01 Attachment 4 - Public CommentsFrom: Kristen van der Molen
Date: December 15, 2023 at 6:30:15 PM PST
To: Maria Ristow <MRistow@losgatosca.gov>, Mary Badame <MBadame@losgatosca.gov>, Marina
Chislett <MChislett@losgatosca.gov>, Nicolle Burnham <NBurnham@losgatosca.gov>, Rob Moore
<RMoore@losgatosca.gov>, Rob Rennie <rrennie@losgatosca.gov>, Matthew Hudes
<MHudes@losgatosca.gov>
Subject: Pinehurst Community Garden
[EXTERNAL SENDER]
Hello,
I am writing to you to express my concerns for the proposed Pinehurst Community Garden, and my
opposition to this plan.
I am a resident on Lynn Ave and I have just learned of this plan. This proposed garden will be
directly behind my fence.
We already experience a huge amount of traffic on our street from Union Middle School. Drivers
behaving poorly by double parking along a fence which blocks our driveways, and causes congestion
every weekday in the morning and afternoon. We also have congestion most weekends due to the
privately run sports programs, and people with rude and entitled attitudes, again blocking our
driveways.
I am also very concerned that the proposed garden will lure even more pests and rodents seeking food.
We already deal with a huge problem with rodents and squirrels in our yards and trying to enter our
homes.
While community gardens are wonderful in an urban area, we are in a suburban area where almost all
people have a yard in which they can grow their own food.
I’ve also been told that the cost to be part of this community garden will be around $120 per year. If this
is true, who is this community garden for? That is a high fee for something that couldn’t possible yield
enough food for that amount per year.
I have signed a petition that will be presented at the next Council meeting, but I also wanted to write to
the Coucil to express my opposition to this plan.
Please listen to your residents who have already been dealing with a lot of congestion, traffic, rude
behavior and pests.
Please halt this project from moving forward.
Thank you,
Kristen van der Molen
Sent from my iPhone
ATTACHMENT 4
From: Charlie
Date: December 15, 2023 at 8:07:54 PM PST
To: Town PPW <ppw@losgatosca.gov>, Janette Judd <jjudd@losgatosca.gov>, Marina Chislett
<MChislett@losgatosca.gov>, Nicolle Burnham <NBurnham@losgatosca.gov>
Subject: Disapproval of the community garden
[EXTERNAL SENDER]
Dear all,
My name is Yun Chan Myung. I live at Blossom Valley Dr. Los Gatos, CA 95032.
I'm writing this email to express my disapproval of the Lynn Avenue Parkway and Pinehurst
Community Garden.
I have two concerns. One is our privacy. I purchased this house in 2012 because my son doesn't like
people look into our house through fence or pass by. Our dogs don't like either.
The other concern is safety. If my fence falls down and pedestrians get hurt, I'd like to ask who's
going to take responsibility for those kinds of injuries.
Please don't approve the Community Garden.
Best Regards,
Yun Chan Myung
From: Ephraim Baron
Date: December 17, 2023 at 12:59:33 PM PST
To: Maria Ristow <MRistow@losgatosca.gov>, Mary Badame <MBadame@losgatosca.gov>, Marina
Chislett <MChislett@losgatosca.gov>, Nicolle Burnham <NBurnham@losgatosca.gov>, Rob Moore
<RMoore@losgatosca.gov>, Rob Rennie <rrennie@losgatosca.gov>, Matthew Hudes
<MHudes@losgatosca.gov>
Subject: Pedestrian pathway and community garden
[EXTERNAL SENDER]
Hello,
I am writing to voice my strong support of the initiative to create a pedestrian pathway and community
garden between Pinehurst and Union Avenue. I’ve been tracking this project for a long time and have
been eagerly anticipating its commencement and completion. I’ve discussed it with many of my
neighbors, and everyone I’ve talked with is at least as enthusiastic as I am. Many of them who abut the
affected area have even talked about expanding the project scope.
So I was unpleasantly surprised to find a letter in my mailbox from an anonymous “neighbor on Blossom
Valley Drive” that presented the effort as some sort of shadow project that had been conducted without
community involvement. I’ve been aware of it and following its progress for a long, long time. Yet the
author claims “The project has been in the works for years without our knowing about it…” and “almost
all of us were utterly dismayed by what we saw and heard (at the community meeting)”, and “We are
only now finding out about something that has been in the works for years, so it’s time to get involved”,
as though it had been intentionally kept a secret. It went on to say that plans for “a large public park …
far exceed anything tailored to fit a residential area.”
