[00:00:04]
I THINK I SAY THAT EVERY MEETING, BUT I AM SORRY.
IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY MONTH THERE'S A NEW TRAFFIC JAM TONIGHT.
IT CAN'T BE BONNIE RAY AS IT WAS LAST MONTH.
[CALL TO ORDER]
I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND CALL THE ROLL AND CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER.I'LL GO THROUGH THE AGENDA AND WE'LL HAVE OUR PUBLIC HEARINGS.
COMMISSIONER HEIM, SETH PRESENT.
COMMISSIONER CASTILLO PRESENT.
COMMISSIONER BELL? UH, TALL WHAT THERE YOU HONOR.
COMMISSIONER VALENZUELA PRESENT.
AND COMMISSIONER WRIGHT PRESENT IS, UH, VIRTUAL.
DO WE KNOW IF COMMISSIONER LARO WILL BE HERE THIS EVENING? STUCK IN TRAFFIC.
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
FIRST ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS TO ASK IF THERE'S ANYONE HERE WHO WANTS TO SPEAK ON ANYTHING THAT IS NOT ON TONIGHT'S AGENDA.THAT CAN BE ABOUT PRESERVATION IN GENERAL OR THE CITY IN GENERAL OR WHATEVER.
UM, AND THAT HAS TO BE NOT ON THE AGENDA.
HI, MEGAN KING, POLICY AND OUTREACH PLANNER FOR PRESERVATION AUSTIN.
UM, WITH OUR MONTHLY UPDATE FOR YOU GUYS.
UM, OUR GRANTS PROGRAM DEADLINE FOR THE WINTER, UM, SUBMISSION IS COMING UP IN ABOUT A MONTH.
WE GIVE OUT MATCHED GRANTS OF UP TO $10,000 FOR EDUCATION PROJECTS, BRICKS AND MORTAR PLANNING EFFORTS, LOCAL DESIGNATION EFFORTS, ET CETERA.
UM, IF ANYBODY LISTENING IS INTERESTED IN APPLYING, UH, THEY CAN DO SO AT, UH, LEARN MORE ABOUT THAT@PRESERVATIONAUSTIN.ORG.
UM, ALSO WE WANTED TO SHARE PRESERVATION.
AUSTIN HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN AN EFFORT, UM, TO BRING ATTENTION TO THE WATSON CHATEAU OF PROPERTY OWNED BY UT AUSTIN.
AND IT WAS RECENTLY LISTED ON, UH, PRESERVATION TEXAS' 2022 MOST ENDANGERED LIST.
SO WE'RE WE'RE, UM, TRYING TO GET THE WORD OUT AND LET PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT IT.
THE AMAZING PROPERTY, WHICH HAS SOME REALLY INCREDIBLE LGBTQ HISTORY, BLACK HISTORY, WOMEN'S HISTORY, AMAZING ARCHITECTURE, ALL THAT.
UM, YOU CAN ALSO READ MORE ABOUT THAT ON OUR WEBSITE.
AND, UM, LASTLY, JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT PRESERVATION.
AUSTIN HAS STARTED TAKING, UM, MEETINGS THIS WEEK WITH MEMBERS OF THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE, AND WE WILL BE WORKING WITH PARTNERS STATEWIDE TO BE MONITORING BILLS AND TAKING ACTION ON ANYTHING THAT MIGHT BE PRODUCTIVE OR HARMFUL FOR PRESERVATION.
UM, AND WE'LL BE KEEPING THE PUBLIC UPDATED ON ANY ADVOCACY ALERTS, UH, AS WE DO SO.
AND THAT'LL BE ALL FOR MY UPDATE TONIGHT.
I WANTED TO MAKE ONE ANNOUNCEMENT.
UM, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN BEING MORE INVOLVED IN THE EQUITY-BASED PRESERVATION PLAN, UH, THE CITY IS LOOKING FOR PEOPLE TO SERVE IN THE PRESERVATION PLAN WORKING GROUP, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO HAVE THESE PERSPECTIVES.
AS AN ATTORNEY, A CONTRACTOR, DEVELOPER, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION, ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY EXPERT, HERITAGE TOURISM, LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT SOCIAL JUSTICE ORGANIZATION, URBAN PLANNER PLANNING ORGANIZATION.
AND IT'S NOT LIMITED TO THOSE, BUT THOSE ARE SOME SPECIALTIES THAT THEY'RE PARTICULARLY LOOKING FOR.
THE APPLICATION IS DUE JANUARY 11TH, 2023.
I THINK THAT'S THE FIRST TIME THAT YEAR CAME OUT OF MY MOUTH.
WE'RE LOOKING AT, AND YOU CAN GET MORE INFORMATION ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE.
AGAIN, THIS IS THE EQUITY BASED PRESERVATION PLAN.
THE FIRST ITEM ON OUR AGENDA, WHAT
[Consent Agenda]
I WILL DO IS I WILL GO THROUGH THE AGENDA AND I WILL, UH, I WILL GO THROUGH THEM AS THEY COME UP IN ORDER AND SAY WHETHER THEY ARE ITEMS THAT ARE, UH, SUBMITTED TO US FOR CONSENT APPROVAL, UH, FOR DISCUSSION, FOR POSTPONEMENT, OR FOR DISCUSSION POSTPONEMENT.[00:05:01]
WILL GO THROUGH THIS ONCE.IF ANYONE WANTS TO PULL AN ITEM FOR DISCUSSION THAT IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT, GET MY ATTENTION, RAISE YOUR HAND OR CALL OUT MY NAME.
AND WE WILL PULL THAT FOR CONS FOR, UH, DISCUSSION.
OTHER ITEMS, UH, THAT ARE OFFERED FOR CONSENT WILL BE, UM, APPROVED.
AND ONCE THAT HAPPENS, IF YOU HAVE AN ITEM THAT'S OFFERED FOR CONSENT AND IS APPROVED ON CONSENT, THEN YOU MAY LEAVE THE, THE, UM, THE CHAMBERS AND GET IN TOUCH WITH THE OR.
THE, UH, STAFF WILL GET IN TOUCH WITH YOU ABOUT ANY, UH, REQUIREMENTS.
OTHERWISE, PLEASE STAY AND WE WILL GET TO YOUR ITEM AS IT COMES UP ON THE AGENDA.
THE FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA, UH, IS APPROVAL OF MINUTES, THE MINUTES OF NOVEMBER 2ND, 2022.
ITEM TWO 11, UH, ONE 15 EAST FIFTH STREET.
THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTED A POSTPONEMENT.
APPLICANT REQUESTED POSTPONEMENT ITEM 4 16 0 6 NILES ROAD.
STAFF, PLEASE NOTE THAT ITEM IS OFFER IS PULLED FOR DISCUSSION.
ITEM 5 7 0 6 OAKLAND IS AN APPLICANT REQUESTED POSTPONEMENT ITEM SIX 200 EAST 43RD STREET IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT, BUT I WANNA PULL THAT ITEM FOR DISCUSSION.
ITEM SEVEN 1300 EAST FOURTH STREET IS AUTHORED FOR CONSENT.
ITEM 8 6 13 BLANCO STREET WILL BE A DISCUSSION ITEM UNDER NATIONAL REGISTERED DISTRICT PERMIT APPLICATIONS.
ITEM 9 5 12 EAST MONROE IS AN APPLICANT REQUESTED POSTPONEMENT ITEM 10 13 15 AND 1317.
NEWING AVENUE IS AGAIN, AN APPLICANT REQUESTED POSTPONEMENT.
ITEM 11 10 20 SP STREET WILL BE A DISCUSSION POSTPONEMENT.
ITEM NUMBER 12 4 0 9 EAST MONROE STREET IS A CONSENT POSTPONEMENT.
ITEM 13 18 0 4 BRACKENRIDGE STREET IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
WE, UH, HAVE SOME, UM, PEOPLE REGISTERED TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION, SO PLEASE PULL THAT FOR DISCUSSION.
OKAY, THAT'S ITEM 13 18 0 4 BRECKENRIDGE IN THE TRAVIS HEIGHTS FAIRVIEW PARK NATIONAL REGISTER DISTRICT ITEM 14, 3007 OAKMONT IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
ITEM 15 28 16, GLENVIEW VIEW AVENUE IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT NUMBER 16 515.
CONGRESS AVENUE IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT UNDER DEMOLITION AND RELOCATION PERMIT.
APPLICATIONS NUMBER 17, 1800 GUADALUPE STREET IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
CHAIR MYERS, I'LL BE RECUSING FROM THAT CASE.
UH, COMMISSIONER VALENZUELA IS RECUSING HERSELF.
ITEM 1860 83RD STREET IS AN APPLICANT REQUESTED POSTPONEMENT NUMBER 19 27 17 MAINER ROAD IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT NUMBER 28 0 1 A AND B WEST JOHANNA STREET IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
WE HAVE SPEAKERS RE UH, REGISTERED AND OPPOSITION.
SO PLEASE PULL THAT FOR DISCUSSION.
GOING ON TO NUMBER 21, 2003 CANTERBURY STREET.
THAT'S OFFERED FOR DISCUSSION.
THAT WILL BE A DISCUSSION ITEM NUMBER 22 22 0 3.
EAST CESAR CHAVEZ WILL BE A DISCUSSION ITEM.
[00:10:01]
THAT'S THE END OF THE, UH, CASES.WE'LL THEN HAVE COMMITTEE UPDATES OKAY.
WITH THE EXCEPTIONS, UH, NOTED ITEMS THAT WERE PULLED.
DO I HEAR A MOTION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? IT'S ALL MOVED.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE CONSENT AGENDA, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
THE ITEMS THAT ARE OFFERED FOR, UH, APPLICANT REQUESTED OR CONSENT POSTPONEMENT.
DO I HEAR A MOTION ON THAT? SO MOVED.
ALL IN FAVOR OF THE POSTPONEMENT.
[11. HR-2022-152879 – 1020 Spence St. – Discussion Willow-Spence National Register District Council District 3 ]
THAT IS A DISCUSSION POSTPONEMENT NUMBER 11 10 20 SP STREET.ARE WE GOING TO TAKE THAT UP NOW? THE DISCUSSION? YEAH.
IT'LL BE A DISCUSSION POSTPONEMENT.
THE DISCUSSION WILL, UH, STRICTLY BE ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT TO POSTPONE THE ITEM.
DO YOU WANNA MAKE A PRESENTATION ON THAT OR DO YOU WANT US TO TAKE IT UP WHEN IT COMES UP ON THE AGENDA IN TURN? SO, UM, THE, UH, APPLICANT HAS NOT PROVIDED REVISED DRAWINGS, UM, FOR STAFF AND THE COMMISSION TO REVIEW.
UH, THIS IS THE SAME DRAWINGS AS LAST TIME.
SAME STAFF REPORT AS LAST TIME.
UM, THE, UH, APPLICANT IS FINE WITH POSTPONEMENT BUT DOES NOT WANNA REQUEST IT HIMSELF.
HE WANTS IT TO, TO BE A COMMISSION POSTPONEMENT.
DO I HEAR A MOTION FROM THE COMMISSION TO, UH, POSTPONE THIS ITEM? SO MOVE SECOND.
WELL, WE, I GOT A SECOND FROM HEIM, SETH, WHO MADE THE MOTION LAROCHE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
AND THEY ARE PLANNING TO BRING REVISED, UH, DRAWINGS.
YES, WE JUST DON'T HAVE 'EM YET.
WE WILL NOW GO ON AND TAKE THE ITEMS, UM, IN THE ORDER.
THEY APPEAR ON THE AGENDA, INCLUDING THOSE ITEMS THAT WERE PULLED FOR DISCUSSION.
[4. HR-2022-138071 – 1606 Niles Rd. – Consent Pease Mansion Council District 10 ]
ITEM WE WILL DISCUSS IS THE PEACE MANAGING 1606 MILES ROAD, CALLEN CALLEN CERAS HOUSING AND PLANNING.UM, ITEM EIGHT IS AN APPLICATION FOR 1606 NILES ROAD.
THE PROPOSAL IS TO REHABILITATE A HISTORIC STRUCTURE, REMOVE AN EXISTING ADDITION, CONSTRUCT TWO NEW ADDITIONS AND THREE NEW OUT BUILDINGS, RESTORE PATHWAYS AND GATES, RELOCATE A POOL AND REPLACE A TENNIS COURT.
UH, THIS IS WOODLAWN, UM, ALSO KNOWN AS THE PEAS MANSION.
AND THE 2002 HISTORIC ZONING STAFF REPORT DESCRIBES THE PROPERTY AS FOLLOWS.
IT'S A MONUMENTAL TWO-STORY GREEK REVIVAL BRICK RESIDENCE WITH A FLAT ROOF, PROMINENT CLASSICAL AND TAB AND TABLATURE, AND TWO-STORY FULL WIDTH PORTICO SUPPORTED BY FLUTED IONIC COLUMNS.
A SMALL BALCONY FEATURING ABNER COOK'S CHARACTER CHARACTERISTIC X AND STICK BALLADE IS CANTILEVERED FROM THE FRONT.
SECOND STORY, THE HOUSE ORIGINALLY HAD AN L PLAN ORGANIZED AROUND A CENTRAL HALLWAY AND A SYMMETRICAL FRONT FACADE WITH A CLASSICAL ENTRANCE AND EMBEDDED PILASTERS.
A TWO-STORY PARTIAL WITH GALLERY ON THE SOUTH ELEVATION IS SUPPORTED BY FLUTED DORK COLLINS.
AND THE MAIN HOUSE HAS SIX OVER SIX AND NINE OVER SIX WOOD SLASH WINDOWS.
THE HOUSE HAS MODERN REAR ADDITIONS WITH AN ATTACHED GARAGE AND TWO MODERN OUT BUILDINGS.
THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S HISTORIC DESIGN STANDARDS ARE BASED ON THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR STANDARDS FOR REHABIL REHABILITATION AND ARE USED TO EVALUATE PROJECTS AT HISTORIC LANDMARKS.
UH, THE DESIGN HAS BEEN AMENDED TO REFLECT ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE FEEDBACK, AND NOW THE PROJECT MEETS MOST OF THE APPLICABLE STANDARDS.
COMMITTEE FEEDBACK INCLUDES CONSIDER REHABILITATING THE ADDITION EXISTING ADDITION.
RATHER THAN REPLACING IT, CONSIDER A SIX FOOT TRANSPARENT PE FENCE RATHER THAN OPAQUE WALLS AND REDUCE THE VISUAL IMPACT OF SECONDARY FACADES.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION IS TO CONCUR WITH COMMITTEE FEEDBACK AND TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMITTEE FEEDBACK, UH, AND APPROVE THE APPLICATION.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OF STAFF? YES, COMMISSIONER LAROCHE.
I GOTTA STEP OUT AND RECUSE MYSELF FROM THIS ONE.
COMMISSIONER LAROCHE RECUSES HIMSELF ON THIS ITEM.
ARE THERE ANY, UH, ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OF STAFF?
[00:15:01]
OKAY.UM, DO I HAVE ANYONE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THE APPLICATION? WE HAVE ASHLEY KNIGHT.
MR. MS. KNIGHT? I'M NOT HERE TO SPEAK ON THAT ONE.
UM, IS THE APPLICANT HERE? YES.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD.
I'M GONNA NEED EVERY, EVERY BIT OF THAT.
UM, I LEAD THE OFFICE OF ARCHITECTURE FOR RIOS HERE IN AUSTIN, AND WE'RE REPRESENTING A REALLY INCREDIBLE CREDIBLE DESIGN TEAM ON THIS, ON THIS PROJECT, UH, INCLUDING EMILY LITTLE WHO'S, WHO'S SEATED BEHIND ME.
SO WE'RE REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE, UM, Y'ALL'S TIME TONIGHT.
UH, I THINK WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH, DO I HAVE YEAH.
CONTROL HERE? I DON'T THINK IT WORKS.
LET'S GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, AND SKIP FORWARD TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
WE'LL TRY TO, UM, BE AS BRIEF AS POSSIBLE.
WE REALLY WANNA DESCRIBE THE AMOUNT OF ENERGY AND EFFORT THAT, THAT OUR ENTIRE TEAM PUT IN TO BRINGING THIS PROJECT FORTH TODAY.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU ALL KNOW THAT IT WAS BUILT IN 1854, UM, BY MASTER BUILDER ABNER COOK.
IT'S RECOGNIZED OBVIOUSLY AT THE CITY, STATE, AND NATIONAL LEVELS AS SIGNIFICANTLY HISTORIC HOME TO TWO GOVERNORS.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, ONCE ENCOMPASSED OVER 700 ACRES.
YOU KNOW, OUR GOALS WHEN WE SET OUT AS A TEAM, WERE REALLY TO RESTORE, HONOR, REVITALIZE, AND PRESERVE THE PROJECT.
UM, YOU KNOW, THAT REALLY THAT PROCESS STARTED EARLY ON WITH A LOT OF RESEARCH, ALSO LOOKING AT THE A H L C AND T HC PROTECTIVE EASEMENTS, YOU KNOW, OUR PRESERVATION EFFORTS REALLY FOC DECIDED TO FOCUS ON THE 1854 ORIGINAL HOUSE, OBVIOUSLY, AND THE SIGNIFICANT ADDITION THAT WAS DONE IN 1903, UH, BY THE PEACE FAMILY.
AND, YOU KNOW, REALLY AGAIN, THE FIRST STEPS THAT WE TOOK IN THAT SOME OF THAT RESEARCH WE'RE TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE NUMEROUS RENOVATIONS, UH, THE CHANGES THAT THE HOUSE HAS GONE THROUGH OVER ITS LIFETIME.
UM, AGAIN, THE, THE PRESERVATION EFFORTS REALLY WERE FO FOCUSED ON THOSE TWO ORIGINAL PERIODS.
YOU KNOW, WHAT WE LEARNED THROUGH THAT PROCESS WAS THAT REALLY A BULK OF THE CHANGES HAPPENED ON THE INTERIOR.
UM, YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
MISSING SOME IMAGES THERE, BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE LEARNED IS THAT A LOT OF THE INTERIOR, SADLY, UH, A FEW OF THE ORIGINAL TRIM DETAILS REMAIN.
UM, THERE WAS A REALLY EXCITING DISCOVERY THAT A LOT OF, LOT OF THE ORIGINAL 1854 AND 1903 WINDOWS, UM, STILL EXIST.
UM, AND THOSE WILL BE RESTORED AND AND PRESERVED.
SEE IF EVERYTHING SHOWS UP HERE.
YEAH, I MEAN REALLY, REALLY LUCKILY FOR, FOR US, AND, AND WHAT WAS REALLY EXCITING IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE FACADES, THE EXTERIOR FACADES, UM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THERE'S A LOT OF DETERIORATION, A LOT OF WEAR AND TEAR ON THIS PROJECT OVER TIME, BUT IN, IN GENERALLY GOOD, GOOD SHAPE AND THE EXISTING HISTORIC FRONT DOOR IS STILL, UM, THERE.
SO WE'RE GONNA RESTORE AND REPAIR ALL OF THAT.
I MEAN, REALLY UNIQUE THAT THESE BRICKS WERE KILNED ON ONSITE, ESSENTIALLY WHEN THE SITE TOUCHED SHOAL CREEK AT ONE POINT.
SO THERE'S JUST A, A TON OF EXCITING HISTORY THAT GOES INTO THIS NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
UM, AGAIN, ON THIS SLIDE SHOWING MORE OF THE DETERIORATION, MORE OF THE ITEMS THAT ARE GONNA BE REPAIRED, UM, I THINK WE'LL JUST SLIP CLIP THROUGH THE NEXT ONE.
AND SO ANYWAYS, WOULD, DO YOU WANT TO JUMP IN REALLY QUICKLY TO, TO THE PROPOSED PROJECT? YOU KNOW, WHY WE'RE HERE TONIGHT TO SEEK YOUR SUPPORT? YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WITH MANY HISTORIC PROJECTS, THE, THE GREATEST CHALLENGE IS TRYING TO BRING IT UP TO UP TO DATE AND, YOU KNOW, CREATE THE ADDITIONAL SPACE NEEDED FOR, FOR A MODERN FAMILY.
YOU KNOW, GIVEN THE, THE PROTECTIVE EASEMENTS OF THIS PROJECT, UM, YOU KNOW, THESE ADDITIONS, THE TEAM TOOK REALLY METICULOUS CARE IN TRYING TO IDENTIFY THE BEST LOCATIONS FOR THESE ADDITION, UH, ADDITIONS.
WORKING WITH THC, WORKING WITH Y'ALL ON, UH, ARC SEVERAL TIMES, AGAIN, TO PROTECT THE OVERALL SWEEPING VIEWS OF THE PROJECT.
THERE'S OVER OVER 50 HERITAGE TREES, UM, THAT ARE ALSO BEING PROTECTED.
AND SO AGAIN, JUST TRYING TO FIND THE, THE RIGHT LOCATION FOR THOSE ADDITIONS THAT DIDN'T IMPACT ALL OF THE PROTECTIVE EASEMENTS.
I THINK THE TEAM JUST A HUGE COLLABORATIVE EFFORT BY OUR WHOLE TEAM, UM, TO GET THIS TO THIS POINT.
THE NEXT COUPLE SLIDES HERE ARE GONNA SHOW AN EXISTING PHOTO AND THEN COMPARED WITH
[00:20:01]
THE DOWN BELOW WITH THE PROPOSED DESIGN EDITION.AGAIN, THIS IS, THIS IS YOUR PRIMARY, THIS IS YOUR GRAND FRONT ELEVATION.
THE EAST ELEVATION THAT I THINK, AGAIN, IN MY OPINION, IS ONE OF THE MOST ICONIC VIEWS IN AUSTIN.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE DISCOVERED SOME LITTLE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, ARE GONNA BE REPAIRED AND RESTORED.
SIMILAR IN 2003, THE HISTORIC SHUTTERS WERE REMOVED.
WE'RE PLANNING TO REPLACE THOSE.
UH, IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, STARTING TO LOOK FROM THE SOUTH AGAIN, PART OF THE PROTECTIVE EASEMENT, YOU'LL SEE THE 2003 EDITION THERE TO THE, UM, TO THE LEFT.
AND WHERE THAT'S GONNA BE COMPLETELY REMOVED AND REPLACED.
WITH OUR NEW PROPOSED EDITION, OUR, OUR NEW PROPOSED WEST EDITION WILL STEP SLIGHTLY BACK.
UM, AGAIN, WE'RE HOPING THAT, THAT IT'S COMPATIBLE, COMPLIMENTARY, BUT DOES NOT DOMINATE THE HISTORIC HOUSE.
UM, I'LL TRY TO JUST GET QUICKLY THROUGH THE NEXT COUPLE SLIDES.
APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S TIME AGAIN.
UM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, LOOKING AT THE WEST EDITION, YOU'LL SEE THIS IS THE NEW NEW EDITION OF THE HOUSE.
OUR ROOF LINES OF THE EDITION WILL SIT BELOW THE HISTORIC HOUSE.
AGAIN, OVERALL, TRYING TO BE DEFERENTIAL TO THE HISTORIC HOUSE AS, AS BEST WE CAN.
THERE'S A COUPLE NUANCES HERE, A COUPLE LITTLE DETAILS.
THERE'S A EXISTING LOUVERED WINDOW THAT'S GONNA GET RESTORED BACK TO AN, TO A WINDOW CONDITION, A WINDOW, UH, BELOW IT THAT'LL GET ELONGATED TO MATCH THE ADJACENT 1903 WINDOWS.
