06-22-22 Minutes - PC
110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● 408-354-6832
www.losgatosca.gov
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
PLANNING COMMISSION
REPORT
MINUTES OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING
JUNE 22, 2022
The Planning Commission of the Town of Los Gatos conducted a Regular Meeting on
Wednesday, June 22, 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 PM
ROLL CALL
Present: Chair Melanie Hanssen, Vice Chair Jeffrey Barnett, Commissioner Kylie Clark,
Commissioner Kathryn Janoff, and Commissioner Steve Raspe
Absent: Commissioner Reza Tavana and Commissioner Emily Thomas
VERBAL COMMUNICATIONS
None.
CONSENT ITEMS (TO BE ACTED UPON BY A SINGLE MOTION)
1. Approval of Minutes – June 8, 2022
MOTION: Motion by Commissioner Raspe to approve adoption of the Consent
Calendar. Seconded by Commissioner Clark.
VOTE: Motion passed unanimously.
PAGE 2 OF 4 MINUTES OF PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING OF JUNE 22, 2022
PUBLIC HEARINGS
2. 147 Arroyo Grande Way
Minor Residential Development Application MR-21-027
APN 424-23-030
Applicant: Bilal Ilter
Property Owner: Ayhan Mutlu
Project Planner: Sean Mullin
Requesting approval for construction of a new second-story addition to an existing
single-family residence on property zoned R-1:8.
Sean Mullin, Senior Planner, presented the staff report.
Opened Public Comment.
Ayhan Mutlu, Property Owner
- The first revision to the plan was pushing the master suite back by four feet, per the
consulting architect’s recommendation. The second revision was increasing the plate
height of the family room and kitchen addition to nine feet without changing the overall
building height. The last change was a change to the master bathroom window layout to
accommodate the symmetrical window structure, and pulling up the roof over the master
bath to further hide the second story. We have communicated with our neighbors
regarding the hedges on the side of the yard, and will try to keep as many existing hedges
as possible while removing those that are dying or badly trimmed. The rose trees in the
front will also be kept, with potentially more added.
Closed Public Comment.
Commissioners discussed the matter.
MOTION: Motion by Commissioner Raspe to approve a Minor Residential
Development Application for 147 Arroyo Grande Way. Seconded by Vice
Chair Barnett.
VOTE: Motion passed 4-1 with Chair Hanssen dissenting.
PAGE 3 OF 4 MINUTES OF PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING OF JUNE 22, 2022
3. Review and Recommendation of the Draft Objective Standards to the Town Council
Sean Mullin, Senior Planner, presented the staff report.
Tom Ford, Principal of M-Group, provided a presentation.
Opened Public Comment.
Lee Quintana
- At previous meetings it was stated that there would be one unified document that included
all the objective standards that applied to qualifying projects, but that has not happened so
far, and if it does not happen it would be totally confusing to the public who will not
understand what is included for these standards. Also, what a qualifying project is needs to
be defined in the document. This document should not be just for developers, and for the
public to understand the concepts a photograph or graphic figure of what is being
presented should be included. It appears this matter will go the Town Council very rapidly,
but that would not give the public or the Planning Commission adequate opportunity to
digest what is proposed or could be proposed. This must be an integrated document
where all the objectives that apply are listed; otherwise, the document is not user-friendly
and transparent to the public. There are many different types of structures covered in the
document, but the objectives do not break that down as to what applies to what building
type.
Closed Public Comment.
Commissioners discussed the matter.
MOTION: Motion by Commissioner Raspe to continue the review and discussion of
the Draft Objective Standards to a date certain of July 27, 2022.
Seconded by Vice Chair Barnett.
VOTE: Motion passed unanimously.
OTHER BUSINESS
REPORT FROM THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Jennifer Armer, Planning Manager
• Town Council began its discussion of the Draft 2040 General Plan and Environmental
Impact Report on June 20, 2022, and continued the matter to June 30, 2022, for
additional discussion.
PAGE 4 OF 4 MINUTES OF PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING OF JUNE 22, 2022
• The HEAB will meet July 7, 2022, to continue discussion of goals and policies from its last
meeting.
SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS/COMMISSION MATTERS
Housing Element Advisory Board
Chair Hanssen
- The HEAB met June 16, 2022, to begin discussion of goals and policies and continued the
matter to July 7, 2022.
Historic Preservation Committee
Commissioner Raspe
- HPC met June 22, 2022, to consider seven items: two requests for removal from the
inventory; and five requests for minor alterations to residences.
- HPC is seeing more requests for applicants seeking to use substitute materials instead of
wood. HPC is working with staff to ascertain how those wood replacement materials
should be used and whether the Residential Design Guidelines should be updated.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 9:46 p.m.
This is to certify that the foregoing is a true
and correct copy of the minutes of the
June 22, 2022 meeting as approved by the
Planning Commission.
_____________________________
/s/ Vicki Blandin