[00:00:02]
UM, I GUESS IT'S STILL AFTERNOON.
WELCOME TO THE AUSTIN HISTORIC LANDMARKS COMMISSION.
THIS IS FRIDAY, DECEMBER 17TH, 2021.
I'D LIKE TO TAKE ROLE I'M TERRY MYERS.
I'M PRESENT COMMISSIONER, SETH PRESTON REMOTELY.
ANNISA CASTILLO WIT FEATHERSTON.
UM, KEVIN COOK, CARLA ROCHE KELLY LIDL HERE.
THIS IS A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING AGENDA.
UH, WE WERE MOVED, UM, FROM MONDAY NIGHT ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED TO, UH, TONIGHT.
[CALL TO ORDER]
I NOW CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER AND THERE'S A GAVEL HERE AND I'M GOING TO HIT IT.I'VE NEVER SEEN SAID GAVEL BEFORE, BUT I CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER.
DO WE HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP FOR CITIZEN COMMUNICATIONS? I AM HERE NOW.
WE DO NOT HAVE ANY SPEAKERS REGISTERED FOR CITIZEN COMMUNICATION.
[Consent Agenda]
THE AGENDA? AND, UH, FIRST TO PULL THE CONSENTED, UH, ITEMS. UM, FIRST ON OUR AGENDA IS APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM THE NOVEMBER 15TH, 2021, UM, MEETING IT'S OFFERED FOR CONSENT.NUMBER TWO PRESENTATIONS, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION.
A RECOGNITION OF STEVE SANDUSKI FOR SERVICE TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN, B PRESENTATIONS AND DISCUSSIONS AND POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION REGARDING NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES.
NOMINATIONS ON THE JANUARY 15TH, 2022 STATE BOARD OF REVIEW MEETING.
THESE INCLUDE CLEMENTS MEAT MARKET B TO CHAPEL FOR THE CHILDREN.
NUMBER THREE, PUBLIC HEARINGS, A DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON APPLICATIONS FOR HISTORIC ZONING.
WE HAVE NO SUCH CASES TONIGHT UNDER B DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON APPLICATIONS FOR CERTIFICATES OF APPROPRIATENESS.
HOLD ON B 1 38, 10 DUVALL STREET THAT'S OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
BE TWO 1600 GASTON AVENUE IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
BAYLOR STREET IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
I DON'T WANT TO PULL THAT ONE, BUT I WANTED TO COMPLIMENT THE ARCHITECT'S O'CONNELL ARCHITECTURE.
THAT IS PROBABLY THE CLEAREST SET OF PLANS FOR AN ADDITION RENOVATION THAT WE'VE SEEN IN A LONG TIME.
THEY LINED UP THE BEFORE AND AFTER, IF YOU WILL.
UH, THEY SHOWED THE DEMOLITION CLEARLY THEY USE DIFFERENT COLOR KINKS.
UH, I REALLY HAVE TO SAY, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH A LOT OF THESE DRAWINGS QUICKLY AND TRY AND GET THE INFORMATION AND WE'LL, THERE'S OFTENTIMES A LOT OF DIGGING.
AND SO JUST ALLOW ME TO PASS ON THAT COMPLIMENT AND LEAVE THIS ON CONSENT.
OKAY, WELL I'M SURE THAT, UH, CONNELL ARCHITECTS WILL APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENT ON THAT AND I'LL BE SURE TO PASS IT ALONG.
UH, THE, UH, THE LAST ITEM UNDER B IS BEFORE 38 0 5 RED RIVER STREET, WHICH IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
UM, ALL OF THESE ITEMS, BY THE WAY, UH, WENT TO THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE AND CERTAIN CHANGES WERE MADE IN RESPONSE TO THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE COMMITTEE.
I JUST WANTED TO PASS THAT ON ITEMS, SEE DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON APPLICATIONS FOR PERMITS WITHIN NATIONAL REGISTER DISTRICTS.
WE HAVE A SPEAKER IN THE AUDIENCE WHO WOULD LIKE TO PULL 8 0 7 BAYLOR STREET FOR DISCUSSION, REALLY? OKAY.
[00:05:01]
WILL BE A DISCUSSION ITEM.GOING ON TO ITEM C NATIONAL REGISTER DISTRICTS, SEE ONE IS 1205 WEST 10TH STREET, WHICH IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
SEE, DID WE LOSE A C2? IT'S ON THE DISCUSSION.
C 2 9 0 6 EAST 14TH STREET WAS, IT WILL BE A DISCUSSION ITEM.
C3 1811 ALTAVISTA AVENUE IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT, BUT I'D LIKE TO PULL IT FOR DISCUSSION.
SEE FOR 1107 GASTON STREET IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
C 5 18 0 8 WEST SIXTH STREET IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
UH, I SEE A HAND IN THE AUDIENCE.
UH, WE HAVE TWO SPEAKERS IN OPPOSITION TO PULL.
WELL THEY, UM, THAT WILL BE A DISCUSSION ITEM.
6 0 3 EAST 42ND STREET IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
D 4 23 0 7 LONG VIEW STREET IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT D 5 21 0 5 SOUTH S S L DAVIS AVENUE IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT AND D 6 14 0 1.
HOLLY STREET IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
SO OUT OF THOSE, UH, WE HAVE TWO ITEMS PULLED THAT WILL GO ON THE DISCUSSION, WHICH IS C3.
MADAM CHAIR FOR, UM, THE LAST ITEM ON THE ONE ON WAS SIXTH STREET.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS INTEREST FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND A POSTPONEMENT OF THE ITEM.
UM, SO IT COULD BE TAKEN UP EITHER AS A DISCUSSION POSTPONEMENT OR IS IT DISCUSSION CASE? CAN WE HAVE IT AS A DISCUSSION CASE AND THEN DECIDE WHETHER IT THAT'S ALWAYS AN OPTION? LET'S LEAVE THAT ON OUR AGENDA, UH, LIKE THAT CORE DISCUSSION.
THE OTHER ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION ARE C 2 9 0 6 EAST 14TH STREET, D 1 2500 ROSEWOOD AVENUE AND D 2 15 0 5 FOREST TRAIL.
I BELIEVE A B3 WAS PULLED FOR DISCUSSION AS WELL.
THE 8 0 7 BAYLOR YOU'RE RIGHT.
SORRY, JUST TO BE ITEMS BEEF, UH, B3, C3 AND C5 HAVE BEEN PULLED FOR CORRECT.
ALONG WITH C TO D ONE AND D TWO.
THERE'LL BE HEARD IN THE ORDER OF THEIR ALPHA NUMERIC ON THE AGENDA.
SO ON OUR CONSENT AGENDA, WE HAVE B ONE B TWO B FOUR C ONE C FOUR D THREE D FOUR D FIVE AND D SIX SINCE NO ONE HAS PULLED THESE ITEMS, EITHER FROM THE COMMISSION OR FROM THE PUBLIC, UH, THESE ARE OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
DO I HEAR A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA? SO MOVED, WILL THE MINUTES BE A PART OF THAT? YES.
THE MINUTES ARE A PART OF THAT.
THAT WAS A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER, LITTLE AND A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER LAROCHE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE CONSENT AGENDA.
PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND AND SAY, AYE.
ANY OPPOSED IT'S UNANIMOUS FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAD ITEMS THAT WERE ON THAT CONSENT AGENDA, UH, YOU MAY CERTAINLY STAY AND JOIN US FOR THE REST OF TONIGHT'S ACTIVITIES, BUT YOU MAY GO, YOUR ITEMS HAVE BEEN APPROVED.
PLEASE CONSIDER THE RECOMMENDATIONS MADE BY STAFF OR MADE BY COMMITTEE, UM, IN YOUR, UM, IN YOUR, IN GOING FORWARD.
[00:10:02]
IS PRESENT AND WE'LL GO TO ITEM TWO PRESENTATIONS DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION.[2.A. Recognition of Steve Sadowsky for his service to the City of Austin]
A IS AN ITEM FOR RECOGNITION OF STEVE SEDOWSKY FOR HIS SERVICE TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN ON DECEMBER 2ND PRESERVATION, AUSTIN GAVE STEVE A LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD.I'D LIKE TO SAY JUST A FEW WORDS, UM, BEFORE GOING FORWARD TONIGHT, IT'S NO SECRET TO ANYONE WHO HAS FOLLOWED THE LANDMARK COMMISSION LO THESE MANY YEARS THAT WE HAVEN'T ALWAYS SEEN EYE TO EYE HE AND DIED.
IN FACT, WE HAVE BUTTED HEADS BEFORE IN THIS VERY COUNCIL CHAMBER, AND I WAS GLAD THAT I HAD THIS HIGH BARRIER BETWEEN ME AND MR SEDOWSKY, BUT I NEVER QUESTIONED HIS COMMITMENT TO THE LARGER AIMS OF PRESERVATION OR HIS DEDICATION TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN PRESERVATION OFFICE OR TO THIS COMMISSION.
I REALLY BELIEVE THIS WAS THE FOCUS OF HIS LIFE.
AND WITH THAT SAID, I WOULD LIKE TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION FROM THE COMMISSION TO ADD OUR SENTIMENTS TO THOSE OF PRESERVATION AUSTIN AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN IN A LETTER, UM, WRITTEN BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THIS COMMISSION.
SO YES, UH, IT WOULD BE AN IMMENSE HONOR TO MAKE THAT MOTION, UH, TO, UH, RECOMMEND THE, UH, COMMENDATION OF STEVE SADOWSKY FOR HIS, UH, DECADES OF SERVICE TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO HISTORIC PRESERVATION.
UM, AND I WILL SPARE YOU ALL THE STORIES OF THE YOUNG DAVE WHEN HE TOOK OVER FROM BETTY BAKER AND FILL SOME VERY BIG SHOES VERY QUICKLY.
WELL, I, UH, I'LL MAKE THAT MOTION.
UM, I D I HEARD SOMEONE ELSE MAKE A MOTION WITH THAT PERSON SECOND.
THAT'S UH, THE BEN HINDSIGHT'S MOTION TO APPROVE IS SECONDED BY, UM, COMMISSIONER VALENS.
SUELA I HAVE TO SAY, UM, I, I NEGLECTED TO SAY THAT STEVE HAS SERVED THE CITY AS PRESERVATION OFFICER FOR 21 YEARS.
I'VE BEEN ON THE COMMISSION FOR 14 YEARS.
SO A FEW MARRIAGES GO THAT LONG WITHOUT SOME HEADBUTTING, UH, HAPPENING.
AND, UM, I HAVE SEEN STEVE IN THESE VERY CHAMBERS STAND UP TO DEMONSTRATIONS BY THE SONS OF THE CONFEDERACY, UM, AND OTHERS WHO PROTESTED OR, UM, UH, OPPOSED CERTAIN ACTIONS THAT WE HAVE TAKEN.
AND I REALLY FEEL LIKE IS ALMOST LIKE A DEFENDER OF THE PRESERVATION PROGRAM HERE.
ARE THERE ANY FURTHER COMMENTS? OKAY.
HEARING NONE, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE CHAIRMAN WRITING THIS LETTER, PLEASE SAY, AYE, AYE, AYE.
AND IF YOU WANT TO SHARE THOSE, UH, THOSE MEMORIES WITH ME, UH, IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING, UM, THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD.
I KNOW MY COMMENTS WERE BRIEF HERE, BUT I JUST WROTE THEM.
UM, AS IN MY MIND, AS I WAS DRIVING TO THE MEETING TONIGHT, UM, PLEASE, I WOULD, I WOULD BE GRATEFUL TO ADD YOUR COMMENTS AND YOUR APPRECIATION, UM, ESPECIALLY ON SPECIFIC ON SPECIFIC THINGS.
I, UM, JUST IN, IN FINALLY, UM, I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT STEVE WAS A STAUNCH ADVOCATE FOR HIGHLIGHTING HISTORIC PROPERTIES ASSOCIATED WITH UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES, ESPECIALLY AFRICAN-AMERICAN AND HISPANIC, LATIN X COMMUNITIES.
AND, UM, WE, ALL OF US WHO ARE ON THE COMMISSION NOW HAVE PROBABLY SEEN, UH, HIS ADVOCACY,
[00:15:01]
UH, AND IN OPERATION.[2.B. Presentations, discussion, and possible recommendations to the Texas Historical Commission regarding National Register of Historic Places nominations on the January 15, 2022 State Board of Review agenda]
WE HAVE PRESENTATION ON THE, UM, UNDER B ONE PLUMMETS MEAT MARKET, WHICH IS BEING NOMINATED OR HAS BEEN NOMINATED TO THE NATIONAL REGISTER.HI, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
THIS IS ELIZABETH FROM IT WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE.
I HAVE TO SAY THAT AS A HARD ITEM TO FOLLOW.
UM, SO WHAT WE HAVE TONIGHT ARE THREE DIFFERENT NOMINATIONS TO THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES THAT WILL BE CONSIDERED THAT THE JANUARY STATE BOARD OF REVIEW MEETING.
AND SO THE COMMISSION HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TONIGHT TO REVIEW AND TO WEIGH IN ON THESE NOMINATIONS.
IF THERE ARE ANY COMMENTS THAT THE COMMISSION WISHES TO SEND FORWARDS FOR THE STATE BOARD OF REVIEW TO CONSIDER, YOU'RE WELCOME TO DO SO.
UH, YOU CAN ALSO SIMPLY INDICATE SUPPORT FOR THESE IMPORTANT HISTORIC PROPERTIES RECEIVING THIS, THIS, UH, DESIGNATION.
SO THE FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS CLEMENTS MARKET OR THE SPORT BAR NAMED FOR TWO LONG TIME TENANTS.
IT IS A LATE 19TH CENTURY BRICK COMMERCIAL BUILDING LOCATED IN AUSTIN'S EAST SIDE, ALONG A MAJOR COMMERCIAL CORRIDOR CONSTRUCTED IN 1892.
THE BUILDING SERVED VARIOUS TENANTS AND OWNERS LIKE EUROPEAN BAKERS.
ANGLO-AMERICAN BORN BUTCHERS, MEXICAN AMERICAN TORTILLA MAKERS, AND LEBANESE AND MEXICAN AMERICAN BAR OWNERS.
THIS DIVERSE HISTORY MIRROR, SOCIAL ETHNIC, AND COMMERCIAL TRENDS, REPRESENTATIVE OF THE BROADER DEVELOPMENT, EXCUSE ME, AND HISTORY OF EAST AUSTIN.
THE BUILDING'S HISTORY IS INDICATIVE OF THE CHANGING SETTLEMENT PATTERNS IN EAST AUSTIN DURING THE PERIOD OF SIGNIFICANCE, THESE CHANGING DEMOGRAPHICS OF EAST AUSTIN FROM A MIX OF EUROPEAN IMMIGRANTS TO A LARGELY AFRICAN-AMERICAN AND HISPANIC NEIGHBORHOOD BROADLY COINCIDE WITH BENCHMARKS, SUCH AS THE INTRODUCTION OF THE RAILROAD IN THE 19TH CENTURY, THE 1928 CITY PLAN AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF INTERSTATE HIGHWAY 35 AS A REFLECTION OF THE SIGNIFICANT ROLES, IMMIGRANTS AND UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES PLAYED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF EAST AUSTIN AND HOW THESE COMMUNITIES SUSTAIN AND SUPPORT IT THEMSELVES CLEMENTS MARKET, OR THE SPORT BAR IS ELIGIBLE FOR THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES UNDER CRITERION A AND THE AREA OF ETHNIC HERITAGE AT THE LOCAL LEVEL OF SIGNIFICANCE INCLUDED IN THE 1985 EAST AUSTIN, MULTIPLE RESOURCE AREA.
THE BUILDING IS ALSO NOMINATED UNDER CRITERIA AND C AND THE AREA ARCHITECTURE AS AN EXAMPLE OF A LATE 19TH CENTURY COMMERCIAL BUILDING.
THE BUILDINGS PERIODS OF SIGNIFICANCE EXTENDS FROM 1892 IT'S YEAR OF CONSTRUCTION TO 1970 OR 50 YEARS AGO.
UH, DOES THE COMMISSION WISH TO DISCUSS ANY OF THESE INDIVIDUALLY OR SHALL WE MOVE ON TO THE NEXT NOMINATION? ACTUALLY HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THIS ONE FOR STAFF.
I KNOW THAT THEY WERE AWARDED A HERITAGE GRANT FOR A PROJECT AT THIS BUILDING.
IS THERE ANY UPDATE ON THAT? IS IT GOING TO HAPPEN? UM, IT WILL.
THEY'RE ALSO SEEKING, UM, TAX CREDITS FOR THIS PROJECT.
AND SO THE NOMINATION IS MOVING FORWARD, THIS PART OF THE TAX CREDIT PROGRAM.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO PULL THIS ITEM FOR DISCUSSION? IF NOT, WE WILL ASSUME THAT WE ARE IN A AGREEMENT, BUT WE CAN TAKE A VOTE ON THAT.
I THINK WE COULD VOTE ON ALL THREE TOGETHER AT THE END, UNLESS THERE WERE SPECIFIC COMMENTS THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS PROPERTY BY PROPERTY.
WELL, I JUST LIKE TO WEIGH IN ON THAT PROJECT, BUT BECAUSE, UH, I THINK WE'RE JUST LUCKY THAT IT STILL EXISTS.
UH, THERE ARE COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS FROM THAT, UH, ERA THAT, THAT AREN'T HERE ANYMORE.
AND THERE WERE A LOT OF AREAS, FABRICATOR EAST AUSTIN THAT WE'RE LOSING.
AND SO WE'RE SO FORTUNATE THAT, UM, THIS IS AN ANCHOR BUILDING THAT AS EVEN ALL THE TRANSITIONS THAT TAKEN PLACE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, YOU KNOW, HATS OFF TO THE OWNERS AND DEVELOPERS WHO ARE GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS.
AND, UH, I REALLY SEE THAT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW, UH, OR SHOWCASE SOME OF THE HERITAGE, NOT ONLY IN THE AREA, BUT ALSO THE POTENTIAL FOR EVEN MORE OF THIS, UH, WITH SADLY FEWER COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS.
UH, BUT AT LEAST CERTAINLY MANY OF THE RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS THAT ARE STILL INTACT.
I'M GLAD TO SEE THE RETENTION OF THIS WOOD TECH GET A CANOPY.
UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I'VE SEEN IN THE LOWER RIO GRANDE AND SENDING NASCIO AND RIO GRANDY CITY.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS MAY HAVE BEEN A REPLACEMENT FOR AN ORIGINAL ONE OR AN EARLIER ONE, BUT I THINK
[00:20:01]
THAT IT'S CHARACTER DEFINING FOR THE BUILDING AND THE CORE, THE, THE ROOF LINE, THE KORBEL BRICK.THESE ARE REALLY FABULOUS BUILDINGS.
THIS ONE AND THE NEXT AND A REALLY IMPORTANT PARK IS THE THIRD.
WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE TO, TO HAVE THESE THREE PROPERTIES MOVING FORWARD.
UM, SHALL WE MOVE ON TO THE SECOND? YES.
THE 1961 CHAPEL FOR ALL CHILDREN NOW ALL FACE CHAPEL IS AN INTERFAITH HOUSE OF WORSHIP BUILT FOR THE SPIRITUAL EDUCATION OF YOUNG RESIDENTS AT AUSTIN STATE SCHOOL.
TEXAS IS FIRST PUBLIC INSTITUTION FOR PERSONS WITH INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES AND THE POST-WAR ERA TREATMENT PRACTICES FOR PERSONS DIAGNOSED WITH INTELLECTUAL AND EMOTIONAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES EVOLVED AS MORE COMPASSIONATE ATTITUDES TOWARD AND ACTIVISM FOR THIS VULNERABLE POPULATION.
INCREASED NATIONWIDE PRACTITIONERS CAME TO SEE RELIGIOUS MINISTRY AS A FUNDAMENTAL COMPONENT TO IMPROVING THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE.
IN 1956, REVEREND LUTHER HOLLOWAY JOINED THE AUSTIN STATE SCHOOL AS THE INSTITUTION'S FIRST FULL-TIME CHAPLAIN CHAPEL FOR THE CHILDREN WAS BUILT AS A RESULT OF HIS ADVOCACY AND THROUGH THE DONATIONS OF CITIZENS FROM ACROSS TEXAS, IT IS NOMINATED TO THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES UNDER CRITERION A AND THE AREA OF SOCIAL HISTORY, DISABILITY, HISTORY, AND CRITERIA, AND C, AND THE AREA OF ARCHITECTURE AT THE LOCAL LEVEL OF SIGNIFICANCE.
THE CHAPEL IS AN EXCELLENT EXAMPLE OF POST-WAR POST-WAR MODERN, A-FRAME RELIGIOUS ARCHITECTURE, IT'S TRIANGULAR FORM STEEPLY PITCHED ROOF DOMINATING OVER BRICK SIDEWALLS SKYLIGHT GLAZE TO GABLE ENDS AND STEEL FRAME SUPPORTED GLULAM DECK INTERIOR CEILING, OUR DISTINCTIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TENT FORM STYLE THAT ENJOYED PERVASIVE YET BRIEF POPULARITY IN THE 1950S AND 1960S BUILT FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES, UH, BUILT BEFORE PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES HAD LEGAL RIGHTS TO EQUAL ACCESS THE HUMAN SCALE OF THE INTERIOR PLAN, PRIORITIZED ACCESSIBILITY FOR ITS YOUNG CONGREGATION WITH WIDE ENTRANCES AND AISLES TO ACCOMMODATE THOSE WITH WHEELCHAIRS, THE BUILDING'S COLORFUL STAINED GLASS WINDOWS HAVE SIMPLE ABSTRACTED BIRDS, CHOIR LOFT, AND REAR ACOUSTICAL WALL REFLECT THE IMPORTANCE OF MUSIC AND GRAPHIC ARTS AND TEACHING RELIGIOUS CONCEPTS TO PERSONS WITH PHYSICAL AND COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENTS.
CHAPEL FOR THE CHILDREN IS THE ONLY KNOWN EXAMPLE OF ARCHITECT DAVID EFFORT TO RENDER SPIRITUALITY AND BUILT FORM EXPRESSES EXPRESSIVE OF FAITH, WARM AND EMOTIONALLY POWERFUL.
THE CHAPEL DEMONSTRATES GRAVERS ARCHITECTURAL ABILITY AND ENTHUSIASTIC DEDICATION TO THE PROJECT FOR WHICH HE DONATED HIS SERVICES TODAY.
THE NOMINATED BUILDING STILL SERVES AS A PLACE FOR SPIRITUAL AND RELIGIOUS PRACTICES BY AUSTIN STATE SUPPORTED LIVING CENTERS, RESIDENTS, AND CLIENTS, FAMILY MEMBERS, EMPLOYEES, AND THE PUBLIC.
