Council continues Wedgewood neighbors' appeal
By Nathan R. Huff
Faced with questions of legal minutiae, the town council voted to continue a neighborhood appeal of a planning commission decision that approved a lot line adjustment and two homes on Wedgewood Avenue.
While frontage to a public street--which is required by the town's general plan--was scarcely addressed by the neighbors, council members honed in on the issue and asked the developer to come back on Sept. 5, with proof of frontage on both lots.
The planning commission approved the application for two 3,500-square-foot homes after the developer had reduced the size and scale of the two homes. The application appeared before the commission four times before being approved.
Neighbors have opposed the development from the beginning, many arguing the size of the homes is out of scale with the older residences in the neighborhood. Others have stated the development will result in the loss of trees and wildlife habitat, and create a traffic safety problem because of its corner location.
"This is a normal neighborhood, not big mansions," Dori Fontaine told the council. "I think it makes the people that have been living here 30 to 40 years feel bad because all these huge houses are coming in and making their homes look bad."
But the developers, Stern and Champion Homebuilders, said the homes were not large compared to those built in recent years, and that the neighborhood was "in transition."
"We realize we're putting new homes into an existing neighborhood in an area that, in many ways, looks like a park," Steven Stern said."But in reality, it's not a park."
Park or not, the deciding issue ended up being basically unrelated to the neighborhood's appeal, which was based on wildlife, drainage and traffic concerns. Instead, the council turned its focus to the small strip of land owned by the Santa Clara Valley Water District (SCVWD), which runs across part of both lots. The developer has an easement from the district allowing access on a shared driveway. However, this does not necessarily give the property legal frontage to the public street.
Stern assured the council the lots complied with frontage requirements, saying the two lots had a combined total of 154 feet of frontage to Wedgewood Avenue. "We met with staff a year-and-a-half ago and that was one of the first things they brought up," Stern later said. "I think we just have to show them on the plans where it is."
The council majority, however, wanted more information before they make a decision. Stern was instructed to submit proof of legal frontage to town staff, which staff will analyze before making a report to the council.
"The way they've drawn [the lot] lines, I'm not positive they have the required frontage on Wedgewood," Councilwoman Linda Lubeck later said, adding that if the frontage does not exist, only one house could be built on the property.
Not all the council members felt the frontage issue was enough to delay the project. Jan Hutchins voted against the motion to continue, saying the planning commission had made the right decision.
On the flip side, Mayor Steve Blanton said the homes were not "in keeping with the neighborhood," and voted against continuing the application.
Councilman Joe Pirzynski supported the continuance, but added he would also like more information on neighborhood compatibility, wildlife habitat and the history of flooding in the area.
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Los Gatos, California Since 1881
