[CALL TO ORDER ]
[00:00:04]
WE'RE GONNA START OFF A WHOLE NEW YEAR WITH NO DEMOLITIONS,
LET'S SEE, HOW, HOW LONG IS OUR MEETING?
CARL LAROCHE IS ABSENT TONIGHT.
WE'RE THINKING STILL MIGHT MAKE IT.
I CALLED THIS MEETING OF THE LANDMARK COMMISSION TO ORDER FIRST, IS THERE ANYONE HERE WHO WANTS TO SPEAK TO AN ITEM THAT IS NOT ON TONIGHT'S AGENDA? YOU MAY HAVE A, YOU MAY HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK ON ANYTHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK.
THIS IS A FORM OF, UM, PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.
YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANOTHER ASPECT OF PRESERVATION OR SOME OTHER ISSUE IF YOU SO DESIRE, BUT IT CANNOT BE ON TONIGHT'S AGENDA.
WE'LL TAKE THOSE UP IN, IN THE ORDER THEY APPEAR ON THE AGENDA.
[Consent Agenda]
I WILL GO THROUGH THE AGENDA.WE WILL, WE HAVE SOME PROPERTIES, SOME, UH, SOME CASES THAT WE WILL OFFER THAT ARE OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
WE WILL SAY WHETHER THEY'RE OFFERED FOR CONSENT, IF THEY'RE TO BE POSTPONED OR IF THEY'RE UP FOR DISCUSSION.
AT THE END OF THE READING OF THE AGENDA, WE'LL HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA IF YOUR ITEM WAS APPROVED, IF YOUR ITEM WAS UP FOR CONSENT AND WE DID NOT PULL IT FOR DISCUSSION, YOUR ITEM HAS PASSED AND YOU MAY LEAVE THE BUILDING.
YOU MAY LEAVE THE WHATEVER THIS ROOM IS MULTIPURPOSE, THE CAFE GYMATORIUM, UM, QUIETLY.
AND THEN WE'LL GO ON TO TAKE UP, UM, THE ITEMS THAT ARE UP FOR DISCUSSION.
SOME APPLICATIONS ARE OFFERED FOR CONSENT WITH CERTAIN STIPULATIONS, AND I WILL READ THOSE AS I GO THROUGH THE AGENDA.
I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT, UM, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE INTERESTED IN, UH, SERVING ON THE EQUITY BASED PRESERVATION PLAN.
UH, PLEASE KNOW APPLICATIONS ARE STILL BEING TAKEN UNTIL 1159 TONIGHT.
SO YOU CAN, YOU, YOU STILL HAVE TIME, ESPECIALLY IF YOUR ITEM PASSES ON CONSENT, YOU CAN RAISE HOME AND FILL OUT THAT APPLICATION AND SUBMIT IT BY 1159 TONIGHT.
THIS IS A MAJOR PROJECT OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION TO DEVELOP A NEW PRESERVATION PLAN THAT IS EQUITY BASED.
THE FIRST ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES.
THESE ARE THE MINUTES OF DECEMBER 14TH, 2022 UNDER PUBLIC HEARINGS.
DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION.
ITEM 3 22 0 3, EAST CAESAR CHAVEZ WILL IS OFFERED FOR DISCUSSION.
SO THAT WILL NOT BE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
THAT IS GOING TO BE DISCUSSED.
THE NEXT ITEM UNDER HISTORIC LANDMARK AND LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICT APPLICATIONS.
ITEM 4 1 15 EAST FIFTH STREET.
IT'S AN APPLICANT REQUESTED POSTPONEMENT.
THAT'S A CONSENT POSTPONEMENT.
ITEM 5 6 0 6 EAST THIRD STREET SLASH 1005 LYDIA STREET.
IT'S AN APPLICANT REQUESTED POSTPONEMENT.
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ITEM 6 7 0 6 OAKLAND AVENUE IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT.I WOULD SAY, I'M SORRY, I NEGLECTED TO SAY THAT IF, IF YOU HEAR AN ITEM THAT'S OFFERED FOR CONSENT AND YOU WOULD LIKE TO PULL IT FOR DISCUSSION, PLEASE GET MY ATTENTION.
RAISE YOUR HAND OR CALL OUT CHAIRMAN MYERS AND WE WILL PULL THAT AND TAKE IT OFF THAT CONSENT AGENDA AND THEN DISCUSS IT.
SO ITEM 6, 7 0 6 OAKLAND AVENUE IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
ITEM 7 6 13 BLANCA STREET WILL BE A DISCUSSION ITEM.
CONGRESS AVENUE IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT UNDER ONE OF TWO STIPULATIONS, EITHER APPROVING THE SIGNED DESIGN BUT REQUIRING INDIRECT ILLUMINATION OR HALO LIGHTING INSTEAD OF THE PROPOSED INTERNALLY LIT CABINET.
OR ALTERNATIVELY PROVIDE AN EXCEPTION, WE CAN PROVIDE AN EXCEPTION TO ALLOW THE ILLUMINATED SIGN AS IS WITH THE STIPULATION THAT THE NON-COMPLIANT WINDOW SIGNAGE BE REMOVED.
I SEE THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER GROGAN HAS, HAS JOINED US NOW UNDER NATIONAL REGISTERED DISTRICT PERMIT APPLICATIONS.
ITEM 9 5 12 EAST MONROE STREET IS AN APPLICANT REQUESTED POSTPONEMENT A CONSENT POSTPONEMENT ITEM 10 13 15 AND 1317 NOON AVENUE AN APPLICANT REQUESTED POSTPONEMENT CHAIR.
MY, UH, THESE FOUR APPLICANT POSTPONEMENTS ALL ARE NOW HAVING MULTIPLE POSTPONEMENTS.
ARE WE HAVING ANY TIMING ISSUES? IS THAT SOMETHING STEVE CAN CLARIFY? YEAH, NO.
UH, WHEN IT'S AN APPLICANT REQUESTED POSTPONEMENT, THE UH, CLOCK IS STOPPED.
SO THE CLOCK DOES NOT RUN ON THOSE 180 AND 75 DAY CLOCKS THAT ARE PER CODE.
UM, IT'S ONLY IF WE, IF YOU ALL POSTPONED POSTPONE IT, THE CLOCK KEEPS RUNNING.
IF THE APPLICANT REQUESTS POSTPONEMENT, UH, THE CLOCK STOPS.
SO FOR THESE THAT HAVE BEEN REQUESTING POSTPONEMENT MONTH AFTER MONTH AFTER MONTH, THE CLOCK HAS NOT BEEN COUNTING MONTH AFTER MONTH AFTER MONTH.
UM, I KNOW ONE OF THEM, UH, FIVE 12 EASTMAN MONROE STREET, THEIR ORIGINAL DEMO PERMIT APPLICATION IS SET TO EXPIRE IN MARCH.
SO IF THAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED A WITHDRAWAL OF THE APPLICATION, UM, BUT NO, UH, APPLICANT REQUESTED POSTPONEMENTS DO NOT COUNT TOWARDS THE ORIGINAL CLOCKS.
THAT WAS 1315 AND 1317 NOON IS A CONSENT APPLICANT REQUESTED POSTPONEMENT CONSENT POSTPONEMENT.
ITEM 11 10 20 SP STREET WILL BE A DISCUSSION ITEM.
12 18 0 4 BRACKENRIDGE STREET IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
YES, I'D LIKE TO PULL THAT ONE.
SO ITEM 12 18 4 0 4 BRECKENRIDGE WILL BE DISCUSSED A DISCUSSION.
DISCUSSION ITEM 13,409 EAST MONROE STREET IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT AND I WILL PULL THAT FOR DISCUSSION.
ITEM 14, 10 21 BONHAM TERRACE IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
ITEM 15 32 10 BREAKER DRIVE IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
ITEM 16, A HISTORIC REVIEW IS NOT REQUIRED.
ITEM 17, 200 WEST SIXTH STREET, IT'S SIGNAGE.
IT'S OFFERED FOR CONSENT APPROVAL UNDER DEMOLITION AND RELOCATION PERMIT APPLICATIONS.
ITEM 1860 EIGHTIES THIRD STREET IS AN APPLICANT REQUESTED POSTPONEMENT TO THE APRIL MEETING OF THE LANDMARK COMMISSION.
SO THAT'S A CONSENT POSTPONEMENT ITEM 19 18 0 1 A AND B WEST JOHANNA STREET IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
YES, I JUST WANT TO NOTE THAT THERE WAS A DISCUSSION ABOUT, UH, DEMOLITION HAVING ALREADY STARTED.
I UNDERSTAND THE APPLICANT CLAIMS THAT THAT'S NOT THE CASE.
DID DID WE GET A CLARIFICATION ON THAT? YEAH, I SENT AN EMAIL WITH THE REPORT FROM THE CODE ENFORCEMENT.
IT WAS A TRENCH THAT WAS DUG AND THEY HAVE FILLED THE HOLE AND THAT IS THE
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EXTENT OF THE WORK.OKAY, SO THAT ONE ONE, UH, 801 A AND B WEST JOHANNA IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
APPROVAL ITEM 20 73 0 4 KNOX LANE WILL BE A DISCUSSION ITEM.
THE APPLICANT HAS REQUESTED POSTPONEMENT TO THE NEXT MEETING FOR THAT ITEM.
OKAY, SO THAT'S AN APPLICANT REQUESTED POSTPONEMENT.
THE NEXT ITEM, 21 47 0 5 BALCONES DRIVE WILL BE A DISCUSSION ITEM NUMBER 22 22 0 1 EUCLID AVENUE IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT NUMBER 23 7 0 6 WEST JOHANNA STREET IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
SO FOR THOSE OF YOU KEEPING SCORE, WE HAVE PULLED 12 AND 13 FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA.
THOSE WILL BE OFFERED FOR CON THOSE WILL BE UP FOR DISCUSSION.
WAS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT WE PULLED FOR DISCUSSION THAT I MIGHT HAVE NEGLECTED? OKAY.
WITH THOSE TWO EXCEPTIONS, DO I HEAR A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA? I'LL MOVE TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA WITH, UH, THE FIRST OPTION TAKEN AS THE ALTERNATE ON, UH, ITEM NUMBER EIGHT.
AND THAT IS TO APPROVE THE SIGNED DESIGN BUT REQUIRE INDIRECT ILLUMINATION OR HAZAL LIGHTING.
IS THERE A SECOND TO THIS MOTION? I'LL SECOND ANY DISCUSSION.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY RAISING YOUR HAND SAYING AYE.
THE CONSENT AGENDA HAS PASSED WITH THAT ONE STIPULATION ON SIGNAGE, ON CONSENT POSTPONEMENT.
UM, WE HAD THE KNOCKS LANE PROPERTY.
IT'S ON OUR, IT'S ON OUR, UM, SHEET HERE.
IS IT CONSENT POSTPONEMENT? DO I HEAR A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT POSTPONEMENT AGENDA? SO MOVED.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE CONSENT POSTPONEMENT AGENDA, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
THE REMAINING ITEMS, THOSE THAT WERE PULLED FOR DISCUSSION, WE WILL TAKE IN THE ORDER THAT THEY APPEAR ON YOUR AGENDA, STARTING WITH ITEM
[3. PR-2022-169534 – 2203 E. Cesar Chavez St. – Discussion Council District 3 Proposal: Commission-initiated historic zoning. Applicant: Art Ramirez City Staff: Kalan Contreras, Historic Preservation Office, 512-974-2727 Staff Recommendation: Further research on the property, per the Commission’s 12-14-2022 request, did not yield additional findings to bolster the building’s historical associations beyond broad patterns of development. Encourage adaptive reuse and rehabilitation, then relocation over demolition, but release the demolition permit upon completion of a City of Austin Documentation Package.]
3 22 0 3 EAST SCISSOR CHAVEZ.ITEM THREE IS AN APPLICATION FOR DEMOLITION AT 2203 EAST AAR CHA STREET.
UH, THIS WAS AN APPLICATION HEARD LAST MONTH BY THE COMMISSION.
UM, IT WAS INITIATED WITH A REQUEST FOR FURTHER RESEARCH ON MORE SUBSTANTIAL HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS.
UH, THE PROPOSAL IS TO DEMOLISH A 1912 HOUSE.
THIS IS A ONE-STORY PARAMETER, HIP ROOF, HOUSE CLOUD AND HORIZONTAL WOOD SIDING WITH PARTIAL WIDTH AND SAID PORCH SUPPORTED BY BOTS, COLUMNS, ESSENTIAL CHIMNEY, AND EXPOSED RAFTER TALES OF THE EAVES.
THE TWO, 2016 EAST AUSTIN SURVEY RECOMMENDED THIS PROPERTY IS ELIGIBLE FOR LOCAL LANDMARK DESIGNATION, INDIVIDUALLY ELIGIBLE FOR LISTING OF THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES, AND AS A CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURE IN POTENTIAL LOCAL AND NATIONAL REGISTER DISTRICTS.
UH, THE BUILDING HAS MODERATE INTEGRITY.
UH, WINDOWS AND DOORS HAVE BEEN REPLACED.
IT'S A GOOD EXAMPLE OF A VERNACULAR BUILDING CONSTRUCTED WITH CRAFTSMAN AND NATIONAL FOLKS STYLISTIC INFLUENCES.
AND THE EAST AUSTIN SURVEY RECOMMENDS THAT PROPERTY IS ELIGIBLE FOR ITS ASSOCIATIONS WITH THE WIDESPREAD DEVELOPMENT PATTERNS OF EAST AUSTIN.
[00:15:01]
FURTHER RESEARCH ON THE PROPERTY PREPARE THE COMMISSION'S.UM, 1214 REQUESTS DID NOT YIELD ADDITIONAL FINDINGS TO BOLSTER THE BUILDING'S HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS BEYOND BROAD PATTERNS OF TO ENCOURAGE ADAPTIVE REUSE AND REHABILITATION, THEN RELOCATION OVER DEMOLITION, BUT RELEASE THE DEMOLITION PERMIT UPON COMPLETION OF A CITY OF AUSTIN.
UH, STAFF HAS ALSO SPOKEN WITH THE APPLICANT WHO IS AMENABLE TO RELOCATION QUESTION THAT HE WOULD LOOK RELOCATE THE BUILDING.
SO THIS WAS RECOMMENDED FOR LANDMARK, UM, INDIVIDUAL LANDMARK STATUS.
CHAIRMAN, IT WAS INITIATED LAST MONTH BY THE COMMISSION, UM, AND RECOMMENDED FOR, UH, LOCAL LANDMARK DESIGNATION.
AND FOR N R H P DESIGNATION, THAT WAS BY THE SURVEY IN THE EAST AUSTIN SURVEY? THAT'S CORRECT.
WHAT DID THEY, UH, RECOMMEND IT? UM, WHAT CRITERIA DID THEY USE TO RECOMMEND IT? BROAD PATTERNS, UM, UH, WIDESPREAD DEVELOPMENT PATTERNS.
DO WE HAVE ANYONE HERE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THE APPLICATION? YOU CAN.
UH, AND IF YOU'RE COMING UP TO SPEAK, ONE BY ONE TO THE PODIUM.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD.
MY NAME IS MI YOUNG LAMOND AND I AM THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY.
UM, I, I'M COMING BEFORE YOU BECAUSE I KNOW THAT AT THE LAST HEARING IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT IT WAS A SPLIT VOTE AND, UM, IN UNDERSTANDING WHY IT MIGHT BE IMPORTANT TO SOME, UM, I'VE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH KEVIN WOODWARD WITH BLUEMAN BUILDERS, WHO IS KNOWN FOR HAVING MOVED MANY, UM, HOMES LIKE THIS, THAT, UM, SOME HAVE VALUED TO BE, UH, HA, VALUED TO HAVE SIG UH, HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE.
NOW, UM, I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK FOR MYSELF, HAVING RESTORED THE BUILDING RIGHT NEXT TO IT ON 2205.
IT'S A COMBINATION OF RESTORATION AND AN ADDITION, UM, THAT ONE DID NOT HAVE, UH, DID NOT HAVE WINDOW REPLACEMENTS NOR THE DOORS.
AND SO THERE WAS A LEGITIMATE REASON FOR RESTORATION, WHICH I SAW THE VALUE IN.
