15975 Union Ave - Staff Report Exh.10-14April6, 2015
Ms. Jennifer Savage
Community Development Department
Town of Los Gatos
110 E. Main Street
Los Gatos, CA 95031
RE: 15975 Union Avenue
Dear Jennifer:
ARCHITECTURE PLANNING
RECEIVED
APR -6·:2015
To~ OF LOs GATOS
PLANNING DMSION
URBAN DESIGN
I reviewed the drawings, and visited the site. My comments and ·recommendations are as follows:
Neighborhood Context
The site is a large lot with other Small subdivisions nearby to the north and east. Photos of the site and sur-
rounding neighborhood are shown on the following page.
700 LARKSPUR LANDING CIRClE . SUITE 199 .• lARKSPUR . CA. ~939
EXBJBIT 1 1
TEl: 415.331 .3795
COGPLAN@PAC8Ell.NET
15975 Union Avenue
Design Review Comments
April 6, 2015 Page 5
2 . The perspective sketches for the three homes appear to show modular paving for the driveways in
front of the entries alld garage while the Planting Plan (Sheet L1) shows modular paving only for the
common driveway serving all three homes. Adding modular paving to the individual unit garage aprons
and exterior parking pavmg would be desirable.
I have no other recommendations for changes to this project
Jennifer, please let me kn~ if you have any specific questions or need any other specific issues addressed.
Sincerely,
CANNON DESIGN GROUP
~~
Larrr L. Cannon
Pres1dent
CANNON DESIGN GROUP· 700 LARKSPUR LANDING CIRCLE . SU ITE 199 . LARKSPUR CA. 94939
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MemotoPC
,fobNo: 12-247
Pagel of3
1ahl,lacy 1 ~' 20 13
Summary
The draJQ~g¢ system as d~signed wiU ultimately s~rv~-to meet the goals pf propertY
protec;tion as required by Town drainage desigit polic;y.
We lC?ok .tbtwatcl to:~ eontirtUed considertttlon oftbis appJi~tion and wiJJ attend the
nexthearirig to reSpc)nd to any questions regarding the matter.
Sincerely~
TS/tlVfL ENGINEERING . INC.
Te~nce.J. Szewczyk. P.E.
Principal Engineer
1716 TECHNOlOGY DRIVE. SAN JOSE, CA 95110
4()8.-452-9300 MAIN .408-452-930 1 fACSIMI LE
WWW.TSCIVH..ENG.COM
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(
July 26, 2015
Mr. and Mrs. Darren T. Imai
15065 Blossom Hill Road
Los Gatos, CA 95032
The Los Gatos Development Review Committee
Community Development Department
110 E. Main Street
Los Gatos, CA 95030
Attention: Jennifer Savage
Dear Ms. Savage:
RECEIVED
JUL 2 62015
TOWN OF lOS GATOS
PLANNING DIVISION
I am writing regarding 15975 Union Avenue, subdivision application M-15-
001. Sp~cifically, we need to address an issue with the catch basin on sheets
4, 5, and 7 of the site plans at the southwest comer of the property on
Blossom Hill Road. Essentially this ca.tch basin collects water from a long
stretch of Blossom Hill Road and dumps it on private property. It enters the
catch basin, exits a large connecting pipe onto 15055 Blossom Hill Road and
runs 200 feet downhill and under a fence to a large drain on our property at
15065 Blossom Hill Road. When we have any significant rainfall, it floods
both my neighbors and oux property. Both of us have had water in oux
garages on several occasions. The water flushes the leaves and debris that
frequently collect on Blossom Hill Road, down into the drain on my property,
blocking it completely. I clear the drain and it will flood again, often within
minutes. The drain has to be monitored constantly during any rain event as
a large volume of water literally rushes down the hill.
This is essentially the dumping of storm water on private property. This was
brought to the attention of Fletcher Parsons once before, but no action was
taken. As 15975 Union Avenue is now being developed, it would seem the
optimal time to correct this problem. The catch basin could be tied into the
storm drain system. Ian Carney of Sycamore homes informed us that the
sidewalk and gutter that·now dead ends in the catch basin, will be extended
out to Union Avenue. This is great news, but will only help if the current
catch basin and curb inlet are removed. Otherwise, the bulk of the water will
continue to empty onto private property.
