city of saratoga memorandum...city of saratoga memorandum to: saratoga city council from: crystal...

Item 2.1 APPC16-0001 - Appeal of Design Review Approval for a new two-story residence at 14011 June Way Written Communications

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CITY OF SARATOGA Memorandum

To: Saratoga City Council

From: Crystal Bothelio, City Clerk/Assistant to the City Manager

Date: December 7, 2016

Subject: Item 2.1 APPC16-0001 - Appeal of Design Review Approval for a new two-story residence at 14011 June Way Written Communications

After the agenda packet for the December 7, 2016 City Council meeting was generated and published, the City received additional written communications on Item 2.1 APPC16-0001 - Appeal of Design Review Approval for a new two-story residence at 14011 June Way. The additional written communications are attached to this memorandum.

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Crystal Bothelio

From: City CouncilSent: Thursday, December 01, 2016 5:02 PMTo: Howard Miller; Manny Cappello; Emily Lo; Mary-Lynne Bernald; Rishi Kumar; James

Lindsay; Crystal BothelioSubject: FW: Application PDR16-0014/14011 June Way

From: Diwakar Tundlam Sent: Thursday, December 01, 2016 5:01:08 PM (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) To: Crystal Bothelio Cc: City Council Subject: Re: Application PDR16-0014/14011 June Way

Respected members of the City Council of Saratoga, CA, Re: Application PDR16‐0014 / 14011 June Way

As a resident of Saratoga, and as someone who has experienced the process of building a new home in the city, I would like to comment on the 14011 June Way Project that is being considered for appeal by the City Council. I was present at the Planning Commission hearing on October 12th, 2016 as well.

From the presentation it was clear that this project had gone through an Administrative Design Review and was approved based on being compliant design with no variances. The Planning Commission hearing on 10/12, was indicative that the project met all the findings as related to privacy as well as bulk and mass. After carefully analysis of the project’s design requirements as well as the neighbors’ asks, the Planning Commission approved the project 7 ayes – 0 no.

It is unreasonable for a homeowner to be expected to design a house based on the neighbors’ requirements. However, based on the hearing I believe that the owners of the proposed project have made every attempt to reasonably satisfy neighbors’ objections and concerns.

As such, I would like to support the approval of the current design without further modifications. Please feel free to contact me if you would like to discuss my comments.

Thanks and Regards,

Diwakar Tundlam ([email protected])

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Leena Narayanaswamy ([email protected])

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Crystal Bothelio

From: City CouncilSent: Saturday, December 03, 2016 4:41 PMTo: Howard Miller; Manny Cappello; Emily Lo; Mary-Lynne Bernald; Rishi Kumar; James

Lindsay; Crystal BothelioSubject: FW: Proposed new home on June Way

________________________________________ From: Linda Shaw Sent: Saturday, December 03, 2016 4:41:10 PM (UTC‐08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) To: City Council Subject: Proposed new home on June Way Hello, I am a neighbor on Jerries Drive which leads into June Way. The new owners of the property did not have the permit to tear down the existing house. They were only permitted to remodel. Now they want to build a new house on that property. Please note the size and bulk of what they are proposing. I object to the massive scale in comparison to the original house and to the neighborhood. Thank you for your consideration. Linda Shaw 14933 Jerries Dr. Saratoga

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Crystal Bothelio

From: City CouncilSent: Sunday, December 04, 2016 4:27 PMTo: Howard Miller; Manny Cappello; Emily Lo; Mary-Lynne Bernald; Rishi Kumar; James

Lindsay; Crystal BothelioSubject: FW: 14011 June Way construction

From: Dave Sent: Sunday, December 04, 2016 4:27:16 PM (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) To: City Council Subject: 14011 June Way construction

Dear Saratoga City Council Members, I am a 46 year resident of Saratoga residing at 14167 Squirrel Hollow Lane. My home is in the same general neighborhood as the proposed new single‐family construction at 14011 June Way. I am not in favor of the current design plan for 14011 June Way. The overall mass and height of the home and its location on the site is NOT in scale with its lot size or with the neighborhood and ultimately causes unreasonable impacts on the privacy of adjoining properties. Please request the applicant and their architect to reduce the bulk and mass of the home to minimize privacy impacts on the neighbors. Thank you. Siincerely, Dave Martin 14167 Squirrel Hollow Lane Founder and Managing Director 280 Capital Partners www.280capitalpartners.com [email protected] 408-828-7818 (c)

