Item 4 - Staff Report and Attachments 1 - 4
PREPARED BY: SEAN MULLIN, AICP
Associate Planner
110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● 408-354-6874
www.losgatosca.gov
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
HISTORIC PRESERVATION
COMMITTEE REPORT
MEETING DATE: 06/24/2020
ITEM NO: 4
DATE: June 16, 2020
TO: Historic Preservation Committee
FROM: Joel Paulson, Community Development Director
SUBJECT: Consider a Request to Remove a Pre-1941 Property from the Historic
Resources Inventory for Property Zoned R-1D Located at 324 Los Gatos
Boulevard. APN 532-36-033. Property Owners: Gary Tsang and Yin Yap.
Applicant: Andrew Tang, Project Designer. Project Planner: Sean Mullin
RECOMMENDATION:
Consider a request to remove a pre-1941 property from the Historic Resources Inventory for
property zoned R-1:8 located at 324 Los Gatos Boulevard.
PROPERTY DETAILS:
1. Date primary structure was built: 1937 per County Assessor’s Database
2. Town of Los Gatos Historic Status Code: +, historic and intact, worthy of special note; or,
✓, historic and some altered but still contributor to
district if there is one
3. Does property have an LHP Overlay? No
4. Is structure in a historic district? No
5. If yes, is it a contributor? N/A
6. Findings required? Yes
7. Considerations required? No
DISCUSSION:
The applicant is requesting approval to remove the pre-1941 residence from the Historic
Resources Inventory and has provided a Letter of Justification and photos of the residence
(Attachments 1 and 2). Additional attachments include the 1990 Anne Bloomfield Survey and a
Sanborn Map Exhibit (Attachments 3 and 4). The applicant requests that the residence be
removed from the Historic Resources Inventory due to its lack of historic significan ce and loss of
integrity resulting from alterations to the residence.
PAGE 2 OF 2
SUBJECT: 324 Los Gatos Boulevard
DATE: June 16, 2020
N:\DEV\HISTORIC PRESERVATION\HPC Sheets\2020\06-24-20\Item 4 - 324 Los Gatos Boulevard\Staff Report.docx
CONCLUSION:
The applicant’s Letter of Justification (Attachment 1) outlines reasons for the request to remove
the structure from the Historic Resources Inventory, including lack of historic significance and
loss of integrity resulting from alterations to the residence.
Should the Committee find that the structure does not have sufficient historic significance or
architectural merit, the structure would be removed from the Historic Resources Inventory and
any proposed work would not return to the Committee.
A. Findings - related to a request for a determination that a pre-1941 primary structure has no
historic significance or architectural merit.
In evaluating a request for a determination of historic significance or architectural merit,
the Historic Preservation Committee shall consider the following:
1. The structure is not associated with events that have made a significant contribution
to the Town;
2. No Significant persons are associated with the site;
3. There are no distinctive characteristics of type, period or method of construction or
representation of work of a master;
4. The structure does not yield information to Town history; or
5. The integrity has been compromised such that the structure no longer has the
potential to convey significance.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Letter of Justification
2. Photos
3. 1990 Bloomfield Survey
4. Sanborn Map Exhibit
1 6 4 8 U n i o n S t r e e t S u i t e 1 0 1 S a n F r a n c i s c o , C A 9 4 1 2 3
t e l 4 1 5 4 0 9 8 8 0 8 w w w . t e a m 7 . c o m
10/June/2020 (revision #1 16/June/2020)
Members of Los Gatos Historic Preservation Committee
110 E. Main Street.
Los Gatos, CA 95030
Ref.: Request to remove 324 Los Gatos Boulevard, from Los Gatos Historic Inventory.
Dear Members of Los Gatos Historic Preservation Committee:
My name is Andrew Tang; Project Designer from Team7 International (T7) a small Architectural design
firm in San Francisco. My office was commissioned by Property Owners at 324 Los Gatos Boulevard for
this extension project. The property owners, whom just purchased the property on March 2020, are
planning on doing a vertical extension and exterior/ architectural style modification on the residence, as
their family is growing and would want to have a larger house to accommodate the growing family.
Since the property owners wouldn’t and couldn’t increase the site coverage, vertical extension /
expanding to second floor would be the only option to achieve their need.
As the residence at 324 Los Gatos Blvd, was constructed in 1937, it is considered part of the historic
inventory of the town. By doing a vertical extension, the street facing façade exterior materials will be
affect more than 25% of the exterior façade.
