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01 Attachment 5 - Public Comments-----Original Message----- From: Sent: Monday, December 18, 2023 11:28 AM To: Council <Council@losgatosca.gov> Subject: Community Garden [EXTERNAL SENDER] My name is Dick Konrad and I live at Fairview Plaza Since being a member of the Parks Commission in the early 2000’s, I have advocated for a Community Garden. It supports healthy outdoor living and plant based nutrition. It is also part of the Senior Roadmap approved by the Council. I participated in the community garden at Calvary Church where some of the produce was donated to the House of Hope. Even on weekends there were seldom more than 4 or 5 gardeners there at one time at this large garden. An Eagle Scout built raised beds for the disabled. There was cooperation and great community spirit. Living on Fairview Plaza, there is a walkway to reach downtown across from my house. There is also a small area with benches where people sometimes gather. There have never been problem and it is a joy to share. The Community Garden is a rare opportunity to share the blessing of our community with all residents cooperation and Sent from my iPhone From: Kathleen Conley Sent: Monday, December 18, 2023 2:47 PM To: Clerk <Clerk@losgatosca.gov> Subject: Public Item #1: Receive a Report and Provide Direction on the Pinehurst Community Garden [EXTERNAL SENDER] Dear Council Members, Thank you for your service to our community. My name is Kathleen K. Conley and I am writing in support of the Pinehurst community garden and passway. Both the gardens and safe walking routes improve quality of life and are linked to reduction in crime in residential urban areas. ATTACHMENT 5 Extensive studies on Crime Prevention through Environmental Design over the past four decades have demonstrated that these projects increase community presence which is a first tier deterrent to crime. I urge you to support this project. Thank you, Kathleen Conley Reside Los Gatos Work San Jose -----Original Message----- From: Eva Buerkle Sent: Monday, December 18, 2023 3:21 PM To: Council <Council@losgatosca.gov> Subject: Pathway/community garden project [EXTERNAL SENDER] My name is Eva and I live at Blossom Villa Way. I support the pathway because I often walk with my two little kids on Lynn Ave. It always makes me nervous not having a sidewalk with cars driving by so closely. I also see lots of kids biking and walking both ways to and from school. At the same time cars rush past them for school pickup and drop off. It just feels like an accident waiting to happen. In addition to being a major improvement in terms of safety a pathway would be so much more beautiful than the current dusty lots and be invaluable in improving quality of live for everyone. Thank you so much for supporting this project. Sent from my iPhone From: Kevin Arroyo Sent: Monday, December 18, 2023 5:47 PM To: Council <Council@losgatosca.gov> Cc: Clerk <Clerk@losgatosca.gov> Subject: Public Comment Item #1: Receive a Report and Provide Direction on the Pinehurst Community Garden. [EXTERNAL SENDER] Dear Town Council, I apologize I am unable to attend tomorrow’s Special Study Session, but I wanted to express my support for both the Community Garden and Pathway Projects. Three years ago, I partnered with Heidi and Christine to petition for these projects after passing by the trash strewn lots on a daily basis. I envisioned the potential to increase community safety, beauty, and togetherness in an arguably more automated and impersonal society. Together we knocked on all neighbor doors within a 4-block radius to learn about their biggest concerns. Neighbor safety, traffic, and homelessness were all taken into consideration with our initial proposal and later into the Consultant’s concept drawings. For neighbors still opposed, I requested alternate suggestions to improve the site for the community's overall benefit. But I received nothing. I’m saddened to learn about the continued opposition to these projects which begs a larger question. If these proposals do not proceed, then what’s the future at these sites? Is it appropriate for Town owned land to forever remain a trash strewn eyesore due to neighbor opposition against any development? These proposals have immense potential to improve the quality of life to a majority of the population. It would also bring additional investment to an area historically underfunded within the Town. Public Works has done a tremendous amount of outreach with the residents and I applaud them for their hard work. I now urge your continued support for these projects to continue proceeding forward. Thank you, Kevin Arroyo From: Lisa Marshik Sent: Monday, December 18, 2023 5:09 PM To: Town PPW <ppw@losgatosca.gov> Subject: Pinehurst Community garden [EXTERNAL SENDER] Dear Mayor and Council Members, As a former member of the Senior and Community Services Committee, I