Planners want Old Town to develop a master plan

By Nathan R. Huff

Planning commissioners granted Old Town's requests to forgive a "rambunctious contractor," to allow Fancy Feet to relocate to the lower level of the main building, and to add several parking places. But commissioners at the Nov. 15 meeting denied a second request for tree removal and scolded Old Town owner Federal Realty Trust for completing the four-year-old project "piecemeal-style."

The commission split Old Town's four-pronged application in two, legalizing exterior work done without a permit and approving the addition of four private parking spaces on Lundy Lane, the narrow dead-end street behind Oakville Grocery. The tree removal application and request for using currently abandoned office space was continued.

Commissioners said they did not feel comfortable approving use of the office space until Old Town develops a plan to address the back of Building B--where California Cafe and Oakville Grocery are located. With the addition of the upstairs office space, the developer would be close to the floor-to-area ratio (FAR) limit, which would not allow the use of the empty ground-level spaces on the Los Gatos Creek side of Building B.

"This area has always looked kind of unfinished," Commissioner Suzanne Müller said.

Commissioner Jim Lyon--referring to the recently constructed cement amphitheater, the hodgepodge of paving surfaces, and the empty, unfinished retail spaces facing the creek--said he wanted to see that area addressed before approving any increase in square footage.

"The back area of Old Town used to have some vibrancy to it," Lyon said, referring to the old wooden amphitheater.

Federal Realty was seeking approval to use previously abandoned areas of the building's second floor to lease as office space. The 2,390-square-foot space was termed "abandoned" because Federal Realty representatives said they believed that use of that space would put the shopping center over the allowable FAR. When it was discovered that town staff had mistakenly included ground- level exterior walkways in the original FAR calculation, however, the amount of remaining usable space increased.

Federal Realty did receive approval for the 810 square feet of floor space added without a permit. Federal Realty representative Lee Schwager apologized for the transgression, which he said was perpetrated by a "rambunctious contractor." The illegally added square footage is in the space where Fancy Feet is slated to relocate.

Extra parking spaces, were also approved. However, the four parallel spaces approved behind Oakville Grocery were actually mandated by the planned development approval that Old Town received four years ago. Although Old Town has never provided enough stalls, it satisfies the parking requirement through its contribution to the town's parking assessment district.

Federal Realty had proposed repaving the entire Lundy Lane area--currently a mix of cement and stone paving--with asphalt. Commissioners, stating that cement was not "pedestrian-oriented," asked the developer to redo the area with interlocking pavers, and to mark the pedestrian pathway leading toward the Los Gatos Creek bridge.

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