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Crystal Bothelio


Lindsay; Crystal BothelioSubject: FW: PDR16-0014 Appeal regarding design on 14011 June Way

From: Fiona Rodrigues Sent: Sunday, December 04, 2016 2:26:51 PM (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) To: City Council Subject: PDR16-0014 Appeal regarding design on 14011 June Way

Dear Saratoga City Council Members, I am a 25 year resident of Saratoga and reside at 14098 Loma Rio Dr. We live around the corner of the proposed new single-family construction at 14011 June Way. I am NOT in favor of the current design plan for the 14011 June Way site. The overall mass and height of the home and its location on the site is NOT in scale with its lot size or with the neighborhood. The placement of such a large home on this small irregular lot causes unreasonable impacts to the privacy of the adjoining properties. Please request that the applicant and their architect reduce the size and mass of the home to minimize the privacy impacts of the neighbors. There are ways to utilize the property without severely impacting the adjoining neighbors and the existing neighborhood. Sincerely, Fiona Rodrigues 14098 Loma Rio Dr 408-348-9161

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Crystal Bothelio


Lindsay; Crystal BothelioSubject: FW: 14011 June Way

From: Gary Rodrigues Sent: Sunday, December 04, 2016 2:50:16 PM (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) To: City Council Subject: 14011 June Way

I am a 54 year resident of Saratoga and reside at 14098 Loma Rio Dr. We live around the corner of the proposed new single-family construction at 14011 June Way.

I am NOT in favor of the current design plan for the 14011 June Way site. The overall mass and height of the home and its location on the site is NOT in scale with its lot size or with the neighborhood. The placement of such a large home on this small irregular lot causes unreasonable impacts to the privacy of the adjoining properties.

Please request that the applicant and their architect reduce the size and mass of the home to minimize the privacy impacts of the neighbors.

There are ways to utilize the property without severely impacting the adjoining neighbors and the existing neighborhood.

Sincerely, Gary Rodrigues

14098 Loma Rio Dr. Sent from my iPhone

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Crystal Bothelio


Lindsay; Crystal BothelioSubject: FW: new construction 14011 June Way

________________________________________ From: Kathryn Mandell Sent: Sunday, December 04, 2016 3:32:42 PM (UTC‐08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) To: City Council Subject: new construction 14011 June Way > Dear Saratoga City Counsel Member, > > I have lived in Saratoga for over 20 years at 14031 Jerries Drive. My home is in the same neighborhood as the proposed new single‐family construction at 14011 June Way. I am not in favor of the current design plan for 14011 June Way. The overall mass and height of the home and its location on the site is not in scale with its with its lot size or its neighborhood and ultimately causes unreasonable impacts to the privacy of adjoining properties. Please request the applicant and their architect to reduce bulk and mass appearance of the home and to minimize privacy impacts of the neighbors. > > The building of a McMansion type home in our quaint neighborhood would be detrimental. Please preserve the small town charm central to Saratoga’s identity. > > Sincerely, > Kathryn Mandell > 14031 Jerries Drive

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Crystal Bothelio


Lindsay; Crystal BothelioSubject: FW: Dissatisfaction with the Saratoga Planning CommissionAttachments: Bulk and Mass Concerns.mp4; ATT00001.htm; Privacy Concerns.mp4; ATT00002.htm

From: Mary Moriarty Sent: Sunday, December 04, 2016 4:36:39 PM (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) To: City Council Subject: Dissatisfaction with the Saratoga Planning Commission

Dear City Council Members, We would like to express our extreme dissatisfaction with the Saratoga Planning Commission. The Planning Commission process was flawed and inconsistent during the August 24, 2016 and October 12, 2016 Planning Commission Meetings.

During the public hearing sessions on design review of 14011 June Way, the Commission Chairperson, Dede Smullen, did not have control over the Process and did not allow each Commissioner equal or adequate time to provide comments to support their findings.

It was apparent several Commissioners were unprepared. They did not read the detailed information packet provided to the Commission in advance of the meeting. They asked questions of both the applicants and members of the public that were clearly identified and commented on in the submitted detailed information packet. Some Commissioners were even obviously trying to read the materials for the first time during the meetings. This action showed a lack of respect for the prepared Commissioners, the Saratoga planning department staff, the applicants and members of the public who each took the time and made the effort to write letters of concern addressed to the Planning Commission.

