The Los Gatos Town Council on March 4 approved construction of a 155-unit housing development at the site of the Los Gatos Lodge near downtown.
The development at 50 Los Gatos-Saratoga Road calls for two-, three- and four-bedroom units to be spread across 28 three-story townhome-style buildings. It would include 26 below-market-rate units, 16 priced for low income and 10 priced for moderate income.
“I’m one of the one-third of renters that lives in the town of Los Gatos who, as it currently stands, does not have a pathway to home ownership in this town, so when I see this sort of development where these units are likely to go for less than a single-family home goes for in Los Gatos, I see a place where I could see myself potentially living one day,” Vice Mayor Rob Moore said at the council meeting.
Council approved the item in a 4-0 vote, with council member Mary Badame recused from the discussion because of the proximity of her residence to the project site.
The project will also include an emergency vehicle access road through the property and the Los Gatos High School campus, as required by county fire officials. Some council members said the plan lacks enough open space and sufficient guest parking, but council ultimately approved it, saying the project would help provide more housing in town.
Town officials and residents have been looking into expanding emergency access throughout downtown Los Gatos as gridlocked traffic from beach goers in the summer has raised concerns about whether residents would be able to evacuate in the event of an emergency. The emergency vehicle access road in the new development could help address the issue, but some said just one road would not be enough.
“I’m concerned about public safety related to traffic congestion, including emergency evacuation,” resident Rob Stump said at the meeting. “To this point, the development at the lodge property is moving forward with no consideration for a new public roadway for Los Gatos High.”
The Los Gatos Lodge project comes as the town has been tasked with implementing its housing element, a state-mandated plan for all housing to be built in town by 2031. The housing element includes construction of almost 2,000 new residential units.
“We believe that the project will be a valuable asset to the community, helping the town provide housing so that it will continue to sustain a thriving, multigenerational community,” John Hickey, vice president of development for SummerHill Homes, said at the council meeting.
The council’s decision authorizes the demolition of the Los Gatos Lodge, after the hotel’s owner began the process of sale in 2023.
Some residents spoke strongly in favor of the project at the meeting. Gloria Prado, a resident of a Los Gatos teacher housing project for local educators, said that the Los Gatos Lodge development would make it easier for other educators to find affordable housing in town.
“It offers a viable option for us to purchase a home in the foreseeable future,” she said.