Tree pruning, tree removal in Los Gatos
A canopy of trees
Most Los Gatans know that you cannot just remove any tree you like in town – some older and larger trees are protected, and some are deemed so important as to be known as heritage trees.
Did you know that the protections extend to pruning certain trees, and not just removing them?
Not all trees are protected, and not all pruning is prohibited.
- At what point is it required to get permits to prune or remove a tree in Los Gatos?
- How old and how large do they have to be to need a permit for pruning (let alone removing) them?
I was surprised at the answers, so thought I’d share some of the highlights of them here. If you’d like to just jump to the town’s document, here it is: Town of Los Gatos Parks and Public Works Tree Removal and Pruning Permit
The town’s info all uses the diameter of the tree’s trunk at 4.5′ above grade, but I think it’s easier to measure the circumference. Jim, my better half and a guy who thinks math problems are recreation, reminded me that you can learn the circumference of a circle simply by multiplying the diameter by pi, or 3.12 (appx!).
The town has three categories, protected, large protected, and heritage.
What is a protected tree in Los Gatos?
Protected trees are classified as such by meeting any of a variety of criteria: diameter of trunk at 4.5′ above natural grade, type of tree, or some combination of the two of them together with the type of location in town.
In addition to the criteria, there are a few exceptions, such as fruit or nut trees up to 18″ in diameter, or a short list of others up to 24″ in diameter, including most palm trees.
A protected tree may be as small as 4″ diameter (appx 9″ circumference) on vacant or non-residential property.
For residential lots which are developed (a home exists on the property), all trees which have a 12″ or greater diameter (less exceptions). For the developed hillside areas (see the map for the designated Town of Los Gatos residential hillside areas), it’s just an 8″ diameter (about 24-25″).
There are additional criteria, and specific trees named in the town’s document, including some oaks, buckeye, and madrone. And, as you’d expect, if there’s a development review or related requirement from the town, there are other requirements, too.
Protected trees need permits to be removed OR to be pruned by more than 25% over 3 years
What is a large protected tree?
A large protected tree has a diameter of 48 inches or more, or could also be an Oak, California Buckeye, or Pacific Madrone with a diameter of 24 inches or more.
What is a heritage tree?
A heritage tree is “specifically designated by action of the Town Council which possesses exceptional aesthetic, biological, cultural, or historic value to the community”(quote from the link above).
Permits are needed to remove or cut any branch or root greater than 4 inches in diameter of any Large Protected Tree or Heritage Tree
These are just the highlights – if you are thinking of doing major pruning or removal of a tree in Los Gatos, please read this document thoroughly, and if in down, check with the town:
Town of Los Gatos Parks and Public Works Tree Removal and Pruning Permit
Related reading:
TOWN CODE Chapter 29 – ZONING REGULATIONS ARTICLE I. – IN GENERAL DIVISION 2. TREE PROTECTION
Trees, Branches, and Property Lines in Silicon Valley (older post on my Valley of Heart’s Delight blog)
Los Gatos welcomes new residents
Recently while looking for something on the town’s website, I stumbled upon something new to me – a way in which the town of Los Gatos welcomes new residents. This comes from the FAQ page. Similar info can be found on resident services / welcoming new residents page.
Residents receive packets of useful community information, including letters from the Town Manager and Chief of Police, an overview of Town services, emergency preparedness and home safety information and gift certificates from local businesses. Children receive Town pins, stickers, and police badges.
Read all of the info on the link provided above, or contact the Personnel and Community Services Divison at (408) 354-6842.
ALSO, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, and Saratoga offers a Newcomers Club. You can check out the membership and activities at http://www.NewComersOfLosGatos.com/
Flapjacks & Railroad Tracks
On Saturday, June 8, 2019, the Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad (which runs from Oak Meadow Park through part of Vasona Lake County Park in Los Gatos) is hosting a fun, affordable pancake breakfast from 8:00 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.
The website states:
There are two options for breakfast: Regular Breakfast is $8.00 and includes 3 large pancakes & 2 sausage links. Small Breakfast includes 1 large pancake & 2 sausage links. A la cart items will also be available.
Tickets for the train are at the regular pricing. It’s a great fundraiser to support the small gauge railroad, and kick off the summer schedule for both the train and carousel.
In addition, the train and carousel will be open bright and early. Rides will begin at 8:00am and run until 4:30pm. Standard ticket pricing applies.
For more information and details, please have a look at the Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad website.
If you’re on Facebook, find and “like” the Facebook page for the BJWRR.
Los Gatos real estate statistics and market trends
The Los Gatos real estate market for single family homes is a sellers market as a whole, but this varies depending on many factors. A particular home’s market will be impacted by things such as the pricing tier (the luxury market is a colder market, while homes under $2 million are generally a hot commodity), the school district, condition of the property, whether it is remote or convenient (in some cases), etc.