The "Directions" provided by the Planning Commission at the August 24th meeting were ultimately dismissed at the October 12th meeting without any new facts or plan changes. Issues identified and outlined by the Planning Commission during the August 24th meeting were not followed up upon at the following meeting on October 12th. All of the Commissions “Directions” were ignored by the Commission in the second meeting. This shows a terrible inconsistency of logic and randomness of actions/conclusions.

Opinions of certain Commissioners against the 14011 June Way design were squashed. Numerous Commissioners had strong opinions against the approval of the 14011 June Way design but were overpowered by a couple of the Commissioners who were overpoweringly vocal for the project. The Chairperson did not have the ability or skills to prevent this “bullying” action among the Commissioners from happening.

The Chairperson frequently seemed unsure of the overall process and relied on the Planning Staff for guidance throughout the public hearing process. The Planning Staff is relatively new to the City as well as their individual positions so such reliance was not effective and actually fraught with peril.

The Commissioners identifyed multiple issues with the design and requiring the Applicants to work with the Neighbors and Staff to address the concerns. The Commission concerns (in their own voices) are included in the attached audio files below. We were shocked that there was an unanimous vote to

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approve the 14011 June Way design review without any new facts or material design changes. How could this be possible?

Based on the flawed and inconsistant Planning Commission process that we experienced during the two planning commission meetings, it is not a surprise to learn that Appeals of Planning Commission decisions being presented to the Saratoga City Council are at a all time historic high. If there was a reasonable, educated and fair process in place then an unanimous decision does not lead to every single neighbor appealing that Decision. The entire Planning Commission process in Saratoga is broken. All the signs are there: Appeals at an all time high, Commissioners bullied into unanimous votes, Commissioners not prepared for meetings, the Chairperson lacking respect from her fellow board members and the Chairperson relying on an inexperienced Planning Staff. We would strongly urge the City Council to review the entire Planning Commission process and, most importantly, the competence of the Planning Commissioners individually and as a group. We hope by brining these serious issues to your collective attention that action can take place to improve this process and hopefully help other Saratoga citizens receive fair and consistent treatment in the future. Sincerely The Appellants of 14011 June Way Project Bulk and Mass Concern:

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Crystal Bothelio


Lindsay; Crystal BothelioSubject: FW: Dissatisfaction with the Saratoga Planning CommissionAttachments: Management and Direction.mp4; ATT00001.txt

________________________________________ From: Mary Moriarty Sent: Sunday, December 04, 2016 4:41:15 PM (UTC‐08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) To: City Council Subject: Dissatisfaction with the Saratoga Planning Commission Below is Safety and Direction audio associated with previous email “Dissatisfaction with the Saratoga Planning Commission. Did not fit on previous email due to file size limitation. Safety Concern and Direction:

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Crystal Bothelio

From: City CouncilSent: Monday, December 05, 2016 5:33 PMTo: Howard Miller; Manny Cappello; Emily Lo; Mary-Lynne Bernald; Rishi Kumar; James

Lindsay; Crystal BothelioSubject: FW: Home construction

From: [email protected] Sent: Monday, December 05, 2016 5:33:21 PM (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) To: City Council Subject: Home construction

Group email to all Council Members We have a concern regarding the proposed new single family home planned for 14011 June Way. While we are not immediate neighbors we are close enough that we are in the notification zone. Our concern is a possible loss of privacy for the June Way residents together with the homes adjacent to this property. The proposed house appears out of proportion for the lot size. We believe that a scaled down version of the proposed home would be better suited for that location. Sincerely, Jack and Mary Lou Taylor 14950 Gerneil Court

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Crystal Bothelio


Lindsay; Crystal BothelioSubject: FW: Proposed construction at 14011 June Way

From: P. Baillif Sent: Monday, December 05, 2016 4:51:46 PM (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) To: City Council Subject: Proposed construction at 14011 June Way

Dear Saratoga City Council Members, My parents lived in their home at 14021 June way for 55 years. They loved their home and their neighborhood. In fact, I could not find a way to convince them to move closer to me as they got older; they loved their home and they loved Saratoga. I am not in favor of the current design plan for 14011 June Way. The overall footprint and height of the home at that location is NOT in scale with its lot size or with the neighborhood. It is essentially a monster home and ultimately causes unreasonable impacts to the privacy of adjoining properties and the overall character of Saratoga. Please request the applicant and their architect to reduce bulk and mass appearance of the home and to minimize privacy impacts of the neighbors. The mass of the house also worries me as to how many cars will need street parking since that particular home is located as the road turns and street parking there is minimal. Please preserve the small town charm central to Saratoga’s identity. Monster homes like this one only detract from what Saratoga is. Peter A. Baillif 14021 June Way Saratoga, CA 95070 (408)857-9972

