Staff Report
PREPARED BY: SALLY ZARNOWITZ, AIA, LEED AP
Planning Manager
110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● 408-354-6832
www.losgatosca.gov
MEETING DATE: 01/12/2021 ITEM: 2
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMITTEE
DATE: January 8, 2021
TO: Historic Preservation Committee
FROM: Joel Paulson, Community Development Director
SUBJECT: Provide Comments on the Revised Initial Draft of the Land Use Element and the
Revised Initial Draft of the Community Design Element of the 2040 General Plan.
BACKGROUND:
The Zoning Regulations provide the regulatory framework for historic preservation designation
and review processes and standards. The General Plan represents the community’s long-range
view of its future and development goals. The General Plan is made up of the Background
Report and the Policy document. The Background Report (March 2019) describes a wide range
of topics, including Historical and Tribal Cultural Resources. The report provides context for
making policy decisions and serves as the “Environmental Setting” section of the Environmental
Impact Report (EIR) that will be prepared for the General Plan.
The Policy Document contains the Goals and Policies that will guide future decisions within the
Town. It also identifies a set of Implementation Programs that will be used to ensure the Goals
and Policies in the General Plan are carried out. The General Plan Update Advisory Committee
(GPAC) is currently reviewing the Policy document consisting of the Goals, Policies, and
Implementation Programs of the following General Plan elements:
1. Introduction;
2. Racial, Social, and Environmental Justice Element;
3. Land Use Element (including Preserving Our History Section);
4. Community Design Element (including Historic Preservation Section);
5. Mobility Element;
6. Housing Element (not included in this GP update);
7. Public Facilities, Services, and Infrastructure Element;
8. Open Space, Parks, and Recreation Element;
9. Environment and Sustainability Element (including Cultural and Historical
Resources Section and Tribal Cultural Resources Section); and
10. Hazards and Safety Element.
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BACKGROUND (continued):
The Environment and Sustainability Element promotes conservation of the environment,
including existing historical and tribal resources and their cultural significance. The Historic
Preservation Committee comments on the Element (Attachment 3) were provided to the GPAC
for their consideration in their review of the revised initial draft of the Element in October.
The GPAC began the review and discussion of the initial drafts of the Land Use Element
(Attachment 1) and the Community Design Element (Attachment 2) at their November 5, 2020
meeting, the Town Council held an initial discussion of the initial drafts of these Elements at
their November 17, 2020 meeting, which was followed by a GPAC working session on
November 19, 2020. Based on the feedback received at these meetings, staff has worked with
the consultants, Mintier Harnish, to revise the initial drafts of the Land Use Element and the
Community Design Element, for additional review by the GPAC in January.
DISCUSSION:
Land Use Element
The Land Use Element establishes land use designations and includes a series of goals, policies,
and programs identifying the Town’s philosophy for future change and development.
Section 3.6, Special Planning Areas, addresses the Town’s Overlay Zones, including the
Landmark and Historic Preservation (LHP) Overlay Zone. This Section proposes new Goal LU-13:
Goal LU-13 Implement overlay zones for specific areas requiring additional zoning
protections. [New Goal]
Goal LU-13 also includes the following new Policy:
LU-13.2 Updating Overlay Zones
Overlay zones shall be considered for update over time if the update would better
reflect and serve the changing needs of the community. [New Policy]
Section 3.8, Preserving Our History, addresses designated historic resources. In addition to
identifying the Town’s five historic districts, this Section proposes new Goal LU-16:
Goal LU-16 Provide for the protection of Los Gatos’ cultural heritage through the
protection and maintenance of historic resources. [New Goal]
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DISCUSSION (continued):
Goal LU-16 also includes the following new Policies:
LU-16.1 Historic Districts and Landmarks
Maintain maps on the Town’s website of Landmark and Historic Preservation (LHP)
overlay zones (districts are shown on Figure 3-105) and landmarks. These are districts
and individual sites deemed to be of architectural and/or historical significance. The
properties or buildings may be those that provide significant examples of architectural
styles of the past, are landmarks in the history of architecture in the Town, are unique
and irreplaceable assets to the Town, or provide for future generations examples of the
physical surroundings in which past generations lived. [New Policy]
LU-16.2 Preserve Public Landmarks
Actively work to preserve public Landmarks. [New Policy]
LU-16.3 Support the Preservation and Rehabilitation of Historical Resources
Support public and private efforts to preserve, rehabilitate, and continue the use of
historic sites and structures. [New Policy]
Section 3.14, Implementation Programs, carries forward existing Program F:
Program F, Study Historic Review Expansion
Conduct a study and amend the Town Code to require proposed developments that are
otherwise exempt from historic review, but that might have an impact on sites of
designated or suspected historic significance to be referred to the Historic Preservation
Committee for review and recommendation. [Existing Action CD-12.3]
Community Design Element
The Community Design Element looks at the key components of the Town’s physical
environment, including the overall preservation of historic areas to ensure these areas are
respected over time, even as development proceeds.
Section 4.3, Historic Preservation, addresses the treatment of historic resources. This Section
carries forward and modifies existing Goal CD-3 and existing Goal CD-4:
Goal CD-3 Preserve significant historic and architectural features within the Town.
