Attachment 24From: Kemp, Melanie [mailto:melanie.kemp @c bnorcal.com ]
Sent: Friday, June 02, 2017 10:37 AM
To: Council
Cc: Town Manager
Subject: Re: 341 Bella Vista Avenue hearing at Town Council
To members of our Town Council,
I am an original homeowner in the Bella Vista Village townhome development off Alberto Way and a
resident of this neighborhood for 18 years . I've been watching the proposed developments at 341 Bella
Vista Avenue, 401 Alberto Way and the Alberto Oaks office complex work their way through numerous
hearings at the Planning Commission for many years. I understand that the decision of the Planning
Commission to reject the building application for 341 Bella Vista after six years of review is now being
appealed to the Town Council.
I believe in due process, but due process should hold true for both the applicant and anyone who
opposes the proposed development. The Planning Commission has reviewed the developer's various
plans for 341 Bella Vista Avenue for a multitude of hours during hearings and outside of heari ngs. After
six years' examination, they concluded that the developer's plans do not conform to the Town's General
Plan and Hillside Ordinance in size, mass and scale.
The precedent you establish with your decision to approve or reject the Bella Vista Avenue proj ect in the
upcoming June 6 hearing will demonstrate to the citizens of Los Gatos the general dire ction this Council
is going to take with upcoming developments, and it's concerning. Reversing the Planning Commission's
final decision on 341 Bella Vista Ave. (and the project at 401 Alberto Way which will be heard on
September 19) undermines the authority of the Planning Commission . What applicant will bother with
any decision by the Planning Commission if that decision can be quickly overturned by the Town Council
on appeal in one fell swoop?
I will be attending the June 6 Town Council hearing with my neighbors and implore you to uphold the
Planning Commission 's decision to reject the building application for 341 Bella Vista Avenue . I've been
practicing real estate for 41 years and believe your decision will reverberate past Bella Vista Avenue. It
will directly impact property values of homes on Bella Vi sta Avenue , Bella Vista Village and the four
common interest developments on Alberto Way while setting a new direction and standard for
upcoming projects at 401 Alberto Way and Alberto Oaks .
Please demonstrate the direction the Town Council intends to take on this project and future projects in
Los Gatos by adhering to our General Plan and Hillside Ordinance. I implore you to muster your wisdom,
strength and integrity to reject this unsuitable project.
Thank you,
Melanie Kemp
174 Cuesta de Los Gatos Way
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MELANIE KEMP
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From: Debra Chin [ma ilto:debrachin@aol.com]
Sent: Friday, June 02, 2017 10:36 AM
To: Council
Cc: Town Manager
Subject: Application for 339-341 Bella Vista Avenue
Dear Mayor Sayoc and Council Members,
As a resident of Los Gatos for nearly 20 years , I purchased my home at 154 Maggi Court in 2001
and support the consistent enforcement of the laws that preserve the beauty of our hillsides and
the promotion of neighbor unity as codified in the Hillside Standards and Guidelines and the 2020
General Plan .
I respectfully request that you deny the appeal and uphold the decision of the Planning Commission
denying Architecture and Site application S-12-103 and Subdivision Application M-12-008. As I
pointed out in my letter to the Town in March 2016 , this will be the third plan for the lots
submitted by Dan Ross with the applications from 2012 and 2013 being unanimously denied for the
same reasons of non-compliance with the Hillside Development Standards and Guidelines and lack of
neighborhood compatibility.
While there is no question that the applicants have a right to build something on these lots, the
revised development plans dated May 23 , 2017 fall woefully short of addressing the
direction provided by the Council at the Dec. 6, 2016 hearing. Specifically as it relates to the latest
modifications proposed to:
Reduce the bulk and mass of the home:
-With the current proposal (Site Plan F), the total square footage reflects a reduction of 87
square feet, a mere 3 .6 % smaller than the plan denied by the Planning Commission
-The house length is reduced by just 2 feet vs . the Dec . 16 proposal (Site Plan A). With a length
spanning 63 feet, the proposed house is nowhere near compatible with any of the existing houses
on Bella Vista
-Maximum allowable FAR for the combined lots is 1,486 square feet and the current proposal for
the total house is 2,325 square feet. Given three sides of the "cellar" extend more than 4 feet
above the grade, the 1,081 square feet on the lower level (nearly half of the total square footage)
should be considered a basement and included in the FAR
Avoid tree removal:
-In violation of the Tree Ordinance, the same three trees (1, 2, and 15) in Site Plan A are still
slated for removal
Mr. Ross is a savvy real estate investor and assumed the risks when he purchased this property with
its readily ascertainable issues such as an average slope of 53 degrees and a documented history of
being a problematic site to develop. Furthermore, he purchased the lots after the Hillside
Standards and Guidelines were adopted by the Town Council in January 2004. The Forward section
of the Hillside Standards and Guidelines leads off with "Things to Consider Before you Begin the
Design Process", explicitly forewarning applicants that "Not every site can be developed at the
maximum density or intensity allowed by the Zoning Ordinance" and "Designs that are bulky and
massive may be more difficult to get approved".
It is in the purview and within the d iscretion of the Planning Commission to determine whether or
not the proposed house is appropriate for the site, regardless of whether it meets individual zoning
standards as Mr. Ross asserts. I urge you to support their decision to deny the appeal and requ ire
the applicant to com ply wi t h t he standards and guide lines t hat were develo ped t o foster sustainable
development and preserve the natural environment consistent with the Town 's vision for its
hillsides.
Sincerely ,
Debra Chin
From: E. Ron Wilson [mailto:ronnov830 @aol.com]
Sent: Friday, June 02, 2017 10:30 AM
To: Council
Cc: Town Manager
Subject: Proposed Project on Bella Vista Avenue
June 2 , 2017
Dear Council Members ,
This is Annie Harris, I have resided at 316 Bella Vista Avenue for over 45 years . I live d irectly across
from 341 Bella Vista , the proposed building site of Dan Ross . I STRONGLY object to you allowing him
to build such a huge home on such a steep slope. Any of his possible options do not fit this neighborhood
or the hillside.
The impact on my neighborhood due to loss of old oak trees is ghastly and the impact on my Maggi Court
neighbors is unconscionable!
l'M ASKING YOU TO DENY THIS APPLICATION.
Regards ,
Annie Harris
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