REPORT TO HISTORICAL AND LANDMARKS COMMISSION
SUBJECT
Title
PUBLIC HEARING: Recommendation on the New Construction of Nine Two-Story Townhomes with Attached Two-Car Garages at 4249 Cheeney Street (PLN2019-13847) located within 200 Feet of a Historic Resource.
Report
BACKGROUND
The one-acre property is located on the eastern side of Cheeney Street, approximately 100 feet south of the corner of Cheeney Street and Agnew Road. It is currently a vacant lot. 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 two Historic Resources located at 2086 Agnew Road (Agnew School) and 4262 Davis Street. See the attached vicinity map (Attachment 1) for location of the property and the nearby HRI property.
The proposed project includes a General Plan Amendment (GPA) to Low Density Residential (8-19 du/ac) to accommodate the increase in residential density at the site and development of the townhomes and a rezone to be consistent with the new General Plan land use designation. The rezoning and GPA will be reviewed by the Planning Commission for a recommendation to the City Council for a final determination.
The project is before the Historical and Landmarks Commission (HLC) in accordance with the Historic Preservation Ordinance (18.130.070), which requires all projects on properties within 200 feet of an HRI property requiring Architectural Review approval at a Development Review Hearing first be 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 on the Architectural Review. The project would then be heard at a future Development Review Hearing.
DISCUSSION
The project proposes construction of nine two-story townhomes with attached two-car garages. The proposed buildings would reach a maximum height of 25 feet. The proposed buildings would include 15-foot setbacks from the rear property lines, minimum 20-foot setbacks from the front property lines, and five-foot side yard setbacks. In total, the buildings would be 20,771 gross square feet and have a combined footprint of 10,211 square feet (45 percent lot coverage).
The nine townhome units would be situated in two rows separated by an L-shaped driveway. Two pairs of attached townhomes (four units), divided by a five-foot pedestrian walkway, would have frontage on Cheeney Street. Five attached townhome units would be located to the rear of the site. Each of the nine units would include a private yard.
Historical Evaluation
A historical resource evaluation (Attachment 3) was prepared by TreanorHL in January 2023 to assess the impact of the project on the historical resource located at 2086 Agnew Road. The Agnew School was constructed ca. 1890 and active until 1927 when the school was closed. The structure has since been utilized as a single-family residence. The evaluation concluded that the proposed project is consistent with standards #9 and #10 of the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation. The project does not significantly alter the immediate surroundings of the property and is compatible in scale and density as the immediate neighborhood and the project design can easily be distinguished from the historic resource. The project will be constructed 90 feet south of this historical resource and will not diminish the integrity of the historical building or its surrounding.
The second HRI property diagonally adjacent to the project site is a modified Greek Revival located at 4262 Davis Street. The home was constructed circa 1920 and is one of the few Greek Revival type structures that remain in the old Agnew Village today. This resource is located approximately 90 feet from the proposed townhomes. Given the similar distances, staff concluded that the analysis above for the Agnew School property would also apply to the 4262 Davis Street property.
Architectural Review
The surrounding residences are one- and two-story properties with side gable or hip roof forms. The proposed project would match the surrounding two-story hipped roof forms and include combination of wood siding and stucco to be in harmony with the neighborhood.
The proposed project complies with the City’s Single-Family and Duplex Residential Design Guidelines (2014), in that:
• The proposed second-floor windows are oriented towards the front and rear.
• The project proposes a hip roofed style second story which reduces the overall bulk and appearance of the second story.
• The architectural style and design of the proposed addition are true to the architectural form of the existing residence and for the neighborhood.
As proposed, the project would not have a significant adverse visual impact to the integrity of the historic resource at 2086 Agnew Road and 4262 Davis Street. The resources and proposed project do not share the same street frontage and the ADU on the resource site obscures a direct view of the historical building from Cheeney Street. The proposed two-story townhomes will be compatible with the overall neighborhood and will not have an adverse impact on the Historic Resource.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
An Initial Study and Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) were prepared for the project in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The Draft MND and Notice of Intent were posted on the City’s website at Environmental Review/CEQA | City of Santa Clara (santaclaraca.gov) < <https://www.santaclaraca.gov/our-city/departments-a-f/community-development/planning-division/environmental-review-ceqa> <https://www.santaclaraca.gov/our-city/departments-a-f/community-development/planning-division/environmental-review-ceqa> and available for public review for 30-days between December 13, 2024 to January 13, 2025, in accordance with CEQA requirements.
PUBLIC CONTACT
On January 23, 2025 a notice of public hearing was mailed to property owners within 500 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 4249 Cheeney Street will not destroy or have a significant adverse effect on the integrity of the HRI listed properties within 200 feet at 2086 Agnew Road and 4262 Davis Street; that the demolition and proposed residence are compatible with the surrounding neighborhood and recommend approval of the Architectural Review at the Development Review Hearing
Staff
Prepared by: Steve Le, Senior 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. Historic Resource Evaluation
4. Development Plans