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August 21, 2002
Los Gatos, California Since 1881 |
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Editorial
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Sobrato gets approval, and it's about time
Sobrato gets approval, and it's about time
It's been a long time coming, but the
Sobrato development to be constructed on a
12.3-acre parcel on Winchester Boulevard is
about to get underway.
The Los Gatos Planning Commission last week
gave a green light to the project that still
has some residents seeing red and others
approaching with caution. Still others,
though, are happy to see the project get the
go-ahead and look forward to its completion.
Parking, landscaping and security were the
most recent hurdles that the Sobrato team
faced, and increased traffic in the area has
been a concern of residents since the
proposal was first introduced in 1999.
Sobrato purchased the site on Winchester
between Highway 85 and Knowles Drive two
years ago and has since been adjusting plans
to gain the town's approval of its project.
That approval finally came last week when the
planning commission gave the OK to final
revisions of the original proposal.
Sobrato has plans to construct two
research-and-development buildings, totaling
288,000 square feet, and a 135-unit apartment
complex that will include 34 units at
below-rate rental prices. The numbers reflect
quite an adjustment from the original
proposal, which called for 105 apartments, 21
at below-market rate rentals, and a
328,000-square-foot office building.
Such concessions to the initial plan have
indicated a willingness on Sobrato's part to
work with the town to develop a plan that
will best serve the community, and the
company should be commended for that effort.
The completed development will indeed provide
the town with an impressive complex located
at one of the gateways to Los Gatos—a
location that through the years has remained
unremarkable, to say the least.
Sobrato, through its efforts to adjust its
original plans, has gained the support of
many residents. Most spoke out in support of
the project at the recent planning commission
meeting.
Some, however, were still concerned about
landscaping issues and hoped that the
commission would put off the decision for a
while longer. The planning commission voted
5-2 to approve the plan.
The commission, like Sobrato, should be
commended for moving ahead with this project,
which will, in the long run, prove to be a
grand addition to the town.
How the development will impact traffic,
however, is still a question that won't be
answered until it is up and running.
Residents of the apartment complex and
employees in the research-and-development
buildings will have quick access to Highway
85, and there is a light rail station
proposed for the area.
The question remains, will vehicles back up
on Winchester Boulevard to the point of
impacting traffic heading in and out of Los
Gatos? Only time will tell.
But the potential benefits of the Sobrato
development—a mixed-use project, affordable
housing and beautification of a Los Gatos
gateway—far outweigh any potential problems.
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