Attachment 3 - Veronica Tam and Associates ProposalJune 18, 2023
Joel Paulson, Director
Community Development Department
110 E. Main Street
Los Gatos, CA 95030
Dear Mr. Paulson:
Veronica Tam and Associates, Inc. (VTA) is pleased to submit this proposal to assist the
Town of Los Gatos in the Housing Element update. Our scope of work focuses on
addressing specific comments of the State Department of Housing and Community
Development (HCD) on the Town’s Revised Draft Housing Element, as outlined in the
May 30, 2023 HCD letter.
VTA has substantial experience in preparing Housing Elements and we are familiar with
new State laws and HCD review standards. For the current 6th cycle Housing Element,
as of June 2023, VTA has assisted more than 40 jurisdictions in the SCAG, SANDAG,
and ABAG regions in achieving Housing Element compliance.
We look forward to discussing our proposal with you. Please let me know if you have
questions or require additional information.
Sincerely,
Veronica Tam, AICP
Principal
ATTACHMENT 3
107 S. Fair Oaks Avenue, Suite 212
Pasadena, CA 91105
P (626) 304-0440
F (626) 304-0005
Project Understanding
The Town of Los Gatos submitted a revised the Housing Element on March 31, 2023,
and received HCD comment letter on May 30, 2023. We understand that the Town is
requesting supplemental consulting assistance to address findings in this letter.
We also understand that the Town has already retained a separate consultant to address
the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) requirements. Therefore, our proposed
scope of work includes assistance in responding to two specific HCD comments (#4 and
#23) as requested by the Town.
Scope of Work
Task 1: Housing Element Revisions
Sites Inventory: This is by far the most difficult comment to address. Based on responses
provided by staff, additional revisions are still needed to meet HCD standards.
Specifically:
Justification of SB 9 trend and lot eligibility analysis. Typically, this analysis involves looking at lot size and lot coverage to identify eligible parcels. Then
estimate the number of parcels that may process an SB 9 application based on
recent trends.
Realistic Capacity - Likelihood of mixed use sites being redeveloped without
housing. A general discussion is usually not adequate. The Town should provide specific data to substantiate trend.
Nonvacant Sites – The Town qualified some sites based on property owner
interest. However, quite a few parcels have no “substantial evidence” to
demonstrate existing uses would not impede redevelopment. VTA has developed
a methodology to establish “substantial evidence” as required by State law:
o Review existing conditions of parcels with pipeline projects or developer/owner interest. These include types of existing uses, age of
structures, improvement to land value ratio, existing floor area ratio or lot
coverage, among other factors that describe the existing conditions of uses
on site. o Compare parcel-by-parcel, the existing conditions of parcels in the inventory with the thresholds established based on pipeline projects and parcels with redevelopment interest.
Small Sites – The Town’s proposed strategy of shifting small sites to Above Moderate Income RNA may be the most efficient approach.
Land Use Controls: We will work with staff to address HCD comments on governmental
constraints such as development standards, planning and development impact fees,
107 S. Fair Oaks Avenue, Suite 212
Pasadena, CA 91105
P (626) 304-0440
F (626) 304-0005
local processing procedures, and reasonable accommodation procedures, among others.
We will work with staff to compile the responses.
Special Housing Needs: This section will be comprehensively updated to include an
estimate of numbers of special needs households, housing needs, and resources
available. To the extent data is available, tenure and income information will be included.
Programs and Quantified Objectives: Programs will be comprehensively reviewed and
revised to establish specific timelines and objectives. The ADU program will be expanded
to include a mid-cycle review. The adequate sites program (Program D – Additional
Housing Capacity) will be revised to reflect the Town’s RHNA obligations and specific
requirements under State law. We will work with staff to develop quantified objectives that
are achievable.
Public Comments: We will summarize public comments received and how the Town
responded to these comments.
AFFH Analysis: We will assist in the response to the two specific comments on AFFH:
#4 Identified Sites and AFFH – This analysis requires that we use GIS to compare the
distribution of RHNA units by income group with AFFH factors such as concentration
of minority and low income populations, concentration of housing cost burden and
overcrowding, location of RE/CAP and RCAA neighborhoods, and TCAC resource
categories, among other factors. We will also provide a summary of RHNA units by
either neighborhood or by census tract. Based on this detailed analysis, the Town may
need to include place-based strategies for neighborhood improvements.
#23 AFFH Actions: We recommend reorganizing the Town’s current AFFH actions to
a template provided by HCD. Actions will be provided for each of the five themes
required by HCD: 1) fair housing outreach and education; 2) housing mobility; 3) new
opportunities in high resource areas; 4) place-based strategies for neighborhood
improvements; and 5) tenant protection and anti-displacement. Each action is also
required to include specific timeline, geographic target, and measurable outcomes.
