05-25-22 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
MAY 25, 2022
The Planning Commission of the Town of Los Gatos conducted a Regular Meeting on
Wednesday, May 25, 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, and Commissioner Emily Thomas
Absent: Commissioner Reza Tavana
VERBAL COMMUNICATIONS
None.
CONSENT ITEMS (TO BE ACTED UPON BY A SINGLE MOTION)
1. Approval of Minutes – Draft Minutes of the May 2, 2022 Planning Commission Special
Meeting
2. Approval of Minutes – Draft Minutes of the May 11, 2022 Planning Commission
Meeting
MOTION: Motion by Commissioner Raspe to approve adoption of the Consent
Calendar. Seconded by Commissioner Thomas.
VOTE: Motion passed unanimously.
PUBLIC HEARINGS
PAGE 2 OF 4 MINUTES OF PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING OF MAY 25, 2022
3. 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, Associate Planner, presented the staff report.
Opened Public Comment.
Ayhan Mutlu (Owner)
- We need additional space to help care for our parents and children. Our goal is to have five
bedrooms to accommodate everyone as well as our work from home needs. A single-story
design would have required major compromises such as keeping 50% of the walls, the
garage in the middle, dividing the house into two regions, and an awkward style. Moving
the garage would have required removing protected trees in the front. We began neighbor
outreach in April 2021, seven months before our application. We decided on a two-story
design after consulting with all our immediate neighbors and accommodating their
requests, and also accommodating the Town consulting architect’s requests. Our
neighbors support our project. Our remodel is neighborhood friendly, with major
compromises such as 8-foot plate heights; a roof as low as possible at 23 feet, 30% less
than allowed; no second-story side windows except small stained glass in the bathroom;
minimal wall expansion towards the neighbors; and yard landscaping for privacy. This
would be the largest home in the neighborhood, but we have the second largest lot and are
in compliance with the allowable FAR, coverage, and setbacks. We tried reducing the
second-story bulk after the consulting architect’s feedback, but it would have resulted in
extending the house to the right, leading to a non-stylish, small second story and large first-
story design. There are 11 two-story homes in the neighborhood.
Ayhan Mutlu (Owner)
- The construction of this home is almost as costly as buying a new home, which we
considered, but we love it here and are invested in the neighborhood and our neighbors,
and that is why we decided to remodel our home.
PAGE 3 OF 4 MINUTES OF PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING OF MAY 25, 2022
Levent Aksin (Project Architect)
- From the beginning we did many studies for a single-story home to address the Mutlu’s
needs. We tried to avoid having a second floor because it would be much more costly, but
due to the odd shape of the lot and a significant 10-foot public utility easement on the right
side, we could not come up with a successful working design. Our two-story design totally
complies with the zoning regulations in terms of height, FAR, building coverage, and
setbacks. The height is still 7 feet below the allowable 30-foot height, and the plate heights
are at minimum, which is 8 feet. The roof slope is almost at the minimum as well at 4:12.
The home’s height is only 6 inches higher than similar two-story homes on the same block.
Our project is not the only large two-story home in the immediate neighborhood; there are
other two-story homes on the next street to the back. We have addressed the Town
consulting architect’s concerns. There are two homes in the neighborhood that have larger
FARs.
Closed Public Comment.
Commissioners discussed the matter.
Opened Public Comment.
Commission questions of the applicant.
Closed Public Comment
MOTION: Motion by Commissioner Thomas to continue the public hearing for 147
Arroyo Grande Way to a date certain of June 22, 2022. Seconded by
Commissioner Raspe.
Commissioners discussed the matter.
VOTE: Motion passed unanimously.
OTHER BUSINESS
REPORT FROM THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Jennifer Armer, Planning Manager
• Town Council will consider the Draft Sites Inventory as recommend by the Housing
Element Advisory Board at its June 7, 2022 meeting.
• Town Council will hold a special meeting on June 20, 2022 to consider the Draft 2040
General Plan and Final EIR.
SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS/COMMISSION MATTERS
PAGE 4 OF 4 MINUTES OF PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING OF MAY 25, 2022
Historic Preservation Committee
Commissioner Raspe
- HPC met on May 25, 2022 and considered eight matters: three requests for exterior
alternations; two requests for removal from historic inventory; two technical demolitions;
and one preliminary review.
Housing Element Advisory Board
Chair Hanssen
- HEAB met on May 19, 2022 to discuss the Draft Housing Site Inventory, which will be
considered by the Town Council at its June 7, 2022 meeting.
- It is hoped that the public will take advantage of the Balancing Act tool that is set up for the
public to decide where new housing could be built. Balancing Act is accessible on the
Housing Element website.
Commission Matters
None.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 8:34 p.m.
This is to certify that the foregoing is a true
and correct copy of the minutes of the
May 25, 2022 meeting as approved by the
Planning Commission.
_____________________________
/s/ Vicki Blandin