AND, UM, EVEN THOUGH THEY HAD MADE AN ADDITION IN THE BACK PORCH, WE WERE ABLE TO ADD SQUARE FOOTAGE, UH, TO THE PROPERTY.
UH, THEREFORE RENDERING SOME VALUE TO MYSELF AS THE OWNER, AS WELL AS THE TENANT THAT IS OCCUPYING THE SPACE.
NOW, THIS HOUSE IS ONLY A ONE BEDROOM, ONE BATHROOM HOUSE.
IT DOES NOT, AND I COULD YOU UPLOAD THE PHOTOS THAT I HAD SENT YOU.
IT DOES NOT HAVE A FOUNDATION.
IT IS MERELY A HOUSE, A COTTAGE SITTING ON TOP OF CINDER BLOCKS AND, AND A HUNDRED YEAR OLD CEDAR PIERCE.
SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT DOING SIGNIFICANT RE-ENGINEERING OF THIS HOME SO THAT IT IS STRUCTURALLY SAFE TO OCCUPY.
THAT IN ITSELF IS A MAJOR UNDERTAKING, AND I KNOW THIS FROM EXPERIENCE, AN EXPERIENCE I DO NOT WISH TO REPEAT.
SO WITH ITS SIZE BEING SO SMALL, UM, THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO WAY THAT I CAN RENT THIS OUT AND DERIVE ENOUGH REVENUE TO EVEN COVER THE PROPERTY TAXES, LET ALONE THE INSURANCE.
THE PROPERTY ITSELF IN ITS CURRENT STATE WITHOUT FOUNDATION IS REALLY NOT INSURABLE, NOT AT A REASONABLE COST.
SO THE QUESTION IS, HOW WOULD AN OWNER LIKE MYSELF BE EXPECTED TO CARRY A HOUSE THAT'S ONLY ONE BEDROOM, ONE BATH RESTORED? SO BY A TIME YOU ADD CONSTRUCTION COSTS, THE LAND VALUE ALONE IS NEARLY 800,000.
TAXES ARE IN THE DOUBLE DIGITS.
SO NOT SURE HOW IT'S SUSTAINABLE.
IT IS JUST ABSOLUTELY NOT FINANCIALLY FEASIBLE.
NOW, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN GET THE PHOTOS UP.
SO YOU HAVE EXTERIOR SURFACE VIEWS, BUT UNDERNEATH THE HOUSE AND STRUCTURALLY IT IS NOT THERE.
UH, THERE'S ABSOLUTELY, THIS HOUSE IS JUST BARELY STANDING.
SO WITH THAT SAID, I JUST FEEL THAT, YOU KNOW, THE HAPPY COMPROMISE WOULD BE TO MOVE THE HOME, MOVE THE HOME TO A LOCATION WHERE IT CAN BE USED AS A RESIDENCE AND WHERE IT CAN BE PROPERLY RESTORED, UM, TO ITS ORIGINAL CONDITION, PREFERABLY EVEN WITH THE ORIGINAL WINDOWS OR SOMETHING SIMILAR TO THAT OF
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THE TIME PERIOD.UM, THIS WOULD BENEFIT KEVIN, WHO IS, WHO WOULD BE WILLING TO MOVE THE HOME.
IT WOULD BENEFIT WHOEVER OCCUPIES THE HOME.
AND THEN FOR THE CITY, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY YOU'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO DERIVE BETTER TAX REVENUE.
AND FOR MYSELF AS THE OWNER, IT WOULD MAKE MORE FIN UH, FINANCIAL SENSE TO BE ABLE TO BUILD, UM, A LARGER STRUCTURE, UH, THAT CAN ALSO BE USED FOR COMMERCIAL PURPOSES, GIVEN THAT IT HAS A CSM U ZONING, ITS CURRENT SIZE AND FLOOR PLAN AND CONDITION, THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NO CHANCE OF THAT HAPPENING.
UM, DO YOU KNOW THAT, UM, IF IT IS DESIGNATED AS AN AUSTIN LANDMARK, YOU COME IN FOR, UH, SIZABLE TAX ABATEMENT PROPERTY TAX ABATEMENT? YES, MA'AM.
I, I HAVE THAT ON MY BUILDING RIGHT NOW IN 2205.
AND YOU CAN BUILD AN ADDITION ONTO IT.
WE'VE, WE'VE, UM, WE'VE ALLOWED ADDITIONS ON NUMEROUS LANDMARKS.
I'M REQUIRED TO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION TO THE TEXAS APPRAISAL, TRAVIS COUNTY APPRAISAL DISTRICT EVERY YEAR.
AND THE, THE, UH, THE TAX SAVINGS ARE SO MINIMAL.
THERE'S, IT'S, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT.
I, IT, IT WOULD NOT BE FAVORABLE AT ALL.
BUT THAT'S SOMETHING YOU'RE AWARE OF? I'M VERY AWARE OF.
AND IN FACT, HAVING GONE THROUGH IT, I'M MORE AWARE OF IT AND WHICH IS WHY, UM, THERE, THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NO CHANCE OF ME RESTORING THIS HOME.
IT WOULD EITHER SIT THERE IN ITS CURRENT STATE OR IT WOULD NEED TO BE MOVED.
UM, AND I JUST FEEL THAT IT WOULD BENEFIT ALL PARTIES, EVERYBODY, INCLUDING THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND THE NEIGHBORS, BECAUSE REALLY IT'S CAESAR CHAVEZ.
THERE'S HARDLY ANYONE THAT LIVES ON CAESAR CHAVEZ AS A PRIMARY RESIDENCE THAT IS A COMMERCIAL DISTRICT.
AND REALLY THE NEIGHBORING COMMUNITIES WOULD BE BETTER SERVED BY HAVING THIS REDEVELOPED FOR COMMERCIAL PURPOSES.
AND THE SIZE JUST WON'T ALLOW IT.
IT'S A ONE BEDROOM, ONE BATH HOUSE.
I MEAN, EVEN A SINGLE PERSON, IT WOULD BE REALLY ADEQUATE FOR ONE PERSON TO LIVE IN.
DOESN'T, UH, ANYONE ELSE HAVE QUESTIONS OF THE APPLICANT? I, I WOULD LIKE, IS THERE ANY CHANCE THAT YOU COULD USE THIS AS AN ADU ON THAT PROPERTY? LIKE MOVE IT BACK TO THE, MOVE IT TO THE BATH? ARE THERE OTHER, YOU SAID YOU OWN THE PROPERTY NEXT DOOR.
DOES THAT PROPERTY HAVE AN ADU U NO, SIR.
IS THERE ANY CHANCE THAT YOU CAN MOVE THIS OVER THERE IF IT'S, IT'S A ONE PERSON, IT IS NOT AT THE, THE NEXT DOOR, THE REAR IS BEING USED FOR PARKING.
I KNOW THAT SOME HOUSES ARE BEING DEVELOPED AS AN ADU U BUT LIKE I SAID, CAESAR CHAVES IS JUST TOO HIGH TRAFFIC.
IT'S JUST NOT ADEQUATE FOR RESIDENTIAL USE AND IT HAS A COMMERCIAL ZONING.
I JUST THOUGHT, YEAH, SO IF YOU'RE GONNA MOVE IT, I JUST THOUGHT IF THERE'S A POSSIBILITY TO, I MEAN, WE'RE ALWAYS CONCERNED ABOUT HAVING EXTRA SPACE FOR FOLKS TO LIVE IN TOWN.
A ONE BEDROOM, ONE, ONE PERSON HOUSE BEHIND A COMMERCIAL PROPERTY WOULD BE VERY
WHERE WOULD THEY PARK
SO THAT'S, IT'S, I CAN KIND OF SEE YOUR POINT.
AND AT ONE POINT I MIGHT HAVE BEEN, UH, MAYBE EVEN HAVE ATTEMPTED THAT.
NOT AT THIS POINT, NOT AFTER HAVING GONE THROUGH WHAT I'VE GONE THROUGH FOR THE LAST FOUR YEARS ON THE PRIOR ONE.
UM, ANYONE THAT'S WILLING TO SPEND, UM, AT LEAST A MILLION DOLLARS TO RESTORE THAT AND HAVE THAT BE A NEARLY A $2 MILLION HOUSE, YOU TRY EXPECT, UH, RECOUPING THE COST ON THAT.
SO REALLY, IN MY OPINION, UM, IT IS BEST USE IF IT WAS RELOCATED THAT WAY.
THE HOUSE CAN BE RESTORED AND SALVAGED AND EVERYONE CAN HAVE, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY SEEM TO BE, UH, WHAT WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO THEM, INCLUDING MYSELF.
BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT RELOCATING THIS HOME AND BUILDING SOMETHING ELSE THERE, UH, WHETHER IT'S IMMEDIATE OR IN THE FUTURE WOULD BE, BE, WOULD BE A BETTER SERVICE TO THE NEIGHBORING COMMUNITIES.
UH, LET ME ASK THE APPLICANT, UM, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT WOULD BE BETTER, BUT YOU DON'T HAVE PLANS AT THIS TIME TO MOVE THE HOUSE.
YOU HAVE NO LOCATION OR SOMEBODY WHO WANTS TO MOVE IT YET.
UM, I HAVE GENTLEMAN HERE, KEVIN WOODWARD, WHO HAS DONE THIS.
HE, I, ACCORDING TO HIM, HE HAS MOVED OVER 200 HOMES IN AUSTIN.
UM, AND I THINK MOST OF THOSE CAME FROM EAST AUSTIN, INCLUDING MANY THAT WERE ON SIXTH STREET.
SO, UM, YOUR APPLICATION THEN WOULD BE, NOT A DEMOLITION PERMIT, BUT A MOVE OFF PERMIT.
YOU'RE CHANGING THAT RIGHT NOW.
AND, UH, OBVIOUSLY TO DO THAT IF, AND YOU'RE AWARE IF THEY NEED TO MOVE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, YOU'VE GOTTA HAVE A, A LOCATION AND A PERMIT FOR WHERE IT'S GOING TO BE MOVED.
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OUT OF THE CITY, THAT'S NOT REQUIRED.UM, I THINK THAT MR. WOODWARD, WHO IS HERE TO SPEAK, UM, WOULD BE ABLE TO BETTER SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH YOU.
I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD.
DID YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME? LET ME, YES.
LET ME SEE IF THERE ARE ANY, UM, FURTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMISSION.
I THINK ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE PULLED THIS AND, AND WE AGREED WITH THE, UH, 2016 EAST AUSTIN SURVEY IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE VERY MODEST HOUSES, BUT THEY'RE FAST DISAPPEARING FROM OUR URBAN LANDSCAPE.
AND THEY ONCE, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE ONCE UBIQUITOUS IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD, IN THIS AREA, AND WERE LOSING THEM.
UH, UM, WE'VE GOT SEVERAL ON OUR AGENDA TONIGHT VERY SIMILAR TO THIS, THAT ARE ALSO, UM, IN JEOPARDY.
AND WE FELT LIKE THIS WAS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THE TYPE.
UM, I, I'M A STRONG BELIEVER THAT HOUSES NEED TO STAY IN THEIR HISTORIC CONTEXT.
SO I'M NOT, UM, I'M, I'M NOT REALLY, UM, THRILLED ABOUT MOVING IT, UM, MOVING.
IT REMOVES THAT HISTORIC RESOURCE FROM, ITS, FROM ITS CONTEXT AND, AND WE DON'T, WE, WE DON'T GET THAT SENSE OF HISTORY THEN ON THE STREETSCAPE.
BUT, UM, I UNDERSTAND YOUR POSITION.
I UNDERSTAND THAT SMALL, I DO KNOW THAT, THAT OTHER PEOPLE HAVE SUCCESSFULLY, UM, YOU KNOW, IF WE'VE INITIATED AND THEN RECOMMENDED HISTORIC ZONING.
THEY HAVE BUILT ADDITIONS TO THEIR HOUSES, GET THE, UH, GET THE TAX ABATEMENT THAT IS PROVIDED FOR LANDMARKS AND WERE ABLE TO, UH, GET THE SQUARE FOOTAGE THAT THEY NEEDED TO GET THE RENTS OR WHATEVER, UH, FOR THAT PROPERTY.
SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAD ALL THOSE, UM, OPTIONS, UH, AVAILABLE TO YOU OR AT LEAST THE KNOWLEDGE OF THEM.
UM, IS THERE ANYONE ELSE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THIS APPLICATION, MR. WOODWARD? THANK YOU.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD.
UH, I'VE BEEN DOING THIS SINCE THE EIGHTIES IN AUSTIN.
UM, FIRST HOUSE I MOVED DRIVING DOWN WEST SIXTH STREET AND SAW A SIGN ON A HOUSE TO BE MOVED.
NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT IT BEFORE.
I'VE BEEN CONTRACTING HERE FOR 45 YEARS IN AUSTIN.
AND, UH, THAT'S THE FIRST TIME I THOUGHT ABOUT IT.
AND IF YOU KNOW WHERE WATERLOO RECORDS IS ON SIXTH STREET, RIGHT BEHIND IT, AMY'S ICE CREAM.
AND I SAW CUTE LITTLE BUNGALOW AND WE PICKED IT UP, MOVED IT DOWN CONGRESS TO TRAVIS HEIGHTS, THE FIRST ONE I EVER DID.
AND THEN I GOT EXCITED ABOUT IT.
ALWAYS LOVED THE OLDER HOUSES.
I ACTUALLY REACHED OUT TO THE OWNER MYSELF A FEW WEEKS AGO AND SAID, I SAW THIS WAS UP FOR DEMOLITION.
UM, SO I HATE TO SEE THE OLD HOUSES TOING DOWN MYSELF.
AND I HAVE LITERALLY MOVED WELL OVER 200 HOUSES.
UM, WE ARE MOVING ONE TONIGHT FROM NORTH LOOP STREET.
I MEAN, I'VE SAVED JUST REGULAR HOUSES, HOUSE BUILT IN 1960S.
THIS HOUSE IS NEAT BECAUSE OF ITS AGE AND CHARACTER, AND IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS WE'VE MOVED THREE OFF OF E SIXTH STREET THAT WERE WAY BIGGER, WAY NICER THAN THIS.
AND SO I DIDN'T THINK THIS ONE WAS GONNA BE A PROBLEM, BUT MOVING THE HOUSE, YOU KNOW, 100% GUARANTEE I CAN GET IT MOVED.
UM, AND IT'S JUST BECAUSE OF THE SIZE OF IT AND THE, THE ECONOMICS IS WHY I UNDERSTAND IT'S A PROBLEM FOR HER.
UM, WE TAKE 'EM, WE FIX 'EM UP, WE MOVE 'EM.
I WOULD PROBABLY TAKE THIS ONE OUT OF THE CITY.
AND AGAIN, I CAN'T FIND A LOT IN THE CITY FOR LESS THAN A MILLION DOLLARS.
SO IT'S EASIER TO MOVE 'EM OUTSIDE THE CITY.
UM, I HAVE A LIST OF 30 PEOPLE LOOKING FOR LITTLE HOUSES TO BE FIXED UP.
IT'S JUST ECONOMICALLY NOT POSSIBLE IN THE CITY ANYMORE, CUZ THE LOTS HAVE GOTTEN SO EXPENSIVE.
UM, AND THIS BEING A SMALL LITTLE 900 SQUARE FOOT, ONE BEDROOM, ONE BATH, UH, IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE OVER THERE TO, TO FIX UP AND, YOU KNOW, HAVE THE MONEY.
MAKE SENSE? SO, UH, I HAVE A PASSION FOR THIS.
I LOVE SAVING AND MOVING THE OLD HOUSES, UH, WILL CONTINUE TO DO
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IT.UM, I THINK THERE'S ANOTHER ONE ON YOUR LIST TONIGHT ON, ON, UH, WEST JOHANNA THAT WE WANT TO MOVE ALSO.
UM, SO I REACHED OUT, I TRY AND SAVE THE HOUSES.
I DON'T WANNA SEE ANY OF 'EM TORN DOWN, AND WE'LL DO EVERYTHING I CAN TO, TO WORK WITH PEOPLE TO, TO GET 'EM MOVED AND SAVED.
I WOULD LOVE TO MOVE THEM IN THE CITY, BUT THE, WHEN THE PRICES OF THE LOTS GOT SO HIGH, IT JUST, IT'S HARD TO DO.