UM, LEMME GO TO THE NEXT, WE JUST HAVE A COUPLE MORE SLIDES TO LOOK AT.
YOU KNOW, HERE'S THE OUTBUILDINGS.
IT, THE OUTBUILDINGS THAT WE'VE PROPOSED, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, A SLIGHTLY DARKER MATERIALITY, UM, SET BACK TO THE WEST PROPERTY LINE AGAIN.
WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO BE DEFERENTIAL TO THE HISTORIC HOUSE.
UM, THAT DARKER BRICK ALLOWS THEM TO RECEDE INTO THE BACKGROUND.
UH, NEXT COUPLE SLIDES YOU CAN JUST CLICK THROUGH SLOWLY, UM, YOU KNOW, RE RESTORING STONE COLUMNS, STONE PILLARS ON THE EXTERIOR FENCING, REPLACING DAMAGED METAL FENCING, AND THERE'LL BE NEW GATES TO MATCH.
UM, QUICK, YOU KNOW, OUR MATERIAL PALLET, I THINK, AND CLICK THROUGH TO THE LAST SLIDE, I THINK IS OKAY.
UM, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO BE HERE.
WE'RE REALLY, UM, LEARNED A TON ON THIS PROJECT.
IT'S, UH, WE'RE LOOKING FOR YOUR SUPPORT TONIGHT AND WE REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S TIME.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OF THE APPLICANT FROM THE COMMISSION? WE HAVE, UM, WE HAVE SEEN THIS, UH, BEFORE THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE AND, UM, UH, AND HAD SOME RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND THE TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION ALSO WROTE A LETTER OF SUPPORT FOR THE, FOR THE RENOVATION AND, AND, UM, AND NEW CONSTRUCTION ON THE SITE.
UM, IS THERE ANYONE ELSE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THE APPLICATION? MS. LITTLE IN FAVOR OF OKAY.
YES, WE DO HAVE A SPEAKER IN OPPOSITION.
IS THERE, UM, YOU MAY SIT DOWN, SIR.
ANYONE OPPOSED TO THE APPLICATION? OKAY, MR. CHRISTENSEN, BEFORE HE STATES HIS OWN NAME.
THIS IS, UM, JIM CHRISTENSEN, WHO SERVED ON THIS COMMISSION FOR 20 YEARS AND WAS CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMISSION.
HE WAS YOUR CHAIRMAN, HUH? WHEN YOU WERE JUST A LITTLE ARCHITECT.
I, SORRY, I GOT LAUREN DRYAS TONIGHT, SO I'M NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO SPEAK AS WELL.
I LIVE IN THE OLD INFIELD NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE APPLICANT SAID IS THAT HE DIDN'T INCLUDE WAS NEVER TALKING TO THE NEIGHBORS.
UH, SO THERE WAS NEVER A MEETING WITH THE NEIGHBORS, UH, ABOUT WHAT WAS PROPOSED ON THE MOST SIGNIFICANT STRUCTURE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
MY, UH, CONCERN IS THREE PRO, AND I'LL JUST KIND OF LIST THIS.
EVERYTHING I'VE GIVEN TO YOU IS PUBLIC RECORD.
IT IS, UH, NOT SECRET EVEN THOUGH IT IS A TAX BILL FOR THIS PROPERTY, BUT, UM, I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN TOLD THAT WHEN OWNERSHIP CHANGES ON HISTORIC STRUCTURE, THAT THE, UH, HISTORIC STRUCTURE LOSES, UH, A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THEIR, UM, TAX ABATEMENT.
[00:25:01]
UH, AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THIS TAX STATEMENT, UH, THIS PROPERTY IN 2021, IT OWNED BY THE PEOPLE WHO WERE LISTED HERE, UM, UH, GOT THE TAX ABATEMENT, UH, AND IT WAS A CHANGE OF OWNERSHIP.SO I'M JUST ASKING, YOU KNOW, THIS STUFF ABOUT THAT.
I KEEP HEARING THAT WHEN PEOPLE GET PROPERTIES OWNED HISTORIC, THAT THEY ONLY GET A $9,000 TAX ABATEMENT.
WHY DIDN'T IT HAPPEN IN THIS CASE WHEN IT BECAME, UH, A NEW OWNER OF THE PROPERTY? UM, THE OTHER THING I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT IS THE, I WOULD, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, I THINK THE PUBLIC HAS A RIGHT TO KNOW WHO OWNS THIS PROPERTY.
THIS PROPERTY IS HIDDEN BEHIND LLCS.
UH, IF YOU HAVE A LEGAL OPINION THAT SAYS YOU CAN KEEP THAT QUIET, UH, I THINK THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, PEOPLE HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW WHO THEY'RE GIVING THEIR TAX ABATEMENT TO.
AND WHO ARE THE PEOPLE? IS IT ELON MUSK'S BROTHER, OR WHO IS IT THAT ACTUALLY IS THE TRUE OWNER OF THIS, UH, PROPERTY? THE THIRD, THE SECOND THING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION IS IN YOUR REPORT, AND THE CHAIR JUST MENTIONED THIS, ABOUT THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS.
UH, IT SAYS COMMITTEE FEEDBACK, AND IT SAYS THAT CONSIDER REHABILITATING EXISTING ADDITIONS.
UH, DID ANYTHING GET DONE ABOUT THAT CONSIDERATION? UH, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY IF THERE ARE ADDITIONS THAT ARE HISTORIC AND HAVE BEEN THERE A LONG TIME, WHY WASN'T THAT CONSIDERED? BECAUSE I DON'T SEE THAT I, FIRST OF ALL, I DON'T MEAN WHAT, WHAT THE COMMITTEE WAS SAYING ABOUT THAT, BECAUSE THEN THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION JUST SAYS, CONCUR WITH THE COMMITTEE FEEDBACK.
BUT I CAN'T SEE WHERE ANY OF THE COMMITTEE'S FEEDBACK WAS INCORPORATED IN ANY OF THE DOCUMENTATION THAT WAS GIVEN TO Y'ALL AS PART OF THE PRESENTATION.
SO I'M JUST ASKING AS A CITIZEN, UH, AND A PRESERVATIONIST, UH, WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT COMMITTEE FEEDBACK.
BUT MY MAIN CONCERN HERE TODAY IS TO TALK ABOUT SOMETHING THAT GOES BACK TO THE ORIGINAL OF THIS HOUSE.
IT HAS TO DO WITH THE ORIGINAL OWNER, MR. SHAW.
MR. SHAW, IF YOU READ THE LITTLE HANDOUT THAT I GAVE YOU HERE, AND IT'S REITERATED IN THIS BOOK THAT WAS PRODUCED BY THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE WHEN, UH, THE, UH, PROPERTY WAS PUT UP FOR SALE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, UH, WHICH WAS WELL DOCUMENTED ARCHITECTURALLY IN THE, IN THE PROSPECTUS HERE, IT SAYS THERE THAT SHAW MARRIED A YOUNG LADY.
HE, UH, HE, THE COUPLE MOVED INTO THEIR FINE NEW HOME AND HAD A CHILD.
THE CHILD DIED AT AGE TWO AND WAS BURIED ON THE GROUNDS OF THE ESTATE.
YOU'RE PROPOSING HERE TO PUT BABAI PORTS, UH, TENNIS COURTS, AND NOBODY'S DONE AN INDICATION WHETHER THERE'S STILL A GRAVE FOR THIS CHILD THAT'S MENTIONED IN THIS DOCUMENT THAT THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE PREPARED.
I THINK THAT BEFORE WE START COVERING UP EVERYTHING ON THIS PROPERTY WITH CONCRETE, THAT SOMEBODY SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO DETERMINE WHETHER THERE IS A CHILD BURIED ON THE GROUNDS.
UM, I WANNA, DOES ANYONE KNOW THE, THE ANSWER ABOUT THE TAX ABATEMENT? I HAVE NEVER HEARD THAT A PROPERTY LOSES TAX ABATEMENT WHEN IT'S SOLD.
I, I BELIEVE THAT TAX, THAT TAX CONSIDERATION FOLLOWS THE PROPERTY, NOT THE OWNER.
AND, UM, I, I DON'T, I, I'M NOT SURE.
I THOUGHT THE CAP WAS 8,000 SOMETHING.
IS THAT IT'S, IT'S, UH, TO CLARIFY, IT'S THE TAX EXEMPTION, NOT THE ABATEMENT.
AND IT DOES FOLLOW THE PROPERTY, NOT THE, NOT THE OWNER, BUT I MEAN, THIS HAS SHOW FOLLOWS THE PROPERTY, NOT THE PROPERTY OWNER.
THIS STATEMENT IS SHOWING THE TAXES 3 MILLION FOR CENTRAL APPRAISAL DISTRICT EXEMPTION, 2 MILLION FOR TRAVIS COUNTY, CITY OF AUSTIN, 1.8 MILLION TAX EXEMPTION.
IF, IF I, I CAN COMMENT ON THAT.
THOSE ARE THE EXEMPTION AMOUNTS.
SO THOSE ARE THE ADJUSTED ASSESSED VALUES THAT WHEN APPLIED TO THE TAX RATE WOULD RESULT IN THE ACTUAL PAYMENT, WHICH IS CAPPED AT 8,500, UH, AMONG THE THREE TAXING ENTITIES.
SO, UM, IF YOU TAKE THE THREE 16,429 AND APPLY
[00:30:01]
IT TO THE 1%, IT COMES TO AROUND 3,200, WHICH IS UNDER THE $3,500 CAP FOR THE CITY.ALTHOUGH WHEN YOU RUN THE OTHER TWO, THEY ARE OVER THE CAP.
SO I THINK IT'S WORTH ASKING THE QUESTION.
YEAH, I MEAN, I WAS TOLD THAT ALL OF THE TAX EXEMPTION THAT THERE WAS A CAP OF $8,000, IT'S, UH, AS I UNDERSTAND, STAFF WOULD KNOW MORE, BUT THERE'S THREE DIFFERENT, ONE, ONE IS 3,500 FOR THE CITY, 2,500 EACH FOR THE COUNTY AND A I S D.
AND THEN THERE ARE TWO OTHER TAXING ENTITIES THAT DON'T HAVE CAPS ON TOP OF THAT.
AS I, BECAUSE CAUSE I, I'VE SENT THAT OUT TO SOME MY NEIGHBORS AND THEY SAID, NO, IT'S ALL CAPPED AT $8,000, BUT EVIDENTLY IT'S NOT.
BUT I'M WONDERING HOW DID, I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT WHEN IT CHANGES OWNERSHIP, THE, THE RULE SAYS THAT THEY DON'T GET, THAT DOESN'T PASS THROUGH.
I UNDERSTAND THAT IT DOES FOLLOW WITH THE PROPERTY.
THERE WERE SOME CHANGES IN 2004 AND 2011 THAT THAT TWEAKED THE CAPS.
UH, SO SOME PREVIOUS OWNERS FROM THE 1970S OR EIGHTIES MAY HAVE LARGER EXEMPTION BY RIGHT.
BUT THEN WHEN IT PASSES OVER, THEN THE CAPS ARE ENFORCED FOR THE NEW OWNER.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE CHANGE THAT HAPPENS UNDER NEW OWNERSHIP.
WELL, I JUST KINDA LOOKED INTO WANT THE DISCUSSION TO BE SHUT DOWN IF NOBODY REALLY KNOWS WHAT, WHAT THE TAX EXEMPTION IS, ESPECIALLY WITH THIS OWNER WHO REFUSES TO TELL WHO THEY ARE.
YEAH, I MEAN, WE, WE DO KNOW WHAT THE CAPS ARE, BUT THE MAIN THING IS IT'S THE TAX ASSESSOR COLLECTOR RESPONSIBILITY TO ENFORCE THE TAX PER CODE.
SO THEY'D BE REALLY THE ONES TO ASK THE QUESTIONS OF.
AND I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO, UH, KNOW IF THERE IS AN OPINION THAT ALLOWS THIS TO BE KEPT SECRET FROM THE PUBLIC AND, UH, CAN THE PUBLIC HAVE A COPY OF THAT OPINION? UM, I DON'T, WE DON'T KNOW WHO THE OWNER IS.
I COULD TELL YOU I'M THE OWNER.
I CAN'T, I I REALLY CAN'T ADDRESS THAT IN, IN OUR DEALINGS WITH THE ARCHITECTURE TEAM.
UM, THEY ARE OPERATING UNDER A, A NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT AND, UH, WE ARE NOT, WE ARE NOT PRIVY TO THAT INFORMATION.
I MAYBE YOU CAN TALK TO THIS FURTHER WITH CITY LEGAL.
I, I CAN'T WELL, I I JUST THINK IT'S BEFORE YOU APPROVE IT THAT SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS OUGHT TO BE ANSWERED, ESPECIALLY WHETHER THERE IS A BODY BURIED IN THE GROUNDS.
I THINK THAT'S INTERESTING INFORMATION.
AND BECAUSE THE, UM, THE ARCHITECTURE TEAM IS HERE TONIGHT, UM, PERHAPS THEY CAN ADDRESS THAT.
ARE YOU AWARE THAT THERE THERE IS.
I BELIEVE THERE IS A REBUTTAL AFTER THIS.
WELL, WE'LL, WE'LL SEE IF THEY CAN ANSWER THAT.
AND THEN IF NOT, UH, AT LEAST IT'S, IT'S HERE IN ON THE PUBLIC RECORD, UH, THAT THERE MAY BE A BODY BURIED ON THE, ON THE SITE.
SO, UM, ANY OTHER QUESTION? ANY QUESTIONS OF, OF MR. CHRISTENSEN? OKAY, THANK YOU, SIR.
UM, IS THERE ANYONE ELSE TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION TO THE APPLICATION? OKAY.
WOULD THE, UM, WOULD THOSE IN FAVOR LIKE TO REBUT? PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD.
EMILY LITTLE, UM, SERVING AS HISTORIC CONSULTANT ON THIS PROJECT.
AND, UM, GOOD EVENING TO ALL OF YOU.
UH, JIM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTARY.
WE HAVE, UH, HAD EXCHANGES WITH THE NEIGHBORS AND IT'S BEEN DIFFICULT BECAUSE THEY DON'T, THEY NO LONGER HAVE A FORMAL NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP.
AND I APOLOGIZE TO YOU BECAUSE WE'VE SPOKEN WITH BILL DOMAN BLAKE AND ALSO PATSY REID, THE NEIGHBOR TO THE IMMEDIATE WEST.
AND WE'RE IN CON CONVERSATION WITH A WOMAN NAMED KAT, I'M SORRY, I DON'T KNOW HER LAST NAME, BUT, UH, JOHN HALLICK HAS BEEN DEALING WITH THAT.
AND, UM, WE'RE, WE ARE VERY EAGER TO TALK TO THE NEIGHBORS, ESPECIALLY AS WE HOPE CONSTRUCTION BEGINS TO MOBILIZE.
WE WANT THEM TO KNOW WHAT'S AHEAD AND WHAT, HOW IT WILL AFFECT THEM.
SO, UH, THAT, THAT IS HOW I WOULD ADDRESS YOUR FIRST CONCERN.
THANK YOU FOR THE, I I AGREE WITH THE OTHER TWO ISSUES.
IT'S CERTAINLY A LEGAL MATTER AND WE DON'T KNOW.
WE, WE ARE ALL WORKING UNDER NDAS AND WE DON'T KNOW WHO THE OWNERS ARE EITHER.
AND I'VE COME TO JUST ACCEPT THAT.
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE EVER WILL.
YOU KNOW, WE CELEBRATE THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE LIVED THERE, BUT WE'RE IN DIFFERENT TIMES NOW.
AND SECURITY AND PRIVACY ARE OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANT TO THESE NEW OWNERS.
UM, THE REFERENCE TO ARC'S RECOMMENDATION TO JUST WORK WITH THE
[00:35:01]
2003 EDITION, I WANT TO CLARIFY THAT.CERTAINLY NOT A HISTORIC EDITION 2003 AND TO SIMP, WE STUDIED THAT IN DESIGN, BUT TO SIMPLY ADD ON TO THAT EDITION WOULD HAVE LOOKED MORE CUMBERSOME IN OUR OPINION AND N THCS THAN THE SINGLE STATEMENT OF NEW DESIGN, NEW CONTEMPORARY, YET SYMPATHETIC DESIGN.
SO WE OPTED TO REMOVE THE 2003 TO REQUEST THAT.
AND AS FAR AS THE CHILD, YES, WE READ THAT.
AND WE HAVE ALSO READ THAT THE BODY WAS RELOCATED.
AND I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SUBSTANTIATE THIS, WHERE I CAN FIND THE REFERENCE TO THE BURIAL AND TO THE RELOCATION, BUT IT'S JUST ALL IN THIS SORT OF NARRATIVE HISTORY ABOUT WOODLAWN.
AND, UH, I'M, I'D BE, WE, WE HAVE NO DESIRE TO DISRUPT THE GRAVE OF A, OF A CHILD AND, AND WILL, WILL TAKE NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS.
BUT I DO KNOW THAT WE HAVE BEEN OPERATING UNDER THE, UH, REALIZATION AND THE DISCOVERY OF THE STATEMENT THAT THE CHILD HAD B THE BARRY BURIAL HAD BEEN RELOCATED.
SO I HOPE THAT ADDRESSES THOSE CONCERNS.
UH, I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THAT.
IT, IT WAS MENTIONED EARLIER THAT THE, THE EXTENT OF THE SITE WAS MUCH GREATER WHEN THE THE BUILDING WAS FIRST BUILT.
DO WE KNOW THE, THE SIZE OF THE PROPERTY OR THE SITE WHEN THE CHILD WAS BURIED THERE? THAT'S WHEN IT WAS AT ITS LARGEST.
AND NOW WE'RE DOWN TO THREE ISH.
AND WE'VE HAVE, WE HAVE EARLIER SITE PLANS THAT SHOW WHERE THE OUT BUILDINGS WERE.
THE EXTENT OF OUR PROPERTY NOW WAS AT THE VERY BEGINNING EDGE OF THE ORIGINAL OUT BUILDINGS, THE STABLES, THE BARN, THAT STUFF.
YOU MIGHT, UM, PERHAPS WE CAN, UH, YOU MIGHT TALK TO MR. CHRISTENSEN ABOUT, UM, MEETING WITH SOME OF THE NEIGHBORS.
OR IF THEY'RE, IF THERE'S FURTHER DISCUSSION THAT YOU CAN SHARE WITH HIM.
I KNOW EVERYBODY IS INTERESTED AND PEOPLE, PEOPLE ARE, YOU KNOW, UM, CURIOUS AS TO WHO THE NEW OWNERS ARE.
AND I I KNOW ALL OF US WOULD LIKE TO KNOW, UM, JUST BECAUSE THIS IS SUCH A HUGE PART OF AUSTIN'S HISTORY.
AND, UM, AND, AND INQUIRING MINES WANNA KNOW.
UM, WITH THAT, THIS, THIS IS A DISCUSSION ITEM.
DO I HEAR A MOTION ON THE CASE? CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING, MAYBE
DO I HEAR A SECOND TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING? OKAY.
WE HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER HOUT.
SECOND BY, UH, COMMISSIONER MC.
ALL IN FAVOR OF CLOSING THE PUBLIC HEARING, PLEASE SAY AYE.
IS THERE A MOTION ON THE CASE? UH, I WILL MOVE, UH, STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION, APPROVAL.
AND I APPRECIATE MR. CHRISTENSEN BRINGING UP IMPORTANT DISCUSSION ITEMS. UH, I GO BACK TO WHAT IS ACTUALLY SPECIFICALLY BEING PROPOSED ON THIS PROPERTY, AND THINK OF ALL THE CASES THAT REPRESENT ALTERNATIVES.
UH, THE FACT THAT SOMEBODY, WHOEVER IT IS, IS WILLING TO PUT THE TIME AND INVESTMENT IN AND MAKE AS MANY SYMPATHETIC, UH, MOVES TO RESTORE AS MUCH OF THE SITE AS THEY ARE.
UH, I THINK, UH, AND THEN ADD SELECTIVELY.
I THINK YOU'RE GETTING INTO DISCUSSION.
I'M SORRY WE DON'T HAVE A SECOND ON YOUR MOTION.
THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE PURPOSE FOR MY MOTION.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
NOW
I WILL SAY IT IS IRONIC, HOWEVER, AND YOU BRING UP, UH, MR. CHRISTIAN BRINGS UP A, A VERY GOOD POINT THAT WE HAVE THE PES MANSION, WHICH PERHAPS SOMEDAY WILL BE REFERRED TO AS THE ANONYMOUS MANSION.
BUT, UH, I, I THINK THAT, UH, AND HIS TOTALITY, UH, WE COULD PICK AT ANY SPECIFIC DETAIL.
I THINK A LOT OF THE CHANGES HAVE ALREADY BEEN INCORPORATED.
BUT, UH, ON THE WHOLE, THIS SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED AND I'D LIKE TO SEE IT GO FORWARD.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO SAY, UM, I WROTE A LETTER OR REVISED A LETTER IN FAVOR OF NOT PUTTING IN THE SIDEWALKS, AND I WONDERED IF THAT WAS SUFFICIENT, IF IT WAS RECEIVED.
I'M HAPPY, I'M HAPPY TO HEAR THAT.
I, I, I HADN'T RECEIVED YOUR EDITS.
I, I THINK I SENT THEM TO STAFF.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU STILL NEED THAT AT ALL.
UH, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION? OKAY.
[00:40:01]
RAISE YOUR HAND.YEAH, THANK YOU MR. CHRISTENSEN.
[6. HR-2022-163130 – 200 E. 43rd St. – Consent Hyde Park Local Historic District Council District 9 ]
UM, IS ITEM SIX 200 EAST 43RD STREET.IT WAS OFFERED FOR CONSENT AND I PULLED IT, UM, AND WE'LL HEAR THE STAFF REPORT ON IT, AND I'LL EXPLAIN WHY I PULLED IT.
ITEM SIX, UH, AT 200 EAST 43RD STREET IS, UM, A PROPOSAL TO INSTALL A POOL IN THE FRONT SIDE YARD OF A CONTRIBUTING HOUSE TO THE HYDE PARK HISTORIC DISTRICT.
DO WE HAVE, UH, UH, PHOTOGRAPHS PLEASE? SO, SORRY.
I'M SORRY, CALLEN, I DIDN'T MEAN TO INTERRUPT YOU.
UH, THE HYDE PARK DESIGN STANDARDS ARE USED TO EVALUATE PROJECTS WITHIN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT.
HOWEVER, THE DESIGN STANDARDS DO NOT SPECIFICALLY ADDRESS SITE FEATURES SUCH AS THE POOL.
THUS THE PROPERTY MAY ALSO BE EVALUATED UNDER THE MORE GENERAL CITYWIDE STANDARDS, UH, USED TO EVALUATE PROJECTS IN HISTORIC DISTRICTS.
THE PROPOSED PROJECT DOES NOT AFFECT THE EXISTING BUILDING, HOWEVER, THE HISTORIC AGE STREETS GATE MAY BE AFFECTED BY THE INSTALLATION OF THE POOL AND OR THE FENCE AT THE BUILDING'S PRIMARY STREET FRONTAGE.
UM, WE DID NOT RECEIVE PROPOSED FENCING MATERIALS AND DIMENSIONS.
