Desk Item with Exhibit 8.SB9
PREPARED BY: RYAN SAFTY
Associate Planner
Reviewed by: Planning Manager and Community Development Director
110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● 406-354-6832
www.losgatosca.gov
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
PLANNING COMMISSION
REPORT
MEETING DATE: 09/28/2022
ITEM NO: 3
DESK ITEM
DATE: September 28, 2022
TO: Planning Commission
FROM: Joel Paulson, Community Development Director
SUBJECT: Consider Amendments to Chapter 29 (Zoning Regulations) of the Town Code
Regarding Permanent Regulations to Comply with the Requirements of
Senate Bill 9. Town Code Amendment Application A-22-002. Location:
Townwide. Applicant: Town of Los Gatos.
REMARKS:
Exhibit 8 includes public comment received between 11:01 a.m., September 23, 2022, and
11:00 a.m., September 28, 2022.
EXHIBITS:
Previously received with the September 28, 2022 Staff Report:
1. Draft Permanent SB 9 Ordinance
2. SB 9 Legislation
3. SB 9 Urgency Ordinance 2326
4. SB 9 Urgency Ordinance Extension 2327
5. California Department of Housing and Community Development SB 9 Fact Sheet
6. Association of Bay Area Governments SB 9 Model Ordinance
7. Public Comment received prior to 11:00 a.m., Friday, September 23, 2022
Received with this Desk Item Report:
8. Public Comment received between 11:01 a.m., September 23, 2022, and 11:00 a.m.,
September 28, 2022
This Page
Intentionally
Left Blank
From: Adam Mayer
Sent: Wednesday, September 28, 2022 12:15 AM
To: Planning <Planning@losgatosca.gov>
Subject: Comments on Draft SB9 Ordinance (Driveways & Street Frontage)
EXTERNAL SENDER
Hello Planning Staff,
I just have a few comments on the SB9 Draft Ordinance.
The first comment is in regard to SECTION V - A (Zoning Standards) - 2 (Driveways) on page 4:
"Driveways. Each parcel shall include a single driveway, and any new
driveway shall satisfy the following requirements"
Can you please clarify if "each parcel" means each parcel after the lot split? In this case having two
separate, 10 foot wide driveways (1 that serves each parcel) would take up and waste a lot of space
(especially if the lot split is done in a way where one lot is at the rear of the site). I would strongly advise
against this. Part 2d goes onto to say that :
"Only a single driveway curb-cut shall be permitted per parcel designed in
accordance with the Town’s Standard Specifications and Plans for Parks and Public
Works Construction"
It would make more sense if only a single curb-cut were permitted for BOTH parcels. I understand
having a driveway shared by four units might not be an ideal arrangement for some, but limiting it to
one single curb cut total for both parcels after the split would go a long way in preserving the character
and walkability of single-family zoned neighborhoods.
To demonstrate both points, please see attached a conceptual proposal I designed for the City of Los
Angeles. In this case, a fourplex is proposed on a 7,500 ft² (50’ x 150’) single-family lot. The "Courtyard
Fourplex" consists of two buildings, each with one unit stacked upon another.
As you can see, the setbacks are respected but the four units share a single driveway to the parking
carport in the rear of the lot. If two driveways were required it would eat up more of the lot, require
another curb cut and probably make the project infeasible.
My second comment is in regard to SECTION V1 - A (Subdivision Standards) - 5 (Minimum Public
Frontage) on page 10:
"Each new parcel shall have frontage upon a street with a minimum frontage dimension of 20 feet"
Why do both lots after the lot split require public frontage? I understand the intent probably has to do
with access from the street, but what if one lot is in the rear of the site (as in my "Courtyard Fourplex"
example)?
EXHIBIT 8
I suppose you could consider the shared driveway as part of the "rear" lot in this case, giving it frontage
and access to the street. But then would this driveway be only able to be exclusively used by the rear
lot? Again this goes back to the question about sharing a driveway for both lots after a split.
