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Photograph by Kathy De La Torre
Kumiko Iwasawa Vadas, owner of the Iwasawa Oriental Art Gallery, stands at the site of a planned research center/residence, behind the gallery at 75 University Ave. The house in the background belongs to the neighbors who objected to Vadas' development, which was approved by the town council.
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Japanese cultural center gets town OK
By Gloria I. Wang
Kumiko Iwasawa Vadas will finally get to build the Japanese cultural center that's been in the making for nine years, with Los Gatos Town Council deeming it the perfect fit for the downtown area. But the recent approval didn't come without a fight--or a price.
Vadas tried to appeal the Los Gatos Planning Commission's November 2000 denial of her project, which was originally approved in 1993. The original permit had expired in the intervening seven-year period, and when Vadas resubmitted the same application, next-door neighbors Sherwood and Molly Sullivan objected.
Currently Vadas owns Iwasawa Oriental Art, a gallery and shop of Japanese artifacts, on 75 University Ave. She plans to build a two-story, 2,000-square-foot structure, with the bottom floor used as office and an apartment upstairs in which Vadas will live.
At the May 7 town council meeting, the Sullivans testified that they had not been notified during the original application process in 1993, and, therefore, had not voiced their concerns. "We never received a notice of a public hearing," Sherwood Sullivan said. While they had met with Vadas and her team in 1993, they were not given the opportunity to give positive or negative feedback.
The Sullivans' main objection this time is that Vadas' new building would obstruct their view of the mountains. "Our old Victorian, built in 1884, used to have a panoramic view," Molly Sullivan said. Yet as Los Gatos grew, the Sullivans said that new structures blocked the view, with Vadas' property as the only window of scenery left. "What I see today is the high and wide 'story poles' "--which outline the size of a future development--"a preview of the 'billboard' that is proposed for my future," Sullivan wrote in a letter to the town dated May 16, 2000. "I will ... lose the sunlight that energizes my family and my garden."
Vadas' project designer Skip Spiering, however, admitted that, while the building would impact the view, it would be completely obstructed, anyway, in a short matter of time by the huge heritage oak tree in Vadas' backyard, which the town is anxious to preserve. Spiering also pointed to shadow studies that indicated the building would not cut off much of the sunlight to the Sullivans' garden.
The Sullivans requested that Vadas either change her design to decrease the area of the second story, or move the entire building farther away from the property line. Sherwood Sullivan said that when he brought up the former idea to Vadas, "her reaction, frankly, was my way or the highway."
Spiering told the council that the design of the building could not be changed because it reflected the Japanese tradition. "We are trying to change the design of a building for a view that potentially is not there," Spiering said.
Town code for residences requires Vadas' proposed structure be at least 26 feet away from the side of the nearest residence. The actual distance between Vadas' and the Sullivans' houses is about 23 feet. Melissa Havercroft, a University Avenue resident, said that she believed Vadas should adhere to residential laws on the residential side of her property and the commercial zones on the commercial side of the property. "It's not fair that she should have a variance," Havercroft said.
Spiering also explained that Vadas had limited space in the backyard to work with, because, in 1989, the town had obtained some of Vadas' property to use for a public parking garage. As Councilwoman Sandy Decker pointed out, shifting the proposed building away from the Sullivans' property would move it closer to the commercial building next door and would require some kind of firewall--not a good option.
Councilwoman Decker enthusiastically supported Vadas. "This particular application creates for Los Gatos a cultural opportunity that we'll never see again," Decker said. The new building will be used as a research center for the Japanese art of netsuke--small sculptures originally hung from kimonos. The center will house various types of resources as well as host meetings and conferences.
Decker said that, additionally, the mixed-use aspect was exactly what the town desired for the central business district.
Councilman Steve Glickman spoke on the subject of granting Vadas a variance for the space between buildings. "When special things come along, it's appropriate for town council to take a special look," Glickman said.
Town council voted unanimously to grant the appeal, with Councilman Randy Attaway giving his "reluctant support." Attaway said he would have liked to see some compromise, but it was not possible in this situation.
Vadas and her husband had purchased the property in 1981 and were planning to proceed with construction after the 1993 approval, when he died in 1994.
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Los Gatos, California Since 1881
