Los Gatos Commercial Design Guidelines FINAL ... - City of Winters

LOS GATOS BOULEVARD
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Town of Los Gatos
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AUTO DEALERSHIP GUIDELINES
Automobile dealerships in Los Gatos, as of the adoption of
this document, are for the most part located in relatively older buildings
that fall far short of current dealership standards for the image
branding desired by automobile manufacturers. In some cases, they
consist of a complex of buildings constructed over a period of
time - often with limited materials or visual relationship to other
parts of the dealership complex. The existing facilities neither project
an upscale image to compete with other Bay Area auto sales centers
nor do they have a unique quality that would make them beloved as
architectural models for the Town of Los Gatos.
Improvements to existing buildings or the construction of new
facilities is complicated by the internal rules and standards imposed
by individual auto makers. Frequently, a dealership must follow the
corporate prototype standards or risk loss of supporting financing
and future car allotments. These conditions also have the potential
to affect Town finances by a reduction in sales tax revenue. On the
other hand, corporate prototypes vary widely in their character and
suitability to the character of the Town and Los Gatos Boulevard.
Some are very well designed but may have a predominance of
shiny metal wall surfacing, while others may incorporate materials
or elements that might seem foreign to the Town of Los Gatos.
The challenge of these design guidelines will be to find a balance
between the dealerships’ special business needs and the maintenance
of the special visual qualities of the Town of Los Gatos.
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Commercial Design Guidelines