Attachment 1 - Project Description LetterPRE21-00406: History 104 Wilder Avenue, Los Gatos Page 1
Beckstrom Architecture + Interiors
PO Box 1317, Los Gatos, CA 94030
650 847-8351
E: Eric@BeckstromArchitecture.com
April 15, 2020
TO: Los Gatos Planning/Building Dept
Project: 104 Wilder Avenue, Los Gatos, 95030
APN: 510-17-070
Zoning: R:1D: LHP
Project Description: Remodel interior, ‘refresh’ the front elevation and replace all windows and install scale
appropriate windows, in the backyard (not viewed from any street) raise roof spring line in second floor Main
Bedroom. There is no historic impact as there are no historic buildings on this lot as this house was built in 1982.
Architect’s Professional and Historical Background
1.Prior Historic projects
a.Winchester, England village, circa 1250; assisted David Trussler, Architect, in renovation
plans and drawings for Historic Church,. Rebuilding the tower and other renovations to the
National Trust standards.
b.London, England, 4 Millbank, Westminster, 1914; Omrania UK Architects, renovations
(near the Houses of Parliament)
i.In 1914-16 architects John W. Simpson and Maxwell Ayrton designed and built 4
Millbank, a six-story Neoclassical office building for the Offices of the Crown Agents
for the Colonies. This structure has since been converted into multi-let office
building with a central, glass-roofed atrium.
c.Louvre Renovations (Pyramid, etc.), I.M. Pei and Partners
d.San Francisco, 1772 Vallejo Street, 1875; registered historic landmark. Renovation and
Addition. Gast and Associates Architects. Obtained approval from the SF Historical Board
for 4 story, French Second Empire conversion from offices back to a single family home
with addition.
i.A city landmark, 1772 Vallejo Street includes a wine cellar, media room, garden
cottage and exercise room. Here is one of two parlors, which features a fireplace
and chandelier. https://www.sfgate.com/business/article/1772-Vallejo-St-San-
Francisco-3281594.php
e.Santa Clara, CA, 1925; 393 Jefferson St. (next to 373 Jefferson, 1840’s Berryessa Adobe-the
oldest house in Santa Clara) restoration/reconstruction,
f.Palo Alto, 1936; 2150 Cowper, historic house renovations/addition permitting
g.Rockport Maine, 1841; Maine Ship’s captain house renovations/additions
h.Camden, Maine, 1903; 35 Neillehaven Drive, Maine Ship’s captain house
renovations/additions
i.Flyingge, Sweden, 1890; Swedish Farmhouse renovations/addition
j.Historical Researcher-A pictorial history of the Thames River, London, 1986/87
k.Historical Researcher-A pictorial and map history of Beijing & China, Chaoyang Urban
History Museum, Beijing, 2012
ATTACHMENT 1
PRE21-00406: History 104 Wilder Avenue, Los Gatos Page 2
Urban History Overview
In 1840 Mexico made a 6,331 acre land grant called ‘Rancho Rinconda De Los Gatos’ see the map on the left with Los
Gatos creek in the middle. The subject site would be located to the left of the creek.
1873 Geo Map, Los Gatos Creek is in the middle
PRE21-00406: History 104 Wilder Avenue, Los Gatos Page 3
1876 Santa Clara County Map
PRE21-00406: History 104 Wilder Avenue, Los Gatos Page 4
1876 Santa Clara County Map & details
1876 Santa Clara County Map & details
PRE21-00406: History 104 Wilder Avenue, Los Gatos Page 5
1876 Santa Clara County Map & details
Los Gatos was incorporated in 1887. Below is a map of 1890. The subject site is 2/3 down to the left of the vertical
black line and to the left of Los Gatos creek.
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1891 topo map
1910 photo above Los Gatos
PRE21-00406: History 104 Wilder Avenue, Los Gatos Page 7
1953 Geo map
PRE21-00406: History 104 Wilder Avenue, Los Gatos Page 8
1954 map
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1950’s Photo, 104 Wilder is to the top right just beyond the large shed with an open door, due to Covid we cannot
find exactly when the original house was taken down. At one point, much of this side of Wilder was to be demolished
to make a parking lot for the downtown in the 50’s or 60’s.
Current Google Earth picture of the same view
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Platting (making lots) was mostly done in the late 19th century. The 1908 Sanborn map below shows 104 Wilder
Avenue at the bottom right of the map.
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Below is a larger view of the 1908 Sanborn map. The map shows a small house facing the street and a small
structure on the alley. None of these structures are here today.
In 1982 a new house was constructed. It is unknown how long the lot was vacant, quite possibly it was vacant since
the 1950’s. Below is the original 1982 site plan.
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The original plans were altered quite a bit during construction. The original, simple, steep pitch, low spring-line roof
was altered to have many, disjointed roof levels. The main detrimental change was raising the main front gable to a
very high height without any scale or definition. The plans were made by a drafting service as can be seen on the
bottom.
This is somewhat typical in the history of domestic American Architecture. Many times, simple ‘book’ plans were
utilized or house kit plans, such as the old ‘Sears Roebuck’ houses which are dotted across the USA.
The original design is a typical ‘American’ gable form with the gable becoming the entrance. However the pure, simple
gable house in this instance has been modified heavily and is nearly unrecognizable and presents a quite dull and
overpowering ‘face’ to the street. They shifted the roofs in so many directions with gable dormers, raised and
lowered eaves, shed dormers fairly haphazard and ultimately not clear form. They shifted window and door openings
even more into a disjointed house with haphazard window placement.
Perhaps this is part of why the house took longer to sell in this very ‘hot’ real estate market. Along with the fact that
the inside is quite dark, the house could use more balanced natural lighting inside from windows which will also make
the house much friendlier to the eye.
Front elevations are of paramount importance in giving a personality to a house and providing cues and scales for the
general public. I happen to live on this street part time and have studied this house many times before being
connected to it professionally. Quite frankly it is a drab, homely house that does not respect the street or its
neighbors. It simply needs some ‘life’ breathed into it with material changes, new windows and more uniform window
pattern and scale to provide more internal light as the inside is not comfortable with the current design. It is as if the
design and house were never fully completed.
104 Wilder Ave. today below.
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Request
The proposal is to update the windows, add wall surface material changes on the front façade while retaining the
original roofs. In the rear the spring-line of the Main Bedroom will be lifted to match the roof directly next to it. Again,
it almost looks like they stopped building certain roofs and shifted the planes for no apparent reason at all.
104 Wilder Ave. today below.
104 Wilder Ave. Proposal, all roofs/forms in the front remain the same except extending a very small ‘porch’ roof
over the segmented Dining Rm bay window. The current Dining Rm bay roof seems as if it is being pinched/squeezed.
PRE21-00406: History 104 Wilder Avenue, Los Gatos Page 14
104 Wilder Ave. – Exising backyard view above of second floor Main Bedroom
104 Wilder Ave. – Proposed backyard view above of second floor Main Bedroom, please note the new second floor
windows have a 4’ sill, so privacy will actually be better than the current situation as the large existing windows above
look right down on an working, home office next door.
Sincerely,
Eric A. Beckstrom
Architect