IT MEETS CRITERIA CONSIDERATION A FOR RELIGIOUS PROPERTIES BECAUSE THE CHAPEL FOR THE CHILDREN DERIVES ITS PRIMARY SIGNIFICANCE FOR ITS SOCIAL AND ARCHITECTURAL ASSOCIATIONS.
THE PERIOD OF SIGNIFICANCE IS 1961 TO 1972, REPRESENTING THE YEARS.
IT SERVED AS AN INTERFAITH CHAPEL FOR THE AUSTIN STATE SUPPORTED LIVING CENTER STUDENTS THROUGH THE CURRENT 50 OR THRESHOLD FOR LISTING ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS ONE.
UM, LET ME ADD THE, UH, CONTRIBUTION OF DAVID GRAVER BECAUSE AT THE TIME THAT WOULD HAVE STILL BEEN A VERY EARLY PROJECT FOR HIM.
AND I THINK THE STANDARD WAS SET AT A VERY HIGH LEVEL AND CLEARLY INFLUENCED LATER, UH, ARCHITECTS WHO ALSO, UH, WORKED WITH SOME OF THE SIMILAR MATERIALS IN, IN CREATING A NUMBER OF MID-CENTURY MODERN CHURCHES THROUGHOUT AUSTIN.
BUT I THINK THIS WAS REALLY, UH, AT A, AT SUCH A HIGH LEVEL, EVEN THOUGH HE DIDN'T GO ON TO DO LOTS OF OTHER CHURCHES.
AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS, UH, IF I'M NOT MISUNDER, IF I'M NOT INCORRECT THAT HE ALSO DESIGNED THE LIGHT FIXTURES AND, UH, THE, UH, LITURGICAL ELEMENTS AS WELL, THE ALTER IN SOME OF THE PULPIT AND ALL OF THOSE INTEGRATED INTO ONE UNIFIED SPACE, IS THAT CORRECT? I BELIEVE SO.
IT'S, IT'S REALLY SUCH A FABULOUS BUILDING.
AND SO THE FACT THAT THAT'S ALL REMAINED INTACT OVER ALL THESE YEARS, UH, IT REALLY IS AN AMAZING CONDITION.
UM, I THINK THE OTHER PART, WHICH MAKES IT VERY INNOVATIVE IS EVEN THE ENTRY SEQUENCE AND THE IDEA OF A COMPOUND, A PLACE OF REFUGE, IF YOU WILL.
UH, SO A VISITOR COMES IN AND ACTUALLY GOES THROUGH A VERY, UM, MODEST, BUT VERY WELCOMING GATES INTO A GARDEN AREA.
[00:25:01]
CHAPLAIN'S OFFICE WAS ON ONE SIDE AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THROUGH THIS WONDERFUL SPACE THEN, UH, ENTERING INTO THE SPECIAL REALM, UH, I THINK IT WAS JUST, UH, IF HE HAD GONE ON TO BE, UH, NOT KNOWN FOR ANYTHING ELSE, I THINK WE'D STILL BE CELEBRATING THE CREATIVITY OF DAVID GRAVER BASED ON THIS, THIS PROJECT ALONE.UH, ANY FURTHER COMMENTS, ALL THAT I'M THRILLED TO SEE THIS BUILDING.
I THINK IT'S A FANTASTIC ADDITION TO THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES.
UM, IN ADDITION TO JUST BEING A MODERNIST GEM BY DAVID GRABER, DISABILITY HISTORY IS NOT AN OFTEN TALKED ABOUT ASPECT OF OUR UNDERREPRESENTED HISTORY, AND THIS IS SUCH A WONDERFUL EXAMPLE OF THAT.
AND ALSO I WANT TO GIVE KUDOS TO THE AUSTIN STATE SUPPORTED LIVING CENTER AND REVEREND PAUL KRAUSS FOR THEIR STEWARDSHIP OF THIS BUILDING AND BEING SO OPEN AND WELCOMING TO THE COMMUNITY TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO COME IN AND VISIT THE BUILDING AND HOLD EVENTS.
THERE THEY'VE BEEN GREAT STEWARDS OF THIS RESOURCE.
UM, I SO APPRECIATE SEEING THE INTERIOR PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE BUILDING.
UM, IF THIS IS A CASE FOR, UM, NATIONAL RECOGNITION FOR INTERIORS, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS, THIS IS JUST AN EXQUISITE, UM, MODERNIST, UH, STAINED GLASS.
AND I W AND THE LIGHT FIXTURES ARE EXTRAORDINARY.
UM, IT'S, IT'S WONDERFUL THAT IT'S BEEN KEPT INTACT ALL THESE YEARS.
I COULD JUST SEE SOMEONE, YOU KNOW, ADDING ACOUSTICAL TILE OR SOMETHING HERE IN THE FURTHER COMMENTS.
IS THAT A GROCER WITH THAT? I GET TO TURN THIS OVER TO CALLEN CONTROLLERS WHO WROTE THIS NOMINATION.
YEAH, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
THIS LAST PRESENTATION IS A BRIEFING ON PARQUETS ARCTIC COSA, WHICH IS A 15 ACRE PUBLIC PARK AT 26 0 8 CONSOLE IS, UH, OWNED AND MAINTAINED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.
HERE'S A PICTURE OF THE HISTORIC BATHHOUSE, UH, SINCE ITS ESTABLISHMENT, AS A CITY OF AUSTIN RECREATIONAL AREA IN 1931, AFTER YEARS OF PETITIONING BY MEXICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY LEADERS PRACTICE THAT GOSA HAS CONTINUOUSLY SERVED AS A RECREATION SPACE FOR AUSTIN AS PHYSICAL EVIDENCE OF MEXICAN AMERICAN AUSTINITES SUCCESSFUL ADVOCACY AGAINST INSTITUTIONAL RACISM.
THE PARK SYMBOLIZES THE POWER OF GRASSROOTS ORGANIZING AND PERSISTENCE.
UH, THIS NATIONAL REGISTER NOMINATION WAS COMPLETED BY THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE AND FULFILLMENT OF A NATIONAL PARK SERVICE UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES.
GRANT RESEARCH, MATERIALS AND ARCHIVES WERE GENEROUSLY SUPPLEMENTED BY COMMUNITY MEMBERS, UNIVERSITY, THE AUSTIN HISTORY CENTER AND PARKS AND RECREATION.
THE PARKS PERIOD OF SIGNIFICANT STRETCHES FROM 1931 TO 1973, IT'S INTACT LAYOUT AND CONTRIBUTING RESOURCES SHOW HOW COMMUNITY ADVOCACY SHAPED EAST AUSTIN'S LANDSCAPE AND AUSTIN'S CULTURAL IDENTITY THROUGH THE 20TH CENTURY.
AS WE ACKNOWLEDGED THE STRUGGLES AND TRIUMPHS OF MEXICAN AND MEXICAN AMERICANS IN OUR CITY'S HISTORY, IT IS ESSENTIAL TO HONOR THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR CIVIC, ECONOMIC, SOCIAL, AND BUILT ENVIRONMENT.
THE PARK EXEMPLIFIES THESE CONTRIBUTIONS AND IS ELIGIBLE FOR LISTING IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER UNDER CRITERION A AND THE AREAS OF ETHNIC HERITAGE AND SOCIAL HISTORY.
THE DISTRICT IS BOUNDED BY NEIGHBORHOODS TO THE NORTH PLEASANT VALLEY TO THE EAST COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS TO THE SOUTHEAST, AND SELL A STREET TO THE SOUTH AND PINELLAS TO THE WEST.
UM, OH, THESE ARE SOME AERIAL PHOTOS THAT SHOW THE AREAS TRANSITION, UH, FROM MINIMALLY DEVELOPED LAND IN 1940 AND THAT TOP PHOTO TO A GREEN CITY OASIS IN 1977, UH, WHICH APPEARS ON THE NEXT SLIDE.
THIS IS AN L-SHAPED PROPERTY BISECTED BY BOGGY CREEK, AND IT COMPRISES A LARGE PARCEL TO THE NORTH AND A SMALLER ONE TO THE SOUTH MATURE OAK SHADE.
THE NORTHWEST QUADRANT CONTAINS IN 1933 POOL AND 1941 HOUSE, BOTH CONTRIBUTING ELEMENTS THAT RETAIN INTEGRITY, A PLAYGROUND BAND, STAN BASKETBALL COURTS AND VOLLEYBALL COURTS LIVE ROUGHLY IN THE PARK CENTER.
THE SOUTH PARCEL INCLUDES A BASEBALL FIELD BLEACHERS IN A MODERN RECREATION CENTER TO STEAL FOOTBRIDGES SPAN THE CREEK.
WELL, A CONCRETE BANDSTAND ERECTED DURING THE EARLY 1970S OCCUPIES THE SITE
[00:30:01]
OF AN EARLIER WIND BAND STAND DONATED FROM EAST AVENUE PARK IN THE LATE 1930S.UM, THIS IS JUST A BRIEF TIMELINE THAT SHOWS THAT THE EARLIEST OFFICIAL CONSTRUCTION IN THE PARK TOOK PLACE DURING THE 1930S AND FORTIES.
AND MORE INFORMATION ON THE PARKS TIMELINE CAN BE FOUND IN THE NOMINATION.
NEXT SLIDE, OKAY, IS THAT OUR COSA HAS PLAYED A PIVOTAL ROLE IN THE CIVIC AND CULTURAL LIVES OF AUSTIN'S MEXICAN AMERICAN RESIDENTS SINCE AT LEAST 1931, WHILE MOST FAMOUS AS THE SITE OF EARLY CINCO DE MAYO AND DESSIE STAYS CELEBRATIONS.
THE PARK HAS HOSTED COUNTLESS SMALLER GATHERINGS THAT HAVE SHAPED AUSTIN'S CULTURAL IDENTITY AND OUR SENSE OF PLACE AS A LOCAL SPACE FOR RECREATION, CIVIC, ENGAGEMENT, AND HEALTH ADVOCACY, THE PARK ALSO FACILITATED ACCESS TO ESSENTIAL SERVICES FOR THE HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED CITIZENS.
MOST OF ALL, THE PARK HAS PROVIDED A PLACE WHERE MEXICAN AMERICAN VOICES COULD BE HEARD.
PARQUET STATA COSA IS A PHYSICAL REMINDER OF MEXICAN AMERICAN AUSTINITES RESILIENCE.
UM, AND THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, WE CAN SEE THAT THIS IS A SPACE, UM, THAT STARTED AS A SPECIFICALLY MEXICAN AMERICAN SPACE, UH, IN SEGREGATED AUSTIN.
AND IT NOW SERVES THE CITY AS A TESTAMENT TO THE STRENGTH OF THEIR VOICES IN THIS FACE OF SYSTEMIC OPPRESSION, IT'S FOUNDERS, ADVOCATES, AND VOLUNTEERS ENSURED THAT PEOPLE WOULD HAVE A PLACE TO CELEBRATE AND PRESERVE THEIR CULTURAL IDENTITIES THROUGH THE SEGREGATION ERA AND BEYOND THE COMMUNITY REPEATEDLY PETITIONED THE CITY FOR PARK IMPROVEMENTS, MAINTENANCE AND PROGRAM FUNDING.
FOR YEARS AFTER THE PARKS FOUNDING, DESPITE THE CITY'S HISTORICAL APATHY TOWARDS EAST AUSTIN, ART ADVOCATES SUCCEEDED IN IMPROVING THE PARK THROUGHOUT THE 20TH CENTURY, EVEN WHEN THEY HAD TO RELY ON VOLUNTEER LABOR AND FUNDRAISING FROM WITHIN THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES, THE PARKS CENTRAL LOCATION, NESTLED WITH MAJORITY MEXICAN AND MEXICAN AMERICAN NEIGHBORHOODS AND SURROUNDED BY SCHOOLS, BUSINESSES, AND HOMES MADE IT AN IDEAL VENUE FOR FORMAL AND INFORMAL GATHERINGS, INCLUDING POLITICAL RALLIES DURING THE 20TH CENTURY.
THUS, THE PARK IS AS INGRAINED IN LOCAL FAMILIES, HISTORIES, AND CITY AND STATE LEGACIES ALIKE.
AND I JUST HAVE A FEW HISTORIC PHOTOS.
UM, PARKING PSYCHOSIS CONTRIBUTING BATHHOUSE WAS CONSTRUCTED AROUND 1941 BY A COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS AND THE NATIONAL YOUTH ASSOCIATION PROGRAM MEMBERS WITH PARKS DEPARTMENT SUPPORT.
AND SO THERE IT IS ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE.
AND ON THE NEXT SIDE, YOU CAN SEE IT, UM, KIND OF COME TO FRUITION.
UM, AND THE NYA WAS A SUBSIDIARY OF THE CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS FOR TEENAGERS AND YOUNG ADULTS SEEKING WORK.
IN ADDITION TO ITS BASIC FUNCTION AS A RESTROOM, SHOWER AND CHANGING AREA, THE BATH HOUSE WAS AT TIMES USED AS THE PARK CARETAKERS RESIDENTS, AND ALSO AS AN ALL-PURPOSE COMMUNITY CENTER, ITS CHARACTER DEFINING FEATURES INCLUDE EXPANSIVE HORIZONTAL WINDOWS, LOW RELIEF, BRICK, HOPING, AND WINDOWSILLS LONG AND LOW MASSING AND POINTED ARCH ENTRANCES ON THAT WALL FACING ELEVATION.
AND THESE NEXT SLIDES JUST SHOW SOME PICTURES OF THE PARKS FUNCTIONS AS A RECREATION SPACE.
UH, THERE'S A USO FUNCTION ON THE LEFT, UM, UH, A REGULAR DAY, THE PARK ON THE RIGHT, UM, UH, THAT, UH, BASKETBALL AND THE SWIMMING POOL ON THE LEFT AND THE PARK ALSO HOSTED A CHILDREN'S ARTS AND CRAFTS AS WELL AS ADULT EDUCATION COURSES, UH, IN THAT COMMUNITY CENTER AS WELL TODAY, THE PARKS HISTORIC BATHHOUSE AND POOL ARE CURRENTLY CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC FOR REHAB, BUT THE NEW RECREATION CENTER AND GROUNDS REMAIN OPEN.
AND, UH, THIS IS THE LAST SLIDE, UH, WHICH CONCLUDES THIS BRIEFING, UH, FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THIS NOMINATION MOVE FORWARD AT THE STATE BOARD OF REVIEW.
CALEN, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, UM, FROM THE COMMISSION, I WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO SUPPORT NOMINATION OF ALL THREE OF THESE, UH, RESOURCES TO THE NATIONAL REGISTER.
I HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER.
LITTLE SECOND BY COMMISSIONER LAROCHE, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND, SAY AYE.
I'M REALLY GLAD THAT THESE NATIONAL REGISTER NOMINATIONS ARE COMING, UH, TO THE COMMISSION, UM, FOR, UH, FOR US TO TAKE A LOOK AT THEM.
UM, SOMETIMES WE DON'T SEE A LOT OF PROGRESS WHEN WE HAVE SO MANY DEMOLITION REQUESTS ON OUR AGENDA, SO IT'S NICE TO SEE, UM, THESE, UH, EFFORTS GO FORWARD.
GOING ON TO OUR FIRST, UM, POLL
[3.B.3. HR-2021-166282 – 807 Baylor St. – Consent (postponed November 15, 2021) Castle Hill Local Historic District Council District 9]
DISCUSSION ITEM, THAT'S B3[00:35:01]
8 0 7 BAYLOR STREET.THIS IS, UM, A BUILDING IN THE CASTLE HILL, LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICT.
IT'S ALSO IN THE WESTLINE NATIONAL REGISTER DISTRICT AS A CONTRIBUTING BUILDING.
OKAY, THANK YOU, COMMISSIONERS.
UM, THIS IS AN APPLICATION FOR A PROPOSAL TO REPAIR HISTORIC AGE WINDOWS, REPLACE A RETAINING WALL, RESTORE ORIGINAL WOOD SIDING PORCH AND TRIM AT THE SOUTH WEST AND NORTH ELEVATIONS.
REPLACE THE ROOF, REMOVE A ONE-STORY ADDITION AND REPLACE WITH THE TWO-STORY ADDITION, REPLACE THE REAR BALCONY WITH A SCREENED PORCH.
THIS IS A ONE STORY FOOT VICTORIAN HOUSE WITH A WINGING GABLE PLAN, A PARTIAL WITH PORCH WITH TURNS POSTS TWO OVER TWO WINDOWS WITH THREE OVER ONE AND FOUR OVER ONE SCREENS, AN ORIGINAL ENTRY DOOR WITH A TRANSOM WINDOW AND A FISH SCALE SHINGLES AT THE GABLE END.
THE CASTLE HILL DESIGN STANDARDS WERE USED TO EVALUATE PROJECTS WITHIN THIS HISTORIC DISTRICT AND THE PROJECT MEETS MOST OF THE APPLICABLE STANDARDS OF THE APPLICANT HAS AMENDED THE DESIGN IN RESPONSE TO COMMITTEE FEEDBACK.
THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION FOR THIS PROJECT IS TO APPROVE THE APPLICATION, ENCOURAGING THE APPLICANT TO FURTHER REDUCE THE HEIGHT AT THE ADDITION.
WHAT WERE THE, UM, THE CHANGES THAT THE APPLICANT COMPLETED AFTER? I BELIEVE THE APPLICANT PULLED BACK AT THE PROPOSED ADDITION.
I BELIEVE THE ARCHITECT IS HERE.
ALSO CAN ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS TOO.
WELL MISS O'CONNELL, DID YOU HEAR THE ACCOLADES GIVEN TO YOU BY COMMISSIONER? I'M SAD.
COMMISSIONER HOMES OUT THERE REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
I HADN'T SEEN YOU IN THE, IN THE AUDIENCE RIGHT THERE, AND I WISH I WISH MORE PEOPLE WOULD TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AS A REFERENCE.
WOULD YOU GUYS MIND GOING TO SHEET A TWO 20 THAT'S BEEN UPDATED SINCE I LAST PRESENTED TO THE COMMISSION AND SUBCHONDRAL PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE HELLO.
MY NAME IS, MY NAME IS TERRY O'CONNELL WITH O'CONNELL ARCHITECTURE.
I'M REPRESENTING OWNERS, TOM AND SAM GOPEL, UH, WHO HAVE PURCHASED THE HOME AT 8 0 7 BAYLOR HERE IN AUSTIN.
SO YOU HAD ASKED ABOUT THE CHANGES TO THE, TO THE DESIGN SINCE WE MET WITH THE CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATE IN HIS COMMITTEE, UH, LAST MONTH.
AND IT IS PRIMARILY IN FENESTRATION.
UH, WE HAD SOME GOOD SUGGESTIONS FROM COMMISSIONER, UH, COMMISSIONER COOK AND COMMISSIONER VALANCE, LAYLA, UH, ABOUT THE, UH, FENESTRATION PATTERN.
AND, UH, SO WE HAVE WORKED WITH THAT AND, UM, I'M MUCH HAPPIER WITH WHERE WE ARE NOW.
UM, THAT'S THE PRIMARY CHANGE ON HONESTLY IS THE FINISHED RATION PATTERN ON THE ALLEY SIDE AND THE REAR OF THE BUILDING.
UM, WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO GIVE YOU ANY MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROJECT OVERALL OR I'M, I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE, THE SPEAKER HAS, WHO MIGHT BE OPPOSED TO THE PROJECT.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE, I DON'T KNOW, BUT IF YOU WOULD REMAIN IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS OF FOR, AND IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS THAT COME UP.
ANY QUESTIONS OF MS O'CONNELL? YEAH, LET ME ASK STAFF AS REFERENCE.
UM, SHE SHOWED THE VERY SHEET THAT DOESN'T ILLUSTRATE THE POINT.
I'M TRYING TO MAKE THE SHEETS.
SO THIS SHOWS THE EXISTING FABRIC VERY CLEARLY SEPARATED FROM WHAT IS BEING WORKED WITH.
AND THEN MORE IMPORTANTLY, I THINK THIS IS VERY TELLING PRIOR COMMISSIONER HAIM, SETH, WE JUST LOST YOU THERE FOR A SECOND.
OH, CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? THE ONE JUST BEFORE IF YOU COULD.
SO NOW, YOU KNOW, THE QUESTION ALWAYS IS, WELL, WHAT ARE YOU KEEPING? WHAT ARE YOU NOT KEEPING? WHAT WILL, HOW WE RELATE TO THE EXISTING? ALL OF THOSE ARE ANSWERED IN TWO SHEETS, VERY CLEARLY DELINEATED, AND, YOU KNOW, WE COULD AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH SOME OF THE SPECIFICS, BUT, UH, I JUST HAVE TO SAY THAT THAT, THAT I WOULD LOVE IT IF ALL OUR PROJECTS CAME IN, EVEN CLOSE TO THE STANDARD.
SO AGAIN, THAT'S THE NATURE OF MY COMPLEX.
ANY QUESTIONS? OR, UM, FROM ANYONE.
OKAY, MS. O'CONNELL, IF YOU WOULD STAY, UH, IN THE MEETING, IS THERE A QUESTION FROM THE AUDIENCE? CAN YOU PLEASE, THE PERSON WHO'S RAISING THEIR HAND, CAN YOU PLEASE COME DOWN TO THE PODIUM,
[00:40:01]
STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD AND THEN, UM, MAKE YOUR COMMENTS OR, UH, ASK YOUR QUESTION.UM, HI, MY NAME'S BRENT HUMPHERYS.
THANKS FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, ASK THESE QUESTIONS.
AND FIRST I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT I DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW THAT I'M OPPOSED TO THE PROPERTY, TO THE DESIGN AT ALL.
UM, SO I OWN A PROPERTY ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE, UH, FROM THIS PARTICULAR PROPERTY.
AND SO MY QUESTIONS ARE, IT WAS MENTIONED THAT THE PROPERTY MEETS MOST OF THE APPLE APPLICABLE STANDARDS FOR THE HISTORIC DISTRICT.
AND I GUESS JUST WHERE ARE WE ABLE TO GET A SIMPLE LISTING OF ANY EXCEPTIONS, JUST SO WE COULD SEE WHAT THE EXCEPTIONS ARE THAT HAVE BEEN, THAT HAVE BEEN GRANTED.
YOU GO TO THE COMMISSION'S, UH, HOMEPAGE YOU'RE, THERE'S AN AVENUE TO VIEW AGENDA ITEMS, AND YOU GO DOWN THE LIST TO FIND THIS NUMBER B3 FOR, UH, THIS ADDRESS ON BAYLOR STREET.
THE BACKUP IS PRESENTED BY STAFF AND IT, UM, AND IT DETAILS, UH, ALL ASPECTS OF THE PROPOSED CHANGES RELATIVE TO THE CASTLE HILL DESIGN STANDARDS.