UH, SO THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION ON THIS PROJECT IS TO APPROVE THE APPLICATION IF THE PROPOSED FENCING COMPLIES WITH THE DESIGN STANDARDS.
UM, AND AS WELL, UM, I'D ALSO LIKE TO ADD, UM, INCLUDE AN INVITATION TO THE APPLICANT, UH, TO ATTEND THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE.
THE THING IS, IS THEY DIDN'T, THEY DIDN'T SUBMIT ANY PLANT, ANY DESIGN OR ANYTHING FOR THE FENCING.
AND THAT'S WHY I ASKED TO PULL IT AND REFER IT TO THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE.
UM, THIS IS A CORNER LOT, A VERY PROMINENT SITE IN HYDE PARK.
ARE ANY QUESTIONS OF STAFF? UM, IF MY MEMORY SERVES, I BELIEVE THAT, UM, EITHER FAIR, I BELIEVE FAIR FROM FAIR AND GRANGER ACTUALLY BUILT THIS HOUSE FOR FAMILY.
AND I DO BELIEVE THAT THE FENCE THAT IS FACING THE, UH, EXISTING FENCE, UH, ON THE STREET IS PART OF THE ORIGINAL DESIGN.
SO I THINK THE, THE FENCE ON THE OPPOSITE SURROUNDING THE POOL WILL BE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO BE RELEVANT HERE.
I, UM, I WASN'T SURE IF THE FENCE, UM, WAS A HISTORIC FENCE OR NOT, BUT IT'S BEEN THERE FOR THE 34 YEARS I'VE LIVED IN AUSTIN
SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, AND I'M HISTORIC MYSELF, SO, UH, UH, I, I HAD CONCERNS ABOUT THAT AS WELL.
AND IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY PLANNED TO REMOVE THE FENCE.
AH, THAT WOULD NOT BE ADVISABLE.
THE FENCE AND PERGOLA, THIS IS, LIKE I SAID, THIS IS, THIS IS ON 43RD STREET, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, FRESH PLUS.
AND, AND, UM, EVERYTHING ELSE THAT THAT'S HAPPENING, EVERYBODY WHO LIVES IN HYDE PARK PASSES THIS HOUSE EVERY SINGLE DAY JUST ABOUT.
UM, IS THERE ANYONE HERE IN FAVOR? OKAY.
IS THERE ANYONE HERE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THIS APPLICATION? PLEASE COME DOWN IF YOU WANT TO TALK TO IT.
HI GUYS, HOW ARE YOU? STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD.
YOU HAVE FIVE MINUTES, CONNELL.
UM, I'VE ACTUALLY ALREADY UPDATED THE FENCE.
THE ORIGINAL FENCE NOW GOES THE WHOLE RAY HALLWAY AROUND THE HOUSE.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY THE PICTURES THAT WAS SHOWN WERE, UH, QUITE OLD, SO NOW THAT LITTLE BIT OF FENCE TO THE BACK GOES, I BUILD 180 FEET OF IT THE WHOLE ENTIRE WAY AROUND THE HOUSE.
AND THEN I WAS GOING TO REPLICATE THAT EXACT SAME FENCE, UH, IN FRONT OF THE POOL AS WELL.
I'M, I VERY MUCH RESPECT THE HOUSE THAT I PURCHASED AND I RESPECT THE FENCE.
I THOUGHT IT WAS ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL.
HAS ANYONE BEEN PAST MY HOUSE IN THE LAST YEAR OR TWO? I HAVE NOT.
YOU WOULD PROBABLY BE ABLE TO SEE IT.
UM, AND I PROMISED, YEAH, I WILL DO IT.
THIS IS A NEW FENCE THAT YOU'VE ERECTED? YES, I BOUGHT IT DURING COVID.
I DIDN'T HAVE HAVE ANYTHING TO DO, SO I COPIED IT.
THE PRO PORTIONS ARE EXACTLY THE SAME.
UH, IT'S ACTUALLY A LITTLE BIT LOWER, UH, AT THE BACK THERE.
I DID IT AT FOUR FEET HIGH UP.
SO THAT'S WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE RIGHT NOW.
[00:45:06]
THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE RIGHT NOW WITH YES, WITH THE, THAT'S CORRECT.THE VINES AND YES, EVERYTHING.
AND WHAT ABOUT, SO THE POOL IS SET BACK FROM THE WA FRONT WALL OF THE HOUSE? YES.
ARE YOU GOING TO INSTALL AN ADDITIONAL FENCE IN FRONT OF THE POOL? YES, BUT I WAS GONNA COPY THAT EXACT DESIGN.
I THINK IT'S A VERY BEAUTIFUL REPEATING PATTERN.
AND THEN PROBABLY JUST GROW A COUPLE OF SMALL TREES BEHIND IT.
UM, WE, DOES ANYONE ON THE COMMISSION HAVE QUESTIONS FOR THE, FOR THE APPLICANT? IS THERE ANYONE HERE, IS THERE ANYONE ELSE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THE APPLICATION? OKAY, THANK YOU.
AND, AND WE'LL ASK TO, WE'LL, IF WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, WE'LL CALL YOU BACK.
I'M DAVID WEBBER FROM WEBBER STUDIO ARCHITECTS.
I DIDN'T KNOW I WAS GONNA SPEAK ABOUT THIS TONIGHT AT ALL.
UH, I HAPPEN TO HAVE MET SEAN MCCONNELL AND HIS WIFE, UH, UH, SEVERAL MONTHS AGO.
AND THE, THE FENCE IS NOTICEABLY VERY DELIGHTFUL AND I WAS ABLE TO COMMENT ABOUT THAT.
AND IT, THE FACT THAT IT WAS, UH, ORIGINALLY DESIGNED BY FAIR AND THAT SEAN KIND OF DID MORE OF IT AROUND THE FRONT OF THE PROPERTY, IT GIVES THEM WHAT I THINK IS CLEARLY SOME OBVIOUS, UH, SOME WELL-NEEDED, NEEDED SEPARATION FROM, UH, A, A VERY ACTIVE NEIGHBORHOOD.
BUT I JUST WANTED TO SAY, I THINK IT IS, IF YOU HAVEN'T GOTTEN A CHANCE TO DRIVE PAST IT OR SEE IT, UH, IT'S, THEIR HOUSE IS ONE OF THE NICEST IN THE WHOLE AREA, CUZ THE HOUSE IS REALLY LOVELY, BUT THE FENCE IS REALLY LOVELY AS WELL.
SO, UH, AN ISSUE FOR US IS THAT IT WAS DONE WITHOUT AN A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS AND THIS IS A LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICT.
SO I'M, I'M JUST SPEAKING IN RIGHT TERMS OF HOW IT FEELS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
ANYONE ELSE IN FAVOR? IS THERE ANYONE TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION? OKAY.
DO I HEAR A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING? IT'S ALL MOVED.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF CLOSING THE PUBLIC HEARING, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
ANY OPPOSED? THE PUBLIC HEARING IS CLOSED.
DO I HEAR A MOTION ON THE CASE? IT, WE MIGHT CONSIDER, DOES IT NEED TO GO TO LANDMARK, TO THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE OR CAN WE DISCUSS THIS AND, AND, UM, COME TO RESOLUTION HERE TONIGHT? I'LL MOVE TO APPROVE THE APPLICATION ON THE BASIS THAT THE FENCE AROUND THE POOL WILL BE NO HIGHER THAN THE EXISTING FENCE AND, UH, COMPLIMENTARY TWO.
ANY DISCUSSION? FURTHER DISCUSSION.
I'LL JUST NOTE IF, IF YOU, UH, GO TO THE, UM, HISTORY MACHINE, GO BACK TO THE PREVIOUS STREET VIEW, YOU CAN SEE THAT THAT FENCE WAS ORIGINALLY AROUND THE BACKYARD, UH, AROUND THE STONE PILLARS AND IT'S BEEN EXTENDED.
AND, UH, YEAH, THERE PROBABLY ARE SOME ISSUES OF FALSE HISTORICISM THERE.
UM, BUT, UM, THERE COULD BE TWEAKS TO SET OFF THE OLD FROM THE NEW WITH, WITHOUT ANY DISCERNIBLE, UM, IMPACT ON THE TOTAL DESIGN.
SO I, I WOULD ENCOURAGE 'EM TO HAVE SOME DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE ORIGINAL DESIGN AND THE NEW.
JUST, IT CAN BE VERY SLIGHT, IT CAN BE JUST A FEW INCHES HERE AND THERE, JUST SO THAT SOMEONE COULD TELL WHAT WAS THE ORIGINAL AND, AND WHAT WAS THE NEW.
BUT JUST IN TERMS OF THE HEIGHT AND THE OVERALL IMPACT, UH, ON THE PROPERTY, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE, I THINK SOMETHING SIMILAR, UM, WOULD BE APPROPRIATE.
I JUST WANNA POINT OUT THAT TO MEET, UM, CODE FOR POOL ENCLOSURE, I DON'T THINK THIS FENCE WOULD MEET THAT.
SO, UM, THERE DEFINITELY IS GONNA NEED TO BE SOME TWEAKS.
UM, AND THE FENCE WILL BE, IT NEED TO BE AT LEAST FOUR FEET IN HEIGHT.
SO, UM, THAT JUST NEEDS SOME ATTENTION.
IT WON'T BE ABLE TO LOOK EXACTLY LIKE THIS FENCE.
UM, SO DEFINITELY WILL NEED TO.
COMMISSIONER HEIM, SETH, I KNOW YOU'RE, YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING? IT'S BEEN SAID.
THE REASON I WANTED TO PULL IT, OR THAT I DID PULL IT IS BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY INFORMATION ON WHAT FENCE FENCING THEY WERE GONNA HAVE ON THIS, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO CAUTION THE APPLICANT IN THE FUTURE BEFORE YOU MAKE ANY EXTERIOR CHANGES ON YOUR LOT, INCLUDING FENCING AND DRIVEWAYS AND SIDEWALKS AND ALL OF THAT.
IT NEEDS TO BE REVIEWED BY THE LANDMARK COMMISSION.
I WILL NOTE, UH, THE HYDE PARK, UM, DESIGN STANDARDS DO NOTE THAT, UH, THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICER CAN ISSUE A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS FOR A POOL DECK FENCE BACK PORCH
[00:50:01]
ENCLOSURE, OTHER MINOR FEATURE.IT WOULDN'T EVEN HAVE TO COME, UM, ALL THE WAY TO US UNLESS IT DIDN'T MEET THE STANDARD, SO, OKAY.
UM, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION? RAISE YOUR HAND.
ANY OPPOSED? OKAY, IT PASSES, IT CARRIES LOVELY HOUSE.
[8. HR-2022-170074 – 613 Blanco St. – Discussion Castle Hill Local Historic District Council District 9 ]
IS, UH, SIX, UH, ITEM 8 6 13 BLANCO.THIS IS IN THE CASTLE HILL LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICT, WHICH HAS ITS OWN DESIGN STANDARDS.
UH, ITEM EIGHT AT SIX 13 BLANCO STREET IS A PROPOSAL TO CONSTRUCT AN ADDITION CARPORT POOL AND A DECK TO A CONTRIBUTING HOUSE.
UH, SIX 13 BLANCO IS A ONE STORY SIDE GABLE CRAFTSMAN, UH, WITH A CENTER PARTIAL WITH GABLE PORCH SUPPORTED BY BOXED COLUMNS, THE TOP BRICK PIERS EXPOSED RAFTER TALES AND DECORATIVE BRACKETS AT THE EAVES AND HORIZONTAL WOOD SIDING.
THE CASTLE HILL DESIGN STANDARDS ARE USED TO EVALUATE PROJECTS WITHIN THIS HISTORIC DISTRICT.
UH, STAFF HAS EVALUATED THE PROPERTY AND, UM, DETERMINED THAT WHILE THE PROJECT MEETS SOME OF THE APPLICABLE STANDARDS, ITS ITS STANDARDS.
SO THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION IS TO RETURN THE, REFER THE APPLICATION TO THE JANUARY MEETING OF THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE MEETING.
UH, THAT COULD ALSO BE THE DECEMBER MEETING.
UM, AMBER, IF WE'RE ABLE TO GET IT ON.
COULD YOU, UH, STATE FOR THE COMMISSION THE, UM, THE DESIGN STANDARDS REGARDING WINDOWS AND ROOF FORMS? CERTAINLY, UH, MATERIALS, UH, SHALL BE COMPATIBLE WITH THE ORIGINAL BUILDING AND MAY INCLUDE THE USE OF MODERN MATERIALS SUCH AS FIBER, CEMENT, SIDING AS APPROPRIATE.
NEW ROOF FORMS MUST MATCH THE PITCH OF THE ROOF ON THE EXISTING HOUSE TO THE GREATEST EXTENT POSSIBLE.
AND WINDOWS SHALL BE COMPATIBLE IN FORM AND MATERIALS WITH THE EXISTING BUILDING AND CAN BE USED TO DEFINE CONTEMPORARY DESIGN WHEN DETERMINED APPROPRIATE FOR THE PARTICULAR APPLICATION, UH, AND DESIGN.
IN ADDITION, USING APPROPRIATE SCALE AND DETAILING TO AVOID CREATING A TOPHEAVY APPEARANCE.
IS THERE ANYONE, UH, HERE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THIS APPLICATION? COME ON DOWN.
UM, HELLO COMMISSIONERS AGAIN.
IT'S DAVID WEBER FROM WEBER STUDIO ARCHITECTS.
UM, WHEN WE BEGIN THE PROJECT, OUR, UH, OUR CLIENTS NOT KNOWING EXACTLY HOW THESE THINGS, UH, TYPICALLY GET ADDED ON THEIR, THEIR ORIGINAL THOUGHT WAS, OH, DO WE JUST GO STRAIGHT UP WITH THE, UH, ADDITION? THEY IDENTIFIED FROM A FAIRLY EARLY ON THAT THEY WOULD PROBABLY WANT TO GO THREE STORIES JUST BECAUSE IT'S SUCH A SMALL LOT, UM, THAT TO ACCOMMODATE THEMSELVES AND THEIR INTENTION TO START A FAMILY.
IT'S A, IT'S A YOUNG COUPLE, UH, AND THE FACT THAT THEY DON'T REALLY THINK THEY NEED A HUGE AMOUNT OF SPACE.
I SEE THERE'S, IT'S A, IT'S A REALLY GREAT, UH, CLIENT TYPE OR, OR, OR RESIDENT TYPE THAT WE LIKE TO SEE.
UH, WE LIKE TO HELP SUPPORT LIVING IN OUR INNER CITY NEIGHBORHOODS BECAUSE A LOT OF, BECAUSE A LOT OF FAMILIES FEEL LIKE THEY CAN'T GET ENOUGH SPACE, THEY HAVE TO MOVE TO THE SUBURBS.
SO THIS COUPLE WANTED TO ADD ON JUST TO THE MAXIMUM.
THEY'RE ONLY ALLOWED TO DO 2300 SQUARE FEET PER SUB-CHAPTER F SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
BUT IN ORDER TO PRESERVE AS MUCH BACKYARD, BUT STILL ACCOMMODATE ACCOM, ACCOMMODATE A POOL, THE THE MAIN THINKING WAS TO GO UP, UH, HIGHER.
ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THE BACK HILL NEIGHBOR, UH, THERE'S SUCH A STEEP HILL BEHIND THEIR LOT THAT EVEN IF THEY WERE TO GO UP HIGH, THEY WOULDN'T OBSTRUCT THE NEIGHBOR'S VIEWS.
UH, AND THEY WOULDN'T REALLY BE IN, UH, ANY KIND OF VIEW SHOT OF THE NEIGHBOR OR BE OBTRUSIVE TO THE NEIGHBOR.
UM, SO THAT WAS THE APPROACH HERE.
AND KNOWING THAT WE WERE GONNA PROBABLY BE GOING THREE STORE, WELL THE FIRST THING WE, WE TALKED ABOUT WHEN WE MET WAS WE DID, UH, EXPLAIN TO THEM THAT REALLY THE BEST THING TO DO IS BECAUSE THE HOUSE DOES HAVE A LOT OF, BECAUSE IT'S CONTRIBUTING HOUSE AND IT HAS A LOT OF CHARACTER ANYWAY, EVEN IF IT WASN'T CONSIDERED CONTRIBUTING, I THINK IT HAS A LOT OF CHARACTER.
AND WE SAID THE BEST THING TO DO IS REALLY TO KEEP THE FRONT OF THE HOUSE ALMOST IDENTICAL AND HAVE ANY ADDITION HAPPEN BEHIND THE RIDGE.
UH, WHICH IT TURNS OUT ARE TYPICALLY THE RULES THAT WE SEE FOR MOST OF THE LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICTS.
WE'VE WORKED ON A NUMBER OF HOUSES, SO OUR GOAL FROM THE BEGINNING WAS ALWAYS TO DO THIS THREE STORY EDITION BEHIND THE RIDGE OF THE EXISTING HOUSE.
UM, BECAUSE OF SOME OF THE NUANCE OF THE RULES, WE ALSO DIDN'T WANT IT TO JUST LOOK LIKE THIS STRANGE TOWER.
SO WE REALLY WANTED IT TO FEEL ALMOST LIKE A ROOF THAT GREW OUT OF THE BACK PART OF THE ROOF.
INSTEAD OF HAVING THIS SORT OF THREE STORY TOWER JUST
[00:55:01]
TACKED ON THE BACK, WE WANTED IT TO LOOK A LITTLE BIT MORE LIKE AN OUT, JUST SORT OF AN EVOLUTION OUT OF THE EXISTING HOUSE.UH, THE BACK ROOF OF THE ADDITION IS AN EIGHT AND 12 THAT MATCHES THE SAME PITCH AS THE EXISTING HOUSE.
THE ONE, UH, ROOF THAT COMES OUT OF THE BACK ROOF, THAT STEEPER ONE IS STEEPER AS A WAY TO HELP CREATE, UH, UH, THE DORMER ON THE FRONT THAT YOU SEE, WHICH WE THINK HELPS BREAK DOWN THE SCALE AND MAKE IT RELATE A LITTLE BIT MORE TO THE FRONT PORCH, UH, SCALE THAT YOU SEE ON THE FRONT OF THE HOUSE.
THERE ARE A FEW RENDERINGS IN HERE TOO, I THINK THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN IN THE SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS WE GAVE YOU.
UM, SO THE GOAL IS TO ESSENTIALLY LET IT BE THIS VERY QUIET ADDITION THAT GROWS OUT OF THE EXISTING HOUSE FORM.
WE REALLY LOVE THE HOUSE FORM AND THEN TO KEEP THE, BREAK THE SCALE DOWN AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE SO IT DOESN'T SEEM OBTRUSIVE TO WHAT WE THINK IS OTHERWISE THE REALLY GREAT STREET SORT OF PRESENCE OF THE EXISTING HOUSE.
UM, THE MATERIALITY OF IT, THE HOUSE CURRENTLY IS WHITE PAINTED SIDING.
UM, UH, THE TYPICAL TEARDROP SIDING THAT YOU SEE IN A LOT OF THE HOUSES AROUND THIS PART OF AUSTIN WITH BLACK PAINTED TRIM, WE ACTUALLY THINK THAT'S PRETTY FINE.
WE MIGHT WANT TO CHANGE THE BLACK TO A LITTLE BIT MORE SUBTLE SHADE.
AND THE IDEA IS THAT THE NEW, BECAUSE WE WANT TO CONTRAST THE NEW, UH, WITH THE EXISTING HOUSE, WE, BUT WE DON'T WANT IT TO BE TOO MUCH OF A CONTRAST.
OUR PROPOSAL IS TO DO A, UH, SORT OF AN, A WHITEWASHED SIDING THAT IS A TONE OF WHITE THAT WOULD BE A NICE COMPLIMENT TO THE WHITE HERE.
SO WHAT LITTLE OF THE HOUSE THAT YOU WOULD SEE WOULD JUST FEEL LIKE IT'S JUST A SOFTER, MORE NATURAL VERSION OF THE MATERIALITY YOU SEE ON THE HOUSE.
SO THAT'S, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE OTHERWISE.
I, UM, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OF THE APPLICANT? I, I HAVE ONE, UH, QUESTION FOR NOW.
UH, WHAT IS THE HEIGHT OF THE ROOF OF THE ADDITION FROM THE GROUND LEVEL? UM, IT IS, WAIT, IT'S INTERESTING CUZ SUBCHAPTER F LIMITS US TO 32 FEET AND SO DOES CASTLE HILL, UH, LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICT, BUT WE'RE ACTUALLY A COUPLE FEET BELOW THAT.
AND WHAT'S INTERESTING IS WE ACTUALLY HAD, AT ONE POINT WE HAD A SLIGHTLY WIDER VOLUME AND IT WASN'T AS FAR BACK INTO THE BACKYARD, BUT BECAUSE OF SUBCHAPTER F WE ENDED UP TWEAKING A LITTLE BIT MORE AND BECOME, ENDED UP BECOMING A LITTLE NARROWER AND A LITTLE STICKING OUT IN THE BACKYARD A LITTLE DEEPER, WHICH I ACTUALLY THINK PROPORTIONATELY HELPS IT FEEL A LITTLE BIT MORE IN SCALE FROM THE STREET.
SO DID, UM, DID YOU AND YOUR AND YOUR CLIENTS READ THE DESIGN STANDARDS? IT SAYS THAT THE ROOF FORM MUST MATCH THE HOUSE AND THAT THE WINDOWS SHALL BE SIMILAR.
IT SEEMED LIKE IT WAS SAYING AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE IT LEAVES.
UH, WELL,
WE, WE DID, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS I TRY NOT TO DO AS AN ARCHITECT IS TO GET A LITTLE BIT TO ONE FORM LOOKS JUST LIKE THE OTHER.
WE LIKE THEM TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF DISTINCTION.
SO WE FELT LIKE WE WERE DOING, UH, A PRETTY SAFE AND AND THOUGHTFUL ADDITION SO THAT IT, IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE A HOUSE WITH AN ADDITION STUCK ON IT.
I REALLY, WHEN I SEE A ROOF GROW OUT OF ANOTHER ROOF, IT FEELS A LITTLE BIT MORE NATURAL OF A, AN EVOLUTION OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF A HOUSE.
AND SO THAT WAS WHAT WE ELECTED TO DO.
BUT THAT WAS, AND WE, WE UNDERSTOOD THE, THE CASTLE HILL LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICT GUIDELINES.
IT WAS REALLY INTERESTING TO SEE IT.
IT WAS A FAIRLY UPDATED DOCUMENT AND IT'S ACTUALLY A REALLY GREAT DOCUMENT, BY THE WAY.
I, I DON'T KNOW WHO DEVELOPED IT IN TOTAL, BUT IT'S A GREAT DOCUMENT.
IT'S VERY, IT, IT, UH, IT HAS A LOT OF REALLY WONDERFUL EXAMPLES OF THOSE TYPES OF INTERPRETATIONS.
WE FELT LIKE WE, OURS WAS ON SOME LEVELS, MAYBE MORE CONSERVATIVE THAN WE MIGHT HAVE OTHERWISE CONTEMPLATED.
UH, ONE IS ON THE ADDITION FACING THE STREET, IS THAT A DOOR THAT READS? IT'S A BALCONY WITH A DOOR, THE VERTICAL WINDOW.
OH, UNDER THE, ARE YOU LOOKING AT THE, UH, THE, I'M LOOKING U UNDER THE SHED ROOF.
