Item 5 - Staff Report and Attachments 1 to 5
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: 05/25/2022 ITEM NO: 5
DATE: May 20, 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 17617 Bruce
Avenue. APN 410-11-008. Historic Review Request PHST-22-008.
Property Owner: Ruth and Todd Slyngstad. Applicant: Gary Kohlsaat.
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 17617 Bruce Avenue.
PROPERTY DETAILS:
1. Date primary structure was built: 1935 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 1935. The property is not within a historic district or LHP overlay, is not
included in the 1990 Anne Bloomfield Survey, and is not shown on the Sanborn Fire Insurance
maps. The applicant provided additional historic research, which is included as Attachment 2.
PAGE 2 OF 2 SUBJECT: 17617 Bruce Avenue DATE: May 20, 2022
N:\DEV\HISTORIC PRESERVATION\HPC Reports and Attachments\2022\05-25-22\Item 05 - 17617 Bruce Ave\Staff Report.docx
DISCUSSION (continued):
Town records are minimal: re-roof permit from 2015, pool permit from 1989, and what appears
to be a second-story addition from 1980 (Attachment 3). The 1980 permit is difficult to read,
but appears to say, “additional living area/second story.” Per the Project Description in
Attachment 1, the second story was added in 1980 and is not complementary to its original
historic state. Additionally, the Project Description letter states that previous additions made
to the west elevation hide over 50 percent of the existing walls, the exterior staircase and
upper balcony obscure the existing lower wall, the windows have all been replaced with vinyl
windows, and the roof tiles are not original. The pictures in Attachment 4 show the current
condition of the home. A site plan was also provided and is included as Attachment 5.
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. Historic Research
3. 1980 Building Permit
4. Property Pictures
5. Site Plan
May 7, 2022
To: Historic Preserva5on Commi9ee
Fr: Ruth and Todd Slyngstad, Applicant and Owners of Property at 17617 Bruce
Avenue, Los Gatos, CA 95030, built in 1935; Altered significantly in 1980
Re: Reques5ng of the removal of property 17617 Bruce Avenue, Los Gatos, CA
from the Historic Preserva5on registry in the Town of Los Gatos.
A9ached is the research requested by the commi9ee to evaluate the property of
interest. Items included:
•1936 Polk Directory in which 17617 Bruce Avenue is not listed
•Confirma5on the phone book only goes back to 1954 in Town of Los Gatos
•Confirma5on no record of property in the 1989 Anne Bloomfield Historic
Research Survey Forms
•Sanborn Map, 1944 in which 17617 Bruce Avenue is not listed as part of the
Town
•Assessors reports from Santa Clara County
•Property Profile from Santa Clara County
•Grant Deed of current owner, Ruth and Todd Slyngstad
•Images/pictures of property from 5/10/2022
Further Detailed Informa5on:
•The property had a 2nd story added in 1980 that was not complementary to its
original historical state (see images).
•Addi5ons made to the West eleva5on further hide over 50% of the exis5ng
walls.
•On the right side, the exterior staircase and upper balcony obscure the exis5ng
lower wall
•It is not clear whether or not the en5re exterior stucco plaster was retextured
when the addi5ons were made, as the textures match very closely.
•All of the windows have been replaced with white vinyl framed units. No
stucco mould was used, so all of the original detailing is lost.
•The roof 5les are not original to the 1935 home.
•The home is not architecturally significant
ATTACHMENT 1
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ATTACHMENT 2
ATTACHMENT 3
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.2 +/6$$7
$662&,$7(6
$5&+,7(&785(
FRONT ELEVATION FRONT-RIGHT VIEW RIGHT SIDE ELEVATION
REAR ELEVATION LEFT SIDE VIEW FRONT-LEFT SIDE VIEW
EXISTING EXTERIOR PHOTOS- 17617 BRUCE AVENUE
ATTACHMENT 4
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AREA OF FIRST
FLOOR ADDITION
ORIGINAL FOOTPRINT
(SHADED)129.74'129.88'100.75'
106.69'
BRUCE AVE
EXISTING
GARAGE
EXISTING
RESIDENCE
DRIVEWAY
SHED
POOL
EQUIP.
ACCESSORY
BLDG.
PLANTER
PLANTERPATIO
COVERED WALK
ENTRY
PORCH
10"
ORANGE
8"
LEMON
8"
KUMQUAT
LAWN
LAWN
POWER
PANEL
GAS
METER
WATER
METER
AREA OF SECOND
FLOOR ADDITION
UP
VICINITY MAP
SITE
Los Gatos
OF
REVISIONS
DATE:
SCALE:51 UNIVERSITY AVE. "L" • LOS GATOS, CA. • 95030 • (408) 395-2555NOTE:•The Contractor shall verify all dimensions,elevations and conditions, prior to startingany field work.•Any deviation called by field conditions,or any conditions different from thoseindicated on the plans shall be broughtto the Architect's attention prior toinstallation.S H E E T17617 BRUCE AVE.LOS GATOS, CA 95030SCALE: 1/8" = 1'-0"
SITE PLAN
AS SHOWN
-
SITE PLAN
5/9/22
A-1THE SLYNGSTAD RESIDENCE AT:ATTACHMENT 5
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