AND THEY END STAFF STAFF, UH, RENDERS AN OPINION AS TO WHETHER THEY MEET OR DO NOT MEET THE DESIGN STANDARDS.
AND WOULD IT BE APPROPRIATE FOR THE ARCHITECTED BRIEFLY SUMMARIZE WHAT THOSE CHANGES? JUST TO, JUST SO WE KNOW IT'S KIND OF A BMI QUESTION.
AND THEN, UH, AND THEN SECONDLY, UM, WAS THERE ANY CONSIDERATION, UM, IS THE BUILDING, UH, RECEIVING A, AN EXCEPTION TO THE HEIGHT RESTRICTIONS IS THE BUILDING IS NOT RECEIVING ANY, UM, IT'S, IT'S NOT AN EXCEPTION TO THE HEIGHT, UM, STANDARD FOR THE, UM, FOR ZONING OR FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, PERHAPS STAFF COULD BETTER ANSWER, UM, WHAT ITEMS YOU WERE CONCERNED ABOUT OR, UM, AGAIN, I'M NOT NECESSARILY CONCERNED AT ALL.
I JUST WANT TO, I JUST TRY TO UNDERSTAND, AND I THINK, YEAH, AND I GUESS AGAIN, SO THIS DOES NOT, WHAT I'M MAINLY CONCERNED ABOUT IS JUST MAKING SURE THAT THE HEIGHT WALNUT OBSTRUCT FROM THE VIEWS FROM THE OWNERS OF THE PROPERTIES ACROSS THE STREET.
AND I DON'T EXPECT THAT TO BE THE CASE, BUT I JUST WANT TO UNDERSTAND IF THAT'S BEEN CONSIDERED, UM, OR AGAIN, IF YOU'RE SAYING THERE'S NO EXCEPTION, BECAUSE I THOUGHT THAT YOU MADE A POINT THAT ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS WAS TO LOWER THE HEIGHT OF THE BUILDING.
AND SO WAS THAT TO BRING IT IN LINE WITH THE, UM, REQUIRE? NO, IT WAS JUST, IT WASN'T NECESSARILY TO BRING IT IN LINE.
IT WAS JUST THAT IT IS VISIBLE ABOVE THE, ABOVE THE ONE-STORY, UM, FO VICTORIAN COTTAGE.
UM, IS THAT THE, IS THAT THE, SOME OF YOUR, UM, OF YOUR INCHES BECAUSE I CAN CALL THE ARCHITECT? SURE.
I THINK THE SUM IS JUST IN ANY MAJOR DEVIATIONS TO THE HISTORICAL STANDARD, IF THEY, IF THEY, IF THEY COULD BE SIMPLY SUMMARIZED AND, BUT MAINLY JUST, JUST WHAT EFFECT THIS WOULD HAVE ON THE HEIGHT, IN THE VIEW OR THE VIEWS OF THE PROPERTY OWNERS THAT LIVE ACROSS THE STREET THAT VIOLENTLY CONCERNED.
UM, STAFF, IS IT APPROPRIATE TO HAVE MS. O'CONNELL COME BACK AND ADDRESS THAT? YES, PLEASE.
MS. O'CONNELL, COULD YOU PLEASE, UH, APPROACH THE PODIUM? WELL, INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, UH, I RESTORED THE BUILDING DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET FROM THIS, AND I DON'T KNOW MR. HUMPHREYS, BUT, UM, 8 0 6 BAYLOR.
I HAD INFORMATION ON WHAT THE VIEW, BECAUSE I RESTORED THAT HOUSE.
I HAD INFORMATION ON THE HEIGHT OF THE SECOND FLOOR PORCH AND WHAT THEIR VIEW WOULD BE.
AND I ACTUALLY DID A STUDY OF THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE VIEWS WOULD NOT BE OBSTRUCTED FROM THAT HOUSE ACROSS THE STREET.
AND I DIDN'T BRING THAT WITH ME.
I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT WOULD BE A CONCERN, BUT, UH, WE HAVE LOOKED AT IT AND THERE'S AN ENORMOUS OAK TREE BACK BEHIND THE HOUSE THAT WILL OBSTRUCT MORE VIEW THAN THIS BUILDING WILL.
UM, SO I KNOW THAT FOR A FACT, AND I'D BE GLAD TO SHARE THAT WITH MR. HUMPHREYS.
JUST TO BE CLEAR THAT THAT'S A SECOND FLOOR OBSTRUCTION ANALYSIS.
I'M CONCERNED MR. HUMPHREY, I'M SORRY, BUT YOU'LL HAVE TO COME BACK TO THE PODIUM.
WELL, THE BOTTOM LINE IS WHERE WE'RE NOT SURE ABOUT THE RESTRICTIONS ANYWAY, RIGHT? YEAH.
PERHAPS, UM, PERHAPS THE TWO OF YOU COULD, UH, FURTHER DISCUSS THAT, UM, IN THE LOBBY OR AT SOME OTHER TIME, IS THAT OKAY, MR. O'CONNELL? I THINK WE ALSO HAVE A NEIGHBORHOOD REPRESENTATIVE HERE IN SUPPORT OF THE PROJECT, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HEAR THAT.
[00:45:01]
MISS MARIAN, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD AND MARY MARY, AND I'M CHAIR OF THE OWANA ZONING COMMITTEE.UM, WE HAVE MEMBERS ON OUR COMMITTEE WHO DID OUTLINE THE, UM, UM, HOW DO YOU SAY THE RESTRICTIONS ON THE REDOING ON BLANCO, THEIR LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICT? SO THEY WERE THERE, UM, WE RAN THEM, TERRY MIGHT SAY WE RAN THEM THROUGH A GAUNTLET.
WE MET WITH THEM SEVERAL TIMES TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY FIT IN WITH THOSE RESTRICTIONS, UM, THAT THE, UM, HISTORIC DISTRICT REQUIRED.
AND IF HE WANTS A COPY, HE CAN EMAIL ME AND I, OR GIVE ME HIS EMAIL AND I CAN EMAIL HIM THE, YOU KNOW, THE PRESENTATION THAT WE DID, IT BECAME A LOCAL DISTRICT.
THAT WOULD BE, UM, THAT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA.
UM, ANY QUESTIONS, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR MS. MIRIAM? I THINK WE KIND OF BYPASS THE PROPER ORDER OF THINGS HERE IN TERMS OF, UH, SPEAKING IN FAVOR OR OPPOSED.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THIS? I'M ASSUMING THAT THE AWANA STEERING COMMITTEE WAS IN FAVOR? YES.
THEN IS THERE ANYONE ELSE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR? OKAY.
ANYONE TO SPEAK OPPOSED AS, OKAY.
SO MR. HUMPHREY, UH, SAID THAT HE WAS NOT NECESSARILY OPPOSED, BUT PERHAPS CAN GET, UH, FURTHER INFORMATION FROM THE ARCHITECT.
DO I HEAR A MOTION TO, UM, AND THE PUBLIC CLOSED THE PUBLIC HEARING? SECOND, SECOND.
THE MOTION WAS MADE BY COMMISSIONER CUT, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER LITTLE, ALL IN FAVOR OF CLOSING THE PUBLIC HEARING, PLEASE SAY, AYE, RAISE YOUR HAND.
ANY OPPOSED THE MOTION PASSES.
UM, IS THERE A MOTION ON THE CASE I'LL MOVE TO APPROVE THE APPLICATION AS, OKAY.
DO I HEAR A SECOND? SECOND, SECOND.
I HAVE A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER WITH HIS GOOD ARM.
D ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF, OF PASSING THIS, UH, OH, OH YES.
I JUST WANTED TO NOTE REAL QUICK.
UH, IF YOU DO GO TO THE BACKUP AND GO THROUGH THE DETAILS, IT GOES THROUGH THE DESIGN STANDARDS LINE BY LINE AND SHOWS HOW THEY COMPLY AND IT IS WITHIN THE APPROVED HYPE.
UM, THE ONLY COMMENTS WERE, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE TOP HEAVY.
SOME OF THESE GET VERY SUBJECTIVE.
I THINK THE ROOF LINE IS WELL PROPORTIONED.
UH, THE 3D RENDERING, JOE'S OFF A VERY MODEST, ORIGINAL HOUSE WHILE STILL GETTING A LOT OF PROGRAMS IN THE BACK WITHOUT, UH, OVERWHELMING THE HOUSE, WHICH IS, WHICH IS PRETTY REMARKABLE.
UH, AND THERE'S A COMMENT ABOUT THE ROOF LINE FROM THE SIDE OF THE HOUSE, WHICH YOU WOULD HAVE TO GO DOWN THE SIDE YARD TO SEE.
SO AGAIN, THE STREET PRESENCE, I THINK IT WAS VERY MUCH IN LINE WITH THE DESIGN STANDARDS.
UM, SO I, I DON'T HAVE ANY HESITATION IN, IN APPROVING THIS, THE, THE ONE COMMENT ASKING TO FURTHER REDUCE THE HYPE IS ASKING THE APPLICANT TO GO ABOVE AND BEYOND THE DESIGN STANDARDS, UM, WHICH SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO LOOK FOR COMMENTS TO MAKE WHEN, WHEN PROPERTIES ARE VERY MUCH IN LINE WITH THE DESIGN STANDARDS.
AND THAT WAS ONE THAT WAS PROBABLY JUST THE ONLY ONE TO OFFER.
UH, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THIS COMPARED TO MANY OTHER TWO-STORY ADDITIONS TO ONE STORY HOUSES, I THINK THIS IS VERY WELL DONE.
AND IT LOOKS LIKE THE ADDITIONAL HEIGHT IS ABOUT SEVEN FEET ABOVE THE EXISTING PEAK.
AND IT'S SET PRETTY FAR BACK AND LOOKING AT THE ELEVATION DIFFERENCES ACROSS THE STREET.
UH, EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT IN THE PER OUR PURVIEW, I DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO BE A CONCERN.
AND, UM, I APPRECIATE THE ARCHITECT AND, AND PROPERTY OWNERS, UM, UH, CONSIDERATION ON THE FENESTRATION, UH, ON THE HOUSE TO W WHICH, UM, SEEMED A LITTLE OUT OF CHARACTER AND NOW, UH, APPEARS TO BE VERY MUCH IN LINE WITH THE HISTORIC FENESTRATION OF THE HOUSE.
ANYTHING FURTHER, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? OKAY.
DO I, UM, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE APPLICATION, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND, SAY AYE.
THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS ITEM C TO
[3.C.2. HR-2021-180207 – 906 E. 14th St. – Discussion Swedish Hill National Register District Council District 1]
9 0 6 EAST 14TH STREET.THIS PROPERTY AS A CONTRIBUTING RESOURCE IN THE SWEDISH HILL NATIONAL REGISTER DISTRICT.
[00:50:01]
EARLIEST, ONE OF OUR VERY FIRST NATIONAL REGISTER DISTRICTS.UM, AND AUSTIN, NO WORRIES JUST HAD TO PERFORM A LITTLE NAME TAGS, WHICH HERE, UM, THIS IS A PROPOSAL TO PARTIALLY DEMOLISH THE REAR AND SIDE OF A ONE-STORY HOUSE TO CONSTRUCT A SECOND FLOOR ADDITION WITH A ROOF DECK, UH, THE NATIONAL REGISTER DISTRICT INVENTORY IDEAS, THIS BUILDING AS A ONE-STORY FOLK VICTORIAN HOUSE WITH BORDEN BATTEN SIDING AND A FULL-WIDTH PORCH, UM, SCALLOP SIDING, ADORNS THE FRONT-FACING GABLE END, ACCORDING TO THE SWEDISH HILL NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC DISTRICT NOMINATION.
THE FRONT IS LOCATION HAS BEEN ALTERED.
THIS HOUSE WAS BUILT AROUND 1887.
THE HOMES EARLY YEARS WERE FRAUGHT WITH RESIDENT TURNOVER AND ITS OCCUPANTS INCLUDED A WOOD DEALER, A HORSE TRADER CARPENTERS AND LABORERS, A TEAMSTER AND A SALES WOMAN BY THE EARLY 1920S, OSCAR E AND FLM THREE PURCHASED THE HOUSE AND IT REMAINED IN THEIR FAMILY UNTIL AT LEAST 1959.
OSCAR WAS A PRINTER AND A LINE OF TYPE OPERATOR WHO WORKED FOR THE TEXAS POSTER PUBLISHING COMPANY.
THE NATE PRINTING COMPANY, THE VON BECKMAN JONES COMPANY, THE AUSTIN DAILY TRIBUNE, THE AMERICAN PUBLISHING COMPANY, AND THE MEN STAFF HAS EVALUATED THE PROPERTY AND DETERMINED THAT IT DOES NOT MEET TWO CRITERIA.
UM, AND THE PROJECT MEETS SOME, BUT NOT ALL OF THE APPLICABLE STANDARDS, UM, FOR THE CITYWIDE DESIGN STANDARDS RECOMMENDATION IS TO CONSIDER REFERRAL TO THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE.
BUT IF THE COMMISSION DECIDES NOT TO COMMENT ON AND RELEASE THE PLANS, THANK YOU ON, UH, DO YOU HAVE, UH, DO YOU HAVE, UH, DRAWINGS FOR THE, UH, FOR THE EDITION THAT ARE OF CONCERN FOR, UM, WE DO, UM, THEY SHOULD BE IN THE BACKUP.
I THINK IF YOU LOOK AT SHEET A TWO, THAT'S PROBABLY THE ONE THAT RIGHT.
SO STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION IS TO CONSIDER POSTPONEMENT TO JANUARY 24TH AND REFERRAL TO THE ARCHITECTURE REVIEW COMMITTEE, UM, OTHERWISE COMMENT ON AND RELEASE THE PLANS.
UM, ARE THERE ANY, UH, QUESTIONS FOR MS. CONTRERAS? OKAY.
IS THERE ANYONE HERE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THIS APPLICATION, PLEASE COME DOWN AND STATE YOUR NAME? HI, MY NAME IS CHELSEA SHARVACK WITH SHARVACK WORKSHOP.
I'M THE ARCHITECT FOR THIS PROJECT AND, UM, THE OWNERS ARE HERE AS WELL.
UH, ROCHELLE AND AL OF OUR SHUTTLES WORTH.
UM, I WANTED TO ADDRESS, UH, THE COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE, UM, REGARDING WHERE THE ADDITION HAPPENS.
UM, THIS HOUSE HAS AN ORIGINAL FRONT PORTION THAT, THAT, UM, WE'RE KEEPING THAT HAS, IT'S KIND OF AN L-SHAPED PLAN.
AND THEN IT WAS ADDED ON, UM, LATER, UH, THE, THE KITCHEN AND CURRENT PRIMARY BEDROOM WERE ADDED ON AND BATHROOM.
AND THEN AT THIRD EDITION WAS DONE, UM, FOR THERE FOR A SECOND BATH AND LAUNDRY.
AND, UM, WE HAVE THIS LAW IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFICULT.
THERE'S NOT A WHOLE LOT OF ROOM TO ADD.
AND SO, BECAUSE WE WERE LIMITED IN, UM, FIRST FLOOR ADDITION SPACE, WE WENT UP AND, UM, POSITIONED THE ADDITION OVER THE NEWEST, UM, ADDITION SO THAT THE FRONT, THE ORIGINAL HOUSE WOULD BE MAINTAINED WITH, UM, THE S THE SLIGHT THERE'S LIKE A CUT THROUGH THE, THE ROOF LINE OF THE, OF THE BACK OF THE HOUSE TO ALLOW FOR A STAIRCASE TO COME UP TO, UM, ONE BEDROOM AND BATHROOM UP THE TOP.
UM, AND THEN I'M TRYING TO THINK IF THERE'S THE OTHER, I THINK THE OTHER COMMENT, OH, THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO ADDRESS WAS THAT THE SIDING THAT WE WERE PLANNING TO USE IS A STANDING SEAM METAL SIDING THAT WE WERE PLANNING TO USE WHITE, UM, TO MATCH THE EXISTING BOARD AND BATTEN SIDING, WHICH IS ALSO KIND OF A VERTICAL PATTERN.
[00:55:01]
WOULD BE THAT IT WOULD, UM, IT WOULD FIT THE CHARACTER AND PROPORTION OF THE EXISTING SIDING, BUT BE DIFFERENT.UM, AND I, I THINK THAT, UM, THE SHUTTLE'S WORKS HAVE SPOKEN WITH THEIR NEIGHBORS ABOUT THE PROJECT AND WANTED TO, UM, MAKE SOME COMMENTS TOO, BUT I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
DOES ANYONE ON THE COMMISSION HAVE A QUESTION, UM, FOR THE ARCHITECT? OKAY.
UM, MAY I HEAR THE, MAYBE WE HEAR THE NEXT SPEAKER IN FAVOR OF THE APPLICATION.
HELLO, MY NAME IS OLIVER SHUTTLESWORTH.
UM, I JUST WANT HER TO SAY THAT WE HAVE AN INCREDIBLE APPRECIATION FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT WE LIVE IN.
UM, WE BOUGHT THE PROPERTY BECAUSE OF ITS HISTORIC VALUE.
UM, AND RECENTLY THERE WAS AN A D OR, UM, AN ADU ERECTED BEHIND OUR HOME THAT WAS ESSENTIALLY A SPEC HOME THAT REALLY KIND OF REINFORCED OUR DESIRE TO CREATE SOMETHING.
WHEN WE KNEW THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO ADD ON THAT HELPED MAINTAIN THE HISTORIC INTEGRITY OF THE HOME.
UM, AND BOTH OF OUR NEIGHBORS WHO ARE LONG-TIME RESIDENTS OF SWEDISH HILL, WHO VOTED IN FAVOR OF THE PROJECT, UM, REALLY APPRECIATE THE LINKS THAT WE WENT TO, TO CREATE A DESIGN THAT WAS UNOBTRUSIVE, THAT BLENDED IN WITH AND RESPECTED THE HISTORICAL INTEGRITY OF THE HOME.
AND I BELIEVE THAT THOSE, UM, THAT THE PAPERWORK IN FAVOR OF THAT, UM, SHOULD BE ARRIVING TO YOU SHORTLY.
UM, BUT BOTH OF THEM, UM, WERE VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THE WORK THAT WE PUT IN TO CREATE THE DESIGN THAT WE DID.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OF THE APPLICANT COMMISSIONER COOK, UH, WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO ACCEPT A POSTPONEMENT TO COME TO THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE AND GET SOME ONE-ON-ONE FEEDBACK? UM, I, UM, I LIKED THE APPROACH PERSONALLY.
IT'S OBVIOUSLY SENSITIVE TO THE HOUSE.
I THINK THERE'S SOME ISSUES WITH THE HEIGHT AND THE ROOF LINE THAT MIGHT MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT LESS OF A DRASTIC CONTRAST POSITION WITH THE ORIGINAL HOUSE.
UM, SO I MEAN, I PERSONALLY WOULD LIKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO INTERACT A LITTLE BIT AND MAKE A FEW COMMENTS.
I TEND TO HESITATE TO DO THAT WHEN THERE'S BEEN AN OBVIOUS ATTEMPT TO RETAIN THE ORIGINAL HISTORIC HOUSE.
AND THERE'S AN OBVIOUS SENSITIVITY ON THE OTHER HAND, IT KIND OF ENCOURAGES ME TO DO SO BECAUSE WHEN AN OWNER DOES SHOW AN INTENT TO DO THE RIGHT THING, I, I, UH, LIKE TO ENCOURAGE A LITTLE MORE INTERACTION.
I'M JUST INTERESTED IN YOUR, AS FAR AS YOUR TIMELINE WOULD AN ADDITIONAL MONTH BE OKAY IF YOU COULD INTERACT WITH US AND, UM, TAKE A LITTLE MORE DETAILED FEEDBACK IN AN IDEAL WORLD ONLY BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY INCLEMENT WEATHER BEGINS TO START PLAYING A MORE PROMINENT ROLE IN AUSTIN, IT WOULD BE NICE TO GET STARTED SOONER THAN LATER THAT SAID I WOULD BE OPEN TO RECEIVING FEEDBACK ALONG THE WAY AND SEEING IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT WE COULD DO, UM, TO FALL FURTHER IN LINE WITH THE RECOMMENDATIONS IN AN IDEAL WORLD, WE CAN MOVE FORWARD TODAY.
UM, AND THEN TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION.
UM, THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE MEETS THE SECOND MONDAY OF JANUARY.
UM, SO IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT WAITING UNTIL, AND IT'S POSSIBLE THAT A RESOLUTION CAN BE MADE AT THAT MEETING THAT CAN THEN, UM, BEAT PASSED TO THE LANDMARK COMMISSION.
UH, WE HAD SEVERAL THINGS EARLY IN OUR AGENDA THAT PASSED ON CONSENT BECAUSE THEY HAD MET WITH THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE.
UM, AT, AT THIS POINT I HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THE HEIGHT AND ABOUT THE ROOF FORM OF THE ADDITION.
SO I, UM, I'M INCLINED TO, UM, ASK YOU TO, TO MEET WITH THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE.
UM, ARE THERE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS OF THE APPLICANT? OKAY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH AT A COMMENT, BECAUSE I GUESS, UM, AS MUCH AS THE ARCHITECT IS AN OWNER AND WE REALLY APPLAUD THEIR SENSITIVITY PIMPING AND MAINTAINING THE HOUSE IN TACT AND THEN MAKING THIS, UH, IN TERMS OF THE FUNCTIONS, IT CERTAINLY IS A SENSITIVE ADDITION.
UM, I THINK WHAT WE'RE, WHAT I'M REACTING TO IS JUST SIMPLY THE USE OF THE MATERIAL.
UH, W IT MAY HAVE SOME RELATIONSHIP TO THE BOARD AND BATTEN SIDING, THE WAY IT'S DETAILED OR WAY IT APPEARS TO BE DETAILED.
IT MAKES IT LOOK LIKE IT'S A VERY MASSIVE UNDIFFERENTIATED TYPE OF BLOCK, AND THAT'S IN KEEPING WITH THE, UH, CHARACTER AT ALL, UH, IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO IT MAY BE SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS THAT, THE WAY THIS IS DETAILED,
[01:00:01]
UH, IT IS KIND OF INVENTED TO, TO USE THAT MATERIAL.I'M NOT RULING IT OUT, BUT, UH, THE OTHER THING THAT WOULD PERSUADE ME IS, UH, TO ALSO KNOW IF THEY'VE DONE THREE-DIMENSIONAL STUDIES OR COULD PROVIDE THOSE, UH, BECAUSE IN FACT, IF THIS IS NOT REALLY VISIBLE AT ALL FROM THE STREET, THEN I WOULD BE LESS CONCERNED, BUT I THINK THERE ARE WAYS TO, UM, TO DO BOTH, TO HAVE SOME OF THE MASS, UH, I DON'T THINK THE HEIGHT CAN BE ADJUSTED A WHOLE LOT AND, AND, UH, STILL HAVE THE FUNCTIONAL SPACE THAT THEY ARE THEY'RE NEEDING.
