Loading...
Exhibit 8 - April 5, 2022 Town Council Addendum Report (with Attachments)PREPARED BY: Sean Mullin, AICP Senior Planner Reviewed by: Town Manager, Assistant Town Manager, Town Attorney, Finance Director, and Director of Parks and Public Works 110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● (408) 354-6832 www.losgatosca.gov TOWN OF LOS GATOS COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT MEETING DATE: 4/5/2022 ITEM NO: 16 ADDENDUM DATE: April 4, 2022 TO: Town Council FROM: Joel Paulson, Community Development Director SUBJECT: Requesting Approval of a Planned Development for Construction of a Senior Living Community, Removal of Large Protected Trees, and Site Improvements Requiring a Grading Permit on Property Zoned R:PD. Located at 110 Wood Road. APN 510-47-038. Planned Development Application PD-20-001 and Environmental Impact Report EIR-21-002. APPLICANT: Rockwood Pacific. PROPERTY OWNER: Covia Communities. REMARKS: In their March 17, 2022 letter, the applicant requested that their application be remanded back to the Planning Commission to further address the Commission’s feedback (Attachment 9). Since the Planning Commission had already acted on the current project, its recommendation was forwarded to the Council for consideration. The applicant submitted an updated request that the Council hearing be continued to a date uncertain to allow the m time to continue to evaluate the Planning Commission’s feedback and to update the project plans accordingly (Attachment 12). Given the applicant’s previous request and their indication that updates to the application are forthcoming, a continuance to a date uncertain is not appropriate and staff recommends that the Council remand the application back to the Planning Commission for review of a revised application. Attachment 13 includes public comments received between 11:01 a.m., Thursday, March 31, 2022, and 11:00 a.m., Monday, April 4, 2022. EXHIBIT 8 PAGE 2 OF 2 SUBJECT: 110 Wood Road/ PD-20-001 AND EIR-21-002 DATE: April 4, 2022 ATTACHMENTS: Previously received under separate cover: 1. May 2021 Draft Environmental Impact Report (available online at www.losgatosca.gov/110WoodRoad) 2. August 2021 Final Environmental Impact Report and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (available online at www.losgatosca.gov/110WoodRoad) Previously received with the April 5, 2022, Staff Report: 3. Required Findings 4. Draft Resolution to certify the Final EIR, make the required CEQA Findings of Fact (included as Exhibit A), and adopt the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (included as Exhibit B) 5. January 12, 2022 Planning Commission Staff Report (with Exhibits 3-14) 6. January 12, 2022 Planning Commission Addendum Report (with Exhibits 16-17) 7. January 12, 2022 Planning Commission Desk Item Report (with Exhibit 18-19) 8. January 12, 2022 Planning Commission Verbatim Minutes 9. Letter from the Applicant, dated March 17, 2022 10. Planned Development Ordinance with Exhibit A Rezone Area and Exhibit B Development Plans, July 27, 2021 11. Public Comments received between 11:01 a.m., January 12, 2022, and 11:00 a.m., March 31, 2022 Received with this Addendum Report: 12. Letter from the applicant requesting a continuance, dated April 1, 2022 13. Public Comments received between 11:01 a.m., Thursday, March 31, 2022, and 11:00 a.m., Monday, April 4, 2022 36 Southwood Drive | Orinda, California | 94563 www.RockwoodPacific.com April 1, 2022 Sean Mullin Senior Planner Town of Los Gatos 110 E. Main St. Los Gatos, Ca. 95030 RE: Rebuild of Los Gatos Meadows / PD-20-001 Request for Continuance Dear Sean: As discussed, on behalf of the owner of Los Gatos Meadows, we hereby request a continuance of the Town Council hearing for our proposed rebuild project. In part due to feedback received by the Planning Commission and others, we intend to update our application. Incidentally, as of today, Covia Communities has merged into Front Porch Communities and Services so going forward all references to the property owner shall be to Front Porch Communities and Services. We look forward to continuing to collaborate with you and the Town Council to provide the residents of Los Gatos with a markedly improved, beautiful and safer Los Gatos Meadows. Respectfully, ___________________________________ Francesco J. Rockwood Rockwood Pacific Inc. (Applicant) On behalf of Front Porch Communities and Services (Owner) c: Chris Ichien, VP of Life Plan Operations, Front Porch Communities and Services Diana Jamison, Chief Capital Strategy Office, Front Porch Communities and Services. ATTACHMENT 12 This Page Intentionally Left Blank From: Julie Southern Sent: Monday, April 04, 2022 10:41 AM To: PublicComment <PublicComment@losgatosca.gov> Subject: Public Comment Item #_16 - the Meadows at 110 Wood Road EXTERNAL SENDER Hello Town I am a long time resident and neighbor of the Meadows at 110 Wood Road. I have been on record several times thru their application process and want to be sure you have this again. 1)I am for the rebuilding of the Meadows. It provides a needed service and they have been good neighbors over the years. 