Item 2 - Staff Report with Exhibit.GP and Rezoning
PREPARED BY: Jocelyn Shoopman and Erin Walters
Associate Planner and Associate Planner
Reviewed by: Community Development Director, Planning Manager, and Town Attorney
110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● (408) 354-6872
www.losgatosca.gov
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
PLANNING COMMISSION
REPORT
MEETING DATE: 09/13/2023
ITEM NO: 2
DATE: September 8, 2023
TO: Planning Commission
FROM: Joel Paulson, Community Development Director
SUBJECT: Forward a Recommendation to the Town Council on a Request to Amend the
General Plan Land Use Designation of 16492 Los Gatos Boulevard and
Assessor Parcel Number (APN) 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 and from R:1:8 to R-M:14-22; and
Apply the Housing Element Overlay Zone to Allow for Increases to the
Allowable Density, Height, Floor Area Ratio, and Lot Coverage to the Sites
Included in the Sites Inventory Analysis of the 2023-2031 Housing Element:
APN’s 424-06-116, 424-07-116, 424-08-029, 424-08-058, 424-08-059, 424-08-
060, 424-08-074, 529-24-001, 529-24-003, and 532-07-085; 401 through 409
Alberto Way; 620 and 14000 Blossom Hill Road; 16210, 16240, 16245,
16250, 16260, and 16270 Burton Road; Cal Trans Right -of-Way Adjacent to
14685 Oka Road; 110 and 206 Knowles Drive; 445 Leigh Avenue; 440 Los
Gatos Almaden Road; 16603 Lark Avenue; 14823, 14831, 14849, 14859,
14917, 14925, 15300, 15349, 15367, 15405, 15425, 15480, 15500, 15795,
16151, 16203, 16392, and 16492 Los Gatos Boulevard ; 50 and 165 Los Gatos
Saratoga Road; 61 Montebello Way; 14800 and 14840 Oka Road; 50 Park
Avenue; 101 South Santa Cruz Avenue. An Environmental Impact Report
(EIR) was Prepared and Certified for the 2040 General Plan Update on June
30, 2022, which Included the Proposed General Plan Amendments. No
further Environmental Analysis is Required. Zoning Code Amendment
Application Z-23-003 and General Plan Amendment Application GP-23-003.
Applicant: Town of Los Gatos.
PAGE 2 of 4
SUBJECT: General Plan Amendments, Re-Zonings, and Housing Element Overlay Zone/
Z-23-003 and GP-23-003
DATE: September 8, 2023
REMARKS:
On August 23, 2023, the Planning Commission held a public hearing, asked questions of staff,
and received verbal public comment from those in attendance. Due to notice cards that were
delayed in delivery, the Planning Commission continued the public hearing for any add itional
public comment on the item.
PUBLIC COMMENTS:
Public notification has included a legal ad in the paper, noticing property owners, tenants, and
properties located within 300 feet of all the sites listed within the Town . The meeting has been
publicized on the Town’s website and through the Town’s social media platforms. Public
comments received between 11:01 a.m., Wednesday, September 23, 2023, and 11:00 a.m.,
Friday, September 8, 2023, are included in Exhibit 12.
CONCLUSION:
A. Summary
A request for approval of the following General Plan Amendments and Zone Changes:
1. Amend the General Plan to modify the land use designation of 16492 Los Gatos
Boulevard and APN 532-07-086 from Low Density Residential to Neighborhood
Commercial;
2. Amend the General Plan to modify the designation of the Caltrans right-of-way from
Low Density Residential to Medium Density Residential;
3. A zone change for the Caltrans Right-of-Way Adjacent to 14685 Oka Road from R:1:8 to
R-M:14-22; and
4. Application of the Housing Element Overlay Zone to the sites included in the Sites
Inventory of the 2023-2031 Housing Element.
