Attachment 25From: Covell, Mike (SJC) [mailto:Mike.Covell @colliers.com ]
Sent: Friday, September 15, 2017 2:20 PM
To: voicehea rd roJ40 la I bertoway .com
Subject: 405 Alberto Way
To whom it may concern ,
Los Gatos definitely needs more Clas s A office space and downtown businesses need a boost. I am fully
in support of a new, Class A office building on 405 Alberto Way.
Sincerely,
Mike Covell
As coo ciate
CA License No . 0204049 9
Di rect +1 40 8 282 3917 I Mobile +1 650 70 4 4683
Main +1 408 282 3800 I Fax +1 408 283 4657
mike.covell@collierc;.com I Add as Conta ct
Coll iers International
450 W~st Sa nta Clara Street I San Jose, CA 95113 I United Sta tes
www.colliers.com
-
ATTACHMENT 2 5
From: Davis, Mark [mailto :mdavis@ newmarkccarev.com]
Sent: Friday, September 15, 2017 2:28 PM
To: voiceheard @401albertoway.com
Subject: Please approve 405 Alberto Way
Please accept my support for the 405 Alberto Way office project. This project will fit well into the
neighborhood, house great local com panies looking for class a space in Lo s Gatos, and add customers to
the retail buyer base in Los Gatos. Thank you in advance for approving th is project.
Mark Davis
Executive Managing Director
ri..:: £ 1)
Newmark Cornish & Carey
2804 Mission College Boulevard , Suite
120
Santa Clara , CA 95054
D 408.982 .8413 F 408.987.4156
c 408.221.6337
md avis@newmark ccar ey .com Profil e
-!
Assistant: Belinda Chavez
408.987.4167
bchavez@newmar kccarey.com
-------------
From: Mark Nicholson [ma ilto:mark\ru thenicholsonco.com ]
Sent: Friday, September 15, 2017 3:05 PM
To: voiceheard \al 401albertoway.com
Subject: Please approve 405 Alberto Way
To Whom It May Concern:
I am writing in support of the 405 Alberto Way project. As a person that has successfully navigated the
process of finding office space in Los Gatos, I can definitely confirm that Los Gatos is woefully short on
space. Solving this problem should be fairly straightforward ... developers should be encouraged to invest
in Los Gatos by constructing office oriented projects that conform to the requirements laid out by the
City of Los Gatos through the General Plan and Zoning. Since the 405 Alberto Way conforms to the
General Plan and Zoning requirements, it is quite important that the project be given the greenlight to
move forward. Anything short of approval would make a mockery out of the City leaders and their
ability to implement their own growth plans.
Best regards,
Mark Nicholson
From: Jennifer E Liebthal [mailto :jlie bthal @gmail.com]
Sent: Friday, September 15, 2017 4:20 PM
To: Jennifer Liebthal
Subject: Sept 19 LG Town Council Meeting -Please Reject 401-409 Alberto Way Appeal
Dear Town Co uncil Members et all ,
I would like to ask that you reject the Lamb Partners appeal regarding the 401-409 Alberto Way
based on the identified and unmitigated environment impacts, design guideline and general plan
violations.
I a m very di sappointed and di sgusted to see the bias flyer promotions that thi s developer has
been sending around town , "free shuttle service" that they are using to promote their self interest
and false claim s that they had the Planning Departments full approval , etc. It's too bad that some
(thank goodness not all) local business owners and neighbors do not reali z e that thi s commitment
for a "free shuttle service" is only I) "coinciding with full occupancy of 405 Alberto Way which
may never happen and 2) is not co ntracted with the town so can be cancelled by Lamb at any
time if they do actuall y ever implement it.
Thank you for yo ur time and service,
Jennifer Liebthal
Jennifer Armer
Subject: RE : A lberto Way
On Sep 15, 2017, at 6:2 3 PM , mmpmitzi@comcast.net wrote:
Dear Council ,
I'm writing because I am very much opposed to the development purposed on Alberto Way. It is
too large , will cause traffic problems and presents encroachment issues for the current
neighbors . Los Gatos needs to back away from overbuilding and over accommodating . Last week I
witnessed a house approved , disregarding the planning committee's ongoing recommendations, just
because it had been around for a long time and because many "friends" were called in to testify. I
believe that neighbor's views should have been given more consideration, since they have to live with
the decision . Why do we have a Planning Committee??? They research and know what they are
doing, I assume , but they are often times overridden by the council. That's concerning!!!
The developer has been playing games in the community to sway votes his
way. Flyers .... Shuttles .... more business .... we all know that isn't going to happen the way he has
presented it. Do we want that kind of person building in and changing our town??? Not good for Los
Gatos!!
Please honor the Planning Committee's recommendation and refuse the Alberto Way
development.
Thank you ,
Mary M. Patterson
119 Vista Del Campo
Los Gatos
Jennifer Armer
From:
Sent:
To:
Subject:
Bajis Katwan <bajis@me.com >
Saturday, September 16, 2017 11:42 AM
voiceheard@401albertoway.com
Please approve 405 Alberto Way
This project will be great project for the entire community and also create great jobs and opportunities for the Los Gatos
economy and help also surrounding areas of the project.
Thank you for hearing my voice.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Thank you & have a great rest of your day!!
"The greatest success come from having the freedom to fail"
Bajis Katwan
GMSI
"The greatest mistake you can make in life is to continually be afraid you will make one"
Jennifer Armer
From:
Sent:
To:
Cc:
Subject:
Lo s Gatos Town Council,
Brad Bening < Brad@wsbclawyers .com >
Saturday, September 16, 2017 2:14 PM
voiceheard@401a lbertoway .co m
Brad Bening
Plea se approve 405 Alberto Way
I am writing in support of the project under consideration for 401 Alberto Way.
I am an attorney with offices in the Fairmont Plaza , Class A space in downtown San Jo se. My firm wanted to re-locate to
the west valley, preferably Los Gatos where many of us live. However, there is a real absence of quality office space in
Los Gatos, requiring us to now be considering space in Campbell, and probably the Pruneyard.
