Desk Item with Exhibit.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
DESK ITEM
DATE: May 2, 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:
Exhibit 18 includes public comment received between 11:01 a.m., Friday, April 29, 2022, and
11:00 a.m. on Monday, May 2, 2022.
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
PAGE 2 OF 2
SUBJECT: Draft 2040 General Plan and Final EIR
DATE: May 2, 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
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
Exhibit received with this Desk Item:
18. Public Comments received between 11:01 a.m., Friday, April 29, 2022, and 11:00 a.m. on
Monday, May 2, 2022
EXHIBIT 18
From: Lee Fagot
Sent: Friday, April 29, 2022 3:16 PM
To: Planning
Cc: Joel Paulson; Jennifer Armer; Laurel Prevetti
Subject: Please post for Planning Commission to review.
Melanie, Jeff, Kylie, Katheryn, Steve, Reza and Emily,
Thank you, Commissioners and Town Staff, for the commitment to both the process and the final
product you are working on for our Community. The long, and LATE, hours you are all putting in is
appreciated, as well as the discussions where you each listen to the other’s views on issues and work to
find compromise - true democracy.
Following last night’s (5/28) discussion on changes being proposed to the Density Ranges to achieve the
Targeted Housing Element numbers, plus the decade following, a few suggestions:
• When considering changes to the Density Range in the proposed numbers, by Land Use
Designations (Pg 182, of Draft 2040GP and Final EIR), please also link the Maximum Height
because this too will have a significant impact on the sites being considered. For example, with
no units in the Public, Open Space or Agriculture, why change the Max Height from 0 to 30 or 35
feet. Leave at 0, please, to demonstrate consistency.
• And, in Low Density, Medium and High Density Residential Designations, the Draft proposal is
more than doubling the Density Range. Please continue to review, keep the densities as close to
the current Range to realize the goals (more on goals below) and do NOT increase the Heights
in those sites, as the Draft indicates, going up by 50% to 45Ft., just in Hight Density, for
example. That truly changes the character of these "sights and sites" to change the character of
our Town, in a negative way. We do not want tenements or row houses as you see in metro
areas of our Eastern US cities. "Row" housing is not a good solution. I lived in one once…NO
THANK YOU. I could not tell the difference between my street and the next two on the same
block.
• Increasing some housing in Mixed Use makes sense, but not at 45 ft heights. Just 35ft.
• Limit Office Professional to 30 unites and Service Professional could move the Density Range to
20 unites per acre from 0, but no more as you pursue the real target for the 20 year plan.
• Please stay focused on the goal of 1993 (next RHNA allocation starting next year), plus a 10%
buffer and recognize that the number can be adjusted when the 5 year reviews are done in our
General Plan. Trying to forecast 20 years of housing and speculating (guessing) what
Sacramento and ABAG ( in the next cycle) will demand of us, is far too risky. Remember, too,
that developers will then be able to build “by right and without local control” if the Town adopts
targets that go beyond reasonable expectations of REAL town growth/demand or to appeal to
current reasonable developers. Note that we are seeing declining populations, an aging in place
populations and NOT just because of land costs, but folks preference for other lifestyles (less
marriages, children, etc), town character and scenery.
• The current average residents per housing unit is 2.4 folks, and the significant population
increase projected with the far too aggressive housing unit proposals will have a deleterious
effect on VHT, infrastructure, cost to Town Budget, etc. Lets be realistic and focus accordingly.
• Remember why folks moved here, and why they want to stay. This is a pleasant and
accommodating community. Lets be accommodating, but do NOT change the real ambiance
and character of Los Gatos
Thank you, and keep up your good work for all of us.
Lee Fagot, resident for more than 26 years.