City of Santa Clara
Meeting Minutes
Historical & Landmarks Commission
Draft
6:00 PM Hybrid Meeting
City Hall Council
Chambers/Virtual
1500 Warburton Avenue
Santa Clara, CA 95050
04/02/2026
The City of Santa Clara is conducting the Historical and Landmarks Commission Hearing meeting in a hybrid manner (in-person and method for the public to participate remotely) o Via Zoom:
o https://santaclaraca.zoom.us/j/97233262035 or
o Phone: 1 (669) 900-6833
Meeting ID: 972 3326 2035
How to Submit Written Public Comment Before Historical and Landmarks Commission Meeting:
By email to [email protected] by 12 p.m. the day of the meeting.
Those emails will be forwarded to Staff and will be uploaded to the Historical and Landmarks Commission Agenda as supplemental meeting material. Emails received after 12:00 P.M. cutoff time up through the end of the meeting will form part of the meeting record. Please identify the Agenda Item Number in the subject line of your email.
Note: Emails received as public comment will not be read aloud during the meeting.
Agendas, Staff Reports and some associated documents for Historical and Landmarks Commission items may be viewed on the Internet at
https://santaclara.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx
All public records relating to an open session item on this agenda, which are not exempt from disclosure pursuant to the California Public Records Act, that are distributed to a majority of the legislative body will be available for public inspection at the Office of the City Clerk at Santa Clara City Hall, 1500 Warburton Avenue, Santa Clara, CA 95050 at the same time that the public records are distributed or made available to the legislative body.
04/02/2026Historical & Landmarks Commission Meeting Minutes
CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL
Chair Leung called the meeting to order at 6:04 p.m.
Commissioner Varshney participated in the meeting remotely under AB 2449 in Government Code § 54953(f) due to emergency circumstances.
Commissioner Michael Celso , Commissioner Yvonne Inciarte, Chair Patricia Leung, Commissioner Kathleen Romano, Vice Chair Ed Stocks, and Commissioner Kaushal Varshney
Present 6 -
Commissioner Ana Vargas-SmithAbsent 1 -
A motion was made by Commissioner Romano, seconded by
Commissioner Stocks, to excuse Commissioner Vargas-Smith.
Aye: Commissioner Celso, Commissioner Inciarte, Chair Leung, Commissioner Romano, Vice Chair Stocks, and Commissioner Varshney
6 -
Absent: Commissioner Vargas-Smith1 -
CONSENT CALENDAR
1.A 26-378 Historical and Landmarks Commission Meeting Minutes of March 5, 2026 Recommendation: Approve the Historical and Landmarks Commission Meeting Minutes of the March 5, 2026 Meeting.
1.B 26-279 Action on Draft Certified Local Government (CLG) 2024-2025 Annual Report
Recommendation: Recommend that the Commission review and take action to approve the Draft Certified Local Government (CLG) 2024-2025 Annual Report.
A motion was made by Commissioner Celso, seconded by
Commissioner Inciarte, to approve the consent calendar.
Aye: Commissioner Celso, Commissioner Inciarte, Chair Leung, Commissioner Romano, Vice Chair Stocks, and Commissioner Varshney
6 -
Excused: Commissioner Vargas-Smith1 -
04/02/2026Historical & Landmarks Commission Meeting Minutes
PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS
None.
GENERAL BUSINESS
2. 26-256 Public Hearing: Rezoning to Remove the Historic Combining District from 1341 Homestead Road (906 Monroe Street to Remain in Historic Combining District). CEQA Status: Determination of Consistency with the Downtown Precise Plan Final EIR
Recommendation:
Recommend that the Historical and Landmarks Commission find that the proposed Rezoning to Remove the Historic Combining District from 1341 Homestead Road (906 Monroe Street to Remain in Historic Combining District) will not destroy or have a significant adverse effect on the integrity of the Historic Resource Inventory property and recommend approval to the Planning Commission and City Council, respectively.
Associate Planner Daniel Sobczak provided the staff presentation.
Applicant Paul Tai and Myron Von Raesfeld spoke about the project.
Public Speakers:
Rick Grathy
Jonathon Evans
A motion was made by Commissioner Romano, seconded by
Commissioner Inciarte, to close public hearing.
Aye: Commissioner Celso, Commissioner Inciarte, Chair Leung, Commissioner Romano, Vice Chair Stocks, and Commissioner Varshney
6 -
Excused: Commissioner Vargas-Smith1 -
A motion was made by Commissioner Romano, seconded by
Commissioner Inciarte, to approve staff recommendation.
Aye: Commissioner Celso, Commissioner Inciarte, Chair Leung, Commissioner Romano, and Commissioner Varshney
5 -
Nay: Vice Chair Stocks1 -
Excused: Commissioner Vargas-Smith1 -
04/02/2026Historical & Landmarks Commission Meeting Minutes
3. 26-280 Public Hearing: Consideration of a Historic Resource Property Designation for the Tiburcio Vásquez Gravesite Located in Santa Clara Mission Cemetery
Recommendation:
There is no staff recommendation.
