REPORT TO DEVELOPMENT REVIEW HEARING
SUBJECT
Title
PUBLIC HEARING: Action on the Architectural Review (PLN25-00065) for the Demolition of an Existing Uninhabitable Commercial Structure and the Construction of a New 2,598 Square-Foot Two-Story Residence with Four Bedrooms and Three and a Half Bathrooms Located at 1175 Lafayette Street within 200 Feet of Historic Resource Inventory Properties.
Report
File No.: PLN25-00065
Location: 1175 Lafayette Street, a 6,506 square-foot lot located approximately 50-feet from the intersection of Fremont Street and Lafayette Street
Applicant: Thanh Nguyen
Owner(s): 1175 Lafayette LLC.
Request: Architectural Review for the Demolition of an Existing Uninhabitable Commercial Structure and the Construction of a New Two-Story Residence with an Attached Two-Car Garage and an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) at 1175 Lafayette Street, Located Within 200 Feet of Historic Resources.
PROJECT DATA
The Project Data and Compliance Table is included as Attachment 2.
POINTS FOR CONSIDERATION
• The proposed project is in a residential tract consisting of both one- and two-story residences. See Vicinity Map in Attachment 1.
• The site is currently situated with two uninhabitable buildings, one a storage shed at the rear of the parcel and the other a small commercial structure oriented toward the street.
• Per the Santa Clara City Code (SCCC) 18.120(D)1, the request to construct a new single-family home requires Architectural Review approval through a Development Review Hearing.
• The project site is within 200 feet of four properties on the City’s Historic Resource Inventory (1193 Lafayette, 908 Fremont, 1115 Lafayette and 936 Fremont). In accordance with SCCC 18.130.070, the project was referred to the Historical and Landmarks Commission (HLC) for review.
• The proposal is to demolish the existing building and construct a new 2,598 square-foot, two-story, four bedroom, three and one half-bathroom residence with an attached two-car garage. The residence will have horizontal siding, a hipped-roof, a distinct veneer stone wrapped porch, two-car garage, and a detached Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) at the rear of the parcel. The ADU is a ministerial action and not subject to Architectural Review.
• The proposed project complies with the City’s Single-Family and Duplex Residential Design Guidelines (2014), in that:
• The front of the house is oriented toward the primary street frontage with an emphasis on the front porch or entry element toward the street by architectural design and landscaping treatment.
• The architectural features of the proposed design including the wood siding at the front of the structure, asphalt shingle roofing material, a prominent small front porch are true to the architectural form and appropriate for the neighborhood.
• The project proposes both a hipped roof form on the house reducing the bulk of the second story and mirroring roof forms seen in the area.
• The proposed project meets the required findings set forth in SCCC 18.120.
• The proposed project was heard at the HLC on April 3, 2025. The Commission voted to recommend approval of the project. Their conditions for their recommendation of approval are incorporated within the Conditions of Approval in Attachment 3. Specifically, the HLC recommended the applicant use carriage style garage doors; window frames be a substantial material and not vinyl; and maintain the horizontal siding, but differ in size from the surrounding properties.
• There are no active City code enforcement cases for this property.
• A neighborhood notice was distributed within a 300-foot radius of the subject site for this project review.
FINDINGS SUPPORTING STAFF’S RECOMMEDATION
Granting the Architectural Review approval requires the following findings consistent with City Code Section 18.120.020(F):
1) That any off-street parking area, screening strips, and other facilities and improvements necessary to secure the purpose and intent of this title and the general plan of the City area a part of the proposed development, in that:
• The proposal provides the required two covered parking spaces at the front of the residence with the two-car garage.
• The required parking spaces are not located in the required front yard or side yard landscaped areas.
• The proposed project provides areas surfaced with all-weather materials of parking vehicles.
2) That the design and location of the proposed development and its relation to neighboring developments and traffic is such that it will not impair the desirability of investment or occupation in the neighborhood, will not unreasonably interfere with the use and enjoyment of neighboring developments, and will not create traffic congestion or hazard, in that:
• The proposed residence would not create traffic congestion or hazards.
• Public streets are adequate in size and design to serve the proposed two-story residence, and the use will not create a substantive increase in traffic.
3) That the design and location of the proposed development is such that it is in keeping with the character of the neighborhood and is such as not to be detrimental to the harmonious development contemplated by this title and the general plan of the City, in that:
• Architectural features of the proposed design area are true to the architectural form and appropriate for the neighborhood. Surrounding properties are one to two story homes clad in stucco, have horizontal wood-like siding, or are sheathed in board and batten siding. The applicant has proposed a horizontal Hardie board siding, a hipped-roof, a distinct stone veneer wrapped strip running along the lower portion of the home, a stucco clad front porch and a two-car garage. The Historical & Landmarks Commission recommended the applicant use carriage style garage doors.
• The proposed project is consistent with the scale and design found in the existing surrounding neighborhoods.
4) That the granting of such approval will not, under the circumstances of the particular case, materially affect adversely the health, comfort or general welfare of persons residing or working in the neighborhood of said development, and will not be materially detrimental to the public welfare or injuries to property or improvements in said neighborhood, in that:
• The project is subject to the California Building Code and City Code requirements, which serve to regulate new construction to protect public health, safety, and general welfare.
5) That the proposed development, as set forth in the plans and drawings, are consistent with the set of more detailed policies and criteria for architectural review as approved and updated from time to time by the City Council, which set shall be maintained in the planning division office. The policies and criteria so approved shall be fully effective and operative to the same extent as if written into and made a part of this title, in that:
• The proposed project is consistent with the City’s Single-Family Design Guidelines (2014):
• The project would create a house design that is compatible in scale and character with the housing types that are typical in the neighborhood as the proposed design will have similar massing to the adjacent corner properties.
CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL
Conditions of approval are proposed for the project and are contained in Attachment 3.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The action being considered is categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15303 (Class 3 - New Construction or Conversion of Small Structures), in that the proposed project is for the construction of a new single-family residence on a vacant lot, which meets Class 3 exemption requirements.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Development Review Hearing 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 property owners within a 300-foot radius of the project site on May 01, 2025. As of the writing of this report, planning staff has not received public comments for this application.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Determine the project to be categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) formal pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15303 (Class 3 - New Construction or Conversion of Small Structures), and Approve the Architectural Review for the demolition of an existing structure and the construction of a new 2,598 square-foot four bedroom, three and one half-bathroom two-story residence with a two-car garage and a detached accessory dwelling unit (ADU) at 1175 Lafayette Street, subject to the findings and conditions of approval.
Staff
Prepared by: Daniel Sobczak, Associate Planner, Community Development Department
Approved by: Sheldon S. Ah Sing, Development Review Officer, Community Development Department
ATTACHMENTS
1. Vicinity Map
2. Project Data and Compliance Table
3. Conditions of Approval
4. Weblinks Historical & Landmarks Commission Staff Report Packet - April 3, 2025
5. Development Plans