I have no idea where the author expects a public park to exist if not within a residential area.
What I can say is that the project addresses a challenge that has existed for a long time. My children
grew up in the neighborhood and attended Alta Vista Elementary, Union Middle, and Leigh High schools.
When they started at Leigh, they had to cross Union Avenue every day by going down Lynn Avenue.
With cars parked along the street and no sidewalks, Lynn is a hazardous throughway for all the student
pedestrian and bicycle traffic. This makes the PG&E alleyway – which directly abuts the crosswalk at
Union Avenue – an ideal place for a pedestrian walkway. And rather than leaving it as a dirt path, adding
a community garden is a great idea.
The letter I received is NIMBY-ism (literally) at its worst. (The irony is that the result would likely
increase the author’s property values.)
I urge you to not let a small-but-vocal minority undo a very worthy project that will provide significant
benefits to the community. Please vote to proceed with the Pinehurst Community Garden project.
Sincerely,
Ephraim & Margaret Baron
From: Family Zhang
Date: December 16, 2023 at 9:31:06 PM PST
To: Town PPW <ppw@losgatosca.gov>
Cc: Marina Chislett <MChislett@losgatosca.gov>
Subject: Community Garden - design feedback
[EXTERNAL SENDER]
I'm writing to provide feedback (from a utility point of view) about 3 separate concept drawings for the
Community Garden.
(1) Lot Size: 10x20 might be a bit too big per lot. I have a backyard veggie area of 175 sq ft, and that can
feed a family of 4, for 90% of the summer veggie need. I'd vote for lots of at least 2 different sizes to fit
in different people's needs. One size fits all may not work for all.
(2) Bed Size: ideally should be 4 ft, 8 ft, 12 ft, etc. in the standard lumber size. The most popular
hardware cloth (for protection) is 4 ft also. Otherwise, we're going to have lots of cut/waste/labor
during construction.
(2) The Compost staging area is great, assuming that's for ready-to-use compost. It would also be great
to plan a "composting area" where people dump the trimming from the garden to just compost on the
spot, rather than having to take them away. A typical size will be 3 section bin systems like this. An easy
and great way to do sustainable gardening.
Thanks!
-- Mark Zhang
From: Cullen Bash
Date: December 17, 2023 at 1:16:38 PM PST
To: Council <Council@losgatosca.gov>
Cc: Maria Ristow <MRistow@losgatosca.gov>, Mary Badame <MBadame@losgatosca.gov>, Elizabeth
Bash <elizabeth bash@yahoo.com>, Rob Moore <RMoore@losgatosca.gov>, Nicolle Burnham
<NBurnham@losgatosca.gov>, Marina Chislett <MChislett@losgatosca.gov>, Cullen Bash
<cbash142@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: Los Gatos Community Garden and Walkway
[EXTERNAL SENDER]
Resending with Marina’s correct address…
On Dec 17, 2023, at 1:14 PM, Cullen Bash wrote:
To Los Gatos Town Council Members,
We are homeowners in Los Gatos and have lived on Lynn Avenue since 2005. We’d like to register our
disapproval of the Los Gatos Community Garden and Walkway project currently under
consideration. One of the reasons we purchased our property was due to the PG&E easement behind
our property. The easement provides privacy, security and solitude in a congested part of the
town. Opening the easement up to pedestrians will negatively impact our property value by destroying
the features that make the easement beneficial to those who live adjacent to it.
While we support the idea of a community garden in an area currently open to the public, we remain
fundamentally opposed to the opening of the easement adjacent to the properties on the south side of
Lynn Avenue and urge you to rethink the project.
Respectfully,
Cullen and Elizabeth Bash
Lynn Avenue
Los Gatos CA
From:
Sent: Sunday, December 17, 2023 8:08 PM
To: Clerk <Clerk@losgatosca.gov>; Council <Council@losgatosca.gov>
Subject: Public Comment Item #1: Pinehurst Community Garden
[EXTERNAL SENDER]
Dear Los Gatos Town Council:
I am writing in support of the Pinehurst Community Garden. When finished, this project will add
significant value to our community by providing a vibrant space for community members to grow
vegetables, fruit and herbs. It will also potentially provide a space for individuals and nonprofits to
offer classes to children and adults on how to grow, harvest and cook their own food. In our time,
people are becoming increasingly disconnected from how their food is grown and how eating
nutritious foods can benefit their health. The Pinehurst garden provides a concrete way to combat
that disconnection and increase people’s knowledge of and access to healthy food. This space will
also provide a much-needed location for community members to come together – to work alongside
each other growing food, sharing knowledge and stories, interacting with individuals of different
age groups, and more. The mental health benefits of growing food and sharing knowledge in
community is in itself a worthwhile reason for building this space. The garden project will also
provide a pedestrian walkway improve safety and walkability of the neighborhood.
