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Item 3 - Addendum with Exhibit 13.17400 Wedgewood PREPARED BY: Ryan Safty Associate Planner Reviewed by: Planning Manager and Community Development Director 110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● (408) 354-6872 www.losgatosca.gov TOWN OF LOS GATOS PLANNING COMMISSION REPORT MEETING DATE: 08/13/2025 ITEM NO: 3 ADDENDUM DATE: August 12, 2025 TO: Planning Commission FROM: Joel Paulson, Community Development Director SUBJECT: Consider a Request for a Grading Permit and Removal of Large Protected Trees Associated with a Comprehensive Redevelopment of the La Rinconada Golf Course on Property Zoned RC and R-1:20. Located at 14595 Clearview Drive, 17400 Wedgewood Avenue, and 17445 Zena Avenue. APNs 409-18- 008, -009, -010, and 409-31-001. Architecture and Site Application S-25-005. Categorically Exempt Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Sections 15301: Existing Facilities, and 15302: Replacement or Reconstruction. Property Owner: Clearview Golf Associates LLC. Applicant: Andy Kimball. Project Planner: Ryan Safty. REMARKS: Exhibit 13 includes public comments received between 11:01 a.m., Friday, August 8, 2025, and 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, August 12, 2025. EXHIBITS: Previously received with the August 13, 2025, Staff Report: 1. Location Map 2. Required Findings and Considerations 3. Recommended Conditions of Approval 4. 2011 Conditional Use Permit 5. Project Description and Letter of Justification 6. Applicant Arborist Report 7. Consulting Arborist Peer Review PAGE 2 OF 2 SUBJECT: 14595 Clearview Drive, 17400 Wedgewood Avenue, 17445 Zena Ave/S-25-005 DATE: August 12, 2025 8. Applicant Response to Consulting Arborist Peer Review 9. CEQA Memorandum and Studies 10. Neighborhood Outreach Summary 11. Project Plans 12. Public comments received by 11:00 a.m., Friday, August 8, 2025 Received with this Addendum Report: 13. Public comments received between 11:01 a.m., Friday, August 8, 2025, and 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, August 12, 2025 August 11, 2025 Andrew Quan Assistant Engineer II - Civil Community Projects Review Unit Valley Water San Jose, CA 95118 (via email) RE: File No. 22077 - Comments on La Rinconada Golf Course Dear Mr. Quan, We are in receipt of the comments you provided to the Town of Los Gatos regarding La Rinconada Country’s Club’s proposed Golf Course Modernization and Sustainability Plan. Thank you for providing detailed feedback on the Town application. We understand all of the three specific comments related to construction of the actual project. Rest assured The Club will seek all necessary permits that may be required from Valley Water for work in the easement area and comply with all of the agency’s standards in doing so. In addition, The Club will protect the on site wells during construction to satisfy Valley Water’s standards and address any unknown wells that may be discovered through a permit application as well; however, our property is well characterized and we do not believe any unknown wells will be identified through this process. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via email at Sincerely, Andy Kimball, PGA General Manager La Rinconada Country Club EXHIBIT 13 August 11, 2025 Planning Commission Town of Los Gatos E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 Subject: La Rinconada Country Club - Response to Public Comments, Exhibit 12 Dear Commissioners, On behalf of La Rinconada Country Club, I am writing to respectfully request your approval for our comprehensive Golf Course Modernization and Sustainability Plan. This project represents a significant and proactive investment in the long-term environmental stewardship of our property, directly addressing critical community priorities around water conservation and ecological resilience. We have reviewed the staff report released last Friday and are providing responses to some of the public comments included in Exhibit 12 in advance of the public hearing this Wednesday evening. In addition, we are including a summary of “Neighborhood Outreach Discussions & Collaborative Design Modifications” the Club incorporated to the project design. We are prepared to present the full details of our plan at the hearing and are eager to answer any questions you may have. Thank you for your time and consideration of this vital project. Sincerely, Andy Kimball, PGA General Manager La Rinconada Country Club Applicant’s Response to Public Comments, Exhibit 12 Support Letters from Neighbors: We wish to thank the coalition of more than 100 Town residents, including many of our neighbors and long-time members, who jointly signed this letter of support asking the Town to “Tee up a greener future for golf in Los Gatos!” Comments from Valley Water: See attached letter from the Applicant to Valley Water dated August 11, 2025 responding to the email comments on the project dated August 8, 2025. All comments by Valley Water are construction related, and LRCC intends to obtain all necessary construction permits, including any Encroachment