HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-11-2022 Planning Commission Study Session packetSaratoga Planning Commission Agenda – Page 1 of 2
SARATOGA PLANNING COMMISSION
SPECIAL MEETING
OCTOBER 11, 2022
6:00 P.M. - STUDY SESSION
This meeting will be entirely by teleconference and will be conducted in compliance with
Government Code section 54953(e) of the Ralph M. Brown Act allowing teleconferencing during
a proclaimed state of emergency when state or local officials have imposed or recommended
measures to promote social distancing.
The public will not be able to participate in the meeting in person. During the meeting the Chair
will explain the process for members of the public to be recognized to offer public comment.
Members of the public view and participate in the meeting by:
1. Using the Zoom website https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83993694861 App (Webinar ID 839
9369 4861) and using the tool to raise their hand in the Zoom platform when directed by the
Chair to speak on an agenda item; OR
2. Calling 1.669.900.6833 or 1.408.638.0968 and pressing *9 to raise their hand to speak on an
agenda item when directed by the Chair; OR
3. Viewing the meeting on Saratoga Community Access Television Channel 15 (Comcast
Channel 15, AT&T UVerse Channel 99) and calling 1.669.900.6833 or 1.408.638.0968 and
pressing *9 to raise their hand to speak on an agenda item when directed by the Chair; OR
4. Viewing online at http://saratoga.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?publish_id=2 and calling
1.669.900.6833 or 1.408.638.0968 and pressing *9 to raise their hand to speak on an agenda
item when directed by the Chair.
Members of the public can send written comments to the Commission prior to the meeting by
commenting online at www.saratoga.ca.us/pc prior to the start of the meeting. These emails will
be provided to the members of the Commission and will become part of the official record of the
meeting.
ROLL CALL
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS ON NON-AGENDIZED ITEMS
Any member of the public will be allowed to address the Planning Commission for up to three (3)
minutes on matters not on this agenda. This law generally prohibits the Planning Commission
from discussing or taking action on such items. However, the Planning Commission may instruct
staff accordingly regarding Oral Communications.
AGENDA ITEMS
1. Application SUB20-0003/ENV20-0003/ARB20-0053; 14521 Quito Road; (397-05-028);
Pinn Brothers Development (Applicant) – The applicant is proposing to subdivide an
Saratoga Planning Commission Agenda – Page 2 of 2
existing 11.43-acre parcel located at 14521 Quito Road into ten-lots ranging in size from .92
acres to 1.2 acres. The Project would create a new private cul-de-sac with a connection to
Quito Road. The private street would provide access to seven parcels and the remaining three
parcels would take access from Vessing Road. A .34-acre portion of the site is located on the
opposite side of Quito Road and would be dedicated to the City of Saratoga for open space
use. Fifty-six protected trees are proposed for removal. The site is zoned R-1-40,000 with a
General Plan Designation of Residential Very Low Density (RVLD). Staff Contact:
Christopher Riordan (408) 868-1235 or criordan@saratoga.ca.us.
ADJOURNMENT
CERTIFICATE OF POSTING OF THE AGENDA, DISTRIBUTION OF THE AGENDA
PACKET, COMPLIANCE WITH AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT
I, Frances Reed, Administrative Analyst for the City of Saratoga, declare that the foregoing agenda
for the meeting of the Planning Commission was posted and available for review on October 7,
2022 at the City of Saratoga, 13777 Fruitvale Avenue, Saratoga, California and on the City's
website at www.saratoga.ca.us.
Signed this 7th day of October 2022 at Saratoga, California.
Frances Reed, Administrative Analyst.
In accordance with the Ralph M. Brown Act, copies of the staff reports and other materials
provided to the Planning Commission by City staff in connection with this agenda, copies of
materials distributed to the Planning Commission concurrently with the posting of the agenda,
and materials distributed to the Planning Commission by staff after the posting of the agenda are
available on the City Website at www.saratoga.ca.us or available at 13777 Fruitvale Avenue,
Saratoga, CA 95070.
In Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need assistance to participate in
this meeting, please contact the City Clerk at bavrit@saratoga.ca.us or calling 408.868.1216 as
soon as possible before the meeting. The City will use its best efforts to provide reasonable
accommodations to provide as much accessibility as possible while also maintaining public safety.
