Commission sees project's benefit, but traffic must be addressed first

R&D developments would house workers, teachers

Daves Avenue is nearby

By Nathan R. Huff

While acknowledging the project's potential community benefit, the planning commission unanimously agreed on Oct. 25, to delay a decision on a research facility/housing project off Winchester Boulevard.

Siding with the majority of neighborhood residents at the meeting, the commission decided to wait for the results of an impending traffic study of Winchester Boulevard. Of particular concern to both residents and commissioners was the project's close proximity to Daves Avenue Elementary School.

The proposal by William Errico and C.E. Development calls for the construction of a two-story research and development building and a six-unit apartment complex off Farley Road. The R&D building could house a maximum of 150 employees. Of the six apartment units, one would be below-market-price (BMP), three would be reserved for teachers of Los Gatos Union School District, and the other two would be offered to employees of the R&D building tenant.

The apartment component is near adjoining residential developments, while the commercial component faces school district offices on one side and a storage facility on the other. Since the project first was presented to the planning commission on Aug. 9, the size of the building has been reduced, open space has been increased, and a triplex of one and two-bedroom units has been replaced by a duplex and a fourplex of one-bedroom apartments.

While only one resident spoke against the proposal in August, a sizable group appeared before the planning commission on Oct. 25.

Neighbors complained about the impact on parking and traffic, as well as potential safety and privacy issues.

"Initially I didn't have a concern with three-units, but six is too many," Winchester Boulevard resident Janet Harder said. She expressed parking and environmental concerns with the project.

Most residents who spoke were primarily concerned with traffic safety. Doug and Sheri McNeil, parents of a Daves Avenue student, presented more than 100 petitions asking for a traffic study, with an emphasis around Daves Avenue School. The council was expected to file a joint application with Monte Sereno for a state traffic study grant on Nov. 6.

Marc Jensen, a local resident who is helping to organize a new citizens' traffic safety group called "Los Gatos Peds," spoke against the project, telling a hypothetical story about a man on his way to work at the new development who rolls his Land Rover and takes out a crossing guard and an elementary school student.

Speaking on both sides of the fence was the Los Gatos Union School District. On one hand, the district submitted letters supporting a traffic study on Winchester.

However, school officials at both the August and October meetings spoke enthusiastically in favor of the housing component of the plan that would offer desperately needed affordable housing to teachers.

Project designer Rodger Griffin tried convince the commission that the developer had answered concerns from the previous meeting, that traffic mitigation fees would be paid, and that the impact of the project would be negligible.

Commission Chairman Paul Bruno said he could see the benefit of additional rental housing, particularly for teachers, and he also liked the idea of allowing Los Gatans to work closer to home.

However, Bruno and the rest of the commission agreed the traffic problem on Winchester, was severe enough to warrant further study before a proposal of such magnitude was approved.

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