Permit needed from Valley Water. Comment, Letters & Petition from Lisa Sieber: La Rinconada Country Club has closely reviewed the comments from Lisa Sieber, who is a club member and a neighbor. While we respect her right to offer opinions in opposition to the project, we need to unfortunately note for the Planning Commission that a number of statements are simply inaccurate and misleading. Please also note that Club’s leadership offered to meet with her about the project more than ten times, without response. Questions about the validity of MoveOn.org petition. The petition submitted is not signed by 100 Town residents as noted; more than 40 live out of the area. There is no way to validate which signatures are real as some are obviously fictitious including the cartoon character Homer Simpson and at least two movie characters. Finally, the image in the petition is an entirely different golf course. Petition’s demands have already been addressed. The petition’s four “Immediate Action” demands have already been addressed. 1) No trees in the application have been removed yet. 2) The town’s consulting arborist peer reviewed the project arborist recommendations and concurred with all of them. 3) The application process has been ongoing for seven months and project information has been readily available on the Town’s web site for any member of the public to consult and engage with the Town or applicant. 4) The Club is proposing to plant new large box native trees to replace those proposed for removal rather than just paying in lieu fees. Petition assertions about environmental threat not real. The petition includes a number of points presented as scientific and environmental impacts which are simply opinion, and some are obviously incorrect. Increased air pollution, fire risk & heat Levels from loss of tree canopy. The petition asserts tree removal will increase air pollutants but no such evidence exists. It also states removal will elevate local fire risk when removing overgrown and fire prone trees like eucalyptus will do the exact opposite. The comment about the heat island effect is non-sensical because this condition arises with urban development with the addition of asphalt and concrete that reflects heat, and the golf course will remain open space. A detailed environmental assessment was done and none of these issues were identified as an impact. The environmental information has been available on the Town’s website for public review for months. Wildlife displacement/ecological disruption. The petition states as fact that habitat is being destroyed and there will be mass displacement and ecological disruption. The full environmental effects of the project have been thoroughly and comprehensively studied including a detailed tree, biology, health risk and noise reports, and all of this material has been available for public review. No impacts were identified so the project will not alter the landscape, hurt air quality, wildlife habitat, or neighborhood character as alleged. No evidence has been presented to support this, just personal opinion. General Comment on Sieber Letter(s): The letter purports to speak on behalf of the signers of the petition but includes a number of allegations that the petition simply does not address so should only be viewed as the comment from a single individual. Assertion 1: “Misleading and potentially false representations about trees.” The arborist report for the project was prepared by a certified professional in compliance with all Town requirements for arborist surveys and reports. It clearly documents the condition of each tree within the project area, including size, type, and health condition. The report was peer reviewed by the Town’s third party, independent consulting arborist who concurred with this assessment and recommendations. Assertion 2: “Many trees are in good condition and pose no imminent safety risk.” Some trees are proposed for removal for safety reasons and others to facilitate the course water sustainability plan or to improve golf play as part of the new design. The application has never claimed otherwise, and the project justification letter makes the rationale for tree removal quite clear. All of these justifications are appropriate reasons for seeking tree removal under the Town’s municipal code, and the applicant is proposing to plant 173 new trees. Assertion 3: “Pattern of non-compliance and lack of transparency raise serious concerns about integrity of proposal.” La Rinconada Country Club is one of the oldest institutions in the Town and takes its stewardship of this large private open space quite seriously. The Club has comprehensively and transparently complied with all application requirements for this proposal, and undertaken a detailed public outreach process summarized in the project justification letter. Assertion 4: “Unsubstantiated claims of storm damage.” The loss of over 100 trees on site in the last few years has been well documented, and the Club will share pictures of this to the Commission during its presentation. As a regular visitor and member of the club, the letter’s