UH, BUT I DO THINK THAT THE WAY THAT YOU WENT ABOUT THE DETAILS COULD MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN HOW THAT EXTRA HEIGHT, UH, DOES HAVE A BETTER RELATIONSHIP TO THE HOUSE, UH, EVEN KNOW IN USING MODERN MATERIALS.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER HAIM, SETH, ANYTHING ELSE? IS THERE ANOTHER SPEAKER IN SUPPORT IN FAVOR OF THE APPLICATION? OKAY.
UM, YES, NO, I SAY ONLY WHITE HUMAN ALREADY.
DO YOU WANT ME TO RUN UP TO THE PODIUM? HI THERE.
MY NAME IS ROCHELLE SHUTTLESWORTH, AND I'M THE OTHER OWNER OF THIS HOME.
AND I DO OBVIOUSLY SUPPORT THIS RENOVATION, UM, AND BACK, BACK UP, EVERYTHING THAT THEY HAVE ALREADY SAID, I DO BELIEVE THAT OUR ARCHITECT DOES HAVE, UM, 3D THE 3D DRAWINGS.
UM, ANYWAY, SO WE DO HAVE THAT INFORMATION IF THAT'S HELPFUL WITH MAKING THIS DECISION.
IS THERE ANYONE TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION TO THE APPLICATION? OKAY.
HEARING SEEING THAT THERE IS NO ONE OPPOSED.
DO I HEAR A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING? SO I MOVED, UH, THAT WAS COMMISSIONER LAROCHE.
SECOND, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER COOK, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF CLOSING THE PUBLIC HEARING, PLEASE SAY, AYE, RAISE YOUR HAND.
UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES, IF WE WERE ALL ON THE DIAS OR ALL VIRTUAL, UM, I MIGHT NOT ASK FOR BOTH HAND OR, AND VOICE, BUT, UM, IT HELPS WHEN WE'RE HYBRID HYBRIDIZED LIKE THIS.
UM, THE MOTION PASSES AND, UH, DO I HEAR A MOTION ON THE CASE? I'LL MOVE TO POSTPONE THE CASE TO OUR JANUARY 24TH MEETING AND INVITE THE APPLICANT TO ATTEND THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE MEETING.
THE MOTION IS MADE BY COMMISSIONER CUTS, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER LAROCHE.
ANY DISCUSSION WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADDRESS YOUR EYE? YOU'VE ALREADY SPOKEN TO IT AT SOME, RIGHT.
I, I, I THINK THERE'S, UM, THE DETAILS WE'LL BE DISCUSSING KIND OF IN LINED OUT, IF YOU CAN BRING THE 3D RENDERINGS SPECIFICALLY, OUR CONCERN WILL BE, UH, THE VIEW FROM AVERAGE PEDESTRIAN EYESIGHT FROM THE STREET.
UM, I THINK THAT THAT'LL HELP INFORM AND, UH, YEAH, MY PARTICULAR INTEREST IS GOING TO BE, UH, THE ROOF SLOPES.
UM, ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO LAY IT BACK TO, TO MAKE IT STAND OUT AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE FROM, FROM THE STREET.
BUT I, AGAIN, I THINK THE OVERALL APPROACH IS CORRECT.
I THINK IT'S AN ISSUE OF DETAILING AND SOME MINOR ISSUES THAT WILL BE GOOD TO SEE.
I ALSO, UM, HAD AN ISSUE WITH THE WAY THE MATERIAL IS PRESENTED AND THE ROOF PITCH ON THE NEW CONSTRUCTION.
SO I APPRECIATE COMMISSIONER COOK'S REMARKS.
I, WHEN I WAS REVIEWING THIS, I COULD, IT'S OBVIOUS THAT THEY'VE MADE AN ATTEMPT TO RESPECT THE HISTORIC HOMES, INTEGRITY AND MAKE THE ADDITION SECONDARY AND COMPATIBLE YET DIFFERENTIATED.
I AGREE THAT THERE'S TWEAKING OF SOME DETAILS THAT COULD TAKE THIS AND MAKE IT A MUCH MORE ELEVATED, MORE COMPATIBLE PROJECT.
IF THERE ARE NO FURTHER COMMENTS, UM, LET'S TAKE A VOTE, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF POSTPONING, THE ITEM TO THE JANUARY MEETING AND, UH, RE INVITING THE APPLICANTS TO THE, UM, FIRST ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE MEETING, UH, OF THE NEW YEAR.
PLEASE SAY, AYE, RAISE YOUR HAND.
[01:05:02]
OKAY.[3.C.3. HR-2021-190012 – 1811 Alta Vista Ave. – Consent Travis Heights – Fairview Park National Register District Council District 9]
THE NEXT ITEM THAT WAS PULLED FOR DISCUSSION IS C3 1811 ALTA VISTA AVENUE, A CONTRIBUTING BUILDING, AND THE TRAVIS HEIGHTS FAIRVIEW PARK NATIONAL REGISTER DISTRICT.THANK YOU, COMMISSIONERS ITEM C THREE IS A PROPOSAL TO CONSTRUCT A SECOND FLOOR ADDITION TO A ONE-STORY HOUSE, UH, DEMOLISH AN EXISTING NON-CONTRIBUTING ADU REPAIR WINDOWS AND REPLACE THE ROOF WITH A STANDING SEAM METAL OR A COMPOSITION SHINGLES AND MODIFY DORMERS AND THE ROOF LINE AT THE MAIN FACADE, UH, REMOVING THE CHIMNEY AND REPLACING THOSE DORMERS WITH ONE LARGE ONE.
THIS IS A ONE-STORY COLONIAL REVIVAL INSPIRED HOUSE WITH BRICK CLADDING, A SIDE GABLED ROOF WITH GABLED DORMERS, AND EIGHT OVER EIGHT AND SIX, OVER SIX WOOD WINDOWS.
THE FRONT STOOP INCLUDES TURNED COLUMNS AND AN OPEN PEDIMENT ABOVE A DECORATIVE ARCH, AS WELL AS MULTI PANE SIDELIGHTS, A TOP DECORATIVE WAINSCOTING, A DENTAL AIDED CORNICE, AND A SIMPLE FREEZER VISIBLE BELOW THE SHALLOW EVE'S INSIDE ELEVATIONS FEATURE.
THE HOUSE AT 1811 ALTAVISTA WAS BUILT BETWEEN 1931 AND 1935 OR ROBERT E. LEE JR.
AND WILLARD NITSKY ROBERT NITSKY, WHO WENT BY ED WORK TO SALESMEN FOR THE JOHN VERMONT COMPANY.
HIS WIFE WILLARD WAS A SCHOOL TEACHER, AND SHE WAS WELL-KNOWN IN AUSTIN AS A MEMBER OF AN EARLY PIONEER FAMILY IN CENTRAL TEXAS, AS WELL, AS FAR AS HORTICULTURAL AND LANDSCAPING KNOWLEDGE.
IT WAS A CHARTER MEMBER OF BOTH THE MEN'S GARDEN CLUB AND THE AUDUBON SOCIETY CHAPTER IN AUSTIN, AND SHARED HIS EXPERTISE AND HIS YARD WITH THE CITY'S ASPIRING GARDENERS, THE PROPERTY NEAT, SOME BUT NOT ALL OF THE APPLICABLE CITYWIDE DESIGN STANDARDS.
UH, STAFF HAS EVALUATED THE PROPERTY AND DETERMINED THAT IT'S NOT MEET TWO CRITERIA FOR LANDMARK DESIGNATION.
UM, ALTHOUGH IT IS ASSOCIATED WITH ROBERT NICHE KEY, UM, IT APPEARS THAT MOST OF NICHE HE'S LANDSCAPING, UM, IS NO LONGER EXTENT ON THE PROPERTY.
THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION THEREFORE, IS TO COMMENT ON AND RELEASE THE PLANS.
UM, QUESTION, ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY.
IS THERE, UM, IS THERE ANYONE PRESENT TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THIS APPLICATION, PLEASE COME DOWN.
IF THERE, UH, OTHER SPEAKERS, PLEASE READY YOURSELVES TO COME DOWN TO THE PODIUM, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME.
MADAM CHAIR, I'M PHILLIP REED, UH, WITH KOTERA REED ARCHITECTS.
I AM THE ARCHITECT ON THE PROJECT.
I'M ALSO DEVELOPING IT, UH, WITH MY WIFE, LOIS, AND WE LIVE DOWN THE STREET FROM THE PROJECT AND TRY TO SITES AND HAD BEEN THERE FOR 25 YEARS.
SO I'M REALLY JUST HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE ABOUT IT, UH, ADDRESS ANY CONCERNS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE.
ANY QUESTIONS? MY CONCERN, THE REASON THAT I PULLED THIS IS THAT THE REMOVAL OF THE FRONT GABLED DORMERS, THE ORIGINAL FRONT GABLED DORMERS IN THE REPLACEMENT WITH THE SHED ROOF DORMER, UM, REALLY, UM, FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGES THE, THE CHARACTER, UH, ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN, UM, FROM A, UH, COLONIAL REVIVAL STYLE HOUSE TO SOMETHING THAT'S SORT OF A HYBRID, UH, WITH CRAFTSMAN.
AND, UM, IT, IT CONCERNS ME THAT, UM, THAT THIS MIGHT RENDER IT NON-CONTRIBUTING IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT.
UM, COULD WE PULL UP THE THING, UH, LET'S LOOK AT ONE OF THE PLANS FIRST, IF WE COULD, IT'S THIS PRIMARY ELEVATION THAT I'M CONCERNED WITH UNDERSTANDING? I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT, UH, THE REASON FOR HAVING THE GAP, UH, DORMER ON THE FRONT AT ALL HAD TO DO.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT, THERE'S A WONDERFUL BACKYARD HERE WITH TWO REALLY WONDERFUL OLD, UH, HISTORIC, UH, PROTECTED TREES, OAK TREES, AND THERE'S A CERTAIN WIDTH TO THE HOUSE THAT WE CAN, UH, ACHIEVE WHERE WE DON'T HAVE TO CUT OFF SOME OF THE LIMBS.
IN OTHER WORDS, WE DIDN'T WANT TO MAKE THAT THE EXTENSION ANY BIGGER THAN THE EXTENSION ON THE EXISTING HOUSE.
IT KIND OF WHERE THE, UH, GARAGE APARTMENT IS AND THE EXISTING HOUSE.
SO IN ORDER TO GET THE, UH, SQUARE FEET THAT WE NEEDED, WE HAD TO ACTUALLY OCCUPY SOME OF THE FRONT HALF OF THE ROOF.
AND WE THOUGHT THAT WE HAD DONE IT IN A WAY THAT WAS, UH, APPROPRIATELY SCALED.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE, I THINK THERE'S A 3D RENDERING OF IT.
UH, IT'S, IT'S NOT VERY VISIBLE FROM THE STREET.
UH, I UNDERSTAND THE CONCERN ABOUT THE STYLISTIC,
[01:10:01]
UH, DIFFERENCES, BUT WE FELT LIKE IT WAS DONE IN A VERY SENSITIVE WAY, BUT WE DID HAVE TO, IF YOU'RE GOING TO OCCUPY THAT FRONT HALF, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE HEADROOM FOR A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF, OF AREA, WHICH IS DIFFERENT THAN THE LITTLE.UH, THERE WERE JUST LITTLE DECORATIVE DORMERS THAT WERE ABOUT TWO AND A HALF FEET.
WHY THERE WERE TWO OF THEM, LITTLE POINTY ONES, RIGHT.
UH, WHICH JUST WERE JUST FOR SHOW.
AND THIS IS ACTUALLY A FUNCTIONAL ONE, WHICH TAKES A LITTLE BIT MORE ROOM.
SO THAT'S JUST THE REASON WHY WE DID THAT.
COMMISSIONER LAROCHE, UH, MR. REED, SOME SOME ON THE DIAS, MY QUESTION, MY ARCHITECTURAL ABDOMEN, BUT THAT ASIDE, I, I ACTUALLY, I, I UNDERSTAND THE CHAIR'S POINT AND I, I'M A LITTLE BIT SENSITIVE TO THAT, BUT I DO APPLAUD YOU FOR THE CREATIVE WAY IN WHICH YOU WORKED IN THE REAR INSIDE ELEVATIONS.
I THOUGHT THAT WAS REALLY NICE, SUBTLE, AND I THOUGHT IT WAS PRETTY CREATIVE.
ANY FURTHER COMMENTS, COMMISSIONER VALANZUELA, A QUESTION ON THE, I'M JUST HAVING A LITTLE BIT OF TROUBLE UNDERSTANDING THE CHANGES ON THE SOUTH ELEVATION.
IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'VE KIND OF BROUGHT THAT SOUTH WALL FORWARD.
UM, BUT I'M NOT SURE IF YOU'RE RETAINING ANY OF THE HISTORIC WINDOWS THAT WERE, UM, ON THE MAIN PART OF THAT BUILDING.
UH, IF YOU LOOK, IT'S ALL KIND OF BROKEN UP IN THIS MONITOR, BUT IN THE LOWER LEFT HAND CORNER, THERE'S A TRIPLE WINDOW ON THE, ON THIS SMALL GABLED AREA.
SO THAT WINDOW'S STAYING AND WHAT WE'RE DOING ACTUALLY IS PULLING THE REST OF THAT WALL OUT OF THE PAGE TOWARD YOU AND, UH, ENLARGING THAT FIRST GROUND FLOOR TO MAKE IT A USABLE SPACE.
AND, AND, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A COMMENT ABOUT THE WINDOWS AS, AS YOU CAN SEE AS YOU GET KIND OF IN THE BACK OF THE EXISTING BUILDING, UH, YOU KNOW, THEY WENT FROM EIGHT OF OUR RATES AND THINGS LIKE THAT TO ONE OVER ONE, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY, IN THE ORIGINAL BUILDING KIND OF MAINLY JUST DID IT ON THE FRONT.
SO THE TWO, ONE OVER ONE, UH, WINDOWS THAT ARE EXISTING, ARE THOSE GOING TO BE REUSED WHEN YOU PULL THAT FORWARD? THERE'S A ONE OVER ONE THERE, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S A DIFFERENT PROPORTION.
UH, ACTUALLY, NO, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS, UH, WE'RE ACTUALLY DEVELOPING A COUPLE OF HOUSES IN TRAVIS HEIGHTS RIGHT NOW.
AND OUR GOAL IS TO MAKE ALL OUR, OF OUR HOUSES, UH, NET ZERO ENERGY.
AND SO, UH, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A LOSS WITH THE PART OF THE HOUSE THAT WE'RE SAVING ALREADY WITH THE SINGLE PANE WINDOWS.
UH, AND SO EVERYTHING WE'RE GOING TO DO AFTER THAT IS GOING TO BE VERY INSULATED, DOUBLE PAIN.
ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS OF THE APPLICANT? THANK YOU.
OR IS THERE SOMEONE ELSE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THE APPLICATION? UH, NO ONE SIGNED UP.
IS THERE ANY ONE TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION? OKAY.
UH, DO I HEAR A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING? SO MOVED.
WE'RE GOING TO TAKE, UH, COMMISSIONER MCWHORTER IS THE SECOND.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF CLOSING THE PUBLIC HEARING, PLEASE SAY, AYE.
IT'S UH, PAST, DO I HEAR A MOTION ON THE APPLICATION? AND I'LL SPEAK AT ONCE.
YOU'RE WANTING, I GUESS I MOVED TO, UH, TO FOLLOW STAFF'S RECOMMENDATIONS AND OKAY.
DO I HEAR A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
UM, I'M GOING TO TAKE WIT FEATHERSTON, UH, VIRTUALLY SECOND, THE MOTION, ALL THOSE, UH, DO, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION, UH, I JUST WANTED TO KNOW WHAT I WAS KIND OF TORN ON THIS ONE.
UM, FOR MANY DIFFERENT REASONS, THE MAIN REASON I'M GOING TO BE SUPPORTING THIS IS BECAUSE, UH, THE ALTERATIONS TO THE ROOF WOULD BE REVERSIBLE.
I THINK THE TWO DORMERS ARE FAIRLY MINOR IN DETAIL AND COULD BE REPRODUCED.
AND IF THERE IS LOSS OF CONTRIBUTING STATUS, IT COULD PROBABLY COULD BE ARGUABLY RESTORED IN
[01:15:01]
THE FUTURE.SO IT WAS, I WAS VERY BORDERLINE ON THIS ONE.
UH, IT COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE.
UM, AND, UM, I APPRECIATE THE EFFORT TAKEN TO GET THIS FAR.
I, I AM BOTHERED BY THE SHED DORMER ON THE FRONT.
I JUST, UH, UNLIKE THE PREVIOUS APPLICANT, I DON'T SEE THAT THERE WOULD BE AN ALTERNATE WAY TO MEET THE KIND OF PROGRAM THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO GET IN HERE ANY OTHER WAY.
I, UM, I APPRECIATE THAT AND I, I AM NOT AVERSE TO THE SHED DORMER JUST ON THIS PARTICULAR HOUSE.
IT HAD COLONIAL REVIVAL HOUSE, UM, YOU KNOW, HAS KIND OF A MINIMAL, UM, IT'S VERY KIND OF PRESCRIBED FEATURES AND ADDING THIS, UH, SHED DORMER REALLY THROWS IT INTO, UM, UH, AMBIGUITY AS TO WHAT STYLE IT IS.
UH, IT, UH, YOU KNOW, IT, IT REMOVES SOME THE WHILE THE APPLICANT SAID THAT THESE WERE JUST DECORATIVE DORMERS.
UM, THEY STILL ARE CHARACTER DEFINING FOR THE, FOR THE COLONIAL REVIVAL STYLE.
AND, UM, I CAN SUPPORT THE, THE MOTION THAT'S ON THE TABLE, BUT I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO URGE THE APPLICANT SINCE HE SAID, HE'S GOING TO BE DOING MORE PROJECTS IN TRAVIS HEIGHTS TO, UH, CONNECT WITH STAFF EARLY ON IN THE PROCESS BECAUSE, UM, I MADE THE ASSESSMENTS ORIGINALLY FOR THIS, UM, AS A CONTRIBUTING BUILDING.
AND, UM, AND I THINK THIS REALLY, UH, THIS REALLY PUTS INTO QUESTION IT'S CONTRIBUTING STATUS.
UM, AND I WOULD HATE TO SEE THAT, UH, WITH OTHER PROJECTS DOWN THE LINE.
SO I'M NOT MAKING, ASKING FOR AN AMENDMENT.
IT'S JUST A CAUTIONARY NOTE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE REASONS THAT TRAVIS HEIGHTS WORKED FOR 15 TO GET ITS NATIONAL REGISTER DESIGNATION WAS BECAUSE OF LOSS OF HISTORIC FABRIC AND, UM, UM, AND DESIGN.
SO I I'D LIKE TO RESPECT THEM, UM, ANY FURTHER COMMENTS OR YES.
YEAH, I, I APPRECIATE THE ISSUE AND IF THIS WERE A, UM, A LANDMARK, UH, BUILDING, UH, I WOULD, I WOULD BE AGAINST IT FOR THAT REASON, UH, AS A CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURE.
I THINK IT IS PRETTY CLEAR THOUGH, TO PRACTICE DYE THAT THIS IS A LATER EDITION, SO THAT MAY PLAY SOMEWHAT INTO MY COMFORT LEVEL.
UH, I DO THINK I WOULD FEEL MORE CONFIDENT IF WE ALSO HAD THE SECOND FLOOR PLAN BECAUSE, UH, I CAN EXTRAPOLATE FROM THE SITE ELEVATIONS AND FROM WHAT I CAN TELL THE ROOF PLAN, THEY'LL PROBABLY, WASN'T A WHOLE LOT OF OTHER SPACE AVAILABLE, BUT, UH, I HAD TO EXTRAPOLATE THAT AND I'M HOPING I'M RIGHT.
BUT THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN, THE OTHER ALTERNATIVE IS TO LOOK FOR WAYS TO COMPENSATE OR THE, UH, SECOND FLOOR SPACE THAT WOULD HAVE OTHERWISE NOT BEEN AVAILABLE.
IF WE, IF WE REMOVE A SHED DORMER THAT HADN'T BEEN SAID AGAIN.
UM, I, I THINK THAT, OR THE OVERALL PLAN, I THINK IT IS A, A VERY POSITIVE THING TO SEE.
AND, UM, WE CERTAINLY HAVE MANY THAT WE'RE HAVING TO DEAL WITH WHERE THE INTEGRITY IS COMPLETELY THREATENED.
IT'S NOT LIKE COMMISSIONER COOK, I THINK IN THIS CASE, UM, YOU KNOW WHAT, LET'S LET LETS THOSE CAUTIONS BE FOR THE RECORD.
AND, UH, UH, I THINK I WILL BE SUPPORTING THE MOTION.
UM, AGAIN, YOUR NEIGHBORS WERE VERY, VERY HARD OVER A VERY LONG PERIOD OF TIME.
SO PLEASE, UH, CONSIDER THAT IN YOUR FUTURE PROJECTS HERE.
UM, FOR ME, UH, LOSING A CONTRIBUTING PROPERTY IS KIND OF LIKE LOSING A LIMB.
UM, SHALL WE TAKE A VOTE? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE SAY, AYE.
THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR, UH, FOR DISCUSSION IS DID WE,
[3.C.5. HR-2021-193614 – 1808 W. 6th St. – Consent West Line National Register District Council District 9]
THE NEXT ITEM IS C5.C C 5 18 0 8 WEST SIXTH STREET.
DO WE HAVE ELIZABETH HERE TO GIVE US A PRESENTATION? THANK YOU.
THIS IS A PROPOSAL TO CONSTRUCT
[01:20:01]
EIGHT CONDOMINIUM UNITS, UH, ESSENTIALLY AT THE CORNER OF WHERE WEST SIXTH STREET, UM, HAVE TURNS AND BECOMES AN ON-RAMP TO MOPAC.UM, THE DEMOLITION OF THE EXISTING CONTRIBUTING BUILDINGS ON THIS PARCEL, UH, WAS RELEASED BY THE LANDMARK COMMISSION PREVIOUSLY IN 2018 AND 2019.
UH, SO REALLY WAS BEFORE THE COMMISSION TONIGHT IS A PROPOSAL TO CONSTRUCT EIGHT CONDOMINIUM UNITS AND SEPARATE BUILDINGS.
THE BUILDINGS WILL BE TWO TO THREE AND A HALF STORIES IN HEIGHT WITH TALLER BUILDINGS, CLOSER TO SIXTH STREET AND LOWER BUILDINGS BY THE NEIGHBORING ONE STORY HOUSE ON THERESA AVENUE, THE BUILDINGS HAVE A VARIETY OF CITING MATERIALS, INCLUDING BRICK STONE, PLASTER, HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL FIBER CEMENT SIDING.