1EXHIBIT 1 3
(
For the past 26 years, we have had to contend with this flood risk. We would
like to respectfully request that the removal of the catch basin and curb inlet
be incorporated into the ·plans. As illustrated in the accompanying
photographs, the drainage system was very poorly designed. As the sidewalk
and gutter are going to be extended as part of the developer's plan,
incorporating this request should be easily accommodated. We spoke to Ian
Carney, and showed him the drainage issues, when he came by to distribute
the plans. He acknow !edged that the current drainage system is not properly
constructed.
We appreciate your consideration of this request and look forward to an
opportunity to discuss it with you. Unfortunately, we will be unavailable the
day of the hearing, but will contact you to arrange a meeting.
Thank you in advance for your attention to ·this matter.
Darren and Shawn Imai
cc: Mr. Ian Carney
Sycamore Homes .
920 Thompson Place, Suite 130
Sunnyvale, CA 94085
Encl: Photographs
To: Los Gatos Planning Department
From: Susanne and Torn Belshe
.···
RECEIVED
AUG -·3 2015
TOVVN OF LOS GATOS
PLANNING DIVISION
Re= Proposed Development of159i5 Union Avenue Piaruiing Meeting -8/4/2015
I live on the street property adjacent to 15975 Union Avenue and admowledge that
there will be housed developed on the property but I have privacy concerns with the
height and the layout of the current plan and drainage concerns.
The propos ed plan has 5'7" tall roofs on top of a two story house that will be raised
even taller based on additional land fill added to build up the elevation. For lot 3,
the garage has a one-story portion and a two story portion. The roof for the one
story garage (with natural elevation and land ftll) is just shy of level with the top of
108 Lasuen Ct's second story roof. The second story (without the 5'7" roof) will feel
like a 3 r d story and the rooftop will tower further! This is not in the character of the
neighborhood.
We would like the town and the developers to consider lowering the elevation of the
homes as well as add appropriate landscaping to screen us from having our new
neighbors peer down onto us.
In addition to privacy concerns, like many on a hillside, we have had our flooding
issues with water flow. We have lived on this property for over 20 years and we
have continually had underground water flow draining through our drains onto the
street. We are very concerned about increasing the preexisting water issue that we
are already working hard to manage. To elevate the property further with landfill
would seem to worsen rather than better the hillside water issu_es.
Lastly, in order of not being r edundant,~ have not reiterated ~he coiilm~~ts made by . . . -. . .
Jan Murray but fully agree and support the comments regarding Town Code Section
29.40.410 (Height), Town Code Section 29.40.405 (Yards), 24.50.065 (Sidewalks)
POU HOU 2.5 (New single-family developments shall be compatible with the
character of the surrounding neighborhood, as well as her comments on Drainage,
Survey Makers and Story poles and existing vegetation and the Town Review and
Approval Process.
Sincerely,
Susanne Belshe
408-356-6708
108 Lasuen Ct,
Los Gatos, CA 95032
susannebelshe@gmail.corn
0~
c) Safety: if the currently planned drivewt.1 .s considered wide enough for two vehicles to pc.~.s in opposite directions, then it supports
two way traffic . How can you then call it a driveway? Won't a width wide enough for two way traffic encourage parking , which now
returns us to the problem of the safety of one lane access to the back 2 lots?
d) Safety: this "driveway" Is the common and only access for both vehicle and foot traffic to the back 2 lots. Where is the sidewalk that
would keep people , especially children, safe when both foot traffic and vehicle traffic are sharing the common road {"driveway")?
e) Safety: Where is the curbing that will keep vehicles which enter the driveway and then will tum around 180 degrees to exit the
driveway, either with or without the help of open garages, from hitting and damaging the fence across the common roadway from the
houses , and perhaps rolling downhill through that fence into any of the neighboring properties? How many feet will that curb be from
the fence? Again how can you call a common roadway in the middle of which all vehicles must somehow tum around to safely exit the
property a "drivewayn?