REQUEST: In order to achieve a vertical extension yet still maintaining disturbed street facing façade
exterior material under 50%, I would like request to remove 324 Los Gatos Boulevard, from the historic
inventory list.
FINDINGS: The existing house at 324 Los Gatos, while its architectural style can be categorized as a
Ranch Style house, many of the original architectural characteristics have been removed and altered
throughout the span of the house existence. The current property owners (my client) have not engaged in
any modification and renovation at the property. Any modifications and renovations exhibited in the
below document and finding were done by previous property owners.
Document 1) Building permit record shows that on 2003, a new roofing permit was issue, assuming
there might have been many reroofing throughout the span of the house existence, and
the new thin asphalt shingles are in no resemblance to the original roofing materials that
were used in 1937 and has significantly reduce the house original characteristic.
ATTACHMENT 1
1 6 4 8 U n i o n S t r e e t S u i t e 1 0 1 S a n F r a n c i s c o , C A 9 4 1 2 3
t e l 4 1 5 4 0 9 8 8 0 8 w w w . t e a m 7 . c o m
Document 1.
Building permit on new
roofing on 2003
1 6 4 8 U n i o n S t r e e t S u i t e 1 0 1 S a n F r a n c i s c o , C A 9 4 1 2 3
t e l 4 1 5 4 0 9 8 8 0 8 w w w . t e a m 7 . c o m
Document 2) Photos taken from Google Map dated back to 2009, few of the original architectural
elements were still intact; the exterior wooden window shutters, front porch wood picket
fence, street facing main door, and thin profile exterior window frames.
Document 2.1) Is the current photo of the house, the exterior wooden window shutters are taken out, the
front porch wood picket fence are also gone, the main entrance door had been relocated
to the side, and all exterior window frames have been replaced by substantial thicker
profile window frame, with all these architectural elements taken out, the current house
doesn’t hold much of the original architectural character, more so, it has rendered the
current house to an nondescript architectural style house with no particular historic
reference.
Document 2.1
Current photo of house.
Taken on March 2020
Document 2.
Google Map street
view of house in
2009.
1 6 4 8 U n i o n S t r e e t S u i t e 1 0 1 S a n F r a n c i s c o , C A 9 4 1 2 3
t e l 4 1 5 4 0 9 8 8 0 8 w w w . t e a m 7 . c o m
Document 3) Prior to the current use as a single family house, the previous use of the house was an
Residential Care Home. Document 3 is from Chamber of Commerce.com indicating 324
Los Gatos was a Residential Care Home before. As such there had been many alteration/
modifications interiorly and exteriorly in the house to accommodate the change of use to
a residential care home. A total of 3 additional ½ baths were added, new exterior exits
doors are added to the house as well. Please see Document 3.1 for the existing house
floor plan/ interior configuration for the added ½ baths and also added exterior exit doors.
With this change of use, and the interior and exterior modification associated with the
change of all the added exterior doors, it further more hindered the historic integrity of
the house.
Document 3.1) Existing residence floor plan
Document 3
Chamber of Commerce
indicates previous “Change
of Use” The use of house is
indicated as Residential
Care Home.
Document 3.1
Existing residence.
With arrows indicating all the
modification and new doors to
accommodate the residential
care home
1 6 4 8 U n i o n S t r e e t S u i t e 1 0 1 S a n F r a n c i s c o , C A 9 4 1 2 3
t e l 4 1 5 4 0 9 8 8 0 8 w w w . t e a m 7 . c o m
Document 4) Existing interior photos depicting street facing room, showing new added exterior door
and also new vinyl windows that are facing the street, as all windows and doors have
been altered modified and it had lost the residence original present.
With above document 2-4 as proof of exterior window changes and new added doors and openings
throughout the house, it is suffice to say that there had been exterior stucco work to patch up all the new
windows during window replacement and also new doors installation. I believe all these finding would
support that the current residence has had substantial modification throughout the life span of the house
and that the house has lost most if not all of its historical integrity.
I hope the above documents, evidence, and photographs would justify my request to remove 324 Los
Gatos Blvd from the town’s historic inventory. Hopefully allowing the house to be removed from the
historic inventory, the Owner’s could attain this remodeling project and proceed forward with creating
their dream home and enjoy it with their growing family.
