Staff Report.136 Wheeler
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: 12/16/2020
ITEM NO: 6
DATE: December 10, 2020
TO: Historic Preservation Committee
FROM: Joel Paulson, Community Development Director
SUBJECT: Consider a Request to Remove a Presumptive Historic Property (Pre-1941)
from the Historic Resources Inventory for Property Zoned R-1:10 Located at
136 Wheeler Avenue. APN 532-37-033. Property owner: Alissa Soria.
Applicant: Jay Plett, Architect. Project Planner: Sean Mullin
RECOMMENDATION:
Consider a request to remove a presumptive historic property (pre-1941) from the Historic
Resources Inventory for property zoned R-1:10 located at 136 Wheeler Avenue.
PROPERTY DETAILS:
1. Date primary structure was built: 1922 per County Assessor’s Database
2. Town of Los Gatos Historic Status Code: ✓, 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 County Assessor’s Database indicates that the
residence was constructed in 1922. Town records indicate that a second -story addition was
permitted and completed in 1971. The applicant requests that the residence be removed from
PAGE 2 OF 2
SUBJECT: 136 Wheeler Avenue
DATE: December 10, 2020
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Wheeler.docx
DISCUSSION (continued):
the Historic Resources Inventory due to construction of previous alterations that have impacted
the integrity of the residence and the poor condition of the residence.
CONCLUSION:
The applicant’s Letter of Justification (Attachment 1) outlines reasons for the request to remove
the structure from the Historic Resources Inventory, including construction of previous
alterations that have impacted the integrity of the residence and the poor condition of 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.
FINDINGS:
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