Public hearing will be held prior to Old Town's return

Council worries about making same mistakes again

By Jeff Kearns

Councilmembers scheduled a study session for design changes at Old Town and sent Steamer's request for outdoor seating back to the Planning Commission last week, after a neighbor filed an appeal against the project.

The council let Steamer's conditional-use permit stand, denying the appeal of an earlier Planning Commission decision, but sent the restaurant's request for outdoor seating back to the commission for a redesign. The council asked for unobtrusive seating, removable barriers to surround the tables, and a design that fits with the rest of the development.

Steamer's owner Paul Matulich, who said his restaurant has lost $300,000 over the last two years because of the remodeling project, pushed for the tables in the breezeway between the two buildings. "We're trying to create some ambiance in an otherwise desolate walkway," he said.

Edelen neighborhood resident Stacy Stewart filed both appeals. "It's not the outdoor seating I have a problem with, it's the location and the execution," she said. "There could be a better solution than the one proposed."

Randy Reedy, an attorney for Steamer's, blamed developers Deke Hunter, Ed Storm and Federal Realty Investment Trust for dropping the ball on getting approval for the outdoor seats. "Our deal with them was that it was a turnkey operation," he said. "We were constantly assured that outdoor seating wasn't a problem."

Planning Director Lee Bowman said that when the plans were originally presented to the town, several planning commissioners questioned where the seats would be, but were told that the outdoor seating would be inside the building.

For the rear elevation, which doesn't match the plans approved by the town in 1997, Randy Attaway and Linda Lubeck were appointed as a subcommittee to lead a public study session on the changes on Monday, March 29, at 6 p.m. in the Council Chambers. The application comes back to the council April 5.

Stewart said she filed the appeal on the design changes because she "found changes befitting a strip mall, like fake windows and metal doors."

Architect Louis Alvarez said the design was "evolving because of the changing players," referring to the tenants which have signed leases on the new building, including The Gap, Baby Gap and Banana Republic.

"Basically they're bringing in huge retail chains that have no interest in Los Gatos," said downtown resident Tim Fondiller. "We should reject the changes and move on."

Addressing the changes, Storm said his company brought the issues forward as they arose. "What we've heard tonight is minuscule," he said. "We didn't seek approval for some things because we didn't know who the tenants were going to be."

Councilmembers said they wouldn't let the changes slide because they were concerned about a repeat of the Super Crown Books space facing Blossom Hill Road, where doors facing the street are kept closed and windows are filled with pictures of books on shelves--a far cry from the original intent of the design.

"We have an opportunity not to make that mistake again," Joe Pirzynski said.

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