans
Property Owner: Mish Chadwick
Project Planner: Ryan Safty
Requesting Approval for Subdivision of One Lot into Two Lots on Property Zoned R-1:20.
Commissioner Barnett announced that he would recuse himself from participating in the
public hearing for 16466 Bonnie Lane because he lives within the prescribed radius for
proximity to the subject site.
Ryan Safty, Associate Planner, presented the staff report.
Opened Public Comment.
Tony Jeans, Applicant:
- The parcel is irregularly shaped, but is almost 2 acres in size in the R-1:20 zoning district, so
it is way bigger than anything else. They considered other alternatives for splitting the lot,
but decided to go with the current plan to introduce a “jog” in the division between the
parcels to give more room for a potential future house with more privacy for the neighbor
to the left. The irregular shape of the existing parcel would not be made any worse by this
lot split, rather it brings more conformity to the neighborhood , and the lot split of a 2-acre
parcel to permit this is almost required by the Subdivision Map Act, the General Plan, and
the zoning rules of the Town.
Tom Lippe, Attorney representing Patti and Erik Van Der Burg of 6417 Peacock Lane:
- The Town Code requires 100 feet of street frontage for this interior lot and the proposed
new parcel has only about seven feet of street frontage on Bonnie Lane. The plans dated
July 2021 show vehicle access provided by a new driveway from Bonnie Lane across an
unpaved easement area to the new lot, but the unpaved easement is a street and is not a
thoroughfare for vehicle travel affording the principle means of access, it is in fact
someone’s yard. The actual thoroughfare that provides vehicle access to this parcel is
Bonnie Lane and the new parcel does not have 100 feet of frontage on Bonnie Lane.
Les Kishler:
- He and his wife bought their property in the Ross Creek neighborhood in 1971. In the 1980s
the neighborhood was an unincorporated country island and he and his neighbors were
annexed to the Town of Los Gatos, and the Town agreed at that time to protect the
neighborhood’s character, such as low density. The Planning Commission at that time
spoke of the value of allowing neighborhoods in Los Gatos to keep their unique character
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MINUTES OF PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING OF OCTOBER 13, 2021
and not push all of them towards greater density and he hopes the current Planning
Commission will continue that history.
Amir Segev, next-door neighbor:
- He hopes this is not some type of rubber-stamp ceremony without an opportunity to act on
the decision and that the neighbors will be heard. His objections and those of his neighbors
are not automatic objections. He would like to support this project, but a couple of things
prevent that: 1) This project would be detrimental to the quality of life for the neighbors
and the nature and character of the street with the increased density; and 2) He is terrified
that a monstrosity would be built on the site. The neighbors are not concerned about a
subdivision, but what that may bring later on and they are being kept in the dark regarding
the proposal.
Rebecca Guerra, 16500 Bonnie Lane:
- Her property includes the discussed driveway easement. She and her two immediate
neighbors are the properties that have right of easement on that driveway. She is trying to
understand the difference between a private driveway and easement versus street
frontage and how that is interpreted in this particular proposal.
Pamela Kee, 16509 Bonnie Lane:
- She lives across the street. Nothing has been said about whether sub -parcel 1 would be
built. If this is a shared driveway access sub-parcel 1 could be in violation of the Santa Clara
County Fire Standard and cause 16500 and 16510 Bonnie Lane to be in viol ation of the
standard also, because their driveways would be in excess of 250 feet from the nearest
hydrant.
Unidentified Speaker, Peacock Lane:
- He lives across the street from the Ross Creek riparian corridor, which is in a flood zone.
Because of this his insurance is triple. Because of this new construction and the other
construction upstream the potential for flooding is increased. The riparian corridor should
be increased to 100 feet or more to reduce the likelihood of flood damage. This has not
been investigated as much as it should be.
Tony Jeans, Applicant:
- With respect to the 50-foot wide easement on the 16500 Bonnie Lane property, this is a
50-foot wide dedication made in 1953 explicitly for road purposes, and all of that area is
singled out. The frontage is along the property line of that, not along the road itself, so the
fact that there was a 20-foot roadway or thoroughfare supposedly put on it does not
determine the frontage. The frontage is the edge of the 50-foot easement. He has done his
best to give additional space so that there is flexibility in designing a home for parcel 2 as to
location and the design of the house. Fire safety will be determined at the architecture and
site application phase. This is in flood zone D, which is no t in the 100-year flood zone
district.
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MINUTES OF PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING OF OCTOBER 13, 2021
Closed Public Comment.
Commissioners discussed the matter.
MOTION: Motion by Commissioner Hanssen to approve a Subdivision Application
for 16466 Bonnie Lane, including a condition of approval to include the
open space easement near the riparian corridor. Seconded by Vice Chair
Burch.
VOTE: Motion passed unanimously with Commissioner Barnett recused.
OTHER BUSINESS
REPORT FROM THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Joel Paulson, Director of Community Development
• A General Plan community meeting was held October 6thand was well attended. The
Town is working with our consultants to determine the next steps for completing the
Final EIR and responding to public comments.
• Recruitment is being held for various commissions and committees with a deadline of
December 3rd.
SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS/COMMISSION MATTERS
Conceptual Development Advisory Committee
Commissioner Barnett
- The CDAC met 10/13/21; discussed the request for a proposal for a preliminary review of
an amendment to the North Forty Specific Plan that concerns the construction of a two-
story commercial building at 15171 Los Gatos Boulevard.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 8:33 p.m.
This is to certify that the foregoing is a true
and correct copy of the minutes of the
October 13, 2021 meeting as approved by the
Planning Commission.
_____________________________
/s/ Vicki Blandin