These are both open-ended questions that I think require some discussion. Making accommodations for
split lots to share a driveway and street frontage is an important consideration. It is also going to lead to
less visual disruption on the front (public facing) part of properties that opt to use SB9 and do a better
job of preserving the aesthetic character of our single-family neighborhoods.
Regards,
Adam Mayer, Architect
Housing Element Board Member
--
Adam N. Mayer AIA, LEED AP BD+C, WELL AP
1
STUDIO-AMA
MULTI-GENERATIONAL COURTYARD FOURPLEX
No other city in the world matches the rich diversity of Los Angeles.
Both in terms of its stunning geographic setting and the multitude of communities that call the city
home, L.A. is not defined by a singular cultural marker. Instead, what unites Angelenos are often
unfortunate shared experiences, such as sitting in traffic on the freeway together or, more recently,
being unable to find an affordable place to live close to job centers.
Traffic & unaffordable housing are inextricably linked to the fundamental lack of variety
in housing options.
While there are some beautiful apartment buildings and ‘Missing Middle’ housing built before WWII,
from the 1950s on Los Angeles came to be defined by the relentless sprawl of single-family home
development. This development pattern proliferated due to misguided (and often racist) zoning
regulations, government policy, and economic/cultural attitudes that placed the nuclear family
above multi-generational households.
Today, although single-family homes still dominate the Los Angeles cityscape, they are
not the nuclear family containers as initially intended.
Generations of immigrants who moved to L.A. from Latin America, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East
have not had the luxury of each extended family member living in their own separate household.
Notwithstanding, there are advantages of having extended families living under one roof together
such as childcare, elder care, shared living costs, etc .
But if one challenge is associated with multiple extended family members in a single
household, it is the potential for problems related to overcrowding.
Los Angeles has had to confront this reality over the past year with the COVID-19 pandemic,
which has disproportionally impacted working-class Black and Latino communities. According to a
recent Los Angeles Times article:
“Poor Latino neighborhoods are highly susceptible to COVID-19 spread because of dense housing,
crowded living conditions and the fact that many who live there are essential workers unable to
work from home. Officials believe people get sick on the job and then spread the virus among family
members at home.”
There are no words to describe how devastating COVID-19 has been for so many Angelenos.
The City of Los Angeles must invest in alternative housing models to preserve the advantages of
multi-generational households while avoiding the drawbacks of overcrowding. The ‘Multi-Generational
Courtyard Fourplex’ housing concept looks to address this problem by proposing a four-unit
development on a typical single-family lot.
The Multi-Generational Courtyard Fourplex consists of two buildings, united by a central
courtyard that provides ample access to light and air.
The street-facing building consists of two 2 bed / 2 bath units, stacked upon one another, while the
rear building consists of a 3 bed / 2 bath unit stacked on top of a 1 bed / 1 bath ‘granny’ unit as
well as a carport with parking spaces for 3 vehicles (plus 2 additional vehicles if parked in tandem).
The courtyard, which opens toward the south to take advantage of the Southern California
sun, is the project’s main social gathering space.
With a shared outdoor electric grill, it is imagined that this space also functions as an outdoor
dining room for family members or other residents to share a meal. The more ‘public’ functions of
each unit (living/kitchen/dining) face inward toward the courtyard while the more ‘private’ bedrooms
face outward. Aside from the bottom unit in the street-facing building, which is entered from the
street side, the other three units are accessed from the courtyard, further activating the space.
The architecture is inspired by the spirit of several of the great Southern California architects.
The communal living arrangements of Rudolph Schindler, the clean lines and health considerations of
Richard Neutra and the hints of Spanish Colonial architecture with the modern sensibilities of Irving Gill
all influence the design. Building upon this Southern California vernacular are the latest in sustainable
and energy efficiency strategies including all-electric appliances, EV charging stations at the carport,
bicycle storage, permeable pavers in the driveway, continuous insulation in all exterior walls and roofs,
smart metering, a drinking water bottle fill station in the courtyard, rooftop solar panels and a ‘solar
garden’ green roof on top of the rear building.
