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TOWN OF LOS GATOS
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Jennifer Savage
To: Janette Judd; mrsirvine @gmail.com
Subject: RE: Sheila and Dmitry Lebdenko 240 El Cajon Way
From: Jeannie Irvine rmailto:mrsirvine(algmail.coml
Sent: Sunday, April 12, 2015 7:31 PM
To: Council; Town Manager
Subject: Sheila and Dmitry Lebdenko 240 El Cajon Way
Dear Town Council/Manager,
Please consider Sheila and Dmitry Lebedenko's request to add a second floor to their home. Our neighborhood
should have the right to remodel vertically.
As you know these homes were built in the 1950s. The yard space does not allow for adequate single story
expansion. The only expansion option is to go vertically. The needs of many families, who do not have yard
space or who wish to keep their backyards should be allowed to expand vertically, as long as it meets the
standards /design of the neighborhood.
Looking at their plans, their home will vastly improve our neighborhood and give other families options to
expand their homes as well.
Sincerely,
Jeannie Irvine
212 Las Miradas Dr.
Jennifer Savage
To: Janette Judd; mr.ricklennox @gmail.com
Subject: RE: Application 5 -14 -036
- - - -- Original Message---- -
From: Richard Lennox [ mailto :mr.ricklennox(?¢mail.coml
Sent: Tuesday, April 14, 2015 9:01 AM
To: Council; Town Manager
Cc: Richard Lennox
Subject: Application 5 -14 -036
Greetings -
I am a home owner of 232 Arroyo Grande Way, Los Gatos. I understand there is a meeting on April 21st to approve or
not approve the proposed 2 -story construction on 240 El Cajon Way. I would like to express my support for this
construction and the future consideration of more 2 -story homes in my immediate neighborhood. Although I am a
single parent with 1 child and cannot imagine my own personal needs requiring that of 2 -story, I believe the open
consideration of two stories will increase property values, attract more families and kids to the neighborhood, which I
and almost all my neighbors enjoy, and allow families to expand their current homes as their families and their needs
expand.
Thank you,
Rick Lennox
Jennifer Savage
To: Janette Judd; shany72 @yahoo.com
Cc: Attorney
Subject: RE: Application # 5 -14 -036
- - - -- Original Message---- -
From: Shany [mailto:shanv720avahoo.comj
Sent: Tuesday, April 14, 2015 8:03 PM
To: Council
Cc: Town Manager
Subject: Application # 5 -14 -036
Hi,
We are living in the same neighborhood as the one on 240 El Cajon way. I and my spouse strongly believe building a
second story on this home does not blend with the existing home styles in this neighborhood and also is a source of
privacy concern as it will have overlook on nearby properties.
We support the town council decision to deny issuing permit for 2 story homes in this neighborhood.
Hereby we request to keep our names private.
Respectfully,
Sean & Jill
Sent from my Phone
From: Mike Rucker <mjrucker @me.com>
Sent: Wednesday, April 15, 2015 9:34 PM
To: Council; Town Manager
Subject: Application #S -14 -036
I support Mr. and Mrs. Lebedenko's application to construct a two story house at 240 El Cajon Way. I have lived in this
neighborhood since 1976 and have been pleased to see the improvement as more and more families remodel their
small, outdated, homes.
I hope the town will allow this project. In my opinion, the two story homes in our neighborhood fit in well and I would
like to see Application 5 -14 -036 approved.
Thank you,
Mike Rucker
236 Arroyo Grande Way
Los Gatos
408 348 -5318
From: Sheila MacLean <sheila.maclean @comcast.net>
Sent: Wednesday, April 15, 2015 9:47 PM
To: Council; Town Manager
Cc: 'Dmitry Lebedenko'
Subject: application number is S -14 -036.
To the town council of Los Gatos,
We are neighbors to applicant S -14 -036 and we have no issues with their second story remodel project.
In the near future we also want to build a second story on our Los Gatos home at 244 El Cajon Way and hope we will
receive overwhelming approval from the town for our home improvement project.
Please approve our neighbor's request for remodel on the above mention application number S -14 -036.
Please call or email if you have questions or issues with our request.
Best,
Sheila MacLean
408 - 202 -7452
From: Brad Stimson <brad_s @yahoo.com>
Sent: Thursday, April 16, 2015 7:27 AM
To: Council; Town Manager
Cc: Janet Stimson
Subject: App # S -14 -036
Dear Los Gatos Town Council,
We are writing in support of the Lebedenko's request to remodel their residence with a two story structure . We
understand the debate is whether a second story should be allowed in the neighborhood.
Since precedence has already been set and there are approximately 10 to 15 two story homes in the neighborhood,
there should be no debate. If others have done it then the Lebedenko's should be allowed the same right.
Developers at Laurel Mews and Bluebird Lane were allowed to put very large two story homes on much smaller lots in
Los Gatos. You allowed a large developer the right why won't you extend the same to individual property owners?
Similarly, if the city argues that it's housing plan requires smaller lower cost units, then why weren't those developers
required to build at least a portion of their developments with these types of units?
We reside at a location that is adjacent to the Lebedenko's site. We firmly believe they should be allow to build a two
story project.
