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Item 1 - Draft Minutes of September 9, 2020 110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● 408-354-6832 www.losgatosca.gov TOWN OF LOS GATOS PLANNING COMMISSION REPORT MINUTES OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING SEPTEMBER 9, 2020 The Planning Commission of the Town of Los Gatos conducted a Regular Meeting on Wednesday, September 9, 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 – August 26, 2020 MOTION: Motion by Commissioner Hudes to approve adoption of the Consent Calendar. Seconded by Commissioner Tavana. VOTE: Motion passed unanimously. PAGE 2 OF 7 MINUTES OF PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 9, 2020 PUBLIC HEARINGS 2. 14225 Walker Street (Market Hall) Architecture and Site Application S-20-012 APN 424-56-017 Property Owner/Applicant: Summerhill N40, LLC Project Planner: Jocelyn Shoopman 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 Forty Specific Plan area. Located at 14225 Walker Street. Continued from the August 26, 2020 Planning Commission meeting. Commissioner Burch indicated that she would recuse herself from participating in the public hearing due to the proximity of her home to the subject site. Jocelyn Shoopman, Associate Planner, presented the staff report. Opened Public Comment. Michael Keaney, Development Manager for Summerhill Homes (Applicant) - The Market Hall garage had an excess of 179 parking spaces related to the potential development of Phase 2 included in the previous developer, Grosvenor's, design. Summerhill homes has no involvement in the potential development of Phase 2 and no obligation in the conditions of approval of the North Forty Specific Plan for Market Hall to provide parking for future phases. They request the elimination of the basement portion of the garage, reducing the parking spaces by 127 and leaving 176, 52 in excess of what is required by the Town's parking regulations, leading to several benefits to the Town of Los Gatos such as shorter construction, reduced truck trips, and reduced construction and operating costs. Maria Ristow: - She believes they should retain the underground parking because of the concern that the entire North Forty has been envisioned as one project under the Specific Plan and there would be no way to go back and dig out under a parking structure if they don't put the underground parking in now. Leana Palmer: - She opposes eliminating the underground parking because Grosvenor planned the entire 40 acres and the underground parking to accommodate some of the parking that would be required on the other Phase 2 portion. Because Summerhill took over for Grosvenor they need to follow through with the plan already in place. The underground parking is needed PAGE 3 OF 7 MINUTES OF PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 9, 2020 so parking doesn't overflow into the streets and residential neighborhoods around the parking structure. Kendra Burch - She asked the Planning Commission to consider continuing the item to allow the Commission and residents time to review all documents. Barbara Dodson - She opposes eliminating the underground garage. Summerhill's proposal focus es on parking just for the Market Hall, however that is just one element of the parking for the entire Transition District A, B, and C. The Summerhill proposal cannot be approved because it provides 24 fewer parking spaces than required by the Town. Michael Keaney, Development Manager for Summerhill Homes (Applicant) - This modification would result in a more pedestrian and bike-friendly development consistent with the Specific Plan. Retaining the underground parking would waste financial resources and increase operating costs, which would have a negative financial impact on the affordable senior housing project. Parking would not flow out into the residential area if the underground parking is eliminated because the Market Hall would have 45 more parking spaces than required, creating a surplus of parking in the parking structure. Closed Public Comment. Commissioners discussed the matter. MOTION: Motion by Commissioner Badame to continue the public hearing for 14225 Walker Street (Market Hall) to the meeting of September 23, 2020. Seconded by Commissioner Hudes. Commissioner Barnett requested the motion be amended to include the continuance with public comment as well. The Maker of the Motion agreed to the amendment to the motion. The Seconder of the Motion agreed to the amendment to the motion. VOTE: Motion passed unanimously. PAGE 4 OF 7 MINUTES OF PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 9, 2020 3. 