Item 3 - Staff Report.400 Carlton Ave
PREPARED BY: Sean Mullin, AICP
Associate Planner
Reviewed by: Planning Manager and Community Development Director
110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● 406-354-6832
www.losgatosca.gov
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
PLANNING COMMISSION
REPORT
MEETING DATE: 09/11/2019
ITEM NO: 3
DATE: September 5, 2019
TO: Planning Commission
FROM: Joel Paulson, Community Development Director
SUBJECT: Architecture and Site Application S-19-032. Project Location: 400 Carlton
Avenue. Applicant: Gary Kohlsaat. Property Owner: T&M Properties.
Requesting approval of a modification to an approved Architecture and Site
application for demolition of two existing medical office buildings and
construction of a new medical office building on property zoned O.
APN 424-12-098.
RECOMMENDATION:
Approval, subject to the recommended conditions of approval.
PROJECT DATA:
General Plan Designation: Office Professional
Zoning: O, Office
Applicable Plans & Standards: Commercial Design Guidelines
Parcel Size: 19,466 square feet (0.45 acres)
Surrounding Area:
Existing Land Use General Plan Land Use Designation Zoning
North Residential and
Office
Low Density Residential and Office
Professional
R-1:8 and O
South Office Office Professional O
East Office Office Professional O
West Residential Medium Density Residential and Low
Density Residential
RD and R-1:8
PAGE 2 OF 9
SUBJECT: 400 Carlton Avenue/S-19-032
DATE: September 5, 2019
CEQA:
The project is Categorically Exempt pursuant to the adopted Guidelines for the Implementation
of the California Environmental Quality Act, Section 15303: New Construction of Small
Structures.
FINDINGS:
That the proposed project is Categorically Exempt pursuant to the adopted Guidelines for
the Implementation of the California Environmental Quality Act, Section 15303: New
Construction or Conversion of Small Structures.
As required by Section 29.10.09030(e) of the Town Code for demolition of existing
structures.
That the proposed project is consistent with the Commercial Design Guidelines.
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:
The project site is approximately 19,466 square feet (0.45 acres) currently developed with two
medical office buildings totaling 3,160 square feet.
On January 10, 2018, the Planning Commission approved Architecture and Site application
S-17-002 for demolition of the two existing medical office buildings and construction of a new
two-story medical office building with below-grade and at-grade parking. On June 4, 2019, the
applicant submitted Architecture and Site application S-19-032 for modification to the
approved application, eliminating the below-grade parking and reducing the size of the two-
story medical office building by approximately 1,500 square feet.
As noted in the table above, the surrounding area contains a mix of uses that are consistent
with either the General Plan land use designation or Zone, or both. Single-family residential,
and office uses are located to the north of the project site across Carlton Avenue. Office uses
are located south and east of the project site; and single-family and two-family residential uses
are located to the west, across Jo Drive.
PAGE 3 OF 9
SUBJECT: 400 Carlton Avenue/S-19-032
DATE: September 5, 2019
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
A. Location and Surrounding Neighborhood
The project site is located on the southeast corner of Carlton Avenue and Jo Drive. Access
to the project site is provided on Carlton Avenue and Jo Drive.
B. Project Summary
The applicant is requesting approval of a modification to an Architecture and Site
application for demolition of the two existing office buildings and construction of a new
two-story medical office building.
C. Zoning Compliance
A medical office use is a permitted use in the O zone.
DISCUSSION:
A. Architecture and Site Analysis
The applicant proposes demolition of the two existing medical office buildings and
construction of a new two-story medical office building. Specifically, the project would
consist of a 6,500 square foot, two-story Spanish Mediterranean style building. The ground
floor would include 866 square feet of medical office space; two stairways and an elevator
totaling 612 square feet; and a trash enclosure. The second floor would include 5,022
square feet of medical office space. Eight covered surface parking spaces would be
adjacent to the ground floor lobby of the building, and 18 surface parking spaces would be
located in the rear and south side uncovered parking lots, for a total of 26 parking spaces.
The proposed 6,500-square foot, Spanish-style medical office building would have a
maximum height of 31 feet, seven inches. Materials would consist of smooth stucco siding
painted white and beige, terra cotta tile roof , wood trellises, tile accents, and metal railings.
A color and materials board will be available at the public hearing.
B. Zoning
The existing and proposed medical office use on the property is an allowed use in the O
zone. Permitted uses in the O zone include offices, professional, medical, dental, and
optical laboratories associated with a professional use, real estate, insurance, stocks and
bonds; and other similar offices characterized by absence of retail sales. The proposed
PAGE 4 OF 9
SUBJECT: 400 Carlton Avenue/S-19-032
DATE: September 5, 2019
DISCUSSION (continued):
project would meet the required setbacks, lot coverage, and height requirements for the O
zone.
The proposed building coverage would be 30 percent of the site and the maximum height
would be 31 feet, seven inches, both of which are consistent with the zoning designation for
the site that allows up to 40 percent building coverage and has a 35-foot height limit.
