Exhibit 11 - Public Comments Received Prior to 1100 a.m., Friday, January 17, 2025Dear Blake and Jessica,
Matt and I are writing to share our concerns with your building plans, which we believe need to be addressed before the process goes any further. It is unfortunate that we have to do so formally like this, but we would have liked for you to come to us sooner. Our limited text exchanges led me to believe the plans would be reasonable, and after reviewing your proposal I no longer feel that way. Nevertheless, we hope that we will be able to work through these issues together.
When we first met, you told us that you want your home to be in keeping with the neighborhood, but while the architectural style is beautiful, keeping with the neighborhood is about more than the design. It is also about the size and the impact your new home will have on your neighbors, and in this respect we have several serious concerns.
We were quite taken aback that you have planned the entire site around the placement of our redwood trees without ever discussing even these critical aspects of the plan with us. As we have told you, these trees’ invasive roots and the consequent flooding caused our property massive damage, resulting in hundreds of thousands of dollars of repair costs and our being displaced from our home for five months. Considering the impact your plans may have on these extraordinarily large yet fragile trees, we would have appreciated a conversation about these trees well before you started your design plans. It seems short-sighted to plan around them when they will continue to be in a precarious location and of very fickle health depending on the climate and weather. Given the size and sensitivity of the trees, we view this concern as a life safety issue, and as such simply cannot support your plans without further analysis that ensures the safety of ourselves and our home (and frankly those of other neighbors as well). Following additional expert analysis of the risks, it may be that solutions other than those you have proposed will be deemed better for all of us.
Similarly, as I am sure you are aware, the water levels running both under and above ground through our neighborhood during rainy weather are quite high, and have resulted in flooding not only at our property, but that of others on our street as well. We are very concerned that the mass and bulk of your proposal, including the large basement, involves a significant risk of displacing water to our property and causing further flooding for us. Given the large and expensive investments we have made in the past to seek to protect our home from such further damage, we believe additional expert analysis and potential modifications to the plans accordingly need to be undertaken to ensure the safety of our home.
Beyond these critical safety concerns, we have enjoyed our historic home for more than than ten years and one of the best, most enjoyable features of our home is the partial view of the Santa Cruz Mountains on the East side of Los Gatos, along with the abundant sun we receive throughout the year into our kitchen windows and the glass door to the exterior stairs. While we had an expectation that your new structure would change some of that view, we are very surprised at the extent to which your proposed plans would obliterate any view along that side of the house, at least in part due to the exceptions you are seeking to the FAR and setback requirements that govern our area. Among the purposes of those requirements is to assure adequate light, air, and privacy to neighbors, and there is little question your new plans impinge on our property in those respects. Clearly you and your architect understand the importance of light, as you are requesting that particular feature for your basement. Perhaps an alternative solution to the problems posed by the trees could address some of these concerns as well.
We have no wish to be adversaries, nor do we think that you should not be able to build a beautiful home. However, we simply do not believe that your request to exceed the FAR and setback requirements is compatible with your surrounding properties, or with our right to continue to enjoy our property. The examples mentioned in your letter of justification are not
EXHIBIT 11
applicable to this situation, as they do not negatively impact their neighbors in the significant way this pr impact us, nor are they considered surrounding your property. In particular, is an historic home that has existed for at least 120 years. By contrast, many nearby neighbors have been refused such exceptions in the last 100 years. In any event, without getting into a back-and-forth at this time on every claimed precedent, we do not believe the extent of the sought exceptions is either reasonable toward our property or in keeping with the history of our neighborhood.
We very much would prefer if we could address these concerns between us and find reasonable compromises, rather than engage in some protracted process involving the Town. Please let us know if you share this desire for compromise.
oposal would
November 11, 2024
Dear Town of Los Gatos Planning Committee,
I am writing in support of my neighbors, Blake and Jessica, regarding their proposed building
plans for 176 Loma Alta Avenue. As a fellow resident, I am familiar with the design and
intention behind their project and can attest to their efforts to ensure their home respects the
neighborhood’s character and integrity.
Blake and Jessica have been thoughtful and conscientious in their planning, prioritizing not only
aesthetics but also the well-being of nearby properties. They have made a sincere effort to
address concerns related to size, water management, and natural landscape, including
measures to preserve the distinctive redwood trees that are a part of our community’s charm. I
believe their plans, which include mitigative efforts around drainage and flood risk,
demonstrate their commitment to minimizing any potential impact on surrounding properties.
The new home they envision will undoubtedly enhance the neighborhood, adding to its appeal
while maintaining harmony with existing structures. Their desire to accommodate
neighborhood concerns and find a balanced solution shows their dedication to the community.
I hope you will consider my perspective as a immediate neighbor resident who believes that
Blake and Jessica’s building project aligns with the best interests of our neighborhood. I fully
support their proposed plans and am confident in their commitment to a responsible and
respectful development.
Thank you for your consideration. Please do not hesitate to contact me if there are any
questions.
