Staff Report with Attachments
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: 10/27/2021 ITEM NO: 2
DATE: October 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-1:12 Located at
70 Ellenwood Avenue. APN 510-20-022. Property Owner/Applicant: Ashraf
M. Hosseinian 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-1:12 located at 70 Ellenwood Avenue.
PROPERTY DETAILS:
1. Date primary structure was built: 1927 per County Assessor’s Database, with an effective
year built date of 1948, and an estimated age of 1950+ per Bloomfield Architectural Survey
2. Town of Los Gatos Historic Status Code: N – New (probably built since 1950)
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 1927, with an effective year build date of 1948, indicating
substantial construction occurred. The 1990 Anne Bloomfield Survey lists an estimated age of
1950 or later (Attachment 3). The Sanborn Fire Insurance maps from 1928 and 1956 show the
footprint of a residence in a different location than the current location (Attachment 4).
PAGE 2 OF 3 SUBJECT: 70 Ellenwood Avenue DATE: October 19, 2021
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DISCUSSION (continued):
An investigation of the Town’s permit records shows permits for a new roof in 1987 and a
bathroom remodel in 2000.
The exterior materials of the residence consist of stucco siding in a rough finish, a variety of
window types including divided-lite wood windows and aluminum sliding windows without
trim, and decorative window heads finished in stucco. The residence does not individually
appear to represent a distinctive example of a specific type of architecture.
A detached garage is located to the south of the residence finished with horizontal wood siding
and double-hung wood windows with wood trim. The garage is in very poor condition.
CONCLUSION:
The applicant requests to remove the structure from the Historic Resources Inventory. The
research on the property indicates that there is no evidence that the residence is significant to
Town history. The County Assessor, Anne Bloomfield Survey, and Sanborn Maps provide some
evidence that the exiting residence was constructed after 1941 and would therefore not be
considered a historic resource under the Town Code. Lastly, the residence is not a distinctive
example of this architecture and includes finishes and materials that are not typically associated
with homes built prior to 1941.
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: 70 Ellenwood Avenue DATE: October 19, 2021
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ATTACHMENTS:
1. Research
2. Site Photos
3. 1990 Anne Bloomfield Survey
4. Sanborn Map Exhibit
5. Property Survey
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ATTACHMENT 1
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ATTACHMENT 2
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1928
70 Ellenwood Avenue
ATTACHMENT 4
1956
70 Ellenwood Avenue
___SHEETOF SHEETSPRELIMINARY BOUNDARY
& TOPOGRAPHIC SURVEY
70 ELLENWOOD AVE
APN: 510-20-022BT12ATTACHMENT 5
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