Los Gatos Planning Commission OKs housing development despite traffic concerns
The Los Gatos Planning Commission approved a 55-unit housing development on April 23, despite concerns about increased traffic and congestion along Los Gatos Boulevard. The town council is set to hold a public hearing on the project on May 6.
The development is one of several proposed for the area; eight units would be designated as below market rate. Developer City Ventures requested additional provisions through the state’s Density Bonus Law, which relaxes requirements or restrictions on projects with affordable or senior units.
A representative from City Ventures argued that increasing residential density wouldn’t lead to more congestion because it would actually reduce vehicle miles traveled. The representative also noted that the townhomes would be all-electric and include open space and aesthetics adapted from current architectural designs in the town.
The townhomes would include studio, two-bedroom and three-bedroom units in five buildings. Four units would be designated as live/work spaces. Maximum height for each building would be 45 feet, with vehicle access from Garden Lane and pedestrian along Los Gatos Boulevard. There are 88 parking spaces planned for the project, including nine guest parking spots.
Three Los Gatos residents spoke against the project at the April 23 meeting. Their main concerns had to do with traffic on Garden Lane and the cumulative effect of developments along Los Gatos Boulevard on the water table and earthquake risk due to the local faultlines.
“It’s not just traffic; it’s our lives, it’s our health,” said resident Karen Yamamoto. “All these constructions, whether cheaply done or not, need to be analyzed with CEQA. It needs to be really looked at as a whole, not just individual projects.”
City Ventures reassured commissioners that they consulted with geotechnical engineers about the development and chose a site near a VTA stop to reduce traffic congestion .
The 1.5-acre project site is currently zoned commercial, with a Genuine Automotive service center on the southern lot and a multi-suite commercial building on the northern lot. These buildings would be demolished if the project goes forward.
Genuine Automotive manager Mitchell Ng rents the space to run the auto repair shop. In an interview, Ng said his landlord was likely selling his parcel to the housing developers. The auto shop has been operating in that area since 2001, according to an email from town staff.
“Can’t do nothing about it,” Ng said. “We could move some place else, but there’s no place in Los Gatos to move to.”