Item 1 - Draft Minutes of July 22, 2020
110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● 408-354-6832
www.losgatosca.gov
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
PLANNING COMMISSION
REPORT
MEETING DATE: 08/12/2020
ITEM NO: 1
DRAFT
MINUTES OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING
JULY 22, 2020
The Planning Commission of the Town of Los Gatos conducted a Regular Meeting on
Wednesday, July 22, 2020, at 7:00 p.m.
This meeting was conducted utilizing teleconferencing and electronic means consistent with
State of California Executive Order N-29-20 dated March 17, 2020, regarding the COVID19
pandemic and was conducted via Zoom. All planning commissioners and staff participated
from remote locations and all voting was conducted via roll call vote.
MEETING CALLED TO ORDER AT 7:00 P.M.
ROLL CALL
Present: Chair Melanie Hanssen, Vice Chair Kathryn Janoff, Commissioner Mary Badame,
Commissioner Jeffrey Barnett, Commissioner Kendra Burch, Commissioner Matthew Hudes,
and Commissioner Reza Tavana.
Absent: None.
VERBAL COMMUNICATIONS
None.
CONSENT ITEMS (TO BE ACTED UPON BY A SINGLE MOTION)
1. Approval of Minutes – June 10, 2020
MOTION: Motion by Commissioner Hudes to approve adoption of the Consent
Calendar. Seconded by Commissioner Badame.
VOTE: Motion passed unanimously
PUBLIC HEARINGS
2. 146 Robin Way
Architecture and Site Application S-19-043
APN 532-12-015
Applicant: Gary Kohlsaat
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Property Owner: Mehrdad and Leila Dehkordi
Project Planner: Diego Mora
Consider an appeal of a Development Review Committee decision approving a request
for demolition of an existing single-family residence, and construction of a new single-
family residence on property zoned R-1:10.
Diego Mora, Assistant Planner, presented the staff report.
Opened Public Comment.
Jim Zaky, 140 Robin Way, Appellant
- He filed the appeal to ensure the screening and fence is provided. They have many privacy
concerns such as the removal of an apple tree and rhododendrons that provide screening,
which would create a clear line of site from their back yard to the Applicant’s back yard and
the rear elevation of the new home and they wish to have that screened with plants. The
Applicants have proposed keeping the apple tree and installing ten 15-gallon, 6-foot tall
podocarpus. He proposes 20 36-inch box podocarpus along the fence line to provide
privacy screening.
Gary Kohlsaat, Applicant
- They met with the Appellants on July 9, 2020 to address their concerns and are fine with
the 8-foot fence with 6 feet of solid and 2 feet of lattice. They believe the apple tree could
survive with some soil around it and are raising the house up by 6 -inches, so they have the
ability to add topsoil to cover the roots. The difficulty with installing larger podocarpus in
36-inch boxes is they are very expensive and it is preferred to plant smaller sizes in the long
term because they will catch up to 36-inch boxes and do not require as large a planter, but
he understood the Appellant’s desire for immediate screening.
Robert Buxton, 118 Robin Way
- He supports the Appellants and their right to privacy and quality of life. 36-inch box
podocarpus is appropriate for the Applicant to install. He recommends the Planning
Commission continue the matter to a date certain with special direction. His memo to the
DRC dated May 18, 2020 points out that Exhibit 15 is incorrect in many ways as to the
neighbors’ positions. They never approved the project last December and they do not
approve it now, and they support the Appellants.
Gary Kohlsaat, Applicant
- They have not given up on working with the Appellants and this is not their final offer. They
respect the process and Town staff and will ensure they do right by everyone. They
changed the architecture dramatically in terms of simplifying it after receiving the Town
Architect’s review and staff found it appropriate. They simplified it even more to address
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neighbors’ concerns by lowering the house and creating more exhibits to showcase w hat
they had done.
Jim Zaky, 140 Robin Way, Appellant
- The ten 15-gallon podocarpus are no more than 6 feet tall. The existing apple tree has a
surface root system and any proposed foundation would encroach well under the canopy
and over the exposed root structure. The 20 lineal feet of 12-foot tall rhododendrons to be
removed was not addressed in the revised plan and leaves substantial exposure. The
required no less than 8-foot fence was also not reflected in the revised plans. 15-gallon
podocarpus take ten years to reach the height and girth for the required screening; 36-inch
box podocarpus would be required to achieve that.
Closed Public Comment.
Commissioners discussed the matter.
MOTION: Motion by Vice Chair Janoff to deny the appeal with the condition of
amending the conditions of approval to include the four points of the
proposal provided by the Appellant. Seconded by Commissioner
Badame.
VOTE: Motion passed 5-2 with Commissioners Burch and Hudes dissenting.
OTHER BUSINESS
REPORT FROM THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Joel Paulson, Director of Community Development
• The General Plan Update Advisory Committee met July 16, 2020 to begin discussion on
the General Plan Mobility Element with further discussion in August.
• A scoping meeting for the Environmental Impact Report for the General Plan Update is
scheduled for July 23, 2020.
• The General Plan Update Advisory Committee will hold a special a meeting on July 30,
2020 to discuss pandemic response, emergency health issues, and racial inequality and
social justice.
SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS/COMMISSION MATTERS
Historic Preservation Committee
Commissioner Hudes
- HPC met July 22, 2020 and considered six items:
o 445 Los Gatos Boulevard
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o 224 Wilder Avenue
o 253 West Main Street
o 78 West Main Street
o 17361 East Vineland Avenue
o Input to the General Plan
General Plan Update Advisory Committee
Chair Hanssen
- The GPAC has met three times since the last Planning Commission meeting on June 10,
2020:
o June 18, 2020 regarding the Public Facilities, Services, and Infrastructure Element.
o July 2, 2020 regarding the Environment and Sustainability Element.
o July 16, 2020 regarding the Mobility Element.
Commission Matters
None.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 8:12 p.m.
This is to certify that the foregoing is a true
and correct copy of the minutes of the
July 22, 2020 meeting as approved by the
Planning Commission.
_____________________________
/s/Vicki Blandin