First, here’s a glance at the Altos Research profiles by the Los Gatos zip codes: 95030 and 95032 are “in town” and 95033 is in the Los Gatos Mountains. The last profile refers to the averages of all 3 zip codes. These are updated automatically every week – so check back often, it will always be current! Also, I’ve provided links to each of the 3 zip codes reports. Within those weekly reports are great data points, my favorite being the info of what size home and number of beds and baths you’re likely to find per price quartile. Check it out!
Altos Research Profiles of Los Gatos single family homes by zip code
A link is provided to the full weekly report for each zip code. It will bring you to the page for single family homes (houses and duet, or single family attached, homes), but from there you can click on a tab and view the same type of data for condominiums and townhouses if any data exists for them.
Close to downtown – 95030 (read the full weekly report for Los Gatos 95030, which is automatically updated, here):
Primarily East, West, and North Los Gatos (view the Altos Research report for Los Gatos 95032 HERE):
The Los Gatos Mountains / Santa Cruz Mountains – 95033 (see the full 95033 weekly report here, no condo or TH in these areas):
All 3 Zip Codes combined
Los Gatos real estate statistics and trends from the RE Report
The real estate numbers below reflect realty data gathered the first week of the month for the past month in Los Gatos 95030 & 95032, or MLS “area 16”. See the full REReport here.
Los Gatos Trends at a Glance for 95030 & 95032
Prices are up from last year, which is very interesting as many areas in the Santa Clara Valley are lower than 12 months ago. The sale price to list price ratio is off a bit, the days on market and days of inventory are both up, and it seems that Los Gatos is pretty much leveling off with some indicators heating up and others cooling.
| Trends At a Glance | Apr 2019 | Previous Month | Year-over-Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Price | $2,515,000 (+0.6%) | $2,500,000 | $2,425,000 (+3.7%) |
| Average Price | $2,830,520 (+10.5%) | $2,562,200 | $2,626,180 (+7.8%) |
| No. of Sales | 21 (-16.0%) | 25 | 30 (-30.0%) |
| Pending | 37 (+15.6%) | 32 | 31 (+19.4%) |
| Active | 73 (+28.1%) | 57 | 58 (+25.9%) |
| Sale vs. List Price | 99.8% (-1.4%) | 101.2% | 108.0% (-7.6%) |
| Days on Market | 36 (+22.4%) | 29 | 20 (+82.7%) |
| Days of Inventory | 101 (+47.4%) | 68 | 56 (+79.8%) |
Average & median sale prices in Los Gatos
My RE Report stats come out between the 5th and the 10th of each month, but I like to get a sneak peak, so crunch my own numbers some of the time. Today I wanted a window into Los Gatos real estate pricing. First, here are the average and median sale prices for the Los Gatos market in the two “in town” zip codes of 95030 and 95032 (for single family homes):
Next, the Los Gatos Mountains (MLS area 23, zip code 95033):
Additional market info to follow in just a few days!
Los Gatos homes: class and land use
When scouring the MLS for properties to view, Los Gatos home buyers would be wise to pay attention to the property class and land use data. A few years back, I discussed a little on this topic with this article: Is that Los Gatos house or townhouse actually a condo? Today I want to focus on the MLS information that Los Gatos home buyers are viewing online, and what to look for to understand these issues better. I’ve taken screen shots from the MLS, so what you see will appear differently on other portals, but the info should be present somewhere on the page if it shows up in our local MLS.
Getting the best data means getting it from a local MLS
First, our MLS, MLSListings.com, cooperates with other MLS organizations around the state. Often, though, when info comes into our system from an outside one, some info is dropped. That can be very frustrating. The most obvious one is the days on market or DOM – it is blank when it’s an out of area MLS entry. Today I was looking for examples of property class, meaning what kind of structure is it, and the land use to share here when I found this one, below:
Normally you will find info on the “class” which means the building type, such as a single family home (if detached, a house, if attached, a duet home), a townhouse, a condominium, a duplex / triplex / fourplex, etc. Also there should be land use – is it a condo, a PUD, or a single family home? (With condos and townhomes, there’s also a line for “ownership type.)
In the photo above, “Land use” is blank. Not helpful for a home buyer! This one was from a non-MLSListings.com entry. When that happens, you may want to make note of the info you could not find so you remember to chase it down later.
Most, however, will include the land use information, such as the next one:
Many of the townhouses in Los Gatos and nearby are held in condo ownership. That means you do not own the land under the unit, even though it is a townhouse. The owner of this kind of property owns the interior space between the walls and the floor and the ceiling. The Home Owner’s Association (HOA) has responsibility for the exterior of the structure, the roof, etc. The attic may or may not be community property. In some cases, there is a shared, open attic over all the units. In those cases, only one unit will have an opening to get into the attic.
