Staff Report.Draft 2040 General Plan
PREPARED BY: Jennifer Armer, AICP
Planning Manager
Reviewed by: Community Development Director
110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● (408) 354-6872
www.losgatosca.gov
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
PLANNING COMMISSION
SPECIAL MEETING REPORT
MEETING DATE: 5/2/2022
ITEM NO: 1
DATE: April 29, 2022
TO: Planning Commission
FROM: Joel Paulson, Community Development Director
SUBJECT: Review and Make Recommendations on the Draft 2040 General Plan and
Final Environmental Impact Report to the Town Council.
REMARKS:
On April 13, 2022, the Planning Commission received public comments on the Draft 2040
General Plan and Environmental Impact Report (EIR); and began the review of the Draft 2040
General Plan including the: Introduction; Racial, Social and Environmental Justice Element;
Mobility Element; and Public Facilities, Services, and Infrastructure Element.
On April 25, 2022, the Planning Commission held a special meeting to continue the review of
the Draft 2040 General Plan including the: Open Space, Parks, and Recreation Element;
Environment and Sustainability Element; Hazards and Safety Element; and began review of the
Land Use Element.
The review included the following unanimous motions:
1. In the Open Space, Parks, and Recreation Element, recommend the modifications in Exhibit
7 listed as Items 81 and 84, and remove “provided on a full cost recovery basis” from the
first paragraph under Recreational Services on page 7-7 of the Draft 2040 General Plan;
2. In the Environment and Sustainability Element, recommend the modifications in Exhibit 7
listed as Items 89, 90, 95, and 96 but with “ensuring” changed to “working towards”;
3. In the Environment and Sustainability Element, recommend the modifications in Exhibit 7
listed as Items 98 (with “improve” instead of “improves”), 104, and 105;
4. In the Environment and Sustainability Element, recommend the modifications in Exhibit 7
listed as Items 106, 107, 108, 110, and 116 with the language modified to state, “Plant
Based Education: Develop and implement a plan Implement programs to educate and
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SUBJECT: Draft 2040 General Plan and Final EIR
DATE: April 29, 2022
REMARKS (continued):
support residents about the environmental, economic, and social benefits of shifting to a
plant-based diet, examples of which may include informational materials, educational
programs, community events, coordination with schools and businesses, or guidelin es for
procurement which includes improved health, curbing greenhouse gas emissions, reducing
biodiversity loss and deforestation, reducing water usage, and reversing pollution of our air,
land, and water.”
5. In the Environment and Sustainability Element modify Implementation Program M to
include linkages between movement corridors;
6. In the Environment and Sustainability Element modify the existing language about the
Ohlone on page 8-17 of the Draft 2040 General Plan as suggested by Commissioner Clark:
• Policy ENV-13.8, “Support a community sense of stewardship for historic and cultural
resources through supporting talks, tours, and other programs that increase awareness
and promote Los Gatos as a destination with historic cultural resources and through
including Ohlone people in the conversation and planning.”
• Section 8.8, “Los Gatos is in an area once occupied by the Ohlone (or Costanoan)
people, which extends from the point where the San Joaquin and Sacramento rivers
flow into the San Francisco Bay to Point Sur, with the interior Coastal Ranges most likely
constituting the inland boundary. Before colonization outside contact, Ohlone lived in
base camps of tulereed houses and seasonal specialized camps. Ohlone ate food gained
by hunting, gathering, and fishing. Mussels were particularly important to their diet, as
well as sea mammals and acorns.
Seven Franciscan missions were built in Ohlone territory in the late 1700s, and all
members of the Ohlone group were eventually forced brought into the mission system.
After the establishment of the missions, the Ohlone population was decimated
dwindled from roughly 10,000 people in 1770 to 1,300 in 1814. In 1973, the population
of people with Ohlone descent was estimated at fewer than 300 after what is widely
cited as a genocide. The descendants of the Ohlone united in 1971 and have since
arranged political and cultural organizations to revitalize , maintain and pass on aspects
of their culture.”
7. In the Hazards and Safety Element, recommend the modifications in Exhibit 7 listed as Items
119 and 117 subject to review by the Santa Clara County Fire Department or CalFire; and
8. Modify definition of “equity,” in addition to the modifications to that definition agreed
upon at the previous meeting, to include a reference to “status and rights.”
On April 27, 2022, the Planning Commission continued the review of the Land Use Element of
the Draft 2040 General Plan.
The review included the following unanimous motion:
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SUBJECT: Draft 2040 General Plan and Final EIR
DATE: April 29, 2022
REMARKS (continued):
1. In the Land Use Element, recommend the modifications in Exhibit 7 listed as Items 21, 33,
34, and 40 (as an implementation program).