I have known Kevin Arroyo, the head of this project, for three years. I have joined his volunteer
team several times to work at the Los Gatos Pollinator project on Los Gatos Almaden Road, and
have seen firsthand his vision, determination, and ability to inspire volunteers to complete a big
goal. With his leadership, knowledge and talent for motivating others, a vacant, degraded roadside
strip has now been transformed into a flourishing pollinator garden that delights passersby and is a
place to educate children and adults about the need to create spaces for native plants to support
our pollinators.
I hope you will continue to support the Pinehurst Community Garden.
Best regards,
Karen Rubio
Co-Founder, Plant-Based Advocates
From: Jennifer A
Sent: Sunday, December 17, 2023 4:29 PM
To: Council <Council@losgatosca.gov>
Subject: In Support of Pinehurst Community Garden
[EXTERNAL SENDER]
Dear Council Members,
First of all, thank you for your service to our wonderful community!
I am writing to you today to express my enthusiasm for the idea of establishing a community garden in
our town, and to request the support of the council for this initiative.
Community gardens have proven to be invaluable assets to neighborhoods across the country. They not
only promote a sense of community but also contribute to the overall wellbeing of residents and the
environment. Here are a few key reasons why I believe supporting a community garden in our town is
important:
• Community Building: Community gardens provide a space for residents to come together,
fostering a sense of community and camaraderie.
• Health and Wellness: A community garden promotes healthy living by encouraging residents to
grow and consume fresh, locally sourced produce. It can also serve as an educational platform
for sustainable and organic gardening practice
• Environmental Benefits: Establishing a community garden can contribute to environmental
sustainability by promoting green spaces, reducing food transportation emissions, and
encouraging responsible water use.
Best wishes for a happy and healthy new year.
Kind regards,
Jennifer Axelrad
Gregg Drive
distance to the Pinehurst Gardens. In addition, a longtime facility for rehabilitation is within
walking distance to the proposed Pinehurst Gardens. Many times patients at this facility sit
outside in wheelchairs with a caregiver. The garden would be a short walk away and a
destination that would lift their spirits and give them joy.
In addition, the Alta Vista Elementary School and the Union Middle School are within walking
distance to the Pinehurst Gardens and this would allow the students to have this project added
to the curriculum. I envision the young students interacting with the seniors to enhance both of
their lives especially for children who do not have grandparents living in the area.
Sincerely, Lydia Norcia
From: Nidhi Mohta
Sent: Sunday, December 17, 2023 8:34 AM
To: Council <Council@losgatosca.gov>
Subject: Pinehurst Community Garden and Lynn Ave Path - Support
[EXTERNAL SENDER]
Our names are Nidhi and Ashok Verma and we have lived on Pinehurst Ave for 7 years. We
support the garden and/or pathway with a few proposed changes. We have read feedback from
all the community members who are directly sharing a fence with the current plot and here are
some of my observations living and working and sending my kid to school in the area.
Noise and Traffic
Given the proximity to Union Middle School, the noise is typically on game nights, school events
etc and that doesn’t feel like the same demographic who would create additional noise and
traffic at a community garden. Same follows for the traffic. When we bought a home close to a
school, this was actually a pro for us - our kids can now walk to school. Of course, if you no
longer have school going kids, I can see how this may not appeal to you. And most folks who
seem to vehemently oppose this plan are probably in this camp.
We traded off traffic at drop off and pick up with proximity to our neighborhood school, one we
could walk to. Regardless of the community garden, this traffic at 8 am and 3 pm will continue to
be an issue. If anything, the pedestrian walkway may alleviate it a bit.
I’ve observed this to be a quiet neighborhood after 5 pm. I agree with my neighbors that they
deserve peace and quiet in their backyards and with a few changes the community garden 🪴
will not be disruptive to their lives.