Sincerely,
Andrew Tang
Project Designer
Team 7 International
Document 4
New replaced vinyl
windows & new door
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ATTACHMENT 2
d/nne !Bloom{u.fd
ARCHITECTURAL/CULTURAL SURVEY
LOS GATOS RESEARCH
File address 8~4 ~~~ Go A:,-;7 b
PARCEL MAP INFORMATION
ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY
(41 51 922-1 063
2229 WEBSTER STREET
SAN FRANCISCO. CA 941 15
Parcel #58.;2 -~~ -o~ Lot size: cg 2 front ft. x / t!7 D ft. deep
Lot shape: Rectangle ~L __ _ Rectangle with small rear jog ___ Other ____________________ __
Location: N s E /' W Ave Other side of _ __::..L-_&-;~-----St -------
distance to cross st: ft . N S E W from --------------:.__ __________________ _
at NE NW SE _/ SW corner of -4, ,eJ,-7
HISTORIC INFORMATION ON P~RCEL MAP
L b7 Old tract or subdivision name vJ'-'•~'1 .. nl • Old Block # ____ Old lot #_?_;_¢ ___ _
FIELD SURVEY INFORMATION (handwritten in red)
Preliminary rating I ~ r-1" Estimated age i'I,!,J... ~C/Style /J4 e d f-kr ~VI~
1
It stories__
Alterations :__ ___________________________________________________________________ _
Other -----------------------------------------------------------------------
COUNTY ASSESSOR--PROPERTY CHARACTERISTICS (paste on copy) Pagej~ EFFective date 1;;2 -'157
OWNERSHIP SHOWN ON MAPS
Source
Name
Source
Date
Source Location of property, or Lot
Page Old -tract/block/lot Size
Owner
Name
! I
----:1891 ---,---------------'! ___________ _
Blk Book ' 1908
11 1941 : I/_ I ~ I I I ~ 2 ~ ~~J l J I. ) d k s , /j/ !2 L =Su=r:....:.v-.::e.;_y ___
1
•""BJ~ t{3 . ;5 E S J A v <t ~ilfl'! ! X /oo , ·If-/.. t:JY ,v .-· :....(' ~{'_.
i I T . I
I : i I ! I ______ ,___ I ------------------------
_____ ! ___ --------------------------------------------------
i I
MISCELLANEOUS PHOTOS: Roll/ frame It (!::?~""' /i,;
7 National Register listed date _______________ _
County Inventory 1979 _________ ~~----------
Town of Los Gatos: Designation __ Recognition __ _
District Name :,__ ___________________________ _
Prev f'~ffJ\vey
~Afii./foN .~ fqdfl (
1 /_ J .1 j•l. Contri butor)(
Ha TO •"~4J MP 1 i"r~ District Non-contrib
Earliesc know n ---
Oiroer,X Resident~: Elsa. If a."" :8...,rz.f
~): /. "17
!>VMI\U" ~. ~"''C'.,O P ; ,._I
1 Alteration~:~ Moved
·Rai sed Porch encl--
Addition__ Sidin~
Windows __ Condition __
Designer : a __ b_ d)(
c. p '"Bt-t ,.J
Date I /JO.J..:r ?t7
ATTACHMENT 3
~ile address 3 ;;2 4" L Q .S
PUBLISRBD MllfJUNCEMEI!rrS
dlnne .r "?om{LE.[J
ARCHITECTURAL SURVEY
BUILDING RESEARCH
Souree1 __ A&B __ Bulletin __ CA&BN __ call __ chron __ DPB __ Ed_.AB __ !DC __ News _PCA Other
ARCHIT~~TURA L HISTORY
!4 1 5) 922·1 063
22:<.. .JEBSTER STREET
SAN FRANCISC O. CA 9411 5
VolWIIe Date · Paqe __ _
Nature of ·announeement: __ contract notice __ Notice of completion __ BP issued __ Photo __ Elev/sketch/rend'g __ Floor plan __ Arch't/cont'r pub ___ Real est.
Copy exactly1
owner Builder/Contractor Architect/Engineer .!,ocation Nature of work Coat
BUILDING PERMIT~
Source: Permit
Reqister P
Address requested. ________ . _________________ __
I ress-Application Date Dem., or . . . Number
OTHER SOURCE (specify thoroughly)
~!Sur-vi -til-/9s6 -/~$~'
SANBORN HAPS
Vac.
or
Vol/ dif.
.P!.!1! bldg
-:;;./ ~
,., ;it,s,
Address
Color:
yel, pnk,
orange
blu,gry
reen
. ............... Location
Patches
Yea/
No
£2.tt
No. of
stories!