By reorganizing into the HCD format, we can identify the gaps in actions and
commitments. New actions may also be needed, depending on the conclusions of the
revised AFFH analysis.
Task 2: HCD Communications
We recommend setting up meetings with HCD to discuss our approach to responding to
their comments. We will coordinate regular check-in meetings with HCD to discuss our
proposed strategies for addressing their comments. As necessary, when appropriate the
final round of revisions, we can arrange a live edit session with HCD to make the final
edits to confirm certification of the Housing Element.
Task 3: Project Management and Communications
107 S. Fair Oaks Avenue, Suite 212
Pasadena, CA 91105
P (626) 304-0440
F (626) 304-0005
We anticipate having routine meetings and email communications with staff (virtually) to
discuss project progress and issues. Based on the scope outlined above, the most time-
consuming task is substantiating the adequacy of sites inventory, especially the
nonvacant sites. We propose the following tentative schedule for the Housing Element:
Milestone Timeline (days from contract initiation)
Data Collection 10 days
Revised Housing Element 45 days
Staff Review 55 days
Resubmittal to HCD 65 days
Review and Revise final HCD comments 125 days
This schedule assumes that the Town would resubmit the Revised Draft Housing Element
to HCD for a formal review. If the Town prefers an informal review, then the schedule may
be condensed.
Budget
We recommend structuring this project as time-and-materials with a not-to-exceed
amount.
Task
Tam Planners GIS/Tech Estimated
$ 200 $ 135 $ 135 Fee
1. Housing Element Revisions 40 240 20 $ 43,100
2. HCD Communications 20 $ 4,000
3. Project Management and Communications 20 $ 4,000
Total 80 240 20 $ 51,100
Qualifications
Veronica Tam and Associates, Inc. (VTA) is a California corporation located in Pasadena,
California. VTA was established in November 2005 and has since been providing housing
and community development consulting to local jurisdictions throughout California. We
provide assistance in the following areas:
Housing Element updates
Zoning revisions for housing-related issues
Special housing studies
Consolidated Plan and related reports
Grants administration and technical assistance
Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice
Environmental clearance for housing-related plans and projects
107 S. Fair Oaks Avenue, Suite 212
Pasadena, CA 91105
P (626) 304-0440
F (626) 304-0005
Housing Element Preparation and REAP Technical Assistance
We are well known for our expertise in State Housing Element law. We have prepared
Housing Elements for jurisdictions throughout the State and maintain an excellent track
record of receiving State certification. The following are some of our 5th and 6th cycles
Housing Element work. Blue jurisdictions are those that have been certified for the 6th cycle,
demonstrating our understanding in the new State law and our success in assisting our
clients. The remaining 6th cycle works are underway.
We are also taking over several Housing Element works from other consultants who are
not able to complete the projects. These include Beverly Hills, Hermosa Beach, La Mirada,
Mission Viejo, Norwalk, San Mateo, and Goleta.
Bell Gardens5,6 Laguna Beach6 Rolling Hills Estates6
Berkeley6 La Mesa5,6 Rosemead6
Beverly Hills6 La Mirada6 Salinas5,6
Buena Park5,6 La Puente6 San Clemente5,6
Camarillo5,6 Long Beach5,6 San Diego County6
Capitola6 Los Angeles County6 San Fernando5,6
Claremont6 Marin County6 San Ramon6
Corona5,6 Marina,5,6 Santa Barbara County6
Culver City6 Mission Viejo6 Santee5,6
Cypress6 Monterey County5 Seaside5,6
El Cajon5,6 Ojai6 Simi Valley5,6
El Centro5,6 Oceanside6 South Gate5,6
El Segundo5,6 Palo Alto6 Thousand Oaks6
Escondido5,6 Pacific Grove6 Torrance6
Gardena6 Palmdale6 Tracy5,6
Glendora5,6 Pasadena6 Ventura6
Hermosa Beach6 Petaluma6 Vista5,6
Imperial Beach5,6 Rancho Cucamonga6 Walnut5,6
Jurupa Valley5,6 Redondo Beach5,6 West Hollywood5,6
La Canada Flintridge5,6 Riverside6 Westlake Village6
In addition to directly assisting our clients with Housing Element preparation, VTA has also
been retained by various Council of Governments (COGs) to provide technical assistance.
These include:
ABAG – Marin County Collaborative
ABAG – Contra Costa County Collaborative
San Joaquin Valley Collaborative
GCCOG – Gateway Cities Council of Governments
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