Los Gatos Weekly-Times

Letters

Leave high density to industrial cities

This town is not about to swallow high-density housing. Los Gatos is not an industrial town. It is a bedroom community, and has always been one. The property prices are high, but they are high all over the state of California, as compared to other states. It would be wise for council members to ask themselves one question: Does the state of California own Los Gatos, or do the property owners and residents own the town?

Without an industrial labor force, why should we be forced to build high-density housing to satisfy a state housing authority? The only low-cost housing we need is to take care of our seniors, who have lived here for a number of years.

Our town manager and chief of police could not afford the homes that they live in, and the town had to supply them with [a] $550,000 [loan] to purchase their homes. This doesn't mean the town should subsidize every Tom, Dick and Harry who wants to live in Los Gatos and rezone beautiful property in order to create potential slum properties.

Even though the economy is improving, we have another service in the town that is becoming more and more unaffordable. The police department takes 40 percent of our budget; that could be replaced with upgraded services in every department by the Sheriff's Department, at a reduced cost to our $14,000,000 budget of about 29 percent, a net savings of approximately $1,700,000.

With savings like this each year, would it not be practical for the council to create a committee and investigate the potential savings? With savings like this, worn-out drain and sewer lines could be repaired, our streets and sidewalks paved, our utility lines put underground, our town buildings repaired, our library facilities expanded, and a worthwhile disaster fund could be created.

San Jose, Campbell, Santa Clara and Cupertino are all vying for an increased industrial base and labor force; let them provide the necessary affordable housing for those people. We should preserve what we have here in Los Gatos, with more practical and common sense thinking on the part of our elected officials. Let's keep Los Gatos like it is.

Bill Quigley
Los Gatos

Bruni has been a cultural asset

I am writing to express a deep concern that the Los Gatos community is losing a cultural asset and institution if the only working artists and exhibitors in Los Gatos are forced to move. Bruni and Mark Gray have been excellent teachers and supporters of artists for years and their studio a tourist-visitor destination.

The civic and commercial interests of Los Gatos should not lose this talent and art center.

Allen K. McGrath Jr., M.D.
Los Gatos

Common sense was at play, and so was prudence

While reading your editorial in the April 16 issue of the Weekly-Times, I couldn't help but chuckle a little at your apparent misunderstanding of how "Common Sense" works in Monte Sereno, or anywhere else, for that matter. Since I ran for office on a platform of "Common Sense" and the sanctity of one's property rights, I feel moved to respond to your implications.

First of all, I do not feel property rights are absolute and without limits of any kind. Any of us could cite examples of homeowner uses of his or her property that would defy "Common Sense" if permitted. I believe, however, that council members are elected to think and to be discerning.

My thesaurus contains the following synonyms for common sense: intuition, understanding, wisdom, perceptiveness, acumen, intelligence, insight and, finally, prudence. This is what common sense is all about.

In the case of the Ridgecrest proposal [to build a 6,000-square-foot home], it did not take a great deal of understanding, intuition, perceptiveness, wisdom, acumen, intelligence or insight to cast a "no" vote. As for prudence, with 41 neighbors sitting in the Council Chambers, all staunchly opposed to the project, even this council member understands the political process.

With "tyranny of the majority" clearly in mind, it was my honest opinion that the proposed home would have brought about a dramatic change in the character of the neighborhood, something common sense, as well as our general plan, prohibits us from doing.

Finally, this brings me to the distinction between this council's 5-0 action to deny approval of this particular project and negative actions taken by our previous council.

This vote was in direct response to an outcry from more than 40 concerned neighbors. In the past, many of the negative council votes were prompted not by concerned neighbors, but rather by an arrogant, intrusive council with an agenda I think most Monte Sereno citizens are happy to see gone and finished with.

Joel Gambord
Monte Sereno council member

Bruni says she plans to stay at Old Town

Regarding the article in the April 16 issue of the Los Gatos Weekly-Times which said Bruni is leaving her studio in Old Town:

This is to inform you and the whole town of Los Gatos that I was completely and totally misquoted in that article.

What I said to reporter Clarence Cromwell was "I have been forced, unfairly forced to vacate my studio. Hunter and Storm, Old Town's owners, have given me contradictory reasons to leave, none of which make any sense."

I do not, will not and have not planned to leave Old Town or Los Gatos. What I said was that the city of Campbell has made me a nice offer to relocate my studio and gallery there and have offered red-carpet treatment if I do.

How can a reporter twist things around so completely?

Bruni Sablan
Los Gatos

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