New Los Gatos North 40 Vision Coming

has began taking shape thanks to the creation of a subcommittee made up of Gatos Councilwoman Diane McNutt and Vice Mayor Barbara Spector.

The subcommittee was formed after the Council held a study session Feb. 13 and voted, at the urging of Mayor Steve Rice, to have the women help figure out what perhaps will be one of the most important land-use decisions in town history.

The land is located on Los Gatos Boulevard and is privately owned by walnut orchardist Tom Yuki and other parties who plan to develop it with the help of London-based Grosvenor Americas.

It's 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. If and when it's developed, it will be a multi-million dollar mixed-use development were up to 750 housing units could be allowed and 580,000 square feet of retail maximum, according to the Los Gatos 2020 General Plan.

McNutt explained during the Feb. 13 meeting, the Council realized it would be difficult to write a vision statement for the land with many involved in a public setting so Rice asked her and Spector to serve on the subcommittee.

"We're going to draft a vision statement to bring back to Council to capture ... the underlying values and priorities for the North 40," McNutt said.

The women had their first meeting Feb. 22 and it included members of the Los Gatos Community Development Department. They expect to have a preliminary report for the Council at its March 5 meeting.

At the Feb. 13 meeting, the Council participated in two exercises where its members described the town's character and what's important. Out of that discussion, it drafted the following notes McNutt shared with Los Gatos Patch.

Unmet Needs

• Senior housing
• Hotel/Conference Center
• Northern community has little commercial opportunities
• Schools – Their needs yet unmet
• Sensitive to impact on schools
• Sensitive to traffic impacts

Potential Edits to 1999 North 40 Vision/Hierarchy for meeting needs:

• Future residents of the North 40
• Residents in the immediate area
• Residents of the Town in general
• Residents in the greater area/region
• Visitors
• Too long and general
• Vision statement becomes litmus test or should be
• Vision statements are broad statements that are simple and short
• There is a difference between a vision statement and vision

Guiding Principles

• Unmet needs
• Continuity
• Character and infrastructure

Vision Statement

• Unmet needs
• Natural setting: Agricultural legacy, hills
• Sensitive to impacts on schools/traffic
• Flow of community that reflects overall character

Four Components (Pillars) of Vision Statement

• Unmet needs
• Grown organically, community continuity
• Without overburdening infrastructure (schools/traffic)
• Environment, natural assets (hillside/trees), and historic assets