Planning Commission
Regular MeetingLos Gatos, CA · January 24, 2024
Minutes
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
PLANNING COMMISSION
REPORT
MINUTES OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING
JANUARY 24, 2024
The Planning Commission of the Town of Los Gatos conducted a Regular Meeting on
Wednesday, January 24, 2024, at 7:00 p.m.
MEETING CALLED TO ORDER AT 7:00 PM
ROLL CALL
Present: Chair Steve Raspe, Vice Chair Emily Thomas, Commissioner Susan Burnett,
Commissioner Melanie Hanssen, Commissioner Kathryn Janoff, and Commissioner Adam
Mayer.
Absent: None.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
VERBAL COMMUNICATIONS
None.
CONSENT ITEMS (TO BE ACTED UPON BY A SINGLE MOTION)
1. Approval of Minutes – December 13, 2023 Planning Commission Meeting
2. Approval of Minutes – January 10, 2024 Planning Commission Meeting
MOTION: Motion by Commissioner Hanssen to approve adoption of the Consent
Calendar. Seconded by Commissioner Burnett.
VOTE: Motion passed unanimously.
PUBLIC HEARINGS
3. Town Code Chapter 29 Amendment, Amend Housing Element Overlay Zone
Zoning Code Amendment Application Z-24-001
Applicant: Town of Los Gatos
Property Location: Town Wide
Consider a request to further amend Chapter 29 of the Town Code to define “By Right
Approvals” and amend the Housing Element Overlay Zone as Division 5 of Article VIII,
“Overlay Zones and Historic Preservation.” An Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was
110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● 408-354-6832
www.losgatosca.gov
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MINUTES OF PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING OF JANUARY 24, 2024
prepared and certified for the 2040 General Plan Update on June 30, 2022. No further
environmental analysis is required.
Erin Walters, Associate Planner, presented the staff report.
Opened Public Comment.
Lee Fagot
- Preserve the historic parts of the Town because that is the legacy that next generations will
relate to. If there is a way to continue to preserve and still meet the RHNA site allocation
requirement, please find a way to do that. You are representing the citizens in Town, and
preserving the character of our town heritage needs to be passed on, so please do what
you can to preserve the Historic District and those sites with the design elements, the
height, and densities that are appropriate. Seeing Victorian homes with five-story
monoliths next to them, as we’ve seen in some other municipalities, is not Los Gatos and
we can’t let the clowns in Sacramento tell us how we’re supposed to live our lives here.
Lee Quintana
- Table 1-A is confusing, stating “Developments must be developed within the densities of
Table 1-A below.” Is it “within” the densities, or “at” the densities? There is conflicting
language, it states that as long as there is no subdivision, and then in another place it
indicates that subdivisions may be applicable. “Subdivision may remain subject to all the
applicable state and local laws, including the Subdivision Act”. This is confusing. Are there
any medium-density sites within the Affordable Housing Overlay Zone (AHOZ)? Most
medium-density sites in the downtown area are either on very small lots so they can’t be
developed into larger homes, or they are pre-1941, or they are within an historic district.
The other thing I wanted clarity on is whether all the AHOZ zones currently have a General
Plan designation and a zoning designation that are consistent with one another.
Closed Public Comment.
Commissioners discussed the matter.
MOTION: Motion by Chair Raspe to recommend Town Council the proposed
amendments to the Housing Element Overlay Zone with the single
modification of “at the density ranges specified in Table 1-A” to “within
the density ranges specified in Table 1-A below.” Seconded by
Commissioner Hanssen.
Vice Chair Thomas requested the motion be amended to explicitly state it contains Exhibit 2.
The maker of the motion accepted the amendment to the motion.
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MINUTES OF PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING OF JANUARY 24, 2024
The seconder of the motion accepted the amendment to the motion.
VOTE: Motion passed unanimously.
REPORT FROM THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
Jennifer Armer, Planning Manager
The Town Council met January 16, 2024:
o Discussed the Housing Element and provided direction.
o Considered the appeal of the fence height exception at 124 Garden Hill and
remanded the item back to the Planning Commission based on new information
provided by the applicant.
o Chose to maintain two Planning Commissioners assigned to the Historic
Preservation Committee. Revisions to the Town’s ordinance will come for review
at the next Planning Commission meeting.
The Housing Element Advisory Board (HEAB) met January 18, 2024, to discuss the
Housing Element and provide recommendations and direction, and anticipate returning
to Town Council on February 6, 2024, for additional review of the revised Housing
Element.
Approval of the new house at 212 Thurston has been appealed and will be considered by Town
Council in the next six weeks.
SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS/COMMISSION MATTERS
Housing Element Advisory Board
Commissioner Hanssen
- The HEAB met January 18, 2024, to review every aspect of the Town Council’s discussion
and gave feedback where appropriate to help guide the Town Council through the February
6, 2024 meeting.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 7:27 p.m.
This is to certify that the foregoing is a true
and correct copy of the minutes of the
January 24, 2024 meeting as approved by the
Planning Commission.
