Historic Preservation Committee

TOWN OF LOS GATOS HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMITTEE REPORT MINUTES OF THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMITTEE MEETING SEPTEMBER 24, 2025 The Historic Preservation Committee of the Town of Los Gatos conducted a regular meeting on September 24, 2025 at 4:00 p.m. MEETING CALLED TO ORDER AT 4:00 PM ROLL CALL Present: Chair Lee Quintana, Vice Chair Martha Queiroz, Commissioner Susan Burnett, Commissioner Emily Thomas and Committee Member Alan Feinberg. Absent: None. VERBAL COMMUNICATIONS None. CONSENT ITEMS (TO BE ACTED UPON BY A SINGLE MOTION) 1. Approval of Minutes – August 27, 2024 MOTION: Motion by Committee Member Thomas to approve the Consent Calendar. Seconded by Commissioner Burnett. VOTE: Motion passed 4-0 with Chair Quintana abstaining PUBLIC HEARINGS 2. 333 Los Gatos Boulevard Consider a Request for Approval to Construct an Addition to an Existing Pre1941 Single- Family Residence on Property Zoned R-1D. APN 529-22-021. Exempt Pursuant to CEQA Section 15301: Existing Facilities. Request for Review Application PHST-25-018. Property Owner/Applicant: Nichola Palmer. Project Planner: Sean Mullin. Sean Mullin, Project Planner, presented the staff report. Opened and Closed Public Comment. 110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● 408-354-6874 www.losgatosca.gov PAGE 2 OF 7 MINUTES OF THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMITTEE MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 24, 2025 Committee members discussed the matter. MOTION: Motion by Commissioner Burnett to Recommend Approval to the Community Development Director for a Request for Approval to Construct an Addition to an Existing Pre1941 Single-Family Residence on Property Zoned R-1D. APN 529-22-021. Seconded by Vice Chair Queiroz. VOTE: Motion passed unanimously. 3. 16488 Bonnie Lane Consider a Request for Approval to Construct an Addition and Exterior Alterations to an Existing Pre-1941 Single-Family Residence on Property Zoned R-1:8. Located at 16488 Bonnie Lane. APN 532-02-014. Request for Review Application PHST-25-017. Categorically Exempt Pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines, Section 15301: Existing Facilities. Property Owner: Mai of Tran 2020 Trust. Applicant: Vu-Ngan Tran. Project Planner: Maria Chavarin. Maria Chavarin, Project Planner, presented the staff report. Committee members asked questions of staff. Opened Public Comment. Applicant presented the project. Vu-Ngan Tran, Owner Their plans to add a master bathroom on the second floor were previously approved. This creates an open space below. They want to extend the family room to use that space. Committee members asked questions of the applicant. Closed the public comment. Committee members discussed the matter. MOTION: Motion by Committee Member Feinberg to Recommend that the Applicant Return with Revised Plans that the Doors on the First and Second Floors to Incorporate Divided Lites Across the Doors. The Doors Would Remain with Sidelites. Seconded by Commissioner Burnett. PAGE 3 OF 7 MINUTES OF THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMITTEE MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 24, 2025 Motion was discussed. MOTION: Alternative Motion by Commissioner Thomas to recommend approval with the condition that the upstairs porch doors and side panels have divided lites. Either all across the top or on just on the side panels. On the bottom also have divided lites or all across the glass panels. Alternative Motion failed due to lack of a second. Committee members discussed the matter. MOTION: Alternative Motion by Commissioner Burnett to Recommend Approval to the Community Development Director for a Request to Construct an Addition to an Existing Pre1941 Single-Family Residence on Property Zoned R-1D. APN 529-22-021, with the Following Conditions: 1. Modify the proposed French doors and side light windows located on the second story of the east elevation as follows: a. Side light windows shall include full divided lights; and b. The two doors shall remain without divided lights or incorporate divided lights on the top portions of the doors. 2. Modify the glass folding doors located on the first story of the east elevation with the following design by removing one or two of the folding glass door panels and incorporate full length divided lights on the remaining panels. Seconded by Vice Chair Queiroz VOTE: Motion passed 3-2 with Commissioner Thomas and Chair Quintana dissenting. 4. 446 San Benito Avenue Consider a Preliminary Review of a Request to Construct a New Second-Story Addition and Exterior Alterations to an Existing Pre-1941 Single-Family Residence on Property Zoned R-1D. APN 410-16-051. Request for Review Application PHST-25-015. Exempt Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines, Section 15301: Existing Facilities. Property Owner/Applicant: Devendra Deshwal. Project Planner: Maria Chavarin. Maria Chavarin, Project Planner, presented the staff report. Opened Public Comment. PAGE 4 OF 7 MINUTES OF THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMITTEE MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 24, 2025 Applicant presented the project. Devendra Deshwal, Owner/Applicant They are retaining the front elevation. But they want to change