Planning Commission

TOWN OF LOS GATOS PLANNING COMMISSION REPORT MINUTES OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING FEBRUARY 28, 2024 The Planning Commission of the Town of Los Gatos conducted a Regular Meeting on Wednesday, February 28, 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 – February 14, 2024 Member of the public, Lee Quintana, requested the minutes of February 14, 2024, be pulled from the Consent Calendar. Opened Public Comment. Lee Quintana - For agenda item #2 in the February 14, 2024 meeting minutes, Zone Change for Downing Oak Court, staff’s initial recommendation was for a zone change from C-1 to R-D, but the motion that was approved included a recommendation that a zone change be considered to high-density residential and to change the General Plan to high-density residential. I’m confused if I understand the motion correctly and what the next steps are in terms of the Council hearing it. Closed Public Comment. 110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● 408-354-6832 www.losgatosca.gov PAGE 2 OF 6 MINUTES OF PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING OF FEBRUARY 28, 2024 Planning Manager Armer stated that staff would add language to the motion to provide clarity to Ms. Quintana’s concerns. Recommendation would be changed to include, “as recommended by staff, and recommend a consideration of a future General Plan land use designation and zoning amendment to allow high-density residential.” MOTION: Motion by Chair Raspe to approve adoption of the Consent Calendar, subject to amendments to the February 14, 2024, Planning Commission minutes proposed by the Planning Manager. Seconded by Vice Chair Thomas. VOTE: Motion passed unanimously. PUBLIC HEARINGS 2. 15365 Santella Court Existing Architecture and Site Application S-18-052 APN 527-09-036 Applicant: Hari Sripadanna Property Owner: Christian and Hellen Olgaard Project Planner: Erin Walters Requesting approval of a one-year time extension to an existing Architecture and Site Application (S-18-052) to construct a new single-family residence, site work requiring a Grading Permit, and removal of large protected trees on a vacant property zoned HR- 2½:PD. An Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was prepared for the Planned Development and was certified by the Town Council on December 19, 2005. No further environmental analysis is required for the individual lot development. Erin Walters, Associate Planner, presented the staff report. Opened Public Comment. Hari Sripadanna, Architect/Applicant - Unfortunately, there were unavoidable circumstances that delayed the project, necessitating our request for an extension of the existing Planning permit approval. Because the permit is expiring it would be hard for us to continue with the project development and submit to the Building Department. We hope to start construction in the fall of this year. Closed Public Comment. Commissioners discussed the matter. PAGE 3 OF 6 MINUTES OF PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING OF FEBRUARY 28, 2024 MOTION: Motion by Commissioner Hanssen to approve a one-year time extension to an existing Architecture and Site Application (S-18-052), subject to updated conditions of approval and plans provided to the Planning Commission. Seconded by Commissioner Janoff. VOTE: Motion passed unanimously. 3. 501 Monterey Avenue and 306 Andrews Street Architecture and Site Application S-23-038 APN 410-15-052 Property Owner/Applicant: Katrina and Carlos Azucena Project Planner: Sean Mullin Requesting approval to eliminate a housing unit from the Town’s Housing Inventory on property zoned R-1D. Categorically Exempt pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15301: Existing Facilities. Sean Mullin, Senior Planner, presented the staff report. Opened Public Comment. Carlos Azucena, Applicant - We hope to combine the units, making a three bedroom/two bath from a two bedroom/one bath and a studio. The unit we’re looking to combine into the neighboring unit is 350 square feet, and with the really small units we’ve noticed that tenants tend to be more transient. Our hope is to make a larger unit that could potentially be rented to a family, more in line with the character of the neighborhood, which is primarily single-family homes, many housing families with small children. We understand the issue of losing one unit, but the Town could gain more than what is being lost in the sense that we could get tenants that are more invested in the community. We believe the two units were actually one unit at one time. Lee Quintana - This is a R-1D neighborhood that is a mix of single-family homes and