Item 2 - Desk Item with Attachment 10.14915 Shannon Road
PREPARED BY: SEAN MULLIN, AICP
Senior Planner
Reviewed by: Planning Manager and Community Development Director
110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● (408) 354-6872
www.losgatosca.gov
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
PLANNING COMMISSION
REPORT
MEETING DATE: 10/11/2023
ITEM NO: 2
DESK ITEM
DATE: October 11, 2023
TO: General Plan Committee
FROM: Joel Paulson, Community Development Director
SUBJECT: Requesting Approval for a Zone Change from RC (Resource Conservation) to
HR-2½ (Hillside Residential), a General Plan Amendment to Change the Land
Use Designation from Agricultural to Hillside Residential, and Subdivision of
One Lot into Nine Lots on Property Zoned RC. APN: 537-27-047. CEQA
Review is Pending. Zone Change Application Z-22-001, General Plan
Amendment Application GP-22-001, and Subdivision Application M-22-003.
Project Location: 14915 Shannon Road. Property Owner: Ray M. Elam, III,
Trustee of Elam Family Trust. Applicant: Terence J. Szewczyk. Project
Planner: Sean Mullin.
REMARKS:
Attachment 10 includes comments received between 11:01 a.m., Tuesday, October 10, 2023,
and 11:00 a.m., Wednesday, October 11, 2023.
ATTACHMENTS:
Previously received with the October 11, 2023, Staff Report :
1. Location Maps (Showing Existing and Proposed General Plan Designations)
2. Conceptual Development Advisory Committee Staff Report with Attachments 1 th rough 6,
January 8, 2020
3. Conceptual Development Advisory Committee Desk Item with Attachment 7, January 8,
2020
4. Conceptual Development Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes, January 8, 2020
5. Letter from Applicant
6. Applicable General Plan Goals and Policies
7. Development Plans
PAGE 2 of 2
SUBJECT: 14915 Shannon Road/Z-22-001, GP-22-001, and M-22-003
DATE: October 10, 2023
ATTACHMENTS (continued):
Previously received with the Addendum Report:
8. Applicant’s response to Staff Report
9. Public comments received between 11:00 a.m., Friday, October 6, 2023, and 11:00 a.m.,
Tuesday, October 10, 2023
Received with this Desk Item Report:
10. Public comments received between 11:01 a.m., Tuesday, October 10, 2023, and 11:00 a.m.,
Wednesday, October 11, 2023
From: Ker Zhang <>
Sent: Wednesday, October 11, 2023 9:01 AM
To: Planning <Planning@losgatosca.gov>; Sean Mullin <SMullin@losgatosca.gov>
Subject: Objecting rezoning of 14915 Shannon Road, Los Gatos
[EXTERNAL SENDER]
To whom it may concern,
I am writing to you declaring our objecting to the rezoning of the land at 14915 Shannon Road.
We concern that this will create much more traffic and further increase the burden on Shannon Road
which lead to our home. This also increases fire danger and makes obtaining insurance for our property
much more difficult.
Thank you for your consideration.
Best regards,
Song Ding
ATTACHMENT 10
From: Abby Zhang <>
Sent: Wednesday, October 11, 2023 10:49 AM
To: Sean Mullin <SMullin@losgatosca.gov>; Planning <Planning@losgatosca.gov>
Subject: Re: 14915 Shannon Road
[EXTERNAL SENDER]
Hi Sean,
In advance of tonight’s public hearing, I would like to express our objection to the proposed re-
zoning and subdivision of 14915 Shannon Road.
Our concerns are:
(1) Fire is a danger in the area, with emergency evacuation being a challenge we all anticipate.
Creating nine lots in the property will add fire risk and increase the danger in an evacuation. The narrow
road has risks that are concerning even without additional development.
The report titled "Accept Wildland Urban Interface Evacuation Assessment Report" dated Oct 9, 2019
which was generated by the Town of Los Gatos identified the following issue:
For the hillside area around Shannon Road, the special concerns are “High concentration of one-way in
and one-way out ingress/egress options. Some of the same routes that allow access to the area for
responders are the same routes that could be needed for evacuation.”
The report identified that at the time there were “155 total residences, 33 within a 1⁄4 mile of the
boundary” in the Shannon Road, Santa Rosa Drive, Sierra Azul Drive, Sky Lane, and Hicks Road area. It is
likely that all these residents may need to evacuate through Shannon Road passing 14915 Shannon Road
potentially causing congestion. Adding any additional density at this address would endanger the lives of
the people who live in the surrounding area.
(2) Many residences in the area are already facing difficulty in obtaining fire insurance. Adding density
at 14915 Shannon Road would exacerbate the problem for everyone.
(3) Shannon Road is a narrow road that already experiences heavy vehicle and bicycle traffic. It was
clearly not designed for the amount -- and excessive speed -- of traffic it gets. This development will add
at least one driveway entering Shannon Road, and will have multiple houses sharing a driveway, all on a
narrow downhill stretch of road where speeding is common. Near-collisions are common on Shannon
Road as cars mix with bicycles on the multiple blind corners. Adding more traffic and more people
entering and exiting the road is an invitation to disaster.
(4) The portion of Shannon Road in front of 14915 Shannon Road is narrow and next to a steep slope.
Adding more traffic, including the heavy trucks and equipment needed for development as well as
ongoing daily traffic, would furrther burden the road and cause damage to it.
(5) In addition, adding density at this address would negatively impact the environment and
sustainability, and the wildlife in the area, and violates the aesthetics standard, set out by the general
plan of the Town of Los Gatos.
We would urge the Town of Los Gatos to reject the request for re-zoning and subdivision. Adding any
more density in this area would be reckless and put the lives of the people living in the area in danger.
Sincerely,
Jon Toor and Abby Zhang
From: Jon Garliepp <>
Sent: Wednesday, October 11, 2023 10:58 AM
To: Sean Mullin <SMullin@losgatosca.gov>; Planning <Planning@losgatosca.gov>
Subject: 14915 Shannon Road - Issues to be Addressed due to Proposed Zoning Change / Project
[EXTERNAL SENDER]
Dear Sean Mullin,
• This project does not conform to the Los Gatos 2040 General Plan.
• The project does not address wildfire issues.
• There isn’t an environmental report.
• The project does not address the feasibility of two (maybe three?) new ridgeline houses.
• The project does not address impacts to the roadway of Sky Lane or the neighbors that
live on it.
• The proposed project zoning is inconsistent with the zoning on six properties that
directly touch it (along the north section) and with the property to the west that
touches it also.
• See concerns listed in attached .pdf file. Note that these concerns and questions are
related to the documents listed online at the Town of Los Gatos website for the
10/11/2023 meeting. These need to be addressed by the Town of Los Gatos and/or the
applicant.
• Santa Clara County designates Shannon Road as a “Scenic Road” from Kennedy to Hicks.
This section of Shannon was in the county previously, and was designated a scenic road
with certain requirements with respect to building views, etc. How is the Town of Los
Gatos going to make sure that these same county standards are applied here as the
road is the same – a scenic roadway?
• See list of concerns noted on website: https://keepshannonroadscenic.com/. Note that
this website was developed to promote communication and bring forth concerns
related to this property.
Sincerely,
Jon & Melody Garliepp
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