'
Use / Owner
No. of &
!l!!.ll!... address
No . of
Height bay
~windows
Builder/ Arch't/
contr. & engin'r
address & address Description
/Initials Date
Bldg's
width/
depth/ Exterior
of work height Mater,:ials
~.nitials date
/Initials Date
Date of
constr .
\
Describe or aketcl
plan
dlnlU !Bloom{ufd
AaelUTBC~~~~-SURVBY
RAMB 'RBDARCH
ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY
141 5) 922·1 063
2229 WEBSTER STREET
SAN FRANCISCO. CA 94 1 1 5
•-(peraon, buildinCJ, orCJ&nia&tion, etc)~--~---------------------------
\ddr••••• •••oc:iated with Hanle . ..-::3~;?,=-4"'--_L_;::;<fi~P..::;... ___________________________ _
a.levant dat••s conatr~etion. ___ . birth. ___ . deathi-.--· other _________ _
J. DJMC'l'ORY SBARCH (City Directori••• county Dlrectorie8, Telephoaw look•, aociety cUrectoriea, ate.)
r.l••'"'" '"""D" ent:ir.. exa..t:l;:, •• ehown · uae • for boldla-) Year Book N!Mle/Cla••if!'Led u .... ,.,,..,.
jtl:;o I ~D SoW\ • '1'h L 141 'I tl J r + "3 b~ ~ 3 _r:__"L~ t:~r:.c.-_1
n ~ f..ov H 'CL. .e ""A..) d e-1, · , s-AI s. c "l. a.v r It"~ ~4 t r v 1 e:--..v
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datt
~. BIOGRAPHICAL S&AltCR, indexe• • other alphal)etie.l lhtinqa •..
Mark 'X' Unfd .or 'II' (nothinCJ fCNftd) at each aource you try . Lbt fi.ndia98 below.
-Los Gatos Library:
City directories (name & street index)
---Historic Collection Index (green boxes)
---Thompson & West, 1876 (bio index)
California History Center , De Anza College:
___ Biographical file
Photo collection
---Pen Pictures, 1888 (bio index)
---Sunshine Fruit & Flowers, 1895 (bio index)
--Guinn, 1904 (bio index) San Jose Historical Nuseum:
---Sawyer, 1922 (bio index) Great Registers (of voters)
---Bruntz, Hist'y of LG, 1971 (bio index) Indexes
~~~xtended index to Bruntz Photo collection
Blo index of Nunroe Frazer, 1881 (Survey box)
Photo collection (2 boxes) Other sources:
___ Indexes, California Historical 0tfarter1 y
Los Gatos Museum (Forbes Mill): State Library Information Index (fiche)
Death records by year State Library-S . F. Newspaper Ind~x · ('')
Funeral records (index cards to big books)
Photo collection
L:7 Continued on Rever•e
File Address~ #: L..r; .ZS
d/nne !Bfoc-.. -{iLfd
ARCHITECTURAL SURVEY
ASSESSMENT ROLL RESEARCH
Tract/Block/Lot ______________________ ____
, .... c;) 922·1 063
2229 wr ~R STREET
SAN FRANC I . CA 9 4 I 1 5
Assessments are filed by last name of property owner, but not necessarily in alphabetical order. Some years there is an
index inside the volume or in a separate book . The goal of a search is to find the years when the assessed value of
"improvements" (buildings) changed from 0 to over $500, or when that figure rose by $500 or mroe. Write down every year
and name you try, including the years when you find nothing . Ditto marks are fine.
-----Lot
Tract/
Date Page Name Acres
.I/ 7}? J ; n:J ~ -r,. ;it: 3?)~ I
11 \fa.., 15!),,. kl 11
" ),~·------"'"\. ~ P1 5S"&-I~""
Av :sl=" c . /o..cre
It 70 /IN-/ "' ... ..., ...,
" >'\ .. -g.z-t'
Identification/Boundaries----
Block/ Lot/
N Bdy E Bdy S Bdy
~I.P.
/00' (;J,~.f
'yt , /1
-/-4rJt;_z &.-n:l
h 'Po.t.r.L <i" aJ •
11 ~~
-------
W Bdy
stAv
1'1
.JI
--A ssessm ent for--
Improve-
Land ments Other Info. --
$ $~------1----------
56'0 --
"66V
7'~&-
...
660
1908
324 Los Gatos Blvd Harding Avenue ATTACHMENT 4
1928 Harding Avenue 324 Los Gatos Blvd
1956 Harding Avenue 324 Los Gatos Blvd
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