94 Hernandez Avenue residence

Speaking for the Cadiente family, argued the project meets every zoning standard with no exceptions — floor area 30.5% vs 30.8% max, lot coverage 31.9% vs 40% — and questioned why a negative recommendation arose after six rounds of revisions.

Lives next door at 74 Ellenwood; asked the commission to address the privacy she'd lose to the second floor and terrazzo overlooking her backyard, and urged vector control and a cleanup of the neglected property before or during any delay.

A 59 Hernandez resident who grew up in the neighborhood, said the house sits on the high point of the hill and its sheer mass would dominate; also questioned why an engineering firm rather than an architect designed it and noted an unrepresented potential ADU.

President of the Los Gatos Historical Society, called the process 'deception,' said the owners stripped the historic house to accelerate its decay, and argued the proposed tall, formal design is the architectural opposite of the Queen Anne-era neighborhood.

A 45-year area resident now living three houses away, called the design 'a piece of junk' with cheap windows and siding, said the landscaping would be horrendous, and vented about years of neglect at the corner lot.

A 16 Chestnut resident who built his own compliant home, said this design doesn't fit the neighborhood, is overbuilt and 'commercial industrialized,' predicted the owner will be impossible to work with, and noted the entrance was moved to Ellenwood.

Lived at 68 Elmwood for 55 years; said prior contacts with the owners went nowhere, called the vacant structures embarrassing at the gateway to the street, quoted a high-end realtor friend saying 'you can't let that happen,' and invited commissioners to walk Ellenwood.