love the idea of a Community Garden, but feel this location is not a good choice and will not be utilized. It is on the edge of Los Gatos in a residential area where there are only homes or duplexes; all of which have yards. Therefore, no one within walking distance would be utilizing it. Anyone interested in it, would be coming from town & driving a car. Parking is a big issue. It is a short block with a stop sign on either end. Union School is on one corner, it is the direct drive route for drop off to Alta Vista & also Leigh High School. In consideration of our seniors, as early risers, they will not want to come in the morning because of school traffic and after the morning school traffic, it can get too hot to garden. I believe a community garden should be where the people who would be using it are living. This is typically in an urban environment. In Los Gatos, that would be in our areas that have apartments. It appears that no other locations were even considered. I don't understand how something could get this far alone without any thought to any of this. Before we spend the money on building a beautiful space, I think more research should be done on a location that is more fitting to the needs of the community that would be utilizing it. Regards, Lisa Marshik From: christine sterpetti Sent: Monday, December 18, 2023 7:51 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, Thank you for taking the time to listen to my opinion regarding the Pinehurst Community Garden and Passthrough Project. My name is Christine Sterpetti. I am an East Los Gatos home owner and mother to a child that attended Alta Vista Elementary School and now attends Union Middle School. The reason that we decided to buy in Los Gatos was because of the tight and warm community atmosphere and the great schools. My family and I strongly support a community garden on Pinehurst. Gardens have been shown to bring a community closer, discourage vagrancy and increase property values. They are quiet and use limited parking space. It’s also a way to beautify a piece of land that is otherwise filled with weeds. As for the passthrough, this is essential for the safety of our children going and coming from school. The mornings are especially horrendous with both elementary and middle schoolers trying to get to school either by walking or on their bikes. There are no sidewalks on Lynn Ave. Therefore, the kids are constantly having to dodge cars. Cars also have a hard time watching the road while at the same time trying to watch out for kids. This time of the year is particularly dangerous as the sun hits directly in the eyes of the drivers as they head to Union Ave on Lynn Ave during the morning rush. A passthrough would give the kids a safer way to get to and from school. At the end of passthrough the elementary kids would go left and the middle schoolers would go right. This would alleviate a build up of kids at the corner of Pinehurst and Lynn. The Passthrough not only provide safe passage to and from school, but is another opportunity to beautify a piece of land that is overrun with ugly weeds. Again, thank you for your time and attention to this very important community matter. Regards, Christine and Corrado Sterpetti From: Alex Shoor Sent: Monday, December 18, 2023 8:56 PM To: Clerk <Clerk@losgatosca.gov> Subject: Public Comment Item #1: Receive a Report and Provide Direction on the Pinehurst Community Garden [EXTERNAL SENDER] LG Town Councilors, I appreciate you taking the time to listen to my opinion about the Pinehurst Community Garden and Passthrough Project. My name is Alex Shoor and I am in support of this project because of the tremendous value community gardens can bring to a neighborhood. While I worked for Santa Clara County, I researched the benefits of community gardens, including their ability to raise property values. Just as importantly, they contribute to building community! Thank you for listening to my opinion and the opinions of so many others who agree on this matter. Sincerely, Alex Shoor -- Alex Shoor -----Original Message----- From: Ann Ravel Sent: Monday, December 18, 2023 10:37 PM To: Clerk <Clerk@losgatosca.gov> Subject: Fwd: Public Comment Item #1: Receive a Report and Provide Direction on the Pinehurst Community Garden [EXTERNAL SENDER] > > Honorable Councilmembers, > > I appreciate your service on the Los Gatos Town Council. I am writing concerning my views about the Pinehurst Community Gardn and Passthrough Project. > > I have lived in the unique and beautiful town of Los Gatos since 1988. I am supporting this project because a garden and passthrough would provide more beauty to the town. Additionally, having a safe walkway for children to walk to school is very important. My daughter has observed children to walking to school were in great danger of being run over by cars. > Additionally, a garden will be a wonderful location for residents to be