BUT I MEAN, IF THE APPROVAL'S GIVEN ON THIS HOUSE, UH, SHE CAN CHANGE THE PERMIT FROM DEMOLITION TO RELOCATION AND, AND I WILL BE MOVING THE HOUSE.
SO ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OF MR. WOODWORTH? MR. WOODWORTH, THIS, THIS IS AN ASIDE, I GUESS.
OR YOU CAN GIVE IT TO STAFF AND I, I THINK YOU HAVE IT.
YEAH, BUT I, I HAVE A SERIOUS QUESTION.
IF, IF YOU HAVE MORE HOUSES, I'M HAPPY TO LOOK AT 'EM, SO.
AND LIKE I'VE BEEN, THIS HAS BEEN A GOOD PART OF MY BUSINESS FOR THE LAST 35 YEARS, SO, OKAY.
BETH, DID YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OF, UH, THE SPEAKER? NO.
NOW, I MAY HAVE DONE THIS INCORRECTLY BECAUSE THE, UM, IT'S UP FOR HISTORIC HISTORIC ZONING, AND I ASKED IF THERE WERE PEOPLE IN FAVOR AND, UH, OSTENSIBLY THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN PEOPLE WHO ARE IN FAVOR OF HISTORIC ZONING.
LET ME JUST CORRECT THE RECORD HERE THAT THE PEOPLE WHO WERE SPEAKING WERE IN OPPOSITION TO HISTORIC ZONING.
IS THERE ANYONE HERE IN FAVOR OR IS THERE ANYONE FIRST, IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO IS OPPOSED TO HISTORIC ZONING? IS THERE ANYONE IN FAVOR OF HISTORIC ZONING? OKAY.
UM, DO I HEAR A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING SUM? MOVE SECOND.
SETH, ANY DISCUSSION? DO WE VOTE ON CLOSING PUBLIC HEARING? OH, THAT'S A GOOD IDEA.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF CLOSING THE PUBLIC HEARING, PLEASE SAY, AYE.
UM, DO I HEAR A MOTION ON THE CASE CHAIR MYERS? YES, SIR.
I'M GOING TO, UH, RECOMMEND THAT WE, UH, PERMIT A RELOCATION NOT DEMOLITION AND THAT THE STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION FOR, UH, UM, STILL ENCOURAGING REUSE AND REHABILITATION, UH, AND THEN, UH, THE COMPLETION OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE PRIOR TO ANY CHANGE OF STATUS OF THE, OF THE STRUCTURE.
I'LL SECOND THAT AND LET ME SPEAK TO MY MOTION.
UM, I, I HAVE BEEN WAVING THE, I GUESS, FIRST YELLOW FLAG, AND NOW I THINK IT'S A RED FLAG.
THE APPLICANT HERE, UH, HAS, I THINK, MADE IT ABUNDANTLY CLEAR THE PROBLEM WE'RE HAVING WHERE THE ECONOMICS OF PARTICULARLY CENTRAL AUSTIN, BUT INCREASINGLY ALL OF AUSTIN DEVELOPMENT, UH, IS JEOPARDIZING OUR HISTORIC PRESERVATION, UH, AS, AS A RESOURCE AND, UH, FOR THIS APPLICANT WHO HAS BEEN THROUGH THE PROCESS WITH AN ADJACENT HOUSE.
I'M PULLING UP THE GOOGLE MAPS RIGHT NOW, AND I COULD SEE THAT, UH, WHAT WAS ACCOMPLISHED IS PRETTY MUCH WHAT WE WOULD HOPE WOULD BE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THIS PROJECT.
UH, BUT HAVING JUST FINISHED IT AND THEN SEEING THE NUMBERS OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS, AS I KNOW, HAVE CHANGED SUBSTANTIALLY IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND I KNOW THIS NEIGHBORHOOD VERY, VERY WELL.
UH, I HEAR HER WHEN SHE SAYS IT MAKES NO ECONOMIC SENSE.
THE, THE, THE INCREDIBLE PRESSURE THAT THE ECONOMICS ARE PUTTING ON THESE STRUCTURES MAKES THEM AND THEIR PRESERVATION ON TENABLE.
I THINK WE'LL BE LUCKY IF IT CAN BE MOVED.
I WOULD HOPE THAT IT'S A FINE THAT WE FIND A, A IMPORTANT PLACE FOR IT.
BUT CHAIR MYERS, I THINK AS YOU'VE SAID, IT DOESN'T DO MUCH FOR THE CESAR CHAVEZ STREET VIEW.
IT DOESN'T DO MUCH FOR THE AREA AROUND THE METS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND THAT VERY TIGHT NEIGHBORHOOD TRYING TO REINFORCE THE NUMBER OF TIMES THAT WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TOOLS, BASICALLY PUSHING BACK AGAINST THIS ECONOMIC TIDE.
[00:35:02]
I GO ON ZILLOW JUST WITH KICKS AND WATCH MY PROPERTY, MY MARKET VALUE GO UP AND UP AND UP.I COULD NOT BUY MY OWN HOUSE TODAY.
I, I, IT'S, IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE.
AND I UNDERSTAND, UH, YOU KNOW, THE ECONOMICS OF THIS, UM, SITUATION.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? AS I SAID BEFORE, I THINK THIS IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THE TYPE.
I THINK THAT THE CONSULTANTS WHO DID THE 16 SURVEY, UM, DID IT JUSTICE.
I HATE TO SEE IT LEAVE FROM ITS SITE, BUT I WILL SUPPORT THE MOTION TO, UM, TO CHANGE THE DEMOLITION PERMIT TO A RELOCATION PERMIT IF THERE'S NO FURTHER DISCUSSION.
UM, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION TO CHANGE IT FROM LOCATION, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
UM, YOU WILL GET IN TOUCH WITH STAFF, OR THEY'LL GET IN TOUCH WITH YOU ABOUT THE CITY OF AUSTIN DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE.
WE NEED, UM, EIGHT BY 10 COLORED GLOSSY PHOTOS OF ALL FACADES AND, UH, NARRATIVE HISTORY, UM, TO GO, UH, TO BE ARCHIVED AT THE AUSTIN HISTORY CENTER.
[7. HR-2022-170074 – 613 Blanco St. – Discussion Castle Hill Local Historic District Council District 9 Proposal: Addition/remodel (Postponed December 14, 2022) City Staff: Kalan Contreras, Historic Preservation Office, 512-974-2727 Staff Recommendation: Refer the application to the February meeting of the Architectural Review Committee meeting.]
THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA FOR DISCUSSION IS ITEM 7 6 13 BLANCO STREET.UH, IT CAME TO THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE AND, UM, WE TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THE ISSUES.
I THINK WHAT WE'RE SEEING HERE IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE SAW IN THE A IN THE APPLICATION, WHICH PRETTY SHOWED THE LARGE ADDITION.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE WERE SOME LATE REVISIONS TO THIS.
SO, UM, WHAT WE SAW AT THE, AT THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE MEETING MIGHT NOT BE WHAT WE HAVE, UH, BEFORE US TONIGHT.
UM, THE PRESERVATION OFFICE RECEIVED A NEW SET OF PLANS FOR THIS PROJECT AFTER THE POSTING DEADLINE FOR THE STAFF REPORTS.
UH, THEREFORE THE POSTED REPORT, UH, DOES NOT REFLECT THE CHANGES THAT WERE MADE THERE.
UM, AND THERE'S NO STAFF RECOMMENDATION FOR THIS LATEST DESIGN THAT'S, UH, THAT'S IN YOUR BACKUP.
UM, SO JUST AS A REFRESHER, SIX 13 BLANCO STREET IS A ONE STORY SIDE, GAMAN GABLE CRAFTSMAN HOUSE, UH, WITH A CENTER PARTIAL WITH GABLE PORCH, SUPPORTED BY BOXED COLUMNS ATOP PIERS EXPOSED RAFTER TAILS AND DECORATIVE BRACKETS AT THE EAVES.
IT'S GOT HORIZONTAL WOOD SIDING, AND THIS IS A CONTRIBUTING BUILDING TO THE CASTLE HILL HISTORIC DISTRICT.
UM, I SEE MR. WEBBER HERE AND ASSUME THAT YOU'RE IN FAVOR OF THIS.
WOULD YOU PLEASE COME FORWARD AND TELL US ABOUT IT? HELLO, COMMISSIONERS.
I'M DAVID WEBER FROM WEBER STUDIO ARCHITECTS.
AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AT THE, UH, ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE.
I, I KNOW I ASK A LOT OF QUESTIONS.
I APPRECIATE YOU, UM, UH, HEARING, HEARING ME OUT, BUT IT WAS A HELPFUL, UH, MEETING.
AND ESSENTIALLY WE, UH, OUT OF THAT MEETING, THERE WERE A HANDFUL OF SORT OF DIRECT RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WERE MADE BY THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE.
UH, I THINK ALL OF THEM WERE INCORPORATED.
SO WHAT YOU'RE SEEING HERE IS, AND WE'RE SHOWING IT WITH THE TREE IN THE VIEW THE TREE.
WE ASK YOU TO TAKE THAT TREE OUT.
YEAH, WELL, IF SHE, IF WE GIVE, GO THROUGH THE SLIDESHOW, THEN WE CAN SEE IT WITHOUT THE TREE.
SO IF WE WANT TO ADVANCE THE SLIDES, UM, THEN WE CAN SEE THIS EXACT MASSING.
AND I THINK IT'S AT ACTUALLY AT THE VERY END OF THE SLIDESHOW, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
BUT THERE WERE, UH, THERE WERE THREE THINGS IN PARTICULAR THAT WERE REQUESTED.
ONE WAS TO CHANGE THE ROOF SLOPE OF THE THIRD STORY, UH, TO MATCH THE ROOF SLOPE OF THE HOUSE, WHICH WE'VE DONE.
UM, THE, LET'S SEE THAT, THAT'S IT RIGHT THERE.
THE SECOND, UH, REQUEST WAS TO CHANGE THE ROOF MATERIAL TO A SHINGLE, WHICH WE'VE DONE.
YOU CAN SEE A LITTLE BIT OF THE SIGHTING, UM, STICKING UP PAST THE EXISTING HOUSE GABLE, UH, WHICH WAS NOT VISIBLE PREVIOUSLY.
BUT NOW THAT WE, TO MAKE SURE WE GET ENOUGH SPACE IN THE THIRD STORY, WE HAD TO RING, BRING THAT WALL UP A
[00:40:01]
LITTLE BIT MORE VERTICALLY, WHICH MEANS WE'RE SEEING A LITTLE BIT OF THE SIDING FACING TOWARDS THE FRONT OF THE HOUSE.AGAIN, SIDING THAT WE HOPE TO BE SUBORDINATE TO, BUT COMPATIBLE WITH THE EXISTING SIDING ON THE EXISTING HOUSE.
WE REALLY ARE TRYING TO DOWNPLAY THAT MATERIALITY.
UH, BUT THE ROOF HAS NOW BEEN CHANGED TO A SHINGLE.
AND THEN THE THIRD THING THAT, UH, Y'ALL SUGGESTED WAS THAT WE CHANGE, UH, MAKE THE WINDOWS MORE PROPORTIONATELY THE SAME.
AND, AND THEY ALSO END UP BEING PROPORTIONATELY MORE SIMILAR TO THE WINDOWS ON THE EXISTING HOUSE.
SO WE FEEL LIKE THAT WAS, THESE WERE ALL FAIRLY, UH, NON, UH, NON-ISSUES FOR US TO INCORPORATE.
AND SO WE WANTED TO SHOW YOU THAT WE'VE UPDATED THAT.
THE BIG DISCUSSION I KNOW WE HAD WAS ABOUT THE EXTERIOR SIDING AND WHETHER WE KEEP THAT SIDING.
WE HAD SOME REAL HAND RINGING ABOUT IT IN THE OFFICE.
BUT I THINK WE'VE GOT A SOLUTION FOR HOW TO KEEP THE EXISTING SIDING AS IS.
SO AT THIS POINT, WE DON'T HAVE ANY, THAT'S THE, THE PLAN IS TO KEEP THE EXISTING SIDING.
WE'RE GONNA DO ALL OF OUR VAPOR BARRIER AND, UH, INSULATION WITHIN THE BUILDING ENVELOPE AND TO INSTALL STORM WINDOWS SO THAT WE CAN ACHIEVE THE INTENT OF THE CASTLE HILL HISTORIC DISTRICT.
SO I, I THINK ESSENTIALLY I'M HERE TO SAY THE THINGS THAT Y'ALL TALKED ABOUT IN THIS, IN THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE AS RECOMMENDATIONS.
WE, WE, UH, IMPLEMENTED THESE LAST IMAGES THAT YOU'RE SEEING HERE.
UM, I JUST WANT TO SHOW THEM TO YOU.
THIS WAS OUR ORIGINAL BUILDING, MASSING WITH A SHINGLE ROOF AND WITH THE WINDOWS CHANGED ON THE FRONT DORMER.
THE ONLY REASON I'M BRINGING THIS HERE TODAY IS BECAUSE TO MY EYE, THIS IS ACTUALLY LESS OBTRUSIVE THAN THE ONE WE SAW JUST PRIOR TO IT.
AND WE'VE TALKED TO OUR CLIENT ABOUT IT, WHO HAPPENS TO BE HERE.
AND WE HONESTLY ARE IN A SITUATION WHERE WE WOULD RATHER, WHICHEVER OF THESE TWO VERSIONS IS MOST COMPATIBLE WITH THE, THE EXISTING HOUSE.
AND MOST IN KEEPING WITH WHAT THE INTENT OF CASTLE HILL HISTORIC DISTRICT IS TRYING TO MAINTAIN.
WE'RE REALLY OKAY WITH EITHER OPTION.
SO IT'S A STRANGE, UH, IT'S A STRANGE THING TO ASK A, A CITY COMMISSION TO ESSENTIALLY PICK WHICH DESIGN YOU LIKE BETTER.
BUT THAT'S REALLY THE POSITION WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW.
AND WHILE WE LOVE SEE SIDE BY SIDE, IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE? IT, WELL, YOU MIGHT HAVE TO GO.
WHILE WE, WHILE WE THINK THIS IS LOVELY, THE THE THING THAT BOTHERS ME A TINY BIT IS THAT WE SEE SIDING ON THE ADDITION ON THE THIRD STORY EDITION THAT WE KIND OF WOULDN'T SEE IT ALL IN THE OTHER VERSION.
WE WOULDN'T SEE IT AT ALL BECAUSE IT WOULD JUST BE ROOF.
AND SO, HENCE, HENCE OUR ORIGINAL PROPOSAL.
AND HENCE, YOU KNOW, ME STANDING HERE BEFORE YOU SAYING, YOU TELL US WHICH ONE YOU LIKE BETTER.
CUZ WE'RE REALLY COMFORTABLE WITH BOTH SCHEMES AT THE ISSUE HERE.
THIS ROOF SLOPE IS STEEPER, SPECIFICALLY SO THAT IT CAN RIGHT.
SO IT DOESN'T MATCH THE BACK SLOPE, BUT IT DOESN'T, IT DOESN'T MATCH THE BACK SLOPE.
SO AS SOON AS WITH THE BACK, AS YOU MATCH THAT, THEN YOU COME UP AND THAT'S WHERE YOU INSERT SIDING.
THE BACK SLOPE OF THE HOUSE THAT YOU DON'T SEE FROM THE STREET DOES HAPPEN TO MATCH.
BUT THAT'S IRRELEVANT BASED ON WHAT I THINK Y'ALL ARE TRYING TO DO.
TH THIS WAS OUR WAY, WE ORIGINAL DESIGN WAS TO MAKE THIS SLOPE STEEPER SO IT JUST SORT OF QUIETLY TUCKED IN BEHIND THE EXISTING HOUSE.
UM, WHAT YOU SAW LAST TIME WAS THAT AS A WOOD SIDING MATERIAL, WE CHANGED THAT TO SHINGLE, WHICH WE THINK MAKES IT A MORE HIDDEN, AND SO THANK YOU.
SO, AND, UM, MR. WEBBER ON, WOULD THE WINDOWS BE THE SAME, THE, THE FENESTRATION PATTERN BE THE SAME REGARDLESS OF WHICH OF, OF THE ADDITION? YES.