UH, THEY ALSO HAVE A COMBINATION OF FLAT ROOFED AND GABLED OR, UH, HIPPED ROOF ELEMENTS.
UH, THIS SIDE IS UNUSUAL WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THE WESTLAND HISTORIC DISTRICT.
AGAIN, IT'S SET THAT WESTERN MOST EDGE NEAR MOPAC, UH, TO THE EAST ARE THREE SUBSTANTIAL TWO-STORY HOUSES FROM THE 1920S THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE BUILDING AND TO THE NORTH IS A CONTRIBUTING ONE-STORY BUNGALOW THAT DATES TO CIRCLE 1925.
THE, UH, CITY-WIDE HISTORIC DESIGN STANDARDS INDICATE NEW CONSTRUCTION SHOULD BE LOCATED WITH SIMILAR SETBACKS AND ORIENTATION TO NEIGHBORING HOUSES, UH, SHOULD MAINTAIN THE RHYTHM OF CONTRIBUTING BUILDINGS ON THE STREET AND SHOULD HAVE AN OVERALL HEIGHT, MASSING AND PROPORTION SIMILAR TO NEIGHBORING HOUSES, UH, FOUR OF THE EIGHT PROPOSED BUILDINGS FRONT ONTO SIXTH STREET OR THERESA AVENUE WHILE THE REST ARE, UM, TO THE INTERIOR OF THE SITE.
UH, SOME OF THESE BUILDINGS ARE ORIENTED TO THE STREETS.
OTHERS FACE THAT INTERIOR DRIVEWAY AT THE UNITS OR SPACE VERY CLOSELY TOGETHER IN A WAY THAT DOESN'T MIMIC THE, UH, THE RHYTHM AND PATTERNS OF CONTRIBUTING BUILDINGS, UH, WITHIN THIS PART OF THE DISTRICT.
AND WHILE THERE'S AN EFFORT TO STEP THE HEIGHTS DOWN TOWARDS THAT ONE STORY HOUSE ON CHERESE AVENUE, UH, ALL OF THE BUILDINGS WILL BE TALLER THAN THE NEIGHBORING CONTRIBUTING PROPERTIES.
UH, SO TH THOSE ARE THE, UM, MOST OF THE MAJOR CONCERNS.
UM, I WENT THROUGH SOME OTHER ASPECTS OF THE DESIGN STANDARDS, BUT REALLY IT'S, IT'S THE, THE SCALE AND THE PROPORTIONS OF THESE THAT, UH, DO NOT MEET THE STANDARDS.
UH, THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION HAD BEEN TO COMMENT ON AND RELEASE THE NEW CONSTRUCTION PLANS.
HOWEVER, I UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD ARE HERE AND HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THIS PROJECT.
AND SO IN LIGHT OF THAT, STAFF IS SUPPORTIVE OF A POSTPONEMENT TO ALLOW SOME ADDITIONAL TIME, UH, FOR THE NEIGHBORHOODS WHO WORK WITH THE APPLICANTS ON THIS PROJECT.
UM, DO YOU, ARE THESE COMPLETE DRAWING? THESE ARE VERY SCHEMATIC DRAWINGS THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED ENOUGH THAT WE CAN, THAT WE CAN TELL, UM, KIND OF THERE'S, THERE'S MAJOR AREAS OF CONCERN, BUT NOT ENOUGH THAT WE CAN FULLY UNDERSTAND THE PROJECT.
I, UM, I HAVE REAL ISSUES WITH THAT.
UM, GETTING, YOU KNOW, GETTING SOME, UH, DESIGN, SOME PRELIMINARY DESIGN, DOESN'T GIVE US A LOT OF, UM, CONFIDENCE.
I THINK THAT WHAT IS, WHAT COMES BEFORE US TONIGHT, UM, IS WHAT WILL OCCUR THERE.
AND, UH, BUT WE'LL GO AHEAD AND LISTEN TO, UM, THE APPLICANT AND, AND, UH, PEOPLE FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD, CERTAINLY, BUT IT'S, YOU'RE, UH, YOU WOULD NOT HAVE A PROBLEM WITH, UH, POSTPONING AND HAVING, UH, THE APPLICANTS ASKING THE APPLICANT TO MEET WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD, RIGHT.
AND, AND POTENTIALLY REFERRING TO THE ARCHITECTURAL COMMITTEE.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THEY HAVE NOT MET WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, YET, OR AT ANY TIME IN THIS PHASE.
THEY HAVEN'T THE NEIGHBORHOOD HASN'T SEEN ANY OF THE PLANS.
DO WE HAVE SOMEONE PRESENT TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THIS APPLICATION? IF THERE ARE OTHERS TO SPEAK IN FAVOR, PLEASE.
READY YOURSELVES TO COME DOWN TO THE PODIUM.
I, MY WIFE AND I OWN A COMPANY CALLED SYLLABUS PARTNERS THAT OWNS THE PROPERTY AT 1808 WEST SIXTH STREET.
WE HAVE THE PROPERTY UNDER CONTRACT TO SELL TO MR. ALOTTA.
WHO'S A DEVELOPER FROM DALLAS, WHO'S DEVELOPING PROPERTY AND THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, UH, DISTRICT AREA.
[01:25:01]
HAD THIS, HE PUT THIS PROPERTY UNDER CONTRACT SET TO CLOSE THE 28TH OF THIS MONTH.HE WAS CONCERNED ABOUT GETTING THE DEMO PERMIT RELEASED.
HE ASKED IF I WOULD, SINCE I'M THE PROPERTY OWNER, I WOULD HAVE TO SUBMIT THE DOCUMENTATION TO GET ON THIS AGENDA BECAUSE HE CAN'T, SINCE HE DOESN'T OWN THE PROPERTY, BUT I DON'T INTEND TO BUILD THIS PROPERTY.
SO I'M IN AN UNUSUAL SITUATION HERE WHERE HE WANTS SOME TYPE OF ASSURANCE THAT HE'S GOING TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THE DEMO PERMIT RELEASED.
AND IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING AND HIS UNDERSTANDING THAT THAT'S CONTINGENT UPON THE APPROVAL OF PLANS.
WAS IT CONVEYED TO THE DEVELOPER, UM, THAT THIS PROPERTY IS IN A NATIONAL REGISTER, HISTORIC DISTRICT.
HE'S WELL AWARE OF THAT AND HE NEEDED TO COME BEFORE THE COMMISSION.
UH, IT'S HIS PROJECT, NOT MINE.
I'M JUST THE OWNER OF THE LAND.
I'M PLANNING TO SELL IT TO HIM THE 28TH OF THIS MONTH.
UH, ASSUMING THAT HE, UM, HAS THE CONFIDENCE THAT SOMETHING WON'T GO WRONG AND THAT HE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO TEAR DOWN THE EXISTING STRUCTURES, WHICH INCIDENTALLY RECEIVED APPROVAL FOR DEMOLITION PREVIOUSLY.
SOME THEY RECEIVED AND YOUR APPROVAL, BUT THE, UM, BUT THE PERMIT IS CONTINGENT UPON REVIEW OF THE PLANS FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION.
WHICH I UNDERSTAND FROM STEVE SADOWSKY IS A WELL I'LL LET HIM SPEAK BECAUSE IT'S HIS PROJECT, NOT MINE.
MY NAME IS SUDHAKAR ALADA AND I'M THE PROSPECTIVE BUYER FOR THIS PROPERTY? UM, I WAS GIVEN THE DOCUMENT THAT THE DEMO PERMIT HAS BEEN IS CONTINGENT ON ME SUBMITTING A SITE PLAN WITH THE COMPATIBILITY SETBACKS, BECAUSE THIS IS AN MFR ZONE, UM, ADJACENT TO AN SF PROPERTY.
SO I WENT AHEAD AND DID SOME PRELIMINARY SITE PLAN TO MAKE SURE MY COMPATIBILITY'S OFFSET.
MY INTENTION IS TO WORK WITH THE ARCHITECTURAL COMMITTEE OR THE CO THE, SINCE IT'S IN A HISTORIC DIVISION, IN, IN HISTORIC DISTRICT AND, AND GET MY BILLING PERMITS LATER.
BUT FOR NOW, ALL I'M ASKING FOR IS MY DEMO PERMIT.
UM, CAN I GET, UH, MS. , IS IT, IS THIS THE CASE THAT ALL HE NEEDED FOR THE, UM, FOR THE DEMO PERMIT WAS A SITE PLAN? SO WHAT THE, WHAT CODE REQUIRES IS THAT, UM, UH, FOR, FOR AN ORDER TO RELEASE A DEMOLITION PERMIT AND THE NATIONAL REGISTER DISTRICT, UH, THE COMMISSION NEEDS TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT ON PLANS FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION.
SO I BELIEVE, I BELIEVE THAT IS THE HOLDUP.
BUT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE'VE SEEN THESE PLANS.
THE NEIGHBORHOOD HASN'T SEEN ANY OF THE PLANS.
UM, UM, I, I WILL SAY THAT THE, THE DEMOLITION PERMIT WILL BE RELEASED.
I THAT'S PREVIOUSLY APPROVED BY THE LANDMARK COMMISSION.
UH, SO THERE WAS ANOTHER QUESTION AS TO WHETHER THERE WILL BE AN ABILITY TO GAIN A DEMOLITION PERMIT FOR THIS PROPERTY, THE COMMISSION'S AUTHORITY OVER THE NEW CONSTRUCTION PLANS, ALSO OUR ADVISORY.
AND SO THERE'S, THERE'S A PROCESS THAT CAN BE REQUIRED, BUT IN TERMS OF, OF GIVING YOU SOME ASSURANCE, UM, IT IS AN ADVISORY PROCESS.
I UNDERSTAND, I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT, UM, WE NEED AN OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE RELEVANT ADVICE.
UM, AND THIS IS JUST KIND OF COME UP HERE, UH, SORT OF LIKE A PIG IN A POKE.
WE, WE DON'T REALLY KNOW, UM, ALL THE DETAILS, AND I THINK THAT IT BEHOOVES US TO ASK FOR THAT.
I, I GUESS I'M STILL UNCLEAR ON THE LEVEL OF COMPLETENESS IS REQUIRED AT THE PLANTS.
MAYBE STAFF, CAN YOUR QUESTION WAS, IS IT JUST A SITE PLAN? THE, THE, UM, UM, MR. OLAVO, UH, INDICATED THAT WHAT HE NEEDED TO SHOW WAS A SITE
[01:30:01]
PLAN.AND SO THAT SORT OF INDICATES THAT HE DIDN'T NEED, UH, TO COME BEFORE THE COMMISSION FOR A, UM, EVEN AN ADVISORY REVIEW.
WHICH SEEMS CONTRADICTORY, RIGHT.
LIKE YOU WOULD HAVE TO, AS YOU SAID, IN ORDER TO PROVIDE ANY REASONABLE ADVICE, YOU'D HAVE TO HAVE A COMPLETE SET OF PLANS TO UNDERSTAND HOW IT FITS WITHIN THAT GIVEN DISTRICT.
I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU COULD DO IT WITHOUT YEAH.
THAT'S THAT, THAT'S KIND OF MY TAKE ON THIS.
WE DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS WHAT'S GOING TO GO THERE, IF THIS IS JUST, YOU KNOW, AN IDEA OF CONCEPT AND, AND THERE MIGHT BE SOMETHING ELSE THAT WOULD COME IN AND TAKE ITS PLACE, BUT I THINK THAT DISCUSSION, UM, NEEDS TO HAPPEN AND IT'S, WE SHOULD NOT BE, I, THE DEMOLITION, THE DEMOLITION PERMIT, UM, HAS BEEN APPROVED, BUT IT'S CONTINGENT UPON OUR EVEN ADVISORY, UM, ROLE HERE.
AND, UM, I DON'T THINK YET, UH, IS INCUMBENT UPON US AS A COMMISSION TO BE DRIVEN BY THIS DECEMBER 28TH.
UM, DEADLINE THAT'S BEEN PUT BEFORE US TONIGHT, UM, IS THERE, BUT MAY I ASK SOME FURTHER CLARIFICATION OF STAFF? SURE.
UM, MS. BRUMMETT COMMISSIONER HAIM SOUTH IS ASKING, AND I'M GOING TO ECHO WHAT I TAKE AS COMMISSIONER LAROCHE IS CONCERNED IN COMPARISON TO SOME OF THE COMPLIMENTS I'VE MADE ABOUT PLANS TONIGHT.
UH, WHAT WE HAVE HERE ARE JUST DIAGRAMS, AND REALLY, WE CAN'T GET A CLEAR SENSE OF WHAT IS INTENDED FROM THE PLANS.
AND THE VERY LITTLE THAT WE'VE BEEN GIVEN THIS IS, UH, YOU KNOW, CAUSES SOME SERIOUS CONCERN AND WOULD CERTAINLY BE THINGS WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT, BUT TO ADDRESS THE APPLICANT'S QUESTION, IF I UNDERSTAND MS. BRAMLETT, WHAT YOU HAD SAID, WE PREVIOUSLY HAVE APPROVED AN APPLICATION FOR DEMOLITION.
SO IT'S NOT A QUESTION OF, WILL IT BE APPROVED? IT'S A QUESTION OF WHEN, AND SO IN THIS SITUATION, THE APPLICATION TONIGHT, IF WE WERE TO EITHER POSTPONE IT OR REJECT IT, THE DEMOLITION PERMIT WOULD STILL BE IN EFFECT.
HOWEVER, UPON THE SUBMISSION OF A COMPLETE SET OF PLANS, THEN WE WOULD BE GOING THROUGH THE MORE FIRM FORMAL REVIEW PROCESS AT WHICH POINT, THEN WE WOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS AND ULTIMATELY MAKE OUR FINAL ACTION.
UH, AND AT THAT POINT, THE OWNER WOULD HAVE ALREADY, AGAIN, THE END OF, AT LEAST THE DEMOLITION COMPONENT WOULD ALREADY BE, UH, UH, AN ACTION THAT WE'D TAKEN.
AND THEN HE COULD POTENTIALLY COUNT ON, UH, BEING ABLE TO GET THE DEMOLITION.
BUT UP UNTIL THAT POINT, THE DEMO IN PERMANENT WOULD NOT BE, UH, WOULD NOT BE ISSUE.
AM I CORRECT IN STATING THAT, THAT WAY IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING FROM, YOU KNOW, FROM EVERY OTHER SITUATION LIKE THIS THAT WE'VE EVER HAD THAT'S THAT'S CORRECT.
UM, THERE HAVE BEEN SOME INSTANCES WHERE WE HAVE GONE AHEAD AND RELEASED A DEMOLITION PERMIT, UH, IN CASES WHERE THE PROPERTY OWNER WAS REPRESENTING THAT NO NEW CONSTRUCTION WAS BEING PROPOSED FOR THE PARCEL.
IT WAS SIMPLY AN EFFORT TO, TO CLEAR THE EXISTING HOUSE.
UM, THAT'S, THAT'S NOT THE SITUATION HERE.
I DO HAVE THE APPLICABLE SECTION OF CODE.
IF IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR ME TO READ THAT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
OH, WHY DON'T WE, UM, WHY DON'T WE DO THAT? WOULD YOU PLEASE READ THAT SECTION? YEAH.
IT'S IT'S SECTION 25, 11 TO 13, J THE BUILDING OFFICIAL MAY NOT RELEASE A DEMOLITION OR RELOCATION PERMIT FOR A BUILDING OR STRUCTURE DEEMED CONTRIBUTING TO A NATIONAL REGISTER HISTORIC DISTRICT OR A HISTORIC AREA OF COMBINING DISTRICT TO LOCALLY DESIGNATED DISTRICT UNTIL THE COMMISSION HAS REVIEWED AND MADE RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE APPLICATION FOR A BUILDING PERMIT FOR THE SITE, UNLESS IT'S A, FOR REASONS OF PUBLIC SAFETY.
SO IF WE HAVE A CONDEMNED PROPERTY, WE COULD RELEASE THAT PERMIT MORE QUICKLY.
IT HAS A BUILDING PERMIT THEN, UH, APPLIED FOR AT THIS POINT.
ARE WE, IS THIS JUST KIND OF A CONCEPTUAL CASE FOR US? NO, I, THERE WAS NO BUILDING PERMIT.
IT WAS, I WAS ONLY TOLD TO SUBMIT A SITE PLAN SHOWING COMPATIBILITY WITH THE ADJACENT NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO THAT'S WHAT I WENT AHEAD AND DID.
[01:35:01]
THE OTHER ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES THAT ADB IN TO GET A DEMOCRAT, BUT YOU KNEW THIS WAS INTERNATIONAL REGISTER DISTRICT.ARE YOU SAYING YOU DIDN'T KNOW THAT YOU NEEDED TO HAVE YOUR PLANS? UM, I WAS, I WAS TOLD I WAS SENT, I WAS GIVEN AN EMAIL FROM MR. SEDOWSKY TO COMPLETE A FORM TO REVIEW IT WITH EITHER THE SITE PLAN OR THE RISK SITE PLAN REVIEW, OR RESIDENTIAL PLAN BUILDING PLAN REVIEW, OR, BUT I SET UP MEETINGS FOR THE CITY OF FAST IN TO DISCUSS THE SITE PLAN WITH THEM, TO SEE IF IT MEETS THE ZONING AND COMPATIBILITY STANDARDS AS PER THE ORIGINAL LETTER THAT WAS GIVEN, WAS IT LANDMARK COMMISSION? SO THEY COULD NOT DETERMINE IF IT WAS A COMMERCIAL OR RESIDENTIAL.
SO IT WAS STUCK IN THERE, BUT I DID WENT AHEAD AND COMPLY WITH ALL THE COMPATIBILITY STANDARDS IN THE SIDELINE, AS FAR AS THE ELEVATIONS AND THE, IN THE HEIGHTS.
AND I CAN WORK WITH THAT LATER, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT WE CAN WORK WITHOUT LATER, UM, COMMISSIONERS.
LET'S HEAR FROM, UM, I'M, I'M SORRY, SIR.
IF YOU WANT TO REBUT AFTER THE OPPOSITION HAS SPOKEN, YOU MAY, BUT RIGHT NOW, UM, IT'S NOT YOUR TIME.
IF THERE'S ANOTHER PERSON TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THIS APPLICATION, PLEASE COME DOWN AND STATE YOUR NAME AND GIVE YOUR PRESENTATION.
UM, WOULD THE FIRST SPEAKER IN OPPOSITION PLEASE, UH, COME TO THE PODIUM.
ROSEMARY MARIAM CHAIR OF THE OLD WEST AUSTIN ZONING COMMITTEE.
I HAD NO IDEA IT WAS GOING TO BE THIS COMPLICATED.
WHAT I GUESS YOU HAVE SEEN, WE JUST COULDN'T MAKE HIRE CARTEL OF IT.
CAUSE THERE WASN'T ENOUGH INFORMATION FOR US.
SO W WE WOULD LIKE HIM TO PURSUE HIS BUILDING OF THESE HOUSES OR WHATEVER HE WANTS TO CONDOS.
WE JUST NEED MORE DETAILS ON HOW IT'LL IMPACT THE NEARBY NEIGHBORS.
WE NEED TO KNOW A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE ARCHITECTURAL OF THE HOUSES.
I MEAN, WE JUST NEEDED A LOT MORE INFORMATION.
UM, THE PROPERTY, I MEAN, THE BUYER SENT US TO NICE GENTLEMEN, BUT UNFORTUNATELY THEY COULDN'T ANSWER ANY OF OUR QUESTIONS.
AND I WAS LED TO BELIEVE THAT THEY WERE GOING TO EMAIL THE BUYER AND PASS ON OUR QUESTIONS, BUT I NEVER GOT AN EMAIL BACK.
SO THAT'S THE ONLY REASON WHY WE'RE ASKING FOR POSTPONEMENT.
WE'RE NOT OPPOSED TO THE PROJECT.
AND I KNOW THAT THE TWO HAZARDS HAVE TO BE DEMOED.
WE'RE NOT OPPOSED TO THAT EITHER, BECAUSE WE'VE ALREADY FOUGHT THAT BATTLE AND LOST.
ANY QUESTIONS OF MS. MIRIAM? THANK YOU.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION? YEAH, COMMISSIONERS.
I'M ONE OF THE NEARBY NEIGHBORS.
I LIVE ON FRANCES AVENUE AND, UH, WENT THROUGH THE, UH, ZONING CASE ON THIS PROPERTY AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD SUPPORTED A RESIDENTIAL ALTERNATIVE, WHICH WE GOT.
SO I WOULD SAY THE NEARBY NEIGHBORS ARE CONCEPTUALLY IN SUPPORT OF THIS PROJECT.
WE JUST NEED MORE INFORMATION.
EVERY QUESTION WE ASKED, THE NICE GENTLEMAN, WROTE THEM DOWN AND COULDN'T ANSWER THEM.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, W WE WOULD, UH, APPRECIATE THE CONSIDERATION OF, OF THE ISSUES THAT MIGHT BE THERE ON THE SITE, THE TYPOGRAPHY, THE TREES, UH, THE ENTRANCES, THE EXITS GARBAGE PICKUP, UH, THINGS LIKE THAT.
IF THERE WERE NO ANSWERS WITH THAT, I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, ANY QUESTIONS OF THIS SPEAKER? OKAY.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION? OKAY.
NOW, UM, SIR, IF YOU WANT TO COME DOWN AND REBUT ANY TESTIMONY OR ADD TO IT, YOU MAY.
WELL, AS I SAID, I, UM, THIS IS NOT MY PROJECT.
IT'S MY BUYER'S PROJECT, BUT I DO HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT,
[01:40:01]
FOR STAFF ABOUT THE 70 DASH 75 DAYS, THAT ONCE 75 DAYS AFTER THE APPLICATION IS SUBMITTED, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE COMMISSION'S ADVISORY, UM, PHYSICIAN ON THIS, UM, MIGHT BE IMPACTED SOMEHOW BY A 75 DAY.AND I, I WAS GOING TO CHECK WITH THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT AND DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO DO IT.
SO I'D LIKE SOME CLARIFICATION ON WHAT THAT 75 DAYS IS.
AND WHEN DOES IT START? AND WHEN DOES IN WASN'T ME, MS. CAN YOU ANSWER THAT QUESTION? I DON'T KNOW WHEN IT STARTED.
SO THE COMMISSION HAS 75 DAYS WITHIN A SUBMISSION OF A COMPLETE APPLICATION, UH, TO ACT ON THAT APPLICATION.
UM, W WHAT, WHAT WE HAVE ACCEPTED AT THIS POINT IS A HISTORIC REVIEW APPLICATION FOR THIS PROJECT.
