Item 3 - Staff Report.14225 Walker St
PREPARED BY: JOCELYN SHOOPMAN
Associate Planner
Reviewed by: Planning Manager and Community Development Director
110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● (408) 354-6872
www.losgatosca.gov
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
PLANNING COMMISSION
REPORT
MEETING DATE: 08/26/2020 ITEM NO: 3
DATE: August 20, 2020
TO: Planning Commission
FROM: Joel Paulson, Community Development Director
SUBJECT: Consider Approval of a Request for Modification to an Existing Architecture
and Site Application (S-13-090) to Remove Underground Parking for
Construction of a Commercial Building (Market Hall) in the North 40 Specific
Plan Area. APN 424-56-017. Architecture and Site Application S-20-012.
Property Owner/Applicant: Summerhill N40, LLC. Project Planner: Jocelyn
Shoopman.
RECOMMENDATION:
Consider approval of a request for a modification to an existing Architecture and Site
Application (S-13-090) to remove underground parking for construction of a commercial
building (Market Hall) in the North 40 Specific Plan Area.
PROJECT DATA:
General Plan Designation: North 40 Specific Plan
Zoning Designation: North 40 Specific Plan
Applicable Plans & Standards: General Plan; North 40 Specific Plan
Parcel Size: 1.77 acres
Surrounding Area:
Existing Land Use General Plan Zoning
North Agriculture, Commercial,
and Residential
North 40 Specific Plan
(N40 SP)
N40 SP
East Commercial and Residential Mixed Use Commercial CH and R-1:8
South Commercial and Residential N40 SP N40 SP
West Commercial and Residential N40 SP N40 SP
PAGE 2 OF 6 SUBJECT: 14225 Walker Street/S-20-012 DATE: August 20, 2020
CEQA:
An Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was prepared and certified for the North 40 Specific Plan
on January 5, 2015. No further environmental analysis is required.
FINDINGS:
That the project is consistent with the North 40 Specific Plan.
CONSIDERATIONS:
As required by Section 29.20.150 of the Town Code for granting approval of an Architecture
and Site application.
ACTION:
The decision of the Planning Commission is final unless appealed within ten days.
BACKGROUND:
On June 17, 2015, the Town Council adopted the North 40 Specific Plan, providing more
detailed land use and development guidance for the area than occurs in the General Plan. The
approval of the North 40 Specific Plan also amended the zoning of the property to North 40
Specific Plan.
On August 1, 2017, the Town Council adopted a resolution to approve the Phase I Architecture
and Site application S-13-090 and Vesting Tentative Map application M-13-014 for the
construction of a new multi-use, multi-story mixed use development, which includes residential
units, a market hall, and on-site and off-site improvements on 20.7 acres of the North 40
Specific Plan Area.
On September 4, 2018, the Town Council adopted a resolution to approve amendments to the
North 40 Specific Plan.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
A. Location and Surrounding Neighborhood
The subject parcel is approximately 1.77 acres, located within the North 40 Specific Plan
Area east of Los Gatos Boulevard, and is currently vacant (Exhibit 1).
PAGE 3 OF 6 SUBJECT: 14225 Walker Street/S-20-012 DATE: August 20, 2020
PROJECT DESCRIPTION (continued):
B. Project Summary
Architecture and Site application S-13-090 included approval of a multi-story, mixed use
building (Market Hall) with 50 affordable apartments for seniors, 20,700 square feet of
retail space, a 2,722-square foot community room, and a four-story parking garage with 303
parking spaces. The approved parking garage consisted of three above grade levels and one
below grade level. The applicant is proposing to remove the below grade level, eliminating
127 parking spaces.
C. Zoning Compliance
The multi-story, mixed use building (Market Hall) is a permitted use within the Transition
District in the North 40 Specific Plan.
