REPORT TO HISTORICAL AND LANDMARKS COMMISSION
SUBJECT
Title
PUBLIC HEARING: Recommendation on the Proposed 627 Square-Foot First Floor Addition and a 1,276 Square-Foot Second Floor Addition to an Existing 1,958 Square-Foot Single-Story Residence Resulting in a 3,939 Square-Foot Four-Bedroom, Three-Bathroom Two-Story Residence with an Attached Three Car Garage at 807 Park Court (PLN24-00585) located within 200 Feet of a Historic Resource.
Report
BACKGROUND
The 9,202 square-foot property is located on the north side of Park Court, approximately 705 feet east of Washington Street. It is currently developed with a residence built in 1948, an attached garage, and a detached storage building at the rear of the property. The subject property is currently zoned R1-6L - Single-Family Residential with the General Plan Land Use Designation of Very Low Density Residential. The property is not currently listed as a historic resource on the City’s Historic Resource Inventory (HRI); however, it is within 200 feet of a Historic Resource located at 794 Park Court. See the attached vicinity map (Attachment 1) for location of the property and the nearby HRI property.
The project is before the Historical and Landmarks Commission (HLC) in accordance with the Historic Preservation Ordinance (SCCC 18.130.070), which requires all projects within 200 feet of an HRI property requiring an Architectural Review approval through a Development Review Hearing to be first referred to the HLC. The HLC shall review the project for neighborhood compatibility and consistency with the City’s Design Guidelines and make a recommendation. The project would then be heard at the Development Review Hearing for final action.
DISCUSSION
The project proposes a 627 square-foot first floor addition and a 1,276 square-foot second floor addition to the existing 1,958 square feet single family residence. The first floor would be approximately 2,585 square feet and the second floor is approximately 1,276 square feet.
The existing home was constructed in 1948, meeting one of the three local Historic Preservation property designation criteria as its older than 40 years (SCCC 18.130.040 A(1)). However, staff did not recommend the applicant prepare a DPR 523A Form as the home was built as an early tract home with some ranch style architectural features. Elevations of the existing home are found in the development plans (Attachment 3).
The subject parcel has street frontages on three sides, Linden Drive to the west, Alviso Street to the east and Park Court to the south. The existing one-story house on the parcel has a similar architectural style as the residences along Linden Drive to the west as they are part of the same subdivision with a down sloped porch and minimalistic geometric masses. The only differences between the properties are the variation of accent materials which is commonly found in tract homes. The residences along Alviso Street to the east are vernacular craftsman and bungalows constructed around the 1920s. Those homes have low-pitched gabled roof supported by square columns with wide overhanging eaves. The closest HRI property is the craftsman style residence at 794 Park Court.
The proposed single-family residence includes gabled roofs and articulated massing on the second floor consistent with the neighborhood. The proposed second story is stepped back from the first floor by seven feet on the sides, six feet on the front, and six feet on the rear, exceeding the recommended step backs in the Single-Family and Duplex Residential Design Guidelines. The windows have been treated with grids to blend with the nearby craftsman style residence at 794 Park Court.
The proposed project complies with the City’s Single-Family and Duplex Residential Design Guidelines (2014), in that:
• The proposed larger second-floor windows are oriented towards the front and rear while the side windows are more the 15 feet away from the property lines.
• The second floor is proposed to be 49% of the first floor, which is consistent with the guideline that second floor areas should not exceed 66% of the first-floor area.
• The proposed second floor exceeds the step back guidelines in that the second-floor areas are set back more than five feet from the front wall and three to five feet from the side and rear walls of the first floor.
• The architectural style and design of the proposed addition are consistent to the architectural form of the existing residences and for the neighborhood.
Therefore, the project as proposed would not have a significant adverse visual impact to the integrity of the Historic Resource at 794 Park Court as the proposed is consistent with the design guidelines and the architectural style integrates well into the neighborhood.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The action being considered is categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15301(e) (Class 1 - Existing Facilities), in that the proposed project is for the removal of a single-family residence and the construction of a single-family residence.
PUBLIC CONTACT
On January 23, 2025, a notice of public hearing was mailed to property owners within 300 feet of the project site. At the time of preparation of this report, the Planning Division has not received any public comments.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the Historical and Landmarks Commission find that the proposed project located at 807 Park Court will not destroy or have a significant adverse effect on the integrity of the HRI listed property within 200 feet at 794 Park Court; 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: Alex Tellez, Assistant Planner, Community Development Department
Reviewed by: Rebecca Bustos, Principal Planner, Community Development Department
Approved by: Lesley Xavier, Planning Manager, Community Development Department
ATTACHMENTS
1. Vicinity Map
2. Project Data and Compliance Table
3. Development Plans