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08-24-22 Minutes - HPC DRAFT 110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● 408-354-6874 www.losgatosca.gov TOWN OF LOS GATOS HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMITTEE REPORT MEETING DATE: 09/28/2022 ITEM: 1 DRAFT MINUTES OF THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMITTEE MEETING AUGUST 24, 2022 The Historic Preservation Committee of the Town of Los Gatos conducted a Regular Meeting on August 24, 2022 at 4:00 p.m. This meeting is being conducted utilizing teleconferencing and electronic means consistent with Town Council Policy 2-01 entitled Town Agenda Format and Rules and Town Resolution. In accordance with Town Policy and Resolution, the public may only view the meeting online and not in the Council Chamber. MEETING CALLED TO ORDER AT 4:00 PM ROLL CALL Present: Chair Timothy Lundell, Vice Chair Barry Cheskin, Planning Commissioner Kylie Clark, and Committee Member Susan Burnett. Absent: Planning Commissioner Steve Raspe VERBAL COMMUNICATIONS None. CONSENT ITEMS (TO BE ACTED UPON BY A SINGLE MOTION) 1. Approval of Minutes – July 27, 2022 MOTION: Motion by Vice Chair Cheskin to approve the Consent Calendar. Seconded by Commissioner Clark. VOTE: Motion passed unanimously. PAGE 2 OF 7 MINUTES OF THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMITTEE MEETING OF AUGUST 24, 2022 PUBLIC HEARINGS 2. 150 Oak Hill Way Request for Review PHST-22-016 Consider a Request to Remove a Pre-1941 Property from the Historic Resources Inventory for Property Zoned R-1:20. APN 529-32-020. PROPERTY OWNER: Matthias Knaur APPLICANT: Barbara Chambers PROJECT PLANNER: Ryan Safty Ryan Safty, Associate Planner, presented the staff report. Opened Public Comment. Applicant presented the project. Barbara Chambers - Client’s grandmother and previous relatives have lived there. It was rented for many years and is in disrepair. They would like to tear down or relocate the house to make parking possible. They would like to take it off the Historic Resources Inventory. Closed Public Comment. Committee members discussed the matter. • There is no real features, special character or historical value. Hopefully the replacement will have some past character such as a gable roof, window styles, etc. • Staff: The property is deemed historic solely based on the construction date. • Some properties are just old and not historical. • It would be nice to have it return to the Committee when removed from Inventory and a new build is proposed. The Committee would like some say on the new structure. • Staff: As a part of the approved 2040 General Plan there are implementation programs that would look at the inventory and consider any modifications. • Staff: Those properties that are within a historic district, and allowed to be demolished, would return to the Committee. If a property is not in a historic district, taken off the inventory, and demolished, it would not return to the Committee. These properties would be reviewed under the residential design guidelines, which include neighborhood compatibility, building form, and consistency. PAGE 3 OF 7 MINUTES OF THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMITTEE MEETING OF AUGUST 24, 2022 MOTION: Motion by Commissioner Clark to Remove a Pre-1941 Property from the Historic Resources Inventory for Property Zoned R-1:20. Located at 150 Oak Hill Way. Based on the Findings in the Report. Seconded by Vice Chair Cheskin. VOTE: Motion passed unanimously. Appeal rights were recited. 3. 39 Reservoir Road Request for Review PHST-22-015 Consider a Request to Remove a Pre-1941 Property from the Historic Resources Inventory for Property Zoned R-1D Located at 39 Reservoir Road. APN 529-33-022. PROPERTY OWNER: Tuyet Pham APPLICANT: Thanh Nguyen PROJECT PLANNER: Ryan Safty Ryan Safty, Associate Planner, presented the staff report. Opened Public Comment. Applicant presented the project. Thanh Nguyen, Applicant - He is representing the owner. The house has undergone many alterations from 1900 to 1990. The three units have many different exterior finishes. It is poorly constructed without a foundation or footings. They want to upgrade the structure. Fixing the window trims, siding damage, etc. will change the architecture of the house. They would like to have it taken off the inventory. Closed Public Comment. Committee members discussed the matter. • This house has a little more integrity and character than the prior project. We can’t comment on the proposed structure. But we appreciate the architect maintaining the look of the original structure with similar gables. • This is not a close call. It has undergone so many alterations, so removal can be supported. • It is nice to see the future project plans. • At what point does the Committee’s focus shift from taking a property off the inventory to keeping it as a historic property but with significant rehabilitation. The Bloomfield survey did find merit with the property as recently as 1990. PAGE 4 OF 7 MINUTES OF THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMITTEE MEETING OF AUGUST 24, 2022 • It has a good look and feel. It’s not in that bad of shape. Keeping it on the inventory allows Committee to have some purview. • Staff: We can include in the minutes the Committees’ feedback on their future plans. • Staff: Leaving it on the Historic Inventory could potentially penalize the homeowners by making it more expensive to proceed and trigger a technical demolition. • The Committee’s criteria for removal should be based on the substantial changes done to the property. • We don’t want to punish the applicant for sharing their plans. • Just keeping something on the inventory to retain the power to review is not fair. It should be removed based on whether it deserves to be on the inventory • We don’t know if keeping it on the inventory triggers a technical demolition. • Staff: The technical demolition restriction on a historic structure are stricter than a non- historic structure. MOTION: Motion by Chair Lundell to Remove a Pre-1941 Property from the Historic Resources Inventory for Property Zoned R-1D. Located at 39 Reservoir Road. Recommend that property be restored similar to the plans presented, includes the findings detailed in the application findings. Seconded by Commissioner Clark. VOTE: Motion passed unanimously. Appeal rights were recited. 