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09 Attachment 9 - Public Comments received between 1101 a.m., July 22, 2020 and 1101 a.m. August 27, 2020ATTACHMENT 9 6573 Shattuck Avenue x Oakland, CA 94609 x 510.654.2552 x www.hillarch.com 1 AXJXVW 22, 2020 TRZQ RI LRV GaWRV CRPPXQLW\ DHYHORSPHQW DHSaUWPHQW TRZQ RI LRV GaWRV TRZQ CRXQcLO SXbMHcW: 146 RRbLQ Wa\ (TKH DHKNRUGL RHVLGHQcH) ASSHaO RI AUcKLWHcWXUH aQG SLWH ASSOLcaWLRQ aSSURYaO IRU SURSRVHG QHZ KRPH DHaU CRXQcLO PHPbHUV, AV WKH SURSHUW\ PaQaJHU RI 150 RRbLQ Wa\, aQG RQ bHKaOI RI P\ PRWKHU WKH KRPHRZQHU DaOH S. HLOO, I aP ZULWLQJ LQ VXSSRUW RI WKH aSSURYHG GHVLJQ. I XUJH WKH CRXQcLO WR GHQ\ WKH aSSHaO. AV aQ aUcKLWHcW SUacWLcLQJ LQ WKH UHVLGHQWLaO UHaOP I aP JHQHUaOO\ VXSSRUWLYH RI GHYHORSPHQW SURMHcWV WKaW cRPSO\ ZLWK WKH ]RQLQJ UHJXOaWLRQV aV ZHOO aV WKH VXbMHcWLYH cULWHULa RI GHVLJQ UHYLHZ JXLGHOLQHV. 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I XQGHUVWaQG WKaW PaQ\ IRONV aUH UHVLVWaQW WR cKaQJH, bXW I bHOLHYH LQcUHPHQWaO cKaQJH LV bHQHILcLaO ± HYHQ cUXcLaO - WR PaLQWaLQLQJ WKH YLWaOLW\ RI WKH bXLOW HQYLURQPHQW. TKH DHKNRUGLV KaYH ZRUNHG SaWLHQWO\ aQG GLOLJHQWO\ ZLWK WKHLU aUcKLWHcW aQG WKH QHLJKbRUV WKURXJKRXW WKH SURcHVV, UHVSHcWIXOO\ SOa\LQJ b\ WKH UXOHV aOO WKH Za\. TKH\ VKRXOG bH aOORZHG WR bXLOG WKLV KRPH. TKaQN \RX IRU \RXU cRQVLGHUaWLRQ. SLQcHUHO\, LRULQ HLOO, AUcKLWHcW CA OLcHQVH #C23266 Page 1 of 2 August 24, 2020 Town of Los Gatos Town Council Subject: 146 Robin Way – Request for approval for the proposed new house Dear Council members, As the property owners of 146 Robin Way, and on behalf of our children, we are writing in plea for your support of the approved project and to deny the appeal. We request for your support because we hope to build ourselves a home – for the first time and most probably for the last time in our lives. As part of this community, we hope to build on the good faith relationship between the neighbors, remain fair and kind towards each other, and while respecting each other’s opinion, honor each other’s individuality. In order to understand the sense of the neighborhood , we reached out to 32 families in the neighborhood on August 20-21, including the four (4) tenant families, and asked for their comments on our project – we did not reach out to the appellants nor the family who had come to their support in the previous public hearings. Also we did not reach out to one of the neighbors who is an elderly woman with no email; we wished not to compromised their privacy or health by showing up at their door, specially knowing she had been in and out of hospital in the past few months. Out of the 32 families we reached out to, 17 had no concerns with our project, three (3) chose to not comment, and 12 have yet not responded as of 8PM on Monday August 24th. Please find attached the supporting neighbors’ signatures/comments. All along in the project, we have consistently considered the existing neighborhood’s characteristic while having an eye into the future. Early on, we communicated our plans with the 2+2+5 property owners plus their 3 tenants on Robin Way when we initially submitted our plan to DRC, followed up twice via mail, and heard no complaint. Instead, we received positive responses like “excited for you! good luck!” from all. All along, based on the feedback, our sense was that our neighbors were supportive. Right before the first DRC meeting, we were surprised by the rigor and caliber of complaints from a few of the neighbors. Following the DRC meeting and per the DRC recommendation, we revised the plans even though they were fully compliant with all governing codes, we reviewed the revisions with the concerned neighbors, which we believed addressed the issues that had been raised. Three of the concerned neighbors later notified us that they appreciated the modifications and were no longer in opposition. But there was one neighbor who was still not satisfied and appealed. The project was then sent to the Planning Commission. They too, approved our project. Yet the approval is appealed again. In the meantime, some other neighbors reached out to us to render their sympathy for the delays in the project. They also pointed out that they had been approached to oppose the project by those who were not in support. All along the review meetings, we have consistently taken the high road, been responsive, and shown a willingness to compromise. All of those are particularly important, especially our willingness and Page 2 of 2 demonstration to modify our plans to meet folks halfway. We have been reasonable while a few just seem to be repeating the same demands without any willingness to meet us part way. We come to you to plea for your help. We simply are planning to improve quality of life for ourselves and our children: Arman an honored freshman in Los Gatos High, Mana in 2nd grade at Blossom Hill, and Yara at Mariposa Montessori preschool (I, Leila, have been serving as a volunteer on their Board of Directors for the past two years); all along respecting the regulations and neighborhood spirit. We have further modified our compliant designs to satisfy concerns of the neighbors. At some point, and it seems like we are at that point, it appears no longer necessary or fair to attempt to satisfy unreasonable expectations. Everyone has been given ample chances to show code violations. None have been shown. Instead, the complaints are repetitive, some of accusatory nature, some that invade our privacy, some dictating how we should spend our money or how the details of landscape design should be in our own backyard. In the face of the adversity we are all facing, it is important to support each other, infuse hope and plan for better futures for all, as Mayor Jensen had requested of all of us too. Our project of rebuild and hope for a better future, has become interrupted with heartbreaking encounters. Continuing with additional public hearings when nothing is illegal or out of code, and when all the hearings have been exhausted, is less than fair. Further unnecessary delays to beginning the project appear to be less than fair to us and our children. We believe the permit was rightfully due and we ask of you to please deny the appeal. We appreciate the Council’s time and consideration. Thank you! Sincerely, Leila Bahreinian and Mehrdad Eslami Dehkordi PS: quick key facts: · The house to our south, at 140 Robin Way, owned by the appellants, is on grounds higher than the grounds of our home at 146 Robin Way and has windows overlooking our home. Given these, the 140 house has direct view onto our property which can compromise our privacy; yet they are the ones complaining about their privacy! · The house at 140 is the only house in the cul-de-sac that has tall gable ends that blocks sunlight to our property and the exterior design is full wood – these are unique features, different than the rest of the neighborhood.