Staff Report.592 Vasona Avenue
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: 05/26/2021 ITEM NO: 2
DATE: May 19, 2021
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-1:8 Located at
592 Vasona Avenue. APN 406-32-049. Property Owner/Applicant: Laura
Snyder. 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-1:8 located at 592 Vasona Avenue.
PROPERTY DETAILS:
1. Date primary structure was built: 1900 per County Assessor’s Database
2. Town of Los Gatos Historic Status Code: N/A
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 residence, potentially constructed before
1941, from the Historic Resources Inventory and has provided research on the property and
photos of the residence (Attachments 1 and 2). The Santa Clara County Assessor’s Database
lists a construction date of 1900, indicating the precise date is unknown. The 1939 historic
aerial image clearly shows that the property was undeveloped at that time. A review of the
1948 historic aerial image shows development in the area, but the residence is not readily
apparent on the 1948 historic aerial (Attachment 3). By 1956, the existing residence is more
visible in the historic aerial image. The property was annexed into the Town from the County
PAGE 2 OF 3 SUBJECT: 592 Vasona Avenue DATE: May 19, 2020
N:\DEV\HISTORIC PRESERVATION\HPC Reports and Attachments\2021\05-26-21\Item 2 - Vasona Ave 592\Staff Report.592 Vasona
Avenue.docx
DISCUSSION (continued):
on December 2, 1957. However, because County Building Permits were not required until
1947, and no County Building Permits clearly associated with the property have been found,
and review of the historic aerial images was not conclusive, the request for removal is being
referred to the HPC.
Neither the 1990 Anne Bloomfield Survey nor the Sanborn Fire insurance Maps on file with the
Town cover this property. The residence does not individually appear to represent a distinctive
example of a specific type of architecture.
The applicant provided photos showing that alterations to the residence have taken place,
including the addition of a utility porch at the rear of the residence and replacement of all the
windows.
CONCLUSION:
The applicant requests to remove the structure from the Historic Resources Inventory,
indicating that there is no evidence that the residence is significant to Town history, the
residence is not a distinctive example of this architecture, and it has been modified (new
windows and rear addition).
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.
PAGE 3 OF 3 SUBJECT: 592 Vasona Avenue DATE: May 19, 2020
N:\DEV\HISTORIC PRESERVATION\HPC Reports and Attachments\2021\05-26-21\Item 2 - Vasona Ave 592\Staff Report.592 Vasona
Avenue.docx
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Research
2. Photos
3. Historic aerial images