07-20-2023 GPC Minutes SPECIAL (PDF)
110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● 408-354-6832
www.losgatosca.gov
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
GENERAL PLAN COMMITTEE
REPORT
MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL GENERAL PLAN COMMITTEE MEETING
JULY 20, 2023
The General Plan Committee of the Town of Los Gatos conducted a special meeting on July 20,
2023, at 5:30 p.m.
MEETING CALLED TO ORDER AT 5:30 P.M.
ROLL CALL
Present: Chair Ryan Rosenberg, Council Member Rob Moore, Commissioner Melanie Hanssen,
Commissioner Kathryn Janoff, Public Representative Adam Mayer, Public Representative Steve
Piasecki, and Public Representative Joseph Mannina.
Absent: Councilmember Matthew Hudes, and Vice Chair Emily Thomas.
VERBAL COMMUNICATIONS
Lee Fagot
- Town has committed payment of $300 thousand to the Town’s Housing Consultant’s
that have failed three times to secure a Certified Housing Element.
- The Council should reconsider payment to the Housing Consultants.
CONSENT ITEMS (TO BE ACTED UPON BY A SINGLE MOTION)
1. Approval of Minutes – May 10, 2023
MOTION: Motion by Planning Commissioner Hanssen to Approve Consent Item.
Seconded by Council Member Moore.
VOTE: Motion passed unanimously.
PUBLIC HEARINGS
1. Housing Element Overlay Zoning
Zoning Code Amendment Application Z-23-002
General Plan Amendment Application GP-23-002
Make a Recommendation to Planning Commission on a Request to Amend the General
Plan to Include a Description of the Housing Element Overlay Zone; Amend the General
Plan Land Use Designation of 16492 Los Gatos Boulevard and Assessor Parcel Number
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SUBJECT: MINUTES OF THE GPC MEETING OF JULY 20, 2023
532-07-086 from Low Density Residential to Neighborhood Commercial; Amend the
General Plan Land Use Designation of Caltrans Right -of-Way Adjacent to 14685 Oka
Road from Low Density Residential to Medium Density Residential; Amend the Town
Code to Modify the Affordable Housing Overlay Zone Division 5 of Article VIII Overlay
Zones and Historic Preservation; Amend the Town Code to Incorporate the Housing
Element Overlay Zone as Division 6 of Article VIII Overlay Zones and Historic
Preservation; and Apply the Housing Element Overlay Zone to the Sites Included in the
Sites Inventory Analysis of the 2023-2031 Housing Element. An Environmental Impact
Report (EIR) was Prepared and Certified for the 2040 General Plan Update on Ju ne 30,
2022, which Included the Proposed General Plan Amendment. No Further
Environmental Analysis is Required. Zoning Code Amendment Application Z-23-002 and
General Plan Amendment Application GP-23-002.
PROPERTY OWNERS: Princeton Garden Properties LLC and California Department of
Transportation, Caltrans. APPLICANT: Town of Los Gatos. PROJECT PLANNERS: Jocelyn
Shoopman and Erin Walters.
Jocelyn Shoopman, Associate Planner presented a staff report.
Chair Rosenberg explained the purpose of this meeting and what staff is asking the Committee
to review and vote on.
Opened Public Comment.
Lee Quintana
- She wants to share thanks for the information that was provided regarding this and also
recommends that the General Plan changes not be considered until the Housing
Element is certified so we don’t have to keep going back and forth with modifications.
She requests that the committee ask for more information around the recent appellant
court ruling on the topic in the City of Clovis around using at least the minimum density
of the previous Housing Element or overlay.
Rachel Hiuojosa
- Their family owns the mobile home park next to the Caltrans lot. There was a proposed
project years ago that got shot down. We received the notice that the density would
change for the Caltrans lot and noticed that it went from 5-12 units per acre to 14-22
units per acre. She wants more information and clarification on the density.
Leslie Chiapparelli
- She is under the impression that this was a Caltrans parcel, so was there a sale on the
property, because how does the Town plan to build on property they do not own?
Another concern is that there is limited egress which means more traffic, and people
tend to speed in the area, so adding speed humps or something to allow a safer
roadway would be helpful.
Deborah Parrish
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SUBJECT: MINUTES OF THE GPC MEETING OF JULY 20, 2023
- Hearing how Oka might be developed, and there are already roughly 200 homes using
the one-way entrance and a one-way exit, adding a higher density would be a safety risk
as the traffic is already backed up. There is also already so much traffic during school
and church hours. There is no parking available on the streets.
Kip Foppiano
- The Oka and Lark intersection was recently renovated to accommodate the traffic
issues. The traffic has gotten better with this update, but with this new density
proposal, the traffic and safety are going to get bad again.
Susan Burnett
- With the new SB 330 applications for the Los Gatos Lodge and North 40, are these
numbers being counted in the site inventory numbers? In looking at the applications
and the numbers presented, we appear to be in a deficien cy. When looking at the
applications, does the public have to consider the numbers the applicant put, or
consider the numbers the Town has put on the Site Inventory list?
Closed Public Comment.
Committee Members discussed the matter.
MOTION: Motion by Commissioner Hanssen to recommend to the Planning
Commission, the approval of the change in land use designation for the
Caltrans Right-of-Way Adjacent to 14685 Oka Road. Seconded by
Committee Member Piasecki.
VOTE: Motion passed unanimously.
MOTION: Motion by Commissioner Janoff to recommend to the Planning
Commission that the zoning designations be changed for 16492 Los Gatos
Boulevard and Assessor Parcel Number 532-07-086. Seconded by
Committee Member Mannina.
VOTE: Motion passed unanimously.
MOTION: Motion by Commissioner Hanssen to recommend to the Planning
Commission the proposed changes to the 2020 General Plan and Land
Use Element and that more consideration be given by the Planning
Commission and Town Council for ways to increase the production of
smaller units. Seconded by Commissioner Janoff.
VOTE: Motion passed unanimously.
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SUBJECT: MINUTES OF THE GPC MEETING OF JULY 20, 2023
OTHER BUSINESS
None.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 6:46 p.m.
This is to certify that the foregoing is a true
and correct copy of the minutes of the
July 20, 2023, meeting as approved by the
General Plan Committee.
/s/Jennifer Armer, Planning Manager