Los Gatos Weekly-Times

Council finally gives blessing to CDC planned development

By Jeff Kearns

After 2 1/2 years, several plan changes and numerous appearances before a Town Council and Planning Commission that couldn't agree on a vision for the site, Larry Guy of Cupertino Development Corp. and architect Rodger Griffin have won approval for their plans to build 19 homes.

Councilmembers voted Feb. 17 to allow the zone change necessary for CDC's development, The Village at Lark. Griffin walked out of the Council Chambers beaming.

Guy later said he was getting concerned as plan after plan was rejected, but now he's "happy it's finally over."

Because the project is a planned development, with a special zoning for the site, all that's left is mostly working out the details on remaining applications and permits.

The council's vote split 3-2. Councilmembers Randy Attaway and Joanne Benjamin voted against the project, still unsatisfied with the bulk, height and mass of the houses.

The site, at 16673 Lark Ave., is a 2.1-acre parcel that formerly belonged to Yuki Farms. An orchard of fruit trees still sits on the site, along with an old house that will be demolished.

Griffin revised the plans he last submitted to the council on Jan. 20, based on the council's input. Some councilmembers had expressed concerns that drivers on Lark Avenue would be looking at a wall of two-story houses.

Griffin took the comments and redesigned the project, which is arranged in a U-shape with the open end facing Los Gatos Creek. Open space between the houses, for use by all residents, is still incorporated in Griffin's design.

In the latest iteration of plans, homes along Lark Avenue were moved back from the street, a pool in the center common area was eliminated, some houses were cut down to one story and two units were eliminated entirely. Almost all of the houses adjoin another house to form duets, rather than duplexes.

Griffin also designed a mounded landscaping area along the street, which is to be planted with 10 field-grown oak trees, each 24 feet tall. Some of the trees will be planted before construction begins, to create a buffer between the site and the street and neighborhood. A four-foot wall will run along the street.

Councilmember Jan Hutchins, who during the previous vote swung the council to deny the project, said his concerns about the appearance of the project from Lark had been alleviated.

"I'm relieved at the difference in the plan now from then, at only the cost of a swimming pool," he said.

But the latest plans didn't convince Councilmember Randy Attaway to change his vote.

"It's not the density that's my issue; it's the aesthetics of the project. From my view it comes very close to something I can accept, but for me, I wish we'd gone one step further because it stays in our community for a long time."

For Councilmember Joanne Benjamin--who shared Attaway's reservations about the project's physical size and was also unswayed since the last month's vote--"almost" wasn't good enough.

"The applicant has really done a very good job from what I last saw. Unfortunately, I think it's still very massive," she said. "I want the view as people go down Lark to not feel hemmed in, and have a more open feeling. I would have preferred a staggered two-story and one-story, to open it up."

Councilmember Steve Blanton said his support of the project was unshaken.

"I'll agree that the project keeps getting better every time we send it back, but that's no reason to keep sending it back."

CDC originally approached the planning commissioners asking for approval for 18 homes on the site. The commissioners, in turn, requested that the density of the site be almost doubled to 40 units. CDC went along with the request, but found little support for the higher-density plan from the Town Council and cut the density to 24, which eventually became 19.

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