Submissions to Saratoga City

Planning Commission Study Session Oral Comments

The Saratoga City Planning Commission held a Study Session on September 27th, 2023. This was very well attended by both SRC Residents and other Saratoga citizens. One Commissioner said that he counted over 100 people wearing green t-shirts, most with the motto "Preserve SRC Campus". Numerous attendees took advantage of the opportunity to make 3 minute oral comments.

Here is the recording of the meeting (fast forward to 3min 10sec for start of meeting):

Residents' Comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR)

Here is a summary of the Residents' Comments on the DEIR and the project. SRC Residents composed over 300 letters which have been individually signed and which were delivered as a collection to the City on August 21st, 2023. The collection does not include letters mailed individually or submitted by email. In addition to the collection of letters, the Preserve Coordinators prepared a summary of the main comments made in these letters. Here is a pdf file of the summary.

Pacific Retirement Services

Residents' Alternative Plan

Draft Housing Element

The City of Saratoga, CA has invited comments on the so-called Draft Housing Element, which lays out the City's housing development plan in response to the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA). See Saratoga City Draft Housing Element Update. It seems that the proposed SRC Expansion Plan would not contribute to the City needs. Over 80 Independent Living residents submitted this letter pointing this out in response to the Draft Environmental Impact Report.

Story Poles issue

The City of Saratoga, CA has a Story Pole requirement, 15-45.075, that states “Story poles are required to be installed as set forth below for all projects subject to design review approval in order to depict the elevations and silhouettes of a proposed new structure or an addition to an existing structure requiring design review approval. Trees proposed for removal in conjunction with a proposed project shall be clearly marked in the field as set forth below”

PRS have submitted to the City a draft request with accompanying engineering drawings for an exception to the story pole requirement. They propose instead a 3D simulation, available on this web site:

https://360.ankrommoisan.com/panos/Saratoga-Retirement-360-Tour/

A copy of the draft exception request can be viewed at the City offices. If/when PRS submits a formal request, this will be considered by the City's Planning Commission.

The Preserve SRC Campus group strongly object to any such exception, and have submitted the following materials to the City:

Letter to the City concerning Story Poles
Current and PRS Proposal Views of Manor drive
Current and PRS Proposal Views of Building A
Estimated story poles locations

We now understand that PRS are including the use of at least some story poles.

Arborists' Reports

Here is the pdf file of the latest version of the Arbor Resources report, commissioned by PRS

Here is an extract from this report, showing the maps of the affected trees and annotated photographs showing whether the trees will be removed (most of them) or retained.

Here is the pdf file of the approval by the Saratoga City's Arborist

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