THAT'S ABOVE THE, THE PRIMARY FACILITY.
THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE JUST LARGE WINDOWS.
THOSE ARE, SO ON THE THIRD STORY, THEY'RE TWO SMALL CHILDREN'S ROOMS, VERY SMALL, LIKE NINE FEET BY 10 FEET IN A BATHROOM.
AND THOSE ARE JUST VERY TALL WINDOWS.
THEY GO, THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT THAT TALL.
I MEAN, THEY'RE SIX FEET TALL BY, OR THEY'RE, I THINK THEY'RE, YEP, THEY'RE SIX FEET TALL.
JUST THE ONE ON THE LEFT READS LIKE A, A GLASS DOOR BECAUSE IT'S A THREE FOOT BY SIX FOOT, UM, CASEMENT WINDOW.
AND IN TERMS OF, UH, IT DOES SOUND LIKE YOU DID READ THE STANDARDS, BUT, UM, UH, SECTION F UNDER REQUIRED STANDARDS FOR NEW ADDITION SAYS WINDOWS SHOULD BE COMPATIBLE AND FORM AND MATERIALS WITH THE EXISTING.
[01:00:01]
YOU SPEAK TO THAT IN TERMS OF THE WINDOWS THAT WERE CHOSEN, ESPECIALLY THE ONES THAT WERE VISIBLE FROM THE STREET, FROM THE PRIMARY FACADE? UM, SURE.SO I, YOU KNOW, WE ACTUALLY, IN ONE OF OUR RENDERINGS THAT YOU SEE ON ONE OF THE SIDE, IT'S NOT ON THAT IMAGE, BUT THERE'S ONE THAT'S A LITTLE BIT TOO SQUARE.
I THINK THAT'S A LITTLE AWKWARD.
THE, WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THE DORMER WINDOWS THAT, THAT WE WERE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH IS BY HAVING SOME OF THE VERTICALLY ORIENTED WINDOWS THERE.
NOW, IF ON THE ONE DORMER, ON THE, ON THE DORMER ON THE RIGHT, WHICH HAS THE LARGE RECTANGULAR WINDOW, UH, OR LARGE MORE SQUARE WINDOW, AND THEN THE WINDOW TO ITS RIGHT.
SORRY, IF WE GO BACK ONE PAGE.
SO ON THE DORMER FROM THE FRONT, THE LEFTMOST AND THE RIGHT MOST WINDOW ON THE TOP IMAGE THAT YOU'RE SEEING THERE, THOSE ARE, UH, VERTICAL RECTANGLES OF RECTANGLES OF A SIMILAR PROPORTION TO THE EXISTING DOUBLE HUNG WINDOWS OF THE EXISTING HOUSE.
IF, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF I WOULD HAVE ANY CONCERNS NECESSARILY ABOUT CHANGING THE OTHER WINDOW, BUT OUR CLIENTS DID LIKE THE IDEA OF LARGE WINDOWS AND WE DIDN'T FEEL LIKE THIS WAS AN INCOMPATIBLE, UH, DISTINCTION OF THE ADDITION THAT WAS SO GREAT TO NOT FEEL LIKE IT WOULD WORK WITH THE EXISTING HOUSE, WHICH IS WHY WE PICKED THE, UH, THE ESSENTIALLY A COMBINATION OF LARGER, MORE RECTANGULAR WINDOWS, UH, UM, TO, TO SIGNAL IT'S A LITTLE BIT NEWER, UH, PIECE OF ARCHITECTURE, EVEN WHILE WE HAVE SOME RECTANGULAR WINDOWS THAT WE THINK ARE COMPATIBLE WITH EXISTING.
SO, SORRY, YOU HAVE A LITTLE BIT LONG-WINDED COMMISSIONER.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THIS APPLICATION? OKAY.
IS THERE ANYONE TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION? OKAY.
DO I HEAR A MOTION TO, UH, CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING? SO MOVED.
ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
DO I HEAR A MOTION ON THE CASE? UM, THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION WAS TO REFER THE APPLICATION TO THE DECEMBER MEETING OF THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE, WHICH IS NEXT MONDAY.
UM, AND POSTPONE THIS TO JANUARY 11TH MEETING OF THE HLC.
UH, WHAT IS YOUR PLEASURE? I'LL MOVE THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION AS STATED.
SECOND COMMISSIONER MCC RECORDER.
UH, THE MOTION IS TO REFER IT TO THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE, WHICH IS MONDAY, UH, AND POSTPONE IT TO THE JANUARY 11TH, UH, MEETING.
UM, ANY DISCUSSION? I WAS GONNA SAY, I THINK THERE'S SOME, SOME WELL-INTENTIONED APPROACHES HERE, BUT JUST OVERALL, IT, IT, I THINK IT OVERWHELMS THE EXISTING HOUSE.
THE THE WINDOWS ARE, IT'S MY EYE GOES IMMEDIATELY TO, TO THAT, UM, IT MAY BE HELPFUL IN THE LONG TERM TO HAVE A THREE-DIMENSIONAL RENDERING, EVEN IF IT'S IN STICK FORM, YOU KNOW, FRAME, FRAME FORM TO UNDERSTAND HOW IN PERSPECTIVE THAT ADDITION IS GONNA READ FROM THE BACK.
BUT, BUT AS PRESENTED, IT SEEMS LIKE THE ADDITION NOT ONLY BEING THREE STORIES, IS PUSHED UP VERY MUCH TO A VERY VERTICAL ORIENTATION TO THE STREET WHEN IT SHOULD BE TRYING TO SET BACK AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE TO LET THE, THE PRIMARY HOUSE, UM, SHINE.
I WOULD, I WOULD SAY, UH, JUST AT OUR LAST MEETING, WE DENIED, UM, AUP, UM, FOR POPPING OUT FOR, FOR DETRACTING FROM THE HISTORIC REFORM.
AND I, I FEEL THAT THIS IS REALLY, I THINK THE, THE, THE, THE STANDARDS AS THEY WERE LAID OUT WERE VERY CLEAR THAT THE REFORMS SHOULD, SHOULD MATCH THE HOUSE AND THAT THE WINDOWS SHOULD MATCH THE HOUSE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
AND I THINK THIS IS ABOUT AS FAR, UH, FROM MATCHING, UH, AS POSSIBLE.
BUT, UM, WE COULD DISCUSS THAT AT THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE.
UM, LET ME, COMMISSIONER, LET ME ADD THAT I, I WAS WILLING TO GIVE AND, AND STILL WILLING TO GIVE SOME LEEWAY, UM, IN THAT THIS IS FAR BEHIND AND WHEN SOMETHING'S NOT AS VISIBLE FROM THE STREET, WE HAVE OFTENTIMES BEEN A LITTLE BIT MORE LENIENT OR ALLOWED FOR MORE CREATIVITY.
AND SO I'M SYMPATHETIC TO THE ARCHITECT'S INTENT, UH, THAT HAVING BEEN SAID.
UM, THE RENDERING THAT SUGGESTS THAT THE TREE IN THE FRONT YARD WILL BLOCK ALL OF THAT VIEW TO THE FRONT, UH, WHEN YOU GO TO GOOGLE MAPS AND YOU'VE GOT A WINTER VIEW AND THERE ARE NO, UH, LEAVES BLOCKING THE VIEW,
SO, UH, I I, I THINK THAT THAT EXTRA TIME AND DISCUSSION WITH THE COMMITTEE WILL, I THINK CERTAINLY INFORM, UH, OUR DECISION IN JANUARY.
BUT I SUPPORT THE MOTION TO POSTPONE COMMISSIONERS.
[01:05:03]
I'M SORRY, I'M RIGHT-HANDED.I TEND TO DIRECT MY ATTENTION THAT WAY, BUT PLEASE SPEAK UP IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY.
UM, AND IF THERE'S NO FURTHER DISCUSSION, SHALL WE VOTE ON THIS? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF REFERRING IT TO THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE AND POSTPONE IT TO JANUARY.
IT, THE MOTION PASSES AND I, I WOULD JUST SAY, UH, MR. WEBBER, WE WOULD LIKE TO INVITE YOU TO THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE.
IT'S NOT A REQUIREMENT, BUT, UM, I THINK THAT WOULD, YOU KNOW, IF IT COMES BACK TO US IN THE SAME FORM IN JANUARY WITH, WITH NO REVISIONS, THEN I THINK OUR RECOMMENDATION WOULD STILL BE TO MEET WITH THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE.
IT'S MONDAY AT TWO, SO I WAS PLANNING ON, OKAY.
I WASN'T PLANNING ON BEING THERE ON MONDAY, I, UH, I SEE WE'VE, WE'VE CHANGED OUR MEETING DATES AND TIMES AND PLACES SO MUCH THIS YEAR THAT I JUST, UH, I WAS, I WAS THINKING THAT WE WERE DONE AFTER TONIGHT, SO I'LL, WE'LL SEE YOU THERE THEN.
[13. HR-2022-165753 – 1804 Brackenridge St. – Consent Travis Heights – Fairview Park National Register District Council District 9]
13, 18 0 4 BRACKENRIDGE NUMBER 13 IS A PROPOSAL TO DEMOLISH A CIRCA 1920 HOUSE AND CONSTRUCT A NEW RESIDENCE.UH, THE NEW BUILDING IS A TWO-STORY FLAT ROOFED HOUSE, CLOUD AND STUCCO, BRICK AND BOARD, AND BATON SIDING.
THE PROPOSED HOUSE HAS A PARTIAL WITH INSET PORCH AND A REGULAR FENESTRATION PATTERNS.
UM, THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE EXISTING HOUSE IS A ONE IN ONE HOUSE STORY.
THE HOUSE LOCATED AT 1804 BRECKEN WITCH WAS CONSTRUCTED AROUND 1920.
ITS FIRST OWNERS WERE JOHN AND ELMEDA HEATH.
JOHN HEATH WORKED AS A TRAVELING SALESMAN, THOUGH BY 1925, THE HOUSE HAD BECOME A RENTAL PROPERTY WHOSE EARLY OCCUPANTS INCLUDED ANOTHER SALESMAN, A RADIO TECHNICIAN, AND A PRINTING COMPANY EMPLOYEE.
AFTER A BRIEF VACANCY, THE DILWORTH FAMILY MOVED INTO THE HOUSE DURING THE 1940S AS RENTERS.
THEY WORKED AT GALLOWAY SANDWICH SHOP AND SHARED THE RENTAL WITH MARY SANCHEZ, ANOTHER GALLOWAY'S EMPLOYEE.
BY THE 1950S, THE DILWORTH HAD PURCHASED THE HOME.
UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S HISTORIC DESIGN STANDARDS ARE BASED ON THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR STANDARDS FOR REHABILITATION, AND ARE USED TO EVALUATE PROJECTS IN NATIONAL REGISTER DISTRICTS.
UH, THIS PROJECT MEETS SOME APPLICABLE STANDARDS, THOUGH NOT ALL, AND THE PROPERTY CONTRIBUTES TO THE TRAVIS HEIGHTS FAIRVIEW PARK NATIONAL REGISTER DISTRICT.
UM, HOWEVER, STAFF HAS EVALUATED THE PROPERTY, UM, AND DETERMINED THAT IT DOES NOT MEET TWO CRITERIA, UH, FOR LANDMARK DESIGNATION.
THEREFORE, THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION IS TO RELEASE THE DEMOLITION PERMIT UPON COMPLETION OF A CITY OF AUSTIN DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE AND COMMENT ON PLANS FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION.
AS A CONTRIBUTING PROPERTY, WE COULD POSTPONE THIS FOR UP TO 180 DAYS.
UH, DO YOU KNOW IF THE APPLICANT HAS MADE, UH, HAS SPOKEN WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION OR ANYTHING AT THIS POINT? UH, CHAIRMAN.
I DON'T KNOW THAT, BUT THE APPLICANT MAY BE HERE.
ANY QUESTIONS OF STAFF BEFORE SHE LEAVES? THANKS.
IS THERE SOMEONE TO SPEAK HERE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THE APPLICATION? UH, WE DO HAVE MICKEY PILAR JOINING US ON, UH, BY PHONE.
PLEASE STATE, STATE YOUR NAME.
I'M THE ARCHITECT FOR THE PROJECT.
UM, AND, UH, MY PARTNER WAS THE APPLICANT.
UH, SO THE, HIS, THE HISTORY OF THE PROJECT, FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE IS THE OWNER CAME TO US TO DESIGN A CONTEMPORARY HOUSE FOR HER PERSONAL USE, UH, SIMILAR TO SEVERAL OF THE OTHER CONTEMPORARY AND MODERN HOUSES ON THIS STREET.
UH, HOWEVER, IT TOOK US VERY LITTLE AMOUNT OF RESEARCH TO REALIZE THAT THIS PROPERTY WAS IN THE NEWLY ESTABLISHED HISTORIC DISTRICT.
AND SO WE ENCOURAGED HER TO, UH, INSTEAD PURSUE A MORE TRADITIONAL AESTHETIC, BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE THE FASTEST PATH TOWARDS CONSTRUCTION COMPLETION.
UM, HOWEVER, WE STILL, UH, WERE ABLE TO DESIGN A ADDITION REMODEL TO THE EXISTING PRINCIPAL STRUCTURE AND A, UH, DETACHED REAR GARAGE WITH ADU.
WE PRESENTED THAT PROJECT AT THE AUGUST, I GUESS YOU DON'T CALL IT THE,
[01:10:01]
DO YOU, YOU DON'T CALL IT THE CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS ANYMORE, WE CALL IT SOMETHING ELSE.WE, WE CALL IT ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE.
BUT YEAH, WE, WE PRESENTED IT AT THE AUGUST, AT THAT AUGUST MEETING.
AND AT THAT MEETING DURING DISCUSSION WITH THE COMMISSIONERS, WE KIND OF CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THE FACADE WAS PROBABLY, ACTUALLY NOT ORIGINAL.
UH, AMONG THE THINGS THAT WE DID SOME AMATEUR ARCHEOLOGY ON WAS DETERMINING THAT THE FRONT PORCH HAD BEEN LARGER AND POSSIBLY HAD EVEN INCLUDED THE ENTIRE FRONT FACADE AT SOME POINT.
UM, AFTER ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION, THERE SEEMED TO BE SOME AMOUNT OF DISAGREEMENT BETWEEN STAFF AND THE COMMISSIONERS ON WHETHER THE, THE, UH, DESIGN THAT WE HAD PRESENTED WAS GOING TO REQUIRE ADDITIONAL DESIGN CHANGES OR IF IT WOULD BE APPROVED AS IS.
SO AFTER ADDITIONAL DISCUSSIONS WITH THE OWNER, UH, SHE, UH, DECIDED, OKAY, WELL THEN LET'S JUST GO AHEAD AND JUST DO AN INTERIOR REMODEL.
WELL, WHEN WE STARTED TO INTRODUCE, UH, GENERAL CONTRACTORS TO THE PROJECT TO INVESTIGATE DOING AN INTERIOR REMODEL, THE STRUCTURE IS IN SUCH POOR CONDITION, INCLUDING SEVERAL DISJOINTED FLOOR LEVELS.
THE RESULT OF, UH, ADDITIONAL, UH, ADDITIONS, NOT JUST THE FRONT PORCH, BUT AT LEAST THREE ADDITION PERIODS THAT I COULD DETERMINE, AND SEVERAL CEILING HEIGHTS.
THE EXI EXISTING CONDITION WAS SO POOR THAT A SIMPLE REMODEL COULD NOT BE JUSTIFIED ECONOMICALLY.
SO THE OWNER DECIDED TO RETURN TO HER ORIGINAL DESIGN, UM, PREFERENCE, WHICH WAS TO DESIGN A CONTEMPORARY HOUSE FOR HER PERSONAL USE.
SO THAT'S HOW WE ARRIVED AT THE DESIGN WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW.
I WANTED TO, UH, THE ONLY OTHER THING I WANTED TO MAKE NOTE OF WAS REGARDING SOME OF THE COMMENTS I NOTICED IN THE BACKUPS FROM SOME OF THE OTHER CITIZENS WHO HAD REGISTERED TO DISCUSS THE PROJECT.
THE BULK OF THE COMMENTS SEEMED TO BE NOT NECESSARILY ABOUT THE DEMOLITION OF THE HOUSE OR THE PROPOSED HOUSE, BUT RATHER THE TREES IN THE FRONT YARD.
ONE OF THEM, I BELIEVE, IS A 46 INCH LIVE OAK.
HOWEVER, WE INCLUDED SEVERAL DIFFERENT PAGES OF TREE PROTECTION NOTES IN OUR, UH, IN OUR APPLICATION AND OUR ARCHITECTURAL DRAWINGS, AND WE ARE ACTUALLY REDUCING THE IMPACT ON THE TREES IN THE FRONT YARD.
UH, WE WILL PROBABLY EVEN FURTHER REDUCE THE IMPACT AS WE CONTINUE TO DISCUSS THE PROJECT OF THE CITY ARBORIST CON CONCEIVABLY BY REMOVING THE FRONT WALK TOGETHER AND REPLACING WITH GRAVEL OR MOVING IT OUTSIDE OF THE HALF C R Z OF THE 40, UH, 46 INCH LIVE OAK.
UM, WE'RE FOLLOWING THE CITY ARBORIST TREE PROTECTION ORDINANCE STANDARDS, AND WE CONTINUE TO BE IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE ARBORIST STAFF WHO REVIEWED THE PLAN, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO SO THROUGHOUT THE PERMITTING PROCESS.
UM, I THINK THAT'S ALL I'VE REALLY GOT.
THE ONLY NOTES I'VE GOT ON THE SUBJECT.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OF THE APPLICANT? OKAY.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THE APPLICATION? IS IT WE HAVE, UH, A SPEAKER JOINING US IN OPPOSITION.
UH, BY PHONE, SUSAN ARMSTRONG FISHER.
I THINK WE HAVE SOMEONE IN, IN PRESIDENT AS WELL.
SO LET'S DO THE BY PHONE FIRST.
SUSAN REGISTERED AHEAD OF TIME.
SO, SUSAN ARMSTRONG FISHER, UH, GO AHEAD.
THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME SPEAK TONIGHT.
ON BEHALF OF 1804 BRECKENRIDGE, I'M A RESIDENT OF TRAVIS HEIGHTS FAIRVIEW PARK NATIONAL HISTORIC DISTRICT, AND I'M HERE TO OPPOSE THE PROPOSED DEMOLITION OF THE PROPERTY AND THE PROPOSED NEW CONSTRUCTION.
AS YOU KNOW, CHAVEZ HEIGHTS IS SLOWLY ONE BY ONE, LOSING ITS HISTORIC CHARACTER, ONE DEMOLITION AT A TIME, WHILE THERE ARE OTHER NON-CONTRIBUTING HOMES ON THE STREET, THAT PARTICULAR SIDE OF THE BLOCK IS ALL CONTRIBUTING AND DEMOLISHING.
THIS PROPERTY WOULD ELIMINATE ONE OF THE VERY FEW REMAINING PLACES TRAVIS HEIGHTS HAS WITH ALL CONTRIBUTING HOMES IN A ROW, SPEAKING AS A CONCERNED RESIDENT OF THE DISTRICT.
I'M HERE TO HELP YOU TO ASK TO HELP MAINTAIN THE HISTORIC INTEGRITY AND REQUEST THAT THE COMMISSION PRO POSTPONE THE DEMO PERMIT SO THAT FURTHER REVIEW CAN BE DONE.
IF THE COMMISSION DOES APPROVE DEMOLITION, THEN WOULD ASK THAT ALL
[01:15:01]
OF THE DESIGN STANDARDS AS REQUESTED BY THE CITY BE MET, WHICH THE CURRENT PROPOSAL DOES NOT.ANY QUESTIONS OF MS. ARMSTRONG? IS THERE ANYONE ELSE TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION? YEAH, I BELIEVE WE HAVE MELANIE MARTINEZ REGISTERED.
I'M MELANIE MARTINEZ, AND I'M A RESIDENT OF TRAVIS HEIGHTS FAIRVIEW PARK, UH, HISTORIC DISTRICT.
I WAS PART OF THE TEAM THAT GOT THAT NOMINATION AND, UM, BRECKENRIDGE IS JUST SO CLOSE TO SOUTH CONGRESS THAT IT'S DRAWS A LOT OF PEOPLE OVER TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND I WALK THROUGH THERE A LOT AND SEE HOW EXCITED PEOPLE ARE WHEN THEY'RE JUST CHECKING OUT THAT COOL STREET.
I MEAN, IT'S A LONG STREET, AND THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE HOMES ARE STILL CONTRIBUTING.
THERE REALLY AREN'T THAT MANY OF THESE MORE CONTEMPORARY HOMES ON BRECKENRIDGE.
UM, I WAS ALSO HERE ON THE, AT THE AUGUST MEETING AND SAW THE EARLIER PLANS, AND I THOUGHT THAT MAYBE THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT COULD BE WORKED WITH AT THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW, BUT NOW THIS IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.
IT'S COMPLETELY LOST ANY RELEVANCE TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND, UM, I HOPE THAT YOU CAN HAVE THEM COME BACK AGAIN AND TRY TO WORK ON THAT SOME MORE.
I'M NOT REALLY CONVINCED ABOUT THE EARLIER STRUCTURE.
I'M NOT AN ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIAN.
I KNOW YOU ALL MIGHT BE, BUT JUST THE DETAILS ON THE WINDOWS MAKE ME THINK THAT THAT WAS ORIGINAL.
AND, UM, SO I'M JUST HERE TO ASK YOU TO GET THEM TO LOOK A LITTLE HARDER AT IT.
ANY QUESTIONS OF MS. MARTINEZ? OKAY, THANK YOU.
UM, WOULD THE APPLICANT LIKE TO REBUT YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, GIVE A REBUTTAL, MR. PIER? UM, YEAH, NO, I, I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY, BUT NO, NOT REALLY.
I, I, MY, NOTHING, ANY OF THE OTHER, UH, SPEAKERS HAS SAID HAS MADE ME RECONSIDER OUR, OUR TRAJECTORY TO GET TO THIS POINT OR OUR POSITION ON THE PROJECT.
UM, DO I HEAR A MOTION TO, UH, CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? YES.
DO YOU HAVE KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT GOING HAVE ACROSS THE STREET AT 1807? NO.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING ACROSS THE STREET AT 1807? UM, MR. PEE, IF YOU'RE STILL ON THE LINE, DO YOU KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING AT 1807 ACROSS THE STREET? UM, ALL I KNOW IS WHAT I'VE SEEN ON THE RENDERINGS ON THE, UH, CONSTRUCTION SIGN ON SITE, AND IT APPEARS TO BE SOME SORT OF, UH, I THINK, IF I'M REMEMBERING CORRECTLY, I BELIEVE IT'S SOME SORT OF, I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'D CALL IT, FAUX HISTORICAL, UH, TWO-STORY, KIND OF A CAPE CODI KIND OF THING.
MAYBE IN THE, UH, MAYBE IN THE STYLE OF SOME OF THE, THE MUELLER TYPE DEVELOPMENTS THAT HAVE A, YOU KNOW, BOX COLUMNS IN THIS SORT OF THING.
I DON'T THINK WE'VE SEEN THIS.
UM, STAFF, CAN WE DIRECT YOU TO CHECK THAT OUT? ABSOLUTELY.
