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11-15-23 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 MINUTES OF THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMITTEE MEETING NOVEMBER 15, 2023 The Historic Preservation Committee of the Town of Los Gatos conducted a regular meeting on November 15, 2023 at 4:00 p.m. MEETING CALLED TO ORDER AT 4:00PM ROLL CALL Present: Vice Chair Susan Burnett, Planning Commissioner Steve Raspe, Committee Member Martha Queiroz, and Committee Member Lee Quintana. Absent: Chair Barry Cheskin. VERBAL COMMUNICATIONS None. CONSENT ITEMS (TO BE ACTED UPON BY A SINGLE MOTION) None. PUBLIC HEARINGS 1. 92 Fairview Plaza Minor Development in a Historic District Application HS-23-037 Requesting Approval for Construction of Exterior Alterations to a Contributing Residence Located in the Fairview Plaza Historic District on Property Zoned R-1:8:LHP. APN 510- 43-015. Categorically Exempt Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15301: Existing Facilities. Property Owner/Applicant: 92 Fairview Ventures LLC. Project Planner: Ryan Safty Ryan Safty, Associate Planner, presented the staff report. Opened Public Comment. Applicant presented the project. PAGE 2 OF 7 MINUTES OF THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMITTEE MEETING OF NOVEMBER 15, 2023 David Katz, Owner/Applicant You can see that there are windows that have been added to half of the porch that are proposed to be removed. This is the only Victorian home in the neighborhood with an enclosed porch, and they would like to have it match the other side of the porch. Additionally, in the back of the property, they wanted to turn a window into a door. While they now feel they should have gone with the sliding door suggestion, they ended up putting in a door that swings into the master bedroom. They request a change to a sliding glass door to allow for maximum use of the bedroom space. The back door is a full-light, 36-inch swinging patio door and can only swing inward. An outward swinging door is backordered so not an option. They are asking to put in a 72-inch glass sliding door to keep interior open. Closed Public Comment. Committee members discussed the matter. - Removing the windows on the porch will add to the authenticity of the home. - Sliding doors are practical. - It is recommended to keep the current back door rather than adding a sliding door to the house. MOTION: Motion by Planning Commissioner Raspe to approve proposed exterior alterations including removal of front porch windows and replacement of the rear full-light patio door with a French door if desired. Seconded by Committee Member Quintana. VOTE: Motion passed unanimously. 2. 32 Euclid Avenue Request for Review Application PHST-23-019 Consider a Request to Remove a Presumptive Historic Property (Pre-1941) from the Historic Resources Inventory for Property Zoned R-1:8. APN 529-30-064. Exempt Pursuant to CEQA Section 15061 (b)(3). Property Owner/Applicant: David Wilson Project Planner: Sean Mullin Sean Mullin, Senior Planner, presented the staff report. Opened Public Comment. PAGE 3 OF 7 MINUTES OF THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMITTEE MEETING OF NOVEMBER 15, 2023 Applicant presented the project. Kurt Anderson, Anderson Architects - He is the Architect. The structure has been modified over time. The front porch was enclosed and then unenclosed. A shed was added in the back. It was a barn turned into a residence. The upper portion and a back wing were later added. They intend to demolish it and build a new residence. Alex Anderson, Client - They live in a house two doors down the street. Their current home has been modified twice. The aluminum windows and siding were added during or after the 1970’s. - The proposed property is now uninhabitable. The building has a dipped roof, no insulation, and the back addition shows pest infestation. Michelle Kusanovich - They would often visit the owner, Jara Rolland, who lived at the property for 53 years. The barn was built in the 1800s. In 1987 the Bellringers group advised adding the address to the registry. But as a teacher, she could not afford to be on the list. - In 1944, Marie Johnson moved into the property. It faces east and is the visible from the street. The husband, Roy, built their house. - The house is the first thing you see when you approach the curve in the street. As a barn it has inspired a home at 11 Johnson. It was all part of the Johnson property. It would be nice to have a placard. - It is dilapidated, but not beyond help. The roof is sagging. If a new structure is built, maybe preserve the outline to reflect the original barn legacy. It has a shed roof with pole posts. Kurt Anderson, Architect - The foundation is not salvageable. The proposed design is contemporary farmhouse. They may install a brass plaque to commemorate the property’s history. It would be more expensive to rehabilitate than to build new. - The proposed design will have the same orientation, view from Euclid, covered front porch, and will be visible from the road. Alex Anderson, Client - The memories are of the occupants and not the structure. They intend to build a home for their family. - Their current home on Euclid is in a modern farmhouse style. So that style exists in the neighborhood. - The former owner is in favor of their plans. Closed Public Comment. PAGE 4 OF 7 MINUTES OF THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMITTEE MEETING OF NOVEMBER 15, 2023 Committee members discussed the matter. • Trying to save a house that was a barn, but we don’t rule on ancillary structures. • What was once a barn is no longer there. It’s been modified extensively. • Applicant agreed on having a historic placard or identifying marker. • Not many barns in Los Gatos, and it still has a barn look to it. • We need a professional historic report. • Based on the photos, the original siding was board and batten. • The history of Los Gatos is agricultural which includes the presence of barns. • Could grant a technical demo but keep it on the inventory. • Cannot make the findings without more information. • The structure yields information about the Town’s history and agricultural past. Heard from the audience that there is additional information about the history of the structure. MOTION: Motion by Committee Member Quintana to deny removal from the Historic Property Inventory. This structure does yield information on the Town’s history, and the association with other historic properties of the Town. Need more information. Seconded by Vice Chair Burnett. VOTE: Motion passed 3-1, Planning Commissioner Raspe voting no. 3. 