Item 2 - Draft Minutes of September 28, 2020 Special Meeting
110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● 408-354-6832
www.losgatosca.gov
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
PLANNING COMMISSION
REPORT
MEETING DATE: 10/14/2020
ITEM NO: 2
DRAFT
MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING
SEPTEMBER 28, 2020
The Planning Commission of the Town of Los Gatos conducted a Special Meeting on Monday,
September 28, 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 – September 9, 2020
MOTION: Motion by Commissioner Barnett to approve adoption of the Consent
Calendar. Seconded by Commissioner Badame.
VOTE: Motion passed unanimously
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
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Project Planner: Jocelyn Shoopman
Consider approval of a request for modification to an existing Architecture and Site
Application (S-13-90) to remove underground parking for construction of a commercial
building (Market Hall) in the North 40 Specific Plan Area. Continued from the September
9, 2020 and September 23, 2020 Planning Commission meetings.
Commissioner Burch indicated that she would recuse herself from participating in the public
hearing for 14225 Walker Street due to the proximity of her residence to the subject site.
Jocelyn Shoopman, Associate Planner, presented the staff report.
Town Attorney Robert Schultz provided a recap of information in his letter distributed with the
meeting's agenda.
Opened Public Comment.
Michael Keaney, Development Manager for Summerhill Homes (Applicant)
- The proposed modification for Market Hall is consistent with the North 40 Specific Plan and
the Town Code and would provide 176 commercial parking spaces and 50 residential
parking spaces, a surplus of 52 commercial spaces for the Transition District, 70-percent
more than is required. Summerhill has prepared the "Transition District Parking Summary
Table" to help clarify questions for the Commission and community regarding parking
calculations for the Commercial Transition District and the Market Hall. The currently
proposed 319 parking spaces is 46 spaces more than required for the Market Hall. There is
no obligation in the conditions or the Specific Plan for Market Hall to provide parking for
future phases.
Mark Miller
- He and his neighbors already deal with parking overflow and can't image what it would be
like if the North 40 had insufficient parking. He asked why there is no development
agreement and said he had assumed there were measures in place to protect the residents.
He was concerned about transparency because he did not know about this meeting until a
neighbor told him.
Jeff Loughridge
- The Market Hall plan that included the parking garage was approved years ago and
designed to accommodate parking at the North 40. As a resident he does not look at the
North 40 in phases but as one project. Utilizing the current parking requirements for only
the phase one portion of the North 40 would be irresponsible for the Town to consider
since phase two will require additional parking. Summerhill knew what the project was
before they signed on and agreed to build it.
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Barbara Dodson
- Summerhill was party to the original proposal and if t hey didn't want to build the garage
they should have said so in 2016. Approval with the three applicants, Grosvenor,
Summerhill, and Eden, was based on a commitment to include an underground garage that
was a condition of approval and the subject of considerable discussion. It is a bad idea to
reduce parking without knowing how much commercial space there w ould be.
Lisa Miller
- She asked how anyone would know about changes made with no review beyond staff, and
how many other changes have been made from the approved set of construction
documents being used to build the project? Where is the transparency?
Maria Ristow
- She was concerned that this matter was even continued from the beginning, because at the
first meeting when this came up there was plenty of residential opposition to allowing this
change. She agreed with Mr. Loughridge that this is for the entire North 40 and parking
should be considered for the entire scope of the project.
Lee Quintana
- By her recollection the changes to the parking were the result of the fact that downtown
businesses felt that there should be equity in the parking requirements between
downtown and the North 40 and that the North 40 was being required to supply more
parking than downtown.
Michael Keaney, Development Manager for Summerhill Homes (Applicant)
- They checked the history of the secondary access point to the garage from their
perspective and found the elimination of the access point to the garage that was shown in
the original A&S approval was done during the schematic design in coordination with the
Planning and Building Department in the Spring of 2018. There is still a loading area in that
location and the building permit that they have been issued includes that modification, but
the modification to eliminate the basement has no relationship to how that access point
would be implemented going forward.
Closed Public Comment.
Commissioners discussed the matter.
