Exhibit 8 - Applicant’s Response to Consulting Architect’s ReportPage 1 of 2
September 13, 2024
Mr. Sean Mullin
Community Development Department
Town of Los Gatos
Re: 15349-15367 Los Gatos Boulevard, response to architectural peer review by Cannon Design
Group dated 29 July 2024.
Dear Sean,
Thank you for providing Cannon Design Groups comments. We understand the Peer Review had
three sections: Analysis, Issues and Concerns and Recommendations. Below are our responses
and you’ll find such inclusions in our revised plans.
Sincerely,
Dan Hale Pamela Nieting
Principal Vice President
Hunt Hale Jones Architects City Ventures
Response to Recommendations:
1.Guest Parking and Internal Pedestrian Circulation
The guest parking location is strategic as it creates an additional buffer from the proposed
residences and the existing gas station. This buffer also contains necessary water quality
infrastructure. The required density required a careful placement of parking. The current parking is
easily accessed and visible from the street.
Pedestrian connectivity and circulation has been enhanced by incorporating a “Woonerf”street
concept where the interior street is a shared space and designed to encourage pedestrian
circulation and activity. A pedestrian connection has been added from Los Gatos Blvd through
Building A & E to the interior street. The interior loop street incorporates pavers with a portion having
a different color highlighting a pedestrian path. Approximately 50% of the units have decks that face
the interior street, activating and enhancing the resident experience. These elements will make the
interior circulation a shared space for pedestrians and autos not a typical townhome alley.
Additional pedestrian connections through the buildings were considered but this would preclude
maintaining the proposed density.
2.Los Gatos Blvd. Frontage:
Slight adjustments have been made to the ground floor footprints to six of the eleven units in Building
A providing additional Façade Plane Depth along Los Gatos Blvd. This site is in an area of Los Gatos
Blvd which has many commercial buildings with frontages that have a more commercial and Urban
character. This influenced our design approach that the buildings that face the Boulevard would
have a more urban frontage in lieu of a more residential character of fences and porches. This
approach to the townhome frontages complements the existing fabric of the area.
EXHIBIT 8
Page 2 of 2
3. Garden Lane Frontage:
The landscape plan shows a landscape buffer that is being added in addition to carefully positioned
trees along the edge that enhance the proposed development and in turn do not cause an artificial
wall along Garden Lane. The project maximized the location of new trees both at the edge and within
where feasible.
Revisions had been made to the interior of the end units that face Garden Lane and Los Gatos Blvd.
These changes have allowed additional windows and massing elements on the end unit elevations,
additionally vines with wires have been added on the first floor. These improvements provide the
appropriate massing relief for elevations that face the street.
4. Façade Roof Slopes:
The low sloped Gable roof on the first floor have been replaced with shed roofs.
5. Façade Articulation and Materials:
This area of Los Gatos Blvd. is mixed use with a more commercial and urban character. This
character influenced the decision not to express the townhomes as individual units but rather
respond to the context of the area of larger scaled buildings and a 4-lane Boulevard with cars going
by at 35 MPH. The buildings massing and articulation is broken down into larger massing elements,
this responds to the context of larger scaled more urban commercial buildings in the area. Individual
townhome expression typical of a residential neighborhood street would not be as appropriate in
this area of Los Gatos Blvd.