THAT, THAT'S WHY THEY'RE SHOWN.
WE, WE DID CHANGE THE WINDOWS IN THE DORMER THAT YOU SEE THERE.
PREVIOUSLY IT WAS A SMALLER WINDOW AND A BIGGER WINDOW.
YES, WE CHANGED THOSE WINDOWS.
SO IT WOULD BE THAT, THAT YOU'RE SEEING RIGHT THERE IN EITHER CASE.
ANY, ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS OF THE APPLICANT? OKAY.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR? UM, IF THE OWNERS ARE HERE, UM, I INVITE YOU TO COME AND, AND ADD YOUR, UM, BUT YOU WANT ME TO GO SIT DOWN, DON'T YOU? YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO SIT DOWN
NO, DON'T REALLY, WE ONLY HAVE ONE SPEAKER AT THE PODIUM AT A TIME.
WE ONLY HAVE ONE SPEAKER AT THE PODIUM IF WE HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS.
D DAVID, DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING FURTHER THAT YOU WEREN'T FINISHED WITH YOUR, UM, PRESENTATION? WELL, WELL, NO, I THINK MY ONLY POINT IS THAT THANK YOU FOR THE INPUT.
I KNOW I CAN BE A PAIN IN THE, IN THE REAR AND I APPRECIATE YOU, UH, HUMORING ME AND ALL MY QUESTIONS, BUT REALLY IN THE END, WHAT Y'ALL WERE TALKING ABOUT WAS NOT UNREASONABLE AND WE FELT LIKE IT WORKED JUST FINE.
SO, WELL, WE MAY HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
SO IF YOU, IF YOU STAY, BUT, OKAY.
UM, WE, WELL, AMBER TOLD ME I HAD TO SIT DOWN, SO I'LL OKAY.
[00:45:01]
GO SIT DOWN.PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD.
BEN WA RASHARD OWNER AT 613 BLANCO.
UM, YEAH, I MEAN, NOT A WHOLE LOT TO SAY OTHER THAN, UM, LONG TIME AUSTIN RESIDENT.
MY WIFE AND I HAVE BEEN DREAMING OF LIVING IN CLARKSVILLE FOR A LONG TIME.
UH, FINALLY, RECENTLY, WE'RE ABLE TO BUY A HOME THERE AND WE WANT TO RAISE OUR FAMILY AND LIVE THERE FOREVER.
AND THIS IS KIND OF OUR PET PROJECT TO DO THAT.
WOULD APPRECIATE, UM, EVERYONE'S ASSISTANCE IN THAT, IF AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO WEIGH IN ON WHICH OF THE, UH, THE TWO? UH, YEAH, I MEAN, I AGREE WITH DAVID.
I THINK NOT SEEING THAT SIDING OKAY.
MAKES IT A, A LITTLE MORE, UH, ATTRACTIVE FROM THE STREET.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, I KNOW YOU ASKED FOR REMOVE THE TREE, BUT IT IS, I THINK THE TREE IS AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT BECAUSE I, I THINK 90% OF THE PEOPLE WHO WALK BY WILL NEVER REALIZE THAT IT WASN'T ALWAYS THERE.
UM, IT'S PRETTY DISCREET, UH, THE ADDITION BACK THERE.
SO, UM, PRETTY EXCITED WITH THE RESULTS.
WE, WE ASKED TO SEE THE TREE REMOVED BECAUSE PEOPLE ALWAYS PUT TREES.
UH, UH, WELL, THIS ONE'S THERE AND WE'RE NOT REMOVING IT, I PROMISE YOU THAT.
SO IF THERE'S ONE THING WE'RE NOT DOING, IT'S REMOVING THAT TREE.
BELIEVE ME, WE'VE SEEN, UH, HIS HERITAGE TREES TRUMP HISTORIC PROPERTIES TIME AND TIME AGAIN HERE.
SO, UM, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OF THE PROPERTY OWNER? THANK YOU SO MUCH.
WOULD ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR? LET ME JUST, UH, PASS ON, UH, COMPLIMENTS TO THE, TO THE OWNER, UH, FOR TAKING THE TIME TO DO IT RIGHT AND REALLY USING THIS PROCESS TO, I THINK EVERY TIME I SEE IT, IT KEEPS GETTING BETTER.
ANYONE TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION? YEAH, COME ON.
SO SHE SAID YOUR NAME, PLEASE, UH, SAY IT FOR THE RECORD.
AND I HAVE VERY LITTLE TO SAY EXCEPT I LIVE BEHIND THE HOUSE.
SO THE VIEW THAT I GET AND OTHER PEOPLE ALSO WHO ARE NOT LOOKING AT IT FROM THE STREET, IS VERY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT YOU SEE IN THESE DRAWINGS.
AND FOR ME, IT LOOKS LIKE A MUCH MORE MODERN, MASSIVE PROJECT WITH LARGE WINDOWS NOT IN KEEPING WITH THE HISTORIC CHARACTER OF MY VIEW, SCAPE FROM MY SITUATION.
SO, UM, SO IF YOU'RE IN MY HOUSE, YOU'RE KIND OF LOOKING RIGHT INTO THEIR HOUSE.
UM, AND IT'S, IT WAS PRESENTED LAST WEEK AS IT'S, MY HOUSE IS SO TALL THAT YOU CAN SEE RIGHT OVER IT.
IT'S NOT OBSTRUCTING ANYTHING, BUT IN REALITY, YOU HAVE TO GO TO ONE WINDOW IN MY HOUSE AT THE VERY TOP FOR THAT TO HAVE ANY REAL TRUTH.
IT'S CLEARLY WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO KEEP OUR WINDOW SHADES CLOSED OR WHATEVER TO HAVE ANY PRIVACY.
SO I WANTED TO AT LEAST BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION THAT THAT COMMENT LAST WEEK WAS NOT REALLY ACCURATE.
UM, AND I THINK THAT THE WHOLE, UH, ADDITION IS, UH, IS NOT HISTORICAL FROM MY PERSPECTIVE.
EVEN IF THEY'VE MADE IT, I, I'M NOT SURE HOW WELL THEY'VE DONE IT JOB FROM THE STREETSCAPE, BUT MY VIEW IS DIFFERENT.
AND I WANT YOU TO BE AWARE OF THAT IN YOUR CONSIDERATIONS.
WE, WE DO TEND TO, UM, MAKE, HAVE OUR DISCUSSION AND APPROVAL OR, UM, DENIAL BASED ON THE STREET, THE PRIMARY STREET VIEW, AND IN, IN THE TERRACE SMOOTH DISTRICT RIGHT NEXT TO YOURS.
WE'VE HAD SEVERAL WITH WHERE THE VERY MODERN, UM, THE REAR OF THE HOUSE IS VERY, VERY MODERN AND PEOPLE CAN SEE IT FROM THERE.
UM, AND, AND IT IS, IT IS AN ISSUE, BUT I THINK WE'VE SORT OF WEIGHED IN ON THE, UM, PRIMARY STREET VIEW AS BEING THE MOST RELEVANT TO THE HISTORIC DISTRICT IN GENERAL.
[00:50:01]
I UNDERSTAND.YOURS IS THE PROPERTY THAT FRONTS WEST SEVENTH STREET.
SO, AND YOU HAVE A TWO-STORY ADDITION ON YOUR HOUSE AS WELL? IT'S A, NO, IT'S NOT AN A, NO.
THERE'S A ONE STORY ADDITION, BUT IT'S A THREE-STORY HOUSE.
BUT, BUT YOU'RE, YOU'VE, YOU'VE HAD A REAR ADDITION, IS THAT, THAT'S WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE FROM THE, FROM THE ROOF? YEAH.
I I JUST ONE COMMENT THAT THERE IS A STREET VIEW WHEN YOU'RE GOING ON SEVENTH STREET.
IT'S JUST NOT AS DOMINANT OF YOU AS WHEN YOU'RE ON BLANCO.
ANYONE ELSE SPEAK TO THIS? THANK YOU SO MUCH.
UM, ARE THERE ANY OTHER SPEAKERS AND OPPOSITION, WOULD THE APPLICANT, UM, EITHER THE OWNER OR MR. WEBBER, UH, LIKE TO REBUT MR. WEBBER, PLEASE? DOES HE GET TWO MINUTES? YEAH, TWO MINUTES TO REBUT.
UM, THERE, UM, WE APPRECIATE THE CONCERNS.
UH, OUR CLIENTS FROM THE BEGINNING WANTED A VERY COMPACT FOOTPRINT, UH, BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO PRESERVE AS MUCH BACKYARD AS THEY POSSIBLY COULD, HENCE THE DESIRE TO GO UP, WHICH FELT PARTICULARLY, UH, LIKE A SAFE THING TO DO IN THIS, UH, LOCATION BECAUSE MR. BROWN'S HOUSE IS APPROXIMATELY 12 TO 14 FEET.
I, I DON'T REMEMBER RIGHT OFFHAND, BUT IT'S SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER FOR ITS LOWEST LEVEL.
THE OTHER THING THAT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT TO US, AND WE ACTUALLY SHOWED THIS IN THE ARC MEETING IN DECEMBER, UH, IS THAT WE DID CONTEMPLATE AND WE SHOWED MASSING SHOWING A TWO-STORY EDITION.
AND BECAUSE THE SIDES OF THIS HOUSE, WE KNOW THAT THE STREET VIEW IS THE MOST IMPORTANT TYPICALLY AS, UH, JUDGED BY A HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION.
BUT BECAUSE THE SIDE VIEWS OF THE EXISTING HOUSE AT SIX 13 BLANCO ARE SO EASY TO SEE, THE SECOND STORY EDITION, UH, OPTION THAT WE SHOWED OBLITERATED THAT, AND WE THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT TO MAINTAIN THE SIDE GABLE AS, BECAUSE THEY ARE PRETTY, UH, VISIBLE FROM BLANCO.
THAT COMBINED WITH THE FACT THAT OUR CLIENTS WERE ACTUALLY WANTING TO HAVE A SMALL FOOTPRINT TO PRESERVE BACKYARD.
AND WE, WE DO HAVE IMPERVIOUS COVER ISSUES THAT ARE ALWAYS, UH, PUSHING US THAT WAY.
ANYWAY, UH, THAT WAS THE REASON WHY WE, UH, ALL OF THOSE COMBINED WITH THE TOPOGRAPHY, UH, TO HAVE US PRESENT WHAT WE'RE PRESENTING TO YOU HERE.
SO I'M, UH, IF I COULD JUST A QUICK QUESTION.
UM, I'M LOOKING AT YOUR CROSS SECTION THROUGH THE PROPERTY, AND YOU ACTUALLY SET QUITE A BIT OF WAYS FROM YOUR BACK PROPERTY LINE AS I UNDERSTAND.
DO YOU KNOW HOW FAR THAT FACADE IS FROM THE BACK PROPERTY LINE? OH, I'VE GOT A DIMENSION TO THE TOP RIDGE, BUT I, AND I CAN'T READ IT.
I'M, UH, IF IT MIGHT BE IN THE CY PLAN, UH, AMBER, DO YOU MIND PULLING IT BACK? BUT YOU, BUT YOU OKAY.
IT MAYBE PULL UP THE SITE PLAN PLAN.
YOU'RE ONLY REQUIRED TO HAVE A 10 FOOT SETBACK IN YOUR BACKYARD, BUT YOU WE'RE PRETTY, WE'RE A LONG WAY.
YEAH, WE REALLY, THE, OUR GOAL WAS TO TRY AND PULL THE ADDITION INTO THE BODY OF THE HOUSE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, BUT NOT TOO FAR TO WHERE WE WOULD DESTROY THE RIDGE HOUSE RIDGE, THE EXISTING RIDGE OF THE EXISTING HOUSE.
UM, AND IN FACT, WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE USE OF SOME OF THE SPACE IN THE EXISTING ATTIC SO WE CAN REALLY SORT OF ACTIVATE AS MUCH OF THE EXISTING HOUSE AS POSSIBLE.
AND YOU HAVE A HERITAGE TREE AS WELL IN YOUR BACKYARD? IT'S A REALLY ENORMOUS HERITAGE TREE ON THE BACK, ON THE BACK ONE.
I DON'T BELIEVE THAT'S A HERITAGE TREE.
SO, I'M SORRY I DON'T HAVE THAT DIMENSION FOR YOU OFFHAND, BUT IT MIGHT BE, I CAN'T SEE FROM HERE, BUT IT IS, I'M GONNA APPROXIMATE THAT IT'S ABOUT 40 FEET BACK FROM THE BACK PROPERTY LINE.
OKAY, COMMISSIONER, SK, ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT IT OR NO? NO.
I, I JUST DONE, I HAD A QUESTION WAS ALRIGHT.
DO I HEAR A MOTION TO, UH, CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING? SO I MOVED.
SECOND, SECOND, SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER WRIGHT.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF CLOSING THE PUBLIC HEARING, PLEASE SAY, AYE.
DO I HEAR A MOTION NOW BEFORE WE GO TO A MOTION? THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION WAS TO REFER THE APPLICATION
[00:55:01]
BACK TO THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE AND, AND, UM, IT SAID FEBRUARY, BUT I THINK IT'S JANUARY.BUT THIS RECOMMENDATION WAS MADE BEFORE YOU RECEIVED THE REVISED, THE, THESE REVISED PLANS? THAT IS CORRECT.
SO I THINK THAT WE CAN, A MOTION COULD EITHER BE TO SEND IT BACK TO THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE OR TO, UM, OR TO MAKE A MOTION BASED ON THE REVISED PLANS THAT WE'VE SEEN AND TO THE FULL COMMISSION.
THESE HAVE BEEN REVISED CONSIDERABLY SINCE WE FIRST SAW THEM, UM, UH, AT THE LANDMARK COMMISSION.
I'LL MOVE TO APPROVE THE FIRST OPTION.
WHAT WAS THE FIRST OPTION? WHERE THE SIDINGS VISIBLE IN THE ROOF SLOPES MATCH WHERE THE SIDING IS VISIBLE.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO EXPLAIN YOUR, UM, MOTION, UH, SPECIFICALLY BETWEEN THE TWO? BECAUSE, UH, IT'S IN THE DESIGN STANDARDS THAT THE ROOF PITCHES SHOULD MATCH TO THE GREATEST EXTENT POSSIBLE.
AND I CAN SEE THE ARGUMENT MADE EITHER WAY, BUT JUST ADHERING TO THE STANDARDS, THE WORD OF THE STANDARDS, I THINK THE DIFFERENCE IS MARGINAL ENOUGH THAT THE ROOF SLOPE SHOULD MATCH AND, UH, I THINK THE SHED ROOF HAS THE BIGGER IMPACT ON THE APPEARANCE, BUT SINCE IT'S MOSTLY GLASS AT THIS POINT, UM, JUST LOOKING AT THE SPECIFICS OF THE STANDARD, IT SAID IT SHOULDN'T GIVE A TOP HEAVY APPEARANCE.
SHOULD KNOW WHERE POWER WINDOW FORMS CAN BE CONTEMPORARY TO DISTINGUISH, UH, STYLES.
UM, IT'S A VERY DIFFICULT PROGRAM TO PUT A THREE-STORY ADDITION ON THE BACK, A VERY SKINNY THREE-STORY ADDITION ON THE BACK OF ONE-STORY HOUSE AND A HISTORIC DISTRICT.
AND I THINK THEY PUT, UH, TIME IN TO, TO MAKE IT AS COMPATIBLE AS POSSIBLE.
UH, SO AT THIS POINT I THINK IT'S ACCEPTABLE.
COMMISSIONER WRIGHT, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD? I HAVE NOTHING TO ADD TO THAT.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE AN AMENDMENT.
UM, I'D LIKE TO APPROVE BOTH, UH, OPTIONS.
UH, AND I'LL SPEAK TO MY AMENDMENT IF, UH, IF I GET A SECOND, I'LL SECOND
FIRST, I, I JUST WANT TO COMPLIMENT, UH, BOTH THE ARCHITECT, THE OWNER, AND I HAVE TO SAY THE ARCHITECTURE REVIEW COMMITTEE BECAUSE, UH, THIS HAS GONE THROUGH QUITE A BIT OF ITERATION, AS I SAY, IT REALLY IS GETTING VERY GOOD.