The required and proposed setbacks in the O zone are described in the following table:
Setback Required Proposed
Front 25 feet 25 feet
Side 10 feet 30 feet
Street Side 15 feet 15 feet
Rear 20 feet 31 feet
C. Design and Compatibility
The Town’s Architectural Consultant reviewed the project and provided recommendations
regarding the architecture and neighborhood compatibility (Exhibit 5) listed in italics below
with analysis following. The Consultant acknowledged that the revised project presents a
more cohesive design than the original. The Consultant recommended several areas
requiring refinement:
1. Ground floor plan organization of lobby courtyard and trash.
The project includes a ground-floor trash enclosure with a minimal passageway for
service access. The trash bins are fenced and gated, screening them from view. The
main power transformer and electrical panels are located adjacent to the trash
enclosure. This area is not intended for the general public and does not include a
pathway from the parking lot or the sidewalk along Jo Drive. The applicant has
incorporated additional landscape screening to reduce the visual impact of the utility
boxes along Jo Drive.
2. Better ground floor visual separation of the under-structure parking area from the lobby
courtyard and the pedestrian entries from the street and rear parking lot including more
screening at the arched opening into the parking area.
The covered parking area is adjacent to the lobby courtyard. The covered parking area
includes accessible parking and the required path-of-travel into the lobby courtyard
area, which constrains the use of visual separations between these areas. Additionally,
introducing walls between the two areas would decrease natural light into the lobby
PAGE 5 OF 9
SUBJECT: 400 Carlton Avenue/S-19-032
DATE: September 5, 2019
DISCUSSION (continued):
courtyard area. To better visually separate the pedestrian entries from the street and
rear parking lot, the applicant has incorporated additional landscape screening in the
arched openings that do not provide pedestrian access into the lobby courtyard, further
delineating the access paths.
3. Adding additional landscaping, if possible, along the rear parking lot facade. Possibilities
include trees in the interface between parking spaces and climbing vine planting against
the rear of the structure.
Given the constraints of the site, introducing additional landscaping along the rear
façade of the building is challenging. The applicant has incorporated landscaping,
including new trees, on all sides of the proposed building. The configuration of the rear
parking lot is consistent with Town Code parking lot requirements for dimensions and
landscaping.
4. Adding additional medical office windows at the building corner facing the Carlton
Avenue/Jo Drive intersection.
The walls in this location enclose two bathrooms in the ground floor office; therefore,
introducing windows in this location may create other issues. The applicant responded
to this recommendation by increasing the visual interest at the building corner facing
Carlton Avenue by introducing a decorative niche with metal rail accents, in addition to
the previously proposed wood trellis (Exhibit 7, Sheet A-6).
5. Improved delineation of the building’s sense of entry at the entry arches on the front and
rear facades.
Three arched openings are included on the front façade, with one providing pedestrian
access to the covered parking and lobby courtyard (Exhibit 7, Sheet A-6). The applicant
has included additional landscape screening at the eastern arched openings, clearly
delineating the pedestrian access point from the other arched openings leading to the
parking area. Similarly, additional landscaping has been added to the two arched
openings on the rear elevation. Additionally, the applicant shifted some parking spaces
to create a wider space between spaces #7 and #8 to ease pedestrian passage through
the parked cars toward the entry arch.
Story poles have been placed on the site to aid in the review of the project. The poles and
netting have been in place since August 28, 2019.
PAGE 6 OF 9
SUBJECT: 400 Carlton Avenue/S-19-032
DATE: September 5, 2019
DISCUSSION (continued):
D. Tree Impacts
The revised project would be sited in the same footprint as the previously approved project
and the tree impacts would be similar. The Town’s Consulting Arborist reviewed the
previous project and provided recommendations in a report dated February 10, 2017
(Exhibit 6).
The previously approved project included the removal of seven protected Olive trees to
accommodate the proposed office building. The revised design reduces the number of
trees proposed for removal to five. The trees range in size from 10 inches to 32 inches and
have condition ratings from fair to poor. The applicant is required by Town Code to replace
the protected trees proposed for removal at a rate determined by the canopy size of the
tree to be removed. In this case, each of the five trees requires that three 24-inch box trees
be planted to mitigate their removal for a total of 15 trees. Due to site constraints, 15 trees
cannot be planted on site to offset the proposed tree removal. The applicant proposes to
plant eight 24-inch box trees on site and pay in-lieu fees to offset the removal of the trees,
as indicated in Condition 10 of Exhibit 3.
The Arborist Report provides recommendations for protecting the trees that are to remain.
The recommendations are contained in Exhibit 6, and Condition 7 of Exhibit 3 has been
added requiring implementation of these recommendations.