I know there are many other professionals and business people from Los Gatos who would love to not only live in LG
area, but work here.
My firm supports a host of lo ca l business, copy services, restaurants, hotels for guests and clients, as well as a host of
other economic activity.
It appears to me the developer has brought a host of great ideas to the table to make this project really work for the
residents of the LG area, in additio n to being a quality long term office project.
Plea se accept this in support of the project.
Brad ley A . Be nin g, Esq.
50 W . San Fernando Street, Suite 400
San Jose, CA 95113
Dire ct Dial : (408) 494-9209
Facsimile: (408) 295-6375
brad@wsbclawyers.com
www.wsbclawyers.com
W illoughby St uar t
Bening & Cook
Jennifer Armer
From:
Sent:
To:
Subject:
Jon Shank <jon.shank @gmail.com >
Saturday, September 16, 2017 2:34 PM
voiceheard @401albertoway.c om
Please ap p rove 405 Alberto Way
I am writing an e-mail in support of the 401 Alberto Way development, which is directly across the street from our
property at 53-57 Los Gatos-Saratoga Road (Best Western Inn of Los Gatos and Grill 57 property). The u se being
pursued seems appropriate for the site, and the architecture appears appealing and fitting of Los Gatos. Class A office
space near a major freeway with on/off ramps in all direction s makes sense, and it is likely that the deve loper could
attract a solid tenant (or tenants) that brings highly-paid employees to Los Gatos. With thi s type of tenant typically
comes employees that are likely to spend money in the Lo s Gatos community. This could have the multi-fa ceted effect
of increasing revenues at local busine sses and in creasing ta x revenues. Specifically for us, this development co uld help
increase revenue at our property and thus increase the taxe s we pay to the Town of Los Gatos. It would al so be nice to
see jobs being brought to an area where there is housing.
We would greatly look forward to providing services for the new tenants at 405 Alberto Way, and we hope that the
community has come to see the project's merits.
Be st regards,
Jon Shank
Jennifer Armer
From:
Sent:
To:
Subject:
City Council & Others:
Suzanne Bell <suzannebell99 @gmail.com >
Saturday, September 16, 2017 2:58 PM
voiceheard@401albertoway.com
Support For 405 Alberto Way Project
I have followed this proposed project clo sely throughout the planning and revision process and would like to convey my
support. I am aware of the modifications and compromises that the developer has made and believe that the project in
its current form would be a great asset to the community at large, as we l l Alberto Way in particular. Los Gatos is in great
need of contemporary office space in order to attract new tenants, their vitality and purchasing power. While at times I
am personally gui lty of resisting change, the benefits of this project far outweigh what I believe to be the largely
mitigated issues. I am looking forward to the meeting on the 19th and am hopeful to see this project moving forward
with council's support.
Sincerely,
Suzanne Adams Bell
Jennifer Armer
From:
Sent:
To:
Subject:
Robert McBain <ramcbain@icloud.com >
Saturday, September 16 , 2017 3:08 PM
voiceheard@401albertoway.com
Please approve 405 Alberto Way
I am in favor of this project, please approve this particular use. I designed the original project in the early sixties and it is
time to update the whole area.
Sincerely,
Robert A. McBain
207 Palmer Drive, Los Gatos 95032
Sent from my iPad
Jennifer Armer
From:
Sent:
To:
Subject:
Hello,
Nick Casaccia <nickcasaccia@gmail.com>
Saturday, September 16, 2017 5:11 PM
voiceheard @40lalbertow ay .com
405 Alberto Way Support
I am writing in support of the 405 Alberto Way development. The basis for my support is the following:
-Higher property tax base -more revenue to the town general fund
-Boost downtown businesses during work days
-The development is LEED certified and an upgrade of an antiquated complex
-The developer proposes to widen Alberto Way and add in bike lanes
Thank you for your consideration of these points.
Nick Casaccia
Jennifer Armer
From:
Sent:
To:
Subject:
julie m <msjulie33@gmail.com >
Saturday, September 16, 2017 8:04 PM
Jennifer Armer
Yet another crowded development
Re Alberto Way development -I hope the town holds firm and resists allowing another oversized traffics generator to
further choke our town. Every square inch seems a target for some new development while the roadways are already
choked and over capacity ...
The Alberto Way cul-de-sac is already home to 221 condominium/townhouse residents, one of which
is exclusively senior living .
Julie @ Whitney ave
*******
Jennifer Armer
From:
Sent:
To:
Subject:
Jennifer,
Matt Ashburn < mashburl@gmail.com >
Sunday, Septembe r 17, 2017 8:12 PM
Jennifer Armer
In Opposition to 405 Alberto Project *PLEASE READ*
My name is Matt Ashburn. I've been a home owner at 420 Alberto Way since 2009. I grew up in Los Gatos at 19020 Ojai
Dr. I'm writing this to formally co mmuni cate to MY TOWN'S COUNCIL that i'm opposed to the proposed project at 405
Alberto. It's size and the traffic it will bring to our small, dead-end street will be debilitating.
I support getting a new building on that lot, but it needs to "fit in", aesthetically speaking, with the surrounding area. No
different than how the town and our town counci l would feel about a similar proje ct near downtown.
I know i speak for many of my surrounding neighbors -WE DO NOT want Lamb Partners to build their proposed mega
structure on the corner of our street.
Appreciate the consideration.
Matt
Jennifer Armer
From:
Sent:
To:
Subject:
Ms. Armer,
Alex Granas <alex.granas@gmail.com>
Sunday, September 17, 2017 8:55 PM
Jennifer Armer
Opposing 405 Alberto Way proposal
Please forward to the town council.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Honorable Town Council,
I am writing you to bring to your attention the deceitful practice of the developer for the proposed 405
Alberto Way.
It seems that after being rejected by the town's commission, LAM must have hired a PR firm. All of a sudden
they appear to be the best friend and neighbor of everyone in town . They must have hired a very good firm
because it seems like they are able to make a positive image of themselves.