UM, I THINK OUR, OUR WAY OF INTERACTING WITH THESE TYPES OF PROJECTS, UM, PARTICULARLY SOMETHING THAT MAY INVOLVE, UM, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS BEING CONSIDERED TO LIKE COMMERCIAL OR MORE INTENSIVE RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT THAT HAVE, IT MAY HAVE A MORE INVOLVED, UM, IN THE SITE PLANNING REVIEW PROCESS BEFORE THE BUILDING PERMIT PROCESS, UM, WE WOULDN'T NECESSARILY NEED A BUILDING PERMIT SUBMISSION.
UM, IF WE HAD THE LEVEL OF DETAIL THAT WAS NEEDED AND A SUBMISSION THROUGH A HISTORIC REVIEW APPLICATION TO UNDERSTAND THE PROJECT AND TO GIVE THAT ASSURANCE, UH, BEFORE AN APPLICANT SUBMITS FOR THE BUILDING PERMIT PROJECT.
SO WE, WE TYPICALLY HAVEN'T BEEN, UM, YOU KNOW, SUPER DOGMATIC ABOUT REQUIRING A BUILDING PERMIT APPLICATION IN THE INTEREST OF ALLOWING SOME FLEXIBILITY AND POTENTIALLY ALLOWING THE COMMISSION TO SEE A PROJECT BEFORE THOSE PLANS ARE FULLY FINALIZED.
UM, SO NORMALLY THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WORKS, I BELIEVE, IN THE COMMISSION'S ENTRUST OR, UM, BUT IT IS A 75 DAY WINDOW WITHIN WHICH TO WORK.
AND, UM, I WOULD COUNTER THAT.
WE DON'T HAVE A COMPLETE APPLICATION.
WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED A COMPLETE APPLICATION.
SO ARE WE BOUND BY THE 75 DAYS FROM THE TIME, YOU KNOW, IF THEY WROTE IT ON A NAPKIN AND TURNED IT IN, I, I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE ANSWERING THAT FROM THE, THE PODIUM AT THIS POINT.
UM, I SHOULD SAY THAT WE ACCEPTED THE APPLICATION.
SO, UM, HOLD ON A BIT OF CONCERN.
UH, COMMISSIONER HOME, SETH, UH, IT APPEARS TO ME THAT WE MAYBE HAVE A LITTLE BIT APPLES AND ORANGE BECAUSE, UH, MS. BRAHMIN, WHEN YOU READ THE, UM, THE CLARIFICATION ON THE DEMO PERMIT PERMIT DOES STATE A BUILDING PERMIT APPLICATION.
WE DO NOT HAVE A BUILDING PERMIT APPLICATION IN FRONT OF US.
NOW, THE 75 DAYS RELATES TO US TAKING ACTION.
WHEN WE HAVE ANYTHING THAT HAS BEEN SUBMITTED, THAT REQUIRES AN ACTION.
SO IN THIS CASE, WE HAVE A REVIEW THAT'S BEEN REQUESTED OF US.
WE'LL HAVE 75 DAYS TO REVIEW IT AND MAKE OUR COMMENTS.
UH, AT SOME POINT A BUILDING PERMIT WILL BE, AS I UNDERSTAND IT WILL BE SUBMITTED.
AND FROM THAT POINT FORWARD, THERE'LL BE 75 DAYS FOR US TO TAKE ACTION ON THE ITEM THAT WOULD BE CONTENTION FOR THE BUILDING PERMIT.
UH, THE, THE DEMOLITION PERMIT TO BE RELEASED.
IS THAT, DOES THAT SOUND CORRECT TO YOU AND TELL YOU IF WE NEED TO GET THAT CLARIFIED? WHY DON'T WE GET THAT CLARIFIED FROM LEGAL? BUT THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING? WELL, WE TYPICALLY ARE NOT GOING TO BRING THE SAME PROJECT TO THE COMMISSION TWICE, UNLESS THERE WERE MAJOR CHANGES.
IF THE COMMISSION REVIEWED A CONCEPTUAL SET OF PLANS AND PROVIDED APPROVAL FOR THAT SET OF PLANS OR AGREEMENT TO RELEASE THOSE PLANS.
AND THEN WE RECEIVED THE BUILDING PERMIT APPLICATION WITH SOME ADDITIONAL LEVEL OF DETAIL, BUT IT'S GENERALLY THE SAME PROJECT STAFF WOULD ADMINISTRATIVELY APPROVED THAT IF THERE WAS A MAJOR DEVIATION FROM WHAT HAD BEEN PROPOSED, WE WOULD, OF COURSE, BRING THAT BACK TO THE COMMISSION COMMISSIONER.
I'M SETH, WHAT IS, WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON WHETHER WE CAN TAKE ACTION ON A, AN APPLICATION, UH, THAT IT MAY NOT BE COMPLETE? WELL, I, IN AN ADVISORY CAPACITY, WHICH WAS WHAT THE SUBMISSION IS, UH, I, I THINK WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, AS ADVISORY WE COULD REJECT IT, BUT IT'S INCOMPLETE.
I'M, I'M INCLINED TO THINK OF POSTPONEMENT WOULD, WOULD BE THE WAY TO GO, SO THAT COULD ALLOW THE APPLICANT TO MAKE IT COMPLETE.
AND THEN WE CAN BE MORE IN LINE WITH WHAT HAS BECOME OUR PROCEDURE, WHICH IS TO GIVE COMMENTS IN THE EARLY OR FAIRLY DEVELOPED STAGE OF A PROJECT.
SO THAT AS, AS MS BRUMMETT SUGGESTS, UH, BY THE TIME THEY ARE READY
[01:45:01]
FOR A BUILDING PERMIT, AND WE DON'T EVEN NEED TO HAVE ANOTHER REVIEW.AND THIS WHOLE QUESTION OF THE, UM, THE REQUIREMENT OF THE, THE, THE DEMOLITION THAT A BUILDING PERMIT HAS BEEN APPROVED, IT IS A MOOT POINT BECAUSE IT'S ALREADY BEEN APPROVED AND RELEASED.
WELL, WE HAVE, UM, WE HAVE HEARD FROM THE APPLICANTS AND FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO LEAVE THE PUBLIC HEARING OPEN.
UH, I HAVE ONE ADDITIONAL QUESTION.
I WAS TRYING TO LOOK UP THE ORDINANCE.
UM, I THOUGHT OUR TIMELINE WAS 180 DAYS BECAUSE IT'S A CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURE WITHIN A NATIONAL REGISTER HISTORIC DISTRICT, THE HUNDRED AND 80 DAY TIMELINE IS FOR THE DEMOLITION PERMIT REQUEST.
WE CAN, THE COMMISSION HAS THE ABILITY TO DELAY THAT UP TO 180 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF APPLICATION.
UM, THE ABILITY TO COMMENT ON THE BUILDING PLANS FALLS UNDER A 75 DAY TIMELINE, BECAUSE THIS IS NOT PERTAINING TO A CONTRIBUTING RESOURCE POINT POINTED AS NEW CONSTRUCTION, THE, THE 180 DAYS APPLIED TO THE DEMOLITION REQUEST, AND THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN APPROVED.
WE ARE, UM, WE WERE WAITING, UH, COMPLETE PLANS.
UH, FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION ON THE SITE.
THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
UM, I THINK YOUR SUGGESTION ABOUT RE KEEPING THE, UM, PUBLIC HEARING OPEN, I THINK, IS CONSISTENT WITH SOME OF THE OTHER ADVICE WE'VE BEEN GIVEN, UH, IN TERMS OF, UM, OUR ABILITY TO PICK THIS UP, AND WHICH IS REALLY THE INTENT HERE, UH, LATER ON WHEN THE, UH, APPLICANT HAS SUBMITTED, UH, ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
UM, SO THAT IF EVERYBODY'S AGREEABLE, THAT MAY BE THE BEST THING TO DO IS STRICTLY DO A POSTPONEMENT TO THE NEXT MONTH'S MEETING, UH, AND LEAVE THE PUBLIC HEARING OPEN.
UM, SO WOULD YOU MAKE THAT MOTION? I WILL.
DO I HEAR A SECOND, SECOND, SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER LAROCHE, UH, TO LEAVE THE PUBLIC HEARING OPEN, UM, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
WE'RE GONNA LEAVE THE PUBLIC HEARING OPEN NOW.
UM, DO I HEAR A MOTION ON THE CASE AS PRESENTED MADAM CHAIR? I, I, MY EMOTION WAS, UM, EXCUSE ME.
I, MY EMOTION WAS FOR KEEPING IT OPEN AND POSTPONING UNTIL THE OKAY.
CAN YOU MAKE A, UM, WE JUST VOTED ON KEEPING THE PUBLIC HEARING OPEN.
I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND IT, BUT I WOULD'VE, UH, VOTED AYE ON IT.
SO THE MOTION IS THE MOTION CARRIES TO POSTPONE THE MEETING TO THE, UM, JANUARY PLUS ON THE CASE TO THE JANUARY MEETING.
UM, AND LEAVE THE PUBLIC HEARING OPEN.
SO WE HAVE ALL IN FAVOR OF THAT MOTION.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE COMMENT THAT I THINK THE, UM, APPLICANT I'LL ADD THE S THERE IT'S THE BUYER AND THE SELLER REALLY.
UM, AND MAYBE THEY'RE LOOKING TO US FOR SOME GREATER DEGREE OF CERTAINTY OF FUTURE EVENTS, BECAUSE THERE'S THE SALE LIKE APPROVAL IN CONCEPT, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UH, YEAH, I HOPE THEY'D GOTTEN FROM US AS MUCH AS WE CAN GIVE THEM.
I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE WE CAN SAY ABOUT IT.
UM, I THINK THERE'S MAYBE EVEN UNCERTAINTY ABOUT IF THE DEMOLITION PERMIT WAS TRULY APPROVED, THAT IT IS.
UM, AND THEN OUR, UH, ADVISORY CAPACITY ON, ON WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED AND THE, UH, THE LIMITATIONS OF THAT.
I HOPE THEY HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING.
UM, I JUST, I HAVE A SYMPATHY TOWARDS, I GUESS, PARTICULARLY THE SELLER THAT DUE TO JUST A DEGREE OF CONFUSION, UM, THINGS MIGHT GET SCREWED UP FOR HIM.
UM, SO, WELL, THIS SELLER, THE SELLER WAS, UH, WAS ON, WAS THE SELLER WHEN IT CAME UP FOR DEMOLITION.
AND I, UH, AS I RECALL, IT WAS CLEAR THAT PLANS FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION HAD TO BE REVIEWED, UM, BY THE COMMISSION, EVEN THOUGH
[01:50:01]
IT'S A, AN ADVISORY REVIEW, UM, IN A NATIONAL REGISTER DISTRICT, UH, I WOULD, UM, I WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO INVITE THE, UH, SELLER AND POTENTIAL BUYER TO THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE TO DISCUSS THE PLANS FURTHER.WE HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER COOK AND A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER FEATHERSTON TO INVITE, UH, THE APPLICANTS, THE BUYER, AND THE SELLER, UH, BOTH EITHER OR TO THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE, WHICH IS THE SECOND MONDAY OF JANUARY TO GO OVER IN SOME MORE DETAIL, UM, THEIR PRELIMINARY PLANS, UM, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION, YES.
COMMISSIONER COOK, EMMA, MY DISCUSSION, MY TAKEAWAY ON THIS IS AS COMMISSIONER HINDSIGHT SAID, IT'S NOT A MATTER OF IF THE DEMOLITION PERMIT WILL BE RELEASED, BUT WHEN I THINK THE WIND HAS BEEN CLARIFIED AT 75 DAYS FROM THE TIME OF SUBMITTAL, THE QUESTION IS ALREADY POSTPONING NOW, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TO CONSIDER THIS A VALID SUBMITTAL APPLICATION, OR ARE WE POSTPONING BECAUSE WE WANT TO SEE MORE TO BE ABLE TO MAKE OUR FINAL COMMENT.
THAT'S KIND OF A, UM, TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN.
I THINK, I THINK THAT MIGHT BE A LITTLE, WE POINTED THE APPLICATION PROCESS.
HOPEFULLY IF APPLICANT ATTENDS ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE POSSIBLY MEETS WITH THE, UH, ANSWERS, THE QUESTIONS PRESENTED BY, BY THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THEN THIS'LL ALL BE RESOLVED NEXT MONTH.
WHEN WE DO HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION TO MAKE COMMENTS AND RELEASE, IF NOT, I THINK WE ALL HAVE ENOUGH HOMEWORK.
UM, STAFF HAS ENOUGH HOMEWORK TO BE ABLE TO BRING DETAILS TO BEAR NEXT MONTH WHEN IT'LL BE A MORE TIMELY MATTER.
I, I THINK, I THINK WE NEED TO PROCESS THIS.
UM, THE S THE BUYER, UH, MAY NEED TO, UH, GIVE US SOME MORE CONCRETE THINGS.
I THINK THAT THE REASON THAT WE HAVE THIS REVIEW EVEN AS AN ADVISORY ROLE IS TO HAVE A VERY GOOD IDEA OF WHAT WILL BE BUILT, WHAT THE DESIGN WILL BE, WHAT THE HEIGHTS WILL BE, WHAT THE, UM, THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE BUILDINGS AND TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
THIS IS THE REASON THIS IS NOT A CAPRICIOUS RULE.
THIS IS TO TRY TO ACCOMMODATE THE NATIONAL REGISTER DISTRICT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE COMMISSIONER VILLAINS.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK STAFF FOR CLARIFICATION, UM, ON THE CODE AS WELL, BECAUSE IT DOES SAY, AS SHE READ THAT A BUILDING PERMIT APPLICATION FOR A BUILDING PERMIT FOR THE SITE, THAT'S WHEN WE REVIEW IT.
AND THE LEVEL OF DOCUMENTATION THAT WILL GO INTO THAT BUILDING PERMIT IS WHAT WE NEED TO REVIEW.
SO IF THE 75 DAYS STARTS AFTER IT'S PUT ON THE AGENDA, BECAUSE A BUILDING PERMIT HAS BEEN APPLIED, I WOULD LIKE TO, TO NOTE THAT, OR IF THIS, UM, CONCEPTUAL PLAN, UH, MEETS THAT REQUIREMENT, AND I DON'T FEEL LIKE IT DOES BECAUSE CODE STATES A BUILDING PERMIT HAS BEEN APPLIED FOR, AND WE DON'T HAVE THAT YET.
SO I DON'T, I DON'T FEEL LIKE OUR CLOCK HAS STARTED WELL, I, I KNOW THAT THERE'S SOME LANGUAGE THAT SAYS A COMPLETE APPLICATION COMMISSIONER LAROCHE.
NO, I, I, I CAN CURE WITH COMMISSIONER EVENTS OIL.
I, I EVEN QUESTIONED WHETHER THE SITE PLAN IS ACTUALLY COMPLETE.
I HAVE RESERVATIONS ABOUT THAT, BUT WE DON'T, I'M KIND OF CURIOUS AS TO HOW, HOW WE GOT HERE, RIGHT? I MEAN, CERTAINLY THAT LANGUAGE AND, AND HOW THAT'S DELIVERED.
I THINK THAT ALL TAKES REQUIRES A SECOND LOOK AT, RIGHT, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THERE WAS A FAIR BIT OF MISCOMMUNICATION HERE.
THAT'S, THAT'S HOW WE ARRIVED AT WHAT WE EXPECTED WAS A MORE COMPLETE SET THAT WE COULD COMMENT ON BOTH ARCHITECTURALLY AND WITHIN THAT PARTICULAR SETTING.
AND WE'RE JUST A LONG WAY FROM WHAT WE HAVE ARE SOME SKETCHES, BUT I DO THINK WE WERE VERY TRANSPARENT IN, IN WHAT OUR EXPECTATION IS.
AND I THINK IT'S BOTH CLEAR TO THE BUYER AND THE SELLER, WHAT, WHAT THOSE EXPECTATIONS ARE MOVING FORWARD.
UM, SO WHERE ARE WE? WE HAVE A MOTION.
WE HAVE A SECOND ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF INVITING THE APPLICANT,
[01:55:02]
UM, INCLUDING THE BUYERS SELLER, UM, INTERESTED PARTIES, THE GENTLEMAN THAT TALKED TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.MOVING ON UNDER D DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON APPLICATIONS FOR DEMOLITION OR RELOCATION D ONE
[3.D.1. PR-2021-148307 – 2500 Rosewood Ave. – Discussion (postponed November 15, 2021) Council District 1]
TWENTY-FIVE HUNDRED ROSEWOOD AVENUE.THIS IS AN APPLICATION TO DEMOLISH A CIRCA 1948 HOUSE.
UH, THE COMMISSION VOTED LAST MONTH TO POSTPONE THIS CASE AND THE ENTRUST OF, UH, MORE INFORMATION, BOTH ON THE HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE AND THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE HOUSE.
UH, I WILL START WITH THE, THE HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE.
THIS HOUSE WAS BUILT IN 1948 FOR HOUSTON TILLOTSON PROFESSORS, BERTRAND, BERT, AND HAZEL POOL ADAMS. UM, THE COUPLE MOVED TO AUSTIN IN 1945 TO TEACH IT WHAT WAS THEN SAMUEL HOUSTON COLLEGE, UH, BERTRAND IN THE MUSIC DEPARTMENT AND HAZEL AS THE PHYSICAL EDUCATION INSTRUCTOR, UH, BOTH CONTINUED TO TEACH THERE UNTIL 1955.
BERTRAND ADAMS WAS A NOTED JAZZ MUSICIAN AND BANDLEADER, UH, NOTABLY HIS 18 PIECE BAND PLAYED ALONGSIDE NAT KING COLE AND CONCERT IN 1947.
AND HE WAS INDUCTED INTO THE CLARKSVILLE WESTERN JAZZ AND ARTS FESTIVALS HALL OF FAME.
UH, BERTRAND ADAM WAS, UH, ADAMS WAS ALSO AN ARDENT SUPPORTER OF BLACK BUSINESSES.
HE FOUNDED OR CO-FOUNDED MULTIPLE BUSINESSES IN THE 1950S, AND THEN USE THE KNOWLEDGE THAT HE GAINED IN THOSE VENTURES TO HELP ADVANCE OTHER BUSINESSES.
BEGINNING OF 1955, HE EMBARKED ON A 26 YEAR CAREER IN GOVERNMENT AMONG OTHER POSITIONS.
HE WAS CHIEF OF THE COMMUNITY ACTION PROGRAM DIVISION AND THE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR.
AND HE WAS FIELD DIRECTOR FOR THE TEXAS OFFICE OF MINORITY BUSINESS ENTERPRISES, AND THE 1960S TO SEVENTIES.
HE ATTENDED A WHITE HOUSE CONFERENCE ON SMALL BUSINESS AND WAS APPOINTED TO THE SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION'S ADVISORY COUNCIL FOR CENTRAL TEXAS IN 1980.
UH, HE FURTHER SUPPORTED AFRICAN-AMERICAN BUSINESSES AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND EAST AUSTIN AS THE CO-FOUNDER IN 1977 AND PRECEDENT OF THE AUSTIN CHAPTER OF THE NATIONAL BUSINESS LEAGUE, UH, WHICH IS A BLACK PROFESSIONAL AND TRADE ORGANIZATION FOUNDED IN 1900 BY BOOKER T WASHINGTON.
UH, AFTER HAZEL ADAMS LEFT, UH, TEACHING AT HOUSTON TILLOTSON UNIVERSITY, SHE TAUGHT, UH, HEALTH AT LC ANDERSON HIGH AND TO JOIN THE FACULTY OF STEPHEN F. AUSTIN HIGH IN 1969, SHE WAS NAMED ONE OF THE OUTSTANDING SECONDARY EDUCATORS OF AMERICA IN 1973, UH, IN HER SPARE TIME, SHE COORDINATED EVENTS AT THE ROSEWOOD RECREATION CENTER AND WITHIN, UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENTS ROSE WITH DISTRICT AFTER SHE RETIRED FROM PUBLIC SCHOOL, SHE WORKED, UH, ANOTHER 25 YEARS TEACHING HEALTH EDUCATION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS DIVISION OF CONTINUING EDUCATION ALONGSIDE OTHER AFRICAN-AMERICAN CIVIC LEADERS.
HAZEL ADAMS WAS A CHARTER MEMBER OF THE AUSTIN CHAPTERS OF, UH, JACK AND JILL OF AMERICA AND THE LYNX.
SHE HOSTED EVENTS FOR THESE ORGANIZATIONS AND THIS HOME.
UH, SO STILL FEELS THAT THERE THERE'S A STRONG CASE FOR HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE TIED TO, UH, BOTH BERTRAND'S AND HAZEL ADAMS IN TERMS OF FULFILLING THE CRITERIA FOR LANDMARK DESIGNATION.
UH, WHAT IS LESS CLEAR AS A CASE IS THE ARGUMENT FOR ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE? UH, CERTAINLY THIS HOUSE HAS SOME VERY STRONG ARCHITECTURAL EXPRESSIONS, MOST NOTABLY THAT, UH, VERY PROMINENT CHIMNEY, UH, IT'S A LONG HORIZONTAL LINES, LIMESTONE CLADDING, DECORATIVE IRONWORK, AND THE CHIMNEY ARE REPRESENTATIVE OF RANCH STYLE ARCHITECTURE, WHICH ON THE WHOLE WAS UNDERREPRESENTED IN, UM, THE LANDMARKS THAT WE HAVE CURRENTLY, UH, THE HOUSE DOES HAVE SOME CHANGES AND INCLUDING, UH, THE GARAGE WING APPEARS TO BE AN ADDITION.
UH, THE WINDOWS HAVE BEEN REPLACED AND, UH, THE SIDING IS ALUMINUM SIDING, BUT DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE ORIGINAL TO THE HOUSE.
UH, THESE CHANGES WERE MADE WITHIN THE TIME OF FAMILY OWNERSHIP, BUT DO, UH, DIMINISH THE ARCHITECTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE HOUSE.
UM, SO THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION IS TO CONSIDER INITIATION OF HISTORIC ZONING BASED ON ARCHITECTURE AND HISTORIC ASSOCIATIONS.
IF THE COMMISSION FEELS THAT THE ARCHITECTURE IS INTACT ENOUGH TO SUPPORT THAT RECOMMENDATION, UH, OTHERWISE, UM, IF THE COMMISSION CHOOSES TO RELEASE A DEMOLITION PERMIT IN THIS CASE, UH, WE WOULD REQUEST THE CITY OF AUSTIN DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR YOU? ANY QUESTIONS FOR MS. PERMIT? THANK YOU.
[02:00:01]
MAYBE WE HEAR FROM THE FIRST SPEAKER, UH, IN FAVOR OF THIS APPLICATION, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME.I COMMISSIONERS, UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME THIS EVENING, AND I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK BEFORE YOU, UH, MY NAME IS JAMES .
I'M AN ASSOCIATE AT DICK CLARK AND ASSOCIATES.