44 Broadway Minor Residential Development Application MR-23-008 Requesting Approval for Construction of a Second-Story Addition Exceeding 100 Square Feet and Exterior Alterations to an Existing Contributing Single-Family Residence in the Broadway Historic District on Property Zoned R-1D:LHP. APN 510-45-018. Categorically Exempt Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15301: Existing Facilities. Property Owner: Roberta Scott Applicant: Gordon K. Wong Project Planner: Sean Mullin Sean Mullin, Senior Planner, presented the staff report. Opened Public Comment. Gordon Wong, Applicant presented the project. - For the siding they are proposing Polyash material that is termite and fire resistant, doesn’t cup, doesn’t peel, and is paintable. They will color match the paint. - The windows will be the fiberglass Milgard Colby heritage series. It has a wood clad interior and a fiberglass exterior that is paintable. PAGE 5 OF 7 MINUTES OF THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMITTEE MEETING OF NOVEMBER 15, 2023 - Windows will be double hung. - Siding will match. Will need to consider the limits of a tech demo. Closed Public Comment. Committee members discussed the matter. • French doors on the deck. • Simpler planes. • Mass of the deck overhang. • Deck space is 10 feet. • Large, covered porches on Victorians don’t seem to fit the style. • Supportive of the wood looking product and its improved fire resistance. • It is important that the project stay within tech demo limits. • The applicant could consider a deck depth less than 8 feet. MOTION: Motion by Planning Commissioner Raspe to Approve the Construction of a Second-Story Addition Exceeding 100 Square Feet and Exterior Alterations to an Existing Contributing Single-Family Residence in the Broadway Historic District on Property Zoned R-1D:LHP with the conditions that there be no technical demo, and that the applicant consider reducing the depth of the rear deck to eight feet. Seconded by Vice Chair Burnett. VOTE: Motion passed unanimously. 4. 46 Los Gatos Boulevard Minor Residential Application MR-23-009 Requesting Approval for Construction of a New Second-Story Addition to an Existing Pre- 1941 Single-Family Residence on Property Zoned R-1D. APN 532-29-016. Categorically Exempt Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15301: Existing Facilities. Property Owner: Kathleen and Morgan Magid Applicant: Michelle Kusanovich Project Planner: Erin Walters Erin Walters, Associate Planner, presented the staff report. Opened Public Comment. Applicant presented the modifications to the project based on the preliminary feedback provided by the Committee on August 23, 2023. PAGE 6 OF 7 MINUTES OF THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMITTEE MEETING OF NOVEMBER 15, 2023 Michelle Kusanovich - Added window to the front so it would not look so blank. - Added a second story covered deck to the proposed addition to the rear. - The porch size is 5 feet 9 inches, which provides space for two chairs and a side table. - The veranda has about 11 feet of space. Closed Public Comment. Committee members discussed the matter. • The color-coded drawings helped to show what was to remain and to be added. • Covered porch adds bulk to the side and rear elevations. • The covered porch is smaller and in the back of the house. It is a stylistic concern and doesn’t ruin the style of the house. MOTION: Motion by Committee Member Quintana to forward a recommendation of approval of the above request to the Community Development Director with the following condition that the roof over the second story veranda be shortened as much as possible. Seconded by Planning Commissioner Raspe. VOTE: Motion passed unanimously. OTHER BUSINESS (Up to three minutes may be allotted to each speaker on any of the following items.) 5. 80 Cleland Avenue Request for Review Application PHST-23-021 Preliminary Review for Construction of Exterior Modifications and a New Second-Story Addition to an Existing Pre-1941 Single-Family Residence and Determination of Significance on Property Zoned R-1D. APN 529-33-026. Categorically Exempt Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15301: Existing Facilities. Property Owner: Dinesh Mishra Applicant: Davide Giannella, Acadia Architecture Project Planner: Erin Walters Erin Walters, Associate Planner, presented the staff report. Opened public comment. PAGE 7 OF 7 MINUTES OF THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMITTEE MEETING OF NOVEMBER 15, 2023 Applicant presented the project. Davide Giannella, Architect/Applicant - Proposing a first floor and second story addition with a double high ceiling. - New front second-story windows and doors will be aligned to preserve symmetry. - It will be consistent with the existing building design by matching elements and materials. - Proposing standing seam metal roof to retain slope. - Original size of house is 1,600 square feet with a proposed addition of 650 square feet. - The overall height will remain the same. Closed public comment. Committee members provided the following comments: • The style of the design is not consistent with the neighborhood, too modern. • The house appears to be a historic home and should not be removed from the inventory. • The massing is appropriate. • The standing seam metal roof appears too modern, the roof should retain a composite roof material. • The windows could be broken up with window lites to match the existing. • Addition should maintain the historic look of the original house. 6. Next Special Meeting is on December 20, 2023. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 5:46 p.m. This is to certify that the foregoing is a true and correct copy of the minutes of the November 15, 2023 meeting as approved by the Historic Preservation Committee. /s/ Jennifer Armer, AICP, Planning Manager