Item 2 - Staff Report and Attachments 1 to 6
PREPARED BY: RYAN SAFTY
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: 03/23/2022 ITEM NO: 2
DATE: March 18, 2022
TO: Historic Preservation Committee
FROM: Joel Paulson, Community Development Director
SUBJECT: Consider a Request to Remove a Pre-1941 Property from the Historic
Resources Inventory for Property Zoned R-1:8 Located at 307 Johnson
Avenue. APN 532-28-018. Property Owner/Applicant: Anamaria Walker.
Project Planner: Ryan Safty.
RECOMMENDATION:
Consider a request to remove a pre-1941 property from the Historic Resources Inventory for
property zoned R-1:8 located at 307 Johnson Avenue.
PROPERTY DETAILS:
1. Date primary structure was built: 1910 per County Assessor’s Database, with an effective
year built date of 1980
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 presumptive pre-1941 residence from the
Historic Resources. The Santa Clara County Assessor’s Database lists a construction date of
1910, with an effective year build date of 1980, typically indicating substantial construction
occurred around that time. The property is not within a historic district or LHP overlay, and is
not included in the 1990 Anne Bloomfield Survey.
PAGE 2 OF 3 SUBJECT: 307 Johnson Avenue DATE: March 18, 2022
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DISCUSSION (continued):
The Sanborn Fire Insurance maps (Attachment 1) show that the site was vacant in 1891 through
1904. The 1908 map shows the property developed with a small residence. The 1928 through
1956 maps show a larger residence and detached garage.
Town records show that substantial construction and alteration to the residence occurred in
the late 1980’s. Specifically, the Planning Department issued approval of a second story
addition and remodel and addition of the first floor in July of 1989, and a bay window
projection on the front elevation in November of 1989 (Attachment 2). Building permit records
show that this work, as well as a new front porch and chimney on the side elevation, was
approved in 1989 and the work was completed in 1991 (Attachment 3).
Pictures of the existing residence are provided as Attachment 4. An historic image of the
residence from roughly 1988 is provided in Attachment 5. Research from the Library is included
in Attachment 6, which includes an additional historic image with an unknown date.
CONCLUSION:
Should the Committee find that the structure no longer has historic significance or architectural
merit due to the loss of integrity, the structure would be removed from the Historic Resources
Inventory and any proposed alterations 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: 307 Johnson Avenue DATE: March 18, 2022
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ATTACHMENTS:
1. Sanborn Maps
2. Planning Application Records
3. Building Permit Records
4. Property Pictures
5. Historic Image of Residence
6. Library Research
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