UH, WE'RE THE ARCHITECTURE FIRM REPRESENTING THE PROJECT DEVELOPERS AND CURRENT OWNERS OF THE HOUSE AT 2,500 ROSEWOOD.
UH, CHARLES AND BRENDA SHEPHERD ARE WITH US HERE TONIGHT.
UM, MRS. SHEPHERD IS THE DAUGHTER OF BERTRAND AND HAZEL COOL ADAMS, THE ORIGINAL OWNERS OF THE HOUSE WHO WERE MENTIONED IN THE STAFF REPORT.
UH, BERNIE AND CHARLES HAVE SUBMITTED A LETTER IN SUPPORT OF THE DEMOLITION.
UH, I WOULD LIKE TO READ, UH, A SHORT QUOTE FROM THAT LETTER THAT I THINK ENCAPSULATES THEIR FEELINGS ABOUT THE HOUSE, UH, QUOTE, WE STRONGLY OPPOSE THE POTENTIAL HISTORIC DESIGNATION OF THIS PROPERTY WHILE WE ARE PROUD OF OUR FAMILY HISTORY.
WE BELIEVE THAT OUR FAMILY'S LEGACY IS NOT TIED TO A PROPERTY.
OUR FAMILY LEGACY WILL LIVE ON IN THE LIVES OF THE MANY CHILDREN AND ADULTS WHO ARE TOUCHED BY MY FATHER'S TEACHINGS.
UH, MR. SHEPHERD, AS I SAID BEFORE, IS HERE THIS EVENING AND SHE CAN SPEAK FURTHER ON THE TOPIC OF THE HISTORIC VALUE AS IT RELATES TO, UH, AS IT RELATES OR DOESN'T RELATE TO, UH, THE HOUSE ITSELF INTO HER FATHER AND HER MOTHER.
UM, AS IT RELATES TO THE ARCHITECTURAL SIDE, UH, WE HAVE LOOKED AT AND DISCUSSED MANY ALTERNATIVES TO DEMOLITION ON THIS SITE.
UM, HOWEVER, THE PROPERTY IS MADE UP OF FOUR LOTS AND THE EXISTING HOUSE SITS LENGTHWISE ACROSS THE PROPERTY JUST ABOUT DEAD CENTER.
SO BUILDING AROUND THE HOUSE IS IMPOSSIBLE.
UH, THERE'S REALLY NO DEVELOPMENT.
THERE'S REALLY NOTHING ELSE THAT YOU CAN BUILD, UH, AROUND THIS HOUSE.
UH, THE HOUSE IS LONG, UH, LOW, AND IT'S A SLAB ON GRADE STRUCTURE, WHICH MAKES MOVING THE HOUSES.
ONE PIECE ALSO IMPOSSIBLE, UH, THE PROPERTY ON WHICH THE HOUSE SITS IS ZONE CMU.
AND OUR PLAN IS TO DEVELOP A MIXED USE HOUSING PROJECT WITH AT LEAST 10 RESIDENTIAL UNITS.
AND OUR GOAL IS TO PROVIDE QUALITY HOUSING FOR THOSE IN THE ROSEWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD, WHICH WE FEEL IS, UH, UNDERDEVELOPED CURRENTLY.
UH, WE DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THE CITY'S, UH, EVIDENCE, UH, SUPPORTS THE HISTORIC DESIGNATION OF THIS HOUSE.
THE HOUSE'S ORIGINAL ARCHITECTURAL STYLE IS HISTORICALLY NON-SIGNIFICANT.
UM, AUSTIN HAS MANY OF THESE LOW, LONG ROOFED RANCH-STYLE HOUSES.
UM, THIS HOUSE IN PARTICULAR, AS STEPH HAD MENTIONED, HAS BEEN ADDED ONTO AND MODIFIED FROM ITS ORIGINAL CONDITION.
UM, AND IT IS A NEED OF HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS IN REPAIRS, UH, WHICH, UH, IS A BURDEN THAT FALLS ON THE FAMILY AND THEY ARE NOT WILLING TO BEAR THAT.
UM, UH, THE, UH, MR AND MRS. SHEPHERD ARE RETIRED, UH, THEY ARE POINTING TO MOVE TO DALLAS, TO LIVE WITH, UH, SORRY ABOUT THAT TO, UH, TO BE WITH THEIR FAMILY, UH, FOR THE REMAINDER OF THEIR LIFE, UH, THAT IS SORT OF THEIR, THEIR PLAN FOR THEIR RETIREMENT IN ORDER TO DO THAT, THEY NEED TO SELL THIS PROPERTY.
UM, THEY HAVE NO TIES TO THIS HOUSE.
UH, THEY HAVE ASKED THEIR SON, HE IS NOT INTERESTED IN MAINTAINING THIS HOUSE AND SPENDING HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO MAINTAIN THIS HOUSE.
UH, AND SO FOR THAT REASON, WE THINK THAT IT SHOULD BE RECOMMENDED FOR DEMOLITION.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OF THE SPEAKER? OKAY.
WELL, THE NEXT SPEAKER IN FAVOR OF A DEMOLITION, PLEASE COME DOWN.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK I'M BRENDA.
CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY? YEAH, I'LL PULL IT DOWN JUST A LITTLE BIT CLOSER.
I AM BRENDA ADAM SHEPHERD, THE ONLY CHILD OF BERTRAND AND HAZEL P ADAMS. THEY HAVE NO SIBLINGS.
AND AS I SAID, I AM THE ONLY CHILD.
I HAVE ONE CHILD, MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE ONE CHILD.
UM, BUT MY FATHER'S LEGACY WAS HIS MUSIC.
I WAS BORN, NOT REALLY BORN IN THAT HOUSE, BUT ABOUT LESS THAN A YEAR AFTER I WAS BORN,
[02:05:01]
THEY MOVED TO THAT HOUSE.AND I REMEMBER HIM SAYING A LONG TIME AGO.
WELL, BABY GIRL, YOU DON'T HAVE ANY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, SO YOU WON'T HAVE TO SQUABBLE WITH ANYTHING ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE LEAVE.
AND SO IT'S JUST, YOU, YOU WILL MAKE THE DECISION ON WHAT YOU WANT TO DO WITH THIS HOUSE.
IF YOU WANT TO KEEP IT, THAT'S FINE.
IF YOU WANT TO SELL IT, THAT'S FINE.
WHATEVER YOU WANT TO DO, IT'S LEFT UP TO YOU.
HOWEVER, KEEP IN MIND, THE LONGER YOU KEEP THIS HOUSE, THE MORE IT'S GOING TO COST YOU.
WHEN WE MOVED BACK HERE, AFTER MY MOM DIED, WE MOVED BACK HERE TO AUSTIN.
WE WERE LIVING IN DALLAS AT THE TIME, AND WE WERE TRYING TO UPGRADE SO TO SPEAK THE HOUSE AND WE PUT A LOT OF MONEY INTO IT.
AND THEN I STARTED REALIZING WHAT HE MEANT.
AND NOW IT'S TIME TO REPLACE THE ROOF AGAIN.
AND THE ELECTRICAL WIRING HAS NOT BEEN REALLY REPLACED OR THE PLUMBING AND ALL THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN SINCE THAT HOUSE WAS BUILT IN 48, 19 48.
SO WE GOT SOME BIDS FOUND OUT THAT IN ORDER TO HAVE ALL THOSE THINGS DONE, IT WOULD COST US IN EXCESS OF $750,000, WHICH WE DO NOT HAVE WE'RE ON RETIREES SALARIES OR INCOMES.
AND SO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M SAYING? OUR SON, WE ASKED OUR ONLY SON, TREY, WOULD YOU LIKE TO, WOULD YOU LIKE THIS HOUSE? ONCE WE GO? HE SAID, NO, MA'AM NO, MA'AM, I'VE SEEN WHAT YOU'VE PUT INTO IT.
I REALIZED THAT MUCH MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE.
HE SAYS, MOM, IF YOU ALL WANT TO SELL A HOUSE, HOWEVER YOU WANT TO DO IT, PLEASE DO IT.
I DON'T PLAN TO MOVE BACK TO AUSTIN.
SO YOU ALL DO WHAT YOU NEED TO DO.
SO WE HAVE LOOKED AT A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS AND WE WOULD LIKE TO SPEND TIME WITH HIM AND HIS CHILDREN.
WE WOULD LIKE FOR THIS DEMOLITION TO HAPPEN SO THAT WE CAN SELL THE LAND.
AND SO WE CAN MOVE ON TO THE HOUSE.
AND I CERTAINLY HOPE THAT YOU ALL WILL UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE SAYING AND WE'LL APPROVE THE ISSUANCE OF THE PERMIT TO DEMOLISH THAT.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OF THE APPLICANT? OKAY.
ARE THERE OTHER SPEAKERS IN FAVOR OF THE DEMOLITION? OKAY.
ANYONE OPPOSED ANYONE TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION AT CASING? NO ONE.
UM, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING? SECOND SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER.
TALLAGHT ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF CLOSING THE PUBLIC HEARING.
PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND AND SAY, AYE.
DO I HEAR A MOTION ON THE CASE? I WILL MOVE TO RELEASE THE DEMOLITION PERMIT UPON COMPLETION OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN DOCUMENTATION PACKET.
ANY DISCUSSION? UM, I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT THE STAFF DID TO FURTHER RESEARCH AND PHOTO DOCUMENT THE HOUSE.
I DIDN'T FEEL LIKE WE HAD ENOUGH INFORMATION LAST MONTH TO EVALUATE THE PROPERTIES, ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE OR HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS.
I DID WANT TO MENTION TO THE FAMILY, A FRIEND OF MINE OWNS A HOUSE, JUST A BLOCK AWAY THAT SHE BOUGHT FROM A RELATIVE.
AND THEY SAID, WHEN SHE BOUGHT THE HOUSE ABOUT 20 YEARS, YOU SHOULD GO MEET THE ADAM'S.
THEY'RE REALLY NICE PEOPLE AND REALLY A CORNERSTONE OF THIS NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO I THINK THAT THE BERTRAND AND HAZEL ADAMS WERE IMPORTANT MEMBERS OF EAST AUSTIN'S AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY AND THE HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE FAMILY ARE STRONG.
BUT GIVEN THAT AS NOTED IN THE STAFF REPORT, THE HOUSE RETAINS ONLY A MODERATE DEGREE OF INTEGRITY AND MAY MEET OUR DESIGNATION CRITERIA FOR ARCHITECTURE.
I DON'T THINK IT RISES TO THE LEVEL OF SIGNIFICANCE ARCHITECTURALLY THAT I WOULD WANT TO SEE, ESPECIALLY IN THE CASE OF BERBER OVERRIDING THE FAMILY'S DESIRES TO SEE THE DEMOLITION PERMIT RELEASE.
AND WE'RE NOT, AND WE'RE NOT SEEING, UH, DISAGREEMENTS BETWEEN FAMILY OR A STRONG, UM, OUTPOURING FROM THE COMMUNITY TO RETAIN THE HOUSE.
[02:10:03]
LIKE TOO MUCH TO ASK THIS FAMILY, UH, THAT THEIR, THEIR MEMORIES AND THE MEMORIES OF THE STUDENTS, UH, WILL REMAIN THE HOUSE.UH, DOESN'T DOESN'T HAVE THAT SIGNIFICANCE, ALL SUPPORT THE MOTION, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION.
CAN YOU JUST LEAVE THE CHIMNEY? CHIMNEY IS WONDERFUL.
UM, I'LL TAKE, LET'S VOTE ON THE MOTION, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF RELEASING THE DEMOLITION PERMIT AND, UM, HAVING A DOC, A CITY OF AUSTIN DOCUMENTATION PACKET MADE, PLEASE SAY, AYE, RAISE YOUR HAND.
ANY OPPOSED? IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
AND I WANT TO REMIND YOU, AND, UM, IF YOU NEED FURTHER INFORMATION, YOU CAN, UH, CONTACT STAFF, UH, CITY OF DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE INCLUDES EIGHT BY 10, UH, PHOTOGRAPHS ON PHOTOGRAPHIC PAPER OF ALL ELEVATIONS OF THE BUILDING AND A NARRATIVE HISTORY OF THE BUILDING TO BE ARCHIVED AT THE AUSTIN HISTORY CENTER.
AND WE HAVE ONE LAST, UM, ONE LAST APPLICATION, D
[3.D.2. PR-2021-137925 – 1505 Forest Trl. – Discussion Council District 10]
2 15 0 5 FOREST TRAIL.THIS IS A PROPOSAL TO DEMOLISH A CIRCA 1937 HOUSE.
AND IN 1953 DETACHED STORAGE SHED, THE HOUSE AT 1505 FOREST TRAIL WAS BUILT IN 1937 BY CHARLES GREEN, THE MANAGING EDITOR OF THE AUSTIN AMERICAN STATESMAN NEWSPAPER.
HE LIVED HERE UNTIL HE MARRIED IN 1941, BESIDES BEING THE EDITOR OF THE STATESMAN.
GREEN WAS THE FOUNDER OF THE HEADLINERS CLUB AND THE LONG TIME SUPPORTER AND FRIEND OF LYNDON JOHNSON, THE HOUSE WAS LATER PURCHASED BY GEORGE DAVIS CROW AND HIS WIFE, OLIVE.
UH, YOU, UH, HAD BEEN MANAGER OF THE FEDERAL RESERVE BANK IN DALLAS FOR MANY YEARS BEFORE HE MOVED TO AUSTIN.
UH, WHILE IN AUSTIN, HE TAUGHT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS.
THE HOUSE WAS A RENTAL PROPERTY IN THE MID 1950S, THEN PURCHASED BY ROBERT B AND EDNA MAY LINDSEY WHO LIVED HERE FOR HIM AROUND 1955 TO AROUND 1970.
ROBERT LINDSAY WORKED FOR MANY YEARS, UH, FOR THE TEXAS EMPLOYMENT COMMISSION.
UM, SO IN TERMS OF THE ARCHITECTURE, UM, OH, WE ARE NOT SEEING IT ON THE SCREEN, AMBER, UH, IN TERMS OF THE ARCHITECTURE, UH, THIS IS, UH, SOMETHING OF A UNIQUE HOUSE.
UM, IT'S A SYMMETRICAL U SHAPED PLAN, UH, AND DOES A UNIQUE EXAMPLE OF ITS STYLE AND CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS.
IT HAS WEEPING MORTAR AS WELL AS CORNERS THAT ARE A REBEL VOLCANIC STONE AND THE CENTRAL STONE CHIMNEY IN TERMS OF THE HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS, UM, AND A POTENTIAL JUSTIFICATION FOR LANDMARK DESIGNATION.
UM, THIS HOUSE WAS OWNED BY, UH, CHARLES GREEN IS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT, UM, RESIDENT OF THE HOUSE.
UH, BUT IT WAS OWNED BY HIM FOR A VERY SHORT PERIOD BETWEEN 1937 AND 1941.
UM, HOWEVER IT APPEARS TO BE THE BEST SURVIVING HOUSE.
IT WAS CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH HIM DURING HIS ACTIVE CAREER.
HE AND HIS WIFE FLOY LIVED AT 22 OR THREE MOUNTAIN VIEW ROAD IN 1942, UH, JUST FOR A VERY BRIEF, UH, WINDOW.
AND THAT WAS A HOUSE THAT WAS BUILT ON SPEC.
UNLIKE THIS HOUSE THAT WAS PURPOSE-BUILT FOR CHARLES SCREEN, A BUILDING PERMIT SHOWED THAT GREENBELT A HOUSE AT 2,705 VERDE VISTA IN 1941.
IT WAS OUTSIDE OF THE AREA, WAS IN CITY DIRECTORIES AT THAT TIME.
AND SO AT FIRST SHOWS UP AS HIS PLACE OF RESIDENCE IN 1947, IT REMAINED HIS HOME UNTIL HIS DEATH IN 1967.
UH, THAT WOULD BE THE HOUSE THAT WOULD BE THE MOST CLEAR TIE TO HIS ACTIVE CAREER, BUT IT WAS DEMOLISHED IN 2002.
UM, I WILL NOTE ALSO THAT THE LANDMARK COMMISSION PREVIOUSLY CONDUCTED A PUBLIC HEARING FOR DEMOLITION ON THIS PROPERTY.
UH, MY UNDERSTANDING IS APPLICATION WAS WITHDRAWN.
AND SO THERE WAS NO RESOLUTION OF THE CASE AT THAT TIME.
UH, SO THE QUESTION BEFORE YOU USED TO CONSIDER HISTORIC ZONING TO CONSIDER WHETHER THIS IS A, UH, STRONG ENOUGH TIME TO, UH, MR. GREEN'S ACTIVE CAREER, UH, TO SUPPORT, UH, A RECOMMENDATION BASED ON HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS, IF THE COMMISSION DOES NOT CHOOSE TO INITIATE HISTORIC ZONING, UH, THE RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE TO REQUIRE A CITY OF AUSTIN DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE WITH RELEASE OF THE DEMOLITION PERMIT.
THANK YOU, MS. PERMIT, ANY QUESTIONS? YES.
MS. BRENNAN COMMISSIONER HAIM.
AND IF I COULD, I MEAN, THERE'S SOME QUIRKY DETAILS ON THIS HOUSE AND YOU SAY
[02:15:01]
HIGH LEVEL OF INTEGRITY.WHAT WAS YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF ANY CHANGES, IF ANY, ARE WE ACTUALLY LOOKING AT WHAT WOULD BE FABRIC CONSISTENT WITH, UH, THE 1937, UH, UH, ORIGINAL HOUSE? THIS APPEARS TO BE ORIGINAL FABRIC? UM, IT'S, IT'S, UH, THOSE, THOSE CAN MASONRY CORNERS WITH THE VOLCANIC ROCK, UH, APPEAR TO BE ORIGINAL TO THE HOUSE.
UM, THERE ARE SOME, UH, WHAT APPEARED TO BE LIMESTONE, UH, LANDSCAPE FEATURES, UH, THAT YOU START TO SEE HERE, THERE ALSO ALONG THE STREET.
UM, IT'S NOT CLEAR IF THOSE ARE ORIGINAL TO THE HOUSE, BUT THE HOUSE ITSELF.
UM, WE DON'T, WE DON'T SEE BUILDING PERMITS FOR ALTERATIONS.
UM, IT APPEARS TO BE RELATIVELY UNALTERED AND INCLUDING THE SHUTTERS, INCLUDING THE, UM, SOPHOS WITH THE, UH, EXPOSED RAFTER TAILS.
I'M, I'M HAPPY TO HAVE YOU ANSWER IT.
SAY AT MY, MY IMPRESSION WAS YES.
AND THEN I'M HAPPY TO HEAR THAT FROM, YEAH, THERE, THERE PROBABLY A COUPLE OF PEOPLE ON THE COMMISSION, UH, THAT, THAT WERE HERE IN 2017 WHEN WE FIRST SAW THIS.
AND, UM, I VISITED THE SITE MYSELF AND I KNOW A COUPLE OF OTHER COMMISSIONERS DID AT THE TIME.
AND, UM, MR. SEDOWSKY IN PARTICULAR WAS A STRONG ADVOCATE OF PRESERVING THIS HOUSE.
WE, UM, WE FELT THAT THESE WERE QUIRKY DESIGN THAT ARE ORIGINAL TO THE HOUSE.
AND, UM, THESE WERE AT THE, UM, THEY WERE WHAT THE OWNER WANTED.
THIS WAS, THIS WAS NOT A SPEC HOUSE.
THIS WAS, THIS WAS DESIGNED FOR, UH, MR. GREEN AND THAT HE, UM, HE HAD SOME, UH, INFLUENCE ON, ON THESE, UH, VOLCANIC ROCK, UM, CORNERED PIECES.
AND THE WEEPING MORTAR IS CONSISTENT.
SOME OTHER, UH, EXAMPLES OF WEEPING MORTAR.
AND WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF THEM, BUT THEY ALSO DATE FROM THE LATE THIRTIES AND VERY EARLY FORTIES.
UM, AND WE, WE THOUGHT THAT THE HOUSE WARRANTED HISTORIC ZONING AT THE TIME, BUT THEN, UH, THE APPLICANT'S WITHDREW, UH, THE APPLICATION AND IT WAS SORT OF, UH, AN AGREEMENT THAT THEY WOULD WITHDRAW THE APPLICATION AND WE WOULD DROP THE, UH, INITIATION OF HISTORIC ZONING AT THAT TIME.
THANK YOU FOR THE CLARIFICATION.
UM, DO WE HAVE AN APPLICANT TO SPEAK TO THIS? ANYONE IN FAVOR? UH, PLEASE COME DOWN.
FIRST PERSON GETS FIVE MINUTES, SUBSEQUENT SPEAKERS, THREE MINUTES.
I AM THE ARCHITECTURAL ENGINEER ON THIS PROJECT AND, UH, PRIMARILY THE, THE POINT FROM THE OWNER.
THIS IS A RENTAL PROPERTY THAT HE HAS ONE SINGLE TENANT IN, UM, EVERY WELL 90% OF THE NEIGHBORS ACROSS THE STREET AND TO THE RIGHT OF THE HOUSE.
THEY ALREADY MOVED ON TO MULTI-FAMILY.
THEY HAVE TWO OR THREE, EVEN THREE STORY BUILDINGS.
AND THIS IS THE ONLY ONE HOUSE.
UM, HE HAS A NEIGHBOR THAT ASSAULTS A DUPLEX FOR A SINGLE FAMILY, BUT HE WANTS TO DECIDE WHETHER HE HAS TO SELL OR KEEP IT INTO SELL.
MOST OF THE BUYERS ARE ASKING THIS ONE QUESTION, CAN WE BE ABLE TO THE MILITIA, THE HOUSE TO PAY WHAT IT'S WORTH TO GET MULTIFAMILY STONED PIECE OF LAND IF THEY GET THIS PROPERTY.
AND HE HAS A SINGLE FAMILY WITH THIS REJECTED HAS THE MILITIA AND THE VALUE SIGNIFICANTLY LESS THAN BUYING THIS LAND.
SO WHEN HE ASKED ME THE QUESTION, WHETHER IT WILL BE, HOW LIKELY IS IT TO GET AT THE MILITIA? I NOTICE I'M MORE LIKE A LOOPHOLE, OR JUST LACK OF CLARITY ON THE APPLICATION FOR THE MILITIA, BECAUSE IT DOESN'T SPECIFICALLY REQUIRE A FULL SET OF DRAWINGS FROM THE SITE PLAN FOR A COMMERCIAL PROJECT TO BE SUBMITTED TO THE CITY OF BOSTON FOR PERMIT BEFORE THEY ARE ABLE TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION FOR MANY PROJECTS.
SO I CANNOT SAY YES OR NO, IT WILL BE THE MILITIA.
