Ordinance under development could decide 902 Villa's fate Ordinance under development could decide 902 Villa's fate (September 10, 2004)

Preliminary plans unveiled for building's preservation

By Jon Wiener

As tempers flared last week over the city council's struggle to pass a historical preservation ordinance, new plans emerged for the house that started the battle.

Architects for Tan Lu, the owner of the property at 902 Villa St., said they would consider demolishing the building if the city does not offer them leeway from several code requirements. But all of the potential redevelopment plans the architects showed the city's development review committee last week involved either leaving the house or moving it within the lot.

Monique Wood and Brad Cox of Anderson Brulé Architects in San Jose said that Lu would like to add six or seven residential units on the lot. Lu scrapped previous plans to add three larger units on the site because they were not economically viable, they said.

But in order for the combination of townhouses and studios to fit on the lot along with the old house, the city council will need to approve plans to pave fewer car parking spaces than required by the city code and remove nine large "heritage" trees.

According to Wood, Lu is hoping that the city will offer some leniency in exchange for preserving the building. The redevelopment of the site could be the first test of the voluntary preservation ordinance the city council could pass as soon as Sept. 28. Among the incentives mentioned in the ordinance is increased flexibility in zoning decisions, although parking requirements are not technically part of the zoning code.

"We're very supportive of ... keeping the old historic building there, and we want to be flexible, but you have to design within context," said Nancy Hutar, the city's liaison to the project, referring to the architecture of the surrounding neighborhood. She suggested the possibility of a conditional use permit.

The city's downtown zoning plan requires residential studios and 1-bedroom apartments to provide 1.5 parking spaces per unit plus an additional 0.3 spaces per unit for guest parking. In larger apartments, the requirements are 2.3 spaces per unit. The plans for added residential units at the site would require at least 13 parking spaces.

According to deputy zoning administrator Al Savay, in-lieu fees can replace guest parking in the downtown area. These requirements can also be reduced for mixed-use developments. The informal review session on Sept. 2 raised the possibility of exempting the guest-parking requirement in exchange for preserving the building.

Whether the city would allow flexibility is a matter of speculation until the city council passes a permanent ordinance, which has been the subject of two-and-a-half years of discussions.

The city council was ready to pass a voluntary ordinance on Aug. 31 when a lawyer for the Mountain View Preservation Alliance sent a letter alleging multiple legal problems with the written text of the ordinance. Local property owners who were subject to the interim emergency ordinance have supported the voluntary aspect of the proposed ordinance and called the letter a stalling tactic.

The current tenant at 902 Villa, children's toy and clothing shop "House of Forgotten Treasures," has a lease that expires next April.

E-mail Jon Wiener at jwiener@mv-voice.com

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