Exhibit 5 - Letter of JustificationGordon Wong, AIA, Architect, LEED GA, CSLB
710 E. McGlincy Lane, Suite 109
Campbell, CA 95008
408‐315‐2125 | Gordonkwong@Gkwarchitects.com
www.gkwarchitects.com
To: Town of Los Gatos, Planning Department
110 E Main St
Los Gatos, CA 95030
Address: 14331 Capri Drive
Los Gatos, CA 95032
Planning Application For 14331 Capri Drive
To whom may concern,
On behalf of our client, Ravi Kiran Vallamdas and family, we would like to submit a Planning Application
for the proposed housing project at 14341 Browns Lane in Los Gatos.
Project Description
The proposed project consists of a two-story single family residence with an attached garage ( a total of
3,511 SF + garage of 498 SF of construction). The site is approximately 13,092 SF and consists of one
parcel (APN 406-32-004). The project will replace the existing one-story single family residence (~1,128
SF), while the two-story detached accessory dwelling unit (one on 1st floor and one on 2nd floor) (~1,150
SF) will be remained.
The proposed single family residence has a first floor footprint of 1,637 SF – with an attached two-car
garage (498 SF). The second floor of the new residence consists of 1,874 SF and features two private
balconies. The new residence features 4 bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms. The proposal also includes a new
driveway providing access to the new attached garage and some site & landscape work to enhance the
accessibility of the site. The style of the new residence is Spanish Mediterranean.
In addition, the project requests an approval for zone change from Zone O to Zone R-1:8 in order to
comply with the rest of the surrounding neighborhood and the general plan.
The project seeks the Town’s approval of Community Development Review.
Mission
GKW Architects is a local firm and we operate very much like a family. We strive to not only create the
best solution for our clients but also enhance every community that we impact through our designs. Our
biggest mission is to promote growth inside and outside of our office. We are extremely excited to present
this project to the Town and very eager to collaborate with Ravi Kiran Vallamdas to move this project
forward.
EXHIBIT 5
Gordon Wong, AIA, Architect, LEED GA, CSLB
710 E. McGlincy Lane, Suite 109
Campbell, CA 95008
408-315-2125 | Gordonkwong@Gkwarchitects.com
www.gkwarchitects.com
To: Town of Los Gatos, Planning Department 110 E Main St Los Gatos, CA 95030 Address: 14331 Capri Drive Los Gatos, CA 95032 App. No.: AS-24-043 From: Gkw Architects, Inc. Letter of Justification For Zone Change This application is requesting a zone change from O (Office) to R-1:8 (Single-Family Residential). The existing condition of the site consists of a single-family residence and a two -story detached accessory dwelling units (one on first floor and one on 2nd floor). In addition, the zoning of the adjacent neighborhood is R-1:8, except for the property facing roughly Northeast which is zone C1. Yet, that property is not really part of the neighborhood as the right of way is facing out towards Winchester Blvd. Proceeding forward with the zone change from O to R-1:8, which we believed, will be beneficial to the whole area as it matches the surrounding residential neighborhood. We also recognized that the Town of Los Gatos’s general plan land use indicates the area to be Low Density Residential which adds supporting evidence to the zone change. Furthermore, it doesn’t make sense to keep the existing zone (Office) as developing future office space does not conform with the existing residential neighborhood. With the Town’s approval, this will make it feasible for the property owner’s wishes to construct a future proposed single family residence through Architectural & Site Review after the zone change. The proposed single family residence will replace the existing one-story single family residence, while the two-story detached accessory dwelling unit will remain. The new proposed single residence will enrich the neighborhood and enhance the land value throughout.
Gordon Wong, AIA, Architect, LEED GA, CSLB
710 E. McGlincy Lane, Suite 109
Campbell, CA 95008
408-315-2125 | Gordonkwong@Gkwarchitects.com
www.gkwarchitects.com
To: Town of Los Gatos, Planning Department 110 E Main St Los Gatos, CA 95030 Address: 14331 Capri Drive Los Gatos, CA 95032 App. No.: AS-24-043 From: Gkw Architects, Inc. Statement – Why The Existing House Can’t Be Remodeled Initially, this project was subjected to Minor Residential Application per Town of Los Gatos’ requirements for tech demo. However, the project had limited evidence to support the current design features such as massing, height, and floor area due to the constraints of surrounding neighborhood boundary. With the Planner’s guidance, this project was converted from Minor Residential Application to Architectural & Site Review Application to remove the constraints and allow further evidence to support this project’s design features. Sincerely, Gkw Architects, Inc.
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