Item 5 - Staff Report and Attachments 1 to 5
PREPARED BY: SEAN MULLIN, AICP
Senior 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: 01/26/22 ITEM NO: 5
DATE: January 21, 2022
TO: Historic Preservation Committee
FROM: Joel Paulson, Community Development Director
SUBJECT: Requesting Approval for Construction of Exterior Alterations to an Existing
Contributing Single-Family Residence in the Broadway Historic District on
Property Zoned R-1D:LHP Located at 85 Broadway. APN 510-45-044.
PROPERTY OWNER/APPLICANT: Warren and Maria Ristow
PROJECT PLANNER: Sean Mullin
RECOMMENDATION:
Consider approval for construction of exterior alterations to a an existing contributing single-
family residence in the Broadway Historic District on property zoned R-1D:LHP located at 85
Broadway.
PROPERTY DETAILS:
1. Date primary structure was built: 1900 (effective year built 1960) per County Assessor’s
Database; 1880s per Bloomfield Survey
2. Town of Los Gatos Preliminary Historic Status Code: + - Historic and some altered but
still a contributor to a district if there is one
3. Does property have an LHP Overlay? Yes
4. Is structure in a historic district? Yes, Broadway Historic District
5. If yes, is it a contributor? Yes
6. Findings required? No
7. Considerations required? Yes
BACKGROUND:
The Santa Clara County Assessor’s estimated construction date for the residence is 1900,
typically used when an exact date is not known, and an effective year built of 1960, indicating
substantial construction occurred to the residence. The 1991 Anne Bloomfield Survey
estimates that the residence was constructed in the 1880s (Attachment 1).
PAGE 2 OF 3 SUBJECT: 85 Broadway DATE: January 21, 2022
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DISCUSSION:
A Building Permit was issued by the Town for the repair of an existing porch on the east side of
the residence (Attachment 2). The planned repair included kind-for-kind repair and
replacement of damaged materials resulting in no change to the exterior appearance of the
residence. While performing the work, additional damage was discovered and the scope of
work increased to include complete rebuilding of the base of the porch, while retaining
everything above the porch decking. At that time, the property owner discussed with staff the
possibility of replacing the damaged wood decking on the porch with a brick veneer to match
the brickwork present on an additional porch to the rear of the residence and provide better
protection from the elements.
Staff has referred the request to the Committee given that the proposed brick veneer would
result in a minor exterior modification that may be visible from Broadway and the guidance
offered in Section 4.8.7 of the Residential Design Guidelines (Attachment 3):
Painted wooden steps and flooring should usually be used on a wooden porch. Brick or
poured concrete steps and floor surface should be used on a brick or stucco porch. New
concrete or masonry porch floors are prohibited on Victorians or Craftsman/Bungalow
style houses.
The applicant has provided written justification for their request and photos of other brick
porches on Victorian homes both in the Broadway Historic District and the Almond Grove and
University-Edelen Historic Districts (Attachments 4 and 5).
CONSIDERATIONS:
A. Considerations – related to the request for approval of exterior alterations to an existing
residence in an Historic District.
X In evaluating applications, the deciding body shall consider the architectural style,
design, arrangement, texture, materials and color, and any other pertinent factors.
Applications shall not be granted unless:
2. In historic districts, the proposed work will neither adversely affect the exterior
architectural characteristics or other features of the property which is the
subject of the application, nor adversely affect its relationship, in terms of
harmony and appropriateness, with its surroundings, including neighboring
structures, nor adversely affect the character, or the historical, architectural or
aesthetic interest or value of the district.
PAGE 3 OF 3 SUBJECT: 85 Broadway DATE: January 21, 2022
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CONCLUSION:
The applicant is requesting approval for brick veneer decking material in rebuilding the existing
porch on the contributing residence in the Broadway Historic District. Should the Committee
find merit in the request, the project could be completed through the existing Building Permit,
and if confirmed through Planning review to be in substantial conformance with the
Committee’s review and recommendations, would not return to the Committee.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. 1991 Anne Bloomfield Survey
2. Photos of Existing Porch
3. Section 4.8.7, Residential Design Guidelines
4. Letter of Justification
5. Examples of Brick Porches in Historic Districts
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ATTACHMENT 2
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Residential Design Guidelines50
Town of Los Gatos
HISTORIC RESOURCES4
•Painted metal stove pipe projections of less than four feet
are permitted in less visible locations of the structure.
•The size, shape, dimensions, design and patterns of new
and reconstructed chimneys should match those features
of the existing structure.
•Chimneys should not be cantilevered and stone or stucco
chimneys should be narrower at the top than at the base.
•Chimneys should have clay, slate or stone caps. Metal caps
may be acceptable if they are not readily visible.
•Chimneys appropriate to the structure and architectural
style, as described above, should be provided at new gas
fireplaces even when a full height chimney is not required
for the functioning of the fireplace.
4.8.7 Porches
•Existing front porches, railings, posts, corbels, roof cover-
ings, ceilings, floors, steps, mouldings, trim, gingerbread, and
other decorative features should be retained and restored
using original materials, or identical material of same size,
shape, proportion, pattern and in the same locations.
•Removal or enclosure of porches is inappropriate.
•Construction of new porches should consist of materials
of the same size, shape, dimension and pattern as contrib-
uting structures of similar style and design in the district
or neighborhood. New porches should be in appropriate
locations on the structure.
•Additional porch or decorative elements (e.g., gingerbread
brackets) should not be added if they did not exist histori-
cally.
•Painted wooden steps and flooring should usually be used
on a wooden porch. Brick or poured concrete steps and
floor surface should be used on a brick or stucco porch.
New concrete or masonry porch floors are prohibited on
Victorians or Craftsman/Bungalow style houses.
•The design and materials for porch skirts (the vertical face
between the porch floor and grade) should be consistent
with the main structure and the architectural style.
•Minor alternations of existing porches are permitted on
contributing structures only when the applicant proves to the
Deciding Body that the alteration is consistent with the
existing style, design and character of the structure.
Restore porches to their original form and
detail whether simple, as above, or decorative
as below.
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January 18, 2022
We are requesting to use brick on the deck of a porch on our historic home at 85 Broadway.
The original porch to 85 Broadway, although it does not serve as an entry to our home, was
retained in a remodel. In 1992, when a second-floor addition was approved and construction,
the entry to our home was moved further up the driveway, but we were required to retain the
original porch toward the front of the house. Our entry, as seen in photos below, has matching
wood rail and other elements, but brick stairs and decking, to flow with the brick adjacent to it
and leading back into the yard.
In prepping our home for an overdue paint job, our contractor is repairing damaged areas of this
1887 home. The porch at the front of the house has extensive water damage and the deck and
supports are being rebuilt. Our initial intention was to replace like-for-like, but putting wood once
more on the deck will just lead to similar damage in the future.
We would like to replace the porch deck with brick for two reasons. First, our contractor
recommends an impervious surface for durability. Second, we feel brick will tie this porch to our
existing entry and improve the look of the house.
While historic guidelines prohibit brick on Victorian porches, we have included photos from 3
Victorian homes, plus one craftsman home, just on our own street (Broadway) that have stone
or brick porch stairs and/or decks. Particularly note the photo of 80 Broadway, where the main
entry is all brick, and the remains of what was once the entry is retained with a brick deck. This
is exactly what we would are asking to do.
We feel brick would solve our water problems, tie the look of our house together, and be
consistent with other historic homes in our immediate neighborhood.
Thank you for your consideration.
Maria and Warren Ristow
85 Broadway
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ATTACHMENT 5
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