Item 3 - Exhibit 22 - Consulting Architects Third ReportMay 14, 2020
Ms. Jennifer Armer
Community Development Department
Town of Los Gatos
110 E. Main Street
Los Gatos, CA 95031
RE: 15925 Quail Hill Road
Dear Jennifer:
I reviewed the drawings, and evaluated the site context. I have previously reviewed two other proposed homes on this
site. My comments and recommendations are as follows:
Neighborhood Context
The site is steeply sloped with an existing house located at the top of the slope. This proposal is for a new house to be
located near the base of the slope at the intersection of Shady Lane and Drysdale Drive. The site is shown on the aerial
photo below, and photos of the site and its surroundings are on the following page.
EXHIBIT 22
15925 Quail Hill Road
Design Review Comments
May 14, 2020 Page 2
The Site looking Uphill
Aerial Photo looking South
The Site from Shady Lane looking West
The Site looking Downhill
The Site from Shady Lane looking East
15925 Quail Hill Road
Design Review Comments
May 14, 2020 Page 3
Concerns and Recommendations
The proposed site for the house is near the bottom of the parcel adjacent to both Shady Lane and Drysdale Drive with
substantial landscaping proposed to buffer views of the house. It is well designed with attention to the Town’s Hillside
Development Standards and Design Guidelines. Some specific positive design elements of the design include the following:
• Low profile building masses that step with the natural grade
• Articulated facades
• Recessed garage doors
• Projecting eyebrow canopies and roof eaves to provide facade texture and shadows
• High quality materials consistent with the Hillside Development Standards and Design Guidelines including stone and
wood siding
• Varied exterior materials to provide facade variety and visually break the structure into smaller elements
• Low stone retaining walls to step and blend with the grade
• Live Oak landscaping in the front setback
See proposed elevations and sketches below.
Proposed Front Elevation: Shady Lane
Proposed Left Side Elevation: Drysdale Drive
Proposed Right Side Elevation
15925 Quail Hill Road
Design Review Comments
May 14, 2020 Page 4
Proposed Rear Elevation
Front and Left Side View
Note: Low wall at bottom is different than shown on the floor plans
Front View
Front and Right Side View
15925 Quail Hill Road
Design Review Comments
May 14, 2020 Page 5
While the proposed house is well designed, there are a few minor concerns, as follows:
1. The low stone wall at the exterior parking area has proposed landscaping in front of it, but the plantings may not
shield the car fronts from view.
Recommendation: Increase wall height and/or increase buffer landscaping.
2. While most of the low walls are faced with stone, the low wall along Drysdale Drive is proposed as stucco with a
stone cap.
Recommendation: Use stone to match other low landscape walls, and provide an illustration to show the proposed wall
heights related to the hillside slope (e.g., sloped or stepped).
15925 Quail Hill Road
Design Review Comments
May 14, 2020 Page 6
3. All roofs are relatively flat with PVC roofing which will present a large viewable area from above.
Recommendation: Select roofing color to blend with the home colors and the natural environment.
4. In general, the landscaping is varied in size and placement, and is designed to blend with the hillside environment
as required by the Town’s Hillside Development Standards and Design Guidelines. However, the proposed landscaping
at both side setbacks is more regular and linear - see example photos below.
Recommendation: Reevaluate the side yards landscaping to increase its informality consistent with the hillside location.
Neighboring property edge Drysdale Drive edge
15925 Quail Hill Road
Design Review Comments
May 14, 2020 Page 7
Jennifer, please let me know if you have any questions, or if there are other issues that I did not address.
Sincerely,
CANNON DESIGN GROUP
Larry L. Cannon
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