Draft Minutes of the November 15, 2023 Planning Commission Special Meeting
110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● 408-354-6832
www.losgatosca.gov
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
PLANNING COMMISSION
REPORT
MEETING DATE: 01/10/2024
ITEM NO: 1
DRAFT
MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING
NOVEMBER 15, 2023
The Planning Commission of the Town of Los Gatos conducted a Special Meeting on
Wednesday, November 15, 2023, at 7:00 p.m.
MEETING CALLED TO ORDER AT 7:00 PM
ROLL CALL
Present: Chair Jeffrey Barnett, Vice Chair Steve Raspe, Commissioner Susan Burnett,
Commissioner Melanie Hanssen, Commissioner Kathryn Janoff, and Commissioner Emily
Thomas.
Absent: None.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
VERBAL COMMUNICATIONS
None.
PUBLIC HEARINGS
1. Draft Revised 2023-2031 Housing Element
General Plan Amendment Application GP-22-003
Location: Town-Wide
Project Planners: Erin Walters and Jocelyn Shoopman, Associate Planners
Consider and Make a Recommendation to the Town Council on the Draft Revised 2023-
2031 Housing Element.
Erin Walters, Associate Planner, presented the staff report.
Opened Public Comment.
Jim Zanardi
- Los Gatos is above the State requirements with RHNA numbers of 1,993 and a buffer of 15
percent, and right now we are at 2,700 units with a buffer of 57 percent. Council Member
Hudes in November brought up removing 322 units from the inventory. Removing these
sites would bring Los Gatos’ buffer down from 57 percent to 48 percent, and it looks to me
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MINUTES OF PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING OF NOVEMBER 15, 2023
like we could remove even more sites. We can always add additional sites, so why add
more units now? Once they are put on, they can’t be removed, so why not put them on as
needed? My second question is will environmental studies be done for any additional
sites? Also, why are we building so many houses throughout the state when up to 350,000
people a year are leaving California?
Lee Quintana
- Is it better to have an oversupply of identified sites, or eliminate sites, and then in the end
have to add sites? If sites need to be added, does that mean that the whole process of
going through HCD is initiated again? If we have sufficient buffer sites, then that process
will not be necessary and it will be a faster and smoother process overall.
Closed Public Comment.
Commissioners discussed the matter.
MOTION: Motion by Commissioner Thomas to continue the public hearing
regarding the Draft Revised 2023-2031 Housing Element to a date certain
of November 29, 2023. Seconded by Commissioner Hanssen.
VOTE: Motion passed unanimously.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 8:05 p.m.
This is to certify that the foregoing is a true
and correct copy of the minutes of the
November 15, 2023 meeting as approved by the
Planning Commission.
_____________________________
/s/ Vicki Blandin