In what was the shortest meeting so far this year, the Los Gatos Planning Commission decided to continue the discussion on safety conditions and the country club's conditional-use permit to September.

The club's president had requested that the commission go ahead and approve its permit last week, given documents from the club that efforts to reduce the number of errant golf balls have been successful.

But the commission decided to review the issue again in the fall as a consent item. This way, the town can continue monitoring the effectiveness of the mitigation efforts throughout the summer months—also the height of the golf season, said Chairman Paul Dubois.

The commission, in continuing the item to the Sept. 10 meeting, added the conditions to La Rinconada's use permit that the club must hold an annual meeting with neighbors and that trees planted as extra screening cannot be removed.

During the half-hour discussion on La Rinconada, attended by two club representatives and three members of the public, club President Jim Rubnitz said the club has "clearly changed the behavior of [its] members" and that it has "become better neighbors" through the three meetings held with nearby residents.

Measures to reduce the number of balls flying onto neighboring property include placing signs informing club members of the gravity of the situation, restricting clubs to irons of low numbers in stalls nearest Wedgewood Avenue and planting 14 redwood trees.

The club has been policing the driving range and monitoring Wedgewood Avenue twice a day to see if balls are still flying over from the driving range. About a dozen balls were found on the property of Wedgewood homes since the latest monitoring period began in March, according to club general manager Rick Forney.

But Wedgewood Avenue resident Mark Medalie said that he found 17 balls outside his home alone during this period.

The club implemented mitigation efforts and neighborhood meetings after town officials voiced concern that the number of errant golf balls could pose as a safety hazard. The issue first came to light when Medalie sought permission from the town to keep his illegal carports up on his driveway in order to keep golf balls from hitting his cars.

"I'm glad that our need for a variance has brought this to light," Medalie said.

According to the minutes of the neighborhood meetings as prepared by the country club, a Wedgewood Avenue homeowner said at the end of April that "there is a 3,000 percent improvement and the problem has been solved."

Medalie told planning commissioners that some of the statements in the minutes regarding improved conditions were made by people who don't live immediately next to the golf course.

In his own email to the club's general manager at the end of May, Medalie wrote that though he and his neighbors are still finding golf balls in their yards, the situation has improved. He later elaborated that the number of balls has been cut in half.

If these numbers continue, they are "certainly low enough that they probably don't justify a range net, but there's still enough balls that we need our additional protection," Medalie said in reference to his carports. Residents of the Wedgewood neighborhood agree that erecting a netting to screen the balls would be an eyesore.

Clearview Drive resident Jack Estill confirmed the club's claims that the situation has improved. Though golf balls are still coming over, he said, things are much better than before, including the attitude of the club's members.

"If they continue to do what they're doing right now, I'm very satisfied with the results," Estill said.

Concerns about the club's drainage system, truck drivers using Wedgewood Avenue to make deliveries to the club and noise associated with lawn mowers have also been raised by residents in previous meetings, but these issues—which aren't considered safety issues—were barely touched upon last week.

Documents submitted by club officials suggest that the water district and town of Los Gatos are also responsible for the drainage system and that "the entire problem does not rest with La Rinconada." Officials also said the club has delayed using its noisy equipment from 8 to 8:30 a.m. and has requested companies to use the smallest truck possible when making deliveries.