Exhibit 4 - Project DescriptionGkw Architects, Inc., AIA, Architect, LEED GA, CSLB
710 E. McGlincy Lane, Ste. 109, Campbell, CA 95008
408-796-1845 | Gordonkwong@Gkwarchitects.com
www.gkwarchitects.com
Project Description for 14341 Browns Lane APN 409-14-035
January 15th, 2025
Suray Nathan, Assistant Planner
Community Development Department
City of Los Gatos
110 E. Main St.
Los Gatos, CA 95030
Dear Mr. Nathan,
On behalf of our client, Roberto Flamenco, we have prepared a written description & justification
letter for the proposed residential development at 14341 Browns Lane in Los Gatos.
Project Description
The proposed project consists of a two-story single family residence with an attached accessory
dwelling structure (a total of 3,472 SF of construction). The site is approximately 9,502 SF and
consists of one parcel (APN 409-14-035). The project will replace two separate buildings; one of
which is a one-story single family residence (~832 SF) and the other is an accessory shed
structure (~240 SF). There is only one dwelling unit on the current property and there are no
existing ADUs on the property.
The proposed single family residence has a first floor footprint of 1,039 SF - with an attached ADU
(385 SF) and an attached two-car garage (507 SF). The second floor of the new residence is
1,541 SF and features a private balcony patio. The new residence features 3 bedrooms and 3.5
bathrooms.The attached ADU is contained within the first floor footprint, with its own separate
entry, and features 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom and 1 kitchenette. The proposal also includes a new
driveway providing access to the new attached garage and some site work to enhance the
accessibility of the site. The permeable paver driveway is oversized to meet Santa Clara County
Fire Department Turnaround standards. The proposed project will also preserve and retain the
plum tree located in the rear yard. In order to promote the privacy of the neighbors, the private 2nd
floor balcony is inset and features a 42” high railing. The rear windows shall have opaque or
frosted glass.
Zoning Conformance & Immediate Neighborhood
The property’s net lot area is 9,502 square feet and is located in a R-1-8 zone within the general
plan for Low Density Residential. The immediate neighborhood consists of 6 properties that are
also zoned as R-1-8. The proposed residence conforms to the R-1-8 zoning requirements. The
required zoning requirements are a 25 feet front setback, 20 feet rear setback, 8 feet side setback,
and maximum height of 30 feet. The proposed residence is 26.9 feet from the front property line
(PL), 20 feet from the rear PL, 28.9 feet from the north side PL, 8.25 feet from the south side PL,
and has a height of 28.6 feet.
The proposed residence is in the traditional style with a strong first floor eave line that matches the
surrounding neighborhood. Despite being taller than the immediate neighbors, the house features
steeper sloping roofs to bring the eave line of the residence down to match the immediate
neighborhood. The house features a custom garage door with simple panels and wood grain
texture to reduce the emphasis of the garage on the front facade. The front facade design is
EXHIBIT 4
Gkw Architects, Inc., AIA, Architect, LEED GA, CSLB
710 E. McGlincy Lane, Ste. 109, Campbell, CA 95008
408-796-1845 | Gordonkwong@Gkwarchitects.com
www.gkwarchitects.com
articulated so that the garage plane is set further back from the entry plane of the house
(Residential Design Guidelines 2.4.1 & 3.4.1). The house’s roofing material includes 3-ply
presidential asphalt shingles and standing seam metal with a matte finish. The asphalt composite
shingles match the roofing materials used in the immediate neighborhood and only smaller
portions of the roof will be covered in the metal material. The house features articulated gable pop
outs & shed dormers with one gable along the main axis of the residence (3.5.2). This is also in
conformance with the immediate neighborhood since multiple neighboring homes feature gable
pop outs. The proposed residence also features a recessed entry under the roof eave which is
similar to every neighboring residence (2.3.3). The final feature the house incorporates are the
simulated divided windows that are carried across every facade. These windows will have
dimensional muntins on both exterior & interior of the glass (3.7.4). We have included
specifications for the windows and roof on sheet A400 of our submittal drawings for further review.
Front Facade of Proposed Residence @ 14341 Browns Lane
Gkw Architects, Inc., AIA, Architect, LEED GA, CSLB
710 E. McGlincy Lane, Ste. 109, Campbell, CA 95008
408-796-1845 | Gordonkwong@Gkwarchitects.com
www.gkwarchitects.com
Neighborhood Map
Compatibility to Immediate Neighborhood
Front Facade of 14340 Browns Lane
Single story - Medium Pitch Roof - Gable - Straight Facade Wide - Recessed Entry Under Eave
Front Facade of 17291 Wedgewood Ave (Existing Home)
Single story - Medium Pitch Roof - Hip - Straight Facade Wide - Recessed Entry Under Eave
Front Facade of 17291 Wedgewood Ave (Under Construction)
Two story - Medium Pitch Roof - Hip w/ Gable pop outs - Straight Facade Wide - Narrow Porch Entry
Gkw Architects, Inc., AIA, Architect, LEED GA, CSLB
710 E. McGlincy Lane, Ste. 109, Campbell, CA 95008
408-796-1845 | Gordonkwong@Gkwarchitects.com
www.gkwarchitects.com
Front Facade of 14331 Browns Lane
Single story - Medium Pitch Roof - Hip - Straight Facade Wide - Recessed Entry Under Eave
Front Facade of 14330 Browns Lane
Single story - Medium Pitch Roof - Gable w/ Gable pop outs- Straight Facade Wide - Recessed Entry
Under Eave
GKW Architects, Inc
Gordon K Wong & Joshua Liu