Seating benches in the community garden
We would propose the removal of seating benches in the proposed plan to avoid the garden be
an extended gathering spot for teens, loud folks etc.
I hope this would alleviate some of my neighbors concerns.
Pedestrian walkway
We would love for the pedestrian walkway to have separate walk and bike lanes.
We strongly support this project and urge our neighbors to welcome the community building this
will foster, not to mention turning that big eye sore of a PG&E tower into a garden that keeps on
giving.
We strongly support this project with the proposed changes.
Thank you,
Nidhi and Ashok Verma
From: Family Zhang
Sent: Saturday, December 16, 2023 9:23 PM
To: Council <Council@losgatosca.gov>; Town PPW <ppw@losgatosca.gov>
Subject: Support Pinehurst Community Garden Project in Los Gatos
[EXTERNAL SENDER]
Dear Council Members:
I am writing to express my strong support for the proposed community garden project in
Los Gatos. As a resident of our beautiful town, I believe that implementing such a
project will not only enhance the quality of life for our community members but also
contribute to the overall well-being of Los Gatos. Specifically,
1. Closing the Gap:
1. Most Bay Area cities already boast one or more community gardens. Some exist
for years. By establishing a community garden here, we can bridge this gap and
offer our residents the same opportunities for sustainable living and community
engagement that neighboring cities provide.
2.
3. 2. Fostering Community Bonds:
4. Community gardens have proven to be more than just plots of cultivated land;
they serve as focal points for building strong community ties. In a town where
some residents lack access to suitable spaces for gardening due to various
constraints such as lot size, orientation, sun exposure, rental limitations, etc, a
community garden becomes a shared resource that fosters a sense of belonging
and connectivity. My two decades of gardening experience also prove that a well
connected growers community achieves much better results and more
happiness.
5.
6. 3. Utilizing Unused Land for Positive Transformation:
7. Converting town-owned unused land or neglected spaces into well-designed
landscapes, parks, and gardens can yield multiple benefits. Not only does this
positively impact property values, but it also contributes to making Los Gatos a
more attractive and desirable place to live.
8.
9. 4. Addressing Concerns:
10. I understand that concerns about parking have been raised by some neighboring
houses. However, based on my visits to several community gardens in the area,
it is evident that these concerns can be effectively mitigated. Creating designated
off-street parking spaces, coupled with thoughtful design, can ensure minimal
disruption to the surrounding neighborhood. Moreover, my observations indicate
that community gardens typically have a limited number of attendees at any
given time, minimizing traffic, parking, and noise concerns.
11.
12. 5. Ensuring Security and Privacy:
13. To address potential issues such as trespassing or unwanted gatherings, it is
crucial to incorporate a properly locked fence into the garden's design. This
measure will not only enhance the security of the space but also reassure
residents about the project's commitment to maintaining the integrity of the
surrounding community.
In conclusion, I believe that the establishment of a community garden in Los Gatos is a
progressive step towards a more sustainable, connected, and vibrant community. I urge
the City Council to consider the numerous benefits such a project can bring and to
support its implementation, while of course addressing some of the neighbor's legitimate
concerns.
Thank you for your continuous efforts to make Los Gatos a better place!
Sincerely,
Mark Zhang,
Kennedy North Resident
From: Rob Armstrong
Sent: Saturday, December 16, 2023 7:54 PM
To: Council <Council@losgatosca.gov>
Subject: Support for the LG Community Garden / Walkway project
[EXTERNAL SENDER]
Hello,
My name is Rob Armstrong, and I live at Anne Way. I support both the garden and pathway being
considered on December 19th. The pathway in particular, as many children walk across Union Avenue to
both Alta Vista Elementary and Union Middle School. They then proceed down Lynne Ave, which has no
sidewalk or bike lane between Union and Pinehurst, and which has high traffic at school drop off and
pick up time (I've seen many cars driving recklessly in a rush, on the phone trying to have a work
meeting while dropping their kids off, or even driving on the wrong side of the street to try to pass
slower cars).
It's extremely dangerous for the kids who cross Union at Thomas Dr to try to get to school and it feels
crazy to have an undeveloped and chained off area that could easily be a beautified pedestrian path that
naturally extends the feel of the existing Howes Play Lot pathway.
I wholeheartedly support the walkway project and also the community garden, and hope to see them
approved.