[Existing Goal CD-12, modified]
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DISCUSSION (continued):
Goal CD-3 also carries forward the following existing Policies:
CD-3.1 Avoid Demolition of Historic Building
Avoid demolishing historic buildings, unless the Historic Preservation Committee finds,
based on substantial evidence, that there is no feasible means to ensure the
preservation of the structure. [Existing Policy CD-12.1, modified]
CD-3.2 Reuse of Existing Buildings
Encourage the preservation, maintenance, and adaptive reuse of existing residential,
commercial, or public buildings. [Existing Policy CD-12.2]
CD-3.3 Historic Structure Preservation
Preserve and protect historic structures, including those that have been designated or
are contributors to existing historic districts. Use special care in reviewing new buildings
or remodels in the vicinity of historic structures to address compatibility issues and
potential impacts. [Existing Policy CD-12.3]
CD-3.4 Historic Preservation Programs
Continue the Town’s careful and proactive historic preservation programs, tempered
with compassion and understanding of property owners’ needs, desires, and financial
capabilities. [Existing Policy CD-12.4]
CD-3.5 Historic Preservation Committee Review
Require the referral of zone changes, planned development applications, and zoning
approvals that may result in the demolition of historic structures to the Historic
Preservation Committee for review and recommendation. [Existing Policy CD-12.5,
modified]
CD-3.6 New Structures within Historic Districts
Require new structures within historic districts to be designed to blend within the
existing neighborhood. [Existing Policy CD-12.6, modified]
CD-3.7 Potential Impacts to Historic Landmarks and Features
Require all projects to consider any adverse effect to historic landmarks and features on
or in the vicinity of the proposed project. [Existing Policy CD-12.7, modified]
CD-3.8 Historic Site Impact Mitigation
Require any development having potential adverse impacts on historical sites and/or
features on or in the vicinity of historical sites to:
a) Accommodate the historical structure or feature;
b) Mitigate potential adverse impacts to a level acceptable to the Town; or
c) Relocate the historical feature to an appropriate site; and [Existing Policy CD-12.8]
CD-3.9 Historic Structure Use or Donation
Encourage property owners to use historic structures or, if not feasible, encourage their
donation to the Town. [Existing Policy CD-12.9]
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DISCUSSION (continued):
Goal CD-4 Support and encourage thoughtful rehabilitation or reuse of historic
structures. [Existing Goal CD-13, modified]
Goal CD-4 also carries forward the following existing Policies:
CD-4.1 Historic Structure Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation of damaged historic structures shall be consistent with the policies of the
Safety Element and the State Historic Building Code. [Existing Policy CD-13.1]
CD-4.2 Historic Structure Renovations
Require renovations or remodels of historic structures to be architecturally consistent
with the original structure. [Existing Policy CD-13.2, modified]
CD-4.3 Restoration Project Assistance
Provide applicants and developers with information and staff time to assist in
restoration projects. [Existing Policy CD-13.3]
CD-4.4 Financial Benefit Information
Provide information about financial benefits including tax law benefits for rehabilitation
of historic structures and the vibrant historic downtown. [Existing Policy CD-13.4]
Section 4.5, Community Place Districts, addresses the treatment of the Downtown District. This
Section carries forward and modifies existing Goal CD-8:
Goal CD-8 Preserve the character of Downtown Los Gatos and the quality of life for its
citizens through high-quality building design. [Existing Goal CD-9, modified]
Goal CD-8 also proposes the following new Policies related to historic preservation:
CD-8.3 Compatible Scale
Maintain existing compatibility and consistency amongst existing historic development
and new development by ensuring adjacent structures are compatible in scale and
massing. [New Policy]
CD-8.6 Historic Architectural Core
Reinforce the historic architectural core of Los Gatos by prohibiting the inclusion of
modern, contemporary, mid-century modern, and industrial modern architecture
Downtown. [New Policy]
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DISCUSSION (continued):
Section 4.6, Implementation Programs, carries forward several existing Programs related to
historic preservation:
Program H Review Historic Landmark Preservation Legislation
Periodically review historic landmark and preservation legislation and update the Town
Code as necessary. [Existing Action CD-12.2]
Program I Conduct a Historic Resources Survey
Review the historic resources survey every five years to identify valuable and historical
architectural styles and features within the Central Business District, and residential
historic districts, as well as the potential to add additional resources to the list. [Existing
Action CD-10.1, modified]
Program J Establish Public Information Programs
Establish public information programs designed to make owners of historic structures
and the general public aware of the value of historic buildings and to encourage their
maintenance. [Existing Action CD-12.1]
Program O Adopt Guidelines to Protect the Environment
Adopt guidelines for development review that protect:
a) Rare plants and wildlife and their habitats;
b) Natural watersheds;
c) Historic sites; and
d) Aesthetically significant sites. [Existing Action CD-17.6]
CONCUSION:
The HPC may provide recommendations for any additions, deletions, or revisions to historic
preservation Goals, Policies, or Programs which will be forwarded to the GPAC.
Attachments:
1. Revised Initial Draft of the Land Use Element
2. Revised Initial Draft of the Community Design Element
3. HPC Comments on the Initial Draft of the Environment and Sustainability Element