A controversial and embattled mixed-use development near Los Gatos High School was approved by the Town Council at a special meeting on May 27.
The development was proposed twice and went through four rounds of back and forth with town staff before being approved by the Planning Commission on March 26. It would be build on two lots that would total just under half an acre on East Main Street, High School Court and Church Street. The four-story building includes 30 multi-family residential units with space for commercial or retail businesses on the ground floor. The developers, Kenneth Rodrigues and Partners, Inc., applied for it to be a builder’s remedy project because six units, or 20% of the units, would be designated for low-income housing.
The project was approved in a 3-2 vote, with Mayor Matthew Hudes and Councilmember Mary Bedame dissenting. Hudes said he would not be voting in favor of the project due to concerns for children’s safety near the project site.
The builder’s remedy designation allowed for numerous exceptions, including shorter setbacks and increased height. The building’s 52-foot height is seven feet above the town’s limit. The building design takes inspiration from the brick foundation of Los Gatos High School, which was designed by architect William Weeks, and the nearby hotel and the Masonic Hall. Developers also stepped the fourth floor back so the building wouldn’t appear too bulky.
Staff told council they did not find the development in conflict with any building or zoning codes related to public health and safety. However, the developers need to take several measures to mitigate adverse environmental impacts. These include scheduling construction between mid-September and mid-January to avoid bird nesting season, having an operational air filtration system prior to receiving a building permit and requiring the final development to be all electric, as well as striping areas of the street for loading and to prevent parking.
Two underground parking structure designs were proposed for the project. The first would be a two-level garage with 47 parking stalls that would be shared by both retail customers and residents. Although it would offer more parking spaces, it would also be more expensive to build. The second option would single-level parking garage with 39 parking spots. While 10 would be standard parking stalls, the rest would be accessible by a parking stacker and would require people to use a cell phone app to access the stall.
Resident Desmond Camus spoke favorably of the project, saying it was “beautiful” and “well-placed” near town services. He said adding residential buildings would allow young families to live near their child’s future high school and give older adults the ability to downsize while maintaining an active lifestyle.
“I hope that the council sees the value in approving this project and other housing developments,” Camus said, “not just for helping Los Gatos achieve its housing goals, but because of the real people who look at the opportunity to live and thrive in this community.”
Many of those that opposed the project said they were concerned about traffic in the area. Erline Lund, a resident of Bayview Avenue, said that there isn’t enough parking and it’s difficult to get in and out of the area. She also spoke about the potential danger that the heightened traffic might present, especially during evacuation scenarios.
Hudes said he spent several hours at the project site and found that it was “one of the most, if not the most, dangerous intersections in our town.”
Los Gatos High School Principal Dave Poetzinger said the addition of 50 or 60 vehicles near the project site “concerns” and “scares” him, adding that two students were sent to the hospital this school year due to car or bike crashes.
“As soon as you add 50 to 60 more cars to that corner, it’s not a question of if there’s going to be further incidents,” Poetzinger said. “It’s when there’s going to be further incidents.”
A transportation study conducted by Hexagon Transportation Consultants, Inc. found that the project would add around 1,500 vehicle miles traveled, resulting in an increase of only 0.0042%. It would also only increase the number of daily trips in the area by 17. The project’s vehicle miles traveled would have to exceed 6.5% of the countywide vehicle miles traveled for its impact to be significant.
Although Councilmember Maria Ristow acknowledged the traffic and safety concerns, she asserted that those issues were already existing.
“We already have a traffic issue that we have not been able to wrangle effectively,” Ristow said. “I don’t think that means that this project is either the problem or the solution.”
To mitigate this, Vice Mayor Rob Moore asked that the developer meet with the Los Gatos High School and town staff to discuss safety measures, limit construction-related deliveries during peak school traffic hours and install visual and audio alerts at the parking garage exit.
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