WE, WE JUST LOOKED AT IT AND THEY'VE GOT A, IT'S A TWO STORY SORT OF, UH, VICTORIAN INISH, UH, LOOKING KIND OF FREE CLASSIC.
I JUST DON'T RECALL EVER, WE HAVEN'T SEEN THIS, SEEN THAT BEFORE.
UH, IF WE WANNA GET BACK TO THE AGENDA ITEM 21.
AM I STILL WITH YOU GUYS? YOU'RE STILL, YOU'RE STILL ON.
UM, BUT I WAS JUST ASKING, I, WE, WE LOOKED IT UP AND WE CAN SEE IT, WE CAN SEE THE, UH, THE DRAWING THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, RIGHT? YEAH.
BUT IT'S NEW CONSTRUCTION, RIGHT? AM I RIGHT ABOUT THAT? IT'S NOT A REMODEL.
THAT'S WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE, NEW CONSTRUCTION, BUT IT WAS RELOCATED LAST YEAR, THE ORIGINAL HOUSE.
I'M LOOKING AT, IT LOOKS LIKE SOME SORT OF, UH, MODERN FARM HEALTHY KIND OF THING.
AGAIN, WE CAN ADDRESS THIS OUTSIDE OF THE PUBLIC HEARING.
[01:20:01]
SURE.MOVE TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
DO I HEAR A SECOND? SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER GROGAN? ALL IN FAVOR OF CLOSING THE PUBLIC HEARING.
PLEASE SAY, AYE, RAISE YOUR HAND.
UM, I WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO INVITE THE APPLICANT TO THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE AND POSTPONE THIS TO THE JANUARY, UH, MEETING OF, OF THE COMMISSION.
DO I HEAR A, AN ALTERNATE MOTION? THIS IS A CONTRIBUTING BUILDING IN A, HIS, IN A NATIONAL REGISTER DISTRICT.
WE CAN POSTPONE IT FOR 180 DAYS.
IT WOULD GIVE THE APPLICANTS, GIVE THE NEIGHBORHOOD A CHANCE TO MEET WITH THE APPLICANTS PERHAPS AND DISCUSS IT FURTHER.
CHAIR MYERS, SINCE WE'VE SEEN THIS CASE A FEW TIMES, IS IT BEEN A NEW APPLICATION EACH TIME, OR DO WE, WHAT'S THE TIMELINE, UM, ON THE CASE? I DON'T KNOW.
UM, CALLAN, AMBER, IS THIS A NEW APPLICATION OR IS THIS THE CONTINUING APPLICATION THAT THEY BROUGHT IN AUGUST? THEY WITHDREW AND THIS IS A NEW APPLICATION.
I WILL SAY SINCE, SINCE, UH, NOBODY'S GONNA GONNA STEP UP HERE FOR ABOVE IT, THIS HOUSE, WHEN I, I DO THINK THAT THERE HAVE BEEN CHANGES TO THE FRONT PORCH.
IN PART IT, I THINK IT'S BEEN INFILLED IN PART, BUT I BELIEVE THAT MAY HAVE HAPPENED DURING THE HISTORIC PERIOD.
I'M NOT SURE OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT THE HOUSE HAS ENOUGH CRAFTSMAN FEATURES, ENOUGH ORIGINAL CRAFTSMAN FEATURES, THE, THE TEARDROP SIDING, THE EXPOSED RAFTER INS, THE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE FENESTRATION PATTERN THAT I THINK THAT IT, IT STILL CONVEYS A GOOD SENSE OF HISTORY AND, AND IS WORTHY OF, UH, FURTHER CONSIDERATION RATHER THAN LOSING IT ALL TOGETHER AND, AND GETTING ANOTHER, UM, MODERN, UH, BUILDING IN THE, IN THE DISTRICT.
I'LL, I'LL MOVE TO POSTPONE TO OUR JANUARY 11TH MEETING AND INVITE THE APPLICANT TO THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE.
IS THERE A SECOND? ALL SECOND MOTION.
WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE TABLE.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? WOULD YOU LIKE TO DISCUSS YOUR MOTION? MR. I, I HESITATED BECAUSE THERE ARE, WELL, THERE NOT MIGHT, MIGHT BE INTEGRITY ISSUES.
THERE'S PROBABLY QUALITY INTEGRITY ISSUES IN TERMS OF THE INFILL, UH, AND, UM, BUT IT IS STILL CONTRIBUTING.
I CAN SEE HOW IT'S PROBABLY WHAT HAPPENED IS THE WINDOW FROM THE BACK WALL OF A TWO THIRD PORCH GOT MOVED FORWARD AT AN INFILL PROBABLY IN THE FIFTIES, IT LOOKS LIKE, FROM THE SIGHTING.
BUT, AND THEY DID COME TO US IN, THEY ALSO HESITATED A BECAUSE OF THE, A LITTLE BIT OF THE CHANGES, AND ALSO BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN TO US IN AUGUST, AND I DON'T SEE IF THERE'S GONNA BE ANY PATHS FORWARD.
THE PROPOSAL ON AUGUST, UM, WHILE KIND OF IN THE SPIRIT OF THE ORIGINAL HOUSE REMOVED ALL OF THE CHARACTER DEFINING FEATURES, UH, AND DIDN'T REALLY TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAYBE RESTORE IT BACK TO WHAT IT WAS ORIGINALLY AND ADD ON THE BACK, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE THIS IS A VERY CLEAN LINE HOUSE.
THERE'S GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO ADD ON IN THE BACK.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE GONNA GET THERE.
I THINK THE STARKNESS OF THE DESIGN OF THIS NEW APPLICATION, UH, WARRANTS AT LEAST A MONTH TO, TO RECONSIDER THIS BECAUSE WE ARE GETTING SUCH AN INFLUX OF JUST COMPLETELY INCONGRUOUS DESIGNS INTO THIS HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, I JUST THINK IT DESERVES A LITTLE MORE TIME TO, TO RECONSIDER WHETHER THIS IS APPROPRIATE.
UM, JUST WE CAN LOOK AT OTHER DESIGNS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, OF COURSE, WE'D ALWAYS LIKE TO KEEP THE ORIGINAL STRUCTURE, IF AT ALL POSSIBLE.
BUT THIS IS JUST, YOU KNOW, NO ONE HAS TO BE A TRAINED HISTORIAN OR PRESERVATION ARCHITECT TO SEE THAT THIS IS GOING TO STICK OUT LIKE A SORE THUMB ON THE STREET.
COMMISSIONER LAROCHE, CAN YOU SAY ANYTHING, UH, ADDRESS ANYTHING ABOUT THE STRUCTURE, UH, THE DAMAGE OR WHATEVER TO THE HOUSE? NOT, NOT FROM THE INFORMATION PROVIDED.
[01:25:01]
TO DO THAT.Y YOU KNOW, TO COMMISSIONER COOK, I, THAT'S KIND OF WHY I WAS ASKING ABOUT THE HOUSE ACROSS THE STREET WAS JUST SEEMED TO, I DON'T KNOW YET ANOTHER CIRCUMSTANCE WHERE WE WERE IN A SIMILAR POSITION.
IT APPEARS TO ME THE HOUSE, THE HOUSE ACROSS THE STREET IN TERMS OF ITS, YOU KNOW, R ROOF PITCHING FORM AND, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, KIND OF STYLISTIC, UH, ITS DESIGN IS MORE IN KEEPING WITH THE HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD, EVEN THOUGH IT'S NEW CONSTRUCTION.
SO, TO FOLLOW UP ON 1807, UH, BRACKENRIDGE, IT DID COME TO THE HLC FOR THE RELOCATION PERMIT, UH, BACK IN MARCH OF 2021.
AND IT WAS ULTIMATELY RELEASED, THIS WAS BEFORE THE TRAVIS HEIGHTS FAIRVIEW PARK, UH, DISTRICT WAS DESIGNATED.
UM, THE, UH, PERMIT REVIEW AND ISSUE OF THE NEW CONSTRUCTION PERMIT WAS ALSO DONE BEFORE THE DESIGNATION OF THE, THE DISTRICT, WHICH MEANS IT WAS NOT REQUIRED TO COME TO HISTORIC REVIEW.
THAT'S, THAT'S A HELPFUL CLARIFICATION.
SO WE HAVE A MOTION, UH, AND A SECOND.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF, UH, POSTPONING IT TO THE JANUARY MEETING AND INVITING THE APPLICANTS TO THE NEXT ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE MEETING, UH, WHICH IS MONDAY, PLEASE SAY, AYE.
IT PASSES MR. PVE PK, I'M SORRY, PLAR.
YOU'RE INVITED TO THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE.
WE HAVE POSTPONED THIS TO THE JANUARY, UH, MEETING.
[20. PR-2022-163800 – 801 A/B W. Johanna St. – Consent Council District 3]
ON THE AGENDA IS 8 0 1 A AND B WEST JOHANNA STREET.ITEM 20 AT WEST JOHANNA STREET IS A PROPOSAL TO DEMOLISH A CIRCA 1936 HOUSE AND A CIRCA 1947 HOUSE.
UH, THIS IS A ONE-STORY SYMMETRICAL COTTAGE WITH A SIDE GABLED ROOF, A STEEPLY PITCHED GABLE PORTICO WITH TRIANGULAR BRACKETS AND DECORATIVE BARGE BOARD, AND A ONE-STORY COTTAGE WITH A COVERED STOOP AND SGA ROOF.
THE HOUSE AT 8 0 1 JOHANNA STREET WAS BUILT IN 1936 BY MAY FLEMING, WHO LATER MARRIED WINSTON L TIPTON.
WINSTON WAS A SALESMAN AT VARIOUS LOCAL GROCERS AND MAY WORKED AS A STENOGRAPHER BY THE FIFTIES.
WINSTON TIPTON MANAGED THE BLUE BONNET STAMP COMPANY.
THE TIPTON'S RENTED A PORTION OF THEIR HOUSE AND LATER CONSTRUCTED 8 0 3 WEST JOHANNA STREET, ALSO ADDRESSED AS 8 0 1
UM, AND THEIR RENTERS WERE MOSTLY SHORT TERM AND INCLUDED SALESPEOPLE, AN INSURANCE AGENT AND AN OPTICIAN.
THE 2016 BALDWIN CREEK NEIGHBORHOOD SURVEY LIST THIS PROPERTY AS A MEDIUM PRIORITY IN CONTRIBUTING TO A POTENTIAL HISTORIC DISTRICT.
HOWEVER, STAFF HAS EVALUATED THE PROPERTY AND DETERMINED THAT IT DOES NOT MEET TWO CRITERIA REQUIRED FOR DESIGNATION AS A HISTORIC LANDMARK.
THEREFORE, THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION IS TO ENCOURAGE REHABILITATION AND ADAPTIVE REUSE, THEN RELOCATION OVER DEMOLITION, BUT TO RELEASE THE DEMOLITION PERMITS UPON COMPLETION OF A CITY OF AUSTIN DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE.
DO WE HAVE ANY PLANS OR DO WE KNOW WHAT THE PLANS ARE FOR THE SITE? NO, CHAIR.
I IMAGINE THIS IS AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, THAT'S GONNA BE REPLACED BY SOMETHING ELSE.
UM, IS THE APPLICANT HERE TO SPEAK TO THIS, TO THEIR APPLICATION, THE OWNER? ANYONE IN FAVOR? ANYONE ON THE LINE? OKAY.
IS THERE ANYONE TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION? WE HAVE TRICIA TODD.
HI, MS. TODD, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD.
I'M HERE TO OPPOSE THE DEMOLITION OF 8 0 1 A AND B WEST JOHANNA STREET.
AND I'D LIKE TO CLARIFY BEFORE WE START THE, UH, IT'S THE HOUSE IN FRONT, THE CUTE PURPLEISH HOUSE WITH THE, UH, YARD ON THE SIDE AND THE HOUSE BEHIND IT.
AND THAT PHOTO WASN'T SHOWN, AND I THINK WE STOOD FOR A LO A MOMENT WITH THE HOUSE THAT'S NOT BEING DEMOLISHED NEXT TO IT, WHICH ISN'T HALF AS CUTE.
UM, BUT IT'S BUILT AROUND THE SAME TIME.
BUT, SO YOU'RE SAYING THAT THE PICTURE THAT WE SHOWED IS NOT ONE OF THE HOUSES THAT'S UP FOR DEMOLITION? THERE WAS ONE PHOTO THAT SHOWED, RIGHT.
THE ONE WITH THE, WITH THE GABLE, UH, ROOF REFLECT IN THE CENTER.
AND YOU CAN LOOK AT THE PHOTOS.
RIGHT? IT'S THE ONE ON THE CORNER THAT IS, THAT IS, UH, BUT IT'S NOT THE ONE NEXT TO IT.
[01:30:01]
BUT THEY'RE BUILT AROUND THE SAME TIME.AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD CALLS THEM THE HIPPIE COTTAGES OF, OF GOLDEN CREEK.
AND, UM, AS AN OLD HIPPIE, I WOULD'VE LIVED TO LIVE IN THIS HOUSE.
AND THE INTERIOR IS REALLY GREAT AS WELL.
AND, UM, AND IT'S REALLY FRUSTRATING.
MY, MY GRANDFATHER BUILT HIS FIRST HOUSE IN GOLDEN CREEK, UM, IN THE THIRTIES.
MY MOM GREW UP THERE WE'RE WE'RE GOLDEN CREEK PEOPLE.
AND, UM, AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE, THE LISTING ON ZILLOW, IT SAYS HISTORIC AND CHARMING.
SO WHEN IT WAS SOLD BY THE PEOPLE THAT, UH, LIVED THERE PREVIOUSLY, IT WAS CONSIDERED HISTORIC.
AND IT DEFINITELY IS STILL QUITE CHARMING.
AND WHAT YOU CAN'T SEE IN THE PHOTOS IS THAT THE DEMOLITION CREWS ALREADY STARTED MINGLING THE PROPERTY.
THERE WAS A CODE VIOLATION TRUCK, UH, OUT THERE YESTERDAY.
THEY'VE DRIVEN ACROSS THE LAWN.
THEY'VE BEEN BREAKING UP THE STEPS.
THE DAR DEMOLITION SIGN IS LIKE A FLAG PLANTED ON A PLANET.
UM, SO IT'S VERY DISAPPOINTING THAT IT'S SO BRAZENLY ALREADY, UH, THINKING THAT THERE'S CONSENT ISSUED.
UM, AND WE DON'T KNOW THE PLANS FOR THIS.
AND, UH, THERE IS AN ASPECT HERE AND THE PAPERWORK FROM THE, UM, COMMITTEE THAT I PARTICULARLY WANNA ADDRESS.
UM, UH, SO THERE'S A COUPLE PIECES, HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION, ASSOCIATION THAT PROBABLY DOES NOT APPEAR TO HAVE SIGNIFICANT HORSE HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS.
I KNOW YOU HAVE DIFFERENT CRITERIA THAN I DO, BUT AS A RESIDENT OF GOLDEN CREEK, I FEEL THAT IT DOES.
IT'S ONE OF THE OLDER HOUSES THERE.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE NEW ARCHITECTURES GOING IN, IT'S HO SO HOMOGENIZED, AND IT'S SO HORRIFYING.
AND THEY'RE BUILDING WHAT WE CALL GENTRIFICATION FENCING THAT GOES ALL THE WAY TO THE STREET AND IS HIGH.
THOSE ARE PEOPLE THAT CAN'T AFFORD TO LIVE IN CIRCLE C OR PEACE PARK.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE, UH, OUR NEIGHBORS ARE COMING FROM BECAUSE YOU CAN'T TALK TO THEM BECAUSE THEY'RE BEHIND THESE GIANT FENCES.
UM, THE COMMUNITY VALUE OF D THE PROPERTY HAS NOT POSSESSED A UNIQUE LOCATION.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS ARE A SIGNIFICANT FEATURE THAT CONTRIBUTES TO THE CHARACTER IMAGE OR CULTURAL IDENTITY OF THE CITY, THE NEIGHBORHOOD, OR A PARTICULAR DEMOGRAPHIC GROUP.
UM, I TAKE PARTICULAR FENCE IN THIS BECAUSE AGAIN, IF YOU LOOK AT THIS HOUSE, IT DOES, IT'S ON A CORNER.
THIS IS A BIG NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE PEOPLE WALK.
IT'S A, IT'S A WALKING NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND WHEN EVERYONE PASSES BY THAT HOUSE, AND IT'S SO CHARMING WITH THE, THE MURAL AND THE FENCE, WHICH, OKAY, IT'S NOT HISTORICAL THAT MURAL, BUT IT IS A CHARACTERISTIC, THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND IT REALLY DOES DEFINE A LOT OF WHAT BOULDER CREEK STANDS FOR.
AND A LOT OF THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE THERE ARE A LITTLE BIT FUNKY.
WE'RE LIKE THE SCRAPPY LITTLE SISTER OF TRAVIS HEIGHTS.
TRAVIS HEIGHTS HAS BEEN LOSING THEIR COTTAGES.
AND, AND IT'S FRUSTRATING CAUSE I FEEL LIKE GOLDEN CREEK, WE DON'T STAND A CHANCE AGAINST THESE MEGA HOUSES THAT ARE COMING IN.
BUT I I'M ASKING YOU TONIGHT TO PLEASE RECONSIDER.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT PLANS THEY HAVE FOR IT.
UM, IT'S, IT'S AN IMPORTANT HOUSE ON A GREAT STREET IN GOLDEN CREEK.
UM, AND AGAIN, UH, AS A, AS A LONGTIME MEMBER OF THE, OF, UH, GOLDEN CREEK PASSED DOWN FROM MY GRANDPARENTS, UM, IT'S THE, THE CHARACTER OF GOLDEN CREEK IS BEING DESTROYED HOUSE BY HOUSE.
THERE IS A STRONG NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
SO IF THE PEOPLE THEY'RE BUILD, OWNING IT, BUILDING IT, IT'S LISTED DAR DEMOLITION THAT, THAT'S REPRESENTING THIS HOUSE.
SO THAT TO ME IS JUST, UM, IS, UH, I, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO MAKE OF THAT, TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH.
BUT WE DO HAVE A STRONG NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
SO IF THEY WANNA COME AND SPEAK TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, SHOW US WHAT THEY'RE BUILDING, WHO THEY ARE, AND WHAT THEY INTEND TO DO.
AND YOU BROUGHT UP THE FACT THAT IT LOOKS LIKE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
YES, IT IS AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT MAKE UP OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE LIKE TO HAVE, UM, A, A VAST ARRAY OF PEOPLE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
THAT'S A LOT OF WHAT GOLDEN CREEK IS ABOUT.
A LOT OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE COMING TOGETHER AND MEETING ON THE STREET, MEETING AT THE CORNER, SITTING ON OUR PORCHES.
UM, SO, UH, THIS BEING SAID, UM, A LOT OF THAT'S BEING LOST TO THESE SINGLE FAMILY HOMES THAT TAKE UP THE WHOLE LAW, ESPECIALLY IF THERE'S A SECONDARY UNIT THAT CAN MAYBE TAKE OVER FOR A, A GIANT HOUSE.
UM, THE BACK HOUSE ISN'T GREAT LOOKING, BUT THE FRONT HOUSE, I WOULD LOVE IT IF SOMETHING, UH, AT LEAST IF THEY COULD REHABILITATE THIS HOUSE.
AND IF YOU, AND IT SAYS HERE, THE ENCOURAGE REHABILITATION AND ADAPTIVE REUSE.
I WONDER IF, IF THERE'S BEEN A CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS BECAUSE WITH, UH, THE TRAVIS HEIGHTS HOUSE, AT LEAST THEY'RE WORKING WITH THE FRONT PART OF THE HOUSE, UM, SORRY, AS A DIFFERENT HOUSE, CASTLE HILL MM-HMM.
SO THAT'S SEEMS LIKE AN OPTION PERHAPS, THAT Y'ALL COULD DISCUSS WITH DAR DEMOLITION OR WHOMEVER'S THE ACTUAL OWNER.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE, THE CASTLE HILL PROP PROPERTY IS IN A LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICT.
AND THE TRAVIS HEIGHTS PROPERTY IS IN A NATIONAL REGISTERED DISTRICT, BUT WE ONLY HAVE THE ABILITY TO DELAY DEMOLITION FOR 180 DAYS.
[01:35:01]
AND, UM, AND, UH, COMMENT, REVIEW AND COMMENT ON ANY NEW CONSTRUCTION, BOLD, THE BOLDON CREEK NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, WE DON'T HAVE ANY LOCAL OR NATIONAL REGISTER DISTRICTS THERE.AND SO I THINK OUR ONLY OPPORTU, OUR ONLY OPTION IS, IS TO SEE IF IT MEETS CRITERIA FOR LANDMARK STATUS.
UM, SO ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OF THE SPEAKER AND, OKAY.
WE HAVE ANOTHER SPEAKER IN OPPOSITION.
CAN I SIT DOWN? OH, UH, SORRY.
WHAT ABOUT CODE VIOLATIONS? IF THEY'RE ALREADY STARTING TO DO SOME DEMOLITIONS THERE, YOU CAN CALL ALL THREE 11.
I, I HATE IT WHEN THEY JUST ASSUME
SO, UM, DO I HEAR A MOTION TO, UH, CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING? I, I THINK WE, I WOULD, I'D ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO, UH, LEAVE THE PUBLIC HEARING OPEN.
AND POSTPONE, UH, TO THE JANUARY MEETING.
ANY DISCUSSION? WOULD YOU LIKE TO DISCUSS YOUR MOTION? WELL, BEFORE AMBER SAID TO CALL 3 1 1, I WAS GONNA ADD ON TO MY MOTION AND SAY, AND ASK A FAVOR OF STAFF TO CALL CODE ENFORCEMENT AND SEE WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE, UH, UH, SEEMINGLY ONGOING DEMOLITION OF THE PROPERTY.
D A R IS A FREQUENT FLYER AT THIS COMMISSION, AND THEY KNOW WHAT THE PROCESS IS.
UH, AND, BUT WE, WE MIGHT ASK STAFF TO REMIND THEM NOT TO JUMP THE GUN.
UM, WELL, AND I, I WOULD SAY THAT'S EX SPECIFICALLY THE REASON I SECONDED THAT MOTION.
UH, I'M VERY CONCERNED THAT WE SOMEHOW HAVE GOT THE IMPRESSION WITH, AGAIN, A FIRM THAT SHOULD KNOW BETTER, THAT, UM, JUST BECAUSE IT'S ON THE AGENDA AND THE STAFF SAID IT WAS CONSENTED, SO RUBBER STAMP AND THEY JUST STAMP, WELL EXPECT IT.
AND THAT'S CERTAINLY NOT THE CASE.
UH, AGAIN, I HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT IT WOULD MEET HISTORIC ZONING, AND THAT TOOL MAY OR MAY NOT BE AVAILABLE TO US BY NEXT MEETING, BUT I THINK THAT WE HAVE A, WE HAVE A DUTY TO INVESTIGATE, UH, ARE THERE VIOLATIONS GOING ON? AND IF SO, CAN WE HOLD THE, THE OWNER AND THE, UH, THE GROUP ACCOUNTABLE, UM, ISSUE US A STOP WORK ORDER EXACTLY ON IT.
STAFF CAN REACH OUT TO, UM, CODE ENFORCEMENT, UH, IN THE PAST, THEY JUST TELL US TO TELL NEIGHBORS TO CALL 3 1 1.