f) Los Gatos Design Guidelines about minimizing exterior lighting impact on neighbors: The houses are close to the road {"driveway")
and the garages are closer. It is very standard to see significant lighting from houses onto garage entrances, "driveways", and 2nd
story buildings on their main entrance side. Please note: whatever claim a builder may make about the main entrance or "front door"
being on the other side (south side) of the properties from the "driveway", since the "driveway• is the only access , clearly the north side
facing the road ("driveway") will be the main (most frequently used) entrance to all of the houses. Some people are also very likely to
install motion sensors and timers that brighten garage entrances and that will brightly light driveways . In short, the entire entrance road
("driveway") area will likely be lit by bright lights and those lights will likely be going on and off all night. We at 104 Lasuen, and our
neighbors on either side, have main areas of our houses facing South towards the about to be installed lighting. Here I refer to
kitchens , breakfast areas, master bedrooms, family rooms, porches, and high activity private yard spaces. The current design is clearly
going to maximize, not minimize, exterior lighting impact on neighbors.
Thank you for your attention.
Sincerely,
Peter D. Costigan Jr.
2
(
August 2, 2015
To: Town of Los Gatos Development Review Committee
Subject: August 4, 2015-Public Hearing Agenda Item #3, 15975 Union Avenue
Subdivision, Architecture, and Site Applications
cc: Jennifer Savage, Senior Planner Town of Los Gatos
RECEIVED
AUG -.~ 2015
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
PLANNING DIVISION
I am Orville Buesing residing at 15892 Union Avenue for the past 42 years. There have been five
properties developed along the intersection of Union A venue and Blossom Hill Road in the past twenty-
five years. In each case, adjacent properties have been negatively impacted with drainage issues and
obstruction of views of the hills.
I request that these applications be referred to the Town of Los Gatos Planning Commission to be
reviewed as separate Site and Architectural Applications independent of each other. The 15975
Union development applications display similar lack of concern for impact to neighborhood properties.
Some items of neighborhood concern are:
1. This proposed three lot with a shared driveway has all the characteristics of a Flag Lot
proposal. The Town of Los Gatos is on record for not supporting flag lots. Saying that the front of
these homes faces Blossom Hill Rd without any access from Blossom Hill certainly is a humorous
concept. A request for a flag lot at the 15928 Union development which is just across the street was
denied only a few years ago. While technicalities can be listed, a twenty foot wide driveway servicing
three properties is not safe should emergency services be required. These homes will each have multiple
cars and it is very likely that one or more cars will be parked along the driveway and creating an unsafe
condition if fire and/or medical vehicles need to enter. Perhaps a two lot development is better.
2. The proposed homes are shown at a two story 28.5 foot height. The grading for the three
proposed pads show pads 2 and 3 graduating 4 feet each above pad 1. Lot three will have a finished
floor height of over 8 feet above lot 1. This overall height will look and feel to adjacent neighbors like it
is a three story house. Two story houses built in this area are typically have a 22 to 25 foot height and
are built on lots that have lower elevation levels. If a three lot proposal is approved, perhaps the house
on lot three could be limited to single story.
3. Drainage in this area is critical. Most all homes in years have sump pumps and experience
dampness under their homes year around, even with the recent drought. For some reason the Town has
taken the position that drainage issues are only because of surface water runoff. Ask long-time residents
and you will hear that in addition to storm water, the fact is that soil tests show solid Clay for many feet
and results in minimizing any percolation. The water table in the area is very high and in a normal
weather year, the high water table results in flooded crawl spaces.
4. The proposed plan shows a six inch pvc drain pipe along Union and another 6 inch pvc drain
pipe along the north side of the property with swales built using pervious soil in the middle of the
driveway. ·What calculations were used to establish a six inch pipe to be adequate? The other adjacent
developed properties had requirements that were more than double this six inch size pipe. Also, a
question to ask is what provisions will be in place requiring the property owners to maintain these
drainage across the rear and side of their property. For the 15982 Union development, the Planning
Commission and Town Council required that each deed have this maintenance as a condition of
ownership.
5. Use of Walls: The plans show many walls around the property. A concern of neighbors is
the continued proliferation of walls along Union. Plastered walls bounce traffic noise and are create
noise similar to highway 85 . Perhaps a vegetated hedge to absorb the sound would be more
environmentally conservative.
Again, I request that the Development Review Committee forward these applications to the Planning
Commission for a full and complete vetting.
