Staff Report with Attachments 1 through 4.18 Oak Hill Way
PREPARED BY: Ryan Safty
Associate 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: 2/28/2024 ITEM NO: 3
DATE: February 23, 2024
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 R-1D. Located at 18 Oak Hill Way.
APN 529-34-052. Exempt Pursuant to CEQA Section 15061(b)(3). Request for
Review PHST-23-020. Property Owner/Applicant: Vanessa Young. Project
Planner: Ryan Safty.
RECOMMENDATION:
Consider a request to remove a pre-1941 property from the Historic Resources Inventory for
property zoned R-1:D located at 18 Oak Hill Way.
PROPERTY DETAILS:
1. Date primary structure was built: 1920 (effective year built 1950) 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? Yes
7. Considerations required? No
DISCUSSION:
The applicant is requesting approval to remove the presumptive pre-1941 residence from the
Historic Resources Inventory. The Santa Clara County Assessor’s Database lists a construction
date of 1920, with an effective year built date of 1950, indicating substantial construction
occurred in around 1950. The property is not within a historic district or LHP overlay and is not
included in either the 1990 Anne Bloomfield Survey.
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DISCUSSION (continued):
The property is included in the Sanborn Fire Insurance maps, beginning in 1895 (Attachment 1).
The area of the current subject property is shown vacant up until 1928. From 1928 through the
1928-1956 map edition, a single structure is shown on the parcel, which appears to have been
modified slightly with side additions following the 1928 edition.
A request to remove this property from the Historic Resources Inventory came before the
Committee on August 23, 2023. The Committee discussed the matter and noted that the
windows look original, that the structure maintains the feeling of a typical Los Gatos cottage
and early California bungalow, and that they were in favor of keeping it on the inventory due to
the finding that the property is of a distinctive characteristic type, time period, and method of
construction. The Committee denied the request.
The applicant has conducted additional research and has applied again to remove the property
from the Historic Resources Inventory. The research conducted and summary of the request is
provided as Attachment 2. Property pictures are included as Attachment 3. The applicant’s
research found that the attached deck at the rear (facing Villa Avenue) was added in 1973; that
the rear entry was modified at some point in the past; and that the previous garage has been
demolished. No information was provided about modifications to the elevation facing Oak Hill
Way.
Specifically, regarding the rear entrance facing Villa Avenue, historical imagery shows that the
previous structure had a partially enclosed porch in front of the rear entryway. This area has
since been fully enclosed, with a double hung window added adjacent to the chimney and the
door pushed out to the edge of the front steps, essentially adding roughly 10 square feet to the
rear of the residence. Additionally, the wall to the left of the rear door as seen on page 4 of
Attachment 2 has been modified, as the openings are now smaller and window styles have
changed in this area.
The applicant also notes that the home address is shown by utility companies as 176-A Villa
Avenue, leading to the assumption that this structure was once a part of the 176 Villa Avenue
property to the north and was not built as a primary residence. The Sanborn Maps in
Attachment 1 also lead to this assumption as the property used to run from Villa Avenue all the
way through to Oak Hill Way. Although the property used to be considered a “through lot”,
running from Villa Avenue to Oak Hill Way, the development and subdivisions that have
occurred following the 1956 edition of the Sanborn Fire Insurance map make it so that only the
Oak Hill Way elevation faces a public street. Therefore, alteration or enclosure of more than 25
percent of the Oak Hill Way elevation would be considered a technical demolition of this
historic structure.
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DISCUSSION (continued):
In conclusion, the applicant states that, “the property has had significant exterior changes since
being built in approximately 1920 and does not have any historical significance. Further, the
property is not visible form the street and does not contribute to the appearance of the Town’s
aesthetics.”
Town records are minimal and include a re-roof permit from 1995, electric service upgrade in
1996, and air conditioner installation in 2005 (Attachment 4).
CONCLUSION:
Should the Committee find that the structure no longer has historic significance or architectural
merit due to the loss of integrity, the structure 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.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Sanborn Maps
2. Applicant’s Submittal Packet
3. Property Pictures
4. Town Records
This Page
Intentionally
Left Blank
dd,D Edϭ1895
1904
1908
1928
1928-1944
1928-1956
Records and Documents Searched
Research regarding 18 Oak Hill Way, Los Gatos, Ca 95030
Findings:
Exterior Modification
Per the Santa Clara County Residential Unit Property Record, In
January of 1973 the exterior was remodeled adding a deck under
permit 1322-B. The accessors office has a before remodel photo on file
that is attached.
Front Entry Modification
Front door moved forward / window changes. From the picture
discovered at Santa Clara Accessors office you can see the “False
Window” by the front door was converted to a double hung window.
Also, the front door was moved forward creating an interior entry way
in place of the exterior front door landing. This is noticeable as you can
see from present day picture how close the front door is now to the
row of 4 windows.
Also, the front door was moved forward creating an interior entry way
in place of the exterior front door landing. This is noticeable as you can
see from present day picture how close the front door is now to the
row of 4 windows.
Garage Demolished
Per the Land Value Computations document provided by Santa Clara
County Accessors office, you can see a garage was once noted.
Presently, per the County of Santa Clara Accessors Office APN report in
remarks section : “No Garage per MLS listing 4/24/23”
ATTACHMENT 2
Address changes:
Current home is noted on MLS as 18 Oak Hill Way. However, utility
companies (PG&E, Water, and Trash Services) still recognize the
property as 176 A Villa leading to the assumption this structure was
once part of the 176 Villa property.
Per the Santa Clara County Residential Unit Property Record, you can
see the address noted is 176 Villa.
Per the Land Value Computations document provided by Santa Clara
County Accessors office the address associated to the APN is 18 Oak Hill
Way.
It is believed that the structure in question was not ever the primary
dwelling and the primary dwelling was visible from the street Villa.
Currently at 176 Villa is a new home that was never part of the historic
inventory and was remodeled in 2001.
PGE Statement shows 176 Villa Ave #A address.
Resources checked:
Santa Clara Accessors Office of Historical –
Santa Clara County Residential Unit Property Record
Land Value Computations page
Photo found
Previous inquiries about property - nothing found
Residence files - nothing found
List of Bellringers (homes built before 1900) - nothing found
Historic Homes Tours - nothing found
1941 Tax Assessment Survey - nothing found
1991 Anne Bloomfield Architectural Survey - nothing found
Sanborn Maps - nothing found
Polk's Directories - spot checked a few years in the '30s and '40s; found
listings for Oak Hill Way, but nothing for #18
Conclusion:
The property has had significant exterior changes since being built in
~1920 and does not have any historical significance.
Further, this property is not visible from the street and doesn’t
contribute to the appearance of the towns aesthetics.
The owner is requesting removal from the Historic Resources Inventory.
Front Entry Modification findings
False Window to left of Chimney - Double Hung Window to left of Chimney
Exterior Front Door Landing - Interior Entry Way
Non visible front door - Visible front door
Space btwn row of windows & front door - Row of windows touching front door
Garage Demolished findings
Concrete Pad where Garage used to be
Presently has a pre fab Tuft shed in place of old garage
ATTACHMENT 3
ATTACHMENT 4