It does not change the facts . The commission denied their application for a reason .
The abrasive approach they took initially, including lying to the neighbors, seems to be masked by greed
driven PR. Only after the commission rejection and prior to the council meeting they created very nice
brochures, joined the Chamber Of Commerce, The Kiwanis, provided a Shuttle Bus and deceived the school
board. They are not going to be a good neighbor to u s on Alberto Way or to the town. When the only
motivation for acting nice is "greed" there will be no reason for them to continue once their project has been
approved . By then, however, the damage will be done and irreversible.
I urge you to see their "nice" act for what it is and reject their request.
Regards,
Ale x Granas
President of the Board of Pueblo de Los Gatos and former Lo s Gatos Elementary School Board member
420 Alberto Way #41, Los Gatos.
408-905-8531.
Jennifer Armer
From:
Sent:
To:
Cc:
Subject:
Dear Town Council Members,
Sergey Melnik <s ergmelnik@g mail.com>
Monday, September 18, 2017 1:22 AM
Council
Jennifer Armer
405 Alberto Way
My name is Sergey Melnik, I live across the proposed 405 Alberto Way development.
I would like to bring a few things to your attention regarding the developer.
Sometime after they got a unanimous rejection from the Planning Commission they changed their tactic of ignoring the
neighbors and Planning Commission requests (all their changes to the project were cosmetic ones). Their current tactic
is to become friends with whoever in the town they could. They now have some support from the local businesses and
even municipal organization -Los Gatos High School and they also claim to have support from the Planning Staff.
Not sure how Planning Staff can support the developer when Planning Commission was clear that the developer did not
address most of the concerns pointed out to them (traffic impact, mass, and scale are the main but not the only ones).
But I'm sure that the businesses that supported the developer heard only one side of the story, like having a free shuttle
that will benefit the town and their businesses in particular. Not only that shuttle itself does not address issues raised to
the developer but it won't help businesses as well. When I saw the shuttle few times it was almost empty. In addition, if
High School parents were to use the shuttle, more people will be trying to go to Alberto Way and Saratoga Los Gatos Rd
would be blocked at Alberto Way intersection as well, while now it's at Los Gatos Blvd light mostly.
Thi s is just one particular example of the developer's behavior .
Please, be diligent about the case.
Humbly hope that you would support the original Planning Commission decision and most of the re sidents at Alberto
Way.
Sincerely yours,
Sergey Melnik,
420 Alberto Way #43 ,
Lo s Gatos
(650) 215-5415
Jennifer Armer
From : Karen Sza bo [mai lto:szaboka ren420@gmail.com ]
Sent: Sunday, September 17, 2017 7:20 PM
To : Council
Subject : Alberto Way project
Hello,
As I life long resident of Los Gatos, I strongly oppo se this development on Alberto Way. I live directly across the street
with my windows facing the proposed structure. Why? Why would this be something that the Town would approve?
I live on Alberto WAy, I work off of Oka Rd , it often take s me 45 minutes from my drive way and arrive to work. That is
about four maybe five miles!
It takes me over an hour to get back home due to our grid lo cke d streets.
Plea se do not allow this project to be built !
Thank you for your consideration,
Karen
420 Alberto Way
Jennifer Armer
From: Karen Kurtz [mailto:kurtzk@comcast.net]
Sent: Sunday, September 17, 2017 7:31 PM
To: Council
Subject: 405 Alberto Way
As a Los Gatos resident for 60 yrs, please give strong consideration to deny this project per the planning commission's
recommendation. It is much too large for the area. The town's infrastructure does not support this type of structure or
any other additional commercial building, especially in the Hwy 9 corridor. Our traffic is extremely overtaxed now
without any new commercial, not only in this particular area but anywhere in our town. Somehow traffic abatement
must happen before any more building.
Karen Kurtz
Broadway
Los Gatos
Jennifer Armer
From: Linda Robles [m ailto:linrobles@gma il.co m]
Sent : Sunday, September 17, 2017 8:44 PM
To: Council
Subject : 405 Alberto Way
Dear Council Members,
In the early 1980's my parents lived in Los Gatos Commons. This location offered easy access to downtown Los Gatos
and the grocery stores and shops along Lo s Gatos Blvd. Driving along Alberto Way was safe and easy for my elderly
parents.
Now thirty-five years later the increase in re sidential and commercial developments on Alberto Way have resulted in a
street that is not easy to navigate. It is incomprehensible that any development that would increase traffic at this
already congested location would be approved! The residents who live in the homes, apartments and condos have one
egress! Emergency equipment has one way to reach the residents on this street.
I have been a homeowner in Los Gatos Commons since 2004 . What are we homeowners to do? If you approve this
huge development with the resulting increase in traffic and congestion , I believe Alberto Way will no longe r be a
pleasant, quiet, safe place to live.
Thank you for considering our sincere concerns for our financial investments, safety, and quality of life.
Sincerely yours,
Linda Schneider
Jennifer Armer
From:
Sent:
To:
Cc :
Subject:
Robert Hall <rdh979 @icl oud .co m >
Sunday, Sep temb er 17, 2017 6:47 AM
vo icehea rd @401albertowa y.c om
Daniel Hall
I support the the office project at 405 Alberto Way .
In my view the project proposed for 405 Alberto Way posses these positive characteristics:
• It is an attractive LEED -ce rtified replacement of a 50 year old outmoded office building.
• It fits nicely with the look and feel of Los Gatos.
• It can provide needed local business and employment opportunities.
• It adds to the tax revenue base of Lo s Gatos .
• It com plies with the Los Gatos building standards.
• It is an excellent location near both on and off freeway ramps.
For these reasons I urge all Council members to vote for this appealing project.
Sincerely
Rob Hall
Jennifer Armer
From: Kemp, Melanie [mailto:Melanie.Kemp 'cll cbnorcal.com ]
Sent: Sunday, September 17, 2017 9:48 PM
To: Council
Subject: Re: 405 Alberto Way -See Nextdoor Los Gatos posts on 9-14-17 and 9-17-17
Dear Council Members,
You may not have had time to hear the chatter on Nextdoor Los Gatos regarding the
proposed development of 405 Alberto Way in the past few days, but I think the
resistance to this project by the local community is worth noting.