Thank you,
Orville Buesing
15892 Union A venue
Los Gatos, Ca 95032
To: Jennifer Savage and the town of Los Gatos planning department
From: Jan Murray
Re: Proposed development of 15975 Union Ave.--housing plan
RECEIVED
AUG -3 2015
TO'M-1 OF LOS GATOS
PLANNING DIVISION
To the planning committee of the Town ofLos .Gatos and the architecture team for 15975 Union Avenue,
I am a neighbor to 15975 Union Ave. 1 have been in contact with the developer Ian Carney periodically
since March. Ian has been very responsive to my inquiries and has provided immediate neighbors with a
proposed development plan. At this time, I still have concerns about the proposal of record. I request
that Ian's development group make changes to the project in keeping with existing town codes and the
town's development plan. Even with those changes, I have continued concerns for the engineering
department regarding the hillside development of a flag lot project with regard to ongoing drainage
management and underground springs management, as well as other city services and safety routes on
Union Avenue. ·
Here is a a list of some of issues identified based on the April development plans for the housing and the
current story pole sample. I will address proposed changes for Union Avenue in a separate memo .
1. Town Code Section 29.40.410 Height
The proposed houses on lots 2 and 3 exceed the town code for height The planned roofline is
. approximately 35 feet above existing elevation topography. These houses are too high and have too large
of a profile. The proposed construction .plan including elevation land fill and structures would change the
actual sunset time on Lasuen Ct properties as demonstrated on August 2nd when at approximately
6:20pm the sun set-behind the Lot 3 story pole structure: natural sunset was officially 8:15pm. Limiting
of daylight hours due to manmade, controllable options is unreasonable and the town should not allow
such unnecessarily high and large structures in the neighborhood.
2, ToWil Code Section 29.40.405 Yards
For R-1: 10,000 the minimum front yard is 25 ft. These proposed houses violate the town code by
placing the front yard (with extra large 3 car garages 720 sq ft) within 2-3 feet of the proposed road.
That's over 20 feet of violations, which is an 80%+ violation, not a minor accommodation. This proposed
street is. too close to the Lasuen Ct. lot lines.
3. Town Code Section 24 .50.065 Sidewalks (and POU HOU 2.4)
Sidewalks are required in subdivisions with lots less than 20,000 sq feet unless its a hillside ... etc. This
proposal does not include a sidewalk for the street in the subdivision.
4. Town Code Section 24.50.065 Off-street parking on Narrow Streets (see also POU HOU 2.4)
The pf9POsal does not provide sufficient off-street parking. It appears that they are proposing to use the
Lasuen Ct. development off-street parking instead of providing-their own.
5. POU HOU 2.5 "New single-family <list omitted> developments shall be compatible with the character
of the surrounding neighborhood.
These over-tall, large facade, elevated homes plan creates structures that tower over and above the
neighborhood. This proposal clearly is not in keeping with the surrounding neighborhood. (Options for
single story and 2-story beautiful home designs can be created with smaller exterior structures. Refer to
Panorama development where adequate 2 story homes were built on existing elevation to under 24 feet.)
6 . Dnunage-This property is located within the Wild Lands zone designation. Although hillside zoning
codes are not strictly required here, changes to the property should be considered with the same
considerations of hillside development including. but not limited to, runoff, structure stability, fire
management and access. The existing developments do not have adequate drainage during storms and
for managing the water table changes. This new development should provide greater drainage capacity
in order to meet minimum needs of this hillside changes and the existing underground springs. In
addition, as a downhill homeowner I require assurance that no changes to the hillside will impact my
property including the house foundation, pre-existing swimming pool, and vegetation. These assurances
should be included as liability coverage in the developer's insurance plan and the future homeowners'
deeds to cover responsibility for any future damages to my property resulting from changes to 15975
Union.
7. Survey markers and story poles and existing vegetation: The sUrv-ey markers and story poles do not
adequately communicate to community members the property lines, proposed topography
manipulations, loss of vegetation, proposed access paths, and proposed structures. Please make the
site proposal markings clearer for community review.
8. Town Review and Approval Process: This project has several challenges; it is a residential flag lot,
hillside development at an intersection that is overloaded by nonlocal traffic at peak commute hours.
Development here should receive the full review process by the town planners, engineers and safety
experts. On the surface it appears that this project is undergoing minimum town oversight rather than
maximum. I urge you to visit this site during morning and evening commute between from mid-
September through November to observe the full impact of the potential changes prior to approving
specific modifications to topography, streets, services, and structures.