Sincerely,
Ayhan Mutlu
Dear Members of the Los Gatos Planning Commission,
My husband Ma: and I, along with our two children, have lived in the historic home at
for 11 years. While we support the opportunity for our neighbors to build a new home on their lot at
176 Loma Alta Avenue, as proposed the house would be inconsistent with the City’s design standards
and as a result have a significant negaIve impact on our home on the adjacent lot. We have a:empted
to work with the applicant and their architect, but they have been unwilling to make any modificaIons
to their design. As a result, we are submiLng the following comments to the Town of Los Gatos planning
staff, with the hope that the City will require modificaIons to the project to bring it into conformance
with the Town’s development standards and reduce the negaIve impacts to adjacent properIes.
Site Drainage
The proposed new home would significantly increase impervious area on the property resulIng in water
run-off that could impact our property. We have been working to find a civil engineer to evaluate the
proposal, but have not been able to find anyone thus far. Nevertheless, given the significant history of
water intrusion at our property (resulIng in significant damage and dislocaIon to us in the past), we are
extremely concerned about this issue.
Shade/Privacy Impact
As designed, the new house would significantly impact privacy and daylight for the next door property at
. The second floor includes windows that look down into our kitchen, first floor bedroom
and backyard so that we will not have privacy and adequate light in these areas. As designed, the project
does not meet the Town’s design guidelines. The reduced side yard setback makes this condiIon worse.
The new house should be redesigned to meet the minimum setbacks, provide a second floor step back,
and remove windows that provide a direct view into our home. This would make the project more
consistent with the following Town single-family residenIal design guidelines:
3.11.1 Minimize shadow impacts on adjacent proper>es
•Locate structures to minimize blocking sun access to living spaces and acIvely used outdoor
areas on adjacent homes.
3.11.2 Minimize privacy intrusions on adjacent residences
•Windows should be placed to minimize views into the living spaces and yard spaces near
neighboring homes.
•When windows are needed and desired in side building walls, they should be modest in size
and not directly opposite windows on adjacent homes.
•Where possible, second floor windows that might intrude on adjacent property privacy
should have sill heights above eye level or have frosted or textured glass to reduce visual
exposure.
Building size and bulk
As designed, the new house is excessively bulky both from the street in front and from the side yard. We
agree with the recommendaIons from the Town’s consulIng architect, but think the Town should also
consider the side elevaIon, which was not included in the consulIng architect’s le:er. Per the
consulIng architect’s recommendaIons, the project should reduce the scale of porch elements and
change roof materials to be consistent with the proposed architectural style. Steps should also be taken
to reduce the bulk of the building when viewed from the side elevaIon, which as currently designed is
not in keeping with the Italianate Victorian style.
Of parIcular concern is the size and bulk of the proposed 2nd story. Our adjacent residence includes 1-
story elements at the front façade with use of 1.5-story architectural form and step backs to minimize
the bulk and visual impact of the second story. The side façade of this proposal, in terms of massing, is
oversized and inconsistent with Italianate Victorian style.
As proposed, the project is not consistent with the following Town guidelines:
3.3.2 Height and bulk at front and side setbacks
•Avoid eave lines and roof ridge lines that are substanIally taller than the adjacent houses.
•Give special a:enIon to adapIng to the height and massing of adjacent homes. Avoid tall,
unbroken front facades when other nearby homes have more arIculated front facades with
horizontal wall plane changes.
•In neighborhoods with small homes, try to place more of the floor area on the first floor with
less area on the second floor.
•The design of two story homes constructed adjacent to one story houses should include
techniques to minimize their visual impact and provide transiIons in scale. Some
techniques include:
o Step down to one story elements near the side setbacks
o Provide substanIal side setbacks for the enIre house
o Provide substanIal second floor side setbacks
o Use hip roofs at the sides rather than gables
•Design with architectural integrity on all sides of the structure
Excep>ons and Neighborhood Incompa>bility
The project is asking to uIlize SecIon 29.10.265 (3) of the Los Gatos Town Code based on the condiIon
of the property as a non-conforming lot as it is slightly below the minimum lot size normally required in
the R-1 zone. This provision states:
Any rule of the zone including front, side and rear yard requirements may be modified by the
terms of the architecture and site approval so that the building and its use will be compaIble
with the neighborhood.
In summary, the proposed project is not compaIble with the neighborhood because it does not conform
to the Town’s ResidenIal Design Guidelines, which are specifically adopted by the Town to determine
compaIbility. Further, the applicant is proposing a larger than average house and has not demonstrated
that the requested excepIons from the Town's Zoning Code development standards are jusIfied.
Therefore, it is not appropriate to grant the project an excepIon from the side yard setback, excepIon to
the above ground FAR or other zoning standards, and the project should be modified to improve
compaIbility with the neighborhood and, in parIcular, the immediately adjacent properIes.
Respecgully,
Ma: and Allison Railo
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