Sandy Decker

Town can outsmart pressures for growth

By Sandy Decker

Will Los Gatos keep its small town character over the next 10 years? Will our quality of life remain comfortable and vibrant? Can we rein in the inevitable demand for growth? The answer is yes! With strong leadership and creative vision, Los Gatos can survive the inevitable changes forced upon it by the burgeoning economic growth of the valley. I feel that the critical areas that need to be addressed are: Livability, Economic Vitality, Appropriate Hillside Growth and Attainable Housing.

We are losing "Livability" in Los Gatos. Neighbors tell me they won't go downtown after 6 p.m. because of traffic and congestion. Friends drive their children instead of letting them walk or bike. Why? Because they're afraid their children will be run over by a car speeding through their neighborhood. Are your streets in dire need of repair? Do you feel the community slipping away? Protecting the existing community from the loss of livability will be my primary goal as a council member.

Economic Vitality in Los Gatos is based on the unique, resident-serving, locally owned, one-of-a-kind business mix we have throughout our town. The existing chain stores have been integrated nicely into our small scale retail. However, I would like to limit chain store proliferation. We must consider the intensity of parking and the impact on local business and the community that is generated by nationally advertised chain stores. To mitigate that impact I will propose that conditional-use permits be required. Those conditions may include square footage limits, additional parking, economic impact analysis and a very significant community benefit.

Our hillsides need protection from out-of-scale, environmentally destructive development. I pledge to work with council members to finish revising the hillside standards. In collaboration with the county, I will endeavor to establish town/county oversight and review of county hillside applications. The new General Plan, written by the community, incorporates language that helps reduce the risk of losing our natural hillside setting. I look forward to working with the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District and the Peninsula Open Space Trust to encourage the continued acquisition of open space. This land will be used as a public trust for generations to come.

Attainable Housing is no longer within the reach of our seniors, singles, transitional families and town employees. I will explore all avenues open to this community to create housing that is affordable to a diverse range of ages and incomes. Our mobile home parks are in transition. I will work with the park owners and occupants to find the best ways to either convert or renovate the parks. None of us want to lose that invaluable source of affordable housing.

I have spent 30 years in Los Gatos because I love our town. I raised two children who went through Los Gatos schools. I taught in our schools. I want to offer my time, experience and energy to try to safeguard and guide Los Gatos through the inevitable changes that will impact us as the valley continues to grow. I love the character and the small-town feel of Los Gatos. In 1915, the San Jose Times said it best: "To see Los Gatos is to love the town. To become a permanent resident here is to live in a paradise if there be such a place on earth." Let's keep it that way.

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