Please do take time to visit the site. Feel free to contact me for an appo.intment to come into my
backyard and view the site as it relates to the neighborhood.
Sincerely,
Jan Murray
Jennifer Savage
From:
Sent
To:
Cc
Subject:
Jennifer:
thomas mangano <mangano.thomas@gmail.com>
Thursday, July 30, 2015 2:59 PM
Jennifer Savage
'Orv Buesing'; 'thomas mangano'
Concerns on the 15466 los Gatos application
Thank you for an impromptu meeting with Orv and myself th i s morning. I have been i n my residence for 40
years at 112 Panorama Way and have been actively involved in many of the planning hearings because of my
deep concern that I have for the drainage problems in our general area. There has been one common thread
in virtually all the developments between Blossom Hill Road and Anne Way in our immediate area and that is
the lack of concern for drainage and the acctual realization of the area's drainage issues. As a result 15466
Union is another application with the maximum proposed number of homes and the proposed size of the
home's FAR and impervious area being maxed out, in an area with a topology conditions and soil conditions
that may be better suited to have a more conservative development because .of the drainage conditions that
the current existing homes must accommodate.
I realize that the 15466 Union Application is going to DRC review next Tuesday. I would hope that DlC denies
the application or forwards · the application to the Planning Commission so that the applicant can better
address my dra inage concerns. Additionally, given · that the applicant is using Blossom Hill Road to support the
fact that the proposed subdivision map is not creatfng "corridor lots" (section 29.10.085) yet the direct "paper
access" onto Blossom Hill is not used and an easement corri dor is being created for the individual home
traffic/car access . I would ask that the town review the following court rulings and los Gatos ordinances to
see if the developer is using designated zoning frontage for two uses (setback and access) to maximize the
FARs and is fact skirting court Jaws, for the benefit of the developer only.
1 Loveladies Property Owners Ass'n, Inc. v. Barnegat City Service Co., 60 N.J. Super. 491 (App.
Dlv. 1960);
2 Kefauver v. Zoning Bd., 151 Conn. 144 (1963).
"What can a developer do If its development requires the precious square footage contained within
those easement areas to meet zoning requirements? A close reading of the case law reveals that courts
usually analyze whether the developer can use the easement area for Its proposed use. In Kefauver, the
court refused to allow use of the easement area because "the easement effectively prevents [the
applicants] from using· any part of the macadamized service road as a front yard for their enterprise ...
. " Sometimes, this analysis focuses on the definition of the term "lot." In Love ladies, the ordinance
defined the term "lot" as "land on wh ich a main building and its accessory buildings are or may be placed ,
together with the required open spaces, the location, dimensions and boundaries of which are shown on
the records of Ocean County." Based on this definition, the court found that the easement areas, which
could neither be built upon nor categorized as open space, were riot part of the "lot.'' However, the court
noted that the municipality could amend its ordinance to specifically allow the use of such areas in
calculating "lot" requirements .
1
Before moving forward ... ,ch an application that includes a lot <. .... itaining road easement areas or a
potential roadway dedication, a developer must closely examine the applicable zoning ordinance, and
particularly the definition of the term "lot," to determine If the ordinance permits the use of such areas to
meet yard and setback requirements. If it does not, the developer should not run the risk of obtaining an
Invalid approval by including the area in its lot requirement calculations. Even if the land use board agrees
to allow the developer to use the easement areas in its calculations, the developer should either seek a
variance or go through the formal ordinance amendment process to avoid a third-party attack on the
approval's validity. Although a variance request would Increase the developer's burden of proof and an
ordinance amendment could slow the development process, these options would better serve a developer
seeking to protect the approval rights in its development"
Thank you,
tom mangano
112 Panorama Way, Los Gatos, CA 95032
2
Jennifer Savage
From:
Sent
To:
Subject:
Ron Duncan <ron.duncanl@yahoo.com>
Tuesday, August 04, 2015 8:52 AM
Jennifer Savage
15975 Union Ave development project
To: Jennifer Savage, Town of Los Gatos Planning Department
From: Ron Duncan, 105 Lasuen Ct, Los Gatos
Dear Jennifer,
I live close to the proposed project on 15975 Union avenue that will be discussed in the Los Gatos r own Planning
Meeting on August 4th at 1 Oam. Unfortunately, .I cannot attend the meeting, but I would like to. register a few concerns
about the project.