Thanks,
Rob
From:
Sent: Sunday, December 17, 2023 12:08 PM
To: Clerk <Clerk@losgatosca.gov>
Subject: Public Comment Item #1: Receive a Report and Provide Direction on the Pinehurst Community
Garden.
[EXTERNAL SENDER]
Honorable Council Member,
First, thank you for your service on the Council. I appreciate you taking the time to
listen to my opinion about the Pinehurst Community Garden and Passthrough Project.
My name is Brandie Samaripa and I live in the neighborhood around the project. My
kids go to Alta Vista and Union. I have lived in the neighborhood for almost 10 years.
I am in support of this project because Lynn Ave. is extremely unsafe to walk since
there aren’t any sidewalks. I drive this road every school day since I pick up my kids. I
don’t allow them to way since there isn’t any safe way for them to walk home. I have
seen numerous near misses with kids on bikes because they the have to squeeze
between parked cars and the moving traffic. If the easement was open to public use as
a cut through, it would make Lynn Ave. safer for all.
Thank you for listening to my opinion.
Sincerely,
Brandie Samarpa
Forest Hill Drive
From: Lisa Rutherford
Sent: Sunday, December 17, 2023 2:11 PM
To: Clerk <Clerk@losgatosca.gov>
Subject: 12/19 Study Session - Public Comment Item #1
[EXTERNAL SENDER]
Dear Town Council,
I was excited to see the beautiful renderings of the proposed community garden and Lynn
Ave pedestrian walkway. As our town’s population continues to grow, specialized micro-
parks and community spaces like these are an excellent use of publicly-owned land to
benefit the broader community.
While I understand some of the adjacent property owners are saying “not in my backyard,”
it would be absurd to allow them to dictate public land use.
I trust the Town Council will continue what appears to be a very sane process of research
and analysis.
Sincerely,
Lisa Rutherford
Los Gatos Resident
My name is _________ and I live at __________. I support the garden and/or pathway
because ________. Thank you for supporting this project.
From: Keri Bailey
Sent: Sunday, December 17, 2023 2:35 PM
To: Clerk <Clerk@losgatosca.gov>
Subject: Public Comment Item #1: Receive a Report and Provide Direction on the Pinehurst Community
Garden.
[EXTERNAL SENDER]
I can understand the concerns of some neighbors as this is a change from the current
situation but I believe the past years of coordination and efforts to come this far show
that it will continue to be a well run effort with active engagement to create a beautiful
and positive, productive community space.
From: Claire Kalia
Sent: Sunday, December 17, 2023 5:24 PM
To: Clerk <Clerk@losgatosca.gov>
Subject: Public comment re: Pinehurst garden
[EXTERNAL SENDER]
To: clerk@losgatosca.gov
Subject: Public Comment Item #1: Receive a Report and Provide Direction on the
Pinehurst Community Garden
Honorable Council Member,
First, thank you for your service on the Council. I appreciate you taking the time to
listen to my opinion about the Pinehurst Community Garden and Passthrough Project.
My name is Claire Kalia and I live on Blossom Valley Drive. My kids go to Union Middle
and Alta Vista elementary school. I have lived in the neighborhood for 10 years.
I am in support of this project because I want a safe walkway separated from cars for
my kids to walk to school; I think community is important and a garden would allow
people to come together in a quiet and peaceful way and build community unity; I am an
environmentalist and know the value of growing food close to home to reduce
transportation costs and greenhouse emissions; I am concerned about the environment
and know native plant species, like those the Town's talking about including, will help
pollinators thrive in our region; I am a dog owner in the neighborhood and would like to
see a pretty path with doggie water stations and poop bags for me to walk my dog.
Thank you for listening to my opinion.
Sincerely,
Claire Kalia
--
From: Rebecca Kimber
Sent: Sunday, December 17, 2023 5:55 PM
To: Clerk <Clerk@losgatosca.gov>
Cc: Heidi Owens
Subject: Public Comment Item #1: Receive a Report and Provide Direction on the Pinehurst Community
Garden
[EXTERNAL SENDER]
Honorable Council Member,
First, thank you for your service on the Council. I appreciate you taking the time to
listen to my opinion about the Pinehurst Community Garden and Passthrough Project.
My name is Rebecca Kimber and I live in the neighborhood around the project. My kids
go to Union Middle and Alta Vista school. I have lived in the neighborhood for 10 years.