UH, OUR GOAL, I THINK, IN THIS SITUATION IS THAT PARTICULARLY WHEN WE'RE DEALING WITH A PRESERVATION AND NEW ADDITION, THAT EACH OF THOSE ELEMENTS ARE UNDERSTOOD.
EACH OF THEM HAS ITS OWN INTEGRITY AND BOTH GET A CHANCE TO TELL THEIR STOR THE THE FRONT IS NOT OVERWHELMED IN EITHER OF THOSE ARRANGEMENTS.
AND I DO THINK THAT AT THE BACK TELLS THE STORY OF A, UH, ADDITION, IT'S NEW, AND YET IT IS ALSO COMPATIBLE AND IT IS IN KEEPING WITH THE, UH, UH, AT LEAST IN CONVERSATION, SHOULD WE SAY WITH THE ORIGINAL BUILDING.
UH, I THINK UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES, I APPRECIATE COMMISSIONER COOK, YOU'RE CONCERNED ABOUT STAYING WITH THE TRADITIONAL ROOF LINES.
I THINK IN THIS CASE, BECAUSE IT IS SO FAR BACK, BECAUSE IT DOES HAVE THE ABILITY TO READ THE ADDITION MORE AS A ROOF FEATURE FROM THE STREET THAT I THINK, UM, I'M COMFORTABLE WITH BOTH AND I ALSO AM A LITTLE BIT UNCOMFORTABLE WITH AN OWNER COMING TO US AND SAY, YOU DESIGN OUR HOUSE FOR US
I THINK, I THINK, I THINK, UH, THEY, THEY'VE GONE THROUGH A LOT OF STEPS.
THEY'VE EXPLAINED THE LOGIC OF BOTH, AND I'M COMFORTABLE WITH EITHER OPTION.
I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT, EXCUSE ME, THE, THE DISTRICTS THAT BUILT THEIR OWN, UH, DESIGN STANDARDS PRIOR TO THE, THE CITYWIDE STANDARDS, A LOT OF THOUGHT, I MEAN, A LOT OF BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS AND ESPECIALLY THE CASTLE HILL GUIDELINES, UM, THEY, THEY REALLY WORKED AT THIS.
AND, AND I, IT'S NOT JUST THAT I WANT TO HONOR THOSE DESIGN STANDARDS, BUT I, I DON'T WANT WANT THERE TO BE A PRECEDENT, UM, BECAUSE OF, I MEAN, THIS WAS, THIS WAS THE SECOND LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICT.
IT WAS THE FIRST ONE OF ANY SIZE, THE FIRST ONE HEARTH ON STREET WAS ONE STREET, ONE BLOCK OF 10 BUILDINGS.
AND THE, THE PEOPLE WHO WERE INVOLVED IN FINALIZING THE DESIGN GUIDELINES WASN'T ME.
UM, WE DID THE ASSESSMENTS FOR THE PROPERTIES, BUT UM, THEY, THEY DID THE RESEARCH AND DID THE FOOTWORK.
THEY DID SOME THINGS THAT I MIGHT NOT HAVE DONE,
[01:00:01]
BUT THEY LOOKED AT OTHER DESIGN STANDARDS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, AND THIS IS WHAT THEY CAME UP WITH.AND SO IT'S NOT JUST TO HONOR THEIR EFFORT, IT'S TO, IT'S MAYBE TO, UM, NOT TO SET A PRECEDENT THAT THEY, UM, THAT THEY MIGHT NOT APPROVE THEMSELVES.
YOU KNOW, I I PERSONALLY PREFER NOT SEEING THE SIGHTING, BUT I, I DON'T WANNA SEE, YOU KNOW, IF WE, IF WE MAKE A PRECEDENT HERE, WE'LL HAVE IT DOWN THE LINE, BELIEVE ME.
WE'LL, WE'LL GET, WE'LL GET A CHALLENGE TO THAT DOWN THE LINE.
SO CONVINCE ME OTHERWISE, COMMISSIONER FEATHERSTON, I, I JUST WONDER WHAT IT IT MEANS FOR US TO SET A PRECEDENT ABOUT SOMETHING THAT IT'S, IT'S NOT A HARD AND FAST RULE, SUCH AS LIKE THE SIGN REGULATIONS.
WELL, IT SAYS TO THE GREATEST EXTENT POSSIBLE, AND I, I, I FEEL LIKE THAT DOES OPEN THE DOOR TO SOME, SOME SUBJECTIVITY.
UM, BUT WE, WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT PRECEDENCE AND WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT SETTING BAD ONES.
UM, BUT ARE, WE'RE NOT CREATING CASE LAW, ARE WE? LIKE, IF WE WANT APPEAL TO THE TO COUNSEL, THEY DON'T LOOK BACK AND SAY, WELL, YOU DID IT THIS WAY BEFORE.
I FEEL LIKE OUR PURVIEW IS SOMEWHAT SUBJECTIVE.
AND I, I WAS GONNA SUPPORT THE FIRST MOTION.
I HAPPY THAT COMMISSIONER HYACK, UM, UH, OFFERED UP THE AMENDMENT BECAUSE I, I ALSO PERSONALLY FEEL LIKE I LIKE THE SECOND OPTION BETTER.
I FEEL LIKE IT IS OUR ROLE HERE TO, UH, OFFER UP OUR SOMEWHAT SUBJECTIVE OPINIONS SOMETIMES ABOUT WHAT'S BETTER AND AND LESS APPROPRIATE.
AND SO, I DON'T KNOW IF I'M FORMING A QUESTION OR NOT.
JUST TALKING OUT LOUD FOR A MINUTE, I'M GONNA PUT, UM, COMMISSIONER VALENZUELA ON THE SPOT.
UM, THERE AND YOU'RE THE OTHER MEMBER OF THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE.
UM, WHAT'S YOUR TAKE ON THIS? UM, I, I DEFINITELY APPRECIATE COMMISSIONER COOK'S EXPLANATION AND, AND THE COMPARISON OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT WITH WHAT IS IN THE DESIGN STANDARDS, BECAUSE I THINK DURING THE PRESENTATION, I TOO WAS STRUCK BY, UM, SECOND OPTION KIND OF FADING, UM, INTO THE BACKGROUND A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN THE FIRST OPTION DOES.
I DO STILL FEEL LIKE THE FENESTRATION THERE IS VERY STRONG AND OVERPOWERING OF THE GABLE, UH, THE ORIGINAL, YOU KNOW, CABLE THERE, I'M SORRY, AND DIFFERENT PORCH.
SO I, I DO NOT BELIEVE I WILL SUPPORT THE MOTION WITH THE AMENDMENT.
I DO FEEL LIKE IN, UM, I BELIEVE THE FIRST OPTION DOES THAT.
UM, DO YOU WANNA, UH, YOU, YOU CUT OUT THERE A SECOND WHEN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE FENESTRATION.
UM, WHAT WOULD YOU PREFER? WHAT WOULD YOU RATHER SEE THERE? I, I WOULD LIKE THE ADMINISTRATION MINIMIZED TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE FOR THAT.
UM, SO THAT IT FADES INTO THE BACKGROUND A LITTLE BIT MORE.
IT'S JUST A VERY STRONG ELEMENT AT THIS POINT.
COMMISSIONERS ON, ON THAT NOTE, I WOULD THINK THAT THE, THE WINDOWS MAY HELP IT ACTUALLY FADE MORE THAN HAVING MORE SIDING THERE AND SMALLER WINDOWS.
AND SPECIFICALLY THE GUIDELINES SAY THAT, UM, WINDOWS SHALL BE COMPATIBLE AND FORM MATERIALS WITH THE EXISTING BUILDING FORM AND MATERIALS AND CAN BE USED TO DEFINE CONTEMPORARY DESIGN WHEN DETERMINED APPROPRIATE FOR THE PARTICULAR APPLICATION.
SO IT SEEMS LIKE AN EXCEPTION WAS KIND OF CARVED OUT FOR THIS SPECIFIC, UH, SITUATION.
AND JUST AGAIN, THAT THE, THE SHED ROOF THERE AT ALL IS JUST, IS KIND OF PROBLEMATIC.
BUT AGAIN, IT'S THE ONLY WAY TO ACHIEVE, TO ACHIEVE THE PROGRAM.
AND I THINK DOING SO IN A WAY THAT READS AS A TWO-STORY ADDITION TO A ONE-STORY HOUSE, LESS THAN A THREE-STORY EDITION, I THINK, UM, STRIKES A GOOD COMPROMISE.
SO WE HAVE, WE HAVE A MOTION AND AN AMENDMENT.
WOULD WE NEED TO VOTE ON THE AMENDMENT FIRST? YES.
WE HAVE THE AMENDMENT, UM, WHICH IS TO ALLOW THEM TO DO EITHER, IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.
AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, WE'RE TALKING BASICALLY ABOUT THE SHED DORMER AND, UM,
[01:05:01]
WHETHER WE WANT TO SEE, UH, THE SKIRTING, THE SIDING ON EITHER SIDE OR THE, OR THE ROOFING MATERIAL.BUT IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE IN THE PITCH OF THE ROOF, IN THE ROOF FOREMAN PITCH AND THE GUIDELINES SAY, UM, TO, UM, TRY AS, AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE TO, UH, REPLICATE OR, UM, HAVE A ROOF THAT, THAT MATCHES THE ORIGINAL.
SO, UM, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE AMENDMENT, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
I THINK WE HAVE 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
SO IT, UH, THE AMENDMENT DOES NOT PASS.
UM, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION AS COMMISSIONER COOK STATED IT, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
WE HAVE, UM, WE HAVE ASKED THAT THE, THE VERSION WITH THE SIGHTING, UH, EXPOSED ON IT, BE THE, UM, BE THE ONE.
SO, AND, AND WE WILL NOT REQUIRE YOU TO COME BACK TO THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE.
AND THANKS TO THE, UM, PROPERTY OWNERS.
[11. HR-2022-152879 – 1020 Spence St. – Discussion Willow-Spence National Register District Council District 3 Proposal: Partially demolish a contributing structure with addition/remodel (postponed December 14, 2022) Applicant: Christopher Myers City Staff: Kalan Contreras, Historic Preservation Office, 512-974-2727 Staff Recommendation: Invite the applicant to the next meeting of the Architectural Review Committee. While the proposed addition is somewhat compatible, proposed changes to the main house would preclude future designation and render the building noncontributing to the National Register district and any future local district. (Part 1 of 2)]
ITEM 11, 10 20 SP STREET.I DO WANT TO NOTE BEFORE WE GET STARTED ON THIS, ONE OF THIS IS THE LAST TIME THAT WE WILL HEAR THIS CASE.
UH, THE 75 DAY CLOCK RUNS OUT ON THE 16TH.
UM, SO THIS IS THE LAST TIME WE WILL HEAR THIS CASE.
ITEM 11 AT 10 20 SP STREET, UH, WAS A PROPOSAL TO PARTIALLY DEMOLISH AND CONSTRUCT AN ADDITION TO THE REAR SIDE OF A 1912 CONTRIBUTING BUILDING AND TO CONSTRUCT A GARAGE APARTMENT AT THE REAR OF LOT.
UM, NO CHANGES HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED SINCE THE NOVEMBER PUBLIC HEARING, UH, THOUGH THE APPLICANT DID INDICATE THAT THEY WERE AMENABLE TO FEEDBACK SUGGESTED, UH, BY THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE AT A PREVIOUS MEETING.
UM, THIS IS A ONE-STORY NATIONAL FOLK HOUSE WITH A PARAMETER HIP ROOF, BOARD BED, SIDING AND INSET PARTIAL WITH PORCH SUPPORTED BY TURNED POSTS.
FENESTRATION INCLUDES DOUBLE ENTRY DOORS AND ONE OVER ONE WOOD WINDOWS.
THE 1985 WILLOW SPENCE NR HD NOMINATION DESCRIBES THE HOUSE AS A ONE-STORY BOARD AND BATON COTTAGE WITH A HIP ROOF AND CORNER PORCH.
MANY ARCHITECTURAL DETAILS ARE INTACT, INCLUDING A VICTORIAN CORNER PORCH COLUMN.
UH, NEW ELEMENTS INCLUDE CEMENT, FOUNDATION STEPS, AND PORCH FLOOR.
ACCORDING TO CITY DIRECTORIES, THE HOME'S FIRST RESIDENCE, UH, WERE CARPENTERS, SALESPEOPLE, AND GAS FITTERS.
BY 1918, THE HOME WAS VACANT, UM, LIKELY HAVING CHANGED HANDS.
BY 1919 IT WAS RENTED OUT BY THE PAUL O. SIMS COMPANY, A SIMILAR REAL ESTATE AND INSURANCE OUTFIT TO THE HOFFINS RENTAL EN ENTERPRISE.
10 20 SPENDS WAS THEN OCCUPIED BY A SERIES OF WORKING CLASS RENTERS AND LATER OWNERS WHO WORKED AS LABORERS, STUDENTS, SALESPEOPLE, RAILWAY OPERATORS, LAUNDRESSES SERVICE INDUSTRY WORKERS AND MUNICIPAL UTILITY EMPLOYEES.
UH, THE PROPOSED PROJECTS MEET SOME OF THE APPLICABLE DESIGN STANDARDS, AND WHILE THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION ON FILE IS STILL TO PRESENT NEW DESIGNS TO THE ARC, THIS APPLICATION WILL TIME OUT.
ASPER MENTIONED, UH, BEFORE THE NEXT FULL COMMISSION HEARING, UM, THEIR BUT NOT BEFORE THE NEXT ARC MEETING, CORRECT.
ACTUALLY IT WILL, THE ARC MEETING IS THE 18TH.
UM, SO THE COMMISSION OPTIONS HERE ARE TO EITHER COMMENT ON AND RELEASE THE PLANS OR TAKE NO ACTION.
UM, SINCE ARC IS OFF THE TABLE, PLEASE REFRESH OUR MEMORY OF WHAT, WHAT THEY PLAN TO DO TO THE MAIN HOUSE THAT WOULD PRECLUDE ITS DESIGNATION, UH, IN THE FUTURE.
AS A LANDMARK, UH, THE APPLICANT INDICATED OR RENDER IT NON-CONTRIBUTING TO THE NATIONAL REGISTER DISTRICT.
THE APPLICANT INDICATED AT THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE MEETING THAT THE, UM, RENDERING OF THE HOUSE THAT YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN, UH, INCLUDES REPLACEMENT WINDOWS THAT WILL NOT ACTUALLY BE REPLACED UM, AND MOST OF THE WORK WOULD TAKE PLACE AT THE REAR EDITION.
UM, HOWEVER, WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED UPDATED PLANS THAT REFLECT THAT.
WHAT ABOUT THE TURN PORCH POST? UH, WE DON'T HAVE ANY UPDATES THERE BECAUSE
[01:10:01]
I THINK AS THEY PUT IT, IT WAS JUST A SQUARE, A SQUARE POST.UM, BUT I BELIEVE THE APPLICANT ALSO INDICATED THAT THAT WAS JUST, UM, KIND OF A STOCK IMAGE THEY USED WHEN, WHEN THEY DIDN'T GO INTO THAT DETAIL.
AND MA MADAM CHAIR, IF I MAY ASK A QUESTION YES, TOO.
I THINK THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE SIDE EASEMENT THAT THE EXISTING STRUCTURE WAS A COUPLE OF FEET OVER THE SIDE EASEMENT AND THEY WERE GONNA HAVE TO REBUILD IT TO BRING IT WITHIN FIVE FEET.
COMMISSIONER, WE DON'T HAVE ANY UPDATES ON THAT.
CUZ WE HAD TALKED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF LANDMARKING THAT TO MAKE IT A MEANS TO BYPASS THE, THE EASEMENT REQUIREMENTS.
UM, BUT WE CAN DISCUSS THAT MORE LATER.
UM, I HAVE NOT HEARD FROM THE APPLICANT, UM, WHETHER OR NOT THEY ARE STILL AMENABLE TO LANDMARKING, UM, SINCE BACK IN NOVEMBER.
ANY MORE, UH, QUESTIONS OF STAFF? UH, YEAH.
