Hold On, North 40

The concept for the ambitious North 40 project in Los Gatos presented to town officials recently was not looked upon favorably by members of the Los Gatos Town Council and Planning Commission.

Los Gatos Mayor Steve Rice said both bodies agreed the evening of Monday, Jan. 9 that preliminary plans presented to them by the project consultant were not in accordance with their vision for the huge chunk of land on Los Gatos Boulevard that walnut orchardist Tom Yuki plans to develop with the help of London-based Grosvenor Americas.

"It's pretty clear that what we were looking at is not something that any member of the Council or Planning Commission were very comfortable with," Rice said. "There's a lot more work that needs to be done and will be done in the near future to make sure that this development ... is something compatible with the rest of the town."

The purpose of the Jan. 9 meeting was to give feedback to the North 40 consulting firm drafting plans for the project, Rice explained. However, the input received from the Council and planners was that the preclusive roadmap for the multi-million dollar mixed-use development was not something they were comfortable with.

"Rather than them going back and starting again or trying to fix it or modify the concept, we need to look at exactly what we want the consultant to do from this point forward," Rice said. "The consultant hasn't received direction yet. We have to decide how we want to give direction."

Asked what he would like built on the North 40, Rice said what was presented seemed too dense. "There's too much intensification. Probably something less intense and less density and more in keeping with the character of the rest of the town," Rice said.

Los Gatos Council member Steven Leonardis said the North 40 project has been kicked around for a number of years, but the town has its parameters on what could be built on the property bounded roughly by Los Gatos Boulevard to the east, Highway 85 to the north, Lark Avenue to the south and Highway 17 to the west.

"The project will have to go back and forth a few times," Leonardis said. "Not everyone is going to be happy. It's an idea that keeps going around and around and around."

And everyone has input on what should be built on Yuki's land, valued by the Santa Clara County Assessor’s Office at $14.4 million.

"I look at this thing and I see 30-40 acres of land that nobody knows what to do with it," Leonardis said, adding that he would like the project broken into pieces designed separately and with alternative choices for each segment.

Leonardis said the town would be providing the environmental and the traffic analysis and building height parameters for the project. "We should only be involved with the land-use portion," Leonardis said. "We shouldn't be dictating to the owners and the developers that we want them to put a specific store there."

Leonardis also said the Los Gatos 2020 General Plan says up to 750 housing units could be allowed on the property and 580,000 square feet of retail maximum.

Los Gatos Town Manager Greg Larson said the Council and Planning Commission have provided helpful and clear direction that they now want to use all of the background information and ideas generated so far to craft a common vision for the North 40 Specific Plan.

Larson added town staff would be consolidating past direction and information to support the public discussions and consensus needed to craft that vision.

Councilwoman Diane McNutt said a clear, compelling vision for the North 40 needs to reflect community values and priorities.

"It should not just be a laundry list of specific land-use elements, but a narrative description of what that neighborhood will look like and feel like to those who live, work and visit there," McNutt said.

The North 40 also needs to complete Los Gatos, McNutt continued, meaning that once developed it should meet some of the unmeet needs the town has such as senior housing, a conference center and performing arts venue, and retail and restaurants for residents in the north part of town.

"Once a community vision is developed for this area, it will be much easier to evaluate specific land-use proposals," she said.