Planning Commission

TOWN OF LOS GATOS PLANNING COMMISSION REPORT MINUTES OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING NOVEMBER 12, 2025 The Planning Commission of the Town of Los Gatos conducted a Regular Meeting on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. MEETING CALLED TO ORDER AT 7:00 PM ROLL CALL Present: Chair Emily Thomas, Vice Chair Kendra Burch, Commissioner Jeffrey Barnett, Commissioner Susan Burnett, Commissioner Steve Raspe, Commissioner Joseph Sordi, Commissioner Rob Stump Absent: None. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE VERBAL COMMUNICATIONS None. CONSENT ITEMS (TO BE ACTED UPON BY A SINGLE MOTION) 1. Approval of Minutes – October 8, 2025 MOTION: Motion by Commissioner Sordi to approve adoption of the Consent Calendar. Seconded by Commissioner Stump. VOTE: Motion passed unanimously. PUBLIC HEARINGS 2. 16150 Los Gatos Boulevard Conditional Use Permit U-25-007 APN 523-06-038 Applicant: Wendy Zhang Property Owner: Harman Management Corp. Project Planner: Samina Merchant 110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● 408-354-6832 www.losgatosca.gov PAGE 2 OF 4 MINUTES OF PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING OF NOVEMBER 12, 2025 Consider a request for approval of a Conditional Use Permit application for a new veterinary clinic on property zoned CH. Categorically exempt pursuant to California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15301: Existing Facilities. Samina Merchant, Associate Planner, presented the staff report. Opened Public Comment. Wendy Zhang (Applicant) - I’m here to introduce the Vasona Animal Hospital, a full-service animal hospital. Our proposed operating hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. to begin, but if there is community need, we would like to consider Saturday operations as well. We would not provide overnight boarding. The hospital will employ a staff of 15, with eight or fewer employees onsite at any given time. We would fully renovate the existing building and keep animal care areas away from our residential neighbors. Noise and odor have been addressed, and will be addressed further in our TI Building Permit. Animals under our care will be housed only indoors, and there will be no outdoor kenneling. Additional sound control measures will be incorporated into the design. Waste will be security contained and removed by licensed providers. We will follow all Town, county, and state regulations. The total number of parking spots exceeds Town requirements. Closed Public Comment. Reopened Public Comment for Applicant question. Closed Public Comment. Commissioners discussed the matter. MOTION: Motion by Commissioner Raspe to approve a Conditional Use Permit for 16150 Los Gatos Boulevard. Seconded by Vice Chair Burch. Commissioners discussed the matter. VOTE: Motion passed unanimously. 3. Discuss the Town’s Regulations Applicable to Below Grade Square Footage Sean Mullin, Planning Manager, presented the staff report. Opened Public Comment. Tony Jeans - I am surprised to see this on the agenda, because I thought it was decided and settled, and it works very well in Los Gatos as it is. If the Town is looking to eliminate the current status PAGE 3 OF 4 MINUTES OF PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING OF NOVEMBER 12, 2025 of below grade square footage as not counting in the FAR, I would violently oppose that. Or if the Town is seeking to tweak some of the rules and regulations, I believe they are well balanced. The Town has done a good job and has a very good set of rules around this. I would encourage, as a liberalization of the policy, the ability to have multiple locations on the property, for example, under an ADU being created. If the Town is looking to keep bulk and mass down, it doesn’t matter where on the property the basement is located. There is less need for cars with the advent of Uber, etc., so an increase of people in a house is not a deterrent for encouraging below grade square footage. Noel Cross - In 2002 I was on the committee, along with five other architects, that helped craft that ordinance. I echo Tony Jean’s comments of, “What, again?” The ordinance is well written and touches on four basic components: 1) 25’ sloping height; 2) 35’ overall height; 3) grading policy that limits different types of cuts and fills; and 4) hidden basements that don’t count. Please don’t mess with this very well-crafted and well-balanced ordinance that has survived for 20 years and worked very well. The direst consequence of this would be creating haves and have nots between the people who have been able to do it, and those that would not be able to after the door closes, and it would create havoc. The current ordinance has stood the test of time for over 20 years, and there is no reason to change it. Gary Kohlsaat - When an email went around to Los Gatos’ close knit architectural/real estate/construction community regarding this matter, the reaction was unanimously to question the impetus of this being discussed again. As the other architects who spoke have said, we all support the current policy 100 percent, because it is very well crafted, fair, and compatible with all other jurisdictions. We need the basements, and we have always questioned why it is a big deal, because basements cannot be seen. Property values are increased with basements. On the hillside it is almost impossible to design a house without a basement, and I encourage the Commission to look at the Hillside/Basement Ordinance versus a flatland basement, because they have different effects. We all spent a lot of time working on this in 2017, and we are all comfortable with the way it is now. Lee Quintana - The phrase “below ground square feet in lieu of visible mass” was written into the 2020 General Plan because people wanted more living space, but they don’t want to add additional massing to their homes that were modest in size. I was one of three members of the ad hoc committee that wrote that language, because we recognized that problem. That meant to us that below ground square footage would be counted, and by doing so, avoid adding additional mass. It was accepted by the General Plan Committee and adopted by the Town Council. I agree with the architects that their clients don’t want it to be counted, because it is not in lieu of, it is because they are adding the mass in addition to. They are adding the mass on the top, and getting mass at the bottom that is not getting counted, and that is the direct opposite of what we were trying to achieve. I don't know when the provisions of how it was implemented and that that didn’t get counted occurred, because it is livable space and should be counted. This also has a big impact on historic structures. PAGE 4 OF 4 MINUTES OF PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING OF NOVEMBER 12, 2025 Closed Public Comment. Commissioners discussed the matter. REPORT FROM THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Joel Paulson, Director of Community Development  Town Council met on 11/4 and considered the 14331 Capri project, and that will be moving forward. They’ve introduced the ordinance and it will go back for a second reading, which then if adopted, will lead to the demolition of the current home and reconstruction of a new home there. SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS/COMMISSION MATTERS Subcommittee Reports None. Commission Matters Chair Thomas - There are many openings on Los Gatos commissions and committees. Anyone interested in serving should contact the Town. Acknowledgement of Barbara Spector Vice Chair Burch spoke of former Los Gatos Planning Commissioner, Town Council Member, and three-term Mayor, Barbara Spector, who passed away on November 11, 2025, and how she passionately served the Los Gatos community. Chair Thomas called for a moment of silence in honor of Barbara Spector. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 8:41 p.m. This is to certify that the foregoing is a true and correct copy of the minutes of the November 12, 2025 meeting as approved by the Planning Commission. _____________________________ /s/ Vicki Blandin