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Crystal Bothelio


Lindsay; Crystal BothelioSubject: FW: Request for re-design of 14011 June Way construction

From: Robert Dimicco Sent: Monday, December 05, 2016 9:16:36 PM (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) To: City Council Subject: Request for re-design of 14011 June Way construction

Monday, 5 December 2016 Dear Saratoga City Council Members, I am an 18-year resident of Saratoga and reside at 14964 Jerries Drive. My home is in the same neighborhood as the proposed new single-family construction at 14011 June Way. I am not supportive of the current design plan for 14011 June Way. Having walked the neighborhood and viewed the mock-up several times, I believe the overall mass and height of the home and its location on the site are not in scale with the lot size or with the neighborhood. Should the project proceed as currently planned, the resulting structure may cause impacts to the privacy of adjoining properties and families. Please request the applicant and their architect to reduce the mass/bulk and height of the design to minimize overall impact to the neighborhood, including privacy of neighbors. Thank you, Robert Dimicco 14964 Jerries Drive

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Crystal Bothelio

From: City CouncilSent: Monday, December 05, 2016 11:00 AMTo: Howard Miller; Manny Cappello; Emily Lo; Mary-Lynne Bernald; Rishi Kumar; James

Lindsay; Crystal BothelioSubject: FW: appeal to reduce bulk and mass appearance and to minimize privacy to neighbors

From: Roger Lian Sent: Monday, December 05, 2016 10:59:25 AM (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) To: City Council Subject: appeal to reduce bulk and mass appearance and to minimize privacy to neighbors

Dear Saratoga City Council Members, I am a 12 year resident of Saratoga and reside at 14058 Loma Rio Dr. My home is in the same neighborhood as the proposed new single-family construction at 14011 June Way. I am not in favor of the current design plan for 14011 June Way. The overall mass and height of the home and its location on the site is not in scale with its lot size or with the neighborhood and ultimately causes unreasonable intrusion to the privacy of adjoining properties including mine. Please request the applicant and their architect to reduce bulk and mass appearance of the home and to minimize privacy impacts of the neighbors. The building of a McMansion type home in our quaint neighborhood would be detrimental! Please preserve the small town charm central to Saratoga’s identity. Sincerely, Roger Lian 14048 Loma Rio Dr, Saratoga

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Crystal Bothelio


Lindsay; Crystal BothelioSubject: FW: About current design plan of 14011 June Way

From: Su-In Hsieh Sent: Monday, December 05, 2016 7:50:13 PM (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) To: City Council Subject: About current design plan of 14011 June Way

Dear Saratoga City Council Members, I am a 28 year resident of Saratoga and reside at 14057 Loma Rio Drive. My home is in the same neighborhood as the proposed new single-family construction at 14011 June Way. I am not in favor of the current design plan for 14011 June Way. The overall mass and height of the home and its location on the site is NOT in scale with its lot size or with the neighborhood and ultimately causes unreasonable impacts to the privacy of adjoining properties. Please request the applicant and their architect to reduce bulk and mass appearance of the home and to minimize privacy impacts of the neighbors. The building of a McMansion type home in our quaint neighborhood would be detrimental! Please preserve the small town charm central to Saratoga's identity. Sincerely, Su-In Hsieh 14057 Loma Rio Dr. Saratoga, CA 95070

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Crystal Bothelio

From: Arun Venkatachar <[email protected]>Sent: Tuesday, December 06, 2016 9:40 PMTo: Crystal Bothelio; City CouncilSubject: Sandeep Bharathi hearing

Dear City Council, I Arun Venkatachar residing at 13213 Paramount Dr, Saratoga had attended the public hearing on 10/12 and since i cannot attend the 12/7 appeal at the City council for Sandeep Bharathi residence hearing. I have been observing all the data that was presented by both parties, I support the applicant's project without changes as it follows the guidelines in the Residential Hand book and will add value to the neighborhood and the city. Regards Arun Venkatachar

