01 Staff Report -Study Session General Plan UpdateDRAFT Council Meeting 11/2/09
Item # I -
MINUTES OF THE TOWN COUNCIL
STUDY SESSION
OCTOBER 19, 2009
The Town Council of the Town of Los Gatos conducted a Study Session on
Monday, October 19, 2009 at 5:30 P.M.
STUDY SESSION DISCUSSION
Update and Discussion on the General Plan Update Environmental Review
Scope, including the North 40 Specific Plan Negative Declaration ND-99-08
Assessor Parcel Numbers: 424-07-009, 010, 024 thru 027, 031 thru 037, 051
thru 054, 057,060, 063 thru 065, 070, 081 thru 095, and 424-06-047, 087, 115,
116, 120. Applicant: Town of Los Gatos Presenter: David Early of DC&E and
staff
ROLL CALL
Present: Mayor Mike Wasserman, Vice Mayor Diane McNutt, Council Member
Joe Pirzynski, Council Member Steve Rice, and Council Member Barbara
Spector.
Absent: None.
VERBAL COMMUNICATION
Mr. Rodriguez
• Expressed concerns about being removed as the sub-contracted plumber
for the police building project.
• Commented that he has not received any compensation for work that he
has completed at the site.
• Expressed concerns that Swenson Development has many projects
within the Town and suggested that they may have ties with the Town.
Mr. Larson, Town Manager
• Clarified that the bidding for the Police Operations Building was a
competitive bid process. The contractor, Swenson Development was the
lowest bidder by a significant margin and that the project will be completed
on time and on budget.
• Commented that the ribbon cutting for the Police Operations Building will
be on October 26, 2009 as scheduled.
Closed Verbal Communications
Open Public Comments for the Study Session Discussion
Mr. Davis
Expressed concerns that staff has not brought the General Plan Update
Environmental Review Scope, including the North 40 Specific Plan
Negative Declaration discussion before the Planning Commission prior to
the study session.
Commented that the amount of single family homes proposed for the
North 40 Plan will dramatically hurt the school district.
Mr. Couchee
• Commented on the excellent quality of the Los Gatos schools and
expressed concerns that the amount of homes proposed for the North 40
Plan will place a burden on the Town's school system.
• Requested that Council take into consideration a plan to mitigate the
impacts to Los Gatos schools when moving forward with the North 40
project.
• Commented that developer fees and property taxes do not come close to
covering the cost to put our kids through school.
• Suggested that the developer work with the Town and the school district to
either add a school or add additional funding to help the current school
system.
Council Comments
• Requested clarification about the need to work with the school district
when moving forward with a North 40 Plan.
• Questioned the approximate acreage of the three elementary schools
within the district.
Mr. Couchee
• Commented that the 500 to 1000 additional homes would place a burden
on the Town's school districts.
• Commented that the school districts are seeing a higher than anticipated
growth in enrollment.
• Commented that Louise Van Meter used to have a computer lab, but the
room was needed for an extra classroom.
• Commented that an example of the asset side would be if a developer
wishes to step up and consider building a school within the North 40 or
providing the school district with funding to improve the current school
system which would allow the schools to house additional students.
• Clarified that the acreage for the three elementary schools within the
district is approximately 4 or 5 acres per school.
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Public Comments on Study Session Discussion - Continued
Mr. Whitmore
Commented that the school district may go out for bonds to manage
enrollment growth since the Town's schools are at or over their capacity.
Commented that the Town would need about 4.5 acres for a new school.
Commented that they averaged about 100 new students a year for the
past 3 years.
Council Comments
• Questioned what assumptions have been made by the school board
relating to the enrollment growth associated with the North 40 area.
Mr. Whitmore
• Clarified that within the demographic projections there is an assumption
on the enrollment growth associated with the North 40 area, but they feel
that the projections are low and not consistent with the current growth
rates.
Mr. Matsuoka
• Expressed concerns that the high school capacity can only handle another
150 students before the school would have to add more classrooms.
• Commented that the traffic around the schools is significant and that the
gridlock from more homes within the North 40 area may be a huge impact
to the Town.
• Commented that the school district is in the process of conducting a
capacity study to determine what the school's current building can handle.
• Expressed that if the school were to grow above 2000 students then they
would have to add classrooms which would be a significant dollar cost that
the district has not taken into account as part of the current master plan.
Council Comments
• Questioned when Mr. Matsuoka does his analysis, what assumption does
he make with regards to the number of students generated by 750 units.
• Questioned if the students would be open to arriving to school by different
methods other then cars.
• Questioned where the high school would build additional classrooms.
Public Comments on Study Session Discussion - Continued..
Mr. Matsuoka
• Commented that the demographers hired by the district have provided the
district with a projected number to use to calculate the number of students
and that estimate was about .2 students per housing unit.
• Commented that the students are interested in living in an environmentally
friendly Town and that they may take the lead on finding new ways to
come to school.
• Commented that he would have to remove current buildings and build
second stories to the facility to add the additional classrooms.
Ms. Quintana
• Expressed concerns about public comments prior to the discussions about
the North 40 Plan.
• Commented that traffic and noise have been big issues with the North 40
Plan and for proposed projects associated with the North 40 area.
Closed Public Comments
Staff report made by Greg Larson, Town Manager and Wendie Rooney,
Director of Community Development
David Early, DC & E Consultants
• Made a presentation on the site context, developmental parameters, and
upcoming process for the North 40 Plan.
Council Discussions
• Questioned if the gateway project on the northeast corner would conflict
with the new buildings at those sites.
• Commented that the opening statement for the guiding principles is too
vague and suggested defining it to speak to what the Town would like to
create and what would benefit the community.
• Expressed concerns about height limits when referring to the four and five
story buildings.
• Would like to see the views from the northeast and all mountains viewed
from the south taken into consideration.
• Questioned if there is any decision being made by Council this evening
relating to the EIR and the 750 units.
• Commented that the North 40 Plan will affect the whole community and is
an important step for Council.
• Commented that the General Plan Committee did not provide a
recommendation to the Council, because they did not have enough time to
consider all of the information.
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Study Session Discussion - Continued
Council Discussion - Continued
• Expressed concerns that the North 40 Plan is moving too fast.
• Clarified that the only use for the estimated number of units is a starting
point to begin the EIR study.
• Clarified that the 750 residential units and 580,000 square feet
for commercial are numbers for purposes of the study and that Council is
not committing to 750 residential units and 580,000 square feet for
commercial or suggesting that those numbers are what the Town
recommends.
• Commented on the need to develop a community/neighborhood within the
North 40 area and suggested that a school site would benefit the Town.
• Expressed concerns about the height impacts from 4 and 5 story
buildings.
• Would like to see more than approximately one acre for designated park
space.
Mr. Early
• Clarified that they will assume a maximum number of 750 units and
580,000 square feet for commercial for the EIR study.
• Clarified that the consultants want to stay on the schedule that Council
has suggested and that they need to know some parameter for the North
40 site in order to move forward on the General Plan EIR.
Study Session Adjourned
Attest:
Jackie D. Rose, Clerk Administrator
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