able to grow vegetables, and to bring people in the community together. Los Gatos is definitely a dog loving town (I have 2 dogs who are walked through town every day). A nice path with water stations would be a great place to walk all the dogs in Los Gatos. > Thank you for your consideration of my view on the Pinehurst Community Garden project. > > Ann Ravel From: Maria Ristow <MRistow@losgatosca.gov> Sent: Tuesday, December 19, 2023 9:23 AM To: Laurel Prevetti <LPrevetti@losgatosca.gov>; Nicolle Burnham <NBurnham@losgatosca.gov> Subject: Lynne Avenue greenway ideas Good morning, After the last community meeting on the Pinehurst Garden and Lynne Avenue greenway, I kept thinking about other locations that are similar to what is being proposed. For the greenway, I always think about the relatively new sections of the Three Creeks Trail in Willow Glen. Many segments are only a block or two long and are great off-street connectors. I’d be curious, at some point, to hear from San Jose how much local resistance was encountered and how the pathway is viewed now. As a reminder, the Lynne Avenue greenway is part of a much longer planned pathway into San Jose. https://images.app.goo.gl/8bxYti9v62bYmHVbA What I like about the Three Creeks trail includes paved two-way path with outer sections of dirt for runners who prefer that. The signage is clear, there are a few simple sitting areas, and the plantings are coming along. The crosswalks are also great, as the pathway crosses streets often. https://images.app.goo.gl/QuVqh6G6vggyRkzR8 https://images.app.goo.gl/zhFSzgytexXSVGgx9 Just some ideas. These two areas are quite analogous. Thanks, Maria Maria Ristow Los Gatos Town Council To help avoid violations of the Brown Act, please reconsider before forwarding this email. From: Kay Akervik Sent: Tuesday, December 19, 2023 9:09 AM To: Clerk <Clerk@losgatosca.gov> Cc: Nicolle Burnham <NBurnham@losgatosca.gov>; Marina Chislett <MChislett@losgatosca.gov>; Kay Akervik Subject: Special Meeting of the Town Council: Study Session Power Point Public Comment Item #1 [EXTERNAL SENDER] Good Morning Jenna, Please find attached my 3 minute Power Point presentation to accompany my public comment for today's Study Session at 5:45 p.m. Also included is a PDF version to accompany the packet materials. Please let me know if you need any additional information. Thank you so much! Kind regards, Kay Van Kirk PINEHURST Shades of Green: Neighborhood Perspectives On Converting Natural Open Spaces Into Urban Landscapes & Gardens DIFFERENT VIEWS ABOUT THE PINEHURST OPEN SPACE Against Natural Open Spaces (Comments from supporters) “This is not a good look.” “Just a bunch of weeds.” “It’s a prime piece of real estate.” 2 For Natural Open Spaces (Comments from residents that live in the area) “It is an informal & natural recreation area.” + Dog walkers + Mountain Biking (beginners) + Young nature explores (families) + Natural foragers + Overseen by local neighbors “Great natural aesthetics, especially in the Spring.” + A place to explore natural ecosystems + Necessary for local flora and fauna “Urban open spaces maintain balance in city life.” + Provides a safe haven for people and wildlife + Essential for mental well-being and relaxation A FALSE SENSE OF LOCAL SUPPORT FOR THIS PROJECT DISTANT SUPPORT PETITION RESULTS HIDDEN? DISREGARD OF LOCAL THOUGHTS The majority of people that support this live outside of the affected neighborhood. (NextDoor.com) Informal petition: They stated how many were in support, but they never released how many were not in support. Communities have their own reasons for valuing open spaces. External supporters might overlook these intricacies and impose their own ideals, unknowingly eliminating privacy and recreational areas.Map of where active supporters of this pathway and garden complex live according to Nextdoor.com. SAFETY, ACCESSIBILITY, & MAINTENANCE CONCERNS PATHWAY &GARDEN COMPLEX SAFETY + Privacy Intrusion + Security Risks + Noise Disturbance + Traffic and Parking –on top of a nearby major soccer facility ACCESSIBILITY + Exclusionary Nature: A Pay to play garden space creates social disparity. + Eliminates a natural open space area close to community homes. Forcing people to get in their cars and travel elsewhere. MAINTENANCE + When the garden losses interest, who will be forced to clean up the mess? + Droughts in California come and go, what happens when the next one hits? WHAT A LOT OF COMMUNITY GARDENS END UP LOOKING LIKE.4 THE TOO OFTEN COMMON RESULTS OF COMMUNITY GARDENS THANK YOU WE LOVE GARDENING, BIKE PATHS, AND OPEN SPACES; WE JUST NEED TO BE SELECTIVE ON HOW AND WHERE THEY ARE PLACED. ONE ALTERNATIVE SOLUTION: DITCH THE PATH, BENCHES, AND PAY TO PLAY GARDEN ASPECTS. PLANT WILD NATURAL SEEDS TO BEAUTIFY THE AREA AND ALLOW RESIDENTS TO MAINTAIN THEIR SAFETY AND PRIVACY. 