Opened Public Comment
Michael Keaney, Development Manager for Summerhill Homes (Applicant)
- They prefer the Commission make a decision at this meeting rather than a continuance.
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Closed Public Comment
MOTION: Motion by Commissioner Hudes to deny a request for modification to an
existing Architecture and Site Application for 14225 Walker Street
(Market Hall). Seconded by Commissioner Barnett.
Commissioners discussed the matter.
VOTE: Motion passed 4-2 with Chair Hanssen and Vice Chair Janoff dissenting.
Commissioner Burch returned to the meeting.
3. Modifications to Hillside Development Standards & Guidelines Regarding the Visibility
Analysis
Applicant: Town of Los Gatos
Forward a recommendation to the Town Council for approval of modifications to
Chapter II (Constraints Analysis), Chapter III (Site Planning), and Chapter IX (Project
Review and Approval Process) of the Hillside Design Standards and Guidelines (HDS&G)
regarding the visibility analysis.
Jocelyn Shoopman, Associate Planner, presented the staff report.
Opened Public Comment.
Dr. David Weissman
- Hillside homeowners generally want to see city lights at night, but flatlanders prefer to look
at tree-covered hillsides and not see nighttime light pollution and daytime reflective
window glare and the Hillside Guidelines have taken the side of flatlanders. Non -native
hillside trees that are extremely flammable, such as eucalyptus, should be removed and not
counted as providing screening. Native species that are fire resistant, such as oak, would
still be protected under the Tree Ordinance and should be counted as providing screening.
Closed Public Comment.
Commissioners discussed the matter.
MOTION: Motion by Vice Chair Janoff to forward a recommendation to Town
Council to approve the language defining "elevation" as recommended by
the Policy Committee. Seconded by Commissioner Hudes.
VOTE: Motion passed 6-1 with Commissioner Barnett dissenting.
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Commissioners discussed the matter.
MOTION: Motion by Vice Chair Janoff to forward a recommendation to Town
Council that (existing trees and/or branches subject to clearing in Zone 2
and Zone 3 should not be included as screening in the visibility analysis
and) non-native trees and native trees with an under 8-inch diameter,
none of which require a removal permit, should not be included as
screening in the visibility study. Seconded by Commissioner Tavana.
VOTE: Motion passed unanimously.
Commissioners discussed the matter.
MOTION: Motion by Commissioner Burch to forward a recommendation to Town
Council to approve the graphic image update as recommended by the
Policy Committee. Seconded by Commissioner Hudes.
Commissioners discussed the matter.
VOTE: Motion passed unanimously.
Commissioners discussed the matter.
MOTION: Motion by Commissioner Badame to forward a recommendation to
Town Council to retain project review and approval process with the
Planning Commission for visible homes. Seconded by Commissioner
Hudes.
VOTE: Motion passed with 6-1 with Commissioner Burch dissenting.
OTHER BUSINESS
REPORT FROM THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Joel Paulson, Director of Community Development
• A community workshop regarding affordable housing is scheduled for September 29 ,
2020 at 7:00p.m.
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SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS/COMMISSION MATTERS
General Plan Advisory Committee
Commissioner Hanssen
- GPAC met on September 3, 2020; covered the Mobility Element and the Hazards and Safety
Element.
- GPAC will review the Public Facilities, Sewage, and Infrastructure Element at its next
meeting on October 1, 2020.
- GPAC's rest-of-the-year agenda will include review of a new Racial Justice Element, Land
use, and Community Design Element.
Historic Preservation Committee
Commissioner Hudes
- HPC met on September 23, 2020; considered one item:
o 32 Walnut Avenue
Commission Matters
Commissioner Hanssen
- The Planning Commission voted at its last meeting to establish a subcommittee to identify
areas for more objective standards in the General Plan and other land use documents. The
three Planning Commissioners on the subcommittee will be Commissioner Hudes,
Commissioner Barnett, and Commissioner Burch, and staff will also be hiring a consultant
to look into this matter as well.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 10:35 p.m.
This is to certify that the foregoing is a true
and correct copy of the minutes of the
September 28, 2020 meeting as approved by the
Planning Commission.
_____________________________
/s/ Vicki Blandin