Item 2 - Staff Report and Attachments 1 to 4
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: 04/27/2022 ITEM NO: 2
DATE: April 22, 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-1:20 Located at 17200 Los Robles
Way. APN 532-36-076. Historic Review Request PHST-22-005. Property
Owner: Mark Von Kaenel. Applicant: Tony Jeans. Project Planner: Ryan Safty.
RECOMMENDATION:
Consider a request to remove a pre-1941 property from the Historic Resources Inventory for
property zoned R-1:20 located at 17200 Los Robles Way.
PROPERTY DETAILS:
1. Date primary structure was built: 1938 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 presumptive pre-1941 residence from the
Historic Resources Inventory (Attachment 1). The Santa Clara County Assessor’s Database lists
a construction date of 1938. The property is not within a historic district or LHP overlay, is not
included in the 1990 Anne Bloomfield Survey, and is not included in the Sanborn Maps.
Town records for the subject property are minimal: chimney repair permit from 1998 and re-
roof permit from 1999 (Attachment 2).
PAGE 2 OF 2 SUBJECT: 17200 Los Robles Way / PHST-22-005 DATE: April 22, 2022
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DISCUSSION (continued):
The applicant has provided pictures of the existing residence and property in Attachment 3. A
Structural Condition Report is also provided in Attachment 4, concluding that the house and its
foundation should be demolished and rebuilt.
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.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Project Description Letter
2. Building Permit Records
3. Property Pictures
4. Structural Condition Report
T.H.I.S. DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT P.O.Box 1518, Los Gatos, CA 95031
Tel: 408.354.1863 Fax: 408.354.1823
The History of 17200 Los Robles
This history was obtained by talking to the heirs of the original owners.
The property comprises 3 parcels of land [APNs 532-36-075/076/077] comprising
approximately 3 acres.
The los Robles Subdivision in 1927 created [approximately] -075 and -076, which
further changed in 1946 when they became the parcels they are now. -077 was
created in 1947. The house itself might have been built in the early to mid 1940’s, but
this is uncertain.
In 1953 the entire property was purchased by the Thompson family [Jim and Nancy
Thompson] who have owned it ever since as s single-family home in which to raise
their children.
In 1979 it was annexed into the Town of Los Gatos.
Jim and Nancy died in 2019 and 2020 respectively and it remained in the Thompson
family trust until 2021 when a portion of the land, including the house was purchased
by Mark VonKeanel.
This property is in the Wildland Urban Interface are where fires can be expected and
the construction of this home would not remotely satisfy fire safety standards for this
area. Mark VonKaenel has asked me to design a home for their family to replace the
existing home and pool, which are in very poor condition and not practically
salvageable.
As such we are requesting that the home be removed from the historic register and be
allowable for demolition.
Thank you
Tony Jeans.
ATTACHMENT 1
This Page
Intentionally
Left Blank
ATTACHMENT 2
17200 LOS ROBLES WAY
LEFT SIDE ELEVATION
REAR ELEVATION
ATTACHMENT 3
RIGHT SIDE ELEVATION
FRONT ELEVATION
ATTACHMENT 4