The Willow Glen Resident Photograph by Skye Dunlap Neo-Traditional Design: San Jose's lawmakers and planners hope new guidelines will encourage homeowners to design remodeling projects that fit their neighborhoods. Willow Glen architecture finds the future by preserving feel of neighborhoods' past The Dowhan family and The Glen win first-place 'SJ Beautiful' awards By Mary Spicuzza Cruising along Lupton Avenue in Willow Glen, it's hard to spot which home just won first place in the latest city-wide beauty contest. It's not that Doug and Julie Dowhan's newly remodeled home isn't beautiful--but with its old-fashioned porch and classic country style the house just blends in with the neighborhood. It's this perfect fit that won the newly remodeled home a first-place award in San Jose Beautiful's home improvement contest. "We designed it with an architect to capture what we perceive to be the Willow Glen charm," Doug Dowhan says. "We see so many large homes being built, but we wanted to expand while keeping a focus on preserving the integrity of the neighborhood." The city's planning department couldn't agree more. Senior Planner Jean Hamilton is now working with staff to draft new legislation that will allow city planners to get involved in the review of building new homes and remodeling older single-family homes. "The issue has been cropping up again and again, as larger homes have been taking the place of smaller ones," Hamilton says. "It's been affecting the character of homes and neighborhoods. There isn't too much pressure now to consider the surrounding community." The legislation, still in the initial planning stages, would consider factors such as lot size, distance from the street, and the architecture of the surrounding neighborhood. Some local folks are leading the way in this community-based approach to remodeling without waiting for mandatory regulations. While the Dowhan's won the San Jose Beautiful award for best structural work, Lincoln Avenue's The Glen won first-place for best commercial improvement. "This award is a big deal to us and the community," Glen co-owner John Karamanos says. "It really puts Willow Glen on the map. We had community meetings and really included our neighbors in planning our remodeling." In the four years since the San Jose Beautiful office began giving awards, many recipients have lived in the Willow Glen area. The six categories include landscaping, structural, historic structure, neighborhood and commercial improvement, as well as a "nominate your neighborhood" contest. The awards focus not on the money spent on a project, but on the image projected to the community. Award winners were notified throughout the month of December, and plaques will be presented by the mayor at a city council meeting next month. A specific date has not yet been announced. Like the owners of The Glen, the Dowhans began consulting architects from Hayes and Associates more than a year before they broke ground in February 1997. Their primary goal was complementing the neighboring architecture, right down to the intricate woodwork on the front of the building. All of the wood craftsmanship was done by a long-time Willow Glen resident, Alton Jensen. Jensen worked for the City of San Jose, as a home inspector and architectural consultant for many years. City planners hope that the Dowhans' desire to build toward the future with a respect for the past spreads through the community. "There are some wonderful examples of people making huge changes, but doing so in a way that the streetscape is protected," Hamilton says. That is just what the Dowhans seem to have achieved. "The Dowhans did a beautiful job of building on to the front of the house but maintaining the character of the original home," San Jose Beautiful's Margaret Wagenet says. [ Back to Contents Page | Willow Glen Resident Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Willow Glen Resident, January 20, 1999. ©1999 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.