Draft Mins 12.15.16 Special North 40
110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● 408-354-6832
www.losgatosca.gov
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
PLANNING COMMISSION
REPORT
MEETING DATE: 01/25/2017 ITEM NO: 1
DRAFT
MINUTES OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION SPECIAL MEETING
December 15, 2016
The Planning Commission of the Town of Los Gatos conducted a Special Meeting on Thursday,
December 15, 2016, at 7:00 p.m.
MEETING CALLED TO ORDER AT 7:00 P.M.
ROLL CALL
Present: Chair Mary Badame, Vice Chair D. Michael Kane, Commissioner Kendra Burch,
Commissioner Charles Erekson, Commissioner Melanie Hanssen, Commissioner Matthew
Hudes, and Commissioner Tom O’Donnell.
Absent: None
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Commissioner O'Donnell led the Pledge of Allegiance. The audience was invited to participate.
SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS/COMMISSION MATTERS None.
VERBAL COMMUNICATIONS
Angelia Doerner
- EIRs, traffic studies, design guidelines, size, and neighborhood compatibility are among the
many items that result in the look and feel of Los Gatos. She and other residents will work
to help the Planning Commission continue to preserve that for the future.
CONSENT ITEMS (TO BE ACTED UPON BY A SINGLE MOTION)
1. Approval of Minutes – None.
PUBLIC HEARINGS
2. North Forty Specific Plan Amendment
Applicant: Town of Los Gatos
Project Planners: Sally Zarnowitz and Joel Paulson
Consider the General Plan Committee’s discussion and provide recommendations
regarding the Town Council’s suggestions for amendments to the North 40 Specific Plan.
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Joel Paulson, Community Development Director, presented the staff report.
Commissioners asked questions of staff.
Opened Public Comment.
Roy Moses
- He is concerned the Town cannot handle the many new development projects coming up,
with their impacts to traffic and schools, and still maintain the look and feel of Los Gatos.
He and other town citizens support a two-year moratorium on building
Rod Teague
- He asked the Planning Commission to prioritize the amendments with respect to spreading
housing evenly throughout all districts, to reduce commercial to a maximum of 225,000
square feet, and make housing affordable to early career professionals.
Bill Hirschman
- He is a small property owner in the North 40 and a developer in Los Gatos. There is no
reason for the Town to be moving so quickly on amending the North 40 Specific Plan
without knowing the outcome of the pending Phase 1 litigation.
Edward Morimoto
- He is concerned with the hasty nature of the North 40 Specific Plan amendment process
ahead of knowing the outcome of the pending Phase 1 lawsuit, and asked the Planning
Commission to proceed cautiously on further commercial restrictions for the North 40 in
the name of protecting the downtown.
Anne Robinson
- The EIR identifies the area of the North 40 along Route 17 as having a high cancer risk, a
significant environmental impact. She asked the Commission to add a requirement to the
North 40 Specific Plan that residential housing must be 330 feet from the Route 17
boundary.
David Weissman
- He supports a suggestion in Exhibit 7 that open space and green space be defined as
schoolyards, playgrounds, public seating areas, public plazas, and vacant lots, which he
believes to be a much better definition than that found in the original North 40 Specific
Plan where streets and sidewalks counted as open space.
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Sam Weidman
- He supports a letter from Leonard Pacheco in Exhibit 10 that summarizes the look and feel
of Los Gatos and suggests avoiding the overuse of concrete, sleek steel, and glass boxes,
particularly in the central area.
Sandy Decker
- She would like to see the North 40 Specific Plan amendments document without the
repetition. The last page of Exhibit 7 lists general comments that discuss “shoulds” and
“shalls” and underground parking, among other subjects, but those comments have not
been addressed for the public and do not give the Planning Commission an opportunity to
make a viable decision.
Markene Smith
- Retail has gone online almost exclusively and the town must capture the “leakage” through
other means, such as a boutique hotel, which would be a perfect solution because of the
great views it would have. A hotel would also accommodate patients and their families
utilizing the new medical centers.
Shannon Susick
- The number one issue in the town is traffic, which needs to be addressed in the revised
Specific Plan with new language regarding traffic studies. A new traffic study is vital at this
time, because of the many new projects planned.
Lee Quintana
- She echoed previous speakers in asking what the rush is to amend the North 40 Specific
Plan? The Planning Commission should request the Town Council postpone further
consideration of the Specific Plan amendments until the outcome of the pending litigation
is known.
Diane Dreher
- She doesn’t consider the North 40 Specific Plan amendments to be rushed through, but
sees it as a very focused and concerted effort.
Closed Public Comment.
Commissioners discussed the matter.
The matter was continued to a date uncertain date for further consideration.
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OTHER BUSINESS
3. Report from the Director of Community Development
Joel Paulson, Director of Community Development, thanked Commissioner Erekson for the
service he provided to the Town of Los Gatos in his past eight years as a Planning
Commissioner.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 10:26 p.m.
TOWN OF LOS GATOS PLANNING COMMISSION
December 15, 2016
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
_____________________________
Joel Paulson
Community Development Director
Prepared by
_____________________________
/s/ Vicki Blandin