BUT I WILL, UH, SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING ON THE RECORD THAT THEY HAVE FOR THIS ADDRESS, UH, AND GET ANY UPDATES AND SHARE THEM WITH YOU ALL.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION OF THIS CASE? UH, I AM ALSO FAMILIAR WITH D A R AND I'M VERY SURPRISED THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY WENT AHEAD WITH, IF THERE IS NO PERMIT, IF THEY, IF THEY'RE NOT, I'M VERY SURPRISED BECAUSE D A R LIKE YOU SAID, THEY'RE, THEY'RE BEEN AROUND A LONG TIME EVERY TIME I'VE SEEN THEIR WORK, THE PERMIT'S THERE.
JUST WANTED, UM, WELL, IF THERE'S NO FURTHER DISCUSSION, UH, SHALL WE VOTE ON THE MOTION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF POSTPONING US TO JANUARY AND MAYBE, UH, THE SPEAKER IN OPPOSITION, UM, MIGHT TRY TO SEE IF THE BOLDEN NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION COULD GET A MEETING, UM, WITH THE APPLICANT, WITH THE OWNER.
UM, BUT ANYWAY, TO POST UPON THIS TILL JANUARY.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
AMBER, I WONDER IF YOU COULD ELABORATE A LITTLE FURTHER ON CODE ENFORCEMENT.
SO THEY DO THAT, UH, THEY HAVE TO HAVE AN OFFICIAL WORK.
THEY HAVE TO HAVE AN, AN OFFICIAL FILE, OPEN AN OFFICIAL COMPLAINT, AND THAT IS DONE THROUGH THREE 11.
SO THEY CAN'T HAVE A COMPLAINT FROM US.
IT HAS TO BE FROM A THREE 11 CALL.
I MEAN, I ASSUME SO I DON'T KNOW IF CITY STAFF, IF THERE'S LIKE A, IF ANYTHING BETWEEN CITY STAFF AND CODE ENFORCEMENT.
UM, BUT, UM, I CAN LOOK INTO THAT.
YEAH, I'D BE INTERESTED TO KNOW, BECAUSE THIS HAS COME UP ON A SOMEWHAT MORE FREQUENT BASIS SINCE I'VE BEEN SITTING ON THE DI I, IT'S YOUR FAULT,
[01:40:01]
WELL, I, I ASSUME THAT, BUT I ALSO ASSUME THAT CITY STAFF WOULD BE ABLE TO COORDINATE REQUESTS LIKE THAT.[21. PR-2022-164691 – 2003 Canterbury St. – Discussion Council District 3 ]
UH, 21 2003 CANTERBURY DEMOLITION.ITEM 21, 2003 CANTERBURY STREET.
THIS IS AN APPLICATION TO DEMOLISH A CIRCA 1912 HOUSE.
UH, THIS IS A ONE-STORY NATIONAL FOLK HOUSE WITH A PYRAMIDAL HIP ROOF BOARD AND BATON SIDING, AND AN INSET PARTIAL WIDTH PORCH SUPPORTED BY TURNED POSTS.
FENESTRATION INCLUDES DOUBLE ENTRY DOORS AND ONE OVER ONE REPLACEMENT WINDOWS.
THIS HOUSE WAS CONSTRUCTED IN 1912 BY XENA AND LILY HOWELL.
XENA HOWELL WORKED AS A TEAMSTER FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, AND THE HOWELL SOLD THE HOME IN 1921 TO MARRY OUR SHOOTER WHO LIVED CLOSE BY A 2000 GARDEN STREET WITH HER SON AND TWO ADULT DAUGHTERS.
SHE RENTED THIS HOME TO VARIOUS SHORT-TERM WORKING CLASS RENTERS, INCLUDING DRIVERS, A MECHANIC AND A BARBER.
AFTER MARY SHOOTER'S DEATH, OWNERSHIP OF THE HOME PASSED TO HER SON CARL.
FROM 1959 THROUGH 1960, IT WAS THE TEMPORARY HOME OF MEXICAN-AMERICAN NEIGHBORHOOD ACTIVISTS EDWARD CEP RENDON BEFORE THEY MOVED TO THEIR PERMANENT HOME ELSEWHERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
THE 2016 EAST AUSTIN SURVEY LISTS THIS PROPERTY AS CONTRIBUTING TO POTENTIAL LOCAL AND NATIONAL REGISTER.
HISTORIC DISTRICTS, UM, PROPERTIES MUST MEET TWO CRITERIA FOR LANDMARK DESIGNATION, UH, TO BE, UH, DESIGNATED AS A HISTORIC LANDMARK.
STAFF HAS EVALUATED THE PROPERTY AND DETERMINE THAT THEY MEET TWO CRITERIA, UH, AS IT IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF VERNACULAR, NATIONAL FOLK ARCHITECTURE.
UM, AND, UH, THOUGH THE PROPERTY DOES NOT APPEAR TO HAVE SIGNIFICANT ASSOCIATIONS OTHER THAN BRIEF OCCUPANCY BY EDWARD AND COIO RENDON, UH, ITS RESIDENTS EXEMPLIFY THE OVERALL DEVELOPMENT PATTERNS OF THE SOUTHEAST AUSTIN AREA DURING THE 20TH CENTURY.
UM, THUS, IF THE STAFF, IF THE, UH, COMMISSION DETERMINES THAT THE BUILDING HAS SUFFICIENT HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS TO MEET THE REQUIRED DESIGNATION CRITERIA, THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION IS TO INITIATE HISTORIC ZONING, OTHERWISE ENCOURAGE ADAPTIVE REUSE AND REHABILITATION, THEN RELOCATION OVER DEMOLITION, UH, BUT RELEASE THE DEMOLITION PERMIT UPON COMPLETION OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE.
UM, IS THERE ANYONE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THE APPLICATION? UH, COME ON DOWN.
LET'S STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD.
AND I'M, UH, REPRESENTING THE OWNERS.
AND, UH, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TONIGHT ABOUT WHY WE FEEL THAT, UM, 2000 CANTERBURY IS NOT A GOOD, UH, A GOOD, UH, A GOOD, I GUESS, CANDIDATE FOR HISTORIC DES DESIGNATION.
UM, THE HOME IS NOT IN OR NEAR A HISTORIC DISTRICT.
THE CURRENT OWNERS PURCHASED THE LOT WITH THE INTENT TO DEMO THE HOUSE.
UM, IT'S, IT'S BEEN IN A STATE OF DISREPAIR FOR QUITE SOME TIME SO LONG THAT THE PROFESSIONAL STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS THAT EXAMINE THE HOUSE, UM, ARE NOT RECOMMENDING THAT IT BE RENOVATED.
THE RECOMMENDATION IS TO DEMOLISH IT.
UM, IT'S LACK OF INCLUSION IN A HISTORIC DISTRICT GAVE THE CURRENT OWNERS NO WARNING THAT THE HOME MAY BE DENIED A DEMO, DEMOLITION PERMIT.
AND FRANKLY, MAINTAINING THE STRUCTURE WOULD BE COST PREVENTATIVE, UH, DUE TO ITS FAILED STRUCTURAL OR FAILED STRUCTURAL CONDITION.
THE CURRENT STRUCTURE IS ONLY 686 SQUARE FEET OF LIVING SPACE HARDLY ENOUGH FOR A FAMILY, MORE SUITED FOR ONE SINGLE PERSON IF IT WERE APPROVED TO BE DEMOLISHED.
PLANS ARE IN THE WORKS FOR A HOME LARGE ENOUGH TO HOUSE A FAMILY OR MULTIPLE ROOMMATES.
UM, IN ADDITION, RENOVATION IN ADDITION TO THE DETACHED GARAGE IN THE BACK IS ALSO WOULD ALSO BE PROPOSED TO CREATE A TWO-FAMILY LOT.
THIS IS IN KEEPING WITH THE CURRENT ZONING AND NEIGHBORHOOD USE AND WILL PROVIDE HOUSING THAT IS DEEPLY NEEDED IN THIS AREA.
THE SAD FACT IS THAT THIS STRUCTURE HAS NOT BEEN MAINTAINED.
UH, WHEN THE CURRENT OWNER PURCHASED THE LOT, THE STRUCTURE HAD BEEN IN DISREPAIR FOR YEARS AS EVIDENCED BY THE MOLD AND STRUCTURAL REPORTS INCLUDED IN YOUR BACKUP.
REASONABLE USE OF THE STRUCTURE THAT ALLOWS THE EXTERIOR TO REMAIN IN ITS ORIGINAL STYLE IS NOT SAFE OR RECOMMENDED.
AGAIN, DEMOLITION IS RECOMMENDED.
AND TO QUOTE TEXAS STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS, SINCE I'VE FOUND EXTENSIVE, EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE ROOF SYSTEM, THE ENTIRE HOUSE FRAMING THE EXTERIOR WALLS AND THE FOUNDATION, I RECOMMEND
[01:45:01]
THAT THE HOUSE SHOULD BE DEMOLISHED AND REBUILT.UH, I'LL JUST LIST SOME OF THE SUPPORTING CONCERNING DETAILS FROM THAT REPORT.
UH, THE WALL IS NOT STABLE ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE HOUSE AND HAS MOVEMENT.
WE ACTUALLY SUBMITTED SOME VIDEOS THAT SHOW HOW LIGHT PRESSURE TO THE WALLS, UM, THEY MOVE
UM, THERE'S VISIBLE ROTTEN WOOD ON THE FRAMING.
MEMBERS OF THE WALLS ON THE EAST, WEST, AND WEST SIDE OF THE HOUSE, THE EXTERIOR WOODEN CEILING ON THE EAST, WEST, AND SOUTH SIDE OF THE HOUSE IS DAMAGED AND HAS SIGNS OF ROT.
THERE'S WATER DAMAGE ON THE CEILING.
SHEA THINKS OF THE KITCHEN, WHICH YOU SEE HERE.
UH, YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
THERE'S A VISIBLE ROTTEN WOOD ON THE EXTERIOR WALL.
SHEA THINKS ON THE EAST, WEST, AND SOUTH SIDE OF THE HOUSE.
THE ROOF FRAME OF THE HOUSE IS OLD AND WORN, AND THERE ARE VISIBLE DAMAGE AND ROTTEN MEMBERS OF THE ROOF FRAME IN MULTIPLE LOCATIONS IN THE ATTIC.
UM, THERE ARE VISIBLE ROTTEN AND TERMITE DAMAGED WOOD PIERS IN MULTIPLE LOCATIONS.
IN THE CRAWLSPACE, THERE ARE MULTIPLE PIERS THAT ARE MISSING A FOOTING.
THERE ARE SOME DIFFERENT TYPES OF PIERS WITH DIFFERENT HEIGHTS AND SIZES.
IN THE HOUSES FOUNDATION, THERE ARE ABOUT FIVE PIERS THAT SEEM TO BE SKEWED AND NOT FULLY VERTICAL.
THERE ARE VISIBLE ROTTEN FLOOR BEAM FLOOR BEAMS AND FLOOR JOISTS.
THERE ARE VISIBLE DAMAGE AND ROTTEN MEMBERS OF THE FLOOR ROOF FRAME IN MULTIPLE LOCATIONS.
IN THE ATTIC, THERE ARE VISIBLE DAMAGE AND ROTTEN STAIRS ON THE NORTH AND SI SOUTH SIDE OF THE HOUSE.
AND FINALLY, THE LASER LEVELING, WHICH YOU SEE HERE, UH, THE READING, IT SHOWS THAT THE FLOOR SHOWS A MAXIMUM LEVEL DIFFERENCE OF SEVEN INCHES OVER 23 FEET.
THE STAFF REPORT LISTS ITS, UM, HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION WITH THE RENDON AS ITS MAIN CRITERIA TO INITIATE HISTORICAL ZONING.
HOWEVER, THE RENDON'S ONLY TEMPORARILY RENTED 2003 CANTERBURY FOR ONE YEAR OR LESS FROM 1959 TO 1960.
AND THERE'S NO EVIDENCE THAT ANY HISTORICAL EVENTS TOOK PLACE IN THE HOUSE.
THE RENDON'S MOVED FROM THE, FROM CANTERBURY SOMETIME IN 1960, PURCHASED 1705 HASKELL STREET IN 1961.
THAT HOUSE REMAINED IN THEIR FAMILY UNTIL 2020 WHEN IT WAS DECIDED THAT IT WOULD NOT RECEIVE HISTORICAL DESIGNATION AND COULD BE DEMOLISHED TO MAKE ROOM FOR NEW NEW DEVELOPMENT.
IT SEEMS THE BASIS FOR THAT DECISION WAS THE LACK OF EVIDENCE OF ANY POLITICAL EVENTS THAT TOOK PLACE IN THE HOUSE.
SO THE OWNERS OF 2003 CANTERBURY ARE SIMPLY ASKING FOR THE SAME REASONING TO BE, TO BE APPLIED TO THEIR CASE.
THE OWNERS DO NOT WISH FOR THE HOUSE TO HAVE HISTORICAL DESIGNATION.
THERE'S NO EVIDENCE OF HISTORIC OR POLITICAL EVENTS THAT TOOK PLACE IN THE HOUSE.
AND THE COST TO MAINTAIN THE HOUSE IN ITS CURRENT STATE OF STRUCTURAL DETERIORATION WOULD PREVENT THE CURRENT OWNERS FROM TURNING A 686 SQUARE FOOT HOUSE, UH, WITH DETACHED GARAGE INTO A TWO-FAMILY LOT THAT WILL FILL THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL HOUSING IN THE CITY.
SO WE'VE RESPECTFULLY ASKED THAT YOU RELEASED THE DEMOLITION PERMIT.
UM, AND PLEASE NOTE THE SEVEN LETTERS OF SUPPORT FROM NEARBY NEIGHBORS THAT ARE INCLUDED IN THE BACKUP.
ANY QUESTIONS OF THE SPEAKER? SHE CRUSHED.
ARE THERE, IS THERE ANYONE ELSE TO SPEAK, UH, IN FAVOR OF THE APPLICATION FOR DEMOLITION? OKAY.
IS THERE ANYONE TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION? OKAY.
UH, DO I HEAR A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING? OKAY.
UH, SECOND WAS BY COMMISSIONER FEATHERSTON.
ALL IN FAVOR? PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
ANY OPPOSED? DO I HEAR A MOTION ON THE KIDS? I'LL WAITING FOR THE ARCHITECTS.
UH, I'LL, I'LL GO AHEAD AND MOVE APPROVAL OF THE DEMOLITION BASED WITH STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION.
UM, THAT'S TO RELEASE THE DEMOLITION PERMIT UPON COMPLETION OF THE AUSTIN DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE.
I WAS JUST READING THROUGH THE, UH, THING.
OTHERWISE ENCOURAGE ADAPTIVE REUSE, BUT I THINK WE SAW, UM, WE SAW SOME PRETTY GOOD EVIDENCE HERE THAT THAT WAS NOT HAPPENING.
THE STAFF WILL SPEAK TO YOU ABOUT WHAT'S REQUIRED IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE IF IT DOES PASS.
UM, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? HOLD ON.
OH, I, I, NO, WE, I'M WILLING TO BE A SECOND.
AND I CAN SPEAK TO MY MOTION NOW.
UH, AND, UH, THAT'S WHY I WAS DEFERRING TO OUR ENGINEER BECAUSE NORMALLY, UH, I THINK WE LOOK A LITTLE BIT OF SCANS AT THE ENGINEER'S REPORT, UH, PARTICULARLY WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT AN OLDER PIER AND BEAM HOUSE BECAUSE, UH, YOU KNOW, EVEN AT
[01:50:01]
THEIR BEST OLD PIER AND BEAM HOUSES WILL HAVE SOME GIVE AND TAKE.BUT I APPRECIATE THE EXTENSIVE DOCUMENTATION, THE THOROUGHNESS OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS.
UH, THE ONLY THING I'LL TAKE ISSUE WITH IS THE LEVELNESS OF THE HOUSE.
UM, SEVEN INCHES ON A PIER AND BEAM HOUSE CAN BE FIXED WITH A JACK.
THAT'S NOT AN ISSUE AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED.
BUT WHEN YOU LOOK UNDERNEATH THE HOUSE AND YOU SAW THE EXTENT OF THE WORK THAT WOULD BE REQUIRED, NOT THAT THIS HOUSE IN AND OF ITSELF IS BEYOND SALVAGING.
IF SOMEBODY REALLY WERE QUITE EARNEST AND WANTED TO, BUT MUCH OF THE WORK WOULD BE REBUILDING.
AND AT THE SAME TIME, THEN WE HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE ASSOCIATION AND SOME OF THE OTHER ELEMENTS.
UH, AS MUCH AS THIS HOUSE HAS A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF INTEGRITY FROM A CERTAIN PERIOD, AND THAT WOULD BE OF VALUE, UH, COMPARED TO ALL THE OTHER FACTORS, I JUST DON'T SEE THAT IT, IT RISES TO THE POINT WHERE WE WOULD ASK THE OWNER, UH, OR INSIST THAT THE OWNER HAVE TO GO THROUGH A, A RESTORATION PROGRAM.
I DID WANNA ADDRESS ONE, UH, ONE THING THAT, UM, THAT THE, THAT THE APPLICANTS BROUGHT UP WAS THAT IT'S NOT IN HISTORIC DISTRICT, HOWEVER, IT'S BEEN DETERMINED CONTRIBUTING TO A POTENTIAL DISTRICT.
AND THAT MEANS THAT THERE'S A CONCENTRATION OF HISTORIC PROPERTIES, PROBABLY OF SIMILAR VINTAGE AND HISTORIC ASSOCIATIONS THAT, THAT THIS WOULD CONTRIBUTE TO.
AND THAT WAS BASED ON, UM, ITEMIZED SURVEY OF ALL THE PROPERTIES IN THE AREA.
SO I, UM, JUST BECAUSE IT ISN'T EXIST IN AN EXISTING DISTRICT, THAT THAT RECOMMENDATION, UM, THE, THE FACT THAT IT'S CONTRIBUTING TO A POTENTIAL DISTRICT, I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT, COMMISSIONER, TO LET YEAH, I, I ADD ONTO TO WHAT YOU JUST SAID.
DURING THEIR PRESENTATION, THEY SAID THE OWNER WAS SURPRISED AND TAKEN BY SURPRISE THAT IT WAS POTENTIALLY ZONED HISTORIC.
HE BOUGHT THIS, THEY BOUGHT THIS AFTER 2 20 16 WHEN THE EAST AUSTIN SURVEY WAS DONE.
IF HE WAS NOT AWARE OF IT, HIS REALTOR SHOULD HAVE BEEN AT ROAR OF IT, AND THEY SHOULD HAVE TOLD HIM.
AND THAT'S REALLY NO EXCUSE AT THIS AT THIS POINT.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS OVER THE LAST YEARS.
YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT, THAT THESE, THESE SURVEYS ARE OUT THERE.
SO I, IT, IT KIND OF DOES GO BEYOND THE PIER BEAM ISSUE, AND IT'S AN OLD TIMBER FRAMED HOUSE.
UH, IT IS NOT STRUCTURALLY UNSTABLE, IN MY OPINION, BASED ON THE PHOTOGRAPH AND THE REPORT OF THE STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING AND STRUCTURAL ENGINEER.
AND IT CAN, AND RATHER EASILY BE STABILIZED, RECONSTRUCTED, REPAIRED, UH, COMMISSIONER HEIM SET.
THAT'S CORRECT IN THAT THERE WOULD BE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF EFFORT INVOLVED.
BUT I WOULD CAUTION THE STRUCTURAL ENGINEER AGAINST A BIT OF WHAT I WOULD CONSIDER TO BE HYPERBOLE WITH RESPECT TO THE CONDITION OF THE HOME STRUCTURALLY.
YOU KNOW, I, I, I HAVE TO SAY THAT THE CONCLUSION THAT THEREFORE IT SHOULD BE TORN DOWN, I DON'T BELIEVE IS THE ONLY ALTERNATIVE, BUT, BUT IT CERTAINLY IS THE EXTENT OF THE WORK NECESSARY TO BRING IT UP TO WHAT WE WOULD CONSIDER BE ACCEPTABLE STANDARDS WOULD BE TANTAMOUNT TO A LOT OF REBUILDING.
AND I SUPPORTED THE MOTION, NOT BECAUSE OF THE STRUCTURAL CONDITION, BUT GIVEN THE BROADER PERSPECTIVE, THE SUPPORTING MEMBERS AND OTHER FACTORS THAT WENT INTO MY SUPPORT OF THAT MOTION.
ARE THERE MULTIPLE STRUCTURES ON THE SITE? ARE WE, IS THE DEMOLITION JUST FOR ONE, LIKE THE FRONT STRUCTURE, OR IS IT FOR THE WHOLE THING? IT'S JUST FOR THE, FOR THE TOTAL.
THERE'S THE, SO, AND IT'LL BE, UH, RENOVATED ADDED ONTO.
YEAH, I WANTED TO NOTE, I'M GONNA SUPPORT THE MOTION PRIMARILY BECAUSE THE, UH, HISTORIC RESOURCES SURVEY DID NOT RECOMMEND IT AS A LOCAL LANDMARK.
SO I'M GONNA, YOU KNOW, SUPPORT RELIABILITY THERE.
AND TO NOTE ALSO TO ANYONE WHO'S LISTENING, UH, THIS EXISTS FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO LOOK AT TOO.
UH, YOU CAN SEE AN ADVANCE, UH, FORECAST OF WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN HERE IF THESE CASES COME UP BASED ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THIS SURVEY.
SO I ENCOURAGE ANYONE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHO WANTS TO BE PROACTIVE TO READ THROUGH THE SURVEY.
AND IF YOU FIND ANY DISCREPANCIES, IF YOU KNOW OF ANY HISTORY, UH, THAT ISN'T BROUGHT TO LIGHT, TO, TO LET US KNOW.
UM, CUZ ONE OF THE TOOLS, I KNOW ONE OF THE REC RECOMMENDATIONS PENDING IN
[01:55:01]
THE, UH, PRESERVATION PLAN IS TO USE THESE SURVEYS AS A TOOL FOR NEIGHBORHOODS AND, UH, PRESERVATION ADVOCATES TO USE, TO DOUBLE CHECK TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS ACCURATE.SO, UM, THIS CAN BE A TOOL TO BE USED PROACTIVELY AS WELL AS FOR RELIABILITY FOR THE OWNERS.
AND SO I AM, I AM GONNA SUPPORT IT SINCE IT WASN'T RECOMMENDED IN THE SURVEY.
UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE SAY, AYE.
[22. PR-2022-169534 – 2203 E. Cesar Chavez St. – Discussion Council District 3 ]
IS ITEM 22, 22 0 3, EAST CAESAR CHAVEZ.ANOTHER DEMOLITION OF A SIMILAR PROPERTY WITH A REALLY CUTE HIP.
ADAM NUMBER 22 AT 2203 EAST CESAR CHAVO STREET.
THIS IS AN APPLICATION TO DEMOLISH A CIRCA 1912 HOUSE.
UH, IT'S A ONE-STORY PARAMETER, HIP DRO HOUSE CLOUD AND HORIZONTAL WOOD SIDING WITH PARTIAL WIDTH INSET PORCH SUPPORTED BY BOX COLUMNS, A CENTRAL CHIMNEY, AN EXPOSED RAFTER TAILS AT THE ES, THE HOUSE AT 2203.
