Saratoga council strips two houses of historical resource designations

"The house at 14650 Sixth St. is known as the Nardie house and was built in the Queen Anne style. It was added to the city's Heritage Resource Inventory in 1988 because it met two of the listed criteria in the municipal code: embodying distinctive characteristics of style, type, period or method or construction and being a valuable example of the use of indigenous materials."

"Homeowners Ismar and Kristin Maslić applied to remove the property from the Heritage Resource Inventory in February because they felt that their renovations diluted any historical significance of the house. They argued that the house's relocation in 1925, six blocks away from its original location on Oak Street and Saratoga-Los Gatos Road, detached it from its historical context. They also said that previous modifications, like alterations to the porch and raising the house to accommodate a four-car garage, distanced it from authentic design."

Saratoga City Council voted Nov. 5 to remove heritage resource designations for two houses at 14650 Sixth St. and 19050 Camino Barco. The Nardie house at 14650 Sixth St. was built in the Queen Anne style and was listed in 1988 for distinctive architectural characteristics and use of indigenous materials. Homeowners Ismar and Kristin Maslić applied to remove the property in February, citing renovations, a 1925 relocation, and prior alterations that they say diminished historical integrity. The Maslićs plan additional modifications while attempting to preserve Queen Anne aesthetic elements. The Heritage Preservation Commission had previously rejected the removal request.

Read at The Mercury News