15925 Quail Hill Drive Architecture and Site Application S-19-012 APN 527-02-007 Applicant: Gary Kohlsaat, Kohlsaat & Associates, Inc. Property Owner: John and Allison Diep Project Planner: Jennifer Armer Request approval for demolition of an existing single-family residence and detached accessory dwelling unit, and construction of a two-story single-family residence on property zoned HR-1. Jennifer Armer, Senior Planner, presented the staff report. Opened Public Comment. Gary Kohlsaat (Applicant) - The architecture is now completely different from the old design with a contemporary style that is appropriate for the more rural conditions on this hillside . The approach to overall massing, grading, and excavation is much less extreme. The entrance orientation has been changed to Drysdale Drive to make it more neighborhood friendly. There is less excavation and significantly reduced vertical cuts. The house remains in the same location because that is where the driveway comes in well. The consulting architect made no recommendations to modify the architecture. The big exception they ask for is where they have considerably reduced the cut and excavation for a garage level, but to do that they must cut 7.5-feet for the garage and the one corner. The other exception requested is asking for more cut for taller light wells for the entry. The cuts for these two exceptions are not visible from the street, and the minor exceptions are above the house. The original main house had a lot of fill that pushed out and created steep slopes and they propose to naturalize and restore the hill. Gary Kohlsaat (Applicant) - The Applicant summarized by saying he and his design team have confidence in their design and the entire application. They have fit the home into a difficult hillside, the architecture is appropriate, and the size of the house is not the largest in the neighborhood or the smallest. Closed Public Comment. Commissioners discussed the matter. PAGE 5 OF 7 MINUTES OF PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 9, 2020 MOTION: Motion by Commissioner Badame to approve an Architecture and Site Application for 15925 Quail Hill Drive. Seconded by Vice Chair Janoff. VOTE: Motion passed unanimously. 4. 50 University Avenue, Suite B260 Variance Application V-20-001 APN 529-02-044 Applicant: Peter Liu Property Owner: SRI Old Town LLC Project Planner: Erin Walters Consider a request for approval for a Variance from the Town Code to Exceed the Maximum Allowable Sign Area and an exception from the Commercial Design Guidelines to Exceed the Maximum Letter Height for a Wall Sign (Sephora) to property zoned C - 2:LHP:PD. Erin Walters, Associate Planner, presented the staff report. Opened Public Comment. Natalia Shorten, Sephora (Applicant) - She is Senior Director of Store Design. They propose a 30 -inch high sign versus the mandated 12-inches, a modest and reasonable request and an appropriate size for the store's location and building proportions to ensure the sign is seen from the main road. The request for 30-inch high letters on their storefront is not unprecedented, as seen with Talbots, Wine Cellar, White House Black Market, and Steamer's Grill House. They have the support of most of their co-tenants. Closed Public Comment. Commissioners discussed the matter. MOTION: Motion by Commissioner Badame to approve Variance from the Town Code and an Exception from the Commercial Design Guidelines for 50 University Avenue. Seconded by Commissioner Burch. VOTE: Motion passed unanimously. PAGE 6 OF 7 MINUTES OF PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 9, 2020 OTHER BUSINESS 5. Consider Formation of a Subcommittee Regarding Objective Standards. Commissioners discussed the matter. MOTION: Motion by Chair Hansen to establish a Planning Commission subcommittee of up to three members for at least six months to work on the goal of finding areas for new objective standards in the General Plan and other documents. Seconded by Commissioner Hudes. Commissioners discussed the matter. VOTE: Motion passed unanimously. REPORT FROM THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Joel Paulson, Director of Community Development • A community workshop regarding policing was held on September 8, 2020 and will be posted online, with another upcoming panel regarding affordable housing scheduled for September 29, 2020. • A possible third workshop may be scheduled in October with the topic to be determined. SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS/COMMISSION MATTERS Conceptual Development Advisory Committee Commissioner Barnett - The CDAC met on September 9, 2020 and considered one item: o 212 College Avenue. General Plan Advisory Committee Commissioner Hanssen - The GPAC met on September 3, 2020 for a second review of the Mobility Element. - GPAC will meet on September 17, 2020 to finish discussion regarding the Mobility Element and proceed to the second draft of the Hazards and Safety Element. Commission Matters None. PAGE 7 OF 7 MINUTES OF PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 9, 2020 ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 10:03 p.m. This is to certify that the foregoing is a true and correct copy of the minutes of the September 9, 2020 meeting as approved by the Planning Commission. _____________________________ /s/ Vicki Blandin