Planning commission continues review of vineyard, grading and fence exception at 16135 Sra Vista Drive to Feb. 25

The Los Gatos Town Planning Commission on Jan. 28 continued a conditional‑use and grading application for property at 16135 Sra Vista Drive to a date certain of Feb. 25 so staff and the applicant can supply additional technical drawings and address arborist/tree‑protection questions.

Staff described the application as a request for a conditional use permit for a vineyard larger than 3,000 square feet (the applicant listed roughly 16,300 square feet), a fence‑height exception for about a 95‑foot section of 8‑foot deer fencing where the code limit is 6 feet, and an exception to the hillside development standard for finished floor height in a portion of the site. Staff also reported that some pool/deck extensions and fill had been constructed without the required permits and that the vineyard was already planted.

Architect Gary Colstat and owner Ruben Cabierro told commissioners the vineyard was planted in 2019, uses drip irrigation and required minimal grading; Colstat said the vines have stabilized the slope where installed. The applicants asked for the fence exception to exclude deer and described an outdoor kitchen ('cantina') and patio that prompted additional grading and a request for a deeper crawl‑space/storage area under that accessory building.

Commissioners and staff raised technical questions the packet did not fully answer: cross‑sections and details for the proposed crawl space and excavation, precise retaining‑wall footing depths, and a town consulting arborist's observation that two coast live oaks near recent work showed root damage and trunk wounds. Staff said the arborist recommended treating the impacted trees as if they had been removed for mitigation (replacement or in‑lieu fee) and suggested re‑evaluating tree viability after three years if the owner prefers an in‑lieu approach.

Because the applicant's request to reinstate a larger cut and crawl space was not included in the published packet and the commission lacked the necessary analysis to act on that exception, the commission voted unanimously to continue the item to Feb. 25 so the applicant can supply full sections, grading calculations and tree‑protection mitigation proposals and staff can complete a formal recommendation.

If the applicant pursues the deeper cut or other grading exceptions later, those elements will require full staff review, potential revised permits and a public hearing. The commission also discussed code enforcement follow up for work already completed without permits.