a window into a door. The second story will be similar to what exists. The former owner changed the windows to flat vinyl windows without sills. The current owners propose to replace the windows but with sills as seen in older photos of the home. Other houses in the neighborhood have the same sills. Commissioner Thomas Wood shingle siding is proposed for the front and side elevations with stucco in the rear. Why the two different materials? Devendra Deshwal, Owner/Applicant The existing elevation has stucco. It is not visible from the street. Vice Chair Queiroz What is the material of the garage doors? Devendra Deshwal, Owner/Applicant It is wood. Chair Quintana Please respond to the staff comments on • Appropriateness of the location and scale of the proposed addition. • Appropriateness of an attached garage. • Apparent aluminum roll-up garage door. • Proportion of the attached garage to the front façade. • Compatibility of contemporary front doors. • Use of vinyl windows and vinyl siding is discouraged. • Appropriateness of the use of stucco on only one elevation. • Use of the belly band on the side elevations. Vice Chair Queiroz The existing windows are vinyl. The owner is proposing vinyl windows. Commissioner Thomas Good that the addition is in the back. Vice Chair Queiroz The addition looks like a box attached to a small house. It looks too boxy. It could be broken up with some portions moved forward. PAGE 5 OF 7 MINUTES OF THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMITTEE MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 24, 2025 Committee Member Feinberg Concerned about the attached garage. Prefer to see a detached garage in the back of the house. Chair Quintana The addition is out of scale to the house and the surrounding homes. The garage should be detached and located towards the back of the house. The façade of the garage is over fifty percent of the front façade and dominates the front. Chair Quintana The Committee is trying to discourage vinyl windows. The applicant is encouraged to be consistent with the use of materials. The stucco siding is not consistent. Sean Mullin, Planning Manager The belly band is used to break up the mass. But staff are concerned that it appears slapped on and terminates at the outside corners. Staff will work with the applicant about a technical demo. The shingles may need to be replaced due to age and termite damage. Items raised in the staff report will be addressed. Staff will also cover options on how to reduce mass and scale. Chair Quintana Locating the garage in the back of the house allows more room on the side for the addition. Committee Member Feinberg It is helpful having the list for the Committee to focus on. Sean Mullin, Planning Manager There are two-story homes across the street. There are strategies to reduce the mass. Commissioner Burnett When doing an addition, you go back to the original windows of wood and not vinyl. Erin Walters, Senior Planner The Design guidelines have a section n on transitioning for a one to two story structure. Neighbor They are concerned about fire danger in the area. The wood used on the first floor can be treated with a fire protective covering. There are aluminum doors that have the look of wood. Please consider fire safety as a criteria. PAGE 6 OF 7 MINUTES OF THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMITTEE MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 24, 2025 Chair Quintana Check with your insurance company if the materials need to be fireproof. Commissioner Thomas These windows should align. One way to make an attached garage less prominent is to not have a second story. Sean Mullin, Planning Manager The Design Guidelines describe strategies such as a trellis, pushing back the second story over the garage, etc. The staff can work with the applicant. Commissioner Thomas Having wood sills under the windows restores the character to the home. OTHER BUSINESS (Up to three minutes may be allotted to each speaker on any of the following items.) 5. Discussion of Potential Historic Preservation Topics to be Included in a Letter to the Town Council Regarding Future Historic Preservation Committee Workplan Items. Committee members discussed the matter. Sean Mullin, Planning Manager Propose that the item be discussed at a special meeting of two hours on this one topic. Staff will poll the Committee for a date and time. Keep it high level. It does not need to be written as a code. Chair Quintana There are three main areas to cover: Demolition code, Historic Overlay code and Design Guidelines. The Committee can have a separate meeting regarding Glenridge. Alan Fienberg Would like to see a map of the Glenridge area. Commissioner Burnett There is a lot of information available. It could be discussed as a separate topic. REPORT FROM THE DIRECTOR OF THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT None. COMMITTEE MATTERS None. PAGE 7 OF 7 MINUTES OF THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMITTEE MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 24, 2025 ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 5:58 p.m. This is to certify that the foregoing is a true and correct copy of the minutes of the September 24, 2025 meeting as approved by the Historic Preservation Committee. /s/ Sean Mullin, AICP, Planning Manager