Item 2 - Exhibit 01 - 2020 General Plan Land Use DesignationsTOWN OF LOS GATOS
2020 GENERAL PLAN
LAND USE ELEMENT
LU-11
playgrounds and neighborhood parks, country clubs, and natural open spaces.
After Residential – Single Family land use, Open Space/Recreation comprises
the second highest percentage of total land in Los Gatos. There are approxi-
mately 1,624 acres of open space in the Town and approximately 2,218 acres
in the SOI. Much of this acreage is contained in four large facilities: St. Jo-
seph’s Hill and Sierra Azul Open Space to the south of Los Gatos, and
Vasona Lake County Park and La Rinconada Country Club to the north.
10.Vacant
Approximately 292 acres within the Town are vacant parcels of varying sizes
that are scattered throughout the Town. Most of the vacant acreage in Los
Gatos is located in the single-family residential area on the eastern side of the
Town. Parcels here are generally larger than they are elsewhere in Los Gatos,
and a number of significantly sized parcels are vacant. Generally, vacancies
are more common in residential areas of Los Gatos than in commercial areas,
although a few small, isolated commercial vacancies exist. Additionally, the
SOI contains approximately 107 acres of vacant property.
E.General Plan Land Use Designations
The Land Use Element is the basis for physical development in Los Gatos.
The land use map and designations identify the general location, density, and
extent of land available for residential and non-residential uses. Land use des-
ignations do not necessarily reflect the existing land use of each parcel. Figure
LU-3 presents a map of the land use designations in Los Gatos. Each land use
designation is listed and described below.
1.Residential Land Use Designations
This section provides a brief description of each residential land use designa-
tion and the desirable range of density for each designation.
EXHIBIT 1
UNION AVENUELOS GATOS BOULEVARDCURTNER AVENUE
SHANNON ROAD
LARK AVEN
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FOXWORTHY AVENUE
MAIN STREET CAMDEN AVENUESAMARITAN DRIVE
HARWOOD ROADW E S T M O N T A V E N U E
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D WINCHESTER BOULEVARDBLOSSOM HILL ROAD
N. SANTA CRUZ BOULEVARDLOS GATOS-ALMADEN ROAD
FIGURE LU-3
2020 GENERAL PLAN LAND USE
City of
Campbell
City of
San Jose
City of
Monte Sereno
Source: Town of Los Gatos, 2008; Santa Clara County Office of the Assessor, 2008.
Unincorporated
Santa Clara County
0 0.5 1 Miles
Lexington
Reservoir
Vasona Lake
County Park
R o s s C r e e kSmith CreekSan Thomas Aquino CreekA lm e n d ra C re e k
City of
Saratoga
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General Plan Land Use
Hillside Residential
Low Density Residential
Medium Density Residential
High Density Residential
Mixed-Use Commercial
Central Business District
Neighborhood Commercial
Service Commercial
Office Professional
Light Industrial
Public
Agriculture
Open Space
North Forty Specific Plan OverlayLos Gatos CreekTown Boundary
Sphere of Influence
Water Body
Highway
Creek
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alu
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TOWN OF LOS GATOS
2020 GENERAL PLAN
LAND USE ELEMENT
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
2020 GENERAL PLAN
LAND USE ELEMENT
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a. Hillside Residential: 0-1 dwelling units per net acre
Up to 3.5 persons per acre
The Hillside Residential designation provides for very low density, rural,
large lot or cluster, single-family residential development. This designation
allows for development that is compatible with the unique mountainous ter-
rain and vegetation of parts of Los Gatos.
b. Low Density Residential: 0-5 dwelling units per net acre
Up to 17.5 persons per acre
The Low Density Residential designation provides for single-family residen-
tial properties located on generally level terrain. It encourages single-family
residential development in either the standard development established by
traditional zoning or by innovative forms obtained through planned devel-
opment.
c. Medium Density Residential: 5-12 dwelling units per net acre
Up to 24 persons per acre
The Medium Density Residential designation provides for multiple-family
residential, duplex, and/or small single-family homes.
d. High Density Residential: 12-20 dwellings per net acre
Up to 40 persons per acre
The High Density Residential designation provides for more intensive multi-
family residential development. Its objective is to provide quality housing in
close proximity to transit or a business area.
e. Mobile Home Park: 5-12 dwellings per net acre
Up to 24 persons per acre
The Mobile Home Park designation provides for mobile home parks. The
intent is to provide and preserve Mobile Home Parks as a source of affordable
housing. This designation is described in this Element; however, it is not
represented on the accompanying General Plan Land Use Map.
T O W N O F L O S G A T O S
2 0 2 0 G E N E R A L P L A N
L A N D U S E E L E M E N T
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2. Non-Residential Land Use Designations
For non-residential land uses, the specific uses mentioned are illustrative, and
other compatible uses, including those authorized in any other Zoning Dis-
trict within the Town, may be permitted where authorized by a Conditional
Use Permit or Planned Development Overlay Zone. In a mixed-use project
residential uses may be permitted in conjunction with other permitted uses in
non-residential Zoning Districts with the exception of the Commercial Indus-
trial and Controlled Manufacturing Zoning Districts. For non-residential land
uses, building intensity limits are indicated by either allowable land coverage
or floor area ratio(FAR) and a maximum height limit.
Office Professional: Up to 50 percent land coverage with a 35-foot height
limit
The Office Professional designation provides for professional and general
business offices. This designation applies to various locations throughout the
Town, often in close proximity to neighborhood- or community-oriented
commercial facilities, or as a buffer between commercial and residential uses.
