Attachment 6ATTACHMENT 6
From: John Shepardson < >
Sent: Friday, March 1, 2019 5:39 PM
To: Steven Leonardis; Marcia Jensen; BSpector; Marico Sayoc; Rob Rennie; Council; Laurel Prevetti;
Robert Schultz
Subject: Comments for Town Council's Consideration for 3/5/19 Agenda
Mayor, Council Members, Town Manager & Town Attorney,
Initial views:
Currently, restaurants are approved at either Planning Commission or Town Council depending
on how the Town Code defines the restaurant, costing the applicant $7,124.67 and $12,062.79
respectively, and typically taking anywhere from three to seven months for approval. In
contrast, the DRC process takes about six to eight weeks and costs the applicant $4,335.68 to
apply. This process still incorporates public noticing, input, and a full public hearing.
Attachment 5 provides a second streamlining opportunity that could both assist existing
businesses and provide a draw for new businesses considering Los Gatos. This resolution would
reassign the duties for minor exterior alterations on a commercial building from the DRC to the
staff level with a building permit. Staff would use the provisions in the Town Code and
Commercial Design Guidelines to determine if the alteration is appropriate, and to ensure the
compatibility of the exterior modification.
Such modifications could include changes to windows, awnings, or doors on an existing store
front, and would require that they meet the same provisions currently outlined in the
Commercial Design Guidelines. If the building is deemed historic, consideration by the Historic
Preservation Committee would still be required; however, after this consideration the applicant
could go straight to building permits. Removing the need for DRC approval reduces the process
by six to eight weeks and $2,515.50.
—Comment—modest changes in process with significant time and money savings. Worth
the experiment.
Respectfully,
John Shepardson, Esq.
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