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Crystal Bothelio

From: City CouncilSent: Tuesday, December 06, 2016 9:50 AMTo: Howard Miller; Manny Cappello; Emily Lo; Mary-Lynne Bernald; Rishi Kumar; James

Lindsay; Crystal BothelioSubject: FW: Proposed two story home at 14011 June Way

________________________________________ From: Linda Capek Sent: Tuesday, December 06, 2016 9:49:35 AM (UTC‐08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) To: City Council Cc: Linda Capek Subject: Proposed two story home at 14011 June Way Dear Saratoga City Council Members, My home is in the same neighborhood as the proposed construction of 14011 June Way, I live a few houses down on Jerries Drive. I have been a 16 year resident of Saratoga and it is my hope that you can insure my longtime neighbors that they will not have their properties negatively impacted by the building of the proposed current design. It is unfortunate the old residence that used to be on this property was demolished as it was a quaint home that fit in with the small town charm of Saratoga. I hope that you will take in to account the mass appearance of the proposed structure and will take all precausions to insure the privacy of the neighbors. It is very important to be sure that the overall mass and height of the home is to scale with the lot size. Please request that the applicant and their architect reduce the bulk and mass appearance of the home as I am not in favor of the current design. I also have concerns as to the gas leak that was caused due to their construction on the property…this could have been a terrible disaster for our neighborhood! I hope they have a competent contractor working on this property. Sincerely, Linda Capek 14041 Jerries Drive Saratoga, CA

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Crystal Bothelio

From: City CouncilSent: Tuesday, December 06, 2016 5:25 PMTo: Howard Miller; Manny Cappello; Emily Lo; Mary-Lynne Bernald; Rishi Kumar; James

Lindsay; Crystal BothelioSubject: FW: 14011 June Way build

From: Melissa Tamas Sent: Tuesday, December 06, 2016 5:24:45 PM (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) To: City Council Cc: Melissa Tamas; Lance Archer; Amy Archer Subject: 14011 June Way build

Dear Saratoga City Council Members,

I am a 6 year resident of Saratoga and reside at 13536 Deer Trail Court and I am writing regarding the proposed new single-family construction at 14011 June Way.

I am not in favor of the current design plan for 14011 June Way. We moved specifically to Saratoga because of its community feel and overall charm that really sets it apart from many of the surrounding towns. The overall mass and height of this home and its location on the site is NOT in scale with its lot size or with the neighborhood. It not only causes unreasonable impacts to the privacy of adjoining properties but it also affects the character of the city of Saratoga. Please request the applicant and their architect to reduce bulk and mass appearance of the home and to minimize privacy impacts of the neighbors.

The building of a McMansion type home in our quaint neighborhood and city would be detrimental! We need you to preserve the small town charm central to Saratoga’s identity. People come to our city because of its character. I don’t want to become just another Silicon Valley bedroom commuter town with undistinguishable McMansion style homes on every corner. Please help Saratoga retain its historical identity.

Sincerely, Dr Melissa Tamas, 13536 Deer Trail Court, Saratoga, CA

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Crystal Bothelio

From: City CouncilSent: Wednesday, December 07, 2016 12:18 AMTo: Howard Miller; Manny Cappello; Emily Lo; Mary-Lynne Bernald; Rishi Kumar; James

Lindsay; Crystal BothelioSubject: FW: Proposed new two story home on 14011 June Way”. (PDR16-0014)

From: Moriarty, Joseph @ San Jose Sent: Wednesday, December 07, 2016 12:18:12 AM (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) To: City Council Subject: Proposed new two story home on 14011 June Way”. (PDR16-0014)

