02-23-22 Minutes - PC
110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● 408-354-6832
www.losgatosca.gov
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
PLANNING COMMISSION
REPORT
MEETING DATE: 03/09/2022 ITEM NO: 1
DRAFT
MINUTES OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING
FEBRUARY 23, 2022
The Planning Commission of the Town of Los Gatos conducted a Regular Meeting on
Wednesday, February 23, 2022, at 7:00 p.m.
This meeting was conducted utilizing teleconferencing and electronic means consistent with
Government Code Section 54953, as Amended by Assembly Bill 361, in response to the state
of emergency relating to COVID-19 and enabling teleconferencing accommodations by
suspending or waiving specified provisions in the Ralph M. Brown Act (Government Code §
54950 et seq.). Consistent with AB 361 and Town of Los Gatos Resolution 2021-044, 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 Jeffrey Barnett, Commissioner Kylie Clark,
Commissioner Kathryn Janoff, Commissioner Steve Raspe, Commissioner Reza Tavana, and
Commissioner Emily Thomas
Absent: None.
VERBAL COMMUNICATIONS
Jeffrey Suzuki
- As Planning Commissioners, please support the Draft 2040 General Plan. It needs to be
done for our community, because the housing crisis is a threat to the community, working
class families, the homeless, and senior residents. While the General Plan is not the ideal
solution, we need something that is functional, so please support it.
Susan Burnett, 85 Ellenwood
- I am concerned about houses coming before the Planning Commission and the Historic
Preservation Commission and being taken out of our inventory. We started with 1,300
homes and 270 have already been taken out. We should be adding homes to our list, as
many cities do. Now, with SB 9, the committees have to tighten up their views as to what
should happen to pre-1940 homes in order keep Los Gatos the way it is.
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Ali
- I support the Draft General Plan and am in favor of a push toward affordable housing, the
lack of which contributes to homelessness. There is a fair amount of homeless in Los Gatos,
and everyone here deserves a roof over their heads. We often destroy historic homes to
build mega-homes for the wealthy, but build nothing for workers whose salaries cannot
keep pace with the rising costs of housing.
CONSENT ITEMS (TO BE ACTED UPON BY A SINGLE MOTION)
1. Approval of Minutes – February 9, 2022
MOTION: Motion by Commissioner Raspe to approve adoption of the Consent
Calendar. Seconded by Commissioner Clark.
VOTE: Motion passed unanimously.
PUBLIC HEARINGS
2. 16509 Bonnie Lane
APN 532-42-013
Property Owner/Applicant/Appellant: Pamela Kee
Project Planner: Ryan Safty
Consider an Appeal of a Community Development Director decision to deny a Fence
Height Exception request for construction of a six-foot fence located within the required
front yard setback on property zoned R-1:8.
Commissioner Barnett announced that he would recuse himself from participating in the
public hearing for 16509 Bonnie Lane due to a conflict of interest based on the proximity of
his residence to the subject property.
Ryan Safty, Associate Planner, presented the staff report.
Opened Public Comment.
Pamela Kee, Owner/Applicant/Appellant
- Last summer the Town engineer asked me to stop construction of the fence, so the fence is
not complete. This is my daughter’s project. We have spoken with the neighbors and tried
to be mindful of the community. In particular, we want to add lighting to our very dark
street as part of the proposal.
PAGE 3 OF 4 MINUTES OF PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING OF FEBRUARY 23, 2022
Alexandra Kerlee
- I am the daughter of 16509 Bonnie Lane’s owner. We are seeking a fence over three feet
because of the headlights from the driveway up the hill. When residents from the three
homes drive down the hill their headlights shine directly into our home, including my
bedroom, and five feet is the minimum fence height to block the majority of that light. We
were unaware of the 2019 three-foot height limit when we built the fence last summer and
stopped construction after speaking to the Town and applied for an exception.
Closed Public Comment.
Commissioners discussed the matter.
MOTION: Motion by Commissioner Raspe to Deny an Appeal of a Community
Development Director Decision to Deny a Fence Height Exception for
16509 Bonnie Lane. Seconded by Commissioner Thomas.
VOTE: Motion passed 5-1-1 with Commissioner Tavana dissenting and Vice
Chair Barnett recused.
OTHER BUSINESS
None.
REPORT FROM THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Joel Paulson, Director of Community Development
• An introductory community meeting regarding objective standards was held on
February 22nd. Feedback was given that will be used in preparing a draft document with
objective standards for multifamily and mixed-use development, which will go back to
the community for additional input, then to the Planning Commission for a
recommendation, and then to Town Council for final action.
SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS/COMMISSION MATTERS
Housing Element Advisory Board
Chair Hanssen
- HEAB held its third meeting on February 17th and discussed the process for selecting sites
that could be used to achieve the Town’s RHNA numbers. Staff is using a Housing Element
Site Selection tool that helps to map out potential housing, and a Balancing Act tool, which
the public can utilize, that is used in determining sites. The Balancing Act tool will be
introduced to the public at a community meeting at the end of March.
Historic Preservation Committee
Commissioner Clark/Commissioner Raspe
- HPC met on February 23rd and considered four items.
PAGE 4 OF 4 MINUTES OF PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING OF FEBRUARY 23, 2022
o Recommended alterations to an existing property.
o Denied a request to remove an historic property from the inventory.
o Approved a request to remove an historic property from the inventory.
o A preliminary review for a technical demolition of an historic property.
- A member of the public expressed concern regarding the historic housing inventory losses
the Town has sustained over time, finding affordable housing, and how development
would impact the preservation of the Town’s historic inventory.
Commission Matters
Chair Hanssen
- Asked staff for an update on the Draft General Plan. Staff responded the current tentative
date is March 23, 2022 for the Planning Commission to begin review of the Draft General
Plan.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 8:08 p.m.
This is to certify that the foregoing is a true
and correct copy of the minutes of the
February 23, 2022 meeting as approved by the
Planning Commission.
_____________________________
/s/ Vicki Blandin