07 Attachment 1 - Preferred Land Use Alternative Framework Preferred Land Use Alternative Framework
May 2020
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Summary of the Preferred Land Use Alternative Framework
On Tuesday, April 7, 2020, the Town Council met to consider the recommendation from the Planning
Commission and General Plan Update Advisory Committee (GPAC)of a Draft Land Use Alternative
Framework for the 2040 Los Gatos General Plan. Review by the Planning Commission and GPAC
included community feedback from Community Workshop #2, which was held on January 16, 2020, as
well as additional feedback collected through online engagement.
Town Council Discussion of the Land Use Alternative Framework
At the April 7, 2020 meeting, the Town Council approved the Preferred Land Use Alternative Framework
that will be used to develop the 2040 General Plan. The Town Council deliberated on the options
presented for consideration and asked questions about the details associated with the Framework,
including but not limited to building heights, density, the role of accessory dwelling units (ADUs), and
specific development parameters within and adjacent to Opportunity Areas.
Following discussion, the Town Council agreed with the recommendation of the Planning Commission
and GPAC and approved Alternative C (including the downtown area as an eighth Opportunity Area).
Alternative C provides for a more diverse housing stock to meet the needs of a diversifying community,
while exceeding the 2,000 net new housing unit goal. Alternative C also allows for the ability of
development within specific areas in Town to have a maximum height of 50 feet or four stories but does
not mandate development to reach that maximum. This increase in allowable height would potentially
encourage the development of smaller multi-family units, which are expected to be needed to meet the
Town’s identified Regional Housing Needs Allocation consistent with State law every eight years.
As part of its adoption of the 2040 Preferred Land Use Alternative Framework, the Town Council
requested specific policies in the Land Use Element to refine where the maximum height is most
appropriate and where it is not, expand on placemaking and enhancing community spaces, consider
impacts of development adjacent to existing neighborhoods, and create vibrant, walkable areas
throughout Town.
2040 Preferred Land Use Alternative Framework
The following documents the 2040 Preferred Land Use Alternative Framework approved by Town
Council on April 7, 2020. Table 1 presents the development parameters (density and FAR) to be
assumed both inside and outside of Opportunity Areas. For the assumptions, densities for residential
uses were expressed as dwelling units per acre (du/ac) and non-residential uses have an intensity level
that is expressed as a floor area ratio (FAR). A FAR is the ratio of allowable building space per land area
of a development site (see Table 1: 2040 Preferred Land Use Alternative Framework Development
ATTACHMENT 1
Preferred Land Use Alternative Framework
May 2020
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Assumptions). These assumptions fluctuate and increase depending on if a parcel is located within one
of the eight designated Opportunity Areas (OA).
Table 1: 2040 Preferred Land Use Alternative Framework Development Assumptions
Table 2 presents a breakdown of the population, housing, and employment that could result with the
selected Alternative. Population is based on the standard number of persons per unit (2.4) found in Los
Gatos. The housing section of the table provides the number of housing units calculated to be
developed under the selected Alternative for each land use designation and whether the land is inside
or outside of an Opportunity Area. The bottom of the table provides an employment number. This
number is assumed to be understated, as the alternatives process focused on housing production, and
will be updated as the 2040 General Plan is developed.
Outside OA Inside OA Outside OA Inside OA Outside OA Inside OA Outside OA Inside OA
LDR 0 to 5 5%10% 5 to 12 8 to 16 10 14 0.5 164 180
MDR 5 to 12 10%10%12 to 20 14 to 24 16 20 0.75 315 166
HDR 12 to 20 15%15%20 to 30 30 to 40 26 36 1.25 98 236
NC 0 to 20 10%15%0 to 20 20 to 30 18 26 0.75 7 192
MU 0 to 20 10%20%0 to 20 30 to 40 18 26 1 21 449
CBD 0 to 20 N/A 15%N/A 20 to 30 N/A 26 0.75 0 136
Dwelling UnitsExisting Density
Range (DU/AC)
2040 Preferred Land Use Alternative FrameworkLand Use
Designation Redevelopment Density Range (DU/AC)Typical Density (DU/AC)FAR
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Table 2: 2040 Preferred Land Use Alternative Framework Projections
2040
Preferred Land
Use
Alternative
Framework
Population
Total Net New Population 5,914
Total Population 7,054
Total Projected 2040 Population 38,049
Housing
Net New Dwellings 1,964
Potential Net New Accessory Dwelling Units 500
Total Net New Dwelling Units 2,464
Pending/Approved Dwelling Units 475
Total Future Dwelling Units 2,939
Dwelling Units Per Land Use Designation
Low Density Residential (LDR) - in OA 180
Low Density Residential (LDR) - outside OA 164
Low Density Residential (LDR) - Total Dwelling Units 344
Medium Density Residential (MDR) - in OA 166
Medium Density Residential (MDR) - outside OA 315
Medium Density Residential (MDR) - Total Dwelling Units 481
High Density Residential (HDR) - in OA 236
High Density Residential (HDR) - outside OA 98
High Density Residential (HDR) - Total Dwelling Units 334
Neighborhood Commercial (NC) - in OA 192
Neighborhood Commercial (NC) - outside OA 7
Neighborhood Commercial (NC) - Total Dwelling Units 199
Mixed Use Commercial (MUC) - in OA 21
Mixed Use Commercial (MUC) - outside OA 449
Mixed Use Commercial (MUC) - Total Dwelling Units 470
Central Business District (CBD) - Total Dwelling Units 136
Employment
Employment 1,280
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2040 Preferred Land Use Alternative Framework Figure 1: 2040 Preferred Land Use Alternative Framework and General Land Use Designations