Most of the residents I spoke with in my Bella Vista Village development this weekend
(at the end of Alberto Way) were quite surprised to hear this is even on the Town
Council agenda. This has quietly slipped from Planning Commission to the Town
Council with most neighbors in my development assuming this project that was
unanimously rejected by the Planning Commission was a dead issue. Very few knew
this was appealed to the Town Council. This play rights into the hand of a developer
whose stated agenda from the beginning was to "outlast the neighbors."
Another overwhelming concern of the community is that those who know this has been
appealed are unaware that the decision by the Town Council in one evening will be
final. There will be no future opportunities as we experienced in the Planning
Commission to further debate this issue .
Please see 3 recent posts to Nextdoor Los Gatos that are attached for your
review. We look forward to further discussion in Tuesday night's Town Council
hearing.
Best regards,
Melanie Kemp
Alberto Way Resident
17 4 Cuesta de Los Gatos Way
Los Gatos, CA 95032
This email may be confidential. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify us immediately and delete
this copy from your system. Nothing in this email creates a contract for a real estate transaction, and the sender
does not have authority to bind a party to a contract via written or verba l communication .
Post to Nextdoor Los Gatos by Craig Stein -9-16-17
Craig Steen, Los Gatos Main 1d ago
Open letter to Spector -You 've been a staunch defender of the older status quo of Los Gatos
despite a lack of support from some council members . And after reading the article in the magazine
L os Gatos Living (Los Gatos. CA: population 90 ,00) which chronicled how the Los Gatos-Saratoga
Boa rd of Realtors in the 60 's wanted to destroy homes in the A lm ond Grove district in order to build
high rise apartments ... using another government mandate (Urban Renewal) I realize how fortunate
we were as the landscape of our TOWN would have bee n changed had it not been for preservation
effo rts by Sandy Decker.
Well , here we are again with de ve lo pe rs buttressed by m isguided state mandates championed by
our own State Assemblyman and Senator ready to furt her destroy what is becoming an overcrowded
e nclave called Los Gatos. As if the North 40 debacle weren 't enough (and we learned it still leaves
20 more acres to be developed) this new proposed monstrosity on Alberto Wy with its 80 .000 sf and
400 employees (p lus who knows how many accompanying patrons) is located rig ht next to one of
the busiest entrances to HWY 17 and affects traffic moving alo ng HWY 9 from one side of town to
the oth er co nnecting at an even busier Los Gatos Blvd.
With "blood in the water"' developers are keen to get in on th e act ion (as evidenced by the glossy
maile r we received) before the entire populace rises up in defiance . Once, again , we need you to
stand strong and de ny thi s project and hopefully other council members will side with you for believe
m e , when elections roll around . we voters have a lo ng memory. Thank-you
Post to N extdoo r Los Gatos re: 40 5 Alb e rto Way on 9.17.17
Melanie Kemp , Los Gat os Ma in
405 ALBERTO WAY -WE WILL NOT FORGET t he Town Council Members
who vote in favor of this project in next year's election
DESPITE THE FACT THAT THIS PROJECT WAS UNANIMOUSLY REJECTED BY THE
PLANNING COMMISSION IN MAY, 2017, the developer has appealed their decision to the Town
Council. Tha t hearing will be Tuesday, Sept. 19 at ?pm in the To wn Chambers. The developer
sub m itted his final a rg ument to the T own Council on Friday , Sept. 15 .
In rebuttal , the Alberto Way Neighborhood Alliance which has been strongly opposed to the size ,
mass and scale of this 83,000 square foot building for the past 1 1/2 years has prepared a response
to the developer's claims , below.
• 400 jobs closer to where people live
• More commerce for downtown Los Gatos
• Free public shuttle service to downtown Los Gatos reducing traffic and parking problems
• Much need cash into Town 's General Fund
•Additional bike lanes and road improvements• Project has full approval from Town's Planning Staff
REBUTTAL --Reasons why this is detriment al to Los Gatos
1 . The developer conten ds there will be 400 jobs closer to where people live .
The media n sales price for a sing le family home in Los Gatos in August, 2017, was
$2 , 110,000 according to MLS. There are 15 3-bed room homes for rent within a half mile
radius of this building whose average rent is $4 ,976 per month according to Rentometer.
These employees aren 't going to be able to afford to live in Los Ga tos unless they 're a senior
executive in this building .
T he employees in this proposed office building are likely going to be "worker bees " who are
going to cause an additi o nal traffic burden at the intersection of Alberto Way and Highway 9
which is already bogged down with school traffic and drivers e nt ering onto and exiting from
Highway 17. Please drive this route a ny time M-F from 7:30 to 9:15am to see this intersection
for yourself. The EIR traffic report for this project is based on statistics that are 35 yea rs old
and completel y out of date wi th today's traffic reports.
2 . More commerce for downtown Los Gatos businesses?
Downtown is not likely to see more commerce from these proposed high tech employees
because they 'll not likely be leaving their desks for lunch reservat ions or strolling our
boutiques. They've come to Los Gatos for one primary reason -the work . A common Silicon
Valley scenario will have them lunching at their desk and escaping at the end of the day to
drive home. I can only hope they have a reverse commute going north on Highway 17 .
3 . Will one public shuttle bus to downtown Los Gatos significantly impact traffic and parking
problems in downtown Los Gatos?
This lone shuttle is not going to have any signifi cant impact on traffic congestion and parking
problems we have in Los Gatos. It's more likely to follow the same path as this year's bus
route which was shortened due to lack of riders. The developer's trial runs with his shuttle
last week were evidence of this with the shuttle not even half full after his strong solicitation
to Los Gatos High School students. How much traffic are you going to move on a 30-minute
bus route with a school population of 3 ,028 at Los Gatos High , Fisher Junior High and Van
Meter Elementary?
