Staff Report with Attachments 1 through 5
PREPARED 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: 12/20/2023 ITEM NO: 5
DATE: December 15, 2023
TO: Historic Preservation Committee
FROM: Joel Paulson, Community Development Director
SUBJECT: Preliminary Review for Exterior Alterations and Construction of an Addition to an
Existing Pre-1941 Single-Family Residence on Property Zoned R-1:20:PD.
Located at 101 Casa Grande. APN 407-17-047. Request for Review Application
PHST-23-022. Categorically Exempt Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15301:
Existing Facilities. Property Owners: Celeste Parisi and Charles Fuller. Applicant:
Jay Plett, Architect. Project Planner: Sean Mullin.
RECOMMENDATION:
Preliminary review of a proposal for exterior alterations and construction of an addition to an
existing pre-1941 single-family residence located at 101 Casa Grande.
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? N/A
7. Considerations required? Yes
BACKGROUND:
The subject property is located on Casa Grande, which takes access from the south side of
Pollard Road approximately 400 feet east of the intersection with Quito Road. The property is
surrounded by Casa Grande and Pollard Road. The residence is located at the center of the
property at the top of the hill, approximately 20 feet above the roadway. The County Assessor
indicates that the residence at 101 Casa Grande was constructed in 1935. The property is not
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BACKGROUND (continued):
included in the 1991 Bloomfield Survey and is outside the coverage area of the Sanborn Fire
Insurance Maps.
Town permit records are limited and include replacement of water pipes and a water heater,
and a 2020 Building Permit for a kitchen remodel.
The applicant provided research on the history of the property (Attachment 1) and proposes
demolition of an existing nonhistoric addition on the right side of the residence and
construction of a new addition to the right side of the residence (Attachments 2 and 5).
DISCUSSION:
The subject property is located on Casa Grande, which takes access from the south side of
Pollard Road approximately 400 feet east of the intersection with Quito Road. The residence is
located at the center of the property at the top of the hill approximately 20 feet above the
roadway. The applicant is requesting a preliminary review by the Committee for demolition of
a nonhistoric addition and construction of a new addition on the right side of the residence.
The existing Spanish Revival residence includes materials and details characteristic of the style,
including an asymmetrical façade, low-pitched roof with clay tile roofing, shallow eaves, stucco
siding extending into the gables, barrel tile vents, arched openings, columns, integrated
chimney top, and deep-set windows with projecting detailed sills. The applicant proposes to
demolish a previous addition located on the right side of the existing residence (Attachment 3).
The existing addition is a clear departure from the original residence, lacking the characteristic
form and detailing of the Spanish Revival style. Composed of a flat roof, wood fascia boards,
shallow-set sliding windows, and stucco siding, this portion of the residence proposed for
demolition is a clear addition to the original residence.
The applicant proposes a new addition on the right side of the residence that would include
materials and detailing consistent with the original portions of the residence to remain
(Attachment 5). The addition would accommodate a new great room, guest suite, and service
rooms. Additionally, the applicant proposes to improve an existing basement area that
currently daylights through a narrow hallway on the rear elevation. The proposed
improvements would extend the basement to the rear and widen the daylighting portion to
include windows and a door matching the rest of the residence.
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CONSIDERATIONS:
A. Considerations
Sec. 29.80.290. Standards for review.
In evaluating applications, the deciding body shall consider the architectural style, design,
arrangement, texture, materials and color, and any other pertinent factors. Applications
shall not be granted unless:
For pre-1941 structures, the proposed work will neither adversely affect the exterior
architectural characteristics or other features of the property which is the subject of
the application.
B. Residential Design Guidelines
Sections 3.9 of the Town’s Residential Design Guidelines offers recommendations for
construction of additions to existing residences (Attachment X).
CONCLUSION:
The applicant is requesting a preliminary review by the Committee for exterior alterations and
construction of an addition to an existing pre-1941 residence located at 101 Casa Grande.
Should the Committee find merit in the request, the project could be completed with a Building
Permit, and if confirmed through Planning review to be in substantial conformance with the
Committee’s review and recommendations, would not return to the Committee.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Research
2. Letter of Justification
3. Photos
4. Section 3.9, Residential Design Guidelines
5. Development Plans
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101 Casa Grande
HPC Research Information
Owners and builders:
Earl R. Anderson and Clara B Anderson - Earl Anderson was an hier to the Anderson/Barngrover, later
FMC corporation. He worked at FMC.