[28 CFR 35.102-35.104 ADA title II]
Meeting Date: October 11, 2022
Application: SUB20-0003/ENV20-0003/ARB20-0053
Address/APN: 14521 Quito Road (397-05-028)
Owner/Applicant: Pinn Brothers Development
From: Debbie Pedro, Community Development Director
Report Prepared by: Christopher Riordan, Senior Planner
14521 Quito Road
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Planning Commission Study Session
October 11, 2022
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STUDY SESSION
The Planning Commission may discuss the item and hear statements from members of
the public. Study Sessions do not allow formal votes or motions on a proposed project or
other matters. No comments made by the Planning Commission during a Study Session
are binding or required to be carried through to the formal public hearing where actions
will be taken on a proposed project. It is recommended that the Commission review the
applicant’s proposal, accept public comments, and provide feedback to staff and the
applicant.
PROJECT DATA
14521 Quito Road
General Plan Designation: RVLD (Residential Very Low Density)
Zoning: R-1-40,000
Lot Size: 11.43 acres gross / 9.44 acres net
Average Slope: 7.43%
SITE DESCRIPTION
The Project site is located at 14521 Quito Road. The site is bounded to the north by single
family homes, to the east by Quito Road, to the south by Vessing Road, and to the west by
single family homes. To the east across Quito Road is San Tomas Aquino Creek, which is
the City boundary line with the Town of Los Gatos. San Tomas Aquino Creek crosses
under Quito Road onto the project site and runs north through the north-eastern corner of the
site along Quito Road.
There are three existing structures on site which are accessible from an unpaved driveway
off Quito Road. The three structures include a single-family home, an accessory
structure, and an in-ground swimming pool. All existing structures would be demolished.
The property is covered by native trees with many Coast Live Oaks. The Arborist Report
inventoried a total of 683 trees. Over five hundred of the trees are classified as protected
trees under the City of Saratoga Tree Regulations. Tree species include, but are not
limited to Coast Live Oak, Black Walnut and Black Acacia. The Project subdivision
improvements include a new street, utility and storm drain improvements.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The Applicant is proposing to subdivide the site into ten-lots ranging in size from .92
acres to 1.2 acres. The Project would create a new private cul-de-sac with a connection to
Quito Road. The private street would provide access to seven parcels and the remaining
three parcels would take access from Vessing Road. A .34-acre portion of the site is
located on the opposite side of Quito Road and would be dedicated to the City of
Saratoga for open space use. If the subdivision is approved, it will allow for the
construction of ten new single-family homes each with an accessory dwelling unit.
An existing bridge over San Thomas Aquino Creek which spans Quito Road adjacent to
the project site is located to the north of the proposed new private street. The location of
the bridge is most clearly shown on Sheet TM-6 of the Tentative Map (Attachment 2).
As one of the City’s major infrastructure improvement projects, this bridge is scheduled
to be replaced with a new bridge with a wider span to improve the flow of the creek. At
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Planning Commission Study Session
October 11, 2022
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this time the City has not yet completed the regulatory review process with local and state
agencies. Construction of the bridge is currently estimated to begin in late Spring or early
Summer of 2023.
The Project subdivision improvements would require the removal of 56 protected trees.
These trees meet the City’s criteria allowing them to be removed and replaced as part of
the project.
Grading proposed for the subdivision improvements would be limited to the private
roadway and improvements including storm drainage and utility construction. The
preliminary earthwork estimate for the subdivision improvements would include 3,500
cubic yards of grading.
As part of this subdivision the developer is required to install several public
improvements.
• Expanding the width of the public right-of-way dedication along the full Quito
Road frontage to a 30-foot half width where it is currently a 20-foot half width.
• The installation of a 5’wide asphalt walkway along the entire length of the Quito
Road frontage. The location and extent of the walkway is illustrated on Sheet
TM-2 of the Development Plans. The City is not requiring the installation of a
walkway along the Vessing Road street frontage.
