Attachment 05May 27, 2016
Town Of Los Gatos
110 E. Main Street
Los Gatos Ca. 95030
RECEIVED
MAY ~ I 2016
TOWN O F LOS GATOS
PLANNING DIVISIO N
Regarding Town Council Hearing June 6, 2016 Concerning Cucina Bambini
CUP Application No. U-16-003 22 South Santa Cruz Ave . Los Gatos California Dear
Town Council Members
Unfortunately I have a prior business commitment that will require me to be out of town
on June 6, 2016. Therefore, I cannot attend the hearing. Please accept the letter as my
testimony
I have owned 22 South Santa Cruz Ave (Property) for over 18 years since purchasing
the Property on September 16, 1997. I been in the real estate development business for
56 years. I have either developed managed or owned over two million square feet of
commercial space. I have occupied the entire second floor of the Property for over 18
years. I have struggled all of my 18 + years of ownership in attempting to keep the
downstairs commercial portion of the Property occupied with successful retail Tenants.
The Property by any reasonable standards should not be zoned for "Straight
Commercial Retail Uses". For a "Straight Commercial Retailer" to be successful it must
have adequate viable foot traffic or be a "Destination Retailer" such as Acre Hardware
Store. Cucina Bambini is an ideal use for my Property because it is a "Destination
Retailer". Now that the last of the 2 Flower Shop Ten ants has failed there is only Q!1!
"Retailer" left South of Main Street and it is the Ace Hardware Store. The Ace Hardware
Store .survives because it is a "Destination Retail Business" that does not depend on
foot traffic. Going north from Main Street down North Santa Cruz Avenue there are
approx. fifty one (51) retailers which creates a companion shopping atmosphere
necessary for to create foot traffic. Any "Straight Retail" on South Santa Cruz Ave . is
certain to fail for the lack of foot traffic. Additionally, the foot traffic on South Santa Cruz
Avenue will never improve because of the existence of the Park and the Post Office
therefore there is no place to add additional retail commercial shopping.
22 South Santa Cruz Ave.
Second Floor
Los Galas, CA 95030
408.399.4950
408. 399.4960 fruc
www.tatedevelopm ent.com
DIVE RS I F I ED
DE VILO PMENT I IIIC.
Case in point my Property in the last 18 years has had 7 different reta il Tenants fail
1. UPS store
2. Beauty supply store\
3. Flower Shop
4. Flower Shop
5. Clothing Boutique combined with hair salon
6. Jewelry Store
7. Jewelry Store Sub -Tenant
The average length of survival of any of my "Straigh t Commercial Retail" Tenants has
been only for 2.5 years . Each time that a Tenant fails I have had periods of vacancy,
legal costs of eviction , etc . Then I have the cost of putting a new tenant in place
including but not limited to thousands of dollars of leasing commissions, plus thousands
of dollars of new tenant improvements coupled with periods of free rent to help a new
Tenant with its start of business. In retrospect I would have bee n almost as well off by
leaving the space vacant. In the event that Cucina Bambini CUP is not approved I have
made the business decision to leave the retail space vacant and use it for the storage of
my business records, and office supplies. That being , .I am hopeful .that this Town
Council will approve Cucina Bambini CUP as this is a business that should be
successful in this location because of it is a " Destination Reta il Use". Also Cuc ina
Bambini is family owned and operated and there is no other use like this in Los Gatos.
Tate Diversifeed Development, Inc:.,
a Calif~
By: ~~~~~----------
Rona ld M. Tate, President
22 South Santa Cruz Ave.
Second Floor
Los Gatos, CA 95030
408 . 399.4950
408 . 399.4960 fnx
www.~tedevelopmenlcom