Draft Mins 08.09.17
110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● 408-354-6832
www.losgatosca.gov
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
PLANNING COMMISSION
REPORT
MEETING DATE: 08/23/2017
ITEM NO: 1
DRAFT
MINUTES OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING
AUGUST 9, 2017
The Planning Commission of the Town of Los Gatos conducted a Regular Meeting on
Wednesday, August 9, 2017, at 7:00 p.m.
MEETING CALLED TO ORDER AT 7:00 P.M.
ROLL CALL
Present: Chair Tom O'Donnell, Vice Chair D. Michael Kane, Commissioner Mary Badame,
Commissioner Kendra Burch, Commissioner Melanie Hanssen, and Commissioner Kathryn
Janoff
Absent: Commissioner Matthew Hudes
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Vice Chair Kane led the Pledge of Allegiance. The audience was invited to participate.
SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS/COMMISSION MATTERS
None.
VERBAL COMMUNICATIONS
None.
CONSENT ITEMS (TO BE ACTED UPON BY A SINGLE MOTION)
1. Approval of Minutes – July 26, 2017
MOTION: Motion by Commissioner Burch to approve adoption of the Consent
Calendar. Seconded by Commissioner Badame.
VOTE: Motion passed unanimously.
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PUBLIC HEARINGS
2. 105 Newell Avenue
Planned Development Application PD-14-002
Mitigated Negative Declaration ND-16-002
APN 409-24-026
Property Owner: Tango Pappa
Applicant: Camargo & Associates Architects
Project Planner: Jennifer Armer
Requesting approval of a Planned Development to rezone a property from R-1:12 to R-
1:12:PD to allow demolition of an existing building, a four-lot subdivision, and
construction of four single-family residences on property zoned R-1:12.
Jennifer Armer, Associate Planner, presented the staff report.
Opened Public Comment.
Maurice Camargo
- He is the project architect. They are within the floor area ratio the way they calculated it.
They reduced the homes 2,300 square feet in floor area, and also reduced bulk and height.
They stepped the retaining walls further and ensured none of them exceed 5 feet or
obstruct line of sight. They adjusted the lot lines to comply with the R-1:12 zoning, all R-
1:12 setback requirements are now met. A continuous sidewalk that ties to Winchester has
been added on the private road. All maximum height requirements and fence height
requirements have been met.
William Burns
- He has lived at 140 Newell Avenue since 1971 and had to put up with the ugly Elks Club the
entire time. The applicant has presented a very good response to what was there, and
something they all can live with. The project is a great plan that fits in well and is very
compatible with the neighborhood.
Liat Perlman
- She has lived at 183 Newell Avenue with her parents since 1979 and the Elks Club has been
a problem since then. She has never seen a neighborhood so behind a development in Los
Gatos in the last 40 years as they are for the proposed project. In the past year they have
had problems with vagrants at the Elks Lodge throwing objects over their fence, and there
was a fire on the property.
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Khalil Fattahi
- He lives at 123 Newell Court and is a neighbor of the Elks Lodge, which is a nuisance. There
have been eggs thrown over his fence, and there are now homeless there, as well as drug
users and motorcycle gangs. The neighbors have to put up with this, and the Planning
Commission doesn’t get it. The neighborhood does not oppose the project , and the
Planning Commission should approve it.
Dale Miller
- He lives at 150 Newell Court and abuts Lot 1 of the proposed project. He absolutely
supports the development. He walks the neighborhood and doesn’t know of one neighbor
who is against the project. Then agreed with the previous speakers that the Elks Lodge has
been a disaster for the neighborhood, and this proposal will eliminate a neighborhood
eyesore.
Lee Quintana
- She asks if the reason the PD is being used for this property is because they can’t get four
lots with a public street, but they can get four lots with a private street, and is that really
the intended purpose of a PD? She asked the Planning Commission to consider whether a
PD is being used appropriately.
Maurice Camargo
- With respect to the street being shared by all four properties, they proposed the FAR to be
calculated based on the overall calculation using the slope reduction for the entire parcel,
then divided that to the size of each of the lots, giving them four homes between 3,200 and
3,800 square feet that will share the same street.
Closed Public Comment.
Commissioners discussed the matter.
MOTION: Motion by Commissioner Burch to recommend approval to Town Council
for the Planned Development Application and Mitigated Negative
Declaration for 105 Newell Avenue, subject to the following additional
conditions of approval: reduction to the overall square footage of the
homes with all units meeting the FAR as laid out by staff per the Hillside
Development Standards and Guidelines; Lot 4 shall be a single-story
property; and retaining walls shall be as shown on the 3-2-17 drawing
set, which has the step-back feature. Seconded by Chair O’Donnell.
Commissioners discussed the matter.
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Commissioner Hanssen requested the motion be amended to add, “to bring the houses more
in line with the neighborhood as defined in the staff report.”
The maker of the motion accepted the amendment to the motion.
The seconder accepted the amendment to the motion.
Commissioners discussed the matter.
VOTE: Motion passed 4-2 with Vice Chair Kane and Commissioner Badame
opposed.
OTHER BUSINESS
3. Report from the Director of Community Development
Joel Paulson, Director of Community Development
Town Council met 8/1/17; approved Phase One North 40 applications.
Town Council will meet on 8/15/17 to consider a moratorium for the remainder of the
North 40 Specific Plan area.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 8:32 p.m.
TOWN OF LOS GATOS PLANNING COMMISSION
AUGUST 9, 2017
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
_____________________________
Joel Paulson
Community Development Director
Prepared by
_____________________________
/s/ Vicki Blandin