B. Recommendation
Based on the analysis above, staff recommends that the Planning Commission consider the
existing and proposed General Plan Land Use designations and zoning and forward a
recommendation for approval of the amendments to the Town Council. If the Planning
Commission finds merit with the proposed amendments, it should:
1. Make the finding that no further environmental analysis is required (Exhibit 1);
2. Make the required finding that the General Plan amendment s are internally consistent
with the existing goals and policies of the General Plan and its elements, in that the
PAGE 3 of 4
SUBJECT: General Plan Amendments, Re-Zonings, and Housing Element Overlay Zone/
Z-23-003 and GP-23-003
DATE: September 8, 2023
CONCLUSION (continued):
amendments will provide for the development of housing for the sites in the Sites
Inventory to comply with the Town’s RHNA (Exhibit 1);
3. Make the required finding that the proposed zone changes are consistent with the
General Plan and its elements in that the proposed zonings are consistent with the
proposed General Plan land use designations (Exhibit 1); and
4. Forward a recommendation of approval of General Plan Amendment application
GP-23-003 and Zone Change application Z-23-003 to the Town Council.
C. Alternatives
Alternatively, the Planning Commission can:
1. Continue the matter to a date certain with specific direction; or
2. Provide a recommendation for denial to the Town Council providing findings for denial .
EXHIBITS:
Previously Received with the August 23, 2023, Staff Report:
1. Draft Findings
2. Appendix D, Sites Inventory Analysis of the July 2023 Interim Working Draft Revised Housing
Element
3. Appendix H, Sites Inventory Form of the July 2023 Interim Working Draft Revised Housing
Element
4. Location Maps – 16492 Los Gatos Boulevard (Showing Existing and Proposed General Plan
Designations)
5. Location Maps – Parcel 532-07-086 (Showing Existing and Proposed General Plan
Designations)
6. Location Maps – Caltrans Right-of-Way (Showing Existing and Proposed General Plan
Designations)
7. Location Maps – Caltrans Right-of-Way (Showing Existing and Proposed Zoning)
8. Location Maps – 2023-2031 Housing Element (Showing Existing and Proposed Zoning)
9. Draft Zoning Code Ordinance Amendments, Division 5. Housing Element Overlay Zone
Previously received with the August 23, 2023, Addendum Report:
10. Public Comment received between 11:01 a.m., Friday, August 18, 2023, and 11:00 a.m.,
Tuesday, August 22, 2023.
PAGE 4 of 4
SUBJECT: General Plan Amendments, Re-Zonings, and Housing Element Overlay Zone/
Z-23-003 and GP-23-003
DATE: September 8, 2023
EXHIBITS (continued):
Previously received with the August 23, 2023, Desk Item Report:
11. Public Comment received between 11:01 a.m., Tuesday, August 22, 2023, and 11:00 a.m.,
Wednesday, August 23, 2023.
Received with this Staff Report:
12. Public Comment received between 11:01 a.m., Wednesday, August 23, 2023, and 11:00
a.m., Friday, September 8, 2023.
From: John Bourgeois <>
Sent: Wednesday, August 23, 2023 11:50 AM
To: Planning <Planning@losgatosca.gov>
Cc: Alex Granas <>
Subject: Item 5, Aug 23rd mtg
Dear Planning Commissioners,
I was made aware that you are amending the Land Use designation of multiple parcels as part of the
new Housing Element Overly Zone approvals. This letter is specifically in reference to the parcel at 401-
409 Alberto Way.
While I completely understand the difficulty in finding parcels in Los Gatos appropriate to hit the State
RHNA numbers, please ask staff to take a look at the PD for the restaurant across the street from this
site. I distinctly remember that neighbors (myself included) were very concerned about parking when
the restaurant was approved, and the compromise solution on that proposal was that the "new" office
building across the street (which was never built) would provide additional parking in the evenings to
alleviate street parking. This has obviously never occurred and the residents are in fact being impacted
by overflow parking.
While we are happy for the success of the restaurant, it still does not alleviate the parking
requirements. Prior to approval, I request that staff report on the relationship of any new development
at 401-409 Alberto Way and the parking requirements of the restaurant across the street.
Thank you,
John Bourgeois
EXHIBIT 12
This Page
Intentionally
Left Blank