There was no staff presentation.
Public Comments: None.
A motion was made by Commissioner Inciarte, seconded by Commissioner Stocks to to approve designation of the Tiburcio Vasquez gravesite as historically significant and to recommend that City Council nominate it for local landmark designation.
Aye: Commissioner Celso, Commissioner Inciarte, Chair Leung, Commissioner Romano, Vice Chair Stocks, and Commissioner Varshney
6 -
Excused: Commissioner Vargas-Smith1 -
4. 26-281 Historic Preservation Ordinance Update and Expenditure of Funds Recommendation: Staff recommends that the Historical and Landmarks approve the expenditure of funds from the Historical Preservation Reserve account to support the update of the Historic Preservation Ordinance and authorize staff to prepare a scope of work, issue a Request for Proposals (RFP), and proceed with the consultant selection process.
There was no staff presentation.
Public Speaker:
Jonathon Evans
A motion was made by Commissioner Inciarte, Seconded by Commissioner Celso, to approve staff recommendation.
Aye: Commissioner Celso, Commissioner Inciarte, Chair Leung, Commissioner Romano, Vice Chair Stocks, and Commissioner Varshney
6 -
Excused: Commissioner Vargas-Smith1 -
STAFF REPORT
COMMISSIONERS REPORT
No updates on this item.
04/02/2026Historical & Landmarks Commission Meeting Minutes Subcommittee Reporting - 20 Minutes
No updates on this item.
Board/Committee Lead/Alternate Santa Clara Arts and Historic Consortium Vargas-Smith / Romano Historic Preservation Society of Santa Clara Vargas-Smith / Leung Old Quad Residents Association Leung Development Review Hearing Romano /Vargas-Smith BART/ High Speed Rail/ VTA BRT Committee Vargas-Smith/ Leung El Camino Real Specific Plan Community Advisory Committee Leung Downtown Precise Plan Vargas-Smith/Stocks Santa Clara Station Area Task Force Leung/Stocks Board/Committee Lead/Alternate Commissioners provided updates on various items, meetings, and groups that they are assigned to.
ADJOURNMENT
A motion was made by Commissioner Romano, seconded by
Commissioner Celso, to adjourn the meeting at 7:58 p.m.
Aye: Commissioner Celso, Commissioner Inciarte, Chair Leung, Commissioner Romano, Vice Chair Stocks, and Commissioner Varshney
6 -
Excused: Commissioner Vargas-Smith1 -
The next regular scheduled meeting is on May 7, 2026, at 6 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers and via Zoom.
04/02/2026Historical & Landmarks Commission Meeting Minutes
MEETING DISCLOSURES
The time limit within which to commence any lawsuit or legal challenge to any quasi-adjudicative decision made by the City is governed by Section 1094.6 of the Code of Civil Procedure, unless a shorter limitation period is specified by any other provision. Under Section 1094.6, any lawsuit or legal challenge to any quasi-adjudicative decision made by the City must be filed no later than the 90th day following the date on which such decision becomes final. Any lawsuit or legal challenge, which is not filed within that 90-day period, will be barred. If a person wishes to challenge the nature of the above section in court, they may be limited to raising only those issues they or someone else raised at the meeting described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the City of Santa Clara, at or prior to the meeting. In addition, judicial challenge may be limited or barred where the interested party has not sought and exhausted all available administrative remedies.
If a member of the public submits a speaker card for any agenda items, their name will appear in the Minutes. If no speaker card is submitted, the Minutes will reflect "Public Speaker." In accordance with the requirements of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 ("ADA"), the City of Santa Clara will not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities on the basis of disability in its services, programs, or activities, and will ensure that all existing facilities will be made accessible to the maximum extent feasible. The City of Santa Clara will generally, upon request, provide appropriate aids and services leading to effective communication for qualified persons with disabilities including those with speech, hearing, or vision impairments so they can participate equally in the City’s programs, services, and activities. The City of Santa Clara will make all reasonable modifications to policies and programs to ensure that people with disabilities have an equal opportunity to enjoy all of its programs, services, and activities.
Agendas and other written materials distributed during a public meeting that are public record will be made available by the City in an appropriate alternative format. Contact the City Clerk’s Office at 1 408-615-2220 with your request for an alternative format copy of the agenda or other written materials.
Individuals who require an auxiliary aid or service for effective communication, or any other disability-related modification of policies or procedures, or other accommodation, in order to participate in a program, service, or activity of the City of Santa Clara, should contact the City’s ADA Coordinator at 408-615-3000 as soon as possible but no later than 48 hours before the scheduled event.