_____________________________
/s/ Vicki Blandin
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Agenda
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
PLANNING COMMISSION AGENDA
JANUARY 24, 2024
110 EAST MAIN STREET
TOWN COUNCIL CHAMBERS
7:00 PM
Steve Raspe, Chair
Emily Thomas, Vice Chair
Susan Burnett, Commissioner
Melanie Hanssen, Commissioner PARTICIPATION IN THE PUBLIC PROCESS
Kathryn Janoff, Commissioner
Adam Mayer, Commissioner
Vacant, Commissioner
IMPORTANT NOTICE
This is a hybrid/in-person meeting and will be held in-person at the Town Council Chambers at 110 E.
Main Street and virtually through the Zoom webinar application (log-in information provided below).
Members of the public may provide public comments for agenda items in-person or virtually through the
Zoom webinar by following the instructions listed below. The live stream of the meeting may be viewed
on television and/or online at www.LosGatosCA.gov/TownYouTube.
PARTICIPATION
To provide oral comments in real-time during the meeting:
Zoom webinar: Join from a PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone or Android device: Please click this URL to join:
https://losgatosca-gov.zoom.us/j/84093383000?pwd=USQrIVGLLGSn1ZbdrxbvtnfrcMIrzg.VPfXs5o6-
yhp0Rvi.
Passcode: 922280. You can also type in 840 9338 3000 in the “Join a Meeting” page on the Zoom
website at https://zoom.us/join.
o When the Chair announces the item for which you wish to speak, click the “raise hand” feature in
Zoom. If you are participating by phone on the Zoom app, press *9 on your telephone keypad to
raise your hand.
Join by telephone: Join by Telephone: Dial: USA 877 336 1839 US Toll-free or 636 651 0008 US
Toll. Conference code: 686100
o If you are participating by calling in, press #2 on your telephone keypad to raise your hand.
In-Person: If you wish to speak during the meeting, please complete a “speaker’s card” located on the
back of the chamber benches and return it to the Vice Chair. If you wish to speak to an item on the
agenda, please list the item number. If you wish to speak on an item NOT on the agenda, please list
the subject and you may speak during the “Verbal Communications” period. The time allocated to
speakers may change to better facilitate the Planning Commission meeting.
When called to speak, you may be asked to provide your full name and your town/city of residence. This
identifying information is optional and not a requirement for participation. 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 Council meeting. If you wish to speak to an item or items on the Consent Calendar, please state which
item number(s) you are commenting on at the beginning of your time.
If you are unable to participate in real-time, you may email to Planning@losgatosca.gov the subject line
“Public Comment Item #__” (insert the item number relevant to your comment) or “Verbal
Communications – Non-Agenda Item.” Comments received by 11:00 a.m. the day of the meeting will be
reviewed and distributed before the meeting. All comments received will become part of the record.
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MEETING CALL TO ORDER
ROLL CALL
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
VERBAL COMMUNICATIONS (Members of the public may address the Commission on any matter that is
not listed on the agenda. Unless additional time is authorized by the Commission, remarks shall be limited
to three minutes.)
CONSENT ITEMS (TO BE ACTED UPON BY A SINGLE MOTION) (Before the Planning Commission acts on the
consent agenda, any member of the public Commission may request that any item be removed from the
consent agenda. At the Chair’s discretion, items removed from the consent calendar may be considered
either before or after the Public Hearings portion of the agenda.)
1. Draft Minutes of the December 13, 2023 Planning Commission Meeting
2. Draft Minutes of the January 10, 2024 Planning Commission Meeting
PUBLIC HEARING (Applicants/Appellants 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/Appellants 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 Commission’s consent at the meeting.)
3. Consider a Request to Further Amend Chapter 29 of the Town Code to Define “By Right
Approvals” and Amend the Housing Element Overlay Zone as Division 5 of Article VIII, “Overlay
Zones and Historic Preservation.” An Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was Prepared and
Certified for the 2040 General Plan Update on June 30, 2022. No further Environmental Analysis is
Required. Zoning Code Amendment Application Z-24-001. Project Location: Town Wide.
Applicant: Town of Los Gatos.
REPORT FROM THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS / COMMISSION MATTERS
ADJOURNMENT (Planning Commission policy is to adjourn no later than 11:30 p.m. unless a majority of
the Planning Commission votes for an extension of time)
Planning Commission meetings are broadcast Live on KCAT, Channel 15 (on Comcast) on the 2 nd and 4th Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m.
Live and Archived Planning Commission meetings can be viewed by going to:
www.LosGatosCA.gov/TownYouTube
IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT, IF YOU NEED SPECIAL ASSISTANCE TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS MEETING,
PLEASE CONTACT THE CLERK DEPARTMENT AT (408) 354-6834. NOTIFICATION 48 HOURS BEFORE THE MEETING WILL ENABLE THE TOWN
TO MAKE REASONABLE ARRANGEMENTS TO ENSURE ACCESSIBILITY TO THIS MEETING [28 CFR §35.102-35.104]
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