Members of the Saratoga City Council My name is Joe Moriarty and I have lived in Saratoga for over 15 years owning three separate residences over that time period. I am also the brother of John Moriarty and the brother in law of Mary Moriarty who live at 14050 Loma Rio in Saratoga and who’s back of the house and back yard are directly behind the proposed home at 14011 June Way in Saratoga. I want to express both my objections to the current design of this project and my concerns as to both how the applicant has acted over the two year time period that they have owned the property as well as the fact that their plan has been approved over the objections of the neighbors, without addressing the concerns of any of the directly affected neighbors and after a flip flop of the planning commission. Back in 2014 when the old house on the property was for sale I toured the house and there were plans to both remodel the house and to add approximately 400‐500 SF on the second floor of the house. My thoughts at the time was that the remodel and expansion pursuant to the plans that I viewed would be nice in that it would upgrade the house and that the proposed remodeled and expanded house would fit in with the other houses in the neighborhood. After the house was sold I have had numerous discussions with both my brother and my sister in law and I have viewed both the numerous changes in the size and scale of the proposed new house as well as the blatant disregard for the neighbors, the Saratoga planning requirements, the Saratoga building codes and Saratoga law that the applicant has exhibited. I viewed the original “Artist rendering” of the house and it in no way resembles the house that is proposed today. Over the 11 plus years that my brother and sister in‐law have owned their house I have spent numerous hours at their house and in their backyard. The proposed house at 14011 June Way as currently designed will severely invade their privacy with the second floor having both a very large scale and with numerous large windows facing the rear of the proposed house which looks over the back of their house as well as their back yard. I am in the commercial real estate business and am in no way an anti‐growth or anti‐development person, in fact I am a proponent of both growth and development but it has to be done in the right way. When my wife and I owned our previous residence at 20711 Saint Charles Street in Saratoga, a developer purchased an old house across the street and proposed a new house to be developed in its place. I spoke in front of the Saratoga City Council on behalf of the developer in favor of the new house as I believed that it was an improvement to the street but the residents who owned the house directly adjacent to the proposed house spoke in front of the council objecting to the proposed house due to both the scale of the house as well as their privacy concerns. The proposed house had a second story that blocked the sun light from their backyard and had windows that overlooked their backyard. The City Council suggested that the

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developer and the homeowner meet to discuss possible solutions to alleviate the concerns. The developer and the homeowner did meet and discussed the design and the developer modified the design of the house to alleviate the homeowners concerns by both modifying the second floor, reducing the size and changing the slope of the roof, and by eliminating the windows that overlooked their backyard yard. The house was built and has been a very nice addition to the neighborhood. This is how the process should work and resulted in a successful conclusion in this case. From everything that I have heard and witnessed, the applicant has done the exact opposite of what the developer described in the previous paragraph did. The applicant has lied to the neighbors and has done nothing to alleviate their concerns. The applicant has lied to the City of Saratoga in their planning applications and has illegally demolished the old house and started construction of a new house without permits. The applicant tried to lie to the neighbors and to the city by erecting false walls after demolishing the old house in an attempt to conceal that they had illegally demolished the residence and to try to make it look like they were doing a “remodel” rather than a complete “new construction”. I also find it troubling that the planning commission has flip flopped on their recommendations and do not seem to be following policy or their original recommendations. The planning commissions job is to make sure that development conforms with the city’s code and policies and to protect the residences of the city from situations such as this. Over the years I have been involved in millions of square feet of commercial development throughout the greater Silicon Valley and I have spent considerable time with planning staff, planning commissions, city councils, etc. in the entitlement, planning and approvals of numerous projects. In all of the projects that I have been involved in there has been considerable effort to have neighborhood outreach and to work with the surrounding property owners to design and develop a project that fits into the surrounding area and to minimize concerns of the neighbors. In this case, this has not been done and the applicant is asking that a plan be approved that negatively affects the surrounding property owners and that the surrounding property owners have expressed numerous objections to. I would strongly recommend that the applicants current plan be denied and that the applicant be directed to work with the surrounding property owners to design a plan that both fits in with the neighborhood and that minimizes negative impacts to the adjacent property owners. Thank you. Joe Moriarty 13506 Deer Trail Court Saratoga, CA 95070 Joe Moriarty | Executive Vice President | Lic. 01224328 Institutional Properties CBRE | Capital Markets 225 West Santa Clara Street, 12th Floor | San Jose, CA 95113 T 408 453 7480 | F 408 437 3170 | C 408 835 9126 [email protected] | www.cbre.com

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Crystal Bothelio

From: City CouncilSent: Wednesday, December 07, 2016 11:40 AMTo: Howard Miller; Manny Cappello; Emily Lo; Mary-Lynne Bernald; Rishi Kumar; James

Lindsay; Crystal BothelioSubject: FW: Proposed new two story home on 14011 June Way”. (PDR16-0014)

From: Lisa Moriarty Sent: Wednesday, December 07, 2016 11:40:01 AM (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) To: City Council Subject: Proposed new two story home on 14011 June Way”. (PDR16-0014)