I am in support of this project because:
• A garden and passthrough would be more beautiful than the weeds that fill the
space now.
• I want a safe walkway separated from cars for my kids to walk to school.
• I think community is important and a garden would allow people to come together
in a quiet and peaceful way and build community unity.
• I am worried about homeless encampments and community gardens are
empirically shown to reduce vagrancy.
• I’ve done the research and know that community gardens increase property
values. As a homeowner, I am interested in seeing my property value increase.
• I am an environmentalist and know the value of growing food close to home to
reduce transportation costs and greenhouse emissions.
• I am concerned about the environment and know native plant species, like those
the Town's talking about including, will help pollinators thrive in our region.
• I am a dog owner in the neighborhood and would like to see a pretty path with
doggie water stations and poop bags for me to walk my dog.
Thank you for listening to my opinion.
Best,
Rebecca
-----Original Message-----
From: Amanda's Gmail <
Sent: Sunday, December 17, 2023 6:13 PM
To: Clerk <Clerk@losgatosca.gov>
Subject: Support for pinehurst community garden
[EXTERNAL SENDER]
Hi City of Los Gatos,
I am a resident who is in support of the community garden, and wanted to ensure that
you have my vote. It is an incredible resource for our community, our children, our
seniors, and the overall environment. I am grateful for the efforts of the committee, and
look forward to, this wonderful place to be a further sense of community for our great
area. Please make this a reality for us all.
Thank you so much,
Amanda Marvel
Los Gatos, CA 95032
Sent from my iPhone, often by Siri.
From: Jessica Lucke
Sent: Sunday, December 17, 2023 7:08 PM
To: Clerk <Clerk@losgatosca.gov>
Subject: Public Comment Item #1: Receive a Report and Provide Direction on the Pinehurst Community
Garden
[EXTERNAL SENDER]
Honorable Council Member,
First, thank you for your service on the Council. I appreciate you taking the time to
listen to my opinion about the Pinehurst Community Garden and Passthrough Project.
My name is Jessica Lucke and I live in the neighborhood around the project, on the
corner of Anne Way and Union Avenue. My kids have gone to Alta Vista and are now
at Union Middle School. Our family has lived in the neighborhood for 11 years.
I am in support of this project because of how unnecessarily unsafe it is for kids, anyone
for that matter, to walk to school (or from one neighborhood to the next) from our side of
Union Ave. Lynn Avenue is the only route to the schools and it has no sidewalks to
manage pedestrian traffic. I've had conversations for 10 years regarding the easement
between Union and Pinehurst. Creating a walkway would not only bring immediate
safety but improve property value, beautify what now is just weeds and help build
community. Adding the community garden is a great opportunity to better the
environment and improve the community!
-----Original Message-----
From: Daniel B Snyder
Sent: Sunday, December 17, 2023 10:34 PM
To: Clerk <Clerk@losgatosca.gov>
Subject: Pinehurst Community Garden
Dear Town Council Members-
My name is Daniel Snyder, and I have been a member of the town’s Transportation and
Parking Commission, LGUSD School Board trustee, LGSUHSD Budget Advisory
Committee, Los Gatos Rotary Club (noon), along with several other service projects
around town. I believe in service and building the great community that is Los Gatos.
What makes this town great, in my opinion, is not the value or beauty of the houses, the
hillsides, or the downtown. It is the people and what brings us together, fills the
restaurants and town square with music, joy and laughter of children. It is the schools,
churches, and business owners who go out of their way to make things better and go
the extra mile. It is the JCC supporting those displaced by wars, and St. Lukes aiding
the homeless every week.
There is a project in our midst that has the potential to do this for an area that isn’t at the
center of the downtown. An area that has been left relatively abandoned because it is
towered over by PG&E wires. Rather than a vacant lot, we (you) have the opportunity
to create beauty, bring people together, and even provide an opportunity to teach our
youth about plants and gardening. The Pinehurst Community Garden could be all of this
and more.
What stands in the way? Well, it is like many challenges in the history of Los Gatos. A
few people fear change and don’t trust their community to step up and create a thing of
beauty. And God forbid that it become a vibrant park with children playing and
exploring nature, vs a silent wasteland!
Please support the Community Garden.
In fact, please support more community facilities across Los Gatos! I firmly believe that
Los Gatos would support bond measures to build superior facilities that serve our
community, whether it be a community center, parks, sports fields, parking, or whatever!
