1.
Gateway Analysis Toolkit
What are community
gateways?
Primary entry points to the City or
business district.
…and can be much more.

2.
What is importance of a
gateway to the community?
Help create
◦ sense of arrival or arrival zone.
◦ sense of image
◦ sense of identity.
◦ sense of atmosphere.
◦ sense of culture
◦ sense of belonging to a community.
Help provide marketing, advertising icons and/or
brand recognition

3.
Where are the gateways for
Downtown Los Altos?
Foothill / First and Edith
San Antonio / Main and Edith
Foothill / San Antonio and First
Foothill / First and Main

4.
Gateway Locations

5.
Foothill / First and Edith

6.
Foothill / First and Edith

7.
San Antonio / Main and Edith

8.
San Antonio / Main and Edith

9.
San Antonio / Main and Edith

10.
Foothill / San Antonio and First

11.
Foothill / San Antonio and First

12.
Foothill / San Antonio and First

13.
Foothill / San Antonio and First

14.
Foothill / First and Main

15.
Foothill / First and Main

16.
Foothill / First and Main

17.
Now, back to gateways
Gateway Analysis Toolkit:
A set of common, agreed upon criteria or
standards for evaluating gateways.
Can be used to help determine if any
proposed project meets the needs of the
community residents and businesses.

18.
Imagine…
What comes to mind when you think of “Santana
Row”?
Do you sense the
◦ atmosphere
◦ culture
◦ expectation of successful businesses & restaurants
◦ Inviting outdoor meeting and entertainment spaces
where community and public can gather?
This is the kind of image that a Gateway should help
provide

19.
Imagine…
Now imagine entering downtown Los Altos
through one of the four gateways.
What do you see and sense?
What do you hope to see in the future?

20.
How do we design and
evaluate gateway projects to
ensure they fulfill their role?
Your Job:
◦ Assess and communicate community wants and
needs
◦ Develop evaluation skills, using a set of common
criteria for reviewing proposed gateway projects.
◦ Get involved in the public review process – attend:
Architectural review meetings
Planning commission meetings
City Council meetings

21.
Gateway Analysis Toolkit:
Proposed Evaluation Criteria
What common evaluation criteria do
architects, designers and planners
commonly use to review a potential
gateway project?

22.
Criteria #1 Arrival Zones
What is your first visual impression upon arrival,
by car, by bicycle or by walking?
What do you see first?
a primary architectural feature?
A community outdoor meeting space?
Landscaping?
A parking lot?
The back of a building?
Open space?
Monument or signage?

23.
Criteria #2:
General Site Design
Identify the primary view corridors for
arrival.
Are the building elements oriented in such
a way to give a sense of arrival?

24.
Criteria #3:
Building orientation and
view corridors
Evaluate building site plan in context of
◦ neighboring view corridors,
◦ arrival zones
◦ Usable outdoor open space

25.
Criteria #4:
Parking Requirements
Is adequate parking provided onsite for
the intended uses?
Does it meet required parking ratios?
Does the site dimensions allow the
creation of efficient parking layouts?
Should additional parking be required for
other off-site uses or public benefits?

26.
Criteria #5:
Architectural elements and
building massing
Is the building massing and articulation of a
scale that introduces you to the downtown?
Is the architectural style conducive to the image
of the downtown?
Does proposed style create diversity or continuity
in architectural styles?
Are the architectural elements responsive to
usable public outdoor /pedestrian spaces?

27.
Criteria #6:
Usable Public outdoor/
pedestrian spaces
Are the outdoor public spaces large enough to be
functional?
Can we have an outdoor café and leisure
seating?
Is there enough room for music and/or other
small scale entertainment?
Are the outdoor spaces shaded or in full sun?
Does the building’s configuration and orientation
provide these usable outdoor spaces?

28.
Criteria #7:
Usability of interior building
spaces
Is the building configuration conducive to active,
leasable store fronts of appropriate size to attract
the most desirable retailers?
Are the upper level office spaces of appropriate
configuration and size?

29.
Criteria #8:
Additional Public Benefit
Can additional parking be provided to benefit
other existing or proposed projects?
Can the developer be given incentives to provide
additional improvement?
Can specific uses be identified as public benefits
and incorporated into the design?
Can the City provide additional amenities to
enhance the proposed design?

30.
What other criteria can we
add to the toolkit?
Criteria #9

31.
Discussion:
Public vs. Private Gateways
What’s the difference between a gateway on
private property and one on public property?
Should the public have more input and
control over a gateway on publicly owned
property?
Can we expect more public benefits from a
Gateway project on public property?
Who pays for the public benefits?

32.
First and Main Project
◦ On this public property, the City has…
“…an obligation to promote sound development, to
promote a high level of design which will enhance
the City’s downtown area, and to provide an
environment for the social, economic and
psychological growth and well-being of the citizens
of the City.”
-Los Altos City Option Agreement with the developer for
First and Main Gateway Project
How do we interpret this obligation?

33.
Proposed Site Plan for First
and Main Gateway Project

34.
NEXT STEPS
What to expect at our next meeting
◦ Apply toolkit criteria to proposed design
submitted by developer
◦ List areas where design meets criteria
◦ List areas where refinements are needed
◦ List questions for developer and city leaders
Closing Questions?
Discussion