Built in 1935, original address was 1900 Pollard Road
Andersons sold their farm to developer (Wayne R. Brown) in 1982 — developers built Rinconada Hills
community and Arroyo Rinconada community, the original owners maintained a life right to the house.
Clara died in 1990, and the house was then sold (by developer) to Robert Wales in 1992. When Robert
Wales died, the house passed into his estate, Trustee Barbara Wales (his wife), who sold it to us in
2018.
ATTACHMENT 1
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ATTACHMENT 3
ADDITION TO BE DEMOLISHED
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Residential Design Guidelines 33
Town of Los Gatos
BUILDING DESIGN3
3.8.3 Use traditional detailing
•Treat openings in walls as though they were constructed of
the traditional material for the style. For example, be sure to
provide substantial wall space above arches in stucco and
stone walls. Traditionally, wall space above the arch would
have been necessary to structurally span the opening, and
to make the space too small is inconsistent with the archi-
tectural style.
•Openings in walls faced with stone, real or synthetic, should
have defined lintels above the opening except in Mission or
Spanish Eclectic styles. Lintels may be stone, brick or wood
as suits the style of the house.
•Treat synthetic materials as though they were authentic.
For example, select synthetic stone patterns that place the
individual stones in a horizontal plane as they would have
been in a load bearing masonry wall.
•Select roof materials that are consistent with the traditional
architectural style (e.g., avoid concrete roof tiles on a Crafts-
man Style house.)
3.8.4 Materials changes
•Make materials and color changes at inside corners rather
than outside corners to avoid a pasted on look.
3.9 ADDITIONS/ACCESSORY BUILDINGS/SECONDARY
UNITS
•Site additions in the least conspicuous place. In many cases
this is a rear or side elevation - only rarely is it a rooftop.
•The existing built forms, components and materials should
be reinforced. Heights and proportions of additions and
alterations should be consistent with and continue the
original architectural style and design.
•Additions should be subordinate, and compatible in scale
and proportion to the historically significant portions of
the existing structure.
•When an addition or remodel requires the use of newly
constructed exterior elements, they should be identical in
size, dimension, shape and location as the original, and
Use stone or wood lintels over
openings in stone walls
Additions, accessory buildings and secondary
units should match the form, architectural
style, and details of the original house
ATTACHMENT 4
Residential Design Guidelines34
Town of Los Gatos
BUILDING DESIGN3
should utilize the same materials as the existing protected
exterior elements.
• When an addition necessitates the removal of architectural
materials, such as siding, windows, doors, and decorative
elements, they should be carefully removed and reused in
the addition where possible.
• The introduction of window and door openings not char-
acteristic in proportion, scale, or style with the original
architecture is strongly discouraged (e.g., sliding windows or
doors in a structure characterized by double hung windows
and swinging doors).
• The character of any addition or alteration should be in
keeping with and subordinate to the integrity of the original
structure.
• The amount of foundation exposed on the addition should
match that of the original building.
• Do not add roof top additions where the roof is of historic
significance.
• Second floor additions are discouraged in neighborhoods
with largely one story homes. If horizontal expansion of
the house is not possible, consider incorporating a second
floor addition within the roof form as shown in the example
to the left.
• Second floor additions which are not embedded within the
roof form should be located to the rear of the structure.
• The height and proportion of an addition or a second story
should not dominate the original structure.
• Deck additions should be placed to the rear of the struc-
ture only, and should be subordinate in terms of scale and
detailing.
• New outbuildings, such as garages, should be clearly subor-
dinate to the main structure in massing, and should utilize
forms, materials and details which are similar to the main
structure.
• Garages should generally be located to the rear of the lot
behind the rear wall of the residence. One car wide access
driveways should be utilized.
Original structure
Addition incorporated into the roof
successfully adds space while respecting the
integrity of the existing house and the scale of
the neighborhood
Placing a two story addition to the rear can
minimize its impact on the historic resource
and the scale of the neighborhood