4 . At what expense will this project add cash to the Town's General Fund?
The "much needed cash in the Town 's General Fund " the developer claims he will generate
may be an overstatement because of the employee profile he's hoping to attract and the
extra burden on our traffic this will generate at th e expense of lost property val ues in the
surrounding residential neighborhood. How much is this going to cost the town in new
infrastru cture?
The proposed structure with its 2-level underground parking structure and towering buildings
will block our hill views and congest the ingress/egre ss on Alberto Way. The Los Gatos
Commons condominium development on Alberto Way is designated senior housing and
home to 121 residents. In total, there are 227 residents on this dead-end st reet that stand to
be affected.
5. Additional bike lanes and road improvements?
Additional bike lanes and road improvements a re something we should do on Alberto Way
once it's decided what appropriately sized building is going to be constructed here. The
Planning Commission recommended reducing the 83,000 square foot building by one third to
one half, but th e developer told the Planning Commission he was not willing to make ANY
reduction. He played hardball. The Planning Commission unanimously said "no ."
6 . Does 405 Alberto Way really have the full support of the Town's Planning Staff?
One of my ne ig hbors and I met with the Jennifer Armer, Associate Planner for the Town , on
9.14.17. Ms. Armer said whil e the Planning Staff did approve the criteria for building
requirements more than a year ago , she added the Planning Staff supports the Planning
Commission 's decision to deny t his project and has forwarded this denial to the Town
Council. In his misleading information to the publi c, the developer has stated his project has
the full support of the Planning Staff."
IN CO NCLUSION
The developer has not made any changes to his building plan since receiving a unanimous
rejection from the Planning Commission in May , 2017 . Inst ead , they hope that the Town
Council -in one hearing -will overturn the Planning Commission's decisio n after the
Planning Commission spent a n exhaustive 1 Y2 years studying the impact of this p lan on the
town in general and this Alberto Way neighborhood in particular.
Clearly, 405 Alberto Way will not provide significant economic gain to our community w i thout
negatively impacting the quality of life our loca l residents enjoy. The cost to the T own of Los
Gatos for the extra infrastu ctu re require d to accommodate this project is immeasurable .
This is the largest scale office building that's ever been conceived in the heart of our town
a nd cou ld not be lo cated at a busier artery to downtown. Please don 't let an ou t -o f-town
deve loper destroy the heart and soul of our community. Once he closes escrow , he 's not
going to feel the impact t his wi ll have on our lives .
THIS PLA N WAS UNANI MOUSL Y REJE CTED BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION AFTER
1 1/2 Y EARS OF HEAR INGS AN D TESTIMONY. Still , I remain cau ti ous about the Town
Co un cil's final decision at the Sept.19 hea ring sin ce one council member touted at last
week's hea rin g "We're the Town Council. We can do whatever we want."
We're putting faith in the council this time to do wha t is in the best interest of THE
RESIDENTS of Los Gatos and uphold th e Planning Com mission 's un a nim o us decision to
deny this pla n . I PROMI SE T H IS TOWN COU NCI L , we will re member th e names of those
who approve this developer's appeal over the Planning Commission recommendation to
d e ny this project based on size, mass and sca le .
EMAIL YOUR TOWN COUNCIL: Council @LosGatosca .gov
ATTEND FINAL PUBLIC HEARING :
Sept. 19 -?pm
Town Council Chambers
110 E. Mai n Street Lo s Gatos, CA
Me lan ie Kemp
A lberto Way Resident
174 Cuesta de Los Gatos W ay
Los Ga tos, CA
Post to Nextdoor Los Ga t os re: 405 A lbe rt o Way on 9.14.17
Melanie Kemp , Los Gatos Main l
405 ALBERTO WAY: Developer's Glossy Brochure is a Con for Getting Town
Council Approval
I applaud well-planned public transportation . As a resident of Los Gatos for the past 17 years , I also
recognize the problem our town is having with the lack of sufficient parking and the in creased
congestion we 're experiencing both downtown and in our residential neighborhoods.
I'm afraid the intersection of Alberto Way and Highway 9 near the Los Gatos Lodge is no exception .
The problem is exacerbated by the fact that this is also the intersection of major arteries transporting
3,928 children to the local elementary school , junior high and high school with two access ramps on
and off Highway 17.
A glossy , multi-page color brochure was mailed last week and social media advertising is currently
blasting to thousands of Los Gatos residents and local merchants by a developer who 's spending an
enormous amount of money to win approval from the Town Council to build an 83,000sf office
building at 405 Alberto Way with two levels of underground parking. The new plan would replace an
existing 36 ,000 sf building. The developer estimates there will be 400 employees on site.
Contrary to what the developer purported in his glossy brochure , this plan has been STRONGLY
contested by four residential developments on Alberto Way comprised of 221 homeowners on the
basis of size , mass and scale and was UNANIMOUSLY REJECTED BY THE PLANNING
COMMISSION several weeks ago after numerous hearings in the Town Council Chamber for the
past ye a r and a half.
The Planning Commission suggested the developer reduce his square footage by one third to one
half w hich the Alberto Way neighbors supported , but the developer flatly rejected ANY reduction .
The developer is now appealing the Planning Commission 's unanimous decision to reject the
proposed plan to the TOWN COUNCIL in a hearing scheduled for September 19. See details , be low.
In a clever attempt to overturn the Planning Commission's prior decision , the developer is offering a
clever "cookie" to the Town Council and downtown merchants by providing a small shuttle bus from
his new building site that will circle downtown Los Gatos every 30 minutes from Monday through
Friday to alleviate downtown traffic and congestion IN EXCHANGE FOR THE TOWN COUNCIL'S
APPROVAL OF HIS PROJECT.
Unfortunately, this developer's offer is plagued with problems:
1. The developer has made a strong appeal to local students ; but realistically if you 're a high school
student and miss this west bound shuttle at 2: 1 Opm, are you going to wait another 30-40 minutes to
catch it on the next loop ?
