Development Review Committee

Name: Development Review Committee — Los Gatos, CA
Start: 2024-06-18T10:00:00
End: 2024-06-18T12:00:00
Location: Los Gatos, CA

Regular Meeting

Los Gatos, CA · June 18, 2024

Agenda Minutes

Minutes

TOWN OF LOS GATOS DEVELOPMENT REVIEW COMMITTEE REPORT MINUTES OF THE DEVELOPMENT REVIEW COMMITTEE MEETING JUNE 18, 2024 The Development Review Committee of the Town of Los Gatos conducted a regular meeting on June 18, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. ROLL CALL Present: Jennifer Armer, CDD Planning; Corvell Sparks, PPW Engineering; and Kenny Ip, SCCFD. Absent: Representative, CDD Building. MEETING CALLED TO ORDER AT 10:00 AM VERBAL COMMUNICATIONS None. CONSENT ITEMS 1. Approval of Minutes – June 4, 2024 MOTION: Motion by Corvell Sparks to approve the consent calendar. Seconded by Kenny Ip. VOTE: Motion passed unanimously. PUBLIC HEARINGS 2. 487 Wraight Avenue Architecture and Site Application S-23-024. Requesting Approval for Demolition of an Existing Single-Family Residence, Construction of a New Single-Family Residence That Will Exceed the Maximum Allowable Floor Area on Property Zoned R-1D. APN 529-06-024. Categorically Exempt Pursuant to The California Environmental Quality Act, Section 15303: New Construction or Conversion of Small Structures. Property Owner/Applicant: Victor Chien Project Planner: Jocelyn Shoopman The project planner presented the staff report. 110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● 408-354-6874 www.losgatosca.gov PAGE 2 OF 3 DEVELOPMENT REVIEW COMMITTEE MINUTES OF JUNE 18, 2024 Opened Public Comment. Victor Chien, Owner/Applicant The lot has a large tree in the center of the property that provides privacy for three adjacent neighbors. They designed an L-shaped house to keep the tree. They canvassed the neighborhood with their proposed design. In response to comments from neighbors they reduced the balcony, changed the landscaping, and removed the windows on the second floor facing the rear neighbor. They also moved the driveway to one side of the existing fire hydrant. The house is not the largest home in the neighborhood, but just below it. Ray Owen and Sharisa Willard, Neighbors They bought their home in 1987. They saw the proposed plans and had no objections until they saw the witness poles. The proposed house has a substantial visual mass. They like to sit in their back yard and see the hillside. In a neighborhood of small lots, height is important. The witness poles are higher than all the adjoining buildings. They are asking to bring the roofline down to preserve some of the view. Victor Chien, Owner/Applicant, They have not exceeded any Town home height guidelines. They worked with their architect to make height compromises such as having 10-foot-high ceilings on the first floor and 9-foot-high ceilings on the second story. The home would not be significantly higher than the adjacent house. There are also uneven soil situations. The two main concerns that neighbors had provided are about security and privacy. They used the adjacent house to the south as the benchmark for height and not the view. Qui San, Architect, I-mark Design Group In the past eight-foot-high ceilings were standard, now, it is nine to 10 feet and even up to 12 feet. They are below the 30-foot maximum height limit. They used Google Earth Pro to gather height measurements from the neighborhood. They picked a neighborhood house that is 27.2 feet high. Compared to a house two doors down which is 27.9 feet high. The two existing two-story houses on the photos look lower, but are actually farther away. Close Public Comment Jocelyn Shoopman, Project Planner They are not exceeding the 30 feet maximum limit. Neighborhood compatibility is also considered. A common remedy is by lowering the ceiling plate height. This can drop the height by one to two feet. They can consider a continuance. The two parties can converse to find more options. The architect could possibly offer alternatives. MOTION: Motion by Jennifer Armer to continue to July 9, 2024. Seconded by Corvell Sparks. N:\DEV\DRC\MINUTES\Min 2024\06-18-24 Minutes - DRC.docx PAGE 3 OF 3 DEVELOPMENT REVIEW COMMITTEE MINUTES OF JUNE 18, 2024 VOTE: Motion passed unanimously. OTHER BUSINESS None. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned 10:30 a.m. This is to certify that the foregoing is a true and correct copy of the minutes of the June 18, 2024 meeting as approved by the Development Review Committee. Prepared by: ________________________________________ /s/ Jennifer Armer, AICP, Planning Manager N:\DEV\DRC\MINUTES\Min 2024\06-18-24 Minutes - DRC.docx

Agenda

TOWN OF LOS GATOS DEVELOPMENT REVIEW ADVISORY COMMITTEE JUNE 18, 2024 110 EAST MAIN STREET TOWN COUNCIL CHAMBERS 10:00 AM HOW TO PARTICIPATE The Town of Los Gatos strongly encourages your active participation in the public process. If you are interested in providing oral comments during the meeting, you must attend in-person, complete a speaker’s card, and return it to the staff. If you wish to speak to an item on the agenda, please list the item number on the speaker card. The time allocated to speakers may change to better facilitate the meeting. If you are unable to attend the meeting in-person, you are welcome to submit written comments via email to planning@losgatosca.gov. Public Comment During the Meeting: When called to speak, please limit your comments to three (3) minutes, or such other time as the Chair may decide, consistent with the time limit for speakers at a Town meeting. Speakers at public meetings may be asked to provide their name and to state whether they are a resident of the Town of Los Gatos. Providing this information is not required. CALL MEETING TO ORDER ROLL CALL VERBAL COMMUNICATIONS (Members of the public are welcome to address the Development Review Committee on any matter that is not listed on the agenda and is within the subject matter jurisdiction of the Committee. To ensure all agenda items are heard, this portion of the agenda is limited to 30 minutes. In the event additional speakers were not able to be heard during the initial Verbal Communications portion of the agenda, an additional Verbal Communications will be opened prior to adjournment. Each speaker is limited to three minutes or such time as authorized by the Chair.) CONSENT ITEMS (Items appearing on the Consent are considered routine Town business and may be approved by one motion. Members of the public may provide input on any Consent Item(s) when the Chair asks for public comment on the Consent Items.) 1. Draft Minutes of the June 4, 2024 Development Review Committee Meeting Page 1 PUBLIC HEARINGS (Applicants and their representatives may be allotted up to a total of five minutes maximum for opening statements. Members of the public may be allotted up to three minutes to comment on any public hearing item. Applicants and their representatives may be allotted up to a total of three minutes maximum for closing statements. Items requested/recommended for continuance are subject to the Committee's consent at the meeting.) 2. 487 Wraight Avenue Architecture and Site Application S-23-024 Requesting Approval for Demolition of an Existing Single-Family Residence and Construction of a New Single-Family Residence That Will Exceed the Maximum Allowable Floor Area on Property Zoned R-1D. APN 529 06 024. Categorically Exempt Pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act, Section 15303: New Construction or Conversion of Small Structures. Property Owner/Applicant: Victor Chien. Project Planner: Jocelyn Shoopman. MAPS OTHER BUSINESS (Up to three minutes may be allotted to each speaker on any of the following items.) Page 2 ADJOURNMENT ADA NOTICE In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact the Clerk’s Office at (408) 354- 6834. Notification at least two (2) business days prior to the meeting date will enable the Town to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to this meeting. [28 CFR §35.102-35.104]. Page 3

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