A good town-wide strategic vision (and survey) would be a great start.
Thank you,
Daniel Snyder
Los Gatos
From: melissa lynch
Sent: Monday, December 18, 2023 7:35 AM
To: Clerk <Clerk@losgatosca.gov>
Subject: Public Comment Item #1: Receive a Report and Provide Direction on the Pinehurst Community
Garden
[EXTERNAL SENDER]
Honorable Council Member,
First, thank you for your service on the Council. I appreciate you taking the time to
listen to my opinion about the Pinehurst Community Garden and Passthrough Project.
My name is Melissa Moses and I live in the neighborhood around the project. My kids
go to Leigh High school. I have lived in the neighborhood for 13 years.
I am in support of this project because
• A garden and passthrough would be more beautiful than the weeds that fill the
space now.
• I want a safe walkway separated from cars for my kids to walk to school.
• I think community is important and a garden would allow people to come together
in a quiet and peaceful way and build community unity.
• I am worried about homeless encampments and community gardens are
empirically shown to reduce vagrancy.
• I’ve done the research and know that community gardens increase property
values. As a homeowner, I am interested in seeing my property value increase
• I am concerned about the environment and know native plant species, like those
the Town's talking about including, will help pollinators thrive in our region.
• I am a dog owner in the neighborhood and would like to see a pretty path with
doggie water stations and poop bags for me to walk my dog.
Thank you for listening to my opinion, Melissa Moses
From: David Singer
Sent: Sunday, December 17, 2023 6:23 PM
To: Council <Council@losgatosca.gov>
Subject: Pinehurst Community Garden (CIP No. 831-4610) and Lynn Avenue Pedestrian Pathway (CIP No.
832-4510)
[EXTERNAL SENDER]
My name is David Singer. I live at Westchester Drive, Los Gatos. I am writing in support of the
proposed Pinehurst Community Garden and the Lynn Avenue Pedestrian Pathway.
I support the Lynn Avenue Pedestrian Pathway as an improvement to pedestrian safety; I walk the block
of Lynn between Union and Pinehurst nearly every day. Walking on the busy street makes me uneasy
under the best of conditions - when it’s rainy or dark, the traffic can be quite dangerous (drivers don’t
obey the speed limit and don’t always slow for the turn onto Lynn). Having a pedestrian pathway
separated from traffic would be a great improvement. I would prefer Concept A (separated pedestrian
and bicycle paths); Concept C (shared path) is the next best; I think Concept B (braided paths) would
introduce too much conflict between pedestrians and wheeled traffic.
I support the Pinehurst Community Garden because it would beautify the area (the existing vacant lot is
an eyesore) and provide an opportunity for a community space.
Thank you for considering my comments.
David Singer
From: Maithilee Samant
Sent: Sunday, December 17, 2023 4:31 PM
To: Council <Council@losgatosca.gov>
Subject: Regarding community garden
[EXTERNAL SENDER]
Hi,
My name is Maithilee Samant and I live at Longwood dr, Los Gatos. I support the
garden and/or pathway because it will bring the community together on the topic of
healthy living. Thank you for supporting this project.
Maithilee.
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Jim Erickson
Date: Mon, Dec 18, 2023 at 10:52 AM
Subject: Erickson family Disapproval of Lynn Ave Parkway & Pinehurst Garden
To: <jjud@losgatos.gov>
Cc: <mchislett@losgatos.gov>, <nburnham@losgatos.gov>
Dear Ms Janet Judd and Members of the Los Gatos Town Council,
My wife Elizabeth and I live at Pinehurst Ave, Los Gatos 95032.
I am writing to express our disapproval of the proposed Lynn Avenue parkway and Pinehurst Community
garden projects. The streets of Lynn Ave and Pinehurst Ave are already extremely congested with traffic
and crowded for parking. Much of this is related to Union Middle School and the activities at the campus
sports fields. But it's also compounded by the delivery vehicles that access the Safeway on Pinehurst Ave
and all of the traffic that flows through these streets going to and from highway 85 to the Blossom
Valley neighborhood. It can be difficult for us just to back out of our driveway on Lynn Ave when the
traffic is busy. And our family and friends often have trouble parking on the street when they come to
visit. As I said, it is already very busy in this area and we are asking you to not make a bad situation even
worse.
Thank you for your understanding and consideration of the people who are living in this area.
Sincerely,
James and Elizabeth Erickson