Los Gatos Relaxes Story Pole Rules for New Developments

Developers hoping to build tall buildings in upscale Los Gatos can put away their “story poles” — or framing meant to convey the height of future projects. The poles form a rough outline of a building’s shape and size for regulators, builders and the public.

The Los Gatos Town Council approved easing the requirement after the state Department of Housing and Community Development told town officials that requiring the poles may keep new housing from being built in town, the San Jose Mercury News reported.

The housing regulator said the town’s story pole policy “poses a constraint to the construction of new housing” and could therefore impede approval of its housing element, or state-mandated blueprint for development.

The council voted 3-2, with Mayor Mary Badame and Vice Mayor Matthew Hudes dissenting, to limit the required scenarios for story poles needed at proposed project sites.

The poles no longer are required for projects over 55 feet tall, and signage will be allowed in lieu of story poles for certain residential projects.

The council had sent a draft of its housing element plan to state officials in March, which could potentially be approved this summer. The deadline for certification was Jan. 31, 2023, leaving the city open to builder’s remedy project applications that bypass local zoning rules.

Los Gatos must plan to build 1,993 homes by 2031, of which 847 must be affordable to low-income residents. The city has tried and failed five times to certify its housing plan.

Jennifer Armer, planning manager for Los Gatos, said the effort to revise the town’s story pole policy goes back to requests for exceptions to the policy before it drafted the housing plan.

Outcry from residents who saw story poles go up on Grosvenor’s North 40 project led to the developer filing a lawsuit in 2016 after the council rejected plans for the first phase of the development in East Los Gatos, according to the Mercury News.

Though members of the council agreed on the essence of the updated story pole policy, they disagreed on a revised plan to notify residents about new developments.

— Dana Bartholomew