Item 2 - Staff Report and Attachments 4 to 5
PREPARED BY: SAVANNAH VAN AKIN
Assistant 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: 9/27/2023 ITEM NO: 2
DATE: September 22, 2023
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 HR-2 1/2. Located at 63 Highland
Avenue. APN 529-36-044. Exempt Pursuant to CEQA Section 15061(b)(3).
Request for Review PHST-23-005. Property Owner/Applicant: Minghuang Ma
Project Planner: Savannah Van Akin
BACKGROUND:
On August 23, 2023, the Committee considered a request to remove a pre-1941 property from
the Historic Resources Inventory for property zoned HR-2 1/2 located at 63 Highland Avenue.
The Committee was supportive of removing 63 Highland Avenue (the primary residence) from
the Historic Resources Inventory but had questions regarding a detached structure addressed
as 65 Highland Avenue located on the same property. The Committee continued the review to
a later date, requesting additional materials on 65 Highland Avenue be provided and that the
applicant return for additional review and a formal vote.
DISCUSSON:
Additional materials have now been provided for 65 Highland Avenue, which is shown as a
garage on the same lot on 63 Highland Avenue (Attachment 4). The applicant submitted slides
outlining the other structures found on 63 Highland Avenue with elevation images and record
information found for the structure listed as 65 Highland Avenue (Attachments 4). The
applicant found a record showing a construction date of 1946, six years after the Town would
consider the structure historic. Attachment 5 is a site map from a building permit from 2010,
showing the structure labeled as 65 Highland Avenue as a garage.
PAGE 2 OF 2 SUBJECT: 63 Highland Avenue PHST-23-013 DATE: September 22, 2023
N:\DEV\HISTORIC PRESERVATION\HPC Reports and Attachments\2023\09-27-23\Item 02 - 63 Highland Avenue\Staff Report. 63 Highland
Avenue.docx
CONCLUSION:
Should the Committee find that the structure no longer has historic significance or architectural
merit due to the loss of integrity, the property 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.
ATTACHMENT:
Previously received with the August 23, 2023 Staff Report:
1. Applicant’s Submittal Packet
2. Property Pictures
3. Town Records
Received with this Staff Report:
4. 65 Highland Ave Report
5. Site Map
Purpose
•This report is supplementary to the 63 Highland Ave research report.
•63 & 65 Highland Ave are located on the same parcel.
ATTACHMENT 4
Property History Research
Accessory Buildings on 63 Highland Ave
Property Intro - 2023 buildings (63 & 65 highland ave)
65 Highland Ave
Shed 1
Shed 2
See 63 Highland Ave
research report
63 Highland Ave - shed 1
Shed 1
63 Highland Ave - shed 1
•This structure was poorly
maintained and previously
used as greenhouse.
•No record was found about
construction date.
63 Highland Ave - shed 2
Shed 2
63 Highland Ave - shed 2
•This structure was
previously used as a
dwelling unit.
•It was poorly maintained
and now unsafe to enter.
•No record was found about
construction date.
63 Highland Ave - accessary buildings conclusion
•One structure was a greenhouse, the other was used a dwelling unit.
•Both structures were poorly maintained. The dwelling unit is unsafe to enter.
•Neither of the structures show any historic characteristics or significance.
•No records were found specifically for these two structures.
Property History Research
65 Highland Ave
65 Highland Ave - intro
65 Highland Ave
65 Highland Ave - intro
North side East side
West side South side
65 Highland Ave - intro
65 Highland Ave - intro
65 Highland Ave - history
•The building was constructed in 1946.
•No record was found about who designed or built the structure.
•From 1960s to early 70s, Polk’s directory showed three residents:
•Askevics Jababs, Tada Shin, Narciso Michl C Jr
•No records show that those residents were famous or made significant contribution to the town.
65 Highland Ave - conclusion
•The building was constructed in 1946.
•The building was vacant since 1970s.
•The building was poorly maintained.
•The building is not associated with any significant persons (occupants in 1960s-1970s).
•Records were very limited: construction date in county record and reroofing permit in 2010s.
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ATTACHMENT 5
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