AAR CHAVEZ WAS CONSTRUCTED AROUND 1912 BY CARPENTER W BURT HASTON HASTON AND HIS FAMILY LIVED IN THE HOUSE UNTIL AROUND 1920 WHEN IT WAS RENTED TO A ROOFER AND HIS WIFE.
IT WAS THEN BRIEFLY OWNED BY AMOS FRANKLIN, WHO WORKED AS A TEAMSTER BEFORE BEING SOLD TO THE C**N FAMILY.
IN THE MID 1920S, PAUL C**N WORKED AS A CARPENTER WHILE EMILY C**N WAS ACTIVE IN THE LUTHERAN CHURCH.
THEIR CHILDREN, ALBERT HILDEGARD AND HERTHA ALSO LIVED IN THE FAMILY HOME.
HERTHA WAS A NURSE WHILE HILDEGARD WAS A DENTAL TECHNICIAN.
SHE EVENTUALLY MARRIED CONTRACTOR ALVIN MASSEY AND THE COUPLE LIVED ON THE PROPERTY WITH HER PARENTS IN THE 1950S.
SON HERBERT KOON WAS DEAN OF THE METHODIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY IN SINGAPORE, AND HE VISITED HIS PARENTS OFTEN.
THE KOON FAMILY OWNED AND OCCUPIED THE HOME UNTIL EMILY KOON'S DEATH IN 1969.
THE 2016 EAST AUSTIN SURVEY RECOMMENDS THIS PROPERTY IS ELIGIBLE FOR LOCAL LANDMARK DESIGNATION, INDIVIDUALLY ELIGIBLE FOR LISTING OF THE NATIONAL REGISTER HISTORIC PLACES, AND AS A CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURE IN POTENTIAL LOCAL AND NATIONAL REGISTER HISTORIC DISTRICTS.
THE BUILDING IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF A VERNACULAR BUILDING CONSTRUCTED WITH CRAFTSMAN AND NATIONAL FOLK STYLISTIC INFLUENCES.
UM, AND THE SURVEY RECOMMENDS THE PROPERTY IS ELIGIBLE FOR ITS ASSOCIATIONS WITH THE WIDESPREAD DEVELOPMENT PATTERNS OF EAST AUSTIN.
UH, WINDOWS AND DOORS HAVE BEEN REPLACED.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION IS TO CONSIDER THE INITIATION OF HISTORIC ZONING.
HOWEVER, SHOULD THE COMMISSION DECIDE AGAINST INITIATION, ENCOURAGE ADAPTIVE REUSE AND REHABILITATION, THEN RELOCATION OVER DEMOLITION, BUT RELEASE THE DEMOLITION PERMIT UPON COMPLETION OF A CITY OF AUSTIN DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE.
UH, DO WE HAVE ANYONE HERE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THE APPLICATION? WE HAVE ART RAMIREZ.
I'M ALSO READING OFF OF THIS, UH, OKAY.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD.
I WAS ABOUT TO ASK THAT YOUNG LADY IF I CAN BORROW HER NOTES AND EVERYTHING CUZ
UH, THE ORIGINALS HAS, HAS, UH, STAFF STATED THE ORIGINAL WINDOWS, ALL OF 'EM HAVE BEEN REPLACED.
THE FRONT DOORS HAVE, THEY WERE DONE BY THE PREVIOUS OWNERS SOME TIME AGO.
UM, THE FRONT PORCH, UM, DOES HAVE THE BOX POST THAT ARE OBVIOUSLY DILAPIDATED, BUT YOU KNOW, THAT CAN BE REPAIRED, BUT IT DOESN'T HAVE ANY ORIGINAL DECORATIVE TYPE OF RAILING THAT HOUSES DID, DID HAVE, IT DOESN'T HAVE ANY, UH, DECO FACADES ON THE GABLES, LIKE, LIKE ACTUAL THE NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR HOUSE AT 2205, WHICH I RENOVATED.
WE RESTORED THAT HOUSE THAT HAD A LOT OF, UH, HISTORICAL ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE AND WE RESTORED ALL THE WINDOWS THAT WERE ORIGINAL THERE.
WE RESTORED THE DOORS, WE RESTORED THE WHOLE PLACE.
AND IT'S SITS RIGHT NOW, REALLY NICE.
BUT THIS HOUSE DOES NOT, IN OUR OPINION, UH, MEET ANY OF THE CRITERIA SET OUT BY THE COMMISSION THAT, UH, IT DOESN'T HAVE THE ARCHITECTURAL.
IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S A VERY COMMON CRAFTSMAN STYLE HOME FOR THE ERA.
AND IT DOESN'T APPEAR TO HAVE ANY MAJOR, UH, ANY, UH, OCCUPANTS THAT HAVE ANY HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE THERE EITHER.
SO WE ARE RESPECTIVELY, UH, RESPECTED, UH, RESPECTFULLY, UH, ASKING THAT THE COMMISSION GRANT, THE DEMOLITION PERMIT.
UM, ANY QUESTIONS OF THE APPLICANT?
[02:00:02]
DO YOU LIVE IN THE HOUSE NEXT DOOR? NO.WE RENOVATED, IT'S A BUSINESS.
SO SINGLE FAMILY RIGHT THERE ON SCISSOR CHAVEZ DOES OBVIOUSLY DOESN'T WORK ANYMORE.
UM, IT'S SAD TO SAY, BUT YEAH, EVERYTHING'S, NO, THERE'S, IN THAT PARTICULAR AREA, THERE'S NO RESIDENCES THERE ANYMORE.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THE APPLICATION? OKAY.
IS THERE ANYONE OPPOSED? ALL RIGHT.
DO I HEAR A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING? SO MOVED.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
ANY OPPOSED? PUBLIC HEARING IS CLOSED.
DO I HEAR A MOTION ON THE CASE? I LIKE THIS HOUSE.
I I THINK IT'S IN BETTER SHAPE THAN THE OTHER ONE, BUT I WILL GO AHEAD AND, AND MOVE APPROVAL, UH, WITH, AGAIN, THE STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION THAT, UH, UPON THE RELEASE, THE DEMOLITION, THAT THERE'S A COMPLETION OF A DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE.
UM, UH, YOU NOTED THAT THIS WAS RECOMMENDED, UH, FOR LANDMARK STATUS.
WAS THE PREVIOUS HOUSE RECOMMENDED FOR LANDMARK STATUS? I, I, I DIDN'T THINK SO, BUT I, I COULD BE BE WRONG.
THE PREVIOUS HOUSE WAS RECOMMENDED FOR, UH, AS A CONTRIBUTING PROPERTY CONTRIBUTING.
SO THIS IS RECOMMENDED FOR LANDMARK STATUS BECAUSE THEY FEEL IT, IT, UH, IT, IT MEETS THE ARCHITECTURAL CRITERIA.
AND, AND I WOULD SAY TO MR. RAMIREZ, JUST IN PASSING THAT IT'S A DIFFERENT STYLE THAN THE HOUSE NEXT DOOR.
AND, AND IT, IT DOES RETAIN THE QUALITIES OF THIS PARTICULAR TYPE.
AND, UM, AND I, AND I'M GUESSING THEN THE OTHER CRITERIA IS, UH, FOR HISTORIC PATTERNS OF, OF THIS PART OF AUSTIN, UH, AND THE, THE TYPE OF NEIGHBORHOOD IT IS, THE DEVELOPMENT PATTERNS HERE.
UH, YES, CHAIRMAN, UM, THE SURVEY FOUND THAT THE INITIAL BUILDERS AND LONG-TERM RESIDENTS, UM, OF THIS PROPERTY EXEMPLIFY THE, UH, THE DEMOGRAPHIC.
UM, WORKING IN MIDDLE CLASS FAMILIES THAT WERE, UM, THAT WERE LIVING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AT THE TIME.
THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT.
WELL, I, I MADE A MOTION, I DUNNO IF I HAVE A SECOND.
UH, IS THERE A SECOND TO THE MOTION TO RELEASE THE DEMOLITION PERMIT? UM, WITH THE, UH, CITY OF AUSTIN DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE.
COMMISSIONER FEATHERSTON, UH, SECOND SET.
IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? UH, YEAH, I MEAN, THIS IS ONE I, I APPRECIATE EXACTLY THAT THERE ARE SOME ELEMENTS TO THE HOUSE THAT MAKE IT INTERESTING.
UM, THAT PARTICULAR STYLE TYPE IS SO MINIMAL AND SO BASIC THAT THE FACT THAT THERE ARE NO EXISTING WINDOWS, THEY'RE NO NOTHING TO THE DOOR, NOTHING.
UM, BUT IT'S, I ALMOST WONDER WHAT IS IT THAT WE WOULD BE PRESERVING? UM, AND I DO THINK THAT AT LEAST FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHS, IT APPEARS THAT NOW THIS DOES HAVE MORE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY THAN THE OTHER.
THEN I HAVE TO LOOK AT THE ASSOCIATION.
AND I DO THINK WHILE THERE IS SOME MERIT TO THE ASSOCIATION, UH, PARTICULARLY WITH THE LUTHERAN CONNECTION AND, AND ST.
MARTIN'S, UM, ONCE AGAIN, IT, IT DOESN'T RISE TO, UH, THIS HOUSE IN ITS CAPACITY WITH THE ASSOCIATION WITH THAT, THAT THOSE INDIVIDUALS, UH, STANDS OUT AS BEING SOMETHING SO SPECIAL THAT IT WOULD, WOULD WARRANT IN ITS LOCATION AS WELL, UH, REQUIRING THAT IT'D BE, UH, RESTORED AND PRESERVED.
UH, AND THEN THAT'S THE FINAL THING IS THAT JUST C CHAVEZ IS GOING TO BE A TOUGH PLACE TO, UH, MAINTAIN AND PRESERVE A HOUSE OF THIS TYPE, WHETHER IT'S FOR RESIDENTS OR FOR SOME OTHER REASON.
AND I THINK OVER TIME, WE, WE JUST MIGHT BE FIGHTING A LOSING BATTLE.
AND I'LL AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THAT COMMISSIONER HINDSIGHT SAID.
I'LL ALSO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE THAT, UH, THE HISTORIC ASSOCIATIONS ARE, I'M GONNA QUOTE STAFF HERE, SAY, YOU KNOW, THE, IT EXEMPLIFIES THE DEMOGRAPHIC OF MIDDLE AND WORKING CLASS RESIDENTS OF THE, THE NEIGHBORHOOD DURING THE 20TH CENTURY.
THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE KIND OF VERBIAGE THAT I GO TO BAT ON WHEN WE'RE, UM, TALKING ABOUT A DUPLEX OR A TRIPLEX AND A, AND A HOUSE THAT COULD SERVE A SIMILAR DEMOGRAPHIC TODAY.
UH, BUT A SINGLE FAMILY HOME ON CAESAR CHAVEZ.
[02:05:01]
ISN'T THAT, SO THAT'S, I, I'LL SUPPORT THE MOTION.ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? COMMISSIONER VALENZUELA? UH, THIS ONE IS DIFFICULT, UH, JUST BECAUSE IT, THE 2016, UH, SURVEY DID RECOMMEND IT AS A LOCAL LANDMARK DISTRICT OR A LOCAL LANDMARK, AS WELL AS CONTRIBUTING TO A DISTRICT.
UM, SO IT'S, IT'S DIFFICULT TO MAKE A DECISION, UH, THAT GOES AGAINST THAT.
UM, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE DO WANNA SUPPORT WHAT, UH, THE SURVEY, UM, HAS, HAS OUTLINED.
I THINK WITH THIS ONE, UM, I THINK THE HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION IS THERE, UM, AS COMMISSIONER, UM, HEIM SETH NOTED, I THINK WITHOUT THE FENESTRATION, UM, YOU KNOW, ALL THE DETAILS IN SUCH A SUBTLE STYLE, UM, ARE, ARE REALLY NEEDED TO CONVEY ITS ARCHITECTURAL MERIT.
UM, SO I DON'T, THIS ONE'S GONNA BE A DIFFICULT DECISION.
OH, YOU HAVE TO MAKE IT IN A, IN ABOUT, IN ABOUT A MINUTE, 30 SECONDS.
I'M NOT GONNA SUPPORT THE MOTION.
I'M, I'M, I'M ON THE FENCE ABOUT IT.
I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
COMMISSIONER VALENZUELA ABOUT THE, THE, THE MISSING FENESTRATION, THE PATTERN IS INTACT.
AND, UM, THE ROOF FORM AND PITCH THE EXPOSED RAFTERS, THE, UM, THE POST, THE PILASTER, UM, IS, IS ALL THERE.
AND I THINK IT IS, I THINK IF ANY HOUSE IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF, OF WHAT WAS THERE IN A, IN, IN 1912 OF WHAT WAS BEING BUILT IN THAT, IN THAT COMMUNITY AND THE, THE, THE WORKING CLASS MIDDLE CLASS PEOPLE, UM, WHO, WHO LIVED THERE, I THINK IT DOES EXEMPLIFY THAT.
AND IF THE BUILDING NEXT DOOR IS BEING USED AS A HAIR SALON, UM, THIS COULD BE RENOVATED, UH, FOR COMMERCIAL USE AS WELL.
IF THAT WAS, IF THAT'S THE CASE.
SO, UH, AND I UNDERSTAND, I UNDERSTAND COMMISSIONER HEIM'S POINT, I, I FEEL, UM, I I RESPECT THE, UH, THE SURVEYORS WHO DID THE WORK ON THE 2016 SURVEY.
AND I, I RESPECT THEIR, THEIR DECISION IN THIS.
UM, I'M SURE THAT IT WAS A CONSIDERED, UH, DECISION THAT THEY MADE, MADE.
AND SO I'M GONNA, UM, I'M NOT GOING TO SUPPORT THE MOTION FOR THOSE REASONS.
UM, LET'S VOTE ON, ON THE, UH, THE MOTION TO FOLLOW, UM, TO RELEASE THE DEMOLITION PERMIT UPON A CITY OF AUSTIN DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
SO DOESN'T FEELING WELL TO, UM, TO INITIATE HISTORIC ZONING, IS IT TO INITIATE OR RECOMMEND HISTORIC ZONING? DO WE HAVE TO HAVE A SUPER MAJORITY? YOU HAVE TO HAVE A, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A SUPER MAJORITY TO RECOMMEND, UH, TO INITIATE.
I THINK IT'S A, UH, JUST A MAJOR.
UM, TO INITIATE, WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO CHANGE YOUR VOTE? WELL, WE CAN HAVE ANOTHER MOTION.
UM, LUCI, THE, UH, DO WE HEAR AN ALTERNATIVE MOTION CHAIR MYERS? I WOULD, UH, MOVE TO REOPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING, UM, AS WELL AS INITIATE HISTORIC ZONING UNDER ARCHITECTURE AND HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION FOR THIS PROPERTY.
DO I HEAR A SECOND TO THAT MOTION COMMISSIONER CASTILLO SECOND.
UM, ALL THOSE, UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION OF REOPENING THE PUBLIC HEARING AND INITIATING HISTORIC ZONING ON THE HOUSE, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY RAISING YOUR HAND.
ALL THOSE OPPOSED, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
CHAIR MYERS, I WILL ASK THAT, UH, I SHOULD HAVE SAID THIS BEFORE THE VOTE, BUT I, I'M ASSUMING THEN STAFF WILL DO ADDITIONAL RESEARCH IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT WOULD EXPAND ON OUR UNDERSTANDING OF BOTH CRITERIA, UH, INCLUDING MAYBE BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE CONDITION OF THE HOUSE, SIR, IS THIS THAT I CAN
[02:10:01]
ADD, LIKE THE FOUR TRAY THAT YOU SEE ON THERE, THOSE AREN'T THE, THOSE ARE BASIC TWO BY TWO.THAT'S WHAT WOULD GO ON THAT HOUSE.
SO THOSE ARE LIKE YOU, THOSE ARE VIEWERS, BUT IT, IT, IT REPLICATES THE ORIGINALS.
I'M SURE THAT, THAT DIDN'T HAVE ANY KIND OF A TURN PORCH POST OR, OR SOME KIND OF FANCY DETAILING ON IT.
BUT, UM, STORE THAT HAVE TWO BY FOUR, UH, I, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT.
THIS DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOUR APPLICATION IS DEAD.
UH, WE HAVE TO, WE'VE ASKED THE STAFF TO DO FURTHER RESEARCH ON IT, AND IT WILL COME BACK AT OUR JANUARY MEETING.
UM, UNLESS YOU POSTPONE IT FROM THAT, FROM THAT MEETING.
BUT, UH, IT HAS TO GET, WE HAVE INITIATED HISTORIC ZONING.
THIS IS THE NEXT STEP IS RECOMMENDING AND TO RECOMMEND HISTORIC ZONING.
WE NEED TO HAVE A SUPER MAJORITY OF THE COMMISSION, UH, TO, UH, TO RECOMMEND AND GO FURTHER ON.
AND I THINK YOU GAVE, I THINK YOU GAVE YOUR ARGUMENT AND I UNDERSTAND AND I THINK THE COMMISSIONERS UNDERSTAND, BUT ONCE IT'S GONE, IT'S GONE FOREVER.
AND, UM, AND WE WANNA GIVE IT A, A CHANCE HERE.
WELL, AND MAY, MAY I ADD TO THE OWNER THAT, UM, MS. IN THE PERIOD OF TIME THAT WE'RE DOING THE RESEARCH, YOU MAY LOOK INTO THE ADVANTAGES OF A PROPERTY THAT HAS HISTORIC ZONING.
IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU CAN'T MAKE RENOVATIONS, IT DOESN'T MEAN EVEN THAT YOU COULDN'T DO SOMETHING POTENTIALLY, UH, ON THE BACK, BUT A RESTORATION IF, IF THAT WERE FEASIBLE AND MET.
SOME OF YOUR PLANS MAY HAVE SOME, A ADVANTAGE OVER TRYING TO DO SOMETHING WITH NEW CONSTRUCTION.
SO YOU HAVE, THERE'S A BIG TAX ADVANTAGE.
THAT MAY BE SOMETHING YOU WISH TO PURSUE, UH, MORE INFORMA AND PERHAPS STAFF COULD PROVIDE YOU MORE INFORMATION.
A COUPLE OF OF QUESTIONS LIKE SAID, THERE WAS ADDITION TO THE BACK, THE HOUSE, BUT ALSO IS THERE ALSO A POTENTIAL FOR A
YOU WOULD HAVE TO WITHDRAW YOUR DEMOLITION PERMIT AND PUT IN A RELOCATION PERMIT.
IT WOULD STILL HAVE TO COME BACK HERE.
AND THE REVIEW WOULD BASICALLY START OVER, BUT WE, WE WOULD USE SOME OF THE SAME CRITERIA.
BECAUSE IF IT'S A VALUE ENOUGH TO BE A LANDMARK, THEN WE DON'T WANT IT MOVED EITHER.
SO, UH, CUZ IT'S A LANDMARK IN THAT LOCATION.
BUT AGAIN, UH, GIVE IT SOME THOUGHT AND IF SOME OF YOUR PLANS WOULD, UH, MAKE IT POSSIBLE TO WORK WITHIN THAT STRUCTURE, UH, I THINK YOU'LL FIND THAT PERHAPS, UH, AGAIN, DEPENDING ON WHAT CONDITION THE HOUSE IS IN, THAT SOME OF THOSE, UH, OPPORTUNITIES MIGHT BE AVAILABLE TO YOU AS AND, AND, AND YOU WOULDN'T EVEN BE INITIATING IT.
WE'D BE INITIATING IT IF, IF IT'S SUCCESSFUL.
SO YOU WOULDN'T HAVE THAT EXPENSE, BUT, YOU KNOW, TALK TO STAFF ABOUT IT.
THEY, THEY CAN HELP YOU, UM, THROUGH, THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
AND THIS IS NOT, YOU KNOW, UM, THIS IS NOT ANY KIND OF OPPOSITION TO YOU AS AN APPLICANT, BUT, UH, UH, OUR INTEREST AND OUR MISSION, OUR CHARGE IS TO, UH, IDENTIFY AND, AND, UH, PRESERVE HISTORIC BUILDINGS.
AND, AND WE THINK THAT IT'S, UM, THAT THIS IS WORTHWHILE AT LEAST TO INITIATE.
AND MAY I JUST NOTE ONE POINT OF INTEREST THAT THE HARRIS SALON NEXT DOOR APPEARS TO BE A LOCAL LANDMARK.
YOU HAVE DUELING LANDMARKS NEXT TO ONE ANOTHER.
WE HAVE NO MORE, UM, PUBLIC HEARINGS.
UM, ARE YOU GENTLEMEN HERE FOR A PARTICULAR ITEM OR YOU'RE JUST HANGING OUT? I'LL, UM, YOU'RE NOT ON OUR AGENDA.
UH, YEAH, I'M HERE WITH FIVE THE TOMORROW.
MEETING AT THE VERY BEGINNING.
UM, I WOULD SAY WE HAVE COMMITTEE UPDATES AND WE HAD A VERY IMPORTANT COMMITTEE, UH, SPECIAL CALLED COMMITTEE MEETING.
AND I'VE ASKED COMMISSIONER COOK TO, UM, TO BRIEF US ON WHAT TRANSPIRED.
THIS IS, UM, I'M RATHER THAN ME EXPLAIN IT.
COMMISSIONER COOK, WOULD YOU PLEASE? YES.
I'M NOT SURE IF I'M GONNA GO THROUGH ALL THE DETAIL, BUT I WROTE A SUMMARY OF WE MET FOR TWO HOURS WITH THE APPLICANT, UH, ON THE NOW INDEFINITELY POSTPONED 300 BLOCK OF CONGRESS PROJECT THAT INVOLVED THE W B SMITH BUILDING AND KIND OF EXPLORED ALL ASPECTS ON BOTH SIDES OF WHAT'S POSSIBLE NOTS POSSIBLE AND
[02:15:01]
WHAT WHAT WE CAN DO AND WHAT THEY WANT TO DO.AND I THINK THERE IS BETTER UNDERSTANDING ON BOTH SIDES, BUT I THINK IT BASICALLY COMES DOWN TO THE, THE TREATMENT OF THE LANDMARK BUILDING AND THEIR, THEIR EFFECTIVELY THEIR NEED TO DEMOLISH 80% OF THAT LANDMARK TO ACCOMPLISH WHAT THEY WANT TO DO.
AND IT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION THAT DEVELOPMENT SERVICES CONSIDERS ANYTHING MORE THAN 50% OF EXTERIOR WALLS OF FULL DEMOLITION.
SO THEY'RE BASICALLY ASKING US TO ALLOW DEMOLITION OF A LANDMARK, WHICH I, I JUST DON'T SEE HOW, HOW WE CAN DO, AND THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT THE VALUE OF THE CONTRIBUTING PROPERTIES TO THE NATIONAL REGISTER DISTRICT NEXT TO IT, AND POSSIBLY IN THE GREATER GOOD WE COULD CONSIDER CONCEDING A VIOLATION OF THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR STANDARDS FOR THE SAVING OF THE, UM, CONTRIBUTING PROPERTIES WITHIN.
THEN THEY ALSO STATED THEY HAVE NO OPTION BUT TO DEMOLISH THOSE AND RECONSTRUCT THEM.
AND WE STATED, YOU KNOW, RECONSTRUCTION, EVEN IF IT'S BRICK FOR BRICK, IS STILL A RECONSTRUCTION IN A NEW BUILDING AND, AND NO LONGER CONTRIBUTING.
