PREPARED BY: Sean Mullin, AICP
Planning Manager
Reviewed by: Town Manager, Assistant Town Manager, Town Attorney, and Community Development Director
110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● (408) 354-6872 www.losgatosca.gov
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
MEETING DATE: 02/04/2025
ITEM NO: 9
DESK ITEM
DATE: February 4, 2025
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: Chris Constantin, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Consider a Recommendation by the Planning Commission to Approve a Planned Development for Construction of a Senior Living Community, Removal of Large Protected Trees, and Site Improvements Requiring a Grading Permit on Property Zoned R:PD; Adopt a Resolution Certifying the Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP); and Introduce an Ordinance Repealing Establishing Development Standards and Allowable Uses for Lots Within the Planned Development Overlay Zone. Located at 110 Wood Road. APN 510- 47-038. An Environmental Impact Report has been Prepared for the Project.
Planned Development Application PD-20-001 and Environmental Impact Report EIR-21-002. Applicant: Rockwood Pacific. Property Owner: Front Porch Communities. Project Planner: Sean Mullin.
Ordinance Title: An Ordinance of the Town Council of the Town of Los Gatos Repealing and Replacing Planned Development Ordinance 938 Establishing Development Standards and Allowable Uses for Lots Within The Planned Development Overlay Zone.
REMARKS:
Attachment 11 includes the visual renderings provided to the Planning Commission on November 13, 2024. Staff has included them with this Desk Item to make them more easily accessible.
Attachment 12 includes visual renderings of the existing conditions, the proposed development as presented to the Planning Commission, and the alternate design prepared in response to the recommendation of the Planning Commission. Several exhibits are also included comparing the proposed development and the alternate design.
PAGE 2 OF 2
SUBJECT: 110 Wood Road/PD-20-001 AND EIR-21-002
DATE: February 3, 2025
Attachment 13 includes a letter from the Mary McMullin, Chief Advancement Officer for Front Porch Communities and Services.
Attachment 14 includes additional public comments received between 11:01 am, Thursday, January 30, 2025, and 11:00 am, Tuesday, February 4, 2025.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachments previously received under separate cover:
1. May 2021 Draft Environmental Impact Report
(available online at www.losgatosca.gov/110WoodRoad)
2. August 2021 Final Environmental Impact Report and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (available online at www.losgatosca.gov/110WoodRoad) Attachments previously received with the January 30, 2025 Staff Report:
3. Draft Resolution to certify the Final EIR, make the required CEQA Findings of Fact (included as Exhibit A), and adopt the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (included as Exhibit B)
4. Draft Planned Development Ordinance with Exhibit A Rezone Area, Exhibit B Development Plans, and Exhibit C Performance Standards
5. November 13, 2024, Planning Commission Staff Report, with Exhibits 3 through 17
6. November 13, 2024, Planning Commission Addendum, with Exhibits 18 through 19
7. November 13, 2024, Planning Commission Desk Item, with Exhibit 30
8. November 13, 2024, Planning Commission Verbatim Minutes
9. Letter from the Applicant, dated December 30, 2024
10. Public comments received between 11:01 am, Wednesday, November 13, 2024 and 11:00 am, Thursday, January 30, 2025
Attachments received with this Desk Item Report:
11. Visual renderings as presented to the Planning Commission on November 13, 2024
12. Visual renderings of existing, proposed, and alternate designs
13. Letter from Front Porch Communities and Services, dated February 4, 2025
14. Public comments received between 11:01 am, Thursday, January 30, 2025 and 11:00 am, Tuesday, February 4, 2025.
110 Wood Road
Visual Renderings
With approval of the Town Council, the applicant has prepared the attached visual renderings as an alternative to installing story poles. Additionally, the applicant prepared a video detailing the preparation of the visual renderings:
https://frontporch.net/community/los-gatos-meadows/
ATTACHMENT 11
Existing
Proposed
Broadway — Looking South
Existing
Proposed
W. Main St at Bayview Ave — Looking South
Existing
Proposed
135 Wood Rd — Looking East
Existing
Proposed
E. Main St — Looking West
Existing
Proposed
121 Wood Rd — Looking East
Existing
Proposed
S. Santa Cruz Ave at Wood Rd — Looking West
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Intentionally
Left Blank
PROPOSAL
44 This Page Intentionally Left Blank
We are pleased to provide this option for seniors in need of affordable housing, and we look forward to continuing to work collaboratively with the Town to partner on community engagement and services.