In addition, the Planning Commission discussed the options for whether and by how much the
residential densities proposed in the Draft 2040 General Plan should be modified. This
discussion included the following perspectives expressed by one or more Commissioners:
• There is a need to include sufficient capacity for future residential growth in the 2040
General Plan; and
• There is public concern over whether the growth potential as a result of these changes
could be too much, or too little, or not of the desired type.
In addition, there seemed to be general agreement by the Commissioners that it would be
acceptable to remove the new housing densities listed for the Office Professional and Service
Commercial designations, since these were additions later in the General Plan Update Advisory
Committee’s (GPAC) process. The discussion of changes to the densities in the Central Business
District and Community Commercial designations were not as clear, as there were concerns
that reducing densities in those areas would reduce the potential of some key sites currently
under consideration by the Housing Element Advisory Board (HEAB) as part of the Housing
Element Update.
As a result of these discussions, Planning Commissioners requested information to provide a
more complete understanding of what potential reductions might be made in the allowed
densities in the Low and Medium Density Residential designations without eliminating the
opportunity for Missing Middle Housing. The following information has been prepared in
response to this request:
Maximum
Dwelling
Units per
Acre
Lot Area
Required to
Allow Four
Units (Acres)
Lot Area
Required to
Allow Four Units
(Square Feet)
Properties That Meet Four-Unit Lot Size
Low Density Residential
Designation
Medium Density
Residential Designation
Number
of Parcels
Percent of
Parcels
Number
of Parcels
Percent of
Parcels
5 0.8 34,848 170 3% - -
8 0.5 21,780 462 7% - -
10 0.4 17,424 831 12% - -
12 0.33 14,520 1,145 17% 179 5%
18 0.22 9,680 - - 354 11%
24 0.17 7,260 - - 708 21%
Total Number of Parcels by Designation 6,751 3,294
Number of Parcels in LHP by Designation 25 321
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SUBJECT: Draft 2040 General Plan and Final EIR
DATE: April 29, 2022
REMARKS (continued):
In the table above, the numbers in bold are based on the land use densities in the Draft 2040
General Plan, and those in italics are based on the 2020 General Plan. This chart also includes
the number of parcels within the Landmark and Historic Preservation Overlay Zone (LHP)
because those are parcels that would not qualify for projects under Senate Bill 9 (SB 9).
Shortly before 11:30 p.m., the Planning Commission continued the discussion to a Special
Meeting on May 2, 2022. At this meeting the Planning Commission will continue their
discussion including review of:
• The Land Use Element;
• The Community Design Element; and
• The Final EIR.
Once these discussions are complete, and the Planning Commission makes their
recommendation, the process will continue with consideration by Town Council of the Draft
2040 General Plan and Final EIR, including consideration of recommendations from the GPAC
and Planning Commission, and additional comments from the public.
EXHIBITS:
Exhibits previously provided: (available online here: http://losgatos2040.com/documents.html)
1. Draft 2040 General Plan
2. Draft EIR
3. Revised NOA and Transportation section
4. Final EIR
Exhibits previously received with the April 13, 2022 Staff Report:
5. Draft Findings of Fact and Statement of Overriding Considerations
6. GPAC Recommended Changes to the Vision and Guiding Principles
7. Modifications Proposed in Public Comment
8. Board of Forestry Recommended Changes
9. Public Comments received between 11:01 a.m., Thursday, May 6, 2021, and 11:00 a.m.,
Monday, September 20, 2021
10. Public Comments received between 11:01 a.m., Monday, September 20, 2021, and 11:00
a.m., Thursday, April 7, 2022
Exhibit previously received with the April 13, 2022 Addendum:
11. Public Comments received between 11:01 a.m., Thursday, April 7, 2022, and 11:00 a.m.,
Monday, April 11, 2022
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SUBJECT: Draft 2040 General Plan and Final EIR
DATE: April 29, 2022
REMARKS (continued):
Exhibits previously received with the April 13, 2022 Desk Item:
12. Planning Commissioner Comments
13. Public Comments received between 11:01 a.m., Monday, April 11, 2022, and 11:00 a.m.,
Wednesday, April 13, 2022
Exhibits previously received with the April 25, 2022 Staff Report:
14. Planning Commissioner Comments
15. Public Comments received between 11:01 a.m., Wednesday, April 13, 2022, and 11:00 a.m.,
Friday, April 22, 2022
Exhibit previously received with the April 25, 2022 Desk Item:
16. Public Comments received between 11:01 a.m., Friday, April 22, 2022, and 11:00 a.m. on
Monday, April 25, 2022
Exhibit previously received with the April 27, 2022 Desk Item:
17. Planning Commissioner Comments
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