2 . Half the student population from Los Gatos High School goes east on Main Street after school
rather than west on Main Street. How d oes this shuttle serve even high school stude nts ?
3 . As a downtown shopper, are you going to wait for the next bus with bags in hand? That's
assum ing , of course , there are no other students or Los Gatos residents already on this shuttle . (Los
Gatos High School currently has 2 ,060 students; Fisher Junior High has 1,288 ; and Louise Van
Meter Elementary has 580 for a total of 3,928 students.)
4 . No one can plan on this shuttle as a reliable means of transportation . This is a particular problem
for students and their parents. Some days the student may catch it, most days they will not.
5 . How realistic is it that one shuttle is going to cause any appreciable difference in the parking and
traffic congestion we have in Los Gatos? To move a substantial amount of traffic , most communities
run large shuttles approximately every 10-15 minutes . How many LARGE shuttles would it take to
sufficiently provide service to downtow n Los Gatos?
6 . Do you think the developer would ever agree to maintain the expense and liability of running
MULTIPLE shuttles all day in Los Gatos from his building site, or is this one small shuttle just
another ploy to win the Town Council's approval?
7. If the T own Council approves this project and the developer then decides to sell it , there is no
obligation for the next owner to provide any shuttle service .
Let's call this what it is ... a cookie offered to the Town Council which does not come close to
alleviating our traffic congestion in exchange for approving the developer's plan to build an 83,000
square office building which will only increase our traffic problems with their estimated 400
employees.
What can you do?
1. We strongly encourage you to attend the Town Council hearing on Tuesday, September 19
at ?pm at the Town Council Chambers at 110 E. Main Street in Los Gatos to request a
smaller development. Our town is bursting at the seams. We don 't want an enormous office
complex in this residential neighborhood. The Alberto Way cul-de-sac is already home to 221
condominium/townhouse residents , one of which is exclusively senior li ving .
2. Please "like" this page on NextDoor and forward to your friends. Post to Facebook .
3. Email the Town Council members with your concern. All emails must be receiv ed no later
than 11am on September 14. Send your email to jarmer@losgatosca.g ov who will make sure
these are in the Town Counci l members' packets .
Eel lt:<J ".\d ago · 34 neighborhoods in Gonor;,f
Reply
40 Thanks · 21 Replies
Laun Patton. Los Gates Ma111 4d ago
Thank yo u!!! Co mpletely agree !!
T hanked!
2 Thanks
Melanie Kemp. Los Gatos Main· 4d ago
Thanks, Laura. I hope you'll be able to emai l j am1er@losga losca .gov so the Town C o uncil hears
your voice before Tuesday's hear ing. Cut-off for submissions is 11am tomorrow.
1 T hank
Ali Miano. Los Gatos Main4d ago
Thank you for th is update. Rei ated to thi s is that there are extreme ly limited public transportation
options here , contributing to an expone ntial g rowth i n traffic. What would help in LG, with or without
this development, is the light ra i l. Extending it from Campbell to Vasona Station would be a piece of
cake, but they really should extend it to downtown LG and frankly, to Santa Cruz to alleviate the
hellacious beach traffic. Anyway, this sounds like another developer trying to take advantage of LG
and giving little or nothing in return , much like the development proposed on the corner of Santa
Cruz Av. and Hwy 9. Why does most of the development benefit a select few. and very little
development benefits us all???
Thanked!
6 Thanks
M e!ante Kemp, Los Gatos Main-4d ago
Good point, Ali. Developers have much deeper pockets than the residents whose
neighborhoods/communiti e s they invade.
2 Thanks
Sharon MArtin, Los Gatos Main·3d ago
As a senior residing at 443 A lberto Way, I hope everyone hears our concerns loud & clea r .... this
building will effect every one of our lives in a negative way. Yes , I have written a note to Jennifer, we
will B ecome prisoners in our own development. Our traffic problem will continue to grow & soon you
won't be able to get into or out of our area!
T hanked!
8 Thanks
Ali Miano, Los Gatos Main·3d ago
Ple ase keep u s posted and let us know when this is going up before the Town Council. We should
show up in droves and send the developer packing .
Thanked!
4 Thanks
Jannette Scott. Los Ga tos Main·3d ago
@Ali -This Tu esday, September 19th@ 7 PM .
Thanked !
2 Th anks
Melanie Kemp. Los Gatos Mair· 3d ago
Th anks for your support , Jannette .
1 Thank
M~lanie Kemp Los Gatos Main 3d ago
VERY IM PORTAN T TOW N COUNCIL HEAR ING : Tu esday, Sept 19 a t ?pm (Re com mend yo u arri ve
by 6 :30 since we run o ut of seating quickly .) TOWN COUNC IL CHAMBERS 110 E. Main Street Los
Gatos, CA
3 Thanks
JoAn Sm ith. Espana Oaks 3d ago
How do I post t his in Face book ?
Thanked!
1 Thank
Al. Miano. Los Gatos Main·3d ago
Oh no! That's my significant ot her's bi rthday , and on t he eve of my biggest work day of the year. I'll
do what I can to be the re .
Tha nk
1 T hank
Angelia Doerner, Los Gatos Main 3d ago
Actu a lly, emails t o the T C will be accepted a nd give n to the TC until 11 :OOa m on th e day of th e
meeting, Sept 19. This morni ng 's "dead lin e " was for anythin g you wanted posted on-line at th e same
time (tonight) as the A ge nda is posted . Emails received by the Town by 11 :OOam tomorrow morning
(Friday) will be posted on-l ine Frida y night. Anyt hing received between 11 :OOa m Friday morning and
11 :OOam Tuesday will be posted on-line as a "Desk Item" Tuesday afternoon prior to the meeting.
Please send your emails dire ctly to Council@LosGatosCA.gov .
Thanked!
2 Thanks
Ron l\ehi, Los Gatos Main·3d ago
I too a g ree it is a poor location for major development. Also I keep getting ta rgeted ads to support
this development guess that Goog le hanse cons ci ence regarding revenue. Town resident 50 years.