Respectfully,
Brad & Janet Stimson
249 Las Miradas Drive
From: Andrew Ferguson <ferguson24andrew @gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, April 16, 2015 7:54 AM
To: Council; Town Manager
Subject: Los Gatos Case S -14 -036
I am writing on behalf of of my neighbors
I wanted to start out by saying I fully support their project.
I understand the purpose of the Los Gatos design review committee and the building permitting requirements or
restrictions and the planning commission.
They are most definitely a necessary process.
However the intent of this process and these building restrictions cannot be applied as a one - size - fits -all to all of the
neighborhoods in Los Gatos. As they are currently written they do not work and do not execute the intent of why they
were designed in our neighborhood.
The needs of modern families do not match the needs of homes built in 1950.
And while I agree there should be some restrictions placed on home size versus lot size these restrictions should be
customized by neighborhood. These restrictions should reference footprint on a lot versus total square footage.
If only because I'm extremely confident the current execution of these rules restrictions exposes the city to legal action
because you're discriminating against people who have purchased homes in the neighborhood.
You cannot historically allow someone to build a two story house and then because another home is more than two
houses away for example three say they cannot have the same ability to build a two -story house.
In these neighborhoods with a lot of smaller lots it's very possible for a two -story house to overlook the yard of a one -
story house three houses away.
If you examine this process and compare it to the impact it has on individual residents versus what is being allowed by
developers on the old Honda site, with the new Palo Alto medical foundation, with the Netflix building, and with the
proposed you he Northforty you are exposing the town to unnecessary litigation risk.
The process is broken, please fix it, please create a more streamlined and flexible process for this neighborhood. A great
start would be allow these people to build a home to raise a family that has been well- designed, has been thought out,
and has had neighbor approval. A home built that ceases to discriminate from those who have two story houses to those
who wish to have them.
Thanks,
Andrew
408 460 8720
Fereuson24andrew@¢mail.com
From: mike sawulski <mikesawulski @yahoo.com>
Sent: Thursday, April 16, 2015 8:12 AM
To: Council; Town Manager
Subject: Appl: S 14 -036 240 El Cajon Way
I'm writing to voice my support for the proposed 2 story build on 240 El Cajon Way. I'm a neighbor on Las
Miradas Drive. The homes in this neighborhood, including ours, do not offer enough space for growing
families. We moved into this neighborhood as a newly married couple with no children 4yrs ago. There was
plenty of space for the two of us. We've started a family and now have a family of 4. We've fallen in love with
Los Gatos, however, we've outgrown our home. We're on a corner lot with large set - backs. We can't add the
necessary square footage in a single story. We need to build up, however, we've learned over the years the
restrictions the planning department has put on this neighborhood. Our only option is to leave Los Gatos. We
need 2000sgft and there is nothing under $2M that doesn't require hundred of thousands in renovation work. It's
sad that with a household income of $250k per year we can't continue to live here.
You have an opportunity to slowly transition this neighborhood out of the 1950's by allowing a modest 2 story
development. I'm not suggesting you open the flood gates and allow everyone to build monster 2 story homes.
There are many 2 story home designs that offer the needed square footage while still maintaining the look and
feel this neighborhood offers.
Thanks for listening and I hope you can offer some flexibility to the folks living on 240 El Cajon Way.
Regards,
Mike
From: Jeff Benjamin <jeff @facilitron.com>
Sent: Thursday, April 16, 2015 9:17 AM
To: Council; Town Manager
Cc: Sheila Lebedenko
Subject: Support for two story house- 240 El Cajon Way (Application 514 -036)
To the Los Gatos Town Council-
We are writing this letter in support of the Lebedenko family (Sheila, Dmitry, Charlotta, Leo & Giselle) and the
expansion of their home at 240 El Cajon Way, Los Gatos (Application 514 -036).
As a matter of introduction, we are the Benjamin family (also a family of five), and we live directly across the
street from the Lebedenkos (we live at 235 El Cajon Way). We love our neighborhood, as it contains a growing
number of families that are looking to raise their children in Los Gatos.
With that being said, our neighborhood contains very small homes that were constructed and built over 50 years
ago, and there is a need for expansion in order to adequately accommodate a family in this day and age (we
expanded our home immediately upon purchase more than nine years ago, and we are looking to expand again
in the coming months based on our growing needs). On that note, preserving yard space and an area for our
children to play is equally as important as providing enough living space (please note that the average finished
square footage in our neighborhood is 1,400 sf, drastically lower than the avg home size of 2,500+ that
currently exists in Los Gatos), hence we feel strongly that homeowners in our neighborhood should be allowed
to build and /or expand their home into a two story residence as long as they visually blend with the existing and
surrounding neighborhood. We believe the Lebedenko's plans achieve this, and we hope that the council will
take strong consideration into the needs of the Lebedenko family and the future of our neighborhood.
Thank you in advance for your consideration and support.
Sincerely-
The Benjamin Family
Jeff, Holly, Jackson, Halle & Hayden
Jeff Benjamin
CEO /Cow founder
CE
I F-I
408 - 497 -7238