Los Gatos Weekly-Times

Chart House plans appeal of outdoor dining permit

By Clarence Cromwell

The Chart House restaurant will appeal a Planning Commission decision that said no to outdoor seating on the upscale restaurant's front lawn, said Sandra Paim, the Chart House's architect.

Owners of the Chart House, quartered in a stately Victorian house at 115 N. Santa Cruz Ave., wanted to construct a 30-seat dining area between the house and the street, as well as fix up the building's exterior.

Commissioners rejected the plan for the second time May 14 by a unanimous vote.

Planning Commission Chairwoman Sandy Decker said members need much more information about the materials that would be used on the Chart House. Because the building is a historic landmark, they want to make sure all the details will be compatible with the house.

"What does the facade really look like?" Decker asked of the new plan.

Decker said the patio might be a good idea, if owners can work out the neighbors' concerns about noise and clutter.

"I'm not against doing this," she explained. "If this is something that's going to enhance downtown, I'd like to see it, but it won't unless it's done correctly. We're still looking for the Chart House to be a good neighbor."

Paim said May 19 that the restaurant plans to appeal the decision.

The commission first turned down the outdoor seating proposal at a meeting three months ago. Commissioners echoed the neighbors' concerns about noise and also said that the property would appear too cluttered with outdoor dining in front of the house. Then the commission returned the application to the Development Review Committee for redesign.

When the Chart House came back, the proposal still contained an outdoor dining patio, but it had been lowered from three feet above the sidewalk to ground level. Paim also added trees and trellises to shade the patio and reduce noise.

On March 26, after viewing the revised plans, commissioners delayed the decision on outdoor dining, saying they need more information. The architect promised to help the restaurant refine its plans and present them at the May 14 meeting.

The commission also issued the Chart House a conditional-use permit March 26. The permit allows the owners to operate a restaurant on the premises and is unrelated to the improvements.

Under a 1977 law, all restaurants in town must obtain a permit by August 1997.

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