As a current homeowner and 15 year resident of Saratoga I am greatly concerned about the proposed home at 14011 June Way. We have spent countless hours enjoying time shared at my brother-in-law and sister-in-law’s neighborhood and home of John and Mary Moriarty. Their backyard has always been a peaceful space where we’ve enjoyed countless get togethers over the years. I am very familiar with their home and the neighboring homes. It is undeniable that the current plans for the proposed home on June Way will unreasonably, unnecessarily, and severely invade John and Mary’s privacy as well as that of their guests. The size and scale of the proposed plans and specifically the amount of windows and the large window that would overlook their yard is inexplicably and unnecessarily oversized. It is obvious that windows are necessary for, safety, light, and aesthetics but at the same time they should not be designed to negatively impact their neighbors causing them to live in a fishbowl. When we lived on St Charles Street a new home was built and the neighbors that were directly impacted worked with the builder to strike a compromise with the assistance of the Council. The hight of the home was reduced, window sizes and amounts were reduced, and privacy glass was utilized. Given the building process of the home on June Way I am confused as to why the same process has not taken place this time. It doesn’t appear that the rules and processes have been followed which are put in place to protect residents. As a homeowner in Saratoga we depend on these protections. I strongly encourage the council to deny the current plans and work with the surrounding residents to develop a compromise between the builder and those impacted. A plan that both fits with the current neighborhood and minimizes the negative impact to surrounding neighbors is necessary.

Thank you, Lisa Moriarty

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Crystal Bothelio

From: Dhanaseker Kandhasamy <[email protected]>Sent: Wednesday, December 07, 2016 3:14 PMTo: Rishi Kumar; Howard Miller; Mary-Lynne Bernald; Emily Lo; Manny Cappello; Crystal

BothelioSubject: 14011 June way Design Review

Dear Councilmen, Greetings! My Name is Dhanaseker Kandhasamy and I am a Saratoga resident for the past 6 years. We absolutely love the city and the governing of city council. I also applaud the efforts to keep the community Safe as well. I have attend the last Planning commission review meeting in Mid October for the subject property. I really appreciate the thoughtfulness and dedication the planning commission staff went in reviewing the plan, addressing the views from each side in arriving at the decision. In doing so, the planning commission members showed extra ordinary level of professionalism, subject matter expertise, attention to very minor detail , patience and perseverance. I understand that the decision is appealed to the city council. I was planning to attend the meeting today in person, but unable to do so because I have to attend a board-meeting on a non-profit organization in which I serve as a treasurer. Please allow me to explain my thoughts on this. - I am an Engineer by education and profession. We are exposed to Civil Engineering in studies, where the FIT, Aspect Ratio of the buildings are taught as relevant and important. I am also familiar with the area. The proposed building is NOT in any way out of the ordinary or odd-building out in the neighborhood. It was alleged that the building will look bulk and tall, whereas the rest of the neighborhood houses are either taller or of same/similar height. - During the last meeting, Neighbors argued that the 2x2 (approximate) windows in the kids bath room on the second floor, which is at least 6-8 ft from the floor level, have an invasion of privacy on their house, which is at east 100 meters away and has surrounded by trees etc. We have to clearly draw a line where unreasonable requests by neighbors cross the legal rights of the individuals, in this case Sandeep Bharathi and Family. - In the last meeting, Sandeep Bharathi have bent backwards to reduce the sizes of the bathroom windows . If you pay careful attention to the detail, the window on the second floor kids bathroom appears to be like a window on a prison cell. Sandeep Bharathi and team went above and beyond to keep the neighbors's happy. One of the neighbors mentioned that the city code doesn't mandate windows,so why would they need a window. Such objections are clearly biased. - Please consider yourselves in the situation. Sandeep Bharathi's family is living in a house elsewhere, while they continue to pay for the mortgage for the property in question, continue to incur architect/planner's fees and presenting/defending his case with the planning commission, city council etc. This episode is going on for almost an year. We as a human beings be considerate for the pain, agony, suffering the family going through day-in and day-out, not to consider the financial expenses that they incur in the process.

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In summary, I have found that the neighbors objections are beyond merit and appears to be motivated by something else. My request to the council members to review the proposal in its own merit and allow saratogans to live in peace and harmony without having to fuel the racial or political thoughts. We should continue to uphold the trust,integrity and honesty that the city and country and country has been founded on and continue to make Saratoga a great place to live in the country. Thank you very much for your time and attention in this matter. Regards Dhanaseker Kandhasamy 408-250-8800 -

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