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Editorials
Town should not take station for granted
The developer of a 12.3-acre site near Winchester Boulevard and Highway 85 is apparently putting a lot of its eggs in one basket, or, in this case, one station.
That station would be the one that would conceivably bring the Vasona light rail line into Los Gatos. Sobrato Development Companies is proposing that it build a research and housing park in the vicinity of the light rail station.
Based on Sobrato's recent presentation to the Los Gatos Planning Commission, one of the main selling points of the project appears to be its proximity to the proposed light rail station. Sobrato maintains that the project's anticipated high density is a perfect complement to a potential mass-transportation hub.
The problem with Sobrato's rationale is that it's assuming the light rail station in Los Gatos is a done deal. Not so. Neither the Valley Transportation Authority nor the town of Los Gatos has formally committed to the station.
By marrying the project to the light rail station, Sobrato seems to be trying to justify the size of the development, which includes 105 apartments and will accommodate 900 employees. The estimated number of employees was questioned by one commissioner who inferred that it might be almost double Sobrato's amount. Sobrato says the project would not increase traffic in the area because the light rail would offer an alternative to driving.
Los Gatos resident Susan Burnett, who spoke at the planning commission hearing, not only disputed Sobrato's assertion, she offered a contrary scenario: that a light rail station would actually increase traffic in the neighborhood, as commuters drive from other areas--such as Santa Cruz and Saratoga--to the station to catch the train.
Senior vice president of Sobrato, John Shenk, explained that VTA statistics confirm that traffic decreases in areas that feature a light rail station. Unconvinced, commission members requested that Sobrato provide the numbers to back up its claim.
Sobrato should be commended for looking down the road and proposing ways developments can integrate with mass transportation. Also, the Sobrato project is of the mixed-use variety, meaning that homes are intermingled with business components. Space-starved communities like Los Gatos need to continue to explore these types of alternative housing arrangements.
But the scope of Sobrato's current plan and its potential impact on traffic in the area--with or without a light rail station--requires more study. Unfortunately, mass transportation--a highly political topic--has become yet another victim of the recent terrorist attacks. Los Gatos should keep this in mind, especially for developments that beg exceptions to the town's future building goals as defined in its General Plan. In this case, the town should look for ways to work with Sobrato, but in ways that won't depend on a light rail station to bail it out.
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Los Gatos, California Since 1881