2)The current orange poles highlighted the height proposed, and was alarming. But as I understand, with a reduction of a floor ( or two), it would be more like the current structure bulk and acceptable. 3)Farwell Lane should be left open, even if just for the Service Vehicles supporting the Meadows, like it did before the Meadows closed. Closing an access road to a hillside already burned in the 1997 fire (which my house was one) is shorsighted. I appreciate the many neighbor meetings the Meadows has held over the years to keep us informed. Thank you Julie Southern Wood Road, Los Gatos ATTACHMENT 13 April 1, 2022 Elaine M. Seid 15559 Union Ave., # 3016 Los Gatos, CA 95032 3495 Lakeside Drive #1271 Reno, Nevada 89509 T: (408) 412-3568 Elaine@EMSeidEstateLaw.com www.EMSeidEstateLaw.com Via email Mayor Rob Rennie Vice Mayor Maria Ristow Member Marico Sayoc Member Mary Badame Member Matthew Hudes Re: Los Gatos Meadows Dear Honorable Members of the Council: I support the Los Gatos Meadows Project under consideration at your April 5 meeting. My husband and I are on the waiting list to buy into this housing project when it becomes available and when we are in need. I have been a resident of Los Gatos for over thirty years, a member of the Los Gatos Morning Rotary, a volunteer for Jazz on the Plazz and attended numerous meetings of the Town’s Complete Streets & Transportation Commission and its predecessor the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission to advocate safe roads for bicycling We own a home in Los Gatos that is single story that we have remodeled with the idea we could age in place. However, we are realistic to know there is a chance either of us could become too frail to live alone in our home without assistance. We are fortunate to have The Terraces nearby where we could remain in Los Gatos and near our current home. However, the Terraces is in high demand, and it is difficult to secure housing larger than a one bedroom or studio. When we heard the Meadows would be redeveloped into large apartments, we jumped at the opportunity to be on the waiting list. The advantage of the Meadows to us is it would be a safe place with onsite healthcare services and exercise facilities to allow us to age gracefully and safely. The Meadows is in a scenic location and is designed with pleasing surrounding. We could safely descend to the street level on Broadway Ave through an elevator (?) and walk around downtown to patronize our favorite restaurants, coffee shops, bakeries, stores, the farmer’s market and attend Jazz on the Plazz, and the many events sponsored by the Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce and service clubs. We would not need a car or worry about parking. We prefer to walk. The town is very walkable. The Town of Los Gatos is a unique special place located in an area of natural beauty and resources with a vibrant and active downtown. We want to be able to continue to live here. Letter to Los Gatos Town Council March 31, 2022 Page 2 It would be an advantage to the community should we move out of our single-family house in a very desirable neighborhood and make it available to a family in need of a home in a great community with outstanding schools. We all know homes for families in Los Gatos are in short supply and in high demand. The Meadows would add to the housing supply in Los Gatos in a meaningful way for seniors who already live here and want to stay as they age. We believe the Meadows to be a beautiful project operated by a well-regarded nonprofit. We understand the developers have taken care to listen to our desires in designing the project, have taken public safety and wildfire preparedness into consideration, and have strived to minimize the development footprint. The hillside on which the Meadows is located is steep and a challenge to develop. We commend the developers on a job well done. We disagree the structure will be overbearing to its surrounding neighborhood. The planning commission’s decision to deny the Los Gatos Meadows’ application because its plans do not include low-income housing is short sighted and myopic. The Town of Los Gatos alone cannot solve the housing shortage. Even if the entire Los Gatos Meadows project were designated low-income housing, it would not solve the current housing shortage in the bay area. And who would pay for the construction and maintenance of the Meadows as low-income housing? Certainly not the Town of Los Gatos. Recent reports are the Town of Los Gatos is way behind on funding its very much needed infrastructure, let allow subsidizing low-income house in the magnitude of Meadows. In my humble opinion, in this situation, it makes more sense to allow the private sector to market attractive senior housing in downtown Los Gatos to entice Los Gatos homeowners to relinquish and move out of their desirable single-family homes, some perhaps on large lots. The movement of seniors from their desirable homes into denser housing on less real estate opens housing opportunities for new homeowners. Or, perhaps, houses on large lots left by seniors could be redeveloped with attractive denser housing. Thank you for reading and considering my comments. I encourage your support for this project. Very truly yours, ELAINE M. SEID Encl. This Page Intentionally Left Blank