Thanked!
5 Thanks
Rosemary Bacy Kennedy North· 3d ago
Ron . what is "ha nse"?
Thank
Ron Kehl, Los Gatos Main 3d ago
has no conscience .. got in a rush
T hank
1 Thank
Cindy Schneider, R1nconada 2d ago
Speaking from experience, as a member of the small group who attended every Town Council
meeting , in opposition to the abomination called the North 40 ......... if you want to stop this. or at least
alte r th is , yo u need representatio n! We had s uch a hard time getting ci tizens to attend these
meetings! Hard to beli eve when you conside r the resulting consequences ..... It's not that hard to
attend a meeting , speak for 3 minutes , and fe el good about saving you r ne ighborhood /town!
Thanked!
4 Thanks
Angelia Doerner Los Gatos Main· 2d ago
I've been at all the PC meet ings for this. I was amaze d at how many residents were not only in
attendance, but spoke with great info/research/etc. I learned a lot too. Hope to see a stellar crowd on
Tues -the develo per's tactics latel y a re worrisome -about as trustworthy as some of their blatant
misrepresenta ti o ns during prio r PC testimonies .
Thanked!
2 Thanks
Angelia Doerner, Los Gatos Main·2d ago
@Ron -Google?
Thank
Diane Siemens. Los Gatos Mai n · 1d ago
Sounds like a good location for so me kind of live-work development with housing· above commercial.
T hanked '
1 Thank
Craig Stt:en . Los Gatos Main 1d 190
open letter to Spector to Spector You 've been a staunch defender of the older status quo of Los
Gatos despite a lack of support from some council members. And after reading t he article in the
magazine Los Gatos Living (Los Gatos. CA: population 90,00) whi ch chronicled how the Los Gatos-
Saratoga Board of Realtors in the 60's wanted to destroy homes rn the Almond Grove district in
order to build high rise apartments . using another government mandate (Urban Renewal) I realize
how fortunate we were as the landscape of our TOWN would have been cha nged had it not been for
preservation efforts by Sandy Decker. Wel l, here we are again with developers buttressed by
misguided state mandates championed by our own State Assemblyman and Senator ready to further
dest roy what is becoming an overcrowded enclave called Los Gatos. As fi the North 40 debacle
weren 't en ough (and we learned it still leaves 20 more acres to be developed) this new proposed
monstrosity on Alberto Wy with its 80 ,000 sf and 400 employees (plus who knows how many
accompanying patrons) is located right next to one of the busiest entrances to HWY 17 and affects
traffic moving a long HWY 9 from one side of town to the other connectin g at an even busier Los
Gatos Blvd. With "blood in th e water" developers are keen to get in on the action (as evidenced by
the g lossy mailer we received) before t he entire populace rises up in defiance. Once, again, we need
you to sta nd strong and d eny this proje ct and hopefully other council m embe rs will s id e with you for
believe me , when elections roll around, we vot e rs have a long memory. Thank-you
T hank
7 T hanks
Jennifer Armer
From: Bob Burke [mailto:bobburkeat@gmail.com]
Sent: Friday, September 15, 2017 8:26 PM
To: Town Manager
Subject: Lamb Partners are saying that the Planning Staff has approved the 83K square foot Alberto Way project
Dear M s. Previtti
I delivered a 3 minute talk at the Sept 5 TC meeting and ended by asking the Council to keep a watchful eye on
the pro-development Planning Department Staff Members .
Attached is a print from Lamb's 40 I albertoway.co m web site in which it says :
"405 Alberto Way has the full support of the Town 's Planning Staff and meets all the Town 's General
Plan and Zoning requ irements . In spite of th is, the project was rejected by the Town 's Planning
Commission ."
Lamb has misled us every step of the way thus far and his attempt to divide the Town with the PR
campaign they are now waging was anticipated and predictable . Lamb is drumming up support with
misleading messaging and is not winning friends in pursuit of the largest and post profitable
development he can get the Town to approve.
Lamb started by misleading Kiwanis and stirred controversy around Fiesta de Artes . Mr. Lamb told
the Alberto Way residents at a "community meeting" that he was going to build his 83K sq ft building
whether we lik ed it or not.
This statement, combined with the pro-development actions of the planning staff thus far are why I
mentioned it.
The negative impacts on not just residents of Alberto Way but on the rest of the LG Citize ns who'll
ha ve to put up with the added traffic going forward have never been a concern for the LG planning
staff.
The 405 Alberto Way project as proposed fails to meet dozens of LGs General Plan and Commercial
Desi gn guideline requirements .
The EIR is riffe with environmental impact omissions and laughably ridiculous minimal mitigations.
Especially understated is the traffic impact as the studies upon which they're based are now 35 years
old and today's SV high tech companies , w ith commuter policies that allow part time pre sence , can
double or more the tri ps that would otherwise be generated by "come in during AM rush and leave
during PM rush .
We have 4 rush hours on Hwy 9 as it is : AM School , Lunch , PM school and end of work. I personally
did traffic counts & photos .
We sincerely hope you 've seen our submissions from May 2017 and August 2016 documenting the
violations of objective requirements carried in LGs GP & COL.
You have th e opportunity to support th e LG citizens who e lected you.
The Co un cil furthermore may be vu ln erable to lawsuits regardless of the decision it makes : the town
is seething over traffic as it is and Alberto Way residents rea lize the PD will crea t e unrecoverable
prope rty va lu e damages .
Please keep this monster commercial development down to a size that's compatible with the area ,
perhaps half the presently proposed square footage under roof without UG parking .
Looking forward to seeing you T uesday.
Regard s,
Bob Burke
408-89 6-7896
"Time ly action combined with market knowledge creates exce llence and value in the introduction of new
technology."
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405 Alberto Way.
Good for Los Gatos.
Lamb Partners. a leading Bay Area property development firm. is seeking to t ransfo rm an aging office complex located at 405
Alberto Way in Los Gatos into a modern. LEED-certified office build ing.
