Item 2 - Addendum and Exhibits 13 and 14
PREPARED BY: JOCELYN SHOOPMAN
Associate Planner
Reviewed by: Planning Manager and Community Development Director
110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● (408) 354-6872
www.losgatosca.gov
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
PLANNING COMMISSION
REPORT
MEETING DATE: 03/09/2022 ITEM NO: 2 ADDENDUM
DATE: March 8, 2022
TO: Planning Commission
FROM: Joel Paulson, Community Development Director
SUBJECT: Consider an Appeal of a Community Development Director Decision to
Approve Construction of a Second Story Addition to an Existing Single-Family
Residence on Property Zoned R-1:10. APN 532-10-019. Located at 289
Marchmont Drive. Property Owner: Durgaprasad Shamain. Applicant: David
Britt. Appellants: Mark Jamieson and Don Woodward. Project Planner:
Jocelyn Shoopman.
REMARKS:
Exhibit 13 includes information from the applicant demonstrating neighborhood outreach.
Exhibit 14 includes public comment received between 11:01 a.m., Friday, March 4, 2022, and
11:00 a.m., Tuesday, March 8, 2022.
EXHIBITS:
Previously Received with the March 9, 2022, Staff Report:
1. Location Map
2. Required Findings
3. Recommended Conditions of Approval
4. Consulting Architect’s Report, dated October 6, 2021
5. Letter of Justification, received February 16, 2022
6. Applicant’s Neighborhood Outreach Efforts, received February 15, 2022
7. Additional Neighborhood Outreach and Signatures of Support, received February 26, 2022
8. Appeal of the Director of Community Development, received January 31, 2022
9. Appeal of the Director of Community Development, received February 2, 2022
10. Applicant’s Response to Appeals, received February 16, 2022
11. Development Plans, received November 29, 2021
12. Public Comments received prior to 11:00 a.m., Friday, March 4, 2022
PAGE 2 OF 2 SUBJECT: 289 Marchmont Drive/MR-21-019 DATE: March 8, 2022
S:\PLANNING COMMISSION REPORTS\2022\03-09-2022\Item 2 - 289 Marchmont Drive\Addendum.289 Marchmont Drive.docx
Received with this Addendum Report:
13. Applicant’s Continued Neighborhood Outreach, received March 6, 2022
14. Public Comment received between 11:01 a.m., Friday, March 4, 2022, and 11:00 a.m.,
Tuesday, March 8, 2022
Britt/Rowe
108 N. Santa Cruz Ave.
Los Gatos, CA 95030
408.354.6224
To: Los Gatos Planning Staff
From: David Britt, Britt/Rowe
RE: 289 Marchmont Drive. Application # MR-21-019
Dear Planning Staff;
The owners of 289 Marchmont Drive, Prasad Shamain and Janhavi Gudal met with
the following neighbors and presented them with the proposed design.
: Ed & June Meserve - "no objections" & volunteered
to introduce us to his general contractor in Campbell who worked on house
20 yrs ago (11/6/2021)
: Don Woodward - reviewed our letter, elevation pics & invited us
into his backyard & checked out the adjacency of our house from his backyard, &
then declared " I will have no issues." (11/6/2021)
: Sue Jamieson: "Best of luck" (11/6/2021) - has a verbal
conversation with Sue about the project prior to the letter the week of 10/11/2021
when she said "Best of Luck!"
Mark Jamieson: “Let us know if you need help or have any questions” & then he
proceeded to give us names/ tips about general contractors Craig Rogers & Joe
Masters who have worked on his home remodels in the past (11/14/2021)
: Maggie Leach- “The house design looks really nice. Let me
know if you need any help.” (11/6/2021)
: Jihun "Where will you move when the house is
undergoing construction? Good luck" (11/7/2021) - has a verbal conversation
with Jihun's wife Naree about the project prior to the letter the week of
10/11/2021 when she said "Best of luck."
: Joe Regan - he shared his experience with the town for his
house remodel & 2nd storey addition, & had no objections for our project.
(11/8/2021)
EXHIBIT 13
This Page
Intentionally
Left Blank
March 7, 2022
Planning Commission
Town of Los Gatos
Subject: Comments on 289 Marchmont Project
Dear Sirs;
I am one of the backyard neighbors, located at 16578 Shady View Lane. I am not
objecting to the concept of adding a second floor, but I believe it can be done with more
sensitivity to the neighbors. My lot is low enough that I will not really see the proposed
second floor addition.
The drawings show a nine-foot-high ceiling on both the first and second floors. There is
no need to have a nine-foot ceiling in all the bedrooms being added. Lowering the
ceiling will help drop the roof line. The plans show a 5/12 roof slope. This can easily be
lowered to further reduce the ridge line height. My own addition thirty years ago went
through this planning process, and I was required to reduce my partial second floor roof
to a 3/12 slope, while the first story roof is at a 4/12 slope. You cannot tell that I have
different sloping roofs.
The second floor plan shows four bedrooms, each with its own bath. It seems excessive,
and more like a boarding house than a single family home. Sharing bathrooms is part of
family life. Rooms for rent in the future?
A back extension of the existing home is being demolished, apparently to maximize the
second floor area without exceeding the FAR formula. Leaving the existing part of the
home in place will reduce the allowable size of the second floor addition.
There seems to be an error in the shadow outline shown on the plans. It appears to show
that the adjacent lots are at the same elevation, while they are not. The Jamieson property
is three foot lower, while the other side yard is higher. The shadow lines should show a
jog at each property. This will result in the shadow falling further onto the lower
Jamieson house.
The second story front balcony overlooks the Jamieson house, and impacts their privacy.
It seems to me that cutting back the second floor west wall about ten feet from what is
drawn will improve their privacy and eliminate the morning shadow problem on their
house. There can still be four bedrooms upstairs, perhaps with less bathrooms wasting
water. Cutting the roof slope down and lowering top floor by one foot will reduce the
mass of this addition and the shadow line.
Given the major construction that will happen, it is time for their roof and hard surface
runoff to be captured and delivered to the gutter. A sump pump will be required, as the
EXHIBIT 14
289 lot appears to be below the road elevation. I do not want their runoff flowing onto
my lower property, and I am sure the Jamiesons feel the same way.
Sincerely, C. Edward Meserve
Retired structural engineer SE1995