On Sept. 1, the Town Council adopted changes and additions to its objective design standards for multi-family and mixed-use housing projects in Los Gatos. The updated standards focus on two main categories: site standards and building standards. The changes establish the expected height and development of projects and demand the use of “high-quality” materials and detail. They also regulate architectural style to be “consistent with existing patterns” and require “smooth transitions” between developments of different sizes. The last time the council adopted changes to the Town’s objective design standards was on Feb. 13, 2024.
This year’s update is part of a process the Town has labeled Phase II, following a first set of standards the council adopted in Nov. 2022. In Sept. 2024, the Town contracted with Lisa Wise Consulting to lead and draft the updated standards, which the Planning Commission recently reviewed and unanimously approved on June 24, 2026.
The updated standards require buildings taller than two stories to include “a differentiated base, middle, and top” along street-facing walls. Building materials also must be “fire resistant,” and wood products, “even those labeled ‘ignition-resistant,’” are listed as prohibited primary building materials…