07-07-2022 - Minutes - HEAB
110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● 408-354-6832
www.losgatosca.gov
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
HOUSING ELEMENT ADVISORY
BOARD REPORT
MINUTES OF THE HOUSING ELEMENT ADVISORY BOARD
JULY 7, 2022
The Housing Element Advisory Board of the Town of Los Gatos conducted a Regular Meeting on
July 7, 2022, at 7:00 p.m., via teleconference.
This meeting was conducted utilizing teleconferencing and electronic means consistent with
Government Code Section 54953, as Amended by Assembly Bill 361, in response to the state
of emergency relating to COVID-19 and enabling teleconferencing accommodations by
suspending or waiving specified provisions in the Ralph M. Brown Act (Government Code §
54950 et seq.). Consistent with AB 361 and Town of Los Gatos Resolution 2021-044 this
meeting was not physically open to the public and the Advisory Board Members were
teleconferencing from remote locations. Members of the public were able to participate in
the meeting by joining the Zoom webinar (log in information provided below).
MEETING CALLED TO ORDER AT 7:00 P.M.
ROLL CALL
Present: Chair Melanie Hanssen; Vice Chair Kathryn Janoff; Council Member Maria Ristow;
Council Member Marico Sayoc; Board Member Susan Burnett; Board Member Randi Chen;
Board Member Joseph Mannina; Board Member Adam Mayer; Board Member Rob Moore;
Board Member Steven Piasecki; and Commissioner Emily Thomas.
Absent: Board Member Todd Jarvis and Board Member Ryan Rosenberg.
Staff present: Erin Walters and Joel Paulson.
VERBAL COMMUNICATIONS
None.
CONSENT ITEMS (TO BE ACTED UPON BY A SINGLE MOTION)
1. Approval of Minutes – June 16, 2022
MOTION: Motion by Board Member Piasecki to approve adoption of the Consent
Calendar. Seconded by Council Member Ristow.
VOTE: Motion passed 9-1 with Board Member Thomas abstaining. Board
Member Jarvis and Board Member Ryan Rosenberg absent during this
vote.
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DISCUSSION ITEMS
2. Continued Discussion of Policies and Programs
Presentation by Erin Walters.
Housing Element Advisory Board (HEAB) member’s comments and questions:
1. See Desk Item for all comments provided by Board Member Janoff to be incorporated;
2. Consider an Implementation Program which reduces parking requirements, similar to
what the City of San Jose has implemented;
3. Consider an Implementation Program which discusses the preservation of existing
housing (smaller, ‘starter home’ sized) which would prevent and/or limit demolition and
construction of a new, larger single-family home;
4. Consider an Implementation Program to incentivize construction of detached Accessory
Dwelling Units;
5. Add a new Goal titled “Remove Government Constraints” and add appropriate policies
and/or programs;
6. Reword HE-1.2 Infrastructure Policy;
7. Re-organize the existing Goals and Policies similarly to the Housing Elements for the City
of Folsom and the City of Yorba Linda;
8. Delete Implementation Program E;
9. Revise Implementation Programs I and J to replace the term ‘missing middle’ per the
adopted General Plan 2040. Add an educational component to these programs to help
the public understand how to accomplish this and provide examples, move to HE-5;
10. Add a new Policy and Implementation Program to preserve natural affordable housing;
11. Re-word HE-3.1, to make its intent more clear;
12. Re-word HE-3.6 to discuss other models of senior living, such as those who wish to
down-size into smaller homes;
13. Remove the term ‘elderly’ from HE-3.7 and replace with ‘senior’ for consistency;
14. Require assisted living to provide Below Market Rate units;
15. Move HE-3.4 to Housing Needs and Resources Goal;
16. Add a stronger Implementation Program for weather shelters to provide services for the
unhoused population;
17. All Implementation Program language needs to be re-worked to make the intent more
clear;
18. Re-word Implementation Program AE to use stronger language to describe Green
Building;
19. Add a reference to water conservation in the introduction section;
20. Re-word HE-5.1 to use stronger and more inclusive language to describe sets of persons;
21. Re-title Goal HE-5 to include ”Fair Housing”, and/or promoting AFFH;
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22. Reorganization of where we have been, where we have fallen short, and what we plan
to do moving forward and to provide a stronger Draft Housing Element;
23. Shared that their home was built in 1955 and the Greenridge Terrace tract was
developed in 1949. Their deed states that no homeowners shall reside in these
structures who are not Caucasian; however, servants may live in these homes. There is
a clear history of why Los Gatos is 87 percent white and why it is so difficult for non-
Caucasian populations to be part of the Los Gatos community;
24. Acknowledge the history of this discriminatory language and barriers to
homeownership.
25. There are programs and State Legislation to have the discriminatory language in a deed
stricken;
26. Recommended that the Town captures every address/parcel in this community that has
this discriminatory language so it can be tracked. Possible opportunities for the
museum to have a program; and
27. Thanked the public for providing feedback regarding the Housing Element process.
Opened Public Comment.
Lee Fagot
- Thanks to the committee for their hard work;
- Thanks to Board Member Janoff for bringing forward the example of discriminatory
language in deeds; teachable issue and should be included in the museum;
- Preserve existing policy to preserve and promote and protect the small-town character
of Los Gatos; and
- HE 1.3 – Should be more specific and add the source document.
Don Capobres
- Parking is a challenge for higher density housing;
- Height flexibility is important for parking to be able to do half in-ground and half out of
the ground to avoid having to use mechanical ventilation systems;
- Appreciate the Board’s thoughtful discussion and flexibility to allow housing developers
and affordable housing developer partners to deliver good looking housing and meeting
affordable housing levels; and
- Appreciate the Board’s work.
Closed Public Comment.
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VERBAL COMMUNICATIONS
None.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 9:37 p.m.
This is to certify that the foregoing is a true
and correct copy of the minutes of the
July 7, 2022, meeting.
/s/Joel Paulson, Director of Community Development