author should be well aware of this. Assertion 5: “Lack of clear disclosure of the long-term environmental and community impact.” The Club has been open and transparent about the project, engaging in a robust 7 month community outreach process the author refused to participate in. In addition, the applicant has followed all application requirements and voluntarily submitted an extensive environmental analysis prepared by David J. Powers & Associates, Inc., a well-respected local environmental planning firm. This analysis included biology, hazardous risk and noise analysis in addition to the tree survey and report. Town staff has independently and comprehensively studied the potential environmental effects of the project and found it has no impacts. Neighborhood Outreach Discussions & Collaborative Design Modifications • 14801 Karl Avenue, Monte Sereno – We collaborated with our fence line neighbor & golf course architect on site and agreed upon tee location and architectural principles to address potential errant golf shot concerns. • 17365 Fairway Circle, Monte Sereno – After receiving feedback on their displeasure with the proposed location of the amenity station, we collaborated with our fence line neighbor and relocated the structure to its current location which is more central to the site. • 17605 Eaton Lane, Monte Sereno – Raised concerns about trees being planted that would obstruct his view of our property. We collaborated with our fence line neighbor and relocated proposed planting locations to remain clear of the neighbor’s backyard view of our property. • 14885 La Rinconada Drive, Los Gatos – Raised concerns relative to current stormwater drainage. We collaborated with our fence line neighbor and incorporated solutions into the new design. • 17425 Clearview Drive, Los Gatos – Raised concerns relative to current view of our property. We collaborated with our fence line neighbor and agreed to assign some of the new plantings to obstruct their view as requested. • 17211 Wedgewood Avenue, Los Gatos – Discussed concerns over trees that fell in recent storms that used to protect their property more effectively. We collaborated with our fence line neighbor and agreed to assign some of the new plantings to the vacant location as requested. • 14980 Karl Avenue, Monte Sereno – Raised safety concerns over large eucalyptus encroaching on his yard and requested pruning of overhanging limbs to alleviate safety concerns he has for his children while they play in his back yard. We collaborated with our fence line neighbor and agreed to his pruning recommendations. From: Steven Fund Sent: Tuesday, August 12, 2025 8:43 AM To: Planning <Planning@losgatosca.gov>; Susan Fund Subject: Wedgewood Avenue [EXTERNAL SENDER] Hello, I am responding to your note of a planning commission public hearing about the removal of large protected trees associated with a comprehensive redevelopment the La Rinconada Golf Course on Property Zoned RC ad R-1:20 APNs 409-18-0098, -009, -010 and 409-31- 001. I don't know if this affects my property at La Rinconada Dr, Los Gatos, CA 95032, which is located adjacent to the 18th hole of the golf course. Each week approximately 5 golf balls land in my yard, sometimes in the front yard. This is a nuisance and will be exacerbated if large trees are removed. The golf balls have caused extension damage including cracked windows and cracked ceramic roof tiles, each year already costing me ~$10,000 to repair. Of course, the golf course claims no liability. If this affects my property and large trees are removed alongside the 18th fairway more balls will come into my yard with more damage and could even hit me or my pets or son. I am a resounding no to this request. Thank you, Steven Fund From: Andy Kimball Sent: Tuesday, August 12, 2025 10:37 AM To: Ryan Safty <RSafty@losgatosca.gov> Cc: Sean Morley Subject: FW: La Rinconada Project Plans [EXTERNAL SENDER] Ryan, Please add this thread to the public record in response to Mr. Fund’s earlier comment. Andy Andy Kimball, PGA General Manager Office: Mobile: Address: 14595 Clearview Drive, Los Gatos CA 95032 From: Steven Fund Sent: Tuesday, August 12, 2025 10:31 AM To: Andy Kimball Susan Fund Subject: Re: La Rinconada Project Plans Hi Andy, Ok, thank you. Removing any trees along our property would be problematic. Appreciate the response. Steven On Tue, Aug 12, 2025 at 10:24 AM Andy Kimball wrote: Steven, I just saw your comment to the town on our proposal and would love to discuss at your convenience. I just reviewed the plans in your area and we will not be removing any trees that would have an impact on your property. As always, you are welcome to contact me anytime if you have any concerns about the operations at La Rinconada. I have a small screenshot of the plans on file with the town below showing the trees in your yard will be retained and protected. This sheet has the wrong street name, Natalye but your yard on is accurate in relation to the 18th hole as noted on the center of the image. Andy Andy Kimball, PGA General Manager Office: Address: 14595 Clearview Drive, Los Gatos CA 95032