Los Gatos Weekly-Times Letters Some 'chains' can be good neighbors here As a resident of Los Gatos, I have frequently heard complaints about large chains moving into town and changing the character of the town. Sometimes the opposite is true. Approximately a year ago, Western Athletic Clubs Inc. took over Courtside. They brought with them the tradition of Western Athletic Clubs, holding annual anniversary parties and sharing proceeds with local nonprofit organizations. This year CASA was the recipient of a very generous donation from Western Athletic Clubs. This donation, and other donations, along with memberships and our fundraising, allows CASA to provide drug prevention education for parents and students, and provide alternative activities for students. As the current chair of CASA, I would like to thank Courtside and welcome Western Athletic Clubs Inc. to our community. Kim Bidermann Los Gatos CDAC clouds issue of fairness I applaud the decision of the Town Council to revise the present policy which allows Town Council and Planning Commission members to communicate with applicants who have a matter pending before the Planning Commission and/or Town Council. It is my hope when the discussion of revision takes place, it will include the Conceptual Development Advisory Committee. As it is a rather obscure committee, I will mention that it was formed to streamline the planning process by informing the applicant of what may or may not be allowed to be developed in Los Gatos. The goal was laudable; however, it raises the question of prejudging the case. An excellent example was set when the developer of the property on Lark Avenue near the creek came before the Conceptual Development Committee (two councilmembers, two members from the Planning Commission plus a number of staff people). The developer proposed a density well within the zoning. The number of units proposed was rejected by the CDAC and a suggestion was made for the developer to go back to the drawing board and come back with twice as many units--in other words, high density, by Los Gatos standards. When the developer objected that this was not allowed under the current zoning, he was told, don't worry about that, the town will start the process of a zoning change. Later, somebody changed their mind and an approval was made for the original number of units. The point is, when people go before the Planning Commission or the Town Council, they have a right to expect those sitting in judgment to have an open mind and to consider the testimony void of any preconceived ideas. That has not been possible under the present system, where a number of officials have been exposed to and have even had an opportunity to make suggestions to the developer. I strongly believe this needs to be changed in order to assure the people who appear before the Planning Commission and the Town Council that the public hearings are conducted fairly and impartially. Egon Jensen Los Gatos [ Back to Contents Page | Los Gatos Weekly-Times Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, November 4, 1998. ©1998 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.