An older adult community in Los Gatos is on its way toward a major overhaul, providing what officials said are much-needed homes.
The Los Gatos Town Council unanimously approved the Los Gatos Meadows development Tuesday, a 209-home, multi-story project dedicated for older adults at 110 Wood Road. Councilmember Maria Ristow recused herself from the vote because of her home’s proximity to the site. The 10.84-acre project will restore the former Los Gatos Meadows older adult community, shuttered in 2019 after 48 years due to safety concerns. Rockwood Pacific and older adult living nonprofit Front Porch Communities will demolish and rebuild the abandoned development with about 185 independent living and up to 24 supportive care homes.
The project, slated for completion by late 2029, will provide more housing options for the town’s growing older adult population. About one in five Los Gatos residents are 65 and older, according to 2024 U.S. Census data. By 2030, more than 25% of Santa Clara County’s population is predicted to be 60 and older, according to county data. Los Gatos has a population of just above 32,000, according to 2023 census data.
Mayor Matthew Hudes said creating more housing for the town’s older adult population is critical to allow residents to age in place in the community they love. He said he’d consider moving to the Meadows project as he gets older.
“Aging in place is really important, not only at the Meadows, but in the rest of Los Gatos,” Hudes told San José Spotlight. “We need to provide what they call village services that allow people to stay in their homes with the kind of support that they need.”
Plans to revitalize Los Gatos Meadows don’t include an affordable housing option because the development isn’t required to provide it. But Mary McMullin, chief advancement officer at Front Porch Communities, said the development agreement includes 11 affordable homes at El Sombroso Oaks, a separate older adult community the nonprofit runs. Those homes must be created before Front Porch Communities can receive the builder’s permit for the Meadows, which will take about two years.
The project has a lengthy history in the community.
Developers first submitted plans in 2020 and the Los Gatos Planning Commission reviewed them in 2022. The commission unanimously opposed the project largely due to building heights and its concentration of luxury homes before sending it to the town council. Councilmembers sent it back to the commission, which unanimously recommended its approval last November after the developer made several adjustments, including tucking it more into the hillside.
Frank Rockwood, Rockwood Pacific development executive, said the project was thoughtfully designed so residents could access downtown and remain part of the community.
“This is going to be one of the best communities of its kind in the whole country,” he told San José Spotlight. “(I’m) looking forward to getting another step down the road, toward the fruition of that vision.”
Residents have broadly supported the project, with only a few concerns about fire safety due to the hillside location. Project plans include two fire entrances and exits and McMullin said residents will participate in fire drills every year.
Alan Feinberg, board member of older adult nonprofit Los Gatos Thrives Foundation and resident for about 35 years, said without more older adult housing, he and his friends may have to move away from the town they adore. He said he’d consider living at Los Gatos Meadows because of its integration into the community.
“Seniors don’t want to live in a seniors-only community,” Feinberg told San José Spotlight. “They want to live in the town that they’ve loved for all the years they’ve lived here and continue to participate in all the town has to offer.”
Los Gatos has other older adult communities, including The Terraces of Los Gatos. The town is part of Age Friendly Silicon Valley, an effort using World Health Organization guidelines to make municipalities in the county accessible and supportive of older adults.
Feinberg said the town’s support is vital.
“I see how (vibrant) this town is with a population that is multi-generational, how we want to continue to provide housing and services for all ages within the community,” he said. “It’s a terrific town.”
Contact Annalise Freimarck at [email protected] or follow @annalise_ellen on X, formerly known as Twitter.
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