Community Meeting
On March 23, 2022, the City hosted a community meeting for the applicant to review the
project with neighboring property owners and to receive public comments on the
application. The applicant presented the design of the subdivision and the layout of the
proposed lots, reviewed conceptual renderings of both one- and two-story residences that
could be constructed on the site, and discussed the project proposed landscaping. Some of
the issues that were raised were the number of trees to be preserved, the need for a
sidewalk from Vessing Road to Old Adobe, traffic control and noise impacts during
construction, and the estimated date of project completion.
NEIGHBOR NOTICING AND PUBLIC COMMENT
The Community Development Department mailed public notices for the Study Session to
property owners within 500 feet of the site. Public Comments received are included as
Attachment #1.
CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT (CEQA)
The City of Saratoga, as the Lead Agency, has prepared an Initial Study/Mitigated
Negative Declaration (IS/MND) for the proposed subdivision and no significant
environmental impacts were found.
A Notice of Intent to Adopt the Mitigated Negative Declaration was sent to those within
500’ of the project site as well as interested parties for a 30-day public comment period
which ended on September 30, 2022.
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Planning Commission Study Session
October 11, 2022
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The IS/MND analyzes potentially significant environmental impacts of the Project in the
following areas: Aesthetics; Air Quality; Biological Resources; Cultural Resources;
Energy; Geology & Soils; Greenhouse Gas Emissions; Hazards & Hazardous Materials;
Hydrology & Water Quality; Land Use & Planning; Noise; Public Services & Safety;
Recreation; Transportation; Tribal Cultural Resources; Utilities & Service Systems; and
Wildfire.
ATTACHMENTS
1) Public Comments
2) Tentative Map
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From:Barry Fernald
To:Christopher Riordan
Subject:14521 Quito Road Subdivision
Date:Wednesday, September 14, 2022 12:03:01 PM
CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when opening attachments or
clicking links, especially from unknown senders.
Dear Mr. Riordan,
Regarding the public review period for the above referenced project, I have two concerns that I would like to share
with you and the Planning Commission. I live at , and have been a very close neighbor to this
property for almost 44 years. The first and most important issue is that during winter rains (hopefully we have them
again) a river flows from the subject property through the back (and some front) yards of Evans Lane homes,
creating flood conditions. What I ask, is that the drainage on this property be directed into Quito Creek before it
leaves the subject property. Quito Creek is very close to the property and can easily receive the runoff from the rain.
Secondly, the designs sketches of the homes show some very similar and dated architecture. Hopefully, the Pinn
Brothers will do a better job in making the homes have a diversity of different designs, so they fit into the existing
neighborhood. Along with design, they call for wooden fences separating the lots, I would suggest black chainlink
fences similar to the Evans Lane homes, as this provides a more open feel to the area.
Thank you for hearing my comments.
Barry Fernald
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From:Debbie Pedro
To:Christopher Riordan
Cc:Frances Reed
Subject:FW: Online Form Submittal: Planning Commission Comments Form
Date:Monday, October 3, 2022 9:17:36 AM
From: noreply@civicplus.com <noreply@civicplus.com>
Sent: Monday, October 3, 2022 9:16 AM
To: Sunil Ahuja <ahujasu@yahoo.com>; Clinton Brownley <cbrownley@gmail.com>; Anjali Kausar
<aakausar@outlook.com>; Razi Mohiuddin <razi@mohiuddin.com>; Herman Zheng
<zheng.herman@gmail.com>; Jonathan Choi <jojo.choi@gmail.com>; Ping Li
<ping.li2@comcast.net>; Debbie Pedro <dpedro@saratoga.ca.us>; Britt Avrit
<bavrit@saratoga.ca.us>; Frances Reed <freed@saratoga.ca.us>
Subject: Online Form Submittal: Planning Commission Comments Form
CAUTION: This email originated from outside your organization. Exercise caution when
opening attachments or clicking links, especially from unknown senders.
Planning Commission Comments Form
Your Name Bonnie Mueller
Phone Number
Email Address
Comments My question is - why is it possible that 3 of the homes will have
ingress and egress on Vessing Road when the family that owned
the property for many years had a Quito Road address only and
never entered their property from Vessing Road? This will add at
least 6-9 vehicles entering and exiting at the bottom of Vessing
Road and Quito on a daily basis. I feel that is dangerous.
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