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Editorial
Building boom changed views on development
It could be years before major development near the northern border of Los Gatos on Los Gatos Boulevard is an issue. Still, there is good reason for the town's sense of urgency about adopting a North Forty Specific Plan.
While the Uki family owns the bulk of the property, there are other, smaller parcels. And significantly, most of the smaller parcels are close to Los Gatos Boulevard. The Ukis do not seem eager to sell soon, but that cannot be said of the others.
Without a specific plan, say town planners, development could be haphazard and could seriously hamper later efforts to implement a comprehensive plan.
The town can't tell property owners to wait a couple of years while it develops a land-use plan for the area. Property owners do have rights, after all.
On the other hand, the guidelines under which the North Forty Specific Plan is being created were adopted in 1994 under the Commercial Specific Plan. It's probably safe to say that, back then, most residents weren't paying much attention to that part of town.
Even those who were probably didn't think there was anything wrong with commercial zoning in an area close to two highways at the edge of town.
So why has the North Forty suddenly become a cause célèbre?
In 1994, the local economy was not booming as it has been in the past few years. The town was pinching pennies--and, for that matter, so were a lot of developers. It made sense for the town to look at this outer edge of the community as a source of economic stability.
But with the economic boom came a boom in building. The Planning Department could barely keep up with permit requests, and residents began to see structures cropping up on one vacant lot after another.
As the hammers and saws kept busy, the real buzz around town was that Los Gatos was losing its prized charm to development.
Then there were the chain stores. Many residents are unhappy with the Old Town addition's chain retail stores and mall look. It's not Los Gatos, they say.
Although Office Depot--close to the North Forty--did compromise on the appearance of its store to satisfy local sensibilities, many residents considered the arrival of a big-box retailer in town a bitter pill to swallow. And many believe that commercial zoning in the North Forty will bring more big-box stores.
While we appreciate the town's sense of urgency about the North Forty Specific Plan, we urge planners to reconsider the wisdom of proceeding under guidelines adopted before residents began to fear they were losing their unique community to commercial development.
Either put the plan on hold or consider broad general guidelines that would, for instance, pinpoint general access points--without limiting land use to commercial--until other uses can be explored.
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Los Gatos, California Since 1881
