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04-26-23 Minutes - HPC (PDF) 110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● 408-354-6874 www.losgatosca.gov TOWN OF LOS GATOS HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMITTEE REPORT MEETING DATE: 05/24/2023 ITEM: 1 DRAFT MINUTES OF THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMITTEE MEETING APRIL 26, 2023 The Historic Preservation Committee of the Town of Los Gatos conducted a regular meeting on April 26, 2023 at 4:00 p.m. MEETING CALLED TO ORDER AT 4:00 PM ROLL CALL Present: Chair Barry Cheskin, Vice Chair Susan Burnett, Planning Commissioner Steve Raspe, and Committee Member Martha Queiroz. Absent: None. VERBAL COMMUNICATIONS None. CONSENT ITEMS (TO BE ACTED UPON BY A SINGLE MOTION) 1. Approval of Minutes – March 29, 2023 MOTION: Motion by Commissioner Raspe to approve the Consent Calendar. Seconded by Commissioner Burnett. VOTE: Motion passed unanimously. PAGE 2 OF 4 MINUTES OF THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMITTEE MEETING OF APRIL 26, 2023 PUBLIC HEARINGS 2. 42 Fillmer Avenue Request for Review Application PHST-23-003 Consider a Request to Remove a Pre-1941 Property from the Historic Resources Inventory for Property Zoned R-1:8. APN 532-35-034. PROPERTY OWNER: Dara Florio APPLICANT: Lili Milano PROJECT PLANNER: Ryan Safty/Sean Mullin Sean Mullin, Senior Planner, presented the staff report. Committee asked questions of Staff. Opened Public Comment. Applicant presented the project. Lili Milano, Architect, with Dara Florio, Owner - They did research at the library and found no information. The Sanborn map ended two houses short of their house. The County did not have any records. - Their house does not have a defined architectural style. Colonial cottages of that time period, had horizontal siding, a lack of overhangs, shutters, a symmetrical layout, a rectangular shape, gables, etc. This house only has the characteristics of horizontal siding and a lack of overhangs. - An addition was built in 1983. It matches the siding and lack of overhangs of the main house. But some items do not match. The new windows are sliding instead of single hung and the frames are black instead of white. - They don’t see any historical characteristics. - It would be an economic hardship to this growing family if they cannot add to the home. Committee members asked questions of the applicant. Lili Milano, Architect - The addition takes up 128 square feet for a bathroom and dressing area. The house is now 1500 square feet. The addition is under ten percent with not a lot of exterior or roofline modifications. The exterior siding matches. A bay window with a shed roof was added in the back. There is a small, shed roof on the porch. Everything else is hip roof. - They are not removing but adding to the front. They are expanding the kitchen to add a family room. They are not remodeling the back. - They cannot make these changes while under Historic Designation. PAGE 3 OF 4 MINUTES OF THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMITTEE MEETING OF APRIL 26, 2023 Closed Public Comment. Committee members discussed the matter. • You can still make additions while being on the Historic Resources Inventory. • There are guidelines for additions on Historic homes. • It shares many characteristics of other home on the street and neighborhood. • 1940 houses looked identical to that house. • It doesn’t qualify for removal. It adds to the neighborhood. • Want to save the feeling and look of a smaller home. Open Public Comment Committee members asked questions of the applicant. Lili Milano, Architect - The Intention is to build a small addition and not to change the style or remove anything. They can add to the back but not to the front if it remained on the historic inventory. - There are other homes on the same street that were removed from the inventory. Staff in response to Committee members questions Jennifer Armer, Planning Manager - Additions to the front of a historic home are limited to a demo of 25 percent instead of 50 percent. Even covering up a wall is considered part of a demo. - The focus is whether, or not, it is in a Historic District or any historic significance. Close Public Comment Committee members asked staff questions. Jennifer Armer, Planning Manager • As a house on the Historic Resources Inventory, this addition to the front would trigger the technical demolition regulation. If removed from the Historic Resources Inventory, it would not be considered a technical demolition. • There is more protection for historic homes. They would undergo a full and costly Architecture and Site application before a Building Permit application. • Residential Design Guidelines would be implemented either way. Committee members discussed the matter. PAGE 4 OF 4 MINUTES OF THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMITTEE MEETING OF APRIL 26, 2023 • Even if there is precedence of nearby homes being removed from the Historic Resources Inventory, each case is different. • The house is not in an Overlay Zone, the Bloomfield Survey, or the Sanborn Map. It was built only a year before the 1941 cut off. • The house has no unique style. • Being a small, cute house is not enough of a reason to retain it on the Historic Resources Inventory. It is valuable to keep small, starter homes, but that is not in the purview of this Committee. This Committee protects historically significant homes. • Based on the criteria and the research by the applicant, there is not enough evidence of architectural or historical significance. • No person of significance has lived there. • It has been altered. • It meets the criteria for removal. • Even if removed from the Historic Resources Inventory, the project will still go through a review and need to follow the Residential Design Guidelines. MOTION: Motion by Commissioner Raspe to Approve a Request to Remove a Pre- 1941 Property from the Historic Resources Inventory for Property Zoned R-1:8. APN 532-35-034. With the required findings as set forth in our packet for such removal. Seconded by Member Queiroz. VOTE: Motion passed unanimously. Appeal rights were recited. OTHER BUSINESS (Up to three minutes may be allotted to each speaker on any of the following items.) None. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 4:27 p.m. This is to certify that the foregoing is a true and correct copy of the minutes of the April 26, 2023 meeting as approved by the Historic Preservation Committee. Jennifer Armer, AICP, Planning Manager