AND, UH, I ALSO NOTED TO THEM, UH, THEY DID COME FORWARD WITH A PLAN WITH A SECANT WALL, UH, THAT COULD FEASIBLY BE USED TO, UH, SAVE THE, THE CUFF HILL BUILDING NEXT DOOR IF THIS WERE TO BE DONE.
BUT I POINTED OUT THAT, UH, PER THE REPORT, IT REQUIRES AN EASEMENT FROM THE OWNER AND AT LEAST AN EIGHT FOOT ENCROACHED INTO THEIR, THEIR FLOOR PLATE.
SO I SUGGESTED THEY DO SOME HOMEWORK ON THAT TO SEE WHETHER THAT APPROACH IS REALLY, IS REALLY FEASIBLE.
UM, AND SO WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THEY WANTED TO KNOW WHAT THEY COULD DO NEXT, AND IT BASICALLY CAME DOWN TO THEY WERE ASKING FOR A CONCESSION ON OUR APPLICATION AND SECRETARY OF INTERIOR STANDARDS FOR A LANDMARK.
AND IT WAS SOME, SOME BARTERING AND, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S JUST THE SYSTEM ISN'T BUILT FOR THAT.
THE SYSTEM IS TO, FOR US TO UPHOLD SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR STANDARDS AND THE CITYWIDE, UM, DESIGN STANDARDS FOR LANDMARKS.
AND, YOU KNOW, POSSIBLY THAT COULD BE APPEALED UP TO CITY COUNCIL AND THEY COULD DECIDE WHETHER TO ALLOW THE DEMOLITION OF A LANDMARK FOR A TOWER DOWNTOWN.
BUT THAT SEEMS LIKE VERY DANGEROUS PRECEDENT, UH, CONSIDERING THE PRESSURE WE HAVE ALL ALONG CONGRESS AND SIXTH STREET.
SO IT WAS A, A LONG DISCUSSION, UM, TALKED ABOUT FACISM, WHICH, UH, THEY WEREN'T AWARE OF, AND THE TENDENCY OF THAT TO BE AN APPROACH FOR THIS FORMER LOW RISE 19TH CENTURY CITY BEING REINVENTED AS A MAJOR URBAN CENTER.
AND SOME OF THE EXAMPLES OF THAT THAT WERE LESS THAN SUCCESSFUL AND, AND WHAT THAT REALLY MEANS.
SO IT WAS A LONG DISCUSSION THERE.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, THEY MAY COME BACK TO US WITH A BRIEFING IN THE FUTURE WITH SOME NEW IDEAS YOU POINTED OUT.
WE HADN'T REALLY SEEN ANYTHING NEW, UM, THAT WAS ASSURED THAT IT COULD BE DONE.
AND SO THEY MAY COME BACK TO US WITH MORE, BUT, UM, I, I THINK THEY WOULD'VE BEEN INTERESTED IN, IN HEARING THOUGHTS OF THE COMMISSIONERS AND ALL OF IT.
BUT IF EVEN IF THEY COME BACK AROUND IN A YEAR WITH A FULL OF DEVELOPED PLANS, THEY COULD HAVE A DIFFERENT COMMISSION WITH DIFFERENT IDEAS ABOUT WHAT CAN BE DONE.
SO THEY WERE WANTING MORE CERTAINTY, BUT I DON'T THINK WE COULD PROVIDE CERTAINTY GIVEN THE CONCESSIONS THAT THEY WERE, THEY WERE REQUESTING OF US AT THIS LEVEL.
THEY, UM, THEY WANT APPROVAL AND CONCEPT, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE ANY PLANS.
UH, UH, WE ASKED FOR A MOCKUP, UM, AND THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE RELUCTANT TO GO TO THE EXPENSE AND WE WERE, WE WERE SAYING WE, WE WANTED TO SEE WHAT IT, WHAT IT MIGHT LOOK LIKE AND WHAT THE LINE OF SITE MIGHT BE FOR PEDESTRIANS ON THE STREET.
I POINTED OUT THAT, UM, THIS DISTRICT, THIS NATIONAL REGISTER DISTRICT, MOST NATIONAL REGISTER DISTRICTS IN IN AUSTIN ARE LISTED AT THE LOCAL LEVEL OF SIGNIFICANCE.
EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER, THEY'RE SIGNIFICANT AT THE LOCAL LEVEL EXCEPT CONGRESS AVENUE.
CONGRESS AVENUE IS, IS SIGNIFICANT AT THE STATE LEVEL.
AND WHAT THEY'RE ASKING IS TO DEMOLISH 80% OF A LANDMARK, OF AN INDIVIDUAL LANDMARK AND, UM, AND TO LOSE ENTIRELY TO CONTRIBUTING BUILDINGS IN ON CONGRESS AVENUE IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER DISTRICT.
AND I, UM, I KNOW THAT COMMISSIONER COOK IS WEIGHING, UM, THE WORTH OR THE VALUE OF, OF THE, OF THE INDIVIDUAL LANDMARK AGAINST JUST THE CONTRIBUTING STATUS OF THE OTHER BUILDINGS, OF THE TWO CONTRIBUTING BUILDINGS.
BUT I STILL, UM, AM OPPOSED TO LOSING, CONTRIBUTING BUILDINGS IN SUCH A SIGNIFICANT DISTRICT.
I FEEL LIKE IT'S A BAD PRECEDENT AND
[02:20:01]
WILL ONLY, UH, LEAD TO FURTHER DEMOLITIONS THAT WILL ERODE, UM, THE CHARACTER AND FABRIC OF, OF CONGRESS AVENUE.SO, AND I'D LIKE TO NOTE WE ALSO EX, YOU KNOW, TOSSED OUT THERE THAT IT DIDN'T HAVE TO BE A, IS IT A 50 STORY TOWER? OR, I FORGET HOW BIG IT IS.
IT DIDN'T HAVE TO BE, COULD IT BE A SMALLER, COULD IT BE OVER THE TWO CONTRIBUTING PROPERTIES AND NOT OVER THE LANDMARK? YEAH.
COULD IT NOT HAVE SIX LEVELS OF UNDERGROUND PARKING? COULD IT HAVE ABOVE GRADE PARKING OR NO PARKING OR BE SOMETHING SMALLER? BUT THEY DIDN'T SEEM TO BE WILLING TO CONCEDE ON IT, SO THEY SEEM TO HAVE A PRECONCEIVED IDEA FOR A DEVELOPMENT, AND IT SEEMS LIKE A SQUARE PEG AND A ROUND HOLE.
YEAH, BUT YOU KNOW, WE, WE LAID IT OUT.
EVERYONE LAID OUT THEIR SIDE, EVERYONE FULLY UNDERSTANDS, YOU KNOW, WHAT EVERYONE CAN AND CAN'T DO AND YEAH, WE'LL, WE'LL SEE WHAT THEY, WHAT THEY MIGHT COME BACK WITH.
SOMETHING THAT IS PARTICULARLY IRKSOME TO ME WAS THAT ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS THAT THEY NEED TO, THEY NEED TO DEMOLISH THE TWO CONTRIBUTING BUILDINGS IS BECAUSE THEY NEED ACCESS FROM CONGRESS AVENUE TO THEIR CON NEW CONSTRUCTION SITE.
SO THEY, THEY WANNA DEMOLISH TWO, CONTRIBUTING 19TH CENTURY COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS SO THAT THEY CAN GET THEIR TRUCKS IN THERE.
WELL, AND I THINK THAT THEY NEED TO GO NEGOTIATE WITH THE ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNER, NOT US, IS WHAT MY THOUGHTS ARE ON THAT.
OH, NO, BUT YEAH, BUT YOU MEAN THEY POINTED OUT THAT THE REASON THEY HAVE TO COME FROM CONGRESS IS BECAUSE THEY CAN'T COME AROUND THE SIDE BECAUSE THEY HAVE AN AGREEMENT WITH AN EMPTY LOT.
AND THEY, AND THEY CAN'T, THEY SAY THE, THE, THE OWNER OF THE PARKING LOT, WELL WON'T NEGOTIATE WITH THEM.
AND ON THAT NOTE, I DID ALSO BRING UP NINE 16 CONGRESS, WHICH NOW STANDS AS A RUIN BECAUSE THE NEIGHBORING PROPERTIES WOULDN'T ALLOW AIR RIGHTS FOR A CRANE.
UH, WHICH IS ONE OF THE DETAILS THAT WE ASKED AND ASKED AND ASKED AND ASKED TO PROVE.
AND THEN ONCE THEY GUTTED THE BUILDING, UH, THEY FOUND OUT THEY ACTUALLY COULDN'T BUILD THE BUILDING.
AND SO IT'S NOW BEEN FIVE YEARS, I BELIEVE, SITTING THERE SHORE UP, UH, JUST A FACADE.
SO THAT MY FIRST POINT IS, IS YEAH, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO NEGOTIATE WITH THE ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNER, THE VACANT LOT.
AND THE SECOND, THE SECOND POINT IS, IT'S, IT'S FOR THAT TYPE OF INVESTMENT, DO YOU HAVE TO DEVELOP CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS SO THAT WE CAN PROPERLY EVALUATE? THEY SAY IT'LL COST A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS, AND WE WERE, WE WERE SAYING I COULD TAKE SOME SIDEWALK CHALK, YOU KNOW, IF I KNEW HOW TO DRAW.
AND, AND YOU COULD, YOU KNOW, ALL WE NEED TO DO IS GET A, GET A VISUAL NO, BUT THE, THE LANDMARK'S FOREVER.
SO A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS IS NOT A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT IN MY MIND.
THEY, THEY SAY THEIR BUILDINGS ARE GONNA LAST, UH, HUNDREDS OF YEARS IN THE FUTURE FOR PEOPLE TO LOOK BACK AT.
AND I SAID, WELL, WE'RE, WE HAVE TO LOOK BACK AT THE PEOPLE WHO BUILT THESE, UH, BACK IN THE DAY AND LOOKING FORWARD TO THE FUTURE.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE IN A LITTLE CONUNDRUM HERE.
I THREE QUARTERS OF THE WAY THROUGH THE MEETING, I THOUGHT WE HAD COME TO, UH, WHERE WE WERE GONNA SAVE THE ORIGINAL FACADES.
I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT, UM, THAT THEIR PROPOSAL WAS TO TAKE THEM DOWN AND THEN BASICALLY BUILD, YOU KNOW, REPLICA'S, UH, FRONTS, UH, FALSE FRONTS.
THAT WAS MY, THAT WAS MY OPPOSITION ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET WAS I WAS OPPOSED TO THE REBUILDING OF IAD.
I HAD GONE IN, I, I, I, I WAS JUST, UM, UH, I WAS JUST PLEASED AS PUNCHED THAT THEY WERE GONNA SAVE THIS SONS, AND THEN IT CAME TO THE, UH, PAINFUL REALIZATION THAT THEY HAD NO INTENTION OF DOING THAT.
SO ANYWAY, THAT'S, THAT'S THAT THE, THE SAGA CONTINUES AND, UM, I, I FEEL LIKE THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY HAVE HAVE MADE SUGGESTIONS THAT THEY COULD GO AHEAD AND, AND APPLY FOR DEMOLITION OF THE CONTRIBUTING BUILDINGS AND WHATNOT.
AND I, I FEEL STRONGLY THAT IT'S OUR, IT'S OUR CHARGE TO PROTECT AND PRESERVE HISTORIC BUILDINGS, EVEN IF THEY'RE JUST CONTRIBUTING BUILDINGS IN NATIONAL REGISTER DISTRICTS.
UM, AND THAT IT'S, IT MAY NEED TO GO TO COUNCIL.
UM, I DON'T THINK, I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD NECESSARILY MAKE IT A SLAM DUNK FOR THEM THAT WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO, UM, PROTECT WHAT WE CAN, UH, EVEN IF, UH, COUNSEL DECIDES DIFFERENTLY.
BUT IT IS SIGNIFICANT AT THE STATE LEVEL.
ANYWAY, I JUST WANTED TO THANK MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS FOR THE
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EFFORT THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO PUT IN ON THIS.UH, I WAS HOPING I WOULD ATTEND THAT MEETING, AND I APPRECIATE STAFF CALLING AND, AND ASKING IF I WOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE IT, BUT I HAD A CONFLICT COME UP AND WAS NOT ABLE TO MAKE IT.
AND I, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO, AGAIN, THANK COMMISSIONER WRIGHT, WHO'S NOT WITH US ANYMORE THIS EVENING, BUT SHE CAME AND, AND SPOKE AND, AND WAS, UH, UM, WAS A GOOD VOICE, UM, UH, ON, YOU KNOW, ON THE, THE MERITS OF, OF THESE BUILDINGS, I THINK, AND, AND TRIED TO HELP NEGOTIATE SOMETHING WITH THESE FOLKS.
[23. Architectural Review Committee – Updates from previous meeting.]
WE DID HAVE AN ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE, UH, IN ADDITION TO THAT.AND, UM, AND HAVE ANOTHER ONE ON MONDAY.
UH, I CAN'T OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, REMEMBER WHAT WE DID AT THE LAST, CAN YOU REMEMBER BETH? THERE WAS THE CUPOLA.
GUADALUPE WAS A, WAS A GOOD PROJECT.
DO YOU WANNA, UH, OH, I'M SORRY.
THEY WERE ABLE TO, UM, TO CONFIRM THAT THAT BUILDING WAS, UH, WAS VERY, UH, SIGNIFICANTLY ALTERED SINCE THE END OF THE HISTORIC AGE.
AND THAT ITS CURRENT, UH, ITS CURRENT COLONIAL REVIVAL APPEARANCE IS NOT ORIGINAL TO THE BUILDING, THOUGH.
IT'S, IT'S AN ATTRACTIVE BUILDING.
IT'S NOT HISTORIC, UM, UH, OPERATIONS
[24. Operations Committee – Updates from previous meeting.]
COMMITTEE.OURS IS ALMOST AS EXCITING, UH, AS THE CONGRESS AVENUE.
BUT, UH, WE, WE MET AND WE DISCUSSED, UH, STANDARD MOTIONS.
WE WENT THROUGH THAT WITH, UH, THE CITY ATTORNEY WHO'S ASSIGNED TO THE HISTORICAL LANDMARK COMMISSION, AND SHE HAD A PRESENTATION THAT, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT WE HAD A GOOD BACK AND FORTH ABOUT.
AND I WILL YOU BE SENDING THAT OUT TO THE ENTIRE COMMISSION? YEAH, I JUST RECEIVED IT WITH THE EDITS SHE MADE, LIKE, DURING THE DISCUSSION, AND I'LL BE SENDING THAT OUT TO EVERYONE.
UM, I'M ALSO GONNA PRINT OUT A CHEAT SHEET OF STANDARD MOTIONS FOR EVERYONE TO HAVE, PROBABLY JUST ON THE BACK OF YOUR PREVIEW LISTS FROM EVERY MEETING NOW, JUST FOR CLEAR AND CONCISE MOTIONS FOR, UH, MINUTES.
AND REALLY IT'S STUFF THAT WE DO WITHOUT THINKING TOO HARD ABOUT IT, UH, EVERY SINGLE MONTH.
UM, A LOT OF, JUST A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IT MEANS TO OPEN AND CLOSE A PUBLIC HEARING.
WELL, WE COULD ALL USE THAT, I'M SURE.
AND THEN WE TOOK A DEEP DIVE INTO, UH, SIGNAGE REQUIREMENTS.
AND I THINK THAT'LL BE A LONG-TERM PROJECT THAT WE'RE GONNA UNDERTAKE.
UM, I THINK THERE'S A FEW DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WE'RE GONNA TRY TO LOOK AT IT.
DO WE, DO WE NEED STANDARDS? DO WE NEED NEW STANDARDS FOR SIGNS IN NEW LOCATIONS, SUCH AS HIGHER UP ON BUILDINGS THAT WEREN'T, THAT WAS NOT CONSIDERED WHEN THE STANDARDS WERE WRITTEN ORIGINALLY? UM, DO WE NEED TO, WE ONLY HAD TWO STORY BUILDINGS BACK IN THOSE DAYS.
UM, AND, AND DO, OR DO WE NEED TO REVISIT THE STANDARDS AS WRITTEN CURRENTLY? I MEAN, THE, THE VIRTUAL TOUR THAT WE TOOK DOWN CONGRESS AVENUE AND SEEING ALL THE NON-CONFORMING SIGNS, UH, WAS ENLIGHTENING, I THINK, TO CONSIDER.
IF THEY WERE ALL CONFORMING, WOULD WE HAVE A LESS INTERESTING STREET SCAPE? UM, BUT, BUT IF YOU JUST LET IT GO, THAT'S, THAT'S MADNESS.
AND SO IS THERE SOME, IS THERE SOME REVISION THERE THAT WE COULD PROPOSE THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD MAKE, MAKE IT ALL BETTER? UM, HEY, THOSE DON'T SOUND BORING TO ME.
THOSE SOUND LIKE, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE, WELL, WE'RE GONNA INVITE MICHAEL WAYLAND TO OUR NEXT ONE.
YEAH, HE ACTUALLY WAS, UH, IT WAS, IT WAS, IT WAS A, A RESPECTFUL MEETING.
IT WAS, UH, IT, IT WAS NOT, WE WERE NOT, UM, TONGUE LASHING OR ANYTHING.
I, I SAID THAT IN JESS, BUT I MEAN, HONESTLY, IT, IT MIGHT BE GOOD TO HAVE SOME FEEDBACK FROM SOMEONE WHO IS ACTIVELY TRYING TO PUT SIGNS ON, ACTIVELY TRYING TO COMPLETELY REDEVELOP OUR DOWNTOWN.
UM, GRANT'S COMMITTEE, FUTURE MEETING TO BE SCHEDULED.
GOING BACK TO OPERATIONS COMMITTEE.
UM, THERE ARE A LOT OF CONFLICTS IN JANUARY, UM, FOR OUR NEXT MEETING.
I KNOW I WOULD TRY TO GET SOMETHING SCHEDULED, BUT THERE JUST ARE A LOT OF CONFLICTS AND NOT A LOT OF AVAILABILITY.
UM, SO I WILL BE EMAILING YOU PROBABLY EARLY NEXT WEEK TO MAYBE SCHEDULE IT IN EARLY FEBRUARY, IF THAT'S ALL RIGHT WITH YOU ALL.
[26. Preservation Plan Committee – Updates from previous meeting.]
[02:30:01]
PLAN COMMITTEE.UH, AND WE MET, UH, THIS LAST WEDNESDAY, I GUESS, DECEMBER 7TH.
UH, WE WENT OVER, UH, AN UPDATE ON THE AWARENESS CAMPAIGN, WHICH IS COMING, UH, IN EARLY 2023.
UH, WE DID GO OVER, UH, JUST A FEW MORE DETAILS ON, UM, TWEAKING SOME DRAFT PLAN LANGUAGE THAT CAME BACK AFTER REVIEW, UH, WITH THE WORKING GROUP.
UM, WE DID GO OVER THE WORKING GROUP, UM, STAKEHOLDER REPRESENTATION.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MAKING THAT ANNOUNCEMENT.
AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING.
IT WASN'T ON OUR AGENDA, BUT, UH, VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE GET THE WORD OUT SINCE, SINCE I DIDN'T SHOW UP TO MAKE A QUORUM WHEN THEY HANDED IT OFF, UH, LAST TIME, I FELT, UH, I NEEDED TO TRY TO GET BACK IN THE GOOD GRACES OF, UH, ALL Y'ALL.
SO, UM, JUST JUST TO REVISIT THAT WE ARE, UH, REFORMING THE WORKING GROUP FOR PHASE TWO, THE PRESERVATION PLAN.
UH, WE DID HAVE SOME OPENINGS, EITHER THAT WEREN'T FIELD FILLED OR, UM, FOLKS THAT DIDN'T, UH, RETURN FOR PHASE TWO.
SO, UH, CHAIR MYERS, UH, WENT THROUGH THAT LIST OF, UH, SPECIFIC PERSPECTIVES THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
BUT AGAIN, THE APPLICATION IS DUE JANUARY 11TH, UH, 2023, AND YOU CAN FIND THAT ON THE CITY WEBSITE.
UH, WE DID GO OVER AND, UM, WE'RE GIVEN AFTER THE MEETING, ACCESS TO THE DRAFT WEBSITE FOR THE PRESERVATION PLAN, UH, TO REVIEW.
UM, AND EVERYTHING LOOKS GREAT.
I'M REALLY EXCITED TO SEE, UH, IT RELEASED AND, AND START GETTING THAT PUBLIC INPUT.
UM, BUT IT'S VERY USER FRIENDLY.
THERE'S LOTS OF SURVEYS AND DATA COLLECTION AS PART OF IT.
UM, SO WE'LL, UH, GET SOME REALLY GOOD METRICS, UM, WHEN WE GET THAT FEEDBACK AS WELL.
JUST EXCITING THINGS TO COME IN, IN A YEAR.
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? WELL, OH, I HAVE ONE THING.
THE NEXT HLC, UH, JANUARY 11TH WILL ACTUALLY NOT BE HERE.
UH, THIS ROOM IS NOT AVAILABLE.
UH, I THINK ON YOUR PREVIOUS LIST IT SAYS IT'S AT THE PERMITTING AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER WHERE WE HAD THAT ONE HLC MEETING, UH, EARLIER THIS YEAR.
UH, HERE IT'S A LOT BETTER NOW,
SO, UH, JUST KEEP IN MIND THAT THE NEXT HLC MEETING IS NOT HERE.
I APPRECIATE THE REMINDERS THAT YOU SEND ME REGULARLY.
UH, THE OLDER I GET, THE MORE REMINDING I NEED.
UH, BUT YOU HAVE TO, YOU HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE WE HAVE CHANGED MEETING DATES, MEETING TIMES, MEETING LOCATIONS, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S A LOT FOR AN OLD BRAIN TO KEEP KEEPING OUR HANDS SOME CLARIFICATION.
AMBER, YOU SAID YES, YOU, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE 5 0 5 ACROSS THE STREET OR ACROSS THE NO, I'M TALKING ABOUT THE PERMITTING DEVELOPMENT CENTER.
UH, IT'S THE NEW BUILDING, UH, THAT WAS CONSTRUCTED.
BUT AUSTIN, AUSTIN FILM SOCIETY ACROSS THE STREET FROM ACROSS STREET.
YOU SORT OF POINTED THAT WAY AND I, IT GOT ME CONFUSED CAUSE I THOUGHT, YEAH, I'M SORRY.
AND LIKE, DIRECTION WISE
BUT I, I KNOW THAT'S WHERE I THOUGHT, BUT THEN WHEN YOU POINTED BACK, SO, SORRY, BACK THIS WAY.
I THOUGHT, WELL, I'M DIRECTIONALLY CHALLENGED.
I'LL, I WILL SEE THE MEMBERS OF THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE ON MONDAY.
UH, BUT MAYBE NOT THE REST OF YOU BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR.
I WISH YOU ALL A GREAT HOLIDAY SEASON AND, UH, ENJOY YOUR FAMILIES.
UM, OR IF YOU CAN'T ENJOY THEM,
AND, AND I HOPE EVERYBODY HAS A REALLY PLEASANT TIME AND WE'LL COME BACK REINVIGORATED FOR MORE PRESERVATION WARS IN THE NEW YEAR.
DO I HEAR A MOTION TO ADJOURN SUMMARY? OKAY.
SECOND BY COMMISSIONER GROGAN.