The front street-facing façade, set back 15 feet from the property line, is designed
at ‘house-scale’, belying the fact that this property has four dwelling units.
This is a deliberate attempt to make the proposal more amenable to neighbors in historically
single-family neighborhoods who might be averse to the thought of higher density nearby. Drought-
tolerant plantings in the front yard complement the front façade and add beauty to the transition
between the public sidewalk and the building entry.
The simple material palette of smooth white stucco with clay tile accents over a typical
wood-framed structure makes this an attractive yet affordable architectural language that
can be replicated with slight modifications throughout Los Angeles.
Furthermore, the design is intended to be a flexible approach that can be applied to a variety of ownership
or rental models. The Multi-Generational Courtyard Fourplex offers a thoughtful yet straightforward
development and management opportunity for both small non-profit affordable housing developers
and local neighborhood-based community land trusts.
2
STUDIO-AMAMULTI-GENERATIONAL COURTYARD FOURPLEX
SITE PLANSTREET ELEVATION
PUBLIC STREETVEHICLE
ENTRY
DRIVEWAY W/
PERMEABLE PAVERS
COURTYARD
UNIT A
ENTRY
PEDESTRIAN
ENTRY
SOLAR GARDEN
10’-0”5’-0”15’-0”17’-6”21’-4”10’-2”N
3
STUDIO-AMAMULTI-GENERATIONAL COURTYARD FOURPLEX
LONGITUDINAL SECTION THROUGH COURTYARD
UNIT B
UNIT A UNIT C
UNIT D
COURTYARD
FRONT BACK
SOLAR GARDEN
4
STUDIO-AMAMULTI-GENERATIONAL COURTYARD FOURPLEX
GROUND FLOOR PLAN
SECOND FLOOR PLAN
DNDN
UP
OPEN
UNIT B
UNIT A
UNIT C
UNIT D
TRASH
SCALE: 3/32” = 1’-0”
SCALE: 3/32” = 1’-0”
DN
UP
UP
METERS
COURTYARD
UNIT TABULATION
UNIT A: 2 BED/2 BA, 1125 SF
UNIT B: 2 BED/2 BA, 1125 SF
UNIT C: 1 BED/1 BA, 500 SF
UNIT D: 3 BED/2 BA, 1250 SF
TOTAL RESIDENTIAL AREA:
4000 SF
N
5
STUDIO-AMAMULTI-GENERATIONAL COURTYARD FOURPLEX
OUTDOOR COURTYARD DINING
1. SAMSUNG HIGH-
EFFICIENCY
STACKED WASHER &
ELECTRIC DRYER
2. PANTRY
3. BOSCH BENCHMARK
INDUCTION RANGE
4. BOSCH 300 SERIES
DISHWASHER W/
LEAK PROTECTION
5. BOSCH 300 SERIES
ENERGY STAR RATED
REFRIGERATOR
6. DINING
7. OUTDOOR DINING
UNIT A
1 2
3
4 5
6
7COURTYARD
UNIT A/B KITCHEN & DINING
6
STUDIO-AMA
SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGIES
SOLAR GARDEN W/RAISED
PLANTERS FOR HERB &
VEGETABLE CULTIVATION
ROOFTOP PHOTOVOLTAIC ARRAY
GREEN ROOF FOR STORMWATER
MANAGEMENT
ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGERS (3)
SECURE BICYCLE STORAGE
GREEN WASTE & RECYCLING
PROGRAM
PERMEABLE PAVING FOR
STORMWATER MANAGEMENT
CONTINUOUS INSULATION INSIDE
RESIDENTIAL UNIT WALL & LIGHT-
COLORED EXTERIOR FINISH
MULTI-GENERATIONAL COURTYARD FOURPLEX