I HAVE A SERIOUS CONCERN, UH, ABOUT THIS TIMING OUT WITHOUT ANY ACTION IN THAT WE HAVE BEEN ASKED TO REVIEW AND SO FAR HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO, UH, FEEL COMFORTABLE APPROVING A PARTIAL DEMOLITION REQUEST.
BUT IF WE TIME OUT AND WE SAY WE TAKE NO ACTION, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE APPLICANT POTENTIALLY IS LIMITED JUST TO WHAT WE SEE ON THE PLANS.
IS THAT CORRECT? UH, IF THE APPLICANT WERE TO COME BACK WITH NEW PLANS THAT WOULD NEED TO COME BACK TO, SO WHENEVER STAFF WILL RELEASE THE PLANS ON THE 75 DAY MARK, THAT MEANS I WILL STAMP THE PLANS YOU SEE HERE.
IF IT ONCE IT COMES BACK THROUGH PERMITTING FOR RE LIKE A CYCLE TWO OF REVIEW, UM, AND THE STAMPED PLANS ARE NOT INCLUDED AND THE PROPOSED PLANS ARE DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE STAMPED IT WOULD HAVE TO RETURN.
SO ALL YOU WOULD BE, WHETHER WE APPROVE OR WHETHER IT TIMES OUT, ALL YOU WOULD STAMP WOULD BE THE PLANS WE'RE SEEING HERE.
AND THOSE WOULD BE THE ONES THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE ADHERED TO.
IF THERE WAS ANY SUBSTANTIAL CHANGE OR WORSE YET, IF THEY WERE WANTING A FULL DEMOLITION THAT WOULD ESSENTIALLY REQUIRE, THAT WOULD BE A BRAND NEW PERMIT APPLICATION, THEY'D HAVE TO START FROM SCRATCH.
I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE THAT VERY CLEAR TO THE APPLICANT BECAUSE, UH, AGAIN, I, I THINK IT'S A SHAME THAT WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO ENGAGE, UH, YOU KNOW, CONSTRUCTIVELY WITH THIS APPLICANT.
UH, WE MAY HAVE SOME QUIBBLES ABOUT WHETHER SOME LEVEL OF MODERN ADDITION, UH, IS THE RIGHT OR NOT THE RIGHT WAY TO GO, BUT HE'S DOING THE RIGHT THING IN KEEPING THE EXISTING BUILDING AND I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T DO ANYTHING TO JEOPARDIZE THE ABILITY TO KEEP THAT EXISTING BUILDING IN THE FRONT.
IF A FULL DEMOLITION, THEY WOULD HAVE TO APPLY FOR A FULL DEMOLITION PERMIT AND THAT WOULD COME ACROSS OUR DESK, UM, AND THEY WOULD HAVE TO COME BACK THROUGH THIS WHOLE PROCESS AGAIN.
AND, AND I WAS PRETTY SURE THAT WAS THE CASE, BUT I REALLY WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT WAS ON THE RECORD.
IS THERE ANYONE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THIS APPLICATION? ANYONE TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION.
DO I HEAR A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING OR SHOULD WE LEAVE IT OPEN? UM, IT WILL NOT BE POSTPONED TO A DATE CERTAIN, SO YOU DO HAVE TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
COMMISSIONER TETTE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE THAT MOTION? I WILL MAKE THAT MOTION.
I WILL MAKE THE MOTION WE CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
COMMISSIONER MACOR, WOULD YOU SECOND THAT? OKAY, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
ALL IN FAVOR OF CLOSING THE PUBLIC HEARING WOULD SAY AYE.
DO I HEAR A MOTION ON THE CASE? I WOULD RECOMMEND WE TAKE NO ACTION.
I COULD WE NOT MAKE A MOTION TO INITIATE HISTORIC ZONING IN RESPONSE AS WE WOULD DO TO PREVENT ANY OTHER DEMOLITION? LET ME CONFIRM WITH LAW.
I WOULD ENTERTAIN A SECOND TO THAT MOTION IF THAT'S A MOTION.
YEAH, I WOULD MOVE TO INITIATE HISTORIC ZONING.
IT SEEMS LIKE THAT IS REALLY OUR ONLY ALTERNATE OPTION TO ANY DEMOLITION IS PER ALLOWING IT OR INITIATING.
I'LL SECOND THAT MOTION QUESTION.
MYERS, CAN WE REOPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING AND AMEND MY MOTION TO INCLUDE REOPEN THE PUBLIC
[01:15:01]
HEARING? I'M SORRY, COMMISSIONER WRIGHT? COMMISSIONER.IF WE COULD, IF WE COULD REOPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING.
AND I WOULD, I AMEND MY MOTION TO INCLUDE REOPENING THE PUBLIC HEARING.
IF, IF YOU, AND I'LL SECOND THAT.
SO WHAT EFFECT DOES THIS HAVE THEN ON THE DEADLINE? THE OF TIMING OUT? IT WILL BE TAKING ACTION TO INITIATE HISTORIC ZONING.
YOU WOULD THINK, WELL, WE MIGHT HEAR BACK FROM THE APPLICANT.
WE DON'T REALLY HAVE, AS, AS COMMISSIONER COOK SAID, WE DON'T HAVE, WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF OPTIONS I THINK, I THINK THAT THE APPLICANT WANTED TO DO OR WANTS TO DO.
HE, IT WASN'T JUST AN IMPLICATION.
IT WAS, IT WAS IN THE AFFIRMATIVE THAT HE WANTED TO RETAIN THE TURN POACH PORCH POSTS AND THE WINDOWS AS WE DISCUSSED.
BUT WE HAVE A, WE DON'T HAVE AN APPLICATION TO THAT EFFECT.
AND SO THIS WOULD GIVE HIM AN OPPORTUNITY.
IT DOESN'T MEAN RECOMMENDING, IT'S JUST THE FIRST STEP INITIATING HISTORIC ZONING.
UM, AND IT WOULD GIVE HIM AN OPPORTUNITY TO CONFIRM WITH, WITH EVEN SKETCH DRAWINGS OR, UM, SOMETHING OF THAT NATURE THAT THAT'S WHAT HE INTENDS TO DO.
THAT WE COULD, UM, FEEL ASSURED THAT, THAT THAT'S THE PLAN GOING FORWARD.
I I WANTED TO AMEND MY MOTION TO INCLUDE THE CRITERIA OF ARCHITECTURE AND HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS.
IT'S UNFORTUNATE WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO EN ENGAGE SINCE THE FIRST CONVERSATION.
UH, IT WASN'T CLEAR WHETHER THEY WOULD OR NOT BE INTERESTED IN HISTORIC ZONING.
IT JUST SEEMS LIKE THIS IS SUCH A WELL DONE HYPHENATED ADDITION.
UM, BUT IT WAS RE REPLACING THE SIDING AND CHANGING A DOOR TO A WINDOW AND REPLACING ANOTHER WINDOW.
AND AS I UNDERSTAND IT, BECAUSE OF SETBACKS, UH, A LOT OF THAT WAS GENERATED BY THE NEED TO ADJUST THE SIDE WALL BECAUSE OF SETBACKS.
AND I'M THINKING THAT A INITIATION, A RECOMMENDATION OF HISTORIC DESIGNATION WOULD HELP ADDRESS THAT CONCERN SO THEY WOULDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE SETBACKS.
AND THEN ALL THEY WOULD NEED TO DO IS BASICALLY PRESERVE WHAT'S THERE AND SAVE MONEY BY NOT ALTERING EVERYTHING.
AND THEN DO THE HYPHENATED ADDITION, WHICH IS A VERY CLEAN ADDITION, WHICH I DON'T BELIEVE WOULD IMPACT THE INTEGRITY OR THE ABILITY OF IT TO RETAIN LANDMARK STATUS.
COMMISSIONER KOCH, I'M, I'M NOT SURE.
ARE YOU SAYING THAT IT INTRUDES ON THE FIVE FOOT SIDE EASEMENT? I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING WHY THAT NEEDS, THAT WALL NEEDS TO MOVE.
WELL, IF IT'S AN EASEMENT, IT'S PROBABLY BECAUSE OF AUSTIN ENERGY AND THAT LANDMARK STATUS WON'T MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE.
THAT IF THEY, AUSTIN ENERGY GENERALLY IS THE ONE THAT HAS EASEMENTS.
HOWEVER, AN INTRUSION ON THE EASEMENT THAT'S BEEN THERE HISTORICALLY, UM, I'M SURPRISED, I'M SURPRISED THEY'RE TELLING THEM THAT THEY CAN'T KEEP IT.
I BELIEVE IT WAS THE SETBACK AND IT WAS VERY MINOR.
CAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT THE SETBACK LINE, IT LOOKS LIKE IT MAY BE INCHES.
WELL, BUT SEE, SETBACK, THERE ARE PROVISIONS, UH, FOR EXISTING BUILDINGS IN, UH, OVER SETBACKS.
UM, IF YOU DON'T GO UP TO A TWO STORY ADDITION ON IT, THE ADDITION SHOULDN'T MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE.
IF YOU, BECAUSE I HAD LOOKED AT A NEIGHBOR'S GARAGE, AND IF YOU EXTEND THAT TO TWO STORIES, THEN THE, IT'S NO LONGER, THE SETBACKS ARE NO LONGER GRANDFATHERED.
BUT THAT STRUCTURE ITSELF IS NOT BEING EXTENDED TO TWO-STORY, BUT IT IS BEING EXPANDED INTO A TWO-STORY ADDITION.
AGAIN, I DON'T DON'T KNOW ANY OF THIS BECAUSE WE DIDN'T GET TO THAT LEVEL OF DETAIL.
I WAS JUST TOLD THAT THE, THE NEED TO FULLY REPLACE THE SIDING AND THE WINDOWS AND THE DOORS WAS LARGELY TRIGGERED BY THE SETBACK REQUIREMENT.
THAT HAS NOT BEEN MY EXPERIENCE.
YEAH, NO, I THINK, I THINK THEY'RE MORE GRANDFATHERING, UH, AVAILABLE TO INTRUDING AND SETBACKS.
HOWEVER THAT HAVING BEEN SAID, I DO THINK THAT THE PRIORITY FOR US IS THE PRESERVATION OF THE EXISTING IN AS MUCH, UH, COMPLETENESS AS IT CAN BE WITH AS MUCH INTEGRITY AS CAN BE.
AND, UH, I DO WOULD, WOULD ASK THAT IF THIS MOTION PASSES, THAT IT ALSO INCLUDES A REQUEST TO STAFF FOR ADDITIONAL RESEARCH, UH, PARTICULARLY ON THE ASSOCIATIONS, JUST SO WE'VE COVERED ALL OUR BASES.
UM, BUT I I, I JUST HAVE TO LOOK FORWARD AND SEE WHAT AN A GOOD OUTCOME WOULD BE.
AND WERE THIS TO RISE TO THE LEVEL OF A HISTORIC LANDMARK AND WE'RE THE OWNER TO
[01:20:01]
ACCEPT THAT, THAT WOULD BE FANTASTIC.BUT I KNOW THESE CIRCUMSTANCES DON'T ALWAYS WORK OUT THAT WAY.
AND I EVEN FEEL THAT, UM, WE'RE THE ADDITION AS IT'S PROPOSED, UH, TO BE ALL THAT WE GET AND, AND YET WE STILL GET THE INTEGRITY OF THE EXISTING BUILDING, THAT I WOULD SAY THAT'S A POSITIVE OUTCOME IN MY OWN PERSONAL OPINION.
AND I'LL JUST SAY THAT IN ADVANCE, UH, KNOWING THAT PERHAPS THIS OWNER WILL BE LISTENING TO THE TAPES AND FIGURING OUT WHAT THEIR OPTIONS ARE.
AND AS I RECALL, THEY WEREN'T AGAINST, THEY WEREN'T BLATANTLY AGAINST LANDMARK DESIGNATION.
I, I JUST WANNA SAY THOUGH, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE INTEGRITY STAYING, IF THAT WALL IS MOVED, UM, THAT FRONT ELEVATION LOOKS VERY ODD TO ME, THE SYMMETRY ONCE WE MOVE THAT WALL.
SO, YOU KNOW, I'D WANT ADDITIONAL RESEARCH THAT'S JUST ODD TO ME.
I HAVEN'T SEEN A NON-COMPLIANT STRUCTURE HAVE TO BE ADJUSTED LIKE THAT.
IT, IT MAY BE FAIRLY EASY TO ESTABLISH THAT THIS BUILDING PREDATED THE EASEMENT EASEMENT OR, OR, OR SETBACK EITHER OF THEM.
I MEAN, SETBACK SHOULD NOT BE A PROBLEM THERE LIKE SO MANY FEET, UH, YOU'RE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF THAT NON-COMPLAINT.
THERE'S SO FEET THERE SO MANY THAT, THAT YOU CAN GO IF, IF, IF THAT PART IS IN.
BUT FROM WHAT I'M SEEING, THAT ADDITION IS COMPLETELY WITHIN THE SETBACK.
THEY'RE NOT EVEN TRYING TO MAKE THE STRUCTURE MORE NON-COMPLIANT.
UM, SO ANYWAY, THAT, THAT'S JUST MY, I JUST WOULD HATE TO SEE THAT WALL MOVED.
I, I'M SUPPORTIVE OF THE MOTION IN THAT INDEPENDENT OF WHAT LEGAL TELLS US.
IT, IT'S THE, THE BEST WAY FORWARD WITH NO DOWNSIDE.
I MEAN, IF WE GET THEM BACK AT THE TABLE, THAT'S GREAT.
IF NOT, I, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT EVER WAS GONNA HAPPEN.
UM, WITH THAT, UM, I CALL IT QUESTION, CAN I DO THAT AS CHAIRMAN? SORRY.
WE COULD MAYBE TAKE THIS ITEM OUT OF ORDER AND MOVE ON WHILE WE WAIT ON A QUESTION FROM LAW, IF THAT'S ALL RIGHT.
UH, SO WE WOULD NEED, UM, A MOTION TO, UH, SO TO WITHDRAW THE MOTION TO INITIATE AND THEN MAKE, CUZ WE HAVE TO CLOSE THE MOTION TO MAKE THIRD MOTION AND THEN TO A MOTION TO TAKE THIS ITEM OUT OF ORDER LATER IN THE AGENDA IF THAT'S AMENABLE.
I WITHDRAW THE MOTION TO INITIATE.
I'LL WITHDRAW MY SECOND AND I MAKE A MOTION TO TAKE THIS ITEM OUT OF ORDER.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY, AYE.
[12. HR-2022-165753 – 1804 Brackenridge St. – Consent Travis Heights – Fairview Park National Register District Proposal: Demolish a contributing house and build new construction (postponed December 14, 2022) Applicant: Lindsey Peavler City Staff: Andrew Rice, Historic Preservation Office, 512-974-1686 Staff Recommendation: Release the demolition permit upon completion of a City of Austin Documentation Package. Comment on plans for new construction.]
UH, WAS 1804 BRECKENRIDGE STREET.UM, IT WAS PULLED FOR DISCUSSION.
THIS IS, UH, CONTRIBUTING BUILDING IN THE TRAVIS HEIGHTS FAIRVIEW PARK, HISTORIC DISTRICT 1804 BRACKENRIDGE STREET IS, UH, A PROPOSAL TO DEMOLISH A 1920 HOUSE AND TO CONSTRUCT A NEW RESIDENCE, UH, WHICH IS FLAT ROOFED CLA AND STUCCO BRICK AND BOARD AND BATON SIDING, UH, WITH A PARTIAL WITH INSET PORCH AND IRREGULAR FENESTRATION, UH, AS WELL AS A POOL AT THE REAR.
THE EXISTING BUILDING IS A ONE AND A HALF STORY CRAFTSMAN.
BUNGALOW CONSTRUCTED AROUND 1920.
ITS FIRST OWNERS WERE JOHN AND ELMEDA HEATH.
JOHN HEATH WORKED AS A TRAVELING SALESMAN, UM, THOUGH BY 1925, THE HOUSE HAD BECOME A RENTAL PROPERTY.
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.
UH, THEY WORKED AT GALLOWAY SANDWICH SHOP AND SHARED THE RENTAL WITH MARY SANCHEZ, ANOTHER GALLOWAY'S EMPLOYEE.
BY THE FIFTIES, THE DILWORTH HAD PURCHASED THE HOME AS THEIR PRIMARY RESIDENCE.