IF I DON'T SEE THE APPLICATION FOR THE MILITIA TO BE COMPLETELY CLEAR IN THE, IF THE ANSWER IS NO A HAZARD ASSIGNER, WE WILL JUST BUILD AROUND THE BUILDING, HAVE THE UNITS HE WANTS IN THE BACK AT EYE UNIT TO THE FRONT BECAUSE OF SETBACK FROM THE STREET TO THE ACTUAL HOUSE IS MORE THAN A HUNDRED FEET.
[02:20:01]
SO WE HAVE THAT 25 FEET SETBACK FOR A SMALL UNIT, UH, FOR THE FRONT HE'S ASKING WHAT A 700 SQUARE FEET, A PERMIT, TOO MUCH THE NEIGHBOR ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE BUILDING.AND IN THE BACK, HE, UH, HE WANTS TO ADD A SIMILAR HOUSE EXCEPT TWO STORIES.
BUT IF THIS BUILDING CAN BE THE MILITIA, THEN THE PROJECT IS GOING TO BE DIFFERENT AND THE SIGN FEE WILL COMPLETELY CHANGE.
SO THAT'S WHY HE, HE WANTS MORE OF ADVICE AT THIS POINT BEFORE HE MOVES ON IN EITHER DIRECTION.
ARE THERE, IS THERE ANY ADVICE FOR THE SPEAKER OR ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS AT THIS POINT? OKAY.
I THINK YOU WERE HERE FOR PREVIOUS, UM, DISCUSSION ON, UH, GETTING A DEMOLITION PERMIT AND THEN LATER COMING BACK AND BRINGING PLANS IN FOR NEWS CONSTRUCTION.
UH, THAT WAS IN A NATIONAL REGISTER DISTRICT.
UM, IT WOULD, IT WOULD BE DIFFERENT, UH, FOR THIS PROPERTY, WHICH IS NOT AN A DISTRICT, BUT, UM, DO WE HAVE ANOTHER SPEAKER TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THE APPLICATION? YOU NEED TO COME DOWN AND STATE YOUR NAME, UM, AND BE RECORDED FOR THE RECORD? HELLO, MY NAME IS MATTHEW CONLEY, FORMER ARMY RANGER, UH, ENGINEER AND VENDOR AND CURRENT RESIDENT OF 1, 5 0 5 FOREST TRAIL, THE, THE, UH, THE TENANT, UH, AND I CAN SPEAK TO ALL THE COMMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE ABOUT THE QUIRKINESS AND THE ROBUSTNESS AND THE, AND THE BEAUTY OF THAT HOUSE.
UH, I AM, IT'S BEEN, I LIVED THERE FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS.
IT'S BEEN LIKE ONE OF MY FAVORITE.
I'VE LIVED ALL OVER THE WORLD AND IT'S BEEN ONE OF MY MOST FAVORITE PLACES TO LIVE.
IT'S SUCH A PALPABLE CREATIVE ENERGY THERE, AND I'VE DONE A LOT OF GREAT WORK THERE.
UM, HAVING SAID THAT I WOKE UP ON MONDAY AND I WENT OUT AND SAW THERE WAS A SIGN TO GET IT DEMOLISHED.
AND I WAS LIKE, OH MY, I SHOULD PROBABLY GO CHECK THIS MEETING OUT.
UH, AND I'M REALLY TIGHT WITH SAM, THE LANDLORD, OR WE'RE GOOD.
AND I KNOW HE HAD PLANNED ON SCRAPPING THE, UH, FRONT YARD BACKYARD, WHICH I PERSONALLY WOULDN'T DO.
UH, BUT ANYWAYS, UM, SPEAKING IN FAVOR OF, WELL, NOT REALLY EITHER, I'M JUST, I'M TRYING TO, IT'S, I'M TRYING TO STRIKE A BALANCE HERE I AM, AS A SCIENTIST, YOU KNOW, I RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF PROGRESS AND DRIVING ON A JUST, AND YOU MAKE THINGS AND THEY COME AND GO AND THAT'S LIFE AND TIME.
BUT EMOTIONALLY, THIS HAS BEEN MORE OF LIKE AN EMOTIONAL PLEA TO LIKE, IF WHATEVER YOU GUYS DO, WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT THAT HOUSE AND HOW QUIRKY AND COOL IT IS AND HOW IT'S ALL ORIGINAL STUFF.
I WOULD PERSONALLY VOTE PRESERVE THE HOUSE NO MATTER WHAT.
UM, AND MY NEIGHBORS TOLD ME TO COME SPEAK AND, AND THEY'RE LIKE, DUDE, THE HOUSE IS SO COOL.
BUT YOU KNOW, A MILLION DOLLARS.
IT DOESN'T JUST FOLLOW THE SKY ANYWAYS.
UH, SO, SO THAT'S MY, THAT'S MY, I JUST WANTED TO PUT MY PIECE OUT THERE ONCE AGAIN.
I SEE IF SAM CAN GET IT, IF SAM'S GOING TO GET IT DEMOLISHED, I FEEL LIKE IF HE'S GOING TO DO IT, JUST GO FOR IT.
AND, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY HE CAN MAKE SOME MONEY OFF AT COOL.
UH, IF IT IS GOING TO GET DEMOLISHED, I'LL HAVE A PARTY THERE AND YOU'RE ALL INVITED TO COME CHECK IT OUT BEFORE IT GOES DOWN.
UH, THAT MIGHT BE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
UH, BUT ANYWAYS, THAT'S ALL I REALLY WANTED TO COME AND SAY, I JUST KIND OF FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS THIS WEEK AND I LOVE THAT PLACE.
UM, AND I AM GOING TO TALK WITH SAM ABOUT, I HAVE ACTUALLY, MY VICE PRESIDENT OF MY COMPANY IS WHEN HE FOUND OUT THIS HAS HAPPENED AND HE'S LIKE, UH, I MIGHT WANT TO TALK TO HIM ABOUT BUYING THE PLACE, UM, BECAUSE PEOPLE LOVE IT.
WHEN THEY SEE IT, THEY GET AROUND IN IT.
WHEN YOU GO UNDER THE HOUSE AND SEE THE CEDAR POSTS AND THE, AND THE ROCK THAT'S HOLDING THE WHOLE THING TOGETHER, JUST A TANK.
WHEN WE HAD OUR WINTER STORM LAST YEAR, I WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT DIDN'T HAVE TO LEAVE THE NEIGHBORHOOD BECAUSE THAT PLACE WAS BUILT TO STAND UP TO IT.
I JUST BURNT WOOD AND COOKED FOOD OVER FIRE.
THEN THE WHOLE THING, IT WAS REALLY COOL.
AND IT'S PROBABLY NOT HELPFUL IN ANY WAY, BUT, UH, I LOVE THAT PLACE AND WANTED TO PUT MY 2 CENTS IN.
AND ONE OF THE BATHROOMS, I UNDERSTAND THERE'S A TILE WITH A COWBOY SMOKING A CIGARETTE, OR, OH YEAH.
THERE'S ARE THOSE PICTURES IN THE, IN THE DOCUMENT? NO, THAT'S NOT.
THAT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT IN THE DOCUMENT.
IT SHOULD BE IN THERE THAT FROM SOMEBODY.
IT'S A, IT'S A QUIRKY PLACE AND THAT'S WHY I LOVE IT.
I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S INSPIRED ME TO CREATE THE PAST COUPLE YEARS.
I'VE CREATED SOME INCREDIBLE TECHNOLOGY WHILE LIVING AT THAT HOUSE.
AND I, ONE OF THE FORMER SPEAKERS SAID A HOUSE AS A HOUSE, AND THAT'S TOTALLY TRUE IN THE MUSIC YOU CREATE IN YOUR LIFE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING.
HOWEVER, YOUR ENVIRONMENT DOES DRIVE THE THINGS THAT YOU CREATE.
[02:25:01]
AND I CAN, I CAN SAY WITH SOME CERTAINTY THAT MY EXPERIENCES IN THAT HOUSE HAVE INSPIRED ME TO CREATE SOME OF THE GREAT STUFF I'VE CREATED OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS.WELL THANK YOU FOR COMING DOWN AND, UM, PARTICIPATING IN THE PUBLIC PROCESS.
UM, THANK YOU FOR THOSE INTERIOR SHOTS.
UM, DO I HEAR, UH, IS THERE ANYONE TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION? DID WE HAVE, HAVE WE COVERED ALL SPEAKERS WHO ARE HERE TONIGHT? OKAY.
DO I HAVE A MOTION TO CLOSE? THE PUBLIC HEARING WAS THAT MCWHORTER COMMISSIONER COMMISSIONER COOK.
COMMISSIONER LITTLE SECONDED, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF CLOSING THE PUBLIC HEARING, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
DO I HEAR A MOTION ON THE CAVES? MADAM CHAIR? YES.
I THINK THIS IS ONE OF THOSE CASES THAT I'VE BEEN WARNING ABOUT WHERE, UM, YOU KNOW, HAD PROPERTY VALUES, NOT SKYROCKETED IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, AGAIN, A CENTER CITY NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, I DON'T THINK ANYBODY WOULD HAVE ANY DOUBT THAT THIS WOULD BE A, UH, A BUILDING WORTHY OF PRESERVATION AND IT WOULDN'T BE THREATENED.
UH, I THINK NOW, UH, IN LIGHT OF THE CONFRONTATION, UM, I THINK THAT WE REALLY ARE OBLIGATED TO GO FORWARD WITH THE, UH, AS A NATION REQUEST, UH, PROCESS AND MAYBE IN THE, IN THE, IN DOING SO CAN CONVINCE THIS OWNER OR A POTENTIAL BUYER, UH, THE BENEFITS AND VALUE THAT WOULD BE INHERENT IN PRESERVING THIS AND MAKING IT A FEATURE, UM, WHATEVER ADDITIONAL, UH, DEVELOPMENT OR ADDITIONAL WORK MIGHT BE, UH, POSSIBLE.
UH, HOPEFULLY ALL OF IT BEHIND THIS HOUSE, BECAUSE EVEN THE LONG W UH, UH, ACCESS FROM THE ROAD IS PART OF THE HISTORIC INTEGRITY.
WELL, IT IS OUR PROCESS TO HAVE A MOTION THAT DO I TAKE THAT AS A MOTION TO INITIATE HISTORIC ZONING? WAS THAT OKAY? AND I, AND I'M ASSUMING THIS IS ON THE BASIS OF ARCHITECTURE AND THE HISTORIC ASSOCIATIONS WITH THE EDITOR AS PER STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION TO GREEN.
I, UM, YES, I BELIEVE THE MOTION SHOULD ALSO INCLUDE REOPENING THE PUBLIC HEARING WITH THE INITIATION OF HISTORIC SETTING.
UM, CAN ALSO TO REOPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING WOULD BE OKAY.
SO THE MOTION IS TO INITIATE HISTORIC ZONING BASED ON, UM, THE BUSINESS ARCHITECTURE AND HISTORIC ASSOCIATIONS, UH, WITH THE ORIGINAL OWNER AND TO REOPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING, UM, ANY DISCUSSION.
AND LET ME JUST SPEAK ONE, ONE, I BELIEVE THE REASON WHY, UH, OF COURSE THE HOUSE DESERVES IT, BUT I THINK THE ALTERNATE, UM, TO NOT INITIATE AT THIS MEETING, UH, WOULD BE AUTOMATICALLY TO LOSE THIS HOUSE.
THAT WOULD BE A TRAVIS COMMISSIONER FEATHERSTON.
I'LL, I'LL, UH, SUPPORT THE MOTION.
AND, UM, JUST TO SORT OF REITERATE WHAT COMMISSIONER HEIM SET SAID, AND MAYBE A DIFFERENT WAY.
I WOULD, IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE THE OWNER IS, UM, YOU KNOW, CATEGORICALLY OPPOSED TO THE ZONING, BUT INTERESTED IN, UM, WHAT'S POSSIBLE.
AND I THINK THAT, UH, MAYBE RESTATE, WHAT'S ALREADY BEEN SAID THAT I HOPE NEXT MONTH THEY CAN COME BACK TO US AND SHOW US HERE'S HOW WE THINK THEY SHOULD.
WE SHOULD, UM, MAYBE CONFINE THE HISTORIC ZONING TO PARTICULAR ASPECTS OF THE PROPERTY AND, AND ALLOW FOR DEVELOPMENT AND OTHER PLACES.
UM, I'M INTERESTED IN SEEING THAT.
AND, UH, LASTLY TO THE CURRENT RESIDENT OF THE HOUSE, UM, MADE SOME SELF-DEPRECATING COMMENTS ABOUT, UH, WHETHER OR NOT YOUR, UM, TIME HERE TONIGHT WAS USEFUL.
IT WAS VERY MUCH SO WE SO OFTEN HEAR FROM, UM, A THIRD-PARTY CONSULTANT.
WHO'S GOING TO TELL US HOW, UH, WHAT TERRIBLE SHAPE THE HOUSE IS IN.
AND YOU DID THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF THAT AND SPOKE VERY WELL ABOUT, UH, THE, THE QUALITIES OF LIVING IN THE HOUSE EVERY SINGLE DAY.
SO IT'S SINCERELY APPRECIATED.
AND WE HOPE THIS DOESN'T GET YOU IN TROUBLE WITH YOUR LANDLORD, UM, COMMISSIONER VILLAINS WITH, UM, I WOULD JUST ASK THAT AS STAFF PREPARES FOR OUR NEXT MEETING,
[02:30:01]
WHERE WE'RE LOOKING AT RECOMMENDATION, IF WE COULD, UH, FOCUS RESEARCH ON WHAT GREEN ACCOMPLISHED DURING THOSE YEARS THAT HE LIVED THERE.UH, SO WE HAVE A RELATED SINCE IT WAS A LIMITED TIME.
SO WE HAVE A REALLY CLEAR PICTURE OF HIS CONTRIBUTIONS DURING THAT TIME PERIOD COMMISSIONER.
UH, TILL THAT I WOULD LIKE TO REMIND THE COMMISSION THAT THE PROPERTY, JUST TO THE SOUTH OF IT IS WE DISCUSSED THIS SEVERAL MONTHS BACK AND THEY, IT WAS ON A DEMO PERMIT AND THEY WITHDREW IT, UH, AFTER, AFTER TALKING WITH US.
AND THAT PROPERTY HAS BEEN PRESERVED AT LEAST TEMPORARILY, I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH THIS AREA.
SO MY NEIGHBORHOOD, OUR NEIGHBORS, AND THOSE, BOTH OF THOSE HOUSES ARE ZONED MF MULTI-FAMILY.
AND YOU SAW LARD ALONG IT'S RIGHT THERE ON THE INFIELD.
UH, JUST ON JUST TO THE WEST OF MOPAC.
IF WE CAN SAVE, IF THIS ONE CAN BE SAVED, I THINK THERE'S A BETTER CHANCE AT THE OTHER PROPERTY.
I MEAN, IF IT GOES UNDER AND I UNDERSTAND URBAN INFIELD AND ALL THAT, BUT THIS, THIS REALLY LOOKS UNIQUE.
THE ONE ON THE CORNER IS UNIQUE AND THEY'RE VERY WELL MAINTAINED.
I THINK IT'S, IT'S WORTH A GOOD SHOT FOR US.
I, UM, I APPRECIATE THOSE COMMENTS.
UM, I, I LIKED IT WHEN IT CAME TO US, UM, FOUR YEARS AGO.
AND, UM, BUT I THINK THAT I REALLY SEE SOMETHING AND MAYBE STAFF CAN FIND OUT SOMETHING ABOUT THIS.
IT SEEMS LIKE THE ORIGINAL OWNERS PERSONALITY, UH, HAS REALLY GONE INTO THE DESIGN.
AND, UM, UH, IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT YOU COULD FIND THAT, UH, COULD TELL US MORE ABOUT THAT.
UM, I WOULD JUST APPRECIATE THAT I REALLY SEE THIS AS THE, AS A COLLABORATION BETWEEN, UH, THE OWNER AND THE ARCHITECT AND THE BUILDER, UH, TO COME UP WITH THIS UNIQUE PROPERTY, UM, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION.
HEARING NONE, LET'S TAKE A VOTE, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF INITIATING HISTORIC ZONING AND REOPENING THE, UM, PUBLIC SHARING.
MOVING ON TO E WE HAVE NO ITEMS UNDER DEMOLITION BY NEGLECT UNDER F UH, TAX ABATEMENT.
WE HAVE NO ITEMS AND, UM, UNDER FOR COMMISSION AND STAFF ITEMS, UH, DISCUSSION
[4.A. Discussion and Possible Action on Committee Reports]
AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON COMMITTEE REPORTS, A ONE, UM, MS. VALANZUELA, COULD YOU, UH, GIVE A REPORT ON THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE? UH, YEAH, SO WE MET, UM, AT THE END OF NOVEMBER AND SAW SEVERAL CASES THAT WENT ON CONSENT.UM, SEVERAL OTHERS, UH, THROUGH THAT DISCUSSION, IT SOUNDS LIKE, UM, EITHER RENOVATIONS OR WITHDRAWAL OF, UH, INTENT TO, TO RENOVATE, UH, WILL HAPPEN.
SO IT WAS, UH, I NOTICED THAT THE FIRST, UH, THE FIRST FOUR ITEMS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA ALL WENT TO THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW AND THE 8 0 7 BAYLOR WAS PULLED.
UM, THEY HAD MADE, UH, THEY HAD TO IMPLEMENT IT IN SOME OF OUR, UM, OUR, UM, SUGGESTIONS INTO THE NEW DESIGN, UH, PARTICULARLY THE FENESTRATION.
SO, UM, A TO OPERATIONS COMMITTEE, HAVE WE MET? WE HAVE NOT.
UH, HOW ABOUT THE GRANTS COMMITTEE? I DON'T THINK THE GRANTS COMMITTEE HAS MET.
WE HAVE NOT PRESERVATION PLAN COMMITTEE.
UM, WELL, SINCE I CALLED ON, UH, COMMISSIONER VILLAINS WHALER FOR ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMISSIONER HAIM, SETH, COULD YOU GIVE US A REPORT ON THE, UH, PRESERVATION PLAN COMMITTEE? WELL, THE PRESERVATION PLAN COMMITTEE, WASN'T ABLE TO HOLD A MEETING THAT'S BASED ON PROXIMITY AND FORUM, BUT WE WERE ABLE TO REVIEW THE, UM, THE DRAFT RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE STARTING TO BECOME A PART OF THE, UM, THE GROUP PROCESS.
AND, UH, I, I BELIEVE THERE WERE SEVERAL COMMENTS THAT HAD, THAT WERE MADE, UH, AS SUGGESTIONS AND THAT THOSE WENT BACK TO THE GROUP, UH, FOR THEIR NEXT MEETING, WHICH, UM, I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHEN THAT WAS HELD, BUT I BELIEVE THAT WAS, UH, JUST BEFORE THIS, THAT SOMETIME LAST WEEK.
SO WE SHOULD BE, WE SHOULD BE SEEING, UH, I I'M EAGER TO SEE WHAT THE GROUP THOUGHT OF THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS.
IS THERE ANYTHING FROM THE STAFF,
[02:35:01]
ANYTHING FURTHER? OKAY.[4.B. Future Agenda Items]
UM, FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. I THINK WE HAVE SEVERAL COMING BACK NEXT TIME, MAYBE.UH, DO I HEAR A MOTION TO ADJOURN? NOPE.
SORRY, EVERYBODY ON A FRIDAY AFTERNOON.
UM, I'M STILL PLAYING CATCH UP FROM THE HOUR THAT I MISSED AT THE BEGINNING OF LAST MEETING, AND I'M JUST NOT SURE.
UM, WHERE, WHERE EIGHT, 12 WEST 12TH STREET IS CURRENTLY AT.
I KNOW IT LOOKING AT THE MEETING NOTES THAT I MISSED IT'S, UM, CURRENTLY IN INDEFINITE POSTPONEMENT.
UM, BUT I DID HEAR A RUMOR FROM, UH, SOME SKATEBOARDERS WHO, UH, HELPED ME INSTALL A POCKET DOOR THAT, THAT HAS BEEN A NEGOTIATION ABOUT THE SKATE SHOP, MOVING INTO A DIFFERENT SPACE THAT ACC OWNS.
AND, UM, OBVIOUSLY OUR PURVIEW IS THE BUILDING ITSELF, AND I'M STILL VERY INTERESTED IN THAT, UM, BUILDING AND ITS, UH, POTENTIAL FOR HISTORIC ZONING.
UH, WE TALKED ABOUT THE UPTOWN SPORTS BUILDING EARLIER IN THIS MEETING AND, UH, IT WAS MENTIONED THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS FROM THAT ERA ARE, ARE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN AND, AND GETTING SLIMMER.
AND I DON'T WANT US TO LOSE SIGHT OF EIGHT, 12 WEST 12, EVEN IF THE SKATEBOARDING SHOP IS NOT, UM, OCCUPYING THAT SPACE.
SO I'M JUST, IT'S NOT GOING TO ASSURE ME THAT INDEFINITE POSTPONEMENT MEANS IT'S NOT GONNA, UM, WE'RE NOT GOING TO PAY PARADISE AND PUT UP A PARKING GARAGE THEN.
IF WE ALL, IF WE ALL CAME ON OUR SKATEBOARDS, WE WOULDN'T NEED THOSE PARKING GARAGE WOULD WAIT.
UM, STAFF, CAN YOU ENLIGHTEN US ON ANY, UM, ANY PROGRESS OR CHANGES WITH, UH, EIGHT, 12 WEST 12TH? NO, I HAVE NO UPDATE ON THAT PROPERTY.
UM, OTHER THAN, UH, LAST MONTH, THE INDEFINITE POSTPONEMENT WAS AT AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGES REQUEST, UH, TO HAVE SOME MORE TIME.
UM, THEY HAVE NOT WITHDRAWN THE APPLICANT.
THEY HAVE NOT WITHDRAWN THE APPLICATION.
UM, I, TO HER THAT THEY WERE NEGOTIATING WITH THE SKATEBOARD SHOP, UM, ABOUT WORKING WITH THEM FOR ON A NEW, UH, ON A NEW LOCATION.
BUT I HAVEN'T HEARD ANY, I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT THE, THE ULTIMATE, UM, FATE OF THE BUILDING ITSELF.
I THINK WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
BEFORE WE ADJOURN, I JUST WANT TO WISH STAFF AND ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES ON THE DICE ARE VERY, VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS.
AND IF MR. SADOWSKY WERE HERE, ALL OF US WOULD HAVE A CHRISTMAS COOKIE.
I COULDN'T GET THE CHRISTMAS COOKIE MEMO I'LL KNOW FOR NEXT YEAR.
EVERYBODY DRIVE SAFELY AND HAVE A GOOD HOLIDAY.
DID WE GO? EVERYBODY HAS TO VOTE TO ADJOURN.
WE'VE AT LEAST GOT A MAJORITY TO ADJOURN.
USE THAT GAVEL CHAIR USE THAT GAVEL.