Specifically, I encourage the planning committee to ensure that the development plan take$ into account downhill
drainage, and Union Avenue traffic.
Drainage: As a downhill neighbor, I'm asking the planning department to ensure that the 15975 Union project takes Into
account the needs for adequate drainage during heavy storms. Our property on Lasuen Court receives runoff from ·
neighboring uphill properties which can be s ignificant -even In moderate storms. In little-to-moderate rain, our sump
pumps are activated to pump away water flowing downhill near our house. During heavy rains; the amount of drainage
can be significant. We have had two instances where our pumps failed and we've had flooding and water damage in the
lower level of our house.
Union Ave Traffic: This project is very close to the Union/Biossom Hill intersection. TraffiC on Union avenue backs up
during commute hours. I encourage the Los Gatos planning department to visit and view the traffic patterns in
person. Please ensure that this project includes a sidewalk and sufficient off-street parking so that it does not add to the
current congestion problems.
Best Regards,
Ron Duncan
105 Lasuen Court, Los Gatos
1
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Jennifer Savage
To: Jennifer Savage
Subject: RE: concerns regarding structure size and height on 15975 Union
From: Susanne Belshe [mailto:susannebelshe@gmail.coml
Sent: Wednesday, December 02, 2015 12:45 PM
To: Erin M. Walters
Cc: Jan Murray; Joni Gimlan; Peter Costigan; Gideon and Joni Gimlan
Subject: Re: concerns regarding structure size and height on 15975 Union
Hi Erin,
After our meeting last moth, I am still concerned about the height of the structures. I am happy that they are no
longer raising the floor base-but would like to see a reduction floor to ceiling heights (the second floor is 9'4"
and the first floor is 1 0' 1" and the room is 6' 7"). 'I_b.e entire building (to tallest point) is 28' 1 0". This is 3'
1 0" taller than the Lasuen Court houses who are already sunken to the property by at least 4 feet -so they
really tower over us.
Thanks,
Susanne
On Dec 2, 2015, at 11:39 AM, Erin M. Walters <EWalters@losgatosca.gov> wrote:
Good Afternoon Jan,
Thank you for your email.
The revised story poles will be installed by the end of this week reflecting the modifications to ·the height and
location of the proposed homes. Revised shadow studies and plans have been submitted for staff review
reflecting the two days of the year June 21 (summer solstice) and December 21st (winter solstice), at three
different times of day 9am, Noon and 3pm. These dates are when shadows are at their longest and shortest.
I am working on getting a reduced hard copy of the revised plans or a digital copy for you. The revised full
sized plans are available for review in the Planning Office Monday through Friday 8 am. to 1 p.m.
Please let me know if you have questions.
Sincerely,
Erin Walters
Associate Plam1er
Community Development Department
110 E Main Street
Town of Los Gatos
Direct Phone: 408-354-6867
Main Phone: 408-354-6872
Website: http://www .losgatosca. gov/897/Planning
Community Development Counter Hours: 8:00AM-1:00 PM, Monday-Friday
1
Please note the upcoming Town closure: vecember L4, 2UD -January I , 2016
~Th ink Green, please consider the environment before printing this e-mail.
The information contain ed in -th is email may be privileged, confidential and exempt from disclosure under applicable law. Th e
information is in tended only f or the use of the individual or entity to wh ich it is addressed. If yo u are not th e inten ded recipient or the
employe e or ag ent res ponsible to deliver it to the intended recipie nt, yo u are hereby notified that an y use, dissemination, distribution
or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in erro r, or are not the named recipien t(s },
please notify the se nder immediately by repl y email and d elete thi s message from your computer. Th ank you.
From: Jan Murray [mailto:alwaysmurrayjl@yahoo.com]
Sent: Tuesday, December 01, 2015 4:13 PM
To: Erin M. Walters
Cc: Susanne Belshe; Joni Gimlan; Peter Costigan; Gideon and Joni Gimlan
Subject: concerns regarding structure size and height on 15975 Union
Dear Erin,
Hello, I hope this note finds you well and that you have enjoyed your
Thanksgiving break .
