Staff Report.446 San Benito Avenue
PREPARED BY: Erin M. Walters
Senior 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: 05/28/2025
ITEM NO: 3
DATE: May 23, 2025
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 446 San Benito
Avenue. APN 410-16-051. Exempt Pursuant to CEQA Section 15061(b)(3).
Request for Review PHST-25-005. Property Owner/Applicant: Devendra
Deshwal. Project Planner: Erin Walters.
DISCUSSION:
On April 23, 2025, the Historic Preservation Committee considered the request to remove the
subject pre-1941 property from the Historic Resources Inventory (Attachment 1). The 1990
Anne Bloomfield survey indicates a construction date of the home in the 1920s with a
preliminary rating of “✓” or historic and some altered but still contributor to the district if there
is one (Attachment 1, Annexure 4). The property is not located in a historic district. The building
footprint shown on the Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps is consistent between 1928 and
1944 (Attachment 1, Annexures 1 and 2).
On April 23, 2025, the Los Gatos Historic Preservation Committee considered the request, and
continued the application to a meeting date uncertain to allow the applicant time to work with
an architect on a design and return to the Committee with information on the applicant’s plans
for the property.
In response to the Committee discussion on April 24, 2025, the applicant submitted a Letter of
Justification providing additional information regarding the history of the property after
meeting with the adjacent property owners and has provided photographic documentation of
the building from the previous property owner (Attachment 2). The applicant describes
evidence of modifications to the residence impacting its integrity. The applicant believes that
the required findings for removal from the Historic Resources Inventory can be made for this
property.
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SUBJECT: 446 San Benito Avenue/PHST-25-005
DATE: May 23, 2025
CONCLUSION:
Should the Committee find that the structure no longer has historic significance or architectural
merit due to the loss of integrity, a recommendation of approval of the request to remove the
property from the Historic Resources Inventory would be forwarded to the Community
Development Director. Once approved by the Director, 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. April 23, 2025, Historic Preservation Committee Staff Report
2. Letter of Justification