4. 25 W. Main Street Architecture and Site Application S-22-039 Variance Application V-22-011 Requesting Approval for Construction of an Addition to a Contributing Building in the Downtown Historic Commercial District, including Variances for Maximum Floor Area and Driveway Length on Property Zoned C-2:LHP. APN 529-01-017. PROPERTY OWNER: Reveal Corp. APPLICANT: Gordon Wong, Gkw Architects PROJECT PLANNER: Erin Walters Erin Walters, Associate Planner, presented the staff report. Opened Public Comment. Applicant presented the project. PAGE 5 OF 7 MINUTES OF THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMITTEE MEETING OF AUGUST 24, 2022 Gordon Wong, Applicant - Their goal was to have the lowest impact to the building. The front door was the biggest issue. The current corner location posed accessibility and safety issues. The main addition is a new exterior enclosed stairway located at the rear of the building to bring the building up to code. The stairway enclosure does not alter the roof or the pop outs on the roof. They will provide an accessible ramp and parking. These changes are good for fire and mechanical upgrades. Committee members asked questions of the applicant. • Concerned about modifying the existing doors and windows around. The corner door has been there at least 50 years. Can the door remain at the corner? Gordon Wong, Applicant - They found a photo from 1949 showing the front door located on the left of the front elevation and not at the corner. The business was Sund T.V. Store. Staff shared the 1949 photo on the computer screen. Gordon Wong, Applicant - The photo was hanging in a neighboring business. The original front door has become a window now. They propose to keep the original siding, roof slopes, make, feel, texture, etc. The front two windows need to be replaced. They are proposing real wood windows to be replaced in kind. They are entirely made of wood by Milgard. Milgard is a brand name. Theresa Warren, Co-Property Owner - They have reduced the original project scope in half. The building has become dilapidated. They want to get the historic building back into to a working state. Closed Public Comment. Committee members discussed the matter. • Request to include in the motion the protected elements: transoms, parapet wall, one big window, and the look of two big windows. Replace the windows in kind with wood windows. • The proposed plans include all of the stated elements so it’s not necessary to add them into the motion. PAGE 6 OF 7 MINUTES OF THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMITTEE MEETING OF AUGUST 24, 2022 MOTION: Motion by Chair Lundell to Approve the Construction of an Addition to a Contributing Building in the Downtown Historic Commercial District, including Variances for Maximum Floor Area and Driveway Length on Property Zoned C-2:LHP, with the understanding that the application includes a proposal for replacing windows as they appear on the plans. Seconded by Vice Chair Cheskin. VOTE: Motion passed unanimously. Appeal rights were recited. 5. 202 University Avenue Variance Application V-22-003 Forward a Recommendation to the Community Development Director on a Request for Variances to the Accessory Structure Lot Coverage Standard and to the Side and Rear Setback Requirements for a Detached Accessory Structure on Property Located in the University-Edelen Historic District Zoned R-1D:LHP. APN 529-04-001. PROPERTY OWNER: Tyler and Kristine Shewey APPLICANT: Jay Plett, Architect PROJECT PLANNER: Jennifer Armer for Sean Mullin Jennifer Armer, Planning Manager, presented the staff report. Opened Public Comment. Applicant presented the project. Jay Plett, Applicant - After the first HPC meeting, they scaled back on the size of the ADU. They worked with the neighbors on the location of the ADU to preserve the view corridor. If the garage was not located on a corner lot, the FAR would have been allowed. The garage should fit with the ADU. There are 9 other garages with smaller side yard setbacks, 5 with smaller rear yard setbacks; 2 garages with larger with floor areas; and 1 garage with a larger floor area of 880 square feet. Closed Public Comment. Committee members discussed the matter. • Impressed that the view corridors of the neighbors were considered, and adjustments made. • Rare to see a project to return to show how they accommodated their neighbors. • In favor of this project. PAGE 7 OF 7 MINUTES OF THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMITTEE MEETING OF AUGUST 24, 2022 MOTION: Motion by Vice Chair Cheskin to Forward a Recommendation of Approval to the Community Development Director on a Request for Variances to the Accessory Structure Lot Coverage Standard and to the Side and Rear Setback Requirements for a Detached Accessory Structure on Property Located in the University-Edelen Historic District Zoned R-1D:LHP. Seconded by Chair Lundell. VOTE: Motion passed unanimously. OTHER BUSINESS (Up to three minutes may be allotted to each speaker on any of the following items.) The Committee can only discuss items on the agenda. Please send an email to Committee Liaison Jennifer Armer to propose future agenda items. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 5:13 p.m. This is to certify that the foregoing is a true and correct copy of the minutes of the August 24, 2022 meeting as approved by the Historic Preservation Committee. Jennifer Armer, AICP, Planning Manager This Page Intentionally Left Blank