Item 6- Staff Report and Attachments 1 to 5PREPARED 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: 06/22/2022 ITEM NO: 6
DATE: June 17, 2022
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-1:8. Located at
64 Fairview Plaza. APN 510-43-008. Request for Review PHST-22-0012.
Property Owner: Ben Cohen and Helen Clark. Applicant: Jay Plett, Architect.
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-1:8 located at 64 Fairview Plaza.
PROPERTY DETAILS:
1.Date primary structure was built: 1918 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 subject property is located on the south side of Fairview Plaza behind the property at 62
Fairview Plaza. The subject property is not located in a historic district and is not visible from
the street. The applicant is requesting approval to remove the residence from the Historic
Resources Inventory and has provided a Letter of Justification for their request (Attachment 1).
The Santa Clara County Assessor’s Database lists a construction date of 1918. The 1990 Anne
Bloomfield Survey did not cover this property. A review of the Sanborn Fire Insurance maps
show the property undeveloped from 1908 through 1956 (Attachment 2). A 1948 aerial image
PAGE 2 OF 3 SUBJECT: 64 Fairview Plaza/PHST-22-0012 DATE: June 17, 2022
DISCUSSION (continued):
clearly shows that the property was undeveloped at that time. A review of the 1968 historic
aerial image shows the residence on the property (Attachment 3). Based on this information, it
is likely that the residence was not located on the property prior to 1941.
In review of Town records, staff found a note on the plans included with a 1998 Building Permit
(B98-000832) indicates that the residence was “moved from Lexington” (Attachment 4), likely
indicating that a residence was moved to the property from the nearby town of Lexington
during the construction of Lexington Reservoir. For context, construction on the James A.
Lenihan Dam began around 1952 and the resulting reservoir covered the former towns of
Lexington and Alma. A series of building, plumbing, and electrical permits were issued by the
Town in 1958 and, while the scope of the work is not definitive, the permits may be associated
with relocation of the residence from Lexington. The residence does not individually appear to
represent a distinctive example of a specific type of architecture.
Town records also indicate that several alterations to the residence have occurred over time,
including:
•1986: Foundation repair;
•2000: Replacement of all siding with shiplap wood siding. Note that this work likely resulted
in a technical demolition under the definition of demolition of a historic structure in the
Town Code (B00-001201);
•1998-2001: Replace siding from shingle and stucco to shingle. Addition and remodel (B98-
000832 and B01-000122); and
•2012: Construction of a porte-cochere on the north elevation (B12-0517)
The applicant provided photos and a floor plan for the existing residence (Attachment 5). In
their Letter of Justification, the applicant indicates that the residence was not constructed prior
to 1941 and concludes that the residence is unsightly with poor non-aesthetic and unsafe
modifications with no redeeming quality.
CONCLUSION:
The applicant requests to remove the structure from the Historic Resources Inventory,
indicating that there is no evidence that the residence was not constructed prior to 1941 and
concludes that the residence is unsightly with poor non-aesthetic and unsafe modifications with
no redeeming quality. Additionally, staff found evidence that the property was likely
undeveloped through 1956 and that the residence may have been moved to the property at a
later date.
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PAGE 3 OF 3 SUBJECT: 64 Fairview Plaza/PHST-22-0012 DATE: June 17, 2022
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Fairview Plaza.docx
CONCLUSION (continued)
Should the Committee find that the structure was not constructed prior to 1941 or 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.
ATTACHMENTS:
1.Letter of Justification
2.Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps exhibit
3.Aerial image exhibit
4.Building Permit Plans B98-000832
5.Property photos and floor plan
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To LOS GATOS HPC
Re 64 FAIRVIEW PLAZA
THIS HOME IS NOT PRE-1941 AND THE TAX RECORDS MOST LIKELY REFER TO THE STRUCTURE(s) FRONTING ON FAIRVIEW PLAZA. THIS STRUCTURE IS NOT FOUND IN ANNE BLOOMFIELD'S REGISTRY NOR THE SANBORN MAPS UP TO 1944.
THE STRUCTURE IS ON A FLAG LOT, A LARGE APARTMENT COMPLEX WAS ERECTED IN FRONT OF IT, AND IT IS NOT VISABLE FROM THE STREET.
THE HOME AS IT EXISTS IS UNSIGHTLY WITH POOR NON-ASTHECTIC and UNSAFE MODIFICATIONS WITH NO REDEEMING QUALITY.
REGARDS,
JAY PLETT ARCHITECT
ATTACHMENT 1
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1895
64 Fairview Plaza
(formerly 62-1/2 Fairview Plaza
ATTACHMENT 2
1904
64 Fairview Plaza
(formerly 62-1/2 Fairview Plaza
1928
64 Fairview Plaza
(formerly 62-1/2 Fairview Plaza
1956
64 Fairview Plaza
(formerly 62-1/2 Fairview Plaza
Fairview Plaza
1948
64 Fairview Plaza
(undeveloped)
ATTACHMENT 3
Fairview Plaza
1968
64 Fairview Plaza
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ATTACHMENT 4
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MAY 31, 2022
CLARK / COHEN64 FAIRVIEW PLAZALOS GATOSA-2
ATTACHMENT 5
2'
S W D
3068 904630463046
3046 30463046304630463046
18283628
34427668 OXO 7440 F.P.7640
LIVING RM.
KITCHEN
BED 1
BED 2
BATH
OFFICE
DINING 7 1/2" RFAMILY RM.
LAUNDRY UP
UP
FAU
CONDENSER
ELEC
GAS
CARPORT POSTS
A/C
CONDENSER
2868
2868
2468
2468
??
2668
2868
S
FRIG
7'-5" FLR-TO-CLG
7'-8" FLR-TO-CLG
7'-10" FLAT CEILING
7'-10" FLAT CEILING
7'-10" AT SOFFIT
8'- 8" FLAT CEILING
8'-3" FLR-TO-CLG
7'-9" FLR-TO-CLG
7'- 9" FLAT CEILING30463046
DN
M. BATH 3040 6940 6940 3040 M. BED
8'-11" FLR-TO-CLG
10'- 8" FLR-TO-CLG
JUNE 1, 2022
CLARK / COHEN64 FAIRVIEW PLAZALOS GATOSAS BUILT
1/4" = 1'-0"
MAIN
LEVEL
UPPER
LEVEL
a-1
POST 1941 HOUSE NOT LISTED
ON SANBORN MAPS OR ON
ANNE BLOOMFIELD SURVEY