Alastair,   I received a wonderful letter from John Miller where he enclosed an insightful article by his friend Edward McMahon which appeared in the Planning Commissioners Journal, (#36-Fall 1999).  The article states that "unfortunately most zoning codes are proscriptive in nature.  They merely try to prevent bad things from happening without offering a vision of how things ought to be".   This describes a planning department that doesn't have a plan.   The recent escapades with the North 40 plan show how wrong it is to base development on a vague general plan.  Even Jan said  "The Council can use the precedent already set to continue to allow smaller parcels to be developed in a way that will be coherent and consistent with the Boulevard Plan."  But  we all now know the Boulevard Plan is fatally flawed by the gross general plans housing restrictions and 6 lane traffic vision.   No wonder our town's planners think a gas station convenience center should be the official gateway to  Los Gatos Gateway.   The really sad thing is that the Children?s Hospital will happen.  It would be the perfect start to developing the northern part of the North 60.  It uses only 10 acres and would aide and benefit from all the North Los Gatos features like transit, soccer fields,  magnet school, hotel, conference/theater center and underground parking.    Unfortunately, with out a detailed plan, our towns planners will let small lots get sold off piecemeal. Places are being torn down on the neighborhood side of the boulevard to put an end to any comprehensive vision.    So by the time the hospital has its funding, the support areas and neighborhood access will be long gone, turned into a series of low rise offices and convenience stores. It will probably look a lot like Orange County.   If I recall correctly, the last part of the US Constitution says than anything not written down, (enumerated herein), may still be done by the people.  The founding fathers had faith in local groups and individuals and expected laws to "prevent the bad things from happening".  My guess is that the likes of Madison and Jefferson would hope that town planners would do more than enforce laws.  I think they would expect town officials to spend their energies helping and directing those offering visions of how things ought to be" whether they be home owners building a better nest or community members calling for building more of the best of the town.   The council wasted $29,000 on planning exercise designed to help rush through the approval of a gas station. You would think they could spend about half that much to draw up the concise rendering of what the community really wants!   If not, perhaps the planning department could be renamed to the department of hoops and hurdles.   Mark     "If you don't know where you're goin', your gonna wind up where you're headin'. "   Yogi Berra