Los Gatos Weekly-Times

Monte Sereno council OKs two-story Ridgecrest home

Neighbors say plans for house still too big

By Suzy Ramirez

Robert Dobkin's two-story dream home at 16095 Ridgecrest Ave. in Monte Sereno will--with a few minor adjustments to the blueprints--finally become a reality.

After five drafts of the plans and two previous appearances and denials before the Monte Sereno City Council, the home was unanimously approved by councilmembers at their June 15 meeting, with conditions including additional foliage and wood siding on the house.

Mayor Jack Lucas said he was impressed with the changes made from the first to the current draft of the plan reviewed by the council. These changes include the removal of a cylindrical rotunda, the use of wood siding instead of stucco and reduction of the overall size.

The main problem for the surrounding neighbors remains the same: They believe an imposing two-story home does not fit in with the Ridgecrest neighborhood.

The councilmembers concluded that Ridgecrest is predominantly a two-story neighborhood, with more than half the houses having two stories, and the Dobkin home should not be held to different standards.

Some letters presented to the council suggested that Dobkin's alternative offer to build a one-story home, which would reach the height of a two-story home but would not need approval, amounted to blackmail. One neighbor declared he would move if the two-story house was approved.

A number of Ridgecrest neighbors told the council they regarded the changes in the plans merely cosmetic and not enough to warrant the council's approval.

Councilmember Joel Gambord said neighbors can't just say they don't want a two-story house. According to Gambord, the plan has changed drastically, and when the house is put on a lot, a considerable distance from the street, the size will "greatly diminish."

Despite the adamant refusal of Ridgecrest neighbors to accept a two-story house, Councilmember Suzanne Jackson said the architecture for the Dobkin house "really did change to comply with the neighborhood."

Specified adjustments recommended by the council include changing the roofing material to an architectural-grade or concrete shake; the screening of vegetation along the side yards, including several evergreen trees; 28 additional feet of wood siding along the kitchen wall; and additional shutters on the side and back windows.

With the approval of the blueprints, Dobkin's architect Randall Cavanaugh and City Planner Brian Loventhal will now meet to discuss these changes and modify the house and landscaping accordingly.

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