Attachment 11 - Revised Housing Element Update Process TimelineHOUSING ELEMENT PROCESS TIMELINE
On April 21, 2021, the Town issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for consultant services for
preparation of the 2023-2031 Housing Element. The Town received a proposal from one firm,
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
On June 15, 2021, the Town Council authorized the Town Manager to execute an agreement for
Consultant Services with EMC Planning Group, Inc. to prepare the 2023-2031 Housing Element
and associated public engagement and environmental review documents.
On August 3, 2021, the Town Council adopted Resolution 2021-032 to establish the Housing
Element Advisory Board (HEAB) to serve as an advisory board that provides input on specific
tasks associated with the Housing Element Update and established the role of the HEAB as
follows:
• Provide guidance on the development of the Housing Element Update;
• Provide an additional forum for public involvement;
• Forward milestone products to the Planning Commission and Town Council;
• Review the Draft Housing Element; and
• Make recommendations to the Planning Commission and Town Council.
On August 9, 2021, the Town participated in a Let’s Talk Housing Community Meeting for Santa
Clara County jurisdictions hosted by the Santa Clara County Planning Collaborative.
On September 21, 2021, the Town Council appointed four at-large members to the HEAB, in
addition to the existing nine members of the General Plan Committee (GPC).
On October 15, 2021, the HEAB held their first meeting to elect the Chair and Vice Chair and
adopt a meeting schedule.
On December 16, 2021, the HEAB discussed the Housing Element process, milestones, and
reviewed the Draft Housing Needs Assessment and Review of Previous Housing Element
appendices as contextual background information for future work by the HEAB.
On February 17, 2022, the HEAB reviewed and discussed the Housing Element Site Inventory
analysis process.
On March 31, 2022, a Community Meeting was held for the public to review and provide input
on potential sites for inclusion in the Site Inventory. At the meeting, the Balancing Act tool and
Housing Element Update website site surveys were introduced to the public.
On April 6, 2022, a Joint Study Session of the Town Council, Planning Commission, and HEAB was
held to discuss the production of affordable housing.
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On April 21, 2022, the HEAB provided feedback on additional sites to include in the Site
Inventory, in addition to the sites already identified by staff and the Housing Element
Consultant. Results from the Balancing Act tool and Housing Element Update website site
surveys were also shared with the HEAB.
On April 21, 2022, Property Owner Interest forms were mailed out to the property owners of the
sites selected in the Draft Site Inventory to garner their interest in providing housing on their
property. An electronic copy of the Property Owner Interest form was also made available on
the Housing Element Update website.
On April 24, 2022, Town staff hosted a booth at the Spring Into Green event at the Town Plaza to
provide the public an opportunity to discuss the Housing Element Update.
On May 5, 2022, the HEAB continued the discussion of the Site Inventory and provided feedback
on additional sites that should be included.
On May 19, 2022, HEAB recommended the acceptance of the Site Inventory as proposed within
Tier 1, with modifications to reduce the number of housing units within the North Forty, to add
the site located at 206 Knowles Drive, and to add the site located within the California
Department of Transportation right-of-way off of Oka Road. The sites identified by the HEAB at
their meetings of April 21, 2022, and May 5, 2022, were divided by staff into three tiers based on
the HCD checklist, property size, Zoning, General Plan land use designation, recently developed,
environmental constraints, public feedback, and Property Owner Interest forms that were
submitted to the Town.
On June 7, 2022, the Town Council considered the Site Inventory as recommended by the HEAB
and recommended approval of the Tier 1 sites as presented in the staff report with an
amendment to provide a unit projection for Senate Bill 9 projects. Since the recommendation of
the HEAB at their May 19, 2022, meeting, an additional Property Owner Interest form was
received for 15795 Los Gatos Boulevard and was added to the Tier 1 list. In addition, a letter
from the property owner for 15827 Los Gatos Boulevard was received requesting to be removed
from the Draft Site Inventory. In response, the Tier 2 site list was modified to remove the site.
On June 16, 2022, the HEAB reviewed and provided initial direction and modifications to the
Draft Housing Element Goals, Policies, and Implementation Programs.
On July 7, 2022, the HEAB continued to review and provide additional direction and
modifications to the Draft Housing Element Goals, Policies, and Implementation Programs.
On August 4, 2022, the HEAB completed review of the Draft Housing Element Goals, Policies,
and Implementation Programs and provided feedback for additional modifications.
On August 16, 2022, signatures were submitted to the Town in support of a referendum on the
Land Use and Community Design Elements of the approved 2040 General Plan.
On August 18, 2022, the HEAB reviewed and provided feedback for modifications to the Initial
Public Review Draft Housing Element prior to the release of the document for the required 30-
day public comment period.
On August 29, 2022, the Town released the Initial Public Review Draft Housing Element for a 30-
day public comment period which ran from August 29, 2022, to September 27, 2022.
