Planned Development Overlay ZonetpWN pF MEETING DATE: 02/17/15
ITEM NO.
tos cnto�' COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
DATE: FEBRUARY 9, 2015
TO: MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL
FROM: GREG LARSON, TOWN MANAGER
SUBJECT: PLANNED DEVELOPMENT OVERLAY ZONE
A. CONSIDER THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATIONS
TO THE TOWN COUNCIL REGARDING THE PLANNED
DEVELOPMENT OVERLAY ZONE AND
B. ADOPT A RESOLUTION APPOINTING A STUDY COMMITTEE, OR
C. IMPLEMENT THE COUNCIL AD HOC COMMITTEE'S
RECOMMENDATION.
REMARKS
Attachment 8 contains correspondence received after 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, January 20, 2015.
Attachments:
1. October 8, 2014 Planning Commission Staff Report
2. October 8, 2014 Planning Commission Desk Item Report
3. October 3, 2014 Planning Commission Draft Meeting Minutes
4. Draft Resolution with Exhibit A: Planned Development Study Committee
5. Correspondence dated October 27, 2014, from J. Epstein
Attachment 6 (Previously received with November 4 2014 Desk Item
6. Correspondence received prior to 11:00 a.m. on November 4, 2014
Attachment 7 (Previously received with January 20 2015 Staff Report):
Verbatim minutes of the October 8, 2014 Planning Commission meeting
PREPARED BY: LAUREL R. PREVETTI
Assistant Town Manager / Director of mmunity
Reviewed by: N/A Assistant Town Manager T Town Attorney WL Finance
NADMW REPORTS\2015\Planned Development 02.17.15.dm Reformatted: 5/30/02
PAGE
MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL
SUBJECT: PLANNED DEVELOPMENT OVERLAY ZONE
FEBRUARY 9, 2015
Attachment 8 received with this Mort:
8. Correspondence dated January 20, 2015 from D. Martin, Building Industry Association (BIA)
Bay Area
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January 20, 2015
Mayor Jenson and Town Council
Town of Los Gatos
RE: January 20, 2015 Town Council Meeting Agenda Item #7
PD Overlay Zone
Dear Mayor and Council,
On behalf of BIA Bay Area I respectfully request that Town Council adopt Staff recommendations A and B
thereby creating a study committee for further review of the PD Overlay Zone policy. Before this policy is altered,
more study is needed. BIA contends that PD zoning is an excellent planning tool when properly administered and
should be substantially retained by the Town, but we recognize that the concerns of the residents need to be
considered.
As Mr. Mark Robson points out in his letter to the Town of Los Gatos Planning Commission, planned
development zoning is a valuable tool. As the Town is essentially built out with few vacant development sites
available, PD zoning allows the developer to maximize the potential of redeveloping existing sites or to work with
sites that have unusual boundaries or shape. PD Zoning is also a tool for extracting good design standards and
benefits for the community that might not otherwise be attainable.
The Staff report points out that if the Ad Hoc Committees recommendation is adopted, over 75 projects and
hundreds of residences will fall into a "non- conforming use ". The unintended consequences of this action could
be significant, especially when the Town seeks to redevelop the property or enforce code violations or conditions
of approval. As the Silicon Valley Association of Realtors suggests, what would these projects and residences
have looked like without the PD zone overlay? We submit that the Town would not have received high standards
of land use, design, and amenities that it now enjoys in these projects without the use of the PD zone.
Staff notes that BIA has commented in stakeholder and public meetings regarding the Draft Housing Element that
elimination or substantial revision of the PD Overlay Zone policy as proposed by the Ad Hoc Committee could
present a significant constraint to the development of housing in the next period of RHNA allocations. This would
be especially true for affordable housing projects that are customarily more difficult to develop along existing
underlying zoning policies. Given the Town's high housing prices, lack of affordable housing options, and steep
land prices, the Ad Hoc Committee's recommended revisions to the PD overlay zone policy would present one
more obstacle to the development of affordable housing needed to relieve the burden on the Town's working
families.
BIA Bay Area recognizes that the Los Gatos community has concerns about the use of planned development
zoning. However, we cannot support the recommended revisions of the PD Overlay zone by the Ad Hoc
Committee. With this in mind, we urge you to adopt Staff recommendations A &B and appoint a study committee
consisting of involved citizens and developer stakeholders familiar with how the policy actually works.
Yours truly,
Dennis Martin
BIA Bay Area
ATTACHMENT 8