Commissioners say assisted living plan must change to be acceptable

Neighbors call current plan too massive and intrusive

Developer returns Nov. 8

By Nathan R. Huff

It wasn't the concept, nor the location or even the density that led the planning commission to return an 89-unit assisted-care facility for revision. It was, as one planning commissioner described, a "formula footprint being squeezed into a nonformula site."

Following the testimony of a dozen potential neighbors of the Winchester Boulevard facility, planning commissioners agreed Aegis Assisted Living Properties LLC needed to come back with a new plan that fit the strangely shaped parcel of land wedged between Courtside Club, the Courtstyle neighborhood and the Union Pacific railroad tracks.

Aegis is seeking approval for a General Plan amendment and zoning change that would allow the high density facility. The 89-unit, two-story building would be close to 64,000 square feet, feature specialized Alzheimer's care areas and include 14 below-market-price units. The assisted living concept is a middle step between independent senior housing and a nursing home.

While commissioners acknowledged the community's need for senior housing, particularly assisted-living housing, it was not enough to override their concerns with the project. The commission voted unanimously to send Aegis back to the drawing board to come up with a plan that reduces the size, mass and scale, moves the building away from the Courtstyle development, gives it a more residential feel, provides more parking and demonstrates greater community benefit.

Commission chairman Paul Bruno said it was his feeling that, if properly sited and designed, the Aegis facility could be a tremendous benefit. "I have not heard many individuals say we do not want assisted care," Bruno said.

Neighbors said roughly the same thing to the commission. The most pressing issue in most of their minds was the close proximity of the structure to their backyards. The building would come as close as 20 feet to the property lines of two Courtstyle condominiums and within 50 to 100 feet of several other units. Residents, 28 in all, wrote letters opposing the project and describing what life would be in the perpetual shadow of the Aegis facility. Privacy, noise and property value concerns were also discussed at length.

"It's very nice that [Aegis] seems to be so good at building 89-unit facilities," Terry Erisman, Courtstyle resident and president of the homeowner's board, said, referring to the company's similar facility in Aptos. "But an 89-unit facility won't fit in this space."

Aegis developer Steve McCullagh said the company held several meetings with concerned neighbors and altered the project to alleviate their concerns. McCullagh offered to increase the size of screening trees and redesign the windows in the northwest corner of the building so they would no longer face the Courtstyle residences.

However, McCullagh said that while Aegis could remove a few units nearest the neighbors, a complete redesign of the facility was unlikely. Emergency access issues make flipping the footprint of the building--a neighbor's suggestion that would place the impact on Courtside Club--unworkable, according to McCullagh. Other constraints such as the inside walking distances for elderly residents and facility personnel were also a factor limiting the design options, he said.

Most of all, McCullagh stressed the community benefit of the project. He disagreed that the 14 guest parking spaces were inadequate, citing the town staff's report and the fact that assisted living facilities receive relatively few guests.

"We're providing much needed housing and care to the frail elderly in Los Gatos that allows them to stay in their community," McCullagh said.

But resident Candis Bourdet said Aegis could still provide the community benefit without so dramatically impacting the neighbors. "The way it is set up now is probably the worst way to impact our neighborhood," Bourdet said. "This could be a win-win situation."

Not every community member spoke against the project. Two who spoke in favor included developer Tony Jeans and Monte Sereno resident Lee Ann Wolfe, author of four comprehensive guidebooks on senior living facilities. Jeans, who has appeared before the planning commission with his own projects innumerable times, said it was within the planning commission's ability to make the project acceptable.

"The planning commission has the ability to modify proposals and end up with architectural detailing and styling that do fit," Jeans said.

Aegis will return to the planning commission on Nov. 8.

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