Staff Report.228 Bachman Avenue
PREPARED BY: Sean Mullin, AICP
Senior Planner
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
HISTORIC PRESERVATION
COMMITTEE REPORT
MEETING DATE: 09/25/2024
ITEM NO: 3
DATE: September 20, 2024
TO: Historic Preservation Committee
FROM: Joel Paulson, Community Development Director
SUBJECT: Requesting a Determination Regarding the Contributing Status of an Existing
Contributing Single-Family Residence Located in the Almond Grove Historic
District on Property Zoned O:LHP. Located at 228 Bachman Avenue. APN
510-14-053. Request for Review Application PHST-24-017. Exempt Pursuant
to CEQA Guidelines, Section 15301: Existing Facilities. Property
Owner/Applicant: James B. Wood. Project Planner: Sean Mullin.
RECOMMENDATION:
Requesting a determination regarding the contributing status of an existing contributing single-
family residence located in the Almond Grove Historic District on property zoned O:LHP located
at 228 Bachman Avenue.
PROPERTY DETAILS:
1. Date primary structure was built: 1922 (effective year built 1932) per County Assessor’s
Database; 1920s per Anne Bloomfield Survey
2. Town of Los Gatos Historic Status Code: ✓, historic and some altered, but still contributor to
district if there is one
3. Does property have an LHP Overlay? Yes
4. Is structure in a historic district? Almond Grove Historic District
5. If yes, is it a contributor? Yes
6. Findings required? Yes
7. Considerations required? No
BACKGROUND:
The County Assessor indicates that the residence located at 228 Bachman Avenue was
constructed in 1922, with an effective year built of 1932, which usually reflects significant
alterations or additions occurred after the original construction date. The 1990 Bloomfield
Survey estimates the construction date as the 1920s and rates the residence as historic and
some altered, but still contributor to district if there is one (Attachment 1). The residence is
PAGE 2 OF 4
SUBJECT: 228 Bachman Avenue/PHST-24-017
DATE: September 20, 2024
BACKGROUND (continued):
listed as a contributor to the Almond Grove Historic District in Appendix B of the Residential
Design Guidelines. The Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps show that the property was undeveloped
in 1908 (Attachment 2). By 1928, a dwelling with an attached accessory building were present
along the rear property line. The 1944 map shows that this dwelling was demolished, and a new
dwelling was constructed toward the front of the property. It is likely that this change is the
reason the County Assessor provides an effective year built of 1932. The footprint of this
dwelling remained consistent between 1944 and 1956.
A search of Town Permit records provides the following:
• 1969 use permit to allow a professional office in a residence;
• 1957 Building Permit for construction of an addition (store room); and
• 1975 Planning Commission approval to establish an office in the residence.
On January 7, 2004, the Committee discussed the possibility of demolishing the subject
residence (Attachment 3). The Committee noted that the structural report provided at the time
did not justify a demolition; however, the Committee felt that the residence had unsympathetic
additions and that it is likely that the siding is not original. The Committee stated that a
demolition may be possible, adding a recommendation that a replacement structure not be
Mediterranean and that the second story be recessed.
The applicant provided results of their research on the residence and a summary of the history
of the residence (Attachment 4). The applicant notes that there have been several additions to
the residence over time and that it includes multiple types of siding and windows.
DISCUSSION:
The applicant is requesting a determination of the historic or architectural significance of the
contributing single-family residence located in the Almond Grove Historic District related to a
future proposal for demolition of the residence and construction of a new single-family
residence.
The 1990 Bloomfield Survey is included as Attachment 1 and provides a preliminary rating for
the residence of “✓” meaning: historic and some altered, but still contributor to district if there
is one. The Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps indicate that the residence was constructed in the
current location between 1928 and 1944 (Attachment 2).
Structures within historic districts are individually classified as to their relative contribution to
the historic character and quality of the district. Contributing structures have been determined
to be historically, architecturally, or culturally significant. Noncontributing structures are those
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SUBJECT: 228 Bachman Avenue/PHST-24-017
DATE: September 20, 2024
DISCUSSION (continued):
which are not historic in terms of their design or have been so modified over time as to no
longer meet the criteria for contributing status.
The Residential Design Guidelines state that the demolition of any contributing structure in
historic districts is forbidden absent a cataclysmic event or upon determination by the Deciding
Body that demolition is necessary for the proper restoration of the structure. Additions,
alterations, and removal of non-historic additions may be approved as part of the
reconstruction process, provided the contributing historic elements of the structure are
maintained, and the changes and/or additions could have been approved if the structure had
not been damaged.
CONCLUSION:
Should the Committee find that the structure no longer meets the criteria for contributing
status, the structure would be removed from the list of contributors to the Almond Grove
Historic District. The property would continue to be located within the historic district, and any
proposed work, including demolition and construction of a new residence, would return to the
Committee for review under a formal Planning application.
FINDINGS:
A. Findings - related to a request for a determination that a 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.
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SUBJECT: 228 Bachman Avenue/PHST-24-017
DATE: September 20, 2024
FINDINGS (continued):
B. Findings
___ As required by Town Code Section 29.10.09030(c) Demolition of historic structures, a
demolition permit for a historic structure may only be approved if:
1. The structure poses an imminent safety hazard; or
2. The structure is determined not to have any special historical, architectural or aesthetic
interest or value.
Any request to demolish an historic structure shall be reviewed by the Historic Preservation
Committee. Applications to demolish a non-contributing historic structure shall be
accompanied by a detailed report describing all aspects of the structure's physical condition
prepared by an architect, licensed design professional, or registered civil engineer at the
applicant's expense.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. 1990 Bloomfield Survey
2. Sanborn Exhibit
3. Minutes – Historic Preservation Committee, January 7, 2004
4. Research Results and Summary of Residence
5. Exterior Photos