Commission wants revisions on assisted living proposal
By Nathan R. Huff
Los Gatos seniors shopping for assisted care locally might want to broaden their search.
The planning commission, saying it still isn't satisfied with Aegis' Assisted Living Properties proposal for a new facility on Winchester Boulevard, sent the applicant back to revise the plan once more. While commissioners and neighbors said the developer was heading in the right direction by reducing the size of the project, they also added a number of requests for the applicant, which may lead Aegis to abandon the proposal for financial reasons.
At its Nov. 8 meeting, the commission asked Aegis to, among other things, move the building closer to Winchester, increase parking, increase the number of below-market-price-units, further reduce the height, replace story poles on the site, and consider reducing more of the building to a one-story elevation. Project Manager Steve McCullagh, clearly disappointed with the decision, said Aegis would "probably not" attempt to redesign the project.
Aegis is seeking approval of a General Plan amendment to rezone the property from low-density to high-density residential and a corresponding zone change and planned development application. While the building originally came in with 89 studio, one and two-bedroom units, the revised proposal has 79 units.
The project, located in a strangely shaped parcel wedged between Courtside Club, the Courtstyle neighborhood and the Union Pacific railroad tracks, would be an assisted living facility. With the exception of a special Alzheimer's wing, the facility would offer a middle-ground between independent senior housing and nursing homes.
Aegis claimed to have addressed all the commission's concerns, having already returned to the Development Review Committee (DRC) twice since the Aug. 23 commission hearing.
The building has been reduced from 64,977 square feet to 56,383 square feet. It has been rotated away from the adjoining Courtstyle residential development and the roof has been lowered 2 1/2 feet. Chimneys and other architectural details have been incorporated to add "human scale" and reduce "corporate architecture."
Aegis also provided a letter detailing the community benefit of the project. Aside from providing what it says is needed senior housing in Los Gatos, Aegis pledged to restore the historic farm house and water tower, and preserve other historic farming equipment as part of the project's landscaping. Educational signage identifying the site as the historic Vasona Ranch would be installed, and schools would be invited to visit the site.
But neighbors in the Courtstyle development continued to argue that the building was too close, too high, too large and lacked adequate parking. In a letter signed by six residents, neighbors also protested against what they described as a "caged, outdoor 'playpen' for dementia patients" directly behind their backyards. "Imagine how frightening it would be for children to hear senile people in a pen, right on the other side of the fence," states the letter.
"The solution would seem to be below-grade parking," commission Chairman Paul Bruno said. "The response to that was it will cost to much and make the project unfeasible. If that is the case, this may not be the right project for this spot."
Commissioner Lee Quintana was the only one who expressed hesitation on placing so many requirements on the applicant. "I'm concerned with all the stipulations we've put on this project, we're going to throw out the baby with the bath water," Quintana said.
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Los Gatos, California Since 1881
