REPORT TO HISTORICAL AND LANDMARKS COMMISSION
SUBJECT
Title
Public Hearing: Consideration of Historic Resource Inventory Property Designation and Historical Preservation Agreement (Mills Act Contract) for 1176 Lincoln Avenue
Report
BACKGROUND
[Property owners Anthony Carnesecca and Elizabeth McMahon are requesting a Historical Preservation Agreement (Mills Act Contract) for property located at 1176 Lincoln Avenue. A requirement of the Mills Act is that the building must be a qualified structure, listed on either a local, State, or National register. The subject site is not currently listed on any of the aforementioned inventories. Therefore, the applicants are seeking local listing on the City’s Historic Resource Inventory (HRI). The property must be added to the HRI prior to approving a Mills Act contract.
The proposed project includes listing of the property on the City’s HRI, the approval of a Mills Act Contract, and the adoption of a 10-Year Restoration and Maintenance Plan associated with the Historical Preservation Agreement.
The subject residence is a single-story California bungalow constructed in 1923. The property also includes a detached one-car garage constructed around the same time as the residence.
DISCUSSION
[A DPR 523A form was prepared by Lorie Garcia of Beyond Buildings, on July 24, 2020 assessing the historical significance of the property. The evaluator finds the subject house to be a contributing structure to Santa Clara’s New Park Subdivision of 1908, also known as Spanish Town. The residence’s California Bungalow architectural style is a simplified version of the Craftsman Bungalow and Prairie School House and is associated with the period from around 1910 to 1925. The exterior of the residence has not been modified since its construction in 1923, with the exception of an alteration to the construction material on the front and rear entry stairs.
The residence has been well maintained and the architectural integrity of the structure has not been diminished. The evaluator concluded that the property would qualify as historic based on its age and retained integrity and is eligible for listing on the City’s HRI.
The property owners have submitted a statement of justification and 10-year rehabilitation and preservation plan. Some of the notable work to be done per the applicant’s proposed 10 Year Rehabilitation and Maintenance Plan in years one through three is repairing dry rot and painting the home. Years four through seven include repair to the existing front porch and maintenance and repair of the existing garage. Years eight through ten includes landscaping the front yard and repaving the driveway as well as interior improvements to the electrical and plumbing systems.
Staff finds that the work proposed under the 10-Year Rehabilitation and Maintenance Plan adheres to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation. The proposed changes support the preservation, protection, and maintenance of a structure that is qualified to be a locally significant resource]
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
[The Mills Act program is exempt from the CEQA environmental review requirements per CEQA Section 15061(b)(3). The activity is covered by the general rule that CEQA applies only to projects which have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA.]
PUBLIC CONTACT
The notice of public meeting for this item was posted at three locations within 300 feet of the project site and was mailed to property owners within 300 feet of the project site. No public comments have been received at the time of preparation of this report.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the Historical and Landmarks Commission find that the Mills Act Application and associated 10-Year Restoration and Maintenance Plan accomplish the intent of preserving and maintaining the historical significance of the Historic Property and, therefore, recommend Council approval of adding the property to the HRI, the approval of a Mills Act Contract and the adoption of a 10-Year Restoration and Maintenance Plan associated with the Historical Preservation Agreement.
Staff
Prepared by: Rebecca Bustos, Senior Planner
Approved by: Gloria Sciara, Development Review Officer
ATTACHMENTS
1. Legal Description
2. Historic Survey (DPR Form)
3. Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Treatment of Historic Properties
4. Statement of Justification
5. 10-Year Rehabilitation Plan
6. Draft Historic Property Preservation Agreement