DISCUSSION:
A. Architecture and Site Analysis
Architecture and Site application S-13-090 included approval of a multi-story, mixed use
building with 50 affordable apartments for seniors, 20,700 square feet of retail space, a
2,722-square foot community room, and a four-story parking garage with 303 parking
spaces. The parking garage consisted of three above grade levels and one below grade
level. The applicant is proposing to remove the below grade level, eliminating 127 parking
spaces. No exterior modifications to the existing Market Hall building are proposed with
the modification as detailed in Sheets A7.0 through A10.0 of Exhibit 6.
B. Parking
Architecture and Site application S-13-090 included approval of a four-story garage with
three above grade levels and one below grade level. A total of 303 parking spaces were
proposed, with 129 parking spaces in the below grade level. Based on the proposed uses
within the Market Hall, the North 40 Specific Plan development regulations require 124
parking spaces. The approved application provided 179 parking spaces in excess of the
requirements contained in the North 40 Specific Plan (Attachment 4). With the elimination
of the below grade level, the applicant is proposing to modify the remaining three, above
grade levels, resulting in a total of 176 parking spaces, 52 parking spaces in excess of the
requirements for the Market Hall building (Attachment 5). Sheet A.11 of Attachment 6
details the required parking for the Transition District. With the proposed modification, the
proposal would result in 45 parking spaces in excess of the requirements for the proposed
uses in the Transition District.
PAGE 4 OF 6 SUBJECT: 14225 Walker Street/S-20-012 DATE: August 20, 2020
DISCUSSION (continued):
Parking
Approved Number
of Parking Spaces
Proposed Number
of Parking Spaces
Level 0 129 Level 0 N/A
Level 1 63 Level 1 59
Level 2 69 Level 2 70
Level 3 42 Level 3 47
Total 303 Total 176
Required Number
of Parking Spaces
124 Required Number
of Parking Spaces
124
C. Grading
By removing the below grade level of the parking structure, the applicant states that the
project will reduce excavation impacts related to the off hauling of soil, as well as reduce
the construction time required to construct the below grade parking level (Attachment 5).
In addition, the applicant states that by reducing the number of excess parking spaces, it
will limit impacts related to automobile use and encourage the utilization of public transit,
bikes, and other environmentally sustainable transportation methods for accessing the
Market Hall.
D. CEQA Determination
An Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was prepared and certified for the North 40 Specific
Plan on January 5, 2015. No further environmental analysis is required.
PUBLIC COMMENTS:
Written notice was sent to property owners and tenants located within 300 feet of the subject
property. Public comments received by 11:00 a.m., Friday, August 21, 2020 are included as
Exhibit 7.
CONCLUSION:
A. Summary
The applicant is requesting approval of an Architecture and Site application to modify
Architecture and Site application S-13-090 for parking requirements for construction of a
commercial building (Market Hall) in the North 40 Specific Plan Area.
PAGE 5 OF 6 SUBJECT: 14225 Walker Street/S-20-012 DATE: August 20, 2020
CONCLUSION (continued):
B. Recommendation
Based on the analysis above, staff recommends approval of the Architecture and Site
application subject to the recommended conditions of approval (Exhibit 3). If the Planning
Commission finds merit with the proposed project, it should:
1. Make the finding that no further environmental analysis is required (Exhibit 2);
2. Make the finding that the project complies with the North 40 Specific Plan (Exhibit 2);
3. Make the considerations as required by Section 29.20.150 of the Town Code for
granting approval of an Architecture and Site application (Exhibit 2); and
4. Approve Architecture and Site Application S-20-012 with the conditions contained in
Exhibit 3 and the development plans in Exhibit 6.
C. Alternatives
Alternatively, the Commission can:
1. Continue the matter to a date certain with specific direction; or
2. Approve the application with additional and/or modified conditions; or
3. Deny the application.
EXHIBITS:
1. Location Map
2. Required Findings and Considerations
3. Recommended Conditions of Approval
4. Project Description
5. Letter of Justification
6. Development Plans, received May 18, 2020
7. Public comments received by 11:00 a.m., Friday, August 21, 2020
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