6 APPENDIX WE ALREADY HAVE PARKING ISSUES NEAR THE OPEN LOT THE DARKER SIDE OF COMMUNITY GARDENS THE DARKER SIDE OF COMMUNITY GARDENS PINEHURST Thank You From: Steve Hammack Sent: Monday, December 18, 2023 12:32 PM To: Clerk <Clerk@losgatosca.gov> Subject: Public Comment Item #1: Receive a Report and Provide Direction on the Pinehurst Community Garden [EXTERNAL SENDER] Dear Clerk, Please pass this along to the Town Council members for tomorrow’s meeting. I am sending this via email because I am unable to attend the meeting. Thanks, Steve Hammack From: Jim Erickson Sent: Monday, December 18, 2023 11:03 AM To: Town Manager <Manager@losgatosca.gov>; Janette Judd <jjudd@losgatosca.gov> Cc: Nicolle Burnham <NBurnham@losgatosca.gov>; Marina Chislett <MChislett@losgatosca.gov> Subject: Fwd: Erickson family Disapproval of Lynn Ave Parkway & Pinehurst Garden [EXTERNAL SENDER] Sorry, I sent the original to the wrong email addresses. regards, Jim ---------- 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 From: Kay Akervik Sent: Tuesday, December 19, 2023 10:57 AM To: Clerk <Clerk@losgatosca.gov>; Nicolle Burnham <NBurnham@losgatosca.gov>; Marina Chislett <MChislett@losgatosca.gov> Subject: Special Meeting of the Town Council: Study Session Pinehurst Item #1 [EXTERNAL SENDER] Dear Town Council, I want to express my gratitude for the opportunity to participate in discussions regarding the proposed Community Garden and Pedestrian Passthrough Project at Lynn and Pinehurst in Los Gatos. I truly appreciate the dedication shown by Kevin and his team in their efforts to enhance our community. I've attached the presentation I'll be sharing today for your review. Should you wish to delve deeper into the details, please feel free to reach out. I also feel compelled to raise a concern regarding the recent direction of the group supporting the full-scale development of this community initiative. Unfortunately, it seems to have taken an exclusionary turn, marked by the use of derogatory terms to diminish those who are simply expressing their honest opinions. Specifically, the group led by Kevin and various team leaders has resorted to labeling concerns raised by local residents as "NIMBY-ism" (Not In My BackYard), which is clearly a derogatory term. This occurred in the public Next Door group and Facebook group. The objections raised by residents regarding privacy, noise, and parking arise from genuine apprehensions about the direct impact on their living environment. It's crucial to acknowledge and address these concerns rather than dismiss them outright or resort to name-calling. Supporting community initiatives should strive to balance broader benefits with preserving the quality of life for our neighbors. I applaud your commitment to community progress and sincerely hope that we can address these specific concerns constructively, fostering a dialogue that respects all viewpoints. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Sincerely, Kay Van Kirk 1. Good Evening, I'm Kay Van Kirk, a resident of Lynn Ave's duplexes, residing right beyond the cherry tree in the middle—a spot earmarked for the Pinehurst Community Garden. As a devoted gardener and mother of two young children, nurturing my own garden with ten thriving blueberry bushes, my heart beats for green spaces. I'm also deeply involved as a parent volunteer at Alta Vista Elementary School Garden. 2. In these discussions, contrasting perspectives surface regarding our natural havens. To some, this proposed site might appear as mere overgrowth, dismissing its inherent value. Yet, to my neighbors and I, it's a sanctuary where children pedal their bikes, where neighbors stroll with their pets, and where budding naturalists explore. Many folks look at these open spaces as a rare opportunity to live in an area away from dense crowded homes and be closer to nature. It's under our watchful eyes and care that have preserved this space, ensuring safety and serenity for our families and homes. 3. There seems to be a fog around the origins of support for this garden and pathway. Social media buzz predominantly showcases backing from outside our community. Curiously, data on local opinions remains undisclosed. Shouldn't decisions impacting our neighborhood prioritize the voices within? Outsider endorsements, while well-intentioned, might overlook the nuanced impact on our immediate surroundings. 4. Transforming this natural space into a bustling hub and trail might erode safety and privacy. It risks inviting unforeseen elements and poses a challenge in regulation for neighbors. With the proposed garden as a pay-to-play model, accessibility becomes exclusive, effectively privatizing what should be a communal asset, alienating some residents from this shared opportunity. 