REPORT TO HISTORICAL AND LANDMARKS COMMISSION
SUBJECT
Title
Public Hearing: Recommendation on the Architectural Review (PLN24-00521) for Demolition of the Existing 1,198 Square Foot One-Story Residence and the Construction of a New 3,817 Square Foot Two-Story Residence at 4435 Fillmore Street Located Within 200 Feet of Two Historic Resource Inventory Properties. CEQA Status: Exempt from CEQA per Section 15332 - In-Fill Development Projects. (Continued from May 7, 2026, Historical and Landmarks Commission Meeting).
Report
File No.: PLN24-00521
Location: 4435 Fillmore Street, a 6,250 square-foot property located on the eastern side of Fillmore Street, approximately 200 feet north of the intersection of Fillmore Street and 2nd Street; APN: 104-10-055; the property is zoned Single-Family Residential (R1-6L).
Applicant: Daniel Warren, Warren Design
Owner(s): GM & Fouzia Solaiman
Request: Architectural Review for a demolition of the existing 1,198 square-foot residence and the construction of a 3,327 square-foot five-bedroom and four-bathroom two-story residence.
BACKGROUND
On May 7, 2026, the Historical and Landmarks Commission (HLC) continued this item to their meeting of June 4, 2026, to allow time for the applicant to consider and revise the second-story design in response to the HLC’s recommendation. HLC’s recommendation aimed to reduce the massing and visual impact at the front of the residence to minimize potential impacts to the nearby historic resource at 4406 Fillmore Street. No public comments were received at the public hearing.
DISCUSSION
The subject property at 4435 Fillmore Street is located within 200 feet of two historic resources listed on the City’s Historic Resource Inventory (HRI). However, the project site is neither located on the same side of the street as the HRI-listed property at 4406 Fillmore Street nor on the same block as 4433 Cheeney Street (See Attachment 3-Vicinity Map). The surrounding neighborhood includes existing two-story residences and townhomes within proximity to 4406 Fillmore Street. Although the proposed project would be the first two-story residence on the Fillmore Street block between 2nd Street and 3rd Street, the broader neighborhood contains a variety of two-story residences with diverse architectural styles, including homes with second-story massing above garages.
At the May 7, 2026, meeting, the HLC recommended reducing the second-story mass to minimize potential impacts to the nearby historic resource at 4406 Fillmore Street. In response to HLC’s recommendation, the applicant revised the plans (Attachment 2) to reduce the mass of the second story by increasing the upper-story step-back an additional 2.5 feet from the first-floor elevation. The proposed first floor provides a 25-foot setback from the front property line, where 20 feet is required. With the additional second-story step-back, the upper-story façade will be setback 27 feet from the property line, exceeding the 25-foot requirement.
The revised design responds to the recommendations of the HLC and is more consistent with the City’s Single-Family Residential Design Guidelines. As proposed, the project would not result in a significant adverse visual impact on the integrity of the HRI-listed property at 4406 Fillmore Street.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The action being considered is categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15332 (Class 32 - In-Fill Development Projects), in that the request is on a project site less than five acres, served by all required, and meets all zoning standards.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Historical and Landmarks Commission agenda on the City’s official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall Council Chambers. A complete agenda packet is available on the City’s website and in the City Clerk’s Office. A hard copy of any agenda report may be requested by contacting the City Clerk’s Office at (408) 615-2220, email clerk@santaclaraca.gov <mailto:clerk@santaclaraca.gov> or at the public information desk at any City of Santa Clara public library.
A public hearing notice was mailed to 63 property owners and tenants within a 300-foot radius of the project site on April 23, 2026. As of the writing of this report, planning staff has not received public comments for this application. Items continued to a date certain already previously noticed do not require additional noticing.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Recommend that the Historical and Landmarks Commission find that the proposed project located at 4435 Fillmore Street will not destroy or have significant adverse effect on the integrity of the HRI listed properties within 200 feet of the subject property; that the proposed construction is compatible with the surrounding neighborhood and recommend approval of the Architectural Review at the Development Review Hearing.
Staff
Prepared by:
Prepared by: Meha Patel, Associate Planner, Community Development Department
Reviewed by: Rebecca Bustos, Principal Planner, Community Development Department
Approved by: Lesley Xavier, Planning Manager, Community Development Department
ATTACHMENTS
1. HLC Staff Report - May 7, 2026
2. Revised Development Plans
3. Vicinity Map
4. Project Data and Compliance Table
5. Conditions of Approval