Editorials

Many need affordable housing in Los Gatos

Planning Commissioner Phil Micciche says Cupertino Development Corp. could become a local hero by dedicating all its proposed apartments at Los Gatos Boulevard and Terreno de Flores to below-market-rate housing. That's certainly true.

He even suggested that the developer might want to consider dedicating some of those below-market-units for teachers or police officers.

That would be nice. On the other hand, how about dedicating them to newspaper reporters or grocery clerks or assistant planners?

No one questions the need for affordable housing for teachers and police officers, but teachers and cops aren't the only valuable members of the community who can no longer afford to live in Los Gatos. And for that, the whole community is the worse.

It is entirely appropriate for the planning commission to push developers for more below-market-rate housing. It is not appropriate, however, for planning commissioners to single out who should be eligible for that housing.

School districts have taken it on themselves to seek out housing for their teachers. In some situations, lining up affordable housing through a generous member of the community has meant the difference between a qualified teacher being able to accept a job offer in Los Gatos and not being able to accept the offer.

These days, recruitment and retention of employees requires creative approaches. School administrators are to be congratulated for finding ways to get the community to support their efforts to attract quality teachers to the community.

But it's not the proper role for planning commissioners to deem that some people, by virtue of their chosen profession, are more deserving of living in the community than others.

Moving to Next Stage

Janice Balfour, the new executive director of the Town of Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce, describes herself as "pretty adventurous." That sense of adventure should serve her well in her new job.

Previous director, Sheri Lewis, guided the Chamber from its position as an affiliate of the San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce to its current status as an independent Chamber. Just before Lewis retired, the organization moved into an office downtown.

Now it's time to move to the next stage of development. Certainly under Lewis, the Chamber gained much needed visibility and stature as the voice of the business community.

With its reputation established and a physical presence downtown, it should be a natural now to focus on expanding the leadership base, as Balfour says she'd like to do.

The Chamber now enjoys strong support from the business community. New blood can only make the organization stronger.

Chamber of Commerce director Janice Balfour hopes to increase member involvement

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