Staff Report. 14335 La Rinconada
PREPARED BY: Erin Walters
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: 02/28/2024
ITEM NO: 7
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-1:8. Located at 14335 La
Rinconada Drive, Parcel 1. APN 409-14-026. Categorically Exempt Pursuant
to CEQA Guidelines Section 15301: Existing Facilities. Request for Review
PHST-23-023. Property Owner: Nicholas Gera. Applicant: Greg Zierman.
Project Planner: Erin Walters.
DISCUSSION:
On December 20, 2023, the Historic Preservation Committee met to consider the request to
remove the subject pre-1941 property from the Historic Resources Inventory (Attachment 1).
The Santa Clara County Assessor’s Database lists a construction date of 1920. The property is
not within a historic district or LHP overlay, is not included in the 1990 Anne Bloomfield Survey
and not located on the Sanborn Fire Insurance maps.
The Committee discussion included the following comments:
• It seems clear that it is okay to take it off the inventory.
• It is typical of the older homes in that area when it was a farming community.
• There is no foundation, but one can be added.
• How do we honor the past?
• Have there been any major changes?
• The property meets the criteria to be removed.
• It was annexed from the County and there is no record of when it was annexed. It did not
show on Town maps.
• It is an example of the cottage style.
• If on the inventory, it can still remodel but with more restrictions.
• Committee is split two to two and will need to continue when more members are present
to vote.
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SUBJECT: 14335 La Rinconada Drive, Parcel 1/PHST-23-023
DATE: February 23, 2024
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14335 La Rinconada.docx
DISCUSSION (continued):
On December 20, 2023, the Committee made a motion to continue the item to a date certain of
January 24, 2024. The January 24, 2024, Historic Preservation Committee meeting was
canceled due to lack of a quorum and so the item was placed on the February 28, 2024 agenda.
In response to the Committee discussion on December 20, 2023, the applicant has provided a
letter of summarizing the justifications for each required findings to remove the subject pre-
1941 property from the Historic Resources Inventory (Attachment 2).
The applicant believes that the required findings for removal from the Historic Resources
Inventory can be made for this property as the residence is not in its original condition and
there is nothing significant or remarkable about it. The applicant did not find that any
significant persons lived on the site.
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. December 20, 2023 Historic Preservation Committee Staff Report
2. Letter of Justification