Letter to the Editor: Let's Keep Netflix in Los Gatos

Editor's Note: The following letter was written to Los Gatos Mayor Barbara Spector and the Los Gatos Town Council by Los Gatos residents LezLi Logan, Karen Briones, Randi Chen, Toni Ditzler, Kris & Scott Lamson, Eleanor & Bill Gallmeister, Lorraine & Todd Miller, Kerry Lindholm, Megan Hedayati, Bonnie and Dean Westman, Stefanie and Mark Nelson and Susie and Chris Ray. To learn more about the Albright Way project, or about the We Support Los Gatos group, please visit www.WeSupportLosGatos.org

Please approve the Albright Way project on May 20 because it is essential for our children and our town.

We are a group of caring residents and school volunteers who have donated countless hours to improve the educational experience of the thousands of students in our Los Gatos public schools.

Why do we care about a commercial development?

Los Gatos public schools are in basic aid districts, which means that we do not receive funding based on the number of students who attend school. These budgets rely on local sources including donations to our education foundations and home and school clubs, developer fees, parcel taxes, and property taxes.

We are experiencing large increases in enrollment with more expected due to additional housing developments with no more money for these students. Developer fees are important, but they are a one-time contribution that does little to offset the long-term cost of educating our students.

The proposed Albright Way development will provide more than $1.4 million in new, annual property tax revenue that does not come with the cost of additional students.

This business development matters for our children.

The amount projected is more than Los Gatos Education Foundaion and New Millennium Foundation have raised so far this year, combined! While the parents and community have been generous with their time and donations, the effort required to generate this level of income is great.

The substantial financial benefits of this particular project to Los Gatos school districts without any of the negative impacts and costs associated with additional housing are absolutely crucial.

We are not alone. There are more than 5,000 students attending Los Gatos public schools. Their families represent one of the largest constituent groups in this town. There are literally hundreds of parents who volunteer on each and every one of our campuses every year. We are engaged and involved, and we are watching.

Our town’s economic vitality is important to all of us, including our kids. Local businesses support our schools with donations. When healthy, they are more able to contribute to our schools.

Company employees purchase goods and services and help sustain our local business by expanding the consumer base for our merchants. Our community will benefit significantly from having a development that would allow job growth while also providing additional revenue for town services, allowing us to preserve the things about our town that we all enjoy.

So we must ask the Town Council: If not this project, then what will be the plan to replace the revenue lost to the relocated and defunct dealerships? What will be the plan to fill that hole in the town’s budget? What will be the plan to provide the same level of revenue for our schools in the face of so many new housing projects, so soon, and with so many new students? And finally, if not this project, right now, then when?

What matters for our children, matters for all of us.