Retailers, Hotel, Senior Housing Favored for Los Gatos' North 40 Development

The North 40 Specific Plan Advisory Committee will meet tonight, Wednesday, Aug. 15, from 6-9 p.m. at the Los Gatos Town Council Chambers, 110 E. Main St.

The North 40 area is bounded by Highway 85 on the north, Lark Avenue on the south, Highway 17 on the west, and Los Gatos Boulevard on the east.

This development could include residential, retail, and office components.

The Council established the committee to guide the plan's development process.

On the agenda tonight for discussion is a so-called draft district map (see attached PDF documents) of the area, draft development standards and a parameters table.

The map shows four districts for the land being called Lark, Transition, Northern and Lark/Los Gatos Boulevard overlay, which address additional development standards such as height limitations.

According to a summary from committee meetings held this past spring and early summer, planners believe there seems to be support for restaurants and outdoor dining on the land, with a mix of eatery types, which should be carefully thought out to avoid duplication of other regional draws such as San Jose's Santana Row and to complement the downtown of Los Gatos.

Conference facilities and live theater have been identified as unmet needs in Los Gatos, according to the meetings' summary as part of a 200-250 person-capacity hotel. There's also support for allowing office use, particularly innovative and incubator-type space.

Retail targeted for the North 40 neighborhood - including neighboring employers such as Good Samaritan Hospital - is being considered, but it should not be the site's predominant use, according to the summary.

"There are concerns with how to regulate retail in a way that will complement downtown and Los Gatos Boulevard uses instead of competing with them," the summary states.

There's also support for 400 mixed residential units that will minimize impacts to schools and traffic, focusing on residents older than 55, "empty nesters" looking for affordable housing, and "Generation Y" products according to the summary.

Town officials hope to complete the plan by early 2013. The project would also need to have an environmental impact report conducted.

The committee will make plan recommendations to the Los Gatos Planning Commission and Los Gatos Town Council, holding additional hearings in late spring or early summer of 2013, according to Los Gatos Community Development Director Wendie Rooney.

Members of the North 40 Advisory Committee include Council members Joe Pirzynski, Vice Mayor Barbara Spector, Planning Commission members John Bourgeois, Marcia Jensen and Marico Sayoc, among others.

In an Aug. 9 memo, Rooney says on June 5 the committee reached consensus on the plan's six land-use categories of retail, hotel, office, residential, recreation/entertainment and restaurants.

Rooney writes that agreement was also reached on using the town's commercial highway zone district development standards, specifying setbacks, height, lot coverage, and others, as a starting point.

The committee is scheduled to meet again at 6 p.m., Aug. 21 at Town Council Chambers to further review materials prepared by staff outlining the plan with a summary for each section. Rooney said staff and consultants would like to to include the committee's input into the plan, which they hope to have ready for review in early 2013.

Please see attached PDF of meeting agenda tonight, a North 40 Advisory Committee staff report and North 40 Advisory Committee exhibits.