Planning Commission - SPECIAL
Special MeetingLos Gatos, CA · November 29, 2023
Minutes
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
PLANNING COMMISSION
REPORT
MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING
NOVEMBER 29, 2023
The Planning Commission of the Town of Los Gatos conducted a Special Meeting on
Wednesday, November 29, 2023, at 7:00 p.m.
MEETING CALLED TO ORDER AT 7:00 PM
ROLL CALL
Present: Chair Jeffrey Barnett, Vice Chair Steve Raspe, Commissioner Susan Burnett,
Commissioner Melanie Hanssen, and Commissioner Kathryn Janoff.
Absent: Commissioner Emily Thomas.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
VERBAL COMMUNICATIONS
None.
PUBLIC HEARINGS
1. Draft Revised 2023-2031 Housing Element
General Plan Amendment Application GP-22-003
Location: Town-Wide
Project Planner: Erin Walters and Jocelyn Shoopman, Associate Planners
Consider and Make a Recommendation to the Town Council on the Draft Revised 2023-
2031 Housing Element.
Jocelyn Shoopman, Associate Planner, presented the staff report.
Opened Public Comment.
Lee Quintana
- I feel like I’m trying to read and make comments on a moving target, and a moving target
that is not even all visible at one time. As the attorney said, you can meet again before the
Town Council after receipt of the comments from HCD. I would think that’s what you
would want to do so you weren’t just making a decision to recommend approval of
something that you didn’t even know what it is. I don’t think the Housing Element
adequately addresses HCD’s comments. They indicate that even the site inventory isn’t
110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● 408-354-6832
www.losgatosca.gov
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MINUTES OF PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING OF NOVEMBER 29, 2023
approved yet, because they need the analysis from those other evaluations before they can
address that. They also commented on the lack of zoning for multiple-family distributed
evenly throughout the Town. One of the problems with the analysis is that it’s divided into
little pieces, each piece is answered and each piece compares it to the region and county,
but there is no point at which all of that information gets reaggregated and analyzed in a
totality, because there are contradictions within each of those different sections; that’s the
analysis that I think the State is looking for. What is the Town zoning that has impeded
achieving our goals in the Housing Element? The information is not specific enough.
Lee Fagot
- The work the Planning Commission is doing has been very difficult due to the dynamic
changes occurring. The Town staff, HCD, Planning Commission, and Town Council all use
different calendars for planning and I urge everyone use the same calendar. The November
15th Planning Commission meeting was informative, but the next day, without citizen or
Council review, the staff submitted the new draft with significant changes to HCD, so there
was no opportunity for public review. Now I have learned tonight that another submittal
was made yesterday. Ms. Quintana made very good points that there needs to be better
coordination between the Planning Commission, the Housing Element Advisory Board, and
Town staff. The Town Council gives the final review and direction, but the citizens need an
opportunity as well. Let’s work together better going forward.
Tony Alarcon
- Like many others have expressed, I sincerely don’t understand how this has taken so long,
and it feels as though there have been many errors, whether not keeping track of
consultants, the communication between departments, or perhaps trying to overachieve
and build too many units instead of simply complying with our RHNA numbers. I feel for
the Planning Commission, and I hope the citizens of this Town hear what I’ve said today
and consider that when voting for leadership in our Town. We need to streamline our
process and do better. Los Gatos needs to be a leader to other towns, and instead of
having these delays with citizens not knowing what is going on, and asking the Planning
Commission to approve a plan before they have received a letter of comments from HCD, is
not a valid approach.
Ron Meyer
- The way this process has evolved over the past 12 to 16 months has been a failure to
inform the public, a failure to manage the previous consultants in their three failed
attempts, and a waste of $180,000 of taxpayer money. I see a level of incompetence in
both the staff and the Planning Commission, because the Planning Commission has not
been taking the recommendations from the Housing Element Advisory Board, and the Los
Gatos Community Alliance seriously. The incompetence, lack of transparency, the
confusion, the mis-coordination, the oversight by the Town Council, and the usurping of
their power by Town staff and pieces of the Planning Commission is not favorable and not
even remotely the way this process should have been conducted. The citizens of Los Gatos
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MINUTES OF PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING OF NOVEMBER 29, 2023
deserve better. The Town Council has not been doing it’s job in terms of exercising their
oversight responsibilities over this process, and the citizens of Los Gatos will end up paying
for this.
Closed Public Comment.
Commissioners discussed the matter.