The intent of this designation is to satisfy the community’s need for general
business and professional services and local employment.
Central Business District: 0.6 FAR with a 45-foot height limit
The Central Business District designation applies exclusively to the down-
town and accomplishes the following:
Encourages a mixture of community-oriented commercial goods, services
and lodging unique in its accommodation of small-town style merchants
and maintenance of small-town character.
Maintains and expands landscaped open spaces and mature tree growth
without increasing setbacks.
Integrates new construction with existing structures of historical or archi-
tectural significance and emphasizes the importance of the pedestrian.
Mixed-Use Commercial: Up to 50 percent land coverage with a 35-foot
height limit
The Mixed-Use Commercial designation permits a mixture of retail, office,
and residential in a mixed-use project, along with lodging, service, auto-related
businesses, non-manufacturing industrial uses, recreational uses, and restau-
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
2020 GENERAL PLAN
LAND USE ELEMENT
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rants. Projects developed under this designation shall maintain the small-
town, residential scale and natural environments of adjacent residential
neighborhoods, as well as provide prime orientation to arterial street front-
ages and proper transitions and buffers to adjacent residential properties.
This designation should never be interpreted to allow development of inde-
pendent commercial facilities with principal frontage on the side streets.
d. Neighborhood Commercial: Up to 50 percent land coverage with a
35-foot height limit
The Neighborhood Commercial designation provides for necessary day-to-
day commercial goods and services required by the residents of the adjacent
neighborhoods. This designation encourages concentrated and coordinated
commercial development at easily accessible locations.
e. Service Commercial: Up to 50 percent land coverage with a 35-foot
height limit
The Service Commercial designation provides for service businesses necessary
for the conduct of households or businesses. These include auto repair, build-
ing materials sales, paint suppliers, janitorial services, towing businesses, con-
tractors offices and yards, launderers and dry cleaners, as well as wholesaling
and warehousing activities.
f. Light Industrial: Up to 50 percent land coverage with a 35-foot height
limit
The Light Industrial designation provides for large-scale office developments
and well-controlled research and development, industrial-park-type and ser-
vice-oriented uses subject to rigid development standards. These uses should
respond to community or region-wide needs.
g. Public
The Public designation identifies public facilities in the Town such as the
Civic Center, courthouse, schools, parks, libraries, hospitals, churches, and
fire stations.
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2020 GENERAL PLAN
LAND USE ELEMENT
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h. Agriculture
The Agricultural designation identifies areas for commercial agricultural crop
production.
i. Open Space
The Open Space designation identifies the location of public parks, open
space preserves, private preserves, and stream corridors.
F. Special Planning Areas
Development in Los Gatos can be targeted to achieve a more specific outcome
by designating specific overlay zones and special planning areas. These areas
have more detailed development guidelines that remain consistent with exist-
ing policies. Los Gatos has three overlay zones that implement land use poli-
cies through the Town Code, five Historic Districts, three Specific Plans, and
one Redevelopment Project Area.
1. Overlay Zones
There are three overlay zones in the Town Code, the Landmark and Historic
Preservation, Planned Development, and Public School Overlay Zones.
♦ Landmark and Historic Preservation (LHP) Overlay Zone. This zone is
designated by Town Council and is applied to individual sites and struc-
tures or small areas deemed of architectural and/or historical significance.
The structure(s) in LHP overlays are subject to special standards regard-
ing their appearance, use, and maintenance.
♦ Planned Development (PD) Overlay Zone. The PD overlay zone is in-
tended to ensure orderly planning and quality design that will be in har-
mony with the existing or potential development of the surrounding
neighborhood. The Planned Development Overlay is a specially tailored
development plan and ordinance which designates the zoning regulations
for the accompanying project, sets specific development standards, and
ensures that zoning and the General Plan are consistent. Commercial,
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
2020 GENERAL PLAN
LAND USE ELEMENT
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residential or industrial property or a mixture of these uses may be con-
sidered for a Planned Development Overlay.
♦ Public School (PS) Overlay Zone. The PS overlay zone is intended to al-
low school buildings to be used, without extensive exterior modifica-
tions, in ways which will make it unnecessary to sell school facilities.
The overlay permits a variety of community-related and education-
related uses, including, but not limited to, museums, community centers,
playgrounds, and nursery schools. Any land owned by a public school
district (regardless of underlying zone) may be zoned PS.
2. Historic Districts
The Town has established five historic districts to preserve neighborhoods
deemed significant to the history of Los Gatos.
♦ Almond Grove Historic District. An approximately 40-acre area that
constitutes the largest subdivision following incorporation of the Town
of Los Gatos. This District was established by ordinance in 1980.
♦ Broadway Historic District. An approximately 100-acre area that is the
site of the first residential subdivision and first residential street in the
Town of Los Gatos. This District was established by ordinance in 1985.
♦ Los Gatos Historic Commercial District. Bounded by Elm Street to the
north, Main Street to the south, Los Gatos Creek to the east, and North
Santa Cruz Avenue to the west. The Town’s only concentration of in-
tact historic commercial buildings. It was established by ordinance in
1991.
♦ Fairview Plaza Historic District. Limited to the cul-de-sac termination of
Fairview Plaza, part of an historic subdivision originally surveyed in 1885
known as the “Fairview Addition.” The District retains the same con-
figuration as originally mapped and contains a rare collection of Victo-
rian and Craftsman homes, unique in their compact scale and proximity
to one another. This District was established by ordinance in 1992.
♦ University/Edelen Historic District. Bounded by Saratoga Avenue to
the north, Main Street to the south, Los Gatos Creek to the east, and the
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