HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-09-2025 Planning Commission Meeting MinutesAPPROVED MINUTES
WEDNESDAY APRIL 9, 2025
SARATOGA PLANNING COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING
Vice -Chair Kausar called the Meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
ROLL CALL
PRESENT: Chair Anjali Kausar, Vice-Chair Ping Li, Commissioners Clinton
Brownley, Paul Germeraad, Zaheer Hassan, Badri Sridharan, Herman
Zheng
ABSENT: None
ALSO PRESENT: Bryan T. Swanson, Community Development Director
Cindy McCormick, Development Manager
Frances Reed, Administrative Analyst
1. ELECTION OF CHAIR AND VICE-CHAIR
LI/BROWNLEY MOVED TO NOMINATE ANJALI KAUSAR AS PLANNING COMMISSION
CHAIR. MOTION PASSED. AYES: BROWNLEY, GERMERAAD, HASSAN, KAUSAR, LI,
SRIDHARAN, ZHENG. NOES: NONE. ABSENT: NONE. ABSTAIN: NONE.
BROWNLEY/ZHENG MOVED TO NOMINATE PING LI AS PLANNING COMMISSION VICE-
CHAIR. MOTION PASSED. AYES: BROWNLEY, GERMERAAD, HASSAN, KAUSAR, LI,
SRIDHARAN, ZHENG. NOES: NONE. ABSENT: NONE. ABSTAIN: NONE.
2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Action Minutes from the Planning Commission Meeting of March 12, 2025
Recommended Action:
Approve Minutes of March 12, 2025 Planning Commission Meeting.
ZHENG/BROWNLEY MOVED TO APPROVE THE MARCH 12, 2025 MEETING MINUTES.
MOTION PASSED. AYES: BROWNLEY, GERMERAAD, HASSAN, KAUSAR, LI, SRIDHARAN,
ZHENG. NOES: NONE. ABSENT: NONE. ABSTAIN: NONE.
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS ON NON-AGENDIZED ITEMS: NONE
2. PUBLIC HEARINGS
2.1 Application PCUP18-003/ARB19-0019/GEO19-0023/ENV20-001; Old Oak Way (APNs 503-15-
075, 503-15-078, 503-15-080, 503-15-081, 503-15-082, and 503-15-083) House Family Vineyards –
House Family Vineyards (applicant) is requesting a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) from the City to operate
a winery, including public and private tastings and events, at the project site. The applicant is also requesting
Design Review approval for the existing unpermitted 1,307 square foot covered tasting deck, an 1,800
square foot at-grade patio area, a 300 square foot restroom/office building, and a 2,604 square foot
subterranean wine storage cave. The project also proposes changes to site circulation and access that
includes modifying the private portion of Old Oak Way to allow 55 parking spaces to serve the winery,
converting an existing dirt road to provide primary fire access to the project site, and constructing a
secondary access road for emergency access. Additional applications include a request to exchange 6,050
square feet of an existing open space easement on Parcel B for a larger 15,129 square foot open space
easement in a different location on Parcel B and removing a 11,244 square foot vineyard area within the
open space easement and replacing it with native vegetation. Eleven protected trees are proposed for
removal. The project site is zoned Hillside Residential (HR), and the General Plan land use designation is
Residential Hillside Conservation (RHC). The Planning Commission will be making a recommendation to
the City Council on all of the project applications as well as certification of the Final Environmental Impact
Report (FEIR) for the project, which was completed and published on March 20, 2025. The City Council
will consider the Planning Commission’s recommendation and the project at a subsequent public hearing.
Staff Contact: Cindy McCormick (408) 868-1232 or cmccormick@saratoga.ca.us.
Recommended Action:
Adopt Resolution No. 25-003 recommending that the City Council approve the House Family Vineyard
(HFV) project and take the following actions:
1. Make the appropriate CEQA Findings, adopt a Statement of Overriding Considerations, certify the Final
Environmental Impact Report, and adopt a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program for the HFV
project.
2. Approve an Open Space Easement exchange to replace 6,050 square feet of an existing 106,004 square
foot open space easement on Parcel B with a larger 15,129 square foot area in a different location on the
same parcel; and
3. Adopt Resolution 25-003 approving PCUP18-0003 and Design Review approval for the winery operation
and winery facilities including the tasting room, at-grade tasting patio, underground wine storage cave, fire
access road, secondary access road, and winery parking area shown in the Project Plans.
Glen Hendricks spoke
Frank Casanova spoke
Joe Aboud spoke
Robert Araldi spoke
Jacqueline Holmes spoke
David Rossi spoke
Jenny DerTorossian spoke
Michael David Kowitz spoke
Tiger Teerlink spoke
Tom Clerkin spoke
Neal Casteel spoke
Pragti Grover spoke
Glenda Une spoke
Jack Balani spoke
Ken Cloward spoke
Jim Barth spoke
Cheriel Jensen spoke
Billy Caruso spoke
Rosemary Wong spoke
Joe Aboud, Jr.
Janice Zdankus spoke
Karen Parker spoke
Mary Ann Welch spoke
Chair Kausar closed Public Comment at 9:01 PM.
Chair Kausar reopened Public Comment at 9:32 PM
John Schwartz spoke
Jim Cargill spoke
Cheriel Jensen spoke
Glenda Une spoke
Glen Hendricks spoke
Chair Kausar closed Public Comment at 9:39 PM
BROWNLEY/ZHENG MOVED TO ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. 25-003 RECOMMENDING THAT
CITY COUNCIL APPROVE THE PROJECT AND CONSIDER APPLICANT’S REQUEST TO
MODIFY MITIGATION MEASURE MM-TRA-1 TO ALLOW PUBLIC AND PRIVATE
TASTINGS TO OCCURE ON THE SAME DAY AS PRIVATE EVENT (NOT CONCURRENTLY).
ADDITIONALLY, COMMISSION REQUESTED STAFF RESEARCH WHETHER THE
VINEYARD LOCATED WITHIN OPEN PSACE EASEMENT SERVES AS A FIRE BREAK AND
RECOMMENDED CITY COUNCIL CONSIDER ALLOWING THE VINEYARD TO REMAIN IN
THE OPEN SPACE EASEMENT. MOTION PASSED. AYES: BROWNLEY, GERMERAAD,
HASSAN, KAUSAR, LI, SRIDHARAN, ZHENG. NOES: NONE. ABSENT: NONE. ABSTAIN: NONE.
3. DIRECTOR ITEMS
Director Swanson thanked the public for their participation in the process and welcomed the new
Commissioners Zaheer Hassan and Badri Sridharan. He also noted the next Planning Commission meeting
will be held May 14, 2025.
4. COMMISSION ITEMS
Commissioner Germeraad asked if study sessions were planned to-date. Chair Kausar thanked the public
for participating in the meeting and welcomed new Commissioners Zaheer Hassan and Badri Sridharan.
5. ADJOURNMENT
Chair Kausar moved for adjournment at 9:55 P.M.
Minutes respectfully submitted:
Frances Reed, Administrative Analyst
City of Saratoga