Attachment 9 - Applicant Response Letter11/1 0/2024
Dear Historic Preservation Committee,
I am writing this letter in response to the last Hearing which was held on October 25th,
2024. During that meeting, it was requested I, Vaishali Singh-Sood provide
documentation from a structural engineer opining the weight capacity that can be
supported by the existing roof structure, and whether the existing roof structure can
support roofing styles provided through the committee (which were attached to the
letter). Lastly, I, Vaishali Singh-Sood was requested to provide a revised roof to the
committee with either a barrel style roofing along the eaves of the residence, or a barrel
style roof on the entire roof. I was advised that alternatives to traditional barrel tile is
acceptable.
Since the October 25th hearing, I, Vaishali Singh-Sood attempted to contact several
structural engineers to obtain the first two items requested. However, there were not any
structural engineers willing to provide this type of feedback and/or take on this project
being requested. I was advised that engineers take on the full build of an existing home,
and/or a new home. A copy of the structural engineers contacted will be provided in a
separate document.
Previously, various roofers who observed the job site located at 200 Hernandez in Los
Gatos informed me that due to the low pitch of the roof design on 200 Hernandez
Avenue, a barrel style roof was not suitable due to the crevices on a barrel style coupled
with the low pitch of the current frame, that water can enter, and possibly destroy the
roof. Additionally, those same roofers performed a visual inspection of the surrounding
area, which is in a fire prone zone. Multiple roofers highly recommended a standing
seam metal roof. The reason for the recommendation was that the metal roof can assist
with fire protection. The standing seam is also a lighter weight material which is all that
the existing frame can support. Hence, the standing seam roof would also address the
low pitch the home currently has as a support.
I, Vaishali Singh-Sood am more than willing to obtain a roof style that has a barrel roof
on the eaves of the roof. The last hearing indicated that this would be acceptable.
However, the Committee did not provide what material would be acceptable for the
remaining portion of the roof. I am respectfully requesting that I be allowed to place a
black standing seam roof on the roof with the barrel on all eaves of the roof. The original
roof was a black roof.
I am also respectfully requesting that the Committee please not continue this matter
again. This matter has been continued several times, and we are in the rainy season.
Our home has been damaged even after the roofers attempted to protect the home. The
roof had holes from redwood branches that made holes in the roof last winter. Our
carpets smell from the rain we recently had, and there is wall damage from the water
ATTACHMENT 9
which we can share with you as the rainwater was filling in pans and buckets in our
home.
Lastly, it is respectfully requested that you only require homeowners to obtain items for
hearings that a homeowner can obtain. Typically, Structural Engineers do not provide
the type of requests that were asked of us. Sometimes, aesthetics of a home is not what
is safe for the home depending on various reasons such as the home’s age, location,
etc. Being a special agent for many years, and conducting very serious types of
investigations, it should be noted, that one can be held accountable for a lawsuit if they
are not fully knowledgeable in what is entailed in home build for it to be safe which is a
higher concern that aesthetics.
Sincerely,
Vaishali Singh-Sood