UH, THIS PROPERTY CONTRIBUTES TO THE TRAVIS HEIGHTS FAIRVIEW PARK NATIONAL REGISTER DISTRICT.
UM, AND THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION WAS TO RELEASE THE DEMOLITION PERMIT UPON COMPLETION OF A CITY OF AUSTIN DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE, AS WELL AS COMMENT ON FANS FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION AS STAFF EVALUATED THE PROPERTY AND DETERMINED THAT IT DID NOT MEET TWO CRITERIA FOR LANDMARK DESIGNATION.
QUESTIONS OF STAFF? I, I PULLED THIS ONE.
UM, WE POSTPONED THIS FROM OUR DECEMBER, UM, WAS THAT REFERRED TO THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE AS WELL? YES.
THE APPLICANT, UM, IS NOT, HAS NO INTEREST OF ATTENDING THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE.
SO THEY WERE INVITED AND, AND CHOSE NOT TO ATTEND.
THEY INVITED, THEY WERE INVITED AND DID NOT ATTEND.
[01:25:01]
I PULLED IT IS, UM, NOT JUST BECAUSE OF THE REPLACEMENT, WHICH, I MEAN, WE'VE, WE'VE BEMOANED MANY BUILDINGS THAT WERE NOT COMPATIBLE WITH, UM, WITH THEIR SURROUNDING HISTORIC DISTRICTS.BUT I THINK WHAT REALLY CONCERNS ME IS THE HIGH INTEGRITY OF THE ORIGINAL BUILDING.
UH, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF BUNGALOWS FROM VARIOUS, UH, PARTS OF THE CITY.
UH, THE ONES THAT COME TO US DON'T ALWAYS, UM, HAVE ALL THEIR PIECES INTACT SHIP, WE SAY.
IT WAS A, IT WAS A SOLID BUILDING.
IT WAS WELL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE STYLE AND IT'S IN GREAT SHAPE COMPARED TO MANY OF THE OTHER ONES THAT WE'VE GOING TO BAT FOR.
UH, I REALLY JUST CAN'T SEE, UH, THIS LOSS AS ANYTHING BUT A, A MAJOR LOSS, NOT JUST TO THE HISTORIC DISTRICT, BUT TO THE CITY, UH, THAT WE HAVE A, A, A VERY, VERY STRONG, UH, REPRESENTATION OF A VERY IMPORTANT BUILDING TYPE.
AND I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DID EVERYTHING WE COULD TO GIVE IT A CHANCE.
CAN WE SEE A PHOTOGRAPH OF IT ON THE, ON THE SCREEN? I WANTED TO POINT OUT SOMETHING, NOT THAT
UM, THE ONLY THING THAT'S MISSING ARE THE COLUMNS.
AND I THINK PART OF THE PORCH WAS IN FILLED, BUT IT MAY HAVE OCCURRED DURING THE HISTORIC PERIOD.
UH, I THINK THE WINDOWS WOULD INDICATE THAT THAT'S PROBABLY THE CASE, OR THEY WERE CERTAINLY RE REORIENTED YEAH.
BUT, UM, I DID THE ASSESSMENT ON THIS IN, IN TRAVIS HEIGHTS, AND I, AND I LOOKED AT THE SANDBORN MAPS, UM, AND IT, IT DID APPEAR THAT THE PORCH, UM, HAD BEEN PARTIALLY INFILLED, BUT I THINK THAT IT, I THINK IT RETAINS, ITS, ITS DESIGN AND MATERIALS TO THE HISTORIC PERIOD, WHICH NOW, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, IS, UH, UP TO 1973.
SO ANYTHING BUILT BEFORE 1973 IS NOW, UH, OF HISTORIC AGE.
AND, UM, I THINK THIS OCCURRED B UM, BEFORE THAT TIME.
SO, UM, AND, AND LIKELY THE, THE PORCH POSTS AS WELL.
SO THEY WOULD'VE ATTAINED SIGNIFICANCE OF THEIR OWN DURING THAT, UH, SINCE THE ORIGINAL CONSTRUCTION.
BUT, BUT YES, I UNDERSTAND EXACTLY THE, THE, THE, THE FRI UH, UM, IRON YEAH.
YOU LIVE LONG ENOUGH AND YOU SEE
DID YOU HAVE ANY OTHER, UM, OKAY, I, I UNDERSTAND.
AND THIS HOUSE IN PARTICULAR, IT HAS, IT HAS CARVED RAFTER IN TAILS HERE IN THE FRONT.
IT HAS, UM, IT HAS MANY ORIGINAL FEATURES, UH, A CONCUR.
SO, UH, DO WE HAVE A, UM, DO WE HAVE SOMEONE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THE DEMOLITION APPLICATION HERE? THE APPLICANT, THE OWNER, SOMEBODY.
IS THERE ANYONE OPPOSED? PLEASE? UH, YOU CAN STILL SPEAK IF YOU DIDN'T SIGN UP.
IF YOU'RE IN PERSON, YOU CAN SPEAK.
I WANNA MAKE SURE THOUGH, IS THAT THERE'S NO ONE HERE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR.
SO YOU'LL BE THE FIRST SPEAKER IN OPPOSITION.
AND, UM, I'M A RESIDENT OF THE TRAVIS HEIGHTS FAIRVIEW PARK HISTORIC DISTRICT, AND I'VE BEEN HERE EVERY MONTH TRYING TO GET THIS HOUSE SAVED.
THIS WAS THE ONE WEEK THAT I DIDN'T
I'VE, I WOULD HATE TO SEE THIS GO.
THE STREET SCAPE STILL HAS A LOT OF INTEGRITY.
UH, THERE ARE VERY FEW NEW CONSTRUCTION.
THERE'S ONE ACROSS THE STREET, UNFORTUNATELY, BUT IT'S NOT THE WORST.
SO, UM, IF THERE IS ANYTHING YOU CAN DO TO HELP PRESERVE THIS HOUSE, WE WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
ANY QUESTIONS OF THE SPEAKER? THANK YOU
ANYONE ELSE TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION? OKAY.
UM, DO I HEAR A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING? I'M GOING TO MOVE THAT WE POSTPONE THIS TO OUR NEXT, UH, NEXT MEETING AND, UH, REFER IT AS WELL TO THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW.
DO WE HAVE THAT, UH, THAT LEEWAY? YES.
SO, UM, FOR TIMING ON THIS ONE, UH, WE CAN POSTPONE THE REVIEW OF THE NEW CONSTRUCTION DRAWINGS ONE MORE TIME.
[01:30:01]
FEBRUARY 27TH, SO WE COULD STILL HEAR IT AT FEBRUARY, UH, FIRST, BUT AFTER THAT MEETING, UM, IT DOES EXPIRE BEFORE THE NEXT ONE, UH, FOR THE DEMOLITION OF THE PROPERTY, WE HAVE UNTIL APRIL 30TH.SO, UM, I'LL SECOND YOUR, YOUR MOTION IS TO LEAVE THE PUBLIC HEARING OPEN AND POSTPONE TO THE FEBRUARY MEETING WITH THE, AND POSTPONE IT TO THE FEBRUARY MEETING WITH AN INVITATION TO MEET WITH THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE.
AND YOU MADE YOU SECONDED THAT MOTION.
UM, ANY FUR ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? MM-HMM.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
WE HAVE OUR ANSWER FROM LAW IF YOU WANNA GO BACK.
DO YOU WANNA DO IT OR ME? YOU KNOW, WE COULD GO AHEAD.
BECAUSE WE MADE THE MOTION TO MOVE IT TO LATER IN THE MEETING.
WE COULD GO AHEAD WITH OUR AGENDA AND TAKE IT UP AS THE LAST ITEM ON OUR AGENDA, SINCE WE HAVE NO ONE HERE TO SPEAK TO THAT APPLICATION.
AND WE HAVE PEOPLE HERE TO SPEAK TO OTHER APPLICATIONS.
IS IS, UH, DO I HEAR A MOTION FROM THE COMMISSION TO, UM, YOU DON'T NEED TO, YOU JUST GO TO THE NEXT CASE.
WE'LL JUST GO TO THE NEXT CASE THEN, WHICH IS 20 73 0 4.
NEXT, ACTUALLY, IT'S, UH, 4 0 9 EAST MONROE.
ITEM 13 WAS PULLED FOR DISCUSSION.
UH, DIDN'T I OVERLOOK IT? IT WAS PULLED FOR DISCUSSION.
4 0 4 0 9 EASTMAN MONROE STREET, ITEM 13,
[13. HR-2022-172625 – 409 E. Monroe St. – Consent Travis Heights – Fairview Park National Register District Council District 9 Proposal: Demolish a contributing house and build new construction (postponed December 14, 2022 due to notification error) Applicant: Oam Parkash City Staff: Andrew Rice, Historic Preservation Office, 512-974-1686 Staff Recommendation: Release the demolition permit upon completion of a City of Austin Documentation Package and comment on plans.]
UH, 4 0 9.EASTMAN MONROE STREET IS A PROPOSAL TO DEMOLISH THE CIRCA 1910 HOUSE AND CONSTRUCT A NEW RESIDENCE, UM, WHICH WOULD BE THREE STORY, UH, WITH STUCCO AND BORDEN, BATTEN CLATTING, UH, A METAL ROOF, AND A DETACHED TWO-STORY GARAGE.
THE EXISTING HOUSE IS A TWO-STORY RECTANGULAR PLAN HOUSE WITH FOURSQUARE STYLISTIC INFLUENCES, DEEP EAVES, BOXY PLAN, AND SUBSTANTIAL BRICK PIERS UP THE FIRST FLOOR FULL WITH PORCH.
UH, THE HOUSE AT 4 0 9 EAST MONROE ALSO ADDRESSED IS 1600 NEWING, WHO WAS CONSTRUCTED AROUND 1910.
IT WAS OWNED BY SHELTON C AND MARGARET ADRIAN SHELTON.
ADRIAN WAS A CARPENTER FOR THE 40 YEARS.
HE LIVED IN THE HOME, FREQUENTLY EMPLOYED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS.
HIS WIFE MARGARET AND HIS DAUGHTER LAVERNE, A MUSIC TEACHER AND A GRADUATE OF UT WERE SOCIALITES AMONG THE SOUTH AUSTIN COMMUNITY, FREQUENTLY HOLDING GATHERINGS AT THE RESIDENCE.
THE ADRIAN RESIDENTS ALSO SERVED AS APARTMENTS AND STUDIOS FOR A VARIETY OF AUSTINITE THROUGHOUT THE THIRTIES AND FORTIES.
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 AND NATIONAL REGISTER DISTRICTS.
UH, STAFF HAS EVALUATED THE PROPERTY AND DETERMINED THAT THE PROJECT MEETS SOME, BUT NOT ALL APPLICABLE STANDARDS.
UH, THOUGH THIS CONTRIBUTING PROPERTY REPRESENTS A UNIQUE HOUSE TYPE WITHIN THE DISTRICT, UH, STAFF RESEARCH SHOULD NOT FIND, UH, STRONG HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS.
THEREFORE, STAFF RECOMMENDATION IS TO RELEASE THE DEMOLITION PERMIT UPON COMPLETION OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE AND COMMENT ON AND RELEASE THE PLANS QUESTIONS.
I HAVE SOME INFORMATION ON ITS EVALUATION FOR NATIONAL REGISTER.
SHOULD I OFFER THAT NOW? OR WAIT UNTIL WE HAVE DISCUSSION? UH, PROBABLY DISCUSSION.
YEAH, I WOULD, I WOULD WAIT UNTIL DISCUSSION, UH, SO THAT WE CAN ALLOW THE SPEAKERS TO, TO GET THANK YOU.
ANY QUESTIONS OF CALLEN? OKAY.
IS THERE ANYONE HERE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THIS APPLICATION? WE HAVE THE ENTIRE APPLICANT TEAM ON THE LINE.
UH, I BELIEVE IT'S FOUR DIFFERENT SPEAKERS, SO I WILL JUST CALL THEM OUT.
UM, WE HAVE TERRY, I, RYAN, ON THE LINE.
UH, I AM NOT THE PRIMARY SPEAKER.
WILL THE ARCHITECT, UH, I'M GUESSING IT'S NICK.
NICK, MEL, UH, YOU HAVE FIVE MINUTES.
THIS, MY, MY NAME IS NICK MEL.
AND I, I ACTUALLY DEFER TO THE OWNER BECAUSE, UH, I, UNLESS YOU HAVE SOME SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ARCHITECTURE ITSELF OF THE NEW HOUSE.
UM, UH, I THINK THAT THE, UH, THE OWNER CAN SPEAK TO THE EXISTING HOUSE AND, AND, AND HIS PLANS.
[01:35:01]
THE FIRST SPEAKER HAS FIVE MINUTES.WE DON'T, WE DON'T GIVE MINUTES AWAY.
NO, OWEN IS THE, UH, PROPERTY OUM? UH, YEAH.
PARKASH, ARE YOU ON THE LINE? OKAY, THEN, UM, I'M GONNA GO BACK.
UM, I, MY NAME'S EVA CONVE, AND I AM IN FAVOR OF THE DEMOLITION OF 4 0 9 EASTMAN ROW.
UM, THE HOUSES ON THE SLOT DO NOT, UM, HAVE NOT ADDED VALUE IN THE CURRENT CASE TO THIS NEIGHBORHOOD.
THEY'RE AN EXTREME DISREPAIR FROM THE PREVIOUS OWNERS AS CAN BE SEEN IN THE DOCUMENTS THAT WE SUBMITTED WITH THE DEMOLITION APPLICATION, HAVING BEEN USED AS A NON-COMPLIANT MULTIPLEX PROPERTY FOR YEARS, WITH SOME OF THE TENANTS HAVING BEEN THERE FOR 30 PLUS YEARS, IT IS CLEAR THAT THE PROPERTY WAS NOT PROPERLY MAINTAINED.
TO ADD TO THE MATTER, THESE STRUCTURES ARE ENCROACHING ONTO THE 4 0 7 EAST MONROE, MAKING BOTH LOCKS ON DEVELOPABLE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE BUILDING PLANS OF 4 0 7, IT IS REQUIRED TO DEMO BOTH STRUCTURES ON 4 0 9.
IN SHORT, WE HOPE TO BUILD THE COMPLIANT SINGLE FAMILY HOME THAT ENRICHES THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OF THE SPEAKER? THAT WAS ALL THE IN FAVOR SPEAKERS I HAD ON THE LINE.
THOSE WERE ALL THE IN, IN FAVOR AND MR. CHESH, OR IT WAS NOT ABLE TO COME THROUGH.
UM, DO WE HAVE SPEAKERS IN OPPOSITION? WE HAVE QUITE A FEW, UH, ON THE LINE AND IN PERSON.
WHO, WHO IS THE MAIN SPEAKER? THE, THE, I BELIEVE THAT IS MELANIE.
UM, MY NAME'S MELANIE MARTINEZ, AND I'M A RESIDENT OF TRAVIS HEIGHTS FAIR PARK HISTORIC DISTRICT.
I'M, UH, SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF S R CCC, SOUTH RIVER CITY CITIZENS AND ALSO OUR PRESERVATION COMMITTEE.
UH, THE S R CCC HAD SENT A LETTER YOU MAY PROBABLY HAVE IN YOUR, UH, DOCUMENTS, AND I JUST WANTED TO REITERATE THAT, UH, THE S R CCC EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO OPPOSE THE DEMOLITION, UH, FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS.
THE ADJACENT NEIGHBORS NEVER RECEIVED NOTIFICATION.
A PUBLIC HEARING AT THE HISTORIC COMMISSION HAD NOT BEEN CONDUCTED.
THE BUILDING IS WITHIN AND CONTRIBUTES TO THE, EXCUSE ME, TO THE NATIONAL REGISTER DISTRICT, AND THE APPLICANT HAS NOT MET WITH S R C C OR THE ADJACENT NEIGHBORS.
