Los Gatos Weekly-TimesLettersTown cares more about burritos than new auto dealership I read with interest the article concerning the approval of the burrito shop at the Cornerstone Shopping Center on Los Gatos Boulevard, having followed the progress of the application. I am surprised that so much attention and controversy has been attached to the application. Certainly, it involves a change of use from retail to restaurant, but it is not as if Los Gatos is awash in Mexican food, fast or otherwise. On the other hand, the approval of Carl's Jr. passed almost without comment in comparison, despite the fact that there are four other burger restaurants on Los Gatos Boulevard alone. If you wanted to prevent a proliferation of fast food, then a good way to start is not to have five restaurants selling variations of the same thing. The greater surprise to me, though, was the total lack of comment on yet another auto dealership being allowed on Los Gatos Boulevard, which it needs like a hole in the head. It is especially curious to me that it was allowed toward the more residential end of the street. Of course, perhaps I should not be so surprised, as the auto dealerships are significant revenue generators for Los Gatos and have already demonstrated their power over the town by effectively killing proposals to make Los Gatos Boulevard more friendly to pedestrians. They suggest a pedestrian-friendly boulevard might be bad for their businesses, despite how much local residents might approve such changes. It would be nice to see town planning take as much care with East Los Gatos as it does with the downtown area, to help foster the same sense of community there that sets Los Gatos apart from other towns and is the reason why many of us live here.
Simon Patience Train derailment was long overdue Regarding the article in the May 21 issue of the Los Gatos Weekly-times about the train derailment, I am very surprised this did not happen sooner. Last year, I happened to be walking on that stretch of track, and the rails were just sitting on top of smashed and rotten ties for very long stretches, ergo [the speed limit of] 8 mph. A majority of the whole line from San Jose should be condemned as a public hazard. SP, now Union Pacific, performs no rail maintenance. The up-and-down play during a passing train could be 6-8 inches. No wonder SP did not return your reporter's calls.
Gary Ashford Town Chamber supports Chart House proposal Recently, the Los Gatos Planning Commission turned down a request from the Chart House restaurant to relocate some of its seating during the pleasant weather months to an outdoor area. The Town of Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce was disappointed with the commission's action because the Chart House proposal is exactly the type of responsible business operation we like to encourage in our local businesses. If the Chart House decides to appeal this decision with the Town Council, we hope that the following points will be emphasized: * This is not an expansion of the restaurant. Maximum seating will remain the same, but tables will be reconfigured to place some outdoors. * An architectural design has been carefully crafted to restore the complete facade of the Chart House to Queen Anne style, especially the part of the building added many years ago that currently has a "cinder block" look. * The outdoor seating design will add to the charm of the N. Santa Cruz Avenue streetscape and enhance the town's image as a pleasant destination on summer evenings. The dining area is distanced from residents in the Almond Grove area by the two-story restaurant and the lane behind downtown storefronts. We believe the Chart House proposal adds a charming resource to our community. We encourage the Town Council to approve this request.
Robin Tole PG&E project, gas fueling belong on Miles Avenue The residents of the La Rinconada area in Los Gatos have been notified of applications for construction of PG&E transformers and an oil pond, as well as the town of Los Gatos' natural-gas fueling station and compressor. Both sites are located at the intersection of Lark Avenue and Winchester Boulevard and fail to comply with the current zoning or the Los Gatos general plan. The PG&E transformer towers will generate an electric and magnetic field (EMF) that poses a serious health hazard to the area. The oil pond to be constructed in the event of equipment failure will leak into the underground wells and Los Gatos Creek, thus creating a threat to the water supply of Santa Clara County. The steel towers similar to those along Hwy. 85 will have an extremely negative impact on the existing landscape as many of the residential views of the valley will be blocked. Please send letters of protest and a request for an evidentiary hearing to: California Public Utility Commission, Energy Division Director, 505 Van Ness Avenue, Third Floor, San Francisco, CA 94102, Advise Letter Number: A97-04-043 Secondly, the proposed natural-gas fueling center and extremely noisy natural-gas compressor also would be detrimental to the area residents due to the potential for a natural-gas explosion. The traffic and noise problems created by highways 85 and 17 as well as the Lark/Winchester intersection have become intolerable. Adding a noisy fuel/gas station makes absolutely no sense! In addition, the town's police and service vehicles targeted to use the fuel station could better be serviced at the town's Bryant Service Center located on Miles Avenue next to Highway 17. Why should police and service vehicles drive to North Los Gatos to be fueled when fuel can be obtained closer to Town Hall in an area which is properly zoned and will not create the catastrophic problems herein mentioned? Please write the Planning Commission, Town of Los Gatos, 110 East Main St., with objections to the construction of a fuel/compressor station at the intersection of Lark/ Winchester Boulevard, or attend the hearing on Wed., May 28, at 7:30 p.m., in the Town Council Chambers. Project Application No. PRJ-97044.
Bill & Ann Burns The "oil pond" is a catch basin made to contain a leak for a short period in the event of an accident.--Editor City needs guidelines The Monte Sereno City Council deserves praise for its courage last Tuesday night. The general plan is fundamentally preservationist. Yet it remains vague what is meant by "ranch style." A more formal set of design guidelines along with more specific zoning ratios regarding size, design and height are needed. Folks in Monte Sereno accept the fact that renovation is inevitable and here to stay. The key to managing change (and preservation) is a good set of planning tools. I hope this council will initiate such a project.
Greg Hall
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This article appeared in the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, May 28, 1997. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||