duplexes, and we are claiming that those areas with R-1D duplexes for the Housing Element as potential additional housing units, so I’m not sure of the rationale for eliminating even a small unit. The character of the neighborhood doesn’t change one way or the other, because the house still reads as a single-family, and there are two duplexes nearby. We own a 250- square foot ADU and have had no problem keeping tenants for a long time. Making a two bedroom unit into a three bedroom works against what the Housing Element is trying to do, which is provide smaller, more affordable units. PAGE 4 OF 6 MINUTES OF PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING OF FEBRUARY 28, 2024 Carlos Azucena, Applicant - The building is three units, so it would still be multi-unit if combining the two units occurs. The unit that would ultimately exist under a combination would still be considered an affordable housing unit. My wife and I have elderly parents and would like the option, at some point in the not too distant future, that if they need some housing we could move them in close to us, but the long-term perspective of the unit would be to attract more families who would be invested in the Town. Closed Public Comment. Commissioners discussed the matter. MOTION: Motion by Vice Chair Thomas to deny a request to eliminate a housing unit from the Town’s Housing Inventory on property zoned R-1D. Seconded by Commissioner Hanssen. VOTE: Motion passed unanimously. OTHER BUSINESS 4. Sign Regulations Amendment Town Code Amendment Application A-24-002 Applicant: Town of Los Gatos Project Location: Town Wide Forward a recommendation to the Town Council on amendments to Chapter 29 (Zoning Regulations) of the Town Code regarding Sign Regulations. The proposed amendments to the Town Code are not a project subject to CEQA [CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3)]. Gabrielle Whelan, Town Attorney, presented the staff report. Opened Public Comment. Lee Fagot - The signs that go onto private property, whether political, for sale, etc., need to be temporary, and no signs on medians or sidewalks. The size of political signs should be a smaller scale, with construction signs larger, and it could be per contractors on a construction site as opposed to only one for one of the contractors. It would be reasonable for the architect and trades people to have signs too, but they should be a reasonable size. Political signs have gone overboard on Tait Avenue that has multiple huge signs that are a PAGE 5 OF 6 MINUTES OF PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING OF FEBRUARY 28, 2024 complete distraction and should be regulated. The amendments preserve the ambiance of the community while informing people of opportunities in their neighborhood. Closed Public Comment. Commissioners discussed the matter. MOTION: Motion by Chair Raspe to forward the redline changes as proposed by staff together with the Planning Commission’s recommended provisions regarding signs and allowing proportionally larger construction signs on larger parcels to Town Council on amendments to Chapter 29 (Zoning Regulations) of the Town Code regarding Sign Regulations. Seconded by Commissioner Hanssen. VOTE: Motion passed unanimously. REPORT FROM THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT Jennifer Armer, Planning Manager  The Town Council met on February 20, 2024, and discussed the Housing Element, provided direction, and continued the discussion to the meeting of March 5, 2024.  The Town’s recruitment for commissions and committees continues until 4:00 p.m. on March 4, 2024, with interviews tentatively scheduled for March 19, 2024. The recruitment includes the vacant Planning Commission seat as well as a number of other commissions and committees in the Town. SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS/COMMISSION MATTERS Historic Preservation Committee Commissioner Burnett  The HPC met on February 28, 2024, and discussed eight items. o Two homes were removed from the Town’s site inventory. o Commissioner Burnett was elected Chair of the HPC, with Lee Quintana as Vice Chair. Housing Element Advisory Board Commissioner Hanssen  The Town Council disbanded the HEAB at its February 6, 2024 meeting. The last HEAB meeting was held on January 18, 2024. PAGE 6 OF 6 MINUTES OF PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING OF FEBRUARY 28, 2024 ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 8:44 p.m. This is to certify that the foregoing is a true and correct copy of the minutes of the February 28, 2024 meeting as approved by the Planning Commission. _____________________________ /s/ Vicki Blandin