UH, SO SPEAKING FROM THE PRESERVATION COMMITTEE AND MYSELF, UM, WE OBVIOUSLY FEEL THAT THIS PROPERTY HAS HISTORIC VALUE AND SHOULD BE A LANDMARK IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
THE FOR THE INTERSECTION HAS ALL HISTORIC PROPERTIES THERE, AND, UH, THE VALUE OF IT BEING A RENTAL PROPERTY IS VERY IMPORTANT TO US.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER BUILDINGS LIKE THAT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, AND THE HISTORY WITH ALL OF THE RENTALS IS LIKE A MICROCOSM OF OUR WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND EVERY MONTH I COME HERE TO TRY TO SPEAK TO SAVE OUR BUNGALOWS AND COTTAGES THAT RENTERS HAVE LIVED IN, BECAUSE THAT IS OUR STORY.
AND THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE LIVED THERE HAVE, UH, PROFESSIONS THAT HAVE HELPED AUSTIN GROW.
THEY MAY NOT BE MILLIONAIRES OR CELEBRITIES, BUT THEY ARE IMPORTANT TO OUR COMMUNITY.
AND, UM, WE REALLY VALUE THAT IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO, UM, I HOPE THAT YOU CAN FIND A WAY TO INITIATE HISTORIC ZONING ON THIS PROPERTY AND THAT THE OWNER COULD POSSIBLY KEEP IT AS MULTI-FAMILY AS WE'VE LOST SO MANY RENTALS.
AND, UM, EVEN A CONDO SITUATION MIGHT BE BENEFICIAL WITH THE HISTORIC ZONING, UH, THE RESIDENTS COULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT OR THE OWNERS.
SO, UH, I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE RESEARCHING THIS STILL AND FINDING OUT WHAT THE POSSIBILITIES ARE.
SO I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME LOOKING INTO THIS.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OF, UH, MS. MARTINEZ? CAN WE SEE A PHOTOGRAPH
[01:40:01]
OF THE, OF THE HOUSE? SURE.THE NEXT SPEAKER AND OPPOSITION.
DO YOU ME TO JUST KEEP IT UP OR? YEAH, JUST KEEP IT UP PLEASE.
THERE WE HAVE, UH, FRANCISCO PASSANT, WHICH HE DOES HAVE, UH, A PRESENTATION AND IMAGE TO SHOW.
STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD.
MY NAME IS FRANCISCO PASSANT AND I LIVE ON KENWOOD AVENUE.
AND I WALK BY OR DRIVE BY THIS SITE PRACTICALLY EVERY DAY.
UM, TONIGHT I'M SPEAKING AGAINST THE PROPOSAL.
UM, THE EXISTING HOUSE WAS BUILT AROUND 1900 AS A SINGLE FAMILY HOUSE, PROBABLY, UM, SINCE THE 1930S.
IT WAS USED AS A MULTI-FAMILY RENTAL.
THE PROPOSAL IS TO DEMOLISH IT AND BUILD A SINGLE FAMILY HOUSE AGAIN, GIVEN THE HOUSING SHORTAGE IN AUSTIN, I WISH IT STAYED MULTI-FAMILY, BUT I WILL FOCUS ON SOMETHING ELSE.
THE PROPOSAL IS A LOSS FOR THE CHARACTER OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD ON TWO COUNTS.
FIRST, THE SENSE OF HISTORY ESSENTIAL TO THIS NEIGHBORHOOD IS LOST A BUILDING RICH OF MEMORY, BOTH IN TERMS OF DESIGN AND IN TERMS OF WHO LIVED THERE IS REMOVED.
SECOND, A DESIGN THAT HELPS DEFINE THE BEAUTIFUL CORN CROSSING OF MONROE.
AND NEWING IS REPLACED BY ONE THAT DOES NOT.
THIS IS A CORNER SITE SLOPING IN TWO DIRECTIONS WITH THE BUILDING AT THE TOP.
THE OLD BUILDING ACKNOWLEDGES THIS CORNER SITUATION THROUGH ITS SQUARISH PLAN, AND ITS PYRAMIDAL ROOF SLOPING IN FOUR DIRECTIONS.
THE PROPOSED BUILDING DOES NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THE CORNER SITUATION.
IT IS LONG AND NARROW WITH A RATIO OF 1, 2, 3, AND ITS ROOF HAS TWO SLOPES CALLING ATTENTION TO ITS LONGITUDINAL DESIGN.
THIS BUILDING, THIS PROPOSED BUILDING DOES NOT TURN THE CORNER, SO TO SPEAK.
THE NEW DESIGN WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR A NARROW LOT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BLOCK, NOT FOR A CORNER.
BOTH PROBLEMS. THERE IS THE LOSS OF HISTORY AND THE INAPPROPRIATENESS FOR THE CORNER BLOCK COULD BE AVOIDED BY KEEPING THE OLD BUILDING.
YES, THE OLD BUILDING IS IN POOR SHAPE, AND IT WOULD COST MORE TO REPAIR IT THAN IT WOULD TO DEMOLISH AND REBUILD.
BUT FROM WHAT I CAN TELL, THE SQUARE FOOTAGE OF THE OLD BUILDING IS BIGGER THAN THAT OF THE NEW ONE SUBSTANTIALLY.
AND HAVING BEEN BUILT ORIGINALLY AS A FAMILY, SINGLE FAMILY HOUSE, IT SHOULD NOT BE DIFFICULT TO ADAPT IT FOR TODAY'S LIFESTYLE.
SO IT WOULD COST MORE TO FIX THE OLD BUILDING, BUT IT WOULD SELL FOR MORE TOO, IN TERMS OF MONEY FIXING OR DEMOLISHING AND REBUILDING COME OUT EVEN.
WHY NOT KEEP THE OLD BUILDING? THANK YOU.
I ANY QUESTIONS OF THE SPEAKER? THANK YOU, MR. PI.
UM, NEXT PERSON IN OPPOSITION.
HI, I'M SUSIE MALDEN AND, UM, A RESIDENT OF TRAVIS HEIGHTS.
ME, MY HUSBAND, FOR THE LAST 41 YEARS.
UM, AS HE'S SAYING, I DRIVE OR WALK BY THAT HOUSE ALMOST DAILY.
UM, I'M JUST GONNA READ THIS AS YOU MOST OF YOU KNOW.
UM, THIS IS NOT ONLY A BEAUTIFUL NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT IT'S A COMMUNITY.
TRAVIS HEIGHTS, FAIRVIEW PARK IS A COMMUNITY.
UM, WE WALK ON THE SIDEWALKS, WE PLAY IN THE PARK, AND WE VISIT FROM OUR FRONT PORCHES.
SO BUYING INTO THIS AREA IS NOT JUST PURCHASING A
[01:45:01]
PROPERTY IN A BOOMING CITY, IT'S JOINING INTO THE SENSE OF COMMUNITY THAT WE HAVE.EXCUSE ME, THIS HOUSE IS SUCH A RE I PUT ON MY GLASSES.
THIS HOUSE IS SUCH REMARKABLE LANDMARK, AND WE'VE WALKED AND DRIVEN BY FOR YEARS.
IN FACT, THIS CORNER THAT EVERYONE'S TALKING ABOUT IS BLESSED WITH FOUR JEWELS, FOUR GORGEOUS HOUSES, ALL LOOKING AT EACH OTHER.
AND IT'S SUCH AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO IT'S NOT JUST THE HOUSE ITSELF, BUT IT'S THIS LITTLE COMMUNITY OF JEWELS.
AND, UM, THE STORIES THOSE HOUSES COULD TELL WOULD BE AMAZING.
UM, I IMPLORE YOU TO SAVE THIS HOUSE FROM BEING YET ANOTHER.
DEMOLITION, DEMOLITION IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND I KNOW YOU'RE AWARE OF IT, WHETHER YOU INITIATE HISTORIC ZONING OR AT LEAST PERHAPS POSTPONE.
SO THERE'S CAN BE MORE RESEARCH DONE.
I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE WORKING VERY DILIGENTLY TRYING TO, TO SAVE THIS BEAUTIFUL PLACE.
ANY QUESTIONS OF THE SPEAKER? THANK YOU.
I LIVE AT 1508 MUN, WHICH IS JUST THREE PROPERTIES TO THE SOUTH OF THE SUBJECT PROPERTY.
SO IT'S PART OF MY ORDINARY FIELD DIVISION.
WHEN I GOT IN THE CAR TONIGHT TO COME HERE, IT WAS RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME.
UM, MY HOUSE IS HISTORICALLY DESIGNATED.
I'M FAMILIAR WITH THE COMMISSION, ITS REQUIREMENTS, AND I THINK THE HISTORICAL NATURE OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD IS INVALUABLE.
UM, I WOULD REITERATE MELANIE AND SUSIE'S COMMENTS ABOUT THAT PARTICULAR INTERSECTION.
IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR AT ALL WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THE STREET OF MONROE IS A PRINCIPAL PORTAL.
IT'S THE ONLY ONE THAT I'M, AND AN AND ANNIE, UH, THAT GO ALL THE WAY THROUGH RICHARD TRAVIS HEIGHTS MONROE.
AND ANNIE NEWING IS ONE OF THE FEW NORTH SOUTH THOROUGHFARES, A VERY POPULAR STREET, AND VERY HEAVILY TRAVELED.
SO FROM CONGRESS AVENUE, THIS INTERSECTION IS THE GATEWAY TO THIS BEAUTIFUL TRAVIS HEIGHTS FAIRVIEW PARK NEIGHBORHOOD.
IT SERVES A VERY IMPORTANT AND UNIQUE FUNCTION.
UH, THE STAFF HAS ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT IS INAPPROPRIATE TO THE SCALE AND HEIGHTENED SCALE OF THE OTHER HOUSES IN THE DISTRICT.
THAT ITS PROPORTIONS, DESIGNS, AND STYLE ARE INCONSISTENT WITH SURROUNDING HOUSES.
UM, THE HOUSES ARE FOUR, EXCUSE ME, THREE OF THE FOUR HOUSES ARE TWO STORY.
ONE OF THE HOUSES IS ONE STORY.
TWO OF THE HOUSES OF THE FOUR HAVE HISTORICAL DESIGNATIONS.
THIS WOULD BE A VERY APPROPRIATE PROPERTY FOR, FOR HISTORICAL DESIGNATION.
IT'S FRUSTRATING THAT THE DEVELOPERS ARGUE AND ANNOUNCED TONIGHT THAT THERE'S AN ENCROACHMENT OF THE MAIN RESIDENCE ONTO 4 0 7.
AND, UH, I WOULD POINT OUT LOOKING AT THE ORIENTATION, UM, OF THE BUILDING, THEY COULD BUILD ACROSS 1407 AND 1409.
INSTEAD, THEY'VE CHOSEN TO BUILD THIS WAY LONG WAYS NORTH, SOUTH, AND PRESERVE THE 4 0 7 PRESUMABLY FOR RESALE OR ANOTHER DEVELOPMENT.
UH, THAT OPTION WAS OPEN TO THEM.
A SURVEY WAS NO DOUBT DONE AND READILY RE REVEALED THE ENCROACHMENT.
SO THEY GOT THE PROPERTY IN MARCH 15TH OF 22 WITH FULL KNOWLEDGE OF THE ENCROACHMENT.
FURTHER, UH, I EXPECT THAT THAT WAS REFLECTED IN THE PRICE.
UM, THEY COMPLAIN ABOUT THE PREVIOUS USE OF THE PROPERTY, CALLING IT NONCONFORMING, AND SUGGESTING THAT THAT IN FURTHER BELITTLES THE PROPERTY.
UM, WE REACHED THE THREE MINUTE MARK, IF YOU COULD WRAP UP YOUR THOUGHTS.
UH, I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION THAT IT IS INAPPROPRIATE TO HISTORICAL DESIGNATION.
UH, I THINK THE HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION WITH A CARPENTER WHO BUILT MANY OF THE PROPERTIES YOU CONSIDER, UH, WOULD BE A HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION, SIGNIFICANT.
AND THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT THIS PROPERTY IS OF COMMUNITY VALUE.
AS EVIDENCED BY THE SPEAKERS HERE TONIGHT AND THE SEVERAL SPEAKERS ONLINE AND THE MANY COMMENTS YOU HAVE RECEIVED, I SENT AN EMAIL
[01:50:01]
13 Q IF YOU COULD TAKE A LOOK AT IT, I'D APPRECIATE IT.UH, BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO NEXT SPEAKER, YOU CAN SIT DOWN.
BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO NEXT SPEAKERS, UM, I WANT TO CLARIFY THAT 4 0 7 EAST MONROE CAME TO THE COMMISSION A FEW MONTHS AGO, AND THE DEMOLITION PERMIT FOR THAT WAS RELEASED.
UM, JUST TO CLARIFY, I KNOW IT WAS BROUGHT UP IN THE LAST SPEAKER'S.
UM, I'M GONNA MOVE OVER TO THE, THOSE WHO REGISTERED TO SPEAK BY PHONE.
AND THEN WE CAN CALL FOR ADDITIONAL SPEAKERS.
TODD, MS. TODD, ARE YOU ON THE LINE? OKAY.
MY NAME IS BONNIE, OR, ALL RIGHT.
MY NAME IS BONNIE ORR AND I OPPOSE THE DEMOLITION OF THE HOUSE AT 4 0 9 EAST MONROE STREET.
MY HUSBAND BILL KOBACH AND I OWN THE HOUSE AT 4 0 5 EAST MONROE STREET.
UH, WE SHARE A PROPERTY LINE WITH THE PROPERTY THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE.
UM, OUR HOUSE WAS BUILT IN 1907 AND THE HOUSE AT 4 0 9 WAS BUILT AROUND THE SAME TIME.
SO THEY WERE BUILT WITH SIMILAR MATERIALS SUCH AS OLD GROWTH, LONGLEAF, PINE, WHICH IS VERY DURABLE WOOD, AND, UH, NOW ONLY FOUND IN OLDER BUILDINGS.
WE RESTORED OUR HOUSE AFTER IT HAD BEEN NEGLECTED FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
AND ALTHOUGH THE COST INVOLVED, THERE WAS SOME COST INVOLVED, BUT IT WAS A LOT LESS THAN TEARING DOWN AND REBUILDING A NEW HOUSE.
WE GOT HISTORIC DESIGNATION ON OUR HOUSE, AND THE TAX BREAKS HELPED US TO MAINTAIN IT.
WE EXPECT THAT OUR HOUSE, LIKE THE HOUSE AT 4 0 9, COULD STILL BE STANDING IN ANOTHER HUNDRED YEARS, UNLIKE THE MORE MODERN HOUSES THAT ARE BEING BUILT IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD NOW.
WE WERE ABLE TO SEE THE INSIDE OF THE HOUSE WHEN IT WAS FOR SALE.
IT WAS BEAUTIFUL WITH LARGE ROOMS, BIG AIRY WINDOWS, WOOD FLOORS, AND A BIG STONE FIREPLACE.
UH, THE OUTSIDE HAS PORCHES ON BOTH THE FIRST AND SECOND FLOORS.
I TALKED WITH THE OWNER, MR. PARKASH, BY PHONE IN EARLY JULY OF LAST YEAR BEFORE THE FIRST LANDMARK COMMISSION HEARING THAT WAS HELD ON THIS PROPERTY.
AND HE TOLD ME HE WAS PLANNING TO RESTORE THE HOUSE AT 4 0 9.
UM, I DIDN'T ATTEND THAT MEETING IN JULY BECAUSE, UH, UH, PRESERVING THAT HOUSE WAS MY CONCERN, AND HE REASSURED ME THAT HE WAS GOING TO DO THAT.
BUT THINGS SEEM TO HAVE CHANGED.
I FEEL THAT IT COULD BE A WIN-WIN FOR THE DEVELOPER AND FOR THE CITY TO RESTORE THIS OLDER HOME.
PEOPLE LOVE OLDER HOMES AND THEY LOVE HISTORY.
WE OFTEN SEE PEOPLE WALKING DOWN THAT THE STREET ON THEIR WAY TO SOUTH CONGRESS AVENUE, LOOKING UP AT THE OLDER HOUSES ON OUR BLOCK IN THIS NATIONAL HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD.
BUT WE ARE LOSING MORE AND MORE OF THOSE OLDER HOMES IN AUSTIN, IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND WHEN THEY'RE GONE, THE HISTORY'S GONE WITH THEM.
PLEASE HELP US PRESERVE THE HISTORY OF WAS.
AND THEN, UH, WE HAVE JOEL RASMUSSEN.
I LIVE AT 5 0 1 EAST MONROE STREET, RIGHT NEXT TO 4 0 9 EASTