Draft Minutes of the July 28, 2021 Planning Commission Meeting
110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● 408-354-6832
www.losgatosca.gov
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
PLANNING COMMISSION
REPORT
MEETING DATE: 08/25/2021
ITEM NO: 1
DRAFT
MINUTES OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING
JULY 28, 2021
The Planning Commission of the Town of Los Gatos conducted a Regular Meeting on
Wednesday, July 28, 2021, 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 Kathryn Janoff, Commissioner Jeffrey Barnett, Commissioner Melanie Hanssen,
Commissioner Jeffrey Suzuki, Commissioner Reza Tavana, and Commissioner Emily Thomas
Absent: Vice Chair Kendra Burch
VERBAL COMMUNICATIONS
None.
CONSENT ITEMS (TO BE ACTED UPON BY A SINGLE MOTION)
1. Approval of Minutes – July 14, 2021
MOTION: Motion by Commissioner Hanssen to approve adoption of the Consent
Calendar. Seconded by Commissioner Barnett.
VOTE: Motion passed unanimously.
PAGE 2 OF 4
MINUTES OF PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING OF JULY 28, 2021
PUBLIC HEARINGS
2. Wood Road
Architecture and Site Application S-21-003
APN 510-47-045
Applicant: Gary Kohlsaat, Architect
Property Owners: Omari and Kavita Bouknight
Project Planner: Sean Mullin
Consider approval for construction of a new single-family residence and site
improvements requiring a Grading Permit on vacant property zoned HR-5.
Sean Mullin, Associate Planner, presented the staff report.
Opened Public Comment.
Omari Bouknight
- Low-grade square footage is incorporated in their home design to reflect the rural and
natural character of Los Gatos. They have remained in compliance with the Town’s
regulations. Their site is relatively private and isolated, allowing for little impact to
surrounding neighbors and the community. They have tried to respect the natural
topography as set out in the Hillside Standards and Guidelines with the design running
along the contours of the hillside to reduce bulk, mass, and visibility and through the use of
subdued colors. They are within the limited LRDA. No trees would be removed. They have
conducted neighborhood outreach.
Justin Dray, Neighbor
- He lives across the street from the subject site. He appreciated the applicant’s
neighborhood outreach and had no objections to the project.
Gary Kohlsaat, Architect
- They arrived at their current design after several iterations. They acknowledge they are
exceeding the 28-foot limit imposed on houses visible bottom to top but that is the only
way this house would work and they are under the ultimate 35 feet. They have stepped the
house up the hill dramatically with over 20 feet from the garage to the master bedroom
floor and another 30 feet to the upper floor. They have put quite a bit of square footage
below grade and are under the allowed FAR. With the landscaping tucked in the back the
minor exceptions are not visible and provide a private space for the home’s occupants.
Closed Public Comment.
Commissioners discussed the matter.
PAGE 3 OF 4
MINUTES OF PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING OF JULY 28, 2021
MOTION: Motion by Commissioner Hanssen to continue the public hearing for
Wood Road to a date certain of August 25, 2021. Seconded by
Commissioner Suzuki.
Commissioner Barnett requested the motion be amended to provide for Town Attorney
investigation of the right-of-way issue.
The Maker of the Motion accepted the amendment to the motion provided that would not be
the issue that would prevent the application from being approved should the applicant revise
the height appropriately.
The Seconder of the Motion accepted the amendment to the motion.
VOTE: Motion passed unanimously.
OTHER BUSINESS
REPORT FROM THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Joel Paulson, Director of Community Development
• The draft 2040 General Plan is circulating. A Planning Commission/Town Council
workshop on the General Plan is planned for September. The General Plan EIR will begin
circulation on July 30th with a 45-day public comment period and a Planning Commission
hearing to accept public comments. After all public comments have been received
responses will be published in a Final Environmental Impact Report. The EIR and General
Plan will be brought back to the Planning Commission for consideration and
recommendation to the Town Council in the late fall.
• A Subcommittee of the Planning Commission has been created to help staff with
Objective Standards.
• The Housing Element Update process has begun. A Housing Element Advisory Board will
be created and comprised of the General Plan Committee members and two at-large
community members who served on the GPAC through the General Plan Update effort.
SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS/COMMISSION MATTERS
None.
PAGE 4 OF 4
MINUTES OF PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING OF JULY 28, 2021
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 8:33 p.m.
This is to certify that the foregoing is a true
and correct copy of the minutes of the
July 28, 2021 meeting as approved by the
Planning Commission.
_____________________________
/s/ Vicki Blandin