E. Parking and Traffic
The parking standards for medical offices in the Town Code require one parking space for
each 250 square feet of office space, or six parking spaces for each doctor; whichever is
more restrictive. Based on the square footage parking requirement, the proposed 6,500 -
square foot medical office building requires 26 parking spaces on site to meet the Town
Code parking regulations. The applicant proposes 26 at-grade parking spaces, meeting Town
Code requirements. Given the 26 parking spaces required for the 6,500 -square foot
building, the parking would allow for a maximum of four doctors on site at any given time.
Staff has included this limitation as Condition 3 of Exhibit 3.
The site would take access from two driveways located on Carlton Avenue and Jo Drive,
consistent with the current access to the site. Both driveways would provide access to the
parking areas.
The Town’s Traffic Engineer reviewed the proposed project and determined that the new
office building would generate 116 additional average daily trips over the traffic generated
by the existing buildings. This increase in average daily trips will require payment of traffic
PAGE 7 OF 9
SUBJECT: 400 Carlton Avenue/S-19-032
DATE: September 5, 2019
DISCUSSION (continued):
mitigation fees pursuant to the Traffic Impact Policy, as indicated in Condition 13 of Exhibit
3. A Traffic Study is not required.
F. General Plan
The 2020 General Plan land use designation for the site is Office Professional. The proposed
project meets the Office Professional requirements for building coverage and height. This
designation provides for professional and general business offices, including medical offices.
This designation applies to various locations concentrated along the Town’s commercial
corridors, often in close proximity to neighborhood - or community-oriented commercial
facilities, or as a buffer between commercial and residential uses. The intent of this
designation is to satisfy the community’s need for general business and professional
services and local employment.
The proposed building is adjacent to residential and office uses. The proposed building
design includes massing and materials consistent with the Spanish Mediterranean style.
The single-family residential uses fronting the project site consist of one- and two-story
homes, consistent with the proposed two-story office building. Additionally, the project
meets or exceeds all required setbacks, shares no property lines with residential uses, and is
located across Carlton Avenue and Jo Drive from the homes which allows for a larger buffer
between the project and the adjacent residential uses.
In addition to maintaining neighborhood quality, the 2020 General Plan Land U se Element
focuses on maintaining a “full-service” Town that provides a range of goods and services
that support economic vitality, while limiting adverse impacts on the quality of life of all the
residents.
Applicable goals and policies of the 2020 General Plan include, but are not limited to the
following:
Goal LU-4: To provide for well-planned, careful growth that reflects the Town’s existing
character and infrastructure.
Policy: LU-6.3: Protect existing residential areas from adjacent non-residential uses by
assuring that buffers are developed and maintained.
Goal CD-1: Preserve and enhance Los Gatos’s character through exceptional community
design.
Policy CD-1.4: Development on all elevations shall be of high-quality design and
construction, a positive addition to and compatible with the Town’s ambiance.
Development shall enhance the character and unique identity of existing commercial
and/or residential neighborhoods.
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SUBJECT: 400 Carlton Avenue/S-19-032
DATE: September 5, 2019
DISCUSSION (continued):
Goal CD-2: To limit the intensity of new development to a level that is consistent with
surrounding development and with the Town at large.
Policy CD-3.9: Parking structures and facilities shall have a low profile, be screened from
view and be aesthetically pleasing.
G. CEQA Determination
The project is Categorically Exempt pursuant to the adopted Guidelines for the
Implementation of California Environmental Quality Act, Section 15303: New Construction
of Small Structures.
PUBLIC COMMENTS:
Written comments received before 11:00 A.M. on Friday, September 6, 2019, are included as
Exhibit 8.
CONCLUSION:
A. Summary
The applicant is requesting approval of an Architecture and Site application for demolition
of two existing medical office buildings and construct ion of a new two-story medical office
building. The project is well designed and sympathetic to the properties in the immediate
area. The project is also consistent with the Zoning, General Plan, and applicable
Commercial Design Guidelines.
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. Find that the proposed project is Categorically Exempt, pursuant to the adopted
Guidelines for the implementation of the California Environmental Quality Act, Section
15303: New Construction or Conversion of Small Structures (Exhibit 2);
2. Make the required findings as required by Section 29.10.09030 of the Town Code for
granting approval for demolition of the existing structures (Exhibit 2);
3. Make the required finding that the project complies with the Commercial Design
Guidelines (Exhibit 2);
4. Make the required considerations as required by Section 29.20.150 of the Town Code
for granting approval of an Architecture and Site application (Exhibit 2); and
PAGE 9 OF 9
SUBJECT: 400 Carlton Avenue/S-19-032
DATE: September 5, 2019
CONCLUSION (continued):
5. Approve Architecture and Site Application S-19-032 with the conditions contained in
Exhibit 3 and the development plans in Exhibit 7.
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. Letter of Justification/Project Description, received May 30, 2019
5. Consulting Architect’s Report, received June 17, 2019
6. Consulting Arborist Report, dated February 28, 2017
7. Development Plans
8. Public comments received by 11:00 a.m., Friday, September 6, 2019
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