The planning commission voted unanimously to allow Pet Food Express to operate out of the old Wherehouse music store location at 15466 Los Gatos Blvd.

Minutes later, the commission approved Petco's application to move from its current location at 540 N. Santa Cruz Ave. to the former Walgreen's spot at 444. N. Santa Cruz Ave.

Since both businesses would be moving into existing retail buildings and would not be modifying the exteriors very much, they were met with little opposition. Pet Food Express' application did raise a concern about the proposed addition of a delivery door.

Store representative Jim Moore said the new "roll-up" door would be on the storefront facing into the parking lot and would allow for deliveries of supply pallets to be made three times a week. Commissioners, though, were concerned that the 40-foot tractor-trailer trucks making those deliveries would tie up parking-lot traffic at the Los Gatos Village Square shopping center.

Investment adviser Michael Kane, whose office is in the same shopping center, said he was also concerned about possible traffic and parking problems as a result of the truck deliveries.

He said the lane exiting traffic near the proposed pet supply store often backs up while waiting for the traffic signal on Los Gatos Boulevard to turn green. If a large delivery truck were allowed to block the other lane when double-parked in front of the store, traffic flow would come to a stop.

"Don't let them park here," Kane said, pointing to the spot on a projected image of the site plan. "That's just not a good idea."

Commissioners batted around the idea of allowing the truck to park in several different locations, while Kane and Moore privately discussed other options.

Town traffic engineer Fletcher Parsons said a 10- or 15-minute delivery by a tractor-trailer was not unusual and should not be as alarming as it seemed to the commissioners.

"It sounds bad when we sit here and talk about it, but it's happening everywhere," Parsons said.

The applicant and commissioners finally settled on the truck pulling into a row of parking. Though it would block several parking spots, it would allow for easy access to the new service door and would not impede traffic flow in and out of the main driveway.

The use permit was also approved with the added conditions that the roll-up door must match the building's siding, that display items may not be stacked up outside and that deliveries are only allowed from 7 to 11 a.m.

Petco's permit was approved with the stipulation that dogs and cats may not be sold on the site, which was not something they had requested. An exception would be made for occasional adoption events at the store.

When making the findings for the Pet Food Express permit, Commissioner Michael Burke joked that the proposed use was "essential or desirable to the public convenience or welfare" because he needed to have a place to buy cat food.

Commissioner Philip Micciche played on Burke's words when finding that Petco, too, was desirable to the public.

"It gives Mike two places to buy cat food now," Micciche said.