5. But what happens when folks are too busy, lose interest, 200 kids have soccer practice, or its 107 degrees out. Despite dedicated efforts, commitments to maintaining a community garden falter. As a parent garden volunteer at Alta Vista, despite our efforts of recruitment, many parents are just too busy to commit even an hour. While urban areas thrive with community gardens, our neighborhood boasts ample yard spaces for creating a garden of their own. 6. Our stance isn't against community gardens or bike paths—my family cherishes outdoor activities, we bike and skateboard every weekend. Could enhancements to our current infrastructure, like a dedicated bike lane on Lynn Ave with speed control measures such as speed bumps be an option? With the community garden, could we explore a more suitable location, resonating with genuine local support? Instead of developing a natural open space consider beautifying the area with native wild flowers to maintain its natural untouched beauty while simultaneously ensuring safety and privacy for all residents. Dear Town Council, My name is Steve Hammack. I am a long time resident of Los Gatos- my family moved here in 1964 when I was 8 and I have lived here most of my life. Several years ago I retired after teaching for 35 years in the science department at Los Gatos High school. What I have loved about living here all these years is the small town, community atmosphere. And one of the things I noticed when I was a member of the science department was how wonderful the school’s garden was- it was used by both the students in our agroecology class and also by members of the community. It was great for our kids- they thrived in the agroecology course and it was great for the community. However, what always made me sad was the fact that the community members could only use the garden during summer vacation. When I heard about Kevin Arroyo’s efforts to start a year-round community garden for the town of Los Gatos I was so pleased to see that this missing element was being pursued- a garden that community members could use all year long. Over the past few years I have been impressed to see all the work that has gone into carefully planning the garden and I am saddened to see community members opposing this project. I did a little research and discovered that we are one of the only communities in Santa Clara county that doesn’t have a year-round community garden. It turns out there is a year-round community garden in Saratoga, Cupertino, Sunnyvale, Campbell, Santa Clara, Mt. View, Palo Alto, Morgan Hill, Gilroy, San Jose has 18. If most of our neighboring communities can provide a year round community garden for their residents it seems reasonable that we should be able to do so too. I want to encourage you to support the establishment of this wonderful addition to our community. Thank you, Steve Hammack From: Ctgleason Sent: Tuesday, December 19, 2023 10:53 AM To: Council <Council@losgatosca.gov> Cc: Kevin Arroyo Subject: Support for community garden and pedestrian path [EXTERNAL SENDER] Hello, town council, I’m a resident and vice-chair of the LG Parks and Sustainability Commission. I’d like to comment in support the community garden and Lynn Avenue pedestrian path projects, which we reviewed at our recent Commission meetings. I feel that these are important and attractive additions to the parks and outdoor features in the town. The garden will offer opportunities for people living in apartments or otherwise without access to yard space to work with the land and gain benefits in healthy living and eating. The pathway will create a new, attractive open space with more native vegetation which will attract native insects and birds. While these projects will no doubt have some negative impacts to neighbors, I can’t think of any area in town or nearby that hasn’t had a net improvement due to the addition of well-kept parks and open space. I believe it’s always a net positive to offer people more access to nature close to home. With respect to the pathway area and the areas of the garden outside of the plots themselves, I strongly support appropriate native plantings which will provide better habitat. Along with this I would prefer the pathway area to have as natural a feel as possible, for example using shapes that mimic nature rather than angular features. Regarding neighbors’ concerns, I strongly support an option that includes a small parking area integrated into the garden site. In most cases, gardeners will be able to park there, avoiding any issue with increased on-street parking. It will also be convenient for gardeners who are bringing plants, amendments, tools, etc. to their plots. Another suggestion is to engage with neighbors as a stakeholder group to identify any features that would improve the pathway area for locals. I suspect in the long run many local people will be primary users of the space, and they could participate in shaping it in whatever way they prefer – for example if a shade structure and/or picnic tables would make it a better neighborhood gathering place. Thank you very much for your consideration, Craig Gleason