I am writing today to document my ongoing concern about the he i ght and
size of the proposed development on 15975 union.
Please note that at 3:40pm today, Dec . 1, the sun went down beneath the
top of story pole structure on lot 3, blocking the sun from my property
long before the natural landscape will be doing this. Although the
arc~itectural plans include a shadow study, I do not think that the shadow
study provides a sufficient description of the potential impact to Lasuen
court (addresses 100, 104, and 108) by the proposed 3-lot development plan
with 29ft tall large surface area homes.
Is there any information that will describe the anticipated changes to
sunset and sunrise times for the homes on Lasuen court?
(susane and Joni, please let me know if you are seeing an impact to .your
daylight hours as well. I'll try to keep a record for us to help the
architect understand more clearly the areas of concern.)
Thank you,
Jan
2
From: Susanne Belshe <susannebelshe@gmail.com>
Subject: 15975 Union Avenue Plans
Date: January 20, 2016 at 5:37:44 PM PST
To: Jennifer Savage <jsavage@losgatosca.gov>
Cc: Jan Murray <alwavsmurrayil@yahoo.com>
hi Jennifer,
RECEIVED
M--1-~1
JAN 2 0 2016 ~-19 ... ~-. ... S-19-0 I\
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
PLANNING DIVISION
This is a follow up email regarding the planned homes on I5~75 Union Avenue. As I mentioned
before, my family and I live in an impacted home on I 08 Lasuen Ct, Los Gatos. After reviewing
the revised plans dating November 24, 20I5 I have the following concerns:
I. The houses are too large in terms of height. They tower over their neighboring homes. The
only reduction they have implemented has been a result of the change of the floor base due to the
city's requirement for a different drainage solution. I don't understand why the first floor needs
to be 1 0' 1" tall! Ideally, I would like to see the entire home height reduced! If that isn't
possible, would they consider at least lowering the height of the garage (it is I1' 2" tall!) This
would at least reduce the mass that is closest to Lasuen Ct homes (the garages). I realize that this
would cause the 2nd floor to be bi-level but they have so much unnecessary vertical space add
here to avoid adding the steps (11 '2" tall ceiling in the garage, and duct space in both the floor
and ceiling!)
2. I am concerned about fire truck access with current road design. I believe that the CC&R
excludes anyone from parking in the driveway of lot 3 so that a firetruck can tum around. How
on earth will this be enforced? It is easy for the builders to agree to such terms, but almost
impossible for the owners to actually abide by them.
3. Page A4-3 dated November 19 show significant shadow from lot 2 over our backyard and
house during the winter.
Thank you,
Susanne Belshe
I 08 Lasuen Ct
Los Gatos
408-356-6708
From: Jan Murray and Peter Costigan
To : Erin Walters, the DAC and Planning Commissiori
Re : Review of Proposed Development of 15975 Union Ave Date:1~012016
Thank you so much for working with us and the developer to resolve concerns of issues that impact our
home and neighborhood. ·
Fire Safety: The updated plan to include CC&Rs that ensure proper fire truck access to all 3 homes on
the flag drive helps allay concerns along with the approval of the Rre Department. We would like to see
the CC&Rs to understand how the driveway access path will be kept clear. Also, it appears that Lot 3
has no guest parking at all, which could result In guests parking on the shared driveway or In the fire
truck turn around. Would it make sense to alter the plans for Lot 3 to add guest parking like that of Lot 1
and Lot2? One option is to remove the single car garage leaving that space open for guest parking.
Safety along the flag driveway: I understand that there is a curb along the Lasuen side of the flag
driveway. I remain concerned that a large vehicle could back over the curb and go through the fence
Into my property. How will this be prevented?
Rain water and ground water management: Because this property sits uphill from several neighboring
homes, and because of preexisting groundwater Issues experienced by neighboring homes, addressing
runoff is essential to the success of developing this sloped property. My thanks to you and the
developers for all the work to ensure that the rain water run off and ground water conditions are fully
understood by the town and the developers. We appreciate that you all have reviewed the historical
data as well as the anecdotal descriptions from the neighbors in order to make updates that enhance the
water management plan for the significant changes that will be made to this property. Because the
success of the water management engineering solution will lie in future homeowner compliance, the
content and clarity of the CC&Rs will be essential. Could you please provide us with the planned
content for the water flow maintenance CC&Rs to review?