Los Gatos Spring Wine Walk
The Los Gatos Spring Wine Walk will take place on Saturday, May 4 2019 from 1:00 to 5:00pm. Stroll through downtown Los Gatos and enjoy wine tasting, free music, shopping, and the ambiance of our Gem City. Sponsored by the Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce, this popular event is $45 in advance (available to the first 300 ticket purchases) and $50 general admission online, plus processing fee. If there are tickets remaining they will go up for sale on the day of the event for $55 at the door IF it’s not sold out, so get your tickets today!
For more details and info on how to register, please see the Los Gatos Chamber’s website. Cheers!
Live Oak Manor Park & west Carlton area
There is a small pocket of Los Gatos with Los Gatos High School (Los Gatos schools) close to Ace Hardware and Live Oak Manor Park just off of Los Gatos-Almaden Road and Los Gatos Boulevard. It’s sometimes called the Live Oak Manor neighborhood. Some may call it the Carlton area, after the major street that runs through it. I have heard Realtors refer to it as “the Garcia tract” after the main builder in that neighborhood. For our purposes, I’ll call it the Live Oak Manor Park & west Carlton area to distinguish other parts of Carlton which have a different school district (Union School District) or are in the Cambrian area of San Jose.
Live Oak Manor Park & west Carlton area: location, location, location
This area is super convenient for commuters. It’s only about a half mile to the on ramp to Highway 17, and about 1 mile to Highway 85. If the freeway is backed up, it’s easy enough to get to alternate routes, such as Highway 9 or San Tomas Expressway. For those who work at Good Samaritan Hospital or one of the nearby medical offices, work is a short walk or bike ride away.
It’s not so close to downtown Los Gatos that it gets socked in with beach traffic on summer weekends. It’s easy to get to restaurants and shops along Los Gatos Boulevard, a short jaunt to the Los Gatos Creek Trail, and a quick trip to get to the JCC on Oka Road. Need groceries? Nob Hill is only a half mile away, as is the Los Gatos Cafe Uptown, Una Mas, and several other tempting destinations.
A huge plus, of course, are the highly regarded Los Gatos schools. This area is a little less expensive than nearby neighborhoods such as Blossom Manor to the south.
For many, being close to a neighborhood park is another important perk – a place to run the dogs, for kids to play, or just to get out of the house without needing a car.
Something else that should be noted is that this is a scenic pocket and most of the streets are tree lined, making it a pleasant place to be even if none of the neighborhood amenities are enjoyed.
Los Gatos crime score
AreaVibes.com has livability scores that include crime, cost of housing, employment, education, and other factors. Los Gatos scores well in all but housing. How does Los Gatos compare to the rest of California and the rest of the nation in terms of crime? The AreaVibes.com site gives Los Gatos an A+ for crime:
Area Vibes Crime info on Los Gatos
There are links for comparing two cities, too. I had a look at Los Gatos versus Saratoga and it compared favorably, though worst for the cost of housing. Here’s the AreaVibes livability scoring page for Saratoga CA.
These types of sites can be especially helpful for folks wanting to downsize and who are actively comparing one area to the next.
Water heater bracing requirements in Los Gatos
The lower strap is required to be at least 4 inches away from the controls. This is an example of one that is improperly done as the controls are closer than 4″.
The state of California has water heater bracing requirements for both gas and electric water heaters, but so do individual cities and towns. Some of those municipalities have rules that go beyond what is required by the state. (Permits and finals are required everywhere, by the way.)
Recently I found the requirements for the town of Los Gatos, and a couple of them surprised me, so I’m sharing the link here in case I’m not the only one caught a little off guard by it:
TOWN OF LOS GATOS WATER HEATER BRACING REQUIREMENTS (link to the town’s page)
San Jose’s requirements can be found here (for comparison and because they are pretty thorough by comparison to ours):
City of San Jose requirements for water heater installation (strapping, bracing, anchoring, blocking, etc.)
One concept that seems to differ between Los Gatos and San Jose has to do with the pressure release valve.
Los Gatos requirements for the pressure release valve state:
“Pressure relieve valve shall terminate to the exterior, 6 in. to 24 in. above grade with a nothread fitting pointing downward. Minimum ¼ in. per foot downward slope shall be maintained at pressure relief drain line.”
San Jose requirements for the pressure release valve:
There is a full page, and 12 numbered requirements, for the temperature & pressure relief value (T & P). Item 6 conveys that if the water heater is in a garage, the T & P does not have to drain to the exterior: “When a water heater is located in a garage, the T&P drainpipe may terminate in the garage. The piping must extend from the valve to within 12 inches but not less than 6
inches above the floor and point downward.”
Los Gatos has no such exemption for water heaters located in the garage!
BOTTOM LINE: if you are replacing your Los Gatos water heater, you might want to double check the town’s requirements to be sure that yours will be in line with the requirements of the town. There are a lot of odd water heater strapping cases around Santa Clara County, don’t let your home be one of them!
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