W hy is that good for Los Gatos?
Over 400 high-paying jobs closer to w here people l ive
More commerce for downtown Los Gatos businesses
Free public shuttle bus service to downtown Los Gatos. reducing traffic and pa rking problems
Much needed cash into the Town's Ge neral Fund
Additional bike Lanes and road improvements
405 Alberto Way has th e full support of the Town's Planning Staff and meets all the Town's General Plan a nd Zon ing
requirements. In spite of this. the project was rejected by the Town's Pla nning Commission.
That's why we're appearing before t he Town Council on September 19th to gain their approva l
We believe the facts show that 405 Alberto Way will provide significant economic gain to our community. w ithout negatively
impacting the quality of life we all love.
Please take a few to learn more about our proposal. And see if you don't agree.
II' e Ychir ./Ole<
·-· ------------~--------
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t,,:;.pyr grit {-1 2v17 Larrh ~\11 tn-=:-r ~-.. 'J' Contact Us
Jennifer Armer
From:
Sent:
To:
Cc:
Subject:
Hello to all,
Cathy J. Cathey <ccathey@bfr.com >
Monday, September 18, 2017 10:32 AM
BSpector; Jennifer Armer; Council
pdlg -neighbors @googlegroups.com
405 Alberto Way proposed project
My name is Cathy Cathey, I live at 420 Alberto Way, and I am writing this email to voice my continued protest to the 405
Alberto Way project. The project is wrong for so many reasons-the location, the size of the project {what happened to
"reduce the size by 30 % minimum" which was stated last year by a member of the town council?), the increase in
traffic during several times of the day to Alberto Way and also to Hwy 9 for all Los Gatos residents, the strain put on this
ONE WAY DEAD END STREET, the environmental impact, and on and on .
Please send this project back to the drawing board! Force the developers to come up with a revised plan that meets the
original request of the town in terms of size (in SQUARE footage -not the "smoke and mirrors" cubic footage), aesthetics,
while keeping the existing residents' needs for health and safety in mind . Put the developers back to real work to create
a project that is in line with what the Town stated last year. And please, please disregard the CATS "free" shuttle-a
distraction and a ploy with no value as it relates to the current proposed 405 project.
Thank you,
Cathy
Cathy Cathey
Co mmercial Sales
Manager
BROOK
FU RN I TURE RE N TAL
Bro ok Furn iture Re ntal
799 E. El Ca1nir0 Re al Sui•t: 20'J I Sun111vale, Ca 94087
P: 4087201252 IM : 4086052360 I E: ccathey@b fr.com
Jennifer Armer
From: sher ry [mailto:sherry17s@prodigy.net]
Sent: Monday, September 18, 2017 10:51 AM
To: Jenn ifer Armer <JArme r@losgatosca.gov>
Subject: Proposed re-development of 405 Alberto Way
Hi Jennifer
This email is in reference to the proposed development at 405 Alberto Way and I would like a copy to
go to each Town Council member, please
I am a resident at 420 Alberto Way, directly across from the proposed development at 405 Alberto
Way. I want to re-iterate that I am opposed to the current re -development proposal for an 83,000 sf
office building to replace commercial space that is currently only 31 ,000 sf. At more than 2 times the
existing structures (almost 3 times), I feel th is proposed redevelopment is too large and massive for
the neighborhood , and will create a traffic nightmare for not only all the residents of Alberto Way but
for all who must travel on Highway 17, Highway 9, Los Gatos Boulevard, University Avenue, Santa
Cruz Avenue, Blossom Hill and Lark Avenues . The development is supposed to house 400
employees, but only create less than 200 daily trips. Since we don't have mass transit I don't see
how the daily trips can be that low . The bike box and the allowance for bicycle parking at the
development sounds great, but trying to add bicycle riders to Highway 9 is a safety hazard for the
riders as well as a hazard for the automotive traffic, and any pedestrians. Increasing pedestrian
traffic to the site presents the same safety hazard , since you take your life into your own hands trying
to walk across the road at the entrances and e xi ts from Highway 17 (I know, I have done it to try to
walk into town!) The promised shuttle is really an empty promise to make a big difference in traffic as
it only holds 31 people, takes 30-45 minutes to compete its route, and will only operate during the
middle of the day during the workweek, if and only if the building is rented to full capacity. It is
supposed to take up to 400 employees to town for lunch during that period , plus shuttle hundreds of
students to town (ignoring the needs of the students living on the east side of town)? Don't see how
that is possible , either. I applaud the use of underground parking to make the above ground
presentation look nicer, but that is only being used as a means to allow even more additional
buildable space above ground and bring in more traffic to an area already experiencing traffic
problems . Alberto Way is a fairly short street with only one way in and out , and to bring that much
traffic onto the street is just too much for the neighborhood , and too much for the town . I am NOT
opposed to all re-deve lopment here , just re-deveopments like this one that does not fit in with the
character of the existing neighborhood for these reasons . Thank you for your consideration.
Sherry Burke
(408) 313 -8471
Jennifer Armer
From: J Scott <gatosbella@gmail.com>
Date : Monday, September 18, 2017
Subject: Res is t the lbbying by developer
To: gatosbella <g atosbe lla @gmail.com>
Cc: JArmer@losgatosca.gov
Council Members:
The Planning Commission did an intelligent and careful review of this monstrosity being proposed at
405-409 Alberto Way and denied it unanimously .
Now it's your turn to stand with your colleagues and resist! Do not let the propaganda influence you into
making a wrong decision that could change the landscape of Los Gatos forever.
Alberto Way is already a risky road to walk, bike or drive because of its narrow nature and the amout
of traffic, speed, blind spots, and street parking, we really cant handle more. Whatever happens on
this site, safety and quality of life of residents must be priority.
If the developer refuses to reduce this enormous project by 50~o, you should deny approval, and
suggest the owners find a better suited client that can build a project more in line with the
neighborhood and something they' II look back on and be proud of the hands their family property is in.
Kindly,
Jannette Scott
420 Alberto Way
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