Los Gatos Weekly-Times

Council says Toll House design issues should be settled at planning level

New design reduces room additions, moves rear annex

Neighbors: It still intrudes

By Jeff Kearns

Town Council members bounced the Toll House Hotel's expansion plan back to the Planning Commission last week, after the design was changed from the one commissioners saw in June.

"This council has had a long-standing policy that design issues get settled by the Planning Commission," Mayor Linda Lubeck said. "If there are major changes, we're going to ship it back to the commission anyway."

Owner Wayne Levenfeld dropped six rooms from the proposed annex in the rear parking lot of the hotel, bringing the total number of new rooms down from 27 to 21, and moved the structure away from the back of the lot. The roofline of the structure in the rear was also lowered. The hotel still wants to add 11 new rooms to the existing structure. "We're looking to find a good compromise situation," Levenfeld said.

The issue breaks down around two factors: bringing new dollars into the town and preserving the historic nature of the residential district.

Homeowners on Broadway say they don't want the new building peeking over their fences and into their back yards and dispute the architect's claims that any intrusiveness can be effectively screened with trees. "This isn't just about neighbors," said Broadway resident Peter Carter, whose lot backs up to the hotel, "This is about the relationship between the commercial and residential nature of the town." Carter complained that the hotel is a bad neighbor, bringing noise and traffic congestion to the neighborhood. Other neighbors said that they also hear noise from the Village Inn on W. Main Street.

Many of those who spoke against the expansion noted that they welcomed growth in the town, as long as it did not interfere with the old neighborhoods. Some opponents attacked the quality of service at the hotel.

Of the supporters, several said that the Toll House is their first choice for out-of-town guests, but the hotel frequently has a "no vacancy" sign out front. Others cited a shortage of hotel rooms in the town.

"I'm in favor of more rooms to accommodate all the people who want to stay in our darling town," said Monte Sereno resident Sandra Farris, former owner of California Interiors in downtown and publisher of Valley Scene. When she still owned her store, she added, many of her customers were also guests at the hotel.

Antiquarium owner Shirley Henderson also asked the council to approve the project, saying, "It'll be good for business and the community in the long run."

Hotels contributed more than $1.1 million to town coffers last year in transient occupancy taxes, and Toll House supporters say that a bigger hotel could bump that figure up by as much as $100,000 per year.

At the same time, Eva Ogilvie is trying to build an upscale hotel on E. Main Street across from Los Gatos High School. Ogilvie's project is tentatively scheduled to come back to the Planning Commission Sept. 9.

The council voted unanimously to send the Toll House back to the Planning Commssion, which voted to deny the project June 10; Levenfeld appealed their decision to the council.

"Let's see if the commission and the people can strike a delicate balance," Lubeck said.

Levenfeld must formally resubmit his new application to the Development Review Committee before the project can be added to a Planning Commission agenda. The commission hearing will most likely be scheduled for sometime in October.

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