MOTION: Motion by Commissioner Janoff to recommend Town Council adoption
of the Draft Revised 2023-2031 Housing Element that was submitted to
them on November 28, 2023, and to adopt the resolution recommending
approval provided in Exhibit 6. Seconded by Vice Chair Raspe.
Commissioners discussed the matter.
VOTE: Motion passed 4-1, with Commissioner Burnett dissenting.
OTHER BUSINESS
None.
REPORT FROM THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
None.
SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS/COMMISSION MATTERS
None.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 8:04 p.m.
This is to certify that the foregoing is a true
and correct copy of the minutes of the
November 29, 2023 meeting as approved by the
Planning Commission.
_____________________________
/s/ Vicki Blandin
Agenda
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
PLANNING COMMISSION SPECIAL MEETING AGENDA
NOVEMBER 29, 2023
110 EAST MAIN STREET
LOS GATOS, CA
Jeffery Barnett, Chair
Steven Raspe, Vice Chair
Susan Burnett, Commissioner
Kathryn Janoff, Commissioner PARTICIPATION IN THE PUBLIC PROCESS
Melanie Hanssen, Commissioner
Emily Thomas, Commissioner
Vacant, Commissioner
How to participate: The Town of Los Gatos strongly encourages your active participation in the
public process, which is the cornerstone of democracy. If you wish to speak to an item on the
agenda, please follow the participation instructions on page 2 of this agenda. If you wish to speak
to an item NOT on the agenda, you may do so during the “Verbal Communications” period, by
following the participation instructions on page 2 of this agenda. The time allocated to speakers
may change to better facilitate the Planning Commission meeting.
Effective Proceedings: The purpose of the Planning Commission meeting is to conduct the business
of the community in an effective and efficient manner. For the benefit of the community, the Town
of Los Gatos asks that you follow the Town’s meeting guidelines while attending Planning
Commission meetings and treat everyone with respect and dignity. This is done by following
meeting guidelines set forth in State law and in the Town Code. Disruptive conduct is not tolerated,
including but not limited to: addressing the Commissioners without first being recognized;
interrupting speakers, Commissioners or Town staff; continuing to speak after the allotted time
has expired; failing to relinquish the podium when directed to do so; and repetitiously addressing
the same subject.
Deadlines for Public Comment and Presentations are as follows:
Persons wishing to make an audio/visual presentation on any agenda item must submit the
presentation electronically, either in person or via email, to the Planning Department by 1 p.m.
or the Clerk’s Office no later than 3:00 p.m. on the day of the Planning Commission meeting.
Persons wishing to submit written comments to be included in the materials provided to the
Planning Commission must provide the comments to the Planning Department as follows:
o For inclusion in the regular packet: by 11:00 a.m. the Friday before the meeting
o For inclusion in any Addendum: by 11:00 a.m. the day before the meeting
o For inclusion in any Desk Item: by 11:00 a.m. on the day of the meeting
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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TOWN OF LOS GATOS
PLANNING COMMISSION SPECIAL MEETING AGENDA
NOVEMBER 29, 2023
110 EAST MAIN STREET AND TELECONFERENCE
TOWN COUNCIL CHAMBERS
LOS GATOS, CA
7:00 PM
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/82657385921?pwd=L_ABlTt8EZNMFAj8nIwhFTjNP8bYEQ._ViWKpC400zLWZQY.
Passcode: 198634. You can also type in 826 5738 5921 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.
Page 2
MEETING CALL TO ORDER
ROLL CALL
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
VERBAL COMMUNICATIONS (Members of the public may address the Planning Commission only
on the agenda items. Unless additional time is authorized by the Chair, remarks shall be limited to
three minutes.)
PUBLIC HEARINGS (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.)
1. Consider and Make a Recommendation to the Town Council on the Draft Revised 2023-
2031 Housing Element. Location: Town-Wide. General Plan Amendment Application GP-
22-003.
OTHER BUSINESS (Up to three minutes may be allotted to each speaker on any of the following
items.)
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)
Writings related to an item on the Planning Commission meeting agenda distributed to members of the Commission within
72 hours of the meeting are available for public inspection at the reference desk of the Los Gatos Town Library, located at 100
Villa Avenue; the Community Development Department and Clerk Department, both located at 110 E. Main Street; and are
also available for review on the official Town of Los Gatos website. Copies of desk items distributed to members of the
Commission at the meeting are available for review in the Town Council Chambers.
Note: The Town of Los Gatos has adopted the provisions of Code of Civil Procedure §1094.6; litigation challenging a decision
of the Town Council must be brought within 90 days after the decision is announced unless a shorter time is required by State
or Federal law.
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