Sincerely,
Mary McMullin
Chief Advancement Officer
Front Porch Communities and Services
From: [email protected] <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2025 5:24 PM
To: Planning <[email protected]>
Subject: Online Form Submission #15451 for Town Contact Form [EXTERNAL SENDER]
Town Contact Form
First Name Marc
Last Name Dubresson
Email Address (Required)
Phone Number
Message (Required) 110 Wood Road
Dear Sirs,
Despite a previous request, I see no updated visuals from different locations on Broadway, notably going up,
northwest of the broadway site entrance. Will this be
addressed ahead of the next meeting on 4th February?
Thank you,
Regards,
Marc Dubresson
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you want to submit this
message to? (Required)
Community Development: Building & Planning
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ATTACHMENT 14
From: Andrew Ghofrani
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2025 9:13 AM
To: Julie Southern ; Planning <[email protected]>; Sean Mullin <[email protected]>
Cc: Andrew Ghofrani
Subject: Re: Los Gatos Meadows - Feb 4, 2025 meeting
[EXTERNAL SENDER]
Dear Sean,
I am also including the revised option views for your file.
Thank you
Andy Ghofrani
From: Julie Southern
Sent: Monday, February 3, 2025 10:29 PM
To: Sean Mullin <[email protected]>; Planning <[email protected]> Cc: Matthew Hudes <[email protected]>; Andrew Ghofrani ; Matthew Southern ; Mary Badame <[email protected]> Subject: Meadows - additional input for Feb 4, 2025 meeting [EXTERNAL SENDER]
Hello Sean & Town Council
I’m Julie Southern, owner and resident of .
In my email from last week to Sean Mullin, which is included in your packet for the Feb 4 Town Council meeting, I talk about my concerns of 6 story buildings, and the impact to precedence, residents and traffic.
I have been encouraged by Front Porch’s (aka Covia and the Meadows) on-going engagement through this entire process, and their submission of an Alternative Design. With the newest renderings I’d like to highlight concerns that I’ve brought to the planning commission meeting in November and before, which I feel have not been addressed:
· How our privacy is impacted by Front Porch’s windows and balconies that allow their residents to see directly into my and my neighbor’s windows and yards. This is especially impactful at a 6 story height, less so at 5 and substantially less at 4. · The unsightly view of the roof tops that is minimized in the renderings that Front Porch provided. Earlier renderings with a wider perspective and less foliage more accurately depicted the visual impact of which I'm concerned. (See below)
In light of these ongoing concerns, I respectfully request that the Town Council and Front Porch give further consideration to the privacy and aesthetic impacts of the proposed development, particularly in relation to the heights of Villa A & F – limit them to 4 stories.
I remain open to further discussion and hope we can work together to find a balance that enhances our neighborhood while respecting the concerns of current residents of Wood Road.
Respectfully,
Julie Southern.
From: Matthew Southern
Sent: Monday, February 3, 2025 9:40 PM
To: Mary Badame <[email protected]>; Matthew Hudes <[email protected]>; Sean Mullin <[email protected]>; Planning <[email protected]> Cc: Julie Southern
Subject: The Tallest Building in Los Gatos at The Meadows [EXTERNAL SENDER]
Hello Los Gatos Town Council Members -
I am writing to you about the proposed tallest building in Los Gatos, located at 110 Wood Road.
In particular, I would like to express my disappointment in the developer, Front Porch, and their representative, Rockwood Pacific, neglecting to include detailed visualizations depicting the negative impact that their proposed 6 story building would have on the town of Los Gatos.
Not only would this building set a precedent as the TALLEST BUILDING IN LOS GATOS, but the developers and their representatives have been seemingly disingenuous about the impact that this building would have on our neighborhood and our town.
Having forgone the story pole requirement that was previously required for public visualization, Front Porch and Rockwood Pacific instead produced digital visualizations of LOS GATOS' TALLEST BUILDING (which happens to be on a hillside, in a fire zone).
During repeated discussions with Front Porch, Rockwood Pacific, and their visualization expert, it was made clear to residents of Wood Road, both verbally and visually, that the proposed 6 story building would completely obstruct the views of downtown Los Gatos. However, these damaging visualizations were never included in the developers' representations to the Town Council, the Planning Commission or the citizens of Los Gatos. I speak not only as a resident of Wood Road, but because I actually helped produce some of these visualizations for Rockwood Pacific as I am a Part 107 FAA licensed pilot.
While this could potentially be an error of omission on the part of Front Porch, Rockwood Pacific or their visualization expert, you will find one of the visualizations they provided to residents of Wood Road attached.
I would encourage the Town Council to look into this further as it is clear this omission may have fraudulently impacted decisions made by the Town Council and the Planning Commision.
Thank you,
Matthew Southern