A compact district with a documented start
The Town of Los Gatos describes Broadway as its first residential subdivision and first plotted street. John W. Lyndon divided the land into 48 lots on September 24, 1881, and Broadway opened on January 5, 1883. The Town designated the district by ordinance 2166, adopted on October 20, 2008.
The ordinance places the district generally south of West Main Street and west of South Santa Cruz Avenue. It names Broadway, West Main Street, South Santa Cruz Avenue, Clifton Avenue, Tait Street and Bayview. Clifton Avenue was formerly called Hayselden Avenue.
The exact boundary is on the ordinance's map. If your address is near an edge, confirm it with the Town before you plan exterior work.
What the Town's record says about the buildings
The ordinance counts about 51 structures, many built before 1900. Styles include Victorian, Craftsman and Bungalow, and Colonial Revival, plus one Norman French house.
For plumbing, the point is the age mix and the size of the lots and rooms. Cottages are part of the district's record, and in a small cottage a water heater or a bathroom fixture often has little room around it. A plumber has to see the space before saying how a replacement will fit.
Give the dispatcher your Broadway-area address and describe the problem. Call (855) 575-2890.
Call (855) 575-2890Replacing a water heater in a small older house
The Town says replacing a water heater with the same type in the same location needs a Town permit, and that permit can be requested online. If the type changes or the unit moves, the quick replacement application does not apply and a regular building permit application is needed.
The Town's bracing handout asks for at least two straps, one in the upper third and one in the lower third of the tank. Each strap is fastened to a wall stud with a screw at least a quarter inch in diameter, driven at least half an inch into the wood.
A new vent or pipe that goes through an outside wall changes the exterior. In a historic district, ask the Town whether that change goes to the Historic Preservation Committee before the work starts.
What shapes the work in an older house
No two houses here need the same job, so the plumber looks before giving a price. Ask for a clear price before work starts.
Access
A tight closet or crawlspace takes longer than an open garage.
Condition of what is there
Old shutoffs and fittings may need replacing to finish the job properly.
Permits
Some work needs a Town permit, and the owner's side of the paperwork takes time.
Exterior changes
Anything visible from outside may need historic review first.
Ask the dispatcher which of these apply to your job when you call.
Before the plumber arrives
These steps help in any small house where water can spread quickly.
- Turn off the main water shutoff if a pipe or tank is leaking.
- Shut off power to a leaking electric water heater at the breaker if you can reach it safely.
- If you smell gas, leave, call 911 from a safe distance, then call PG&E.
- Move belongings away from the water and photograph the damage.
Services Broadway homeowners ask about
Hot water problems start with water heater replacement when a tank has failed or leaks at the base. A dripping faucet or a toilet that runs is a job for faucet repair or toilet repair.
A drain that keeps slowing is drain cleaning, and damp plaster or a wet floor with no obvious cause calls for leak detection. The neighboring Almond Grove district and the downtown commercial district have their own notes, and the service areas page lists every town we dispatch to.
Broadway Historic District plumbing questions
It is a Town-designated district created by ordinance 2166. The Town describes Broadway as the first plotted street and first residential subdivision in Los Gatos, with 48 lots laid out in 1881.
The Town says replacing a water heater with the same type in the same location needs a Town permit that can be requested online. A change of type or location needs a regular building permit application.
The Town says minor repairs that replace materials in kind need only a building permit. Exterior changes, and interior work that affects the exterior, go to the Historic Preservation Committee, so ask the Town if a job touches the outside.
The Town's handout asks for at least two straps, one in the upper third and one in the lower third of the tank, each screwed into a wall stud. The plumber doing the replacement should follow that handout.
The ordinance names Broadway, West Main Street, South Santa Cruz Avenue, Clifton Avenue, Tait Street and Bayview, generally south of West Main Street and west of South Santa Cruz Avenue. Check the ordinance map for a lot near the edge.