On September 4, 2022, Town staff hosted a booth at the Los Gatos Farmers’ Market to provide
the public an opportunity to discuss the Initial Public Review Draft Housing Element during the
30-day public comment period.
On September 15, 2022, the HEAB received public comments on the Initial Public Review Draft
Housing Element during the 30-day public review period.
On September 27, 2022, the referendum signatures on the Land Use and Community Design
Elements of the approved 2040 General Plan were verified by the Santa Clara County Registrar.
On October 9, 2022, Town staff hosted a booth at the Los Gatos Farmers’ Market to provide
opportunity for the public to discuss the Draft Housing Element.
On October 14, 2022, the Town submitted the Draft Housing Element and a response to public
comments received during the 30-day public comment period to HCD for preliminary review. By
law, HCD has up to 90 days to complete its first review. The full document can be viewed at
EngageLosGatosHousing.com.
On October 20, 2022, the HEAB reviewed the Draft Housing Element that was submitted to HCD
for preliminary review, including a summary of all modifications that were made to the Draft
Housing Element. Modifications to the Site Inventory as reviewed by the Town Council on June
7, 2022, include:
• The addition of 401-409 Alberto Way as the property owner submitted a Property Owner
Interest form to the Town;
• The removal of 404 North Santa Cruz Avenue, 420 North Santa Cruz Avenue, and 430 North
Santa Cruz Avenue (Los Gatos Shopping Center) from the Site Inventory per the property
owner’s request and therefore deleted the North Santa Cruz Avenue Area;
• The removal of 16535 Camellia Terrace and parcel number 523-02-005 (El Gato Village) as
no Property Owner Interest form was submitted;
• Increased the housing density within the North Forty Specific Plan from 20 dwelling units per
acre to a minimum of 30 dwelling units per acre to align with Implementation Program D and
a public comment received from a member representing the interests of the property owner
during the 30-day public comment period;
• Revised the housing density used for the calculation of projected housing units in the Site
Inventory from the maximum density to the typical density, to be consistent with the 2040
General Plan Residential Buildout;
• Increased the maximum housing density within the Affordable Housing Overlay Zone (AHOZ)
from 20 dwelling units per acre to 40 dwelling units per acre to area to align with
Implementation Program BF;
• Modified the distribution for each income category to be consistent with the HCD Housing
Element Site Inventory Guidebook, which allows jurisdictions to use a higher density (default
density of 30 dwelling units per acre) as a proxy for lower income affordability;
• Created a Senate Bill 9 (SB 9) unit projection;
• Modified the number of housing units generated in the Pipeline Projects based on the
creation of a new SB 9 projection, Planning applications that have been withdrawn, and
projects that have received their Certificate of Use and Occupancy;
• Decreased the overall total number of housing units in the Site Inventory from 2,448 units to
2,371 units, as a result of the changes listed above; and
• Created a separate Appendix H, Site Inventory Form per HCD formatting requirements.
On November 9, 2022, Town staff hosted a booth at the Los Gatos Farmers’ Market to provide
the public an opportunity to discuss the Draft Housing Element that was submitted to HCD for
preliminary review.
On November 15, 2022, a Renter’s Survey was published on the Housing Element Update
website and made available in hard copies at the Community Development Department and
Town Library. The survey is available in English, Spanish, and Russian in both the electronic and
hard copy versions.
On November 17, 2022, the HEAB meeting was rescheduled by staff to December 1, 2022, due
to the meeting being cancelled as a result of the Town’s website being down and the agenda
being unavailable to members of the public.
On November 18, 2022, Town staff hosted an informational table at the Town Library to provide
the public an opportunity to discuss the Draft Housing Element and publicize the availability of
the Renter’s Survey.
On December 1, 2022, the HEAB discussed anticipated comments on the Draft Housing Element
based on comments other jurisdictions have received from HCD on their Draft Housing Element.
On December 11, 2022, Town staff hosted a booth at the Los Gatos Farmers’ Market to provide
the public an opportunity to discuss the Draft Housing Element.
On December 13, 2022, Town staff met with our HCD reviewer and received verbal, preliminary
input on the Draft Housing Element.
On December 20, 2022, the Town Council recommended that the current version of the Draft
2023-2031 Housing Element as submitted to HCD on October 14, 2022, be adopted prior to the
statutory deadline of January 31, 2023. In addition, the Town Council recommended that the
Sites Inventory of the Housing Element utilize the minimum density, requiring additional sites
to be added in order to comply with the Town’s RHNA and buffer.
On January 11, 2023, the Planning Commission unanimously recommended the Town Council
adopt the Draft 2023-2031 Housing Element with the revised Sites Inventory Analysis and
revised Sites Inventory Form.
On January 12, 2023, the Town received HCD’s findings/comment letter on the Draft Housing
Element.
On January 15, 2023, Town staff hosted a booth at the Los Gatos Farmers’ Market to provide the
public an opportunity to discuss the Draft Housing Element.
On January 19, 2023, Town staff attended a Democracy Tent of Los Gatos meeting to discuss
the Draft Housing Element.
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