Height and Mass Impact on Neighbors: At 104 Lasuen, we are very impacted by the proposed
development because we are the middle house on Lasuen. Our house was built with the first floor
oriented toward the south for light while the east and west sides are blocked by neighbors. The north
side is in near constant shade. As stated in earlier memo to the town, the new homes as proposed sit on
an incline above my home and they are several feet taller than my home. They were towering. over,
blocking our view of the hill tops of Los Gatos and some of our view just of the sky. The proposal
originally had the houses so close that that they cast significant shade into my property. The
developers took our feedback and have made some changes, to the topography plan and positioning of
the homes, that have improved the proposal from my perspective. I appreciate these changes, and the
repositioning of the story poles to reflect the changes has been very helpful also. Even with these
changes, the proposed homes are extremely tall, relative to my home, and all Lasuen Ct homes, as well
as the neighboring homes on Blossom Hill. You can see on the plans that the proposed second story
floor elevation is nearly at the Lasuen roofllnes. I'd really appreciate it if the developers would reduce the
overall height of the homes.
The proposed house plans still include ceiling heights on the first floor in excess of 10 feet and on the
second floor the ceilings are 9ft 4". These ceilings are much higher than needed (by most humans) and
likely also require more power per cubic foot to heat and cool. Reducing the ceiling height seems like a
win-win-win solution.
Union Ave Traffic management and road striping: We have concerns about the safety of Union Avenue
access for Lasuen Ct. and Leewood Ct. during peak hours. It will be very helpful to have Union Avenue
clearly striped as a 2-lane road with side parking and bike access to minimize the number of drivers who
treat Union Avenue as a 4-lane .road. RECEIVED t--1-\"?-~(
JAN 2 0 2016 ~·\c;. .... D\\
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
PLANNING DIVISION
From: Gideon Glmlan [mailto:ggimlan@yahoo.com]
Sent: Thursday, January 21, 2016 10:07 AM
To: Erin M. Walters
Cc: Joni Gimlan
RECEIVED
M-1~ ... &161
JAN 21 2016 ~-\~ .. ~q-$ .. ,, ..... ~\.
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
PLANNING DIVISION
Subject: Traffic reconfiguration plans for Union Ave. Southbound at Blossom Hill Road
Dear Erin,
We have lived at 100 Lasuen Court for the past 28 years (since 1988).
Our bedroom window faces Union Ave. Southbound one block before it intersects with Blossom Hill Road.
For the past 28 years the roadway adjacent to our bedroom was a parking area blocked by a physical traffic
barrier placed just North of where the 3 new homes are scheduled to go up (in the property immediately South
of us).
As a result, no traffic came up that parking area to make a right turn onto Blossom Hill Road.
We are given to understand that the Town plans to drastically alter that situation by taking down the physical
barrier and elongating the right turn lane so that it become contiguous with what has been for more than 28
years (even before we moved here) a parking only area.
We are given to understand that the Town plans to paint onto the roadway, arrows suggesting to motorists that
they merge to the left before they make that right turn from Union Ave. Southbound onto Blossom Hill Road.
Of course motorists will simply ignore that suggestion. It will be a mere joke.
As a result we will be subjected to increased traffic fumes (including from diesel vehicles waiting by our
bedroom window to make the right on red), increased noise from blaring radios and unmuffied motorcycles.
We are also given to understand that the Town plans to paint onto the roadway, a bicycle lane in the middle of
the roadway so that bicyclists can make a left turn from Union Ave. Southbound onto Blossom Hill Road. That
will further push a flow of two lane car traffic towards our bedroom window and encourage accidents to
happen as motorists are not accustomed to having a bike lane in the middle of a two-way road as opposed to
adjacent to the CUib.
We are asking the town to change these plans, to place a bicycle lane and a physically blocked parking area
adjacent to our property (thus preserving the quality of living it has had for 28 years) as opposed to
encouraging a greater flow of two lane noisy, smoky traffic to flow directly adjacent to our bedroom.
We hope that you give our request fair consideration.
Sincerely yours,
Joni and Gideon Gimlan
(408) 315-3185 (cell number)
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