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vol . 2, no. 36 : may 10-16, 2023 : losgatan.com
turnaround scholarships p4 : swimmers set records p10 : upcoming events p14 : ny times crossword puzzle p17 Trisha Leeper
LOS GATOS CONSIDERS UPDATES TO TRAFFICRELATED FEES FOR DEVELOPERS Town basing levies on ‘Vehicle Miles Traveled’
‘Fentanyl High’ to be screened May 16 with panel discussion
Drew Penner, Reporter
Council got its first chance to go over changes the Town is considering making to its traffic-related development fee structure, last week, and members were quite surprised at some of the details. The Traffic Impact Policy was introduced in 1991 and the current version is based on how many Average Daily Trips new builds would add to Los Gatos—charging $1,015 more each time one is added. That works out to 9.44 trips per single-family residence ($9,581.60), for example. There’s been a shift in the urban planning world to a new method of calculating how much to levy on developers to cover the increased transportation burden their projects will bring: Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT). Some jurisdictions have embraced VMT as a way to wean themselves off a reliance on gas taxes. The U.S. Department of Transportation notes that if you can decrease VMT (per capita), you’ll not only improve air quality, but you’ll also boost the overall health of the population. ➝ Traffic, 6
LOCAL STUDENT DEBUTS FILM ON DANGERS OF FENTANYL Staff Report
Los Gatos High School junior Kyle Angelo Santoro will debut his film, “Fentanyl High: The Truth Behind the High School Epidemic,” with a panel discussion and screening on May 16. “Fentanyl High” is a documentary for the high school communities of the Bay Area, researched and directed by Santoro. Shot from the perspective and experiences of high school students in Santa Clara County, the documentary focuses on Fentanyl poisoning and how it gets into the hands of youth through social media. ➝ Fentanyl, 4
Subscribe to receive Los Gatan home delivery every week. SOCIAL EVENT Attendees sample the variety of food at the garden event, Grow: a Springtime Sisterhood Social & Fundraiser, held at Lisa and Charlie Matar’s home in Monte Sereno on May 7. Invited guests enjoyed tea and champagne, farm fresh plant-based culinary treats and a table talk with Lisa Matar, founder of Health Bear Foods, Chris Laughlin, farmer and founder of Sea-to-Sky Farms, and Johanna Mahal, Philanthropy Director of Opportunity International. Moderated by Stefanie Lingle Beasley, co-founder, and partner at Beasley McCusker PR, the three featured female speakers shared how they got their start in farming, food creation and philanthropy, and how they are interconnected in their desires to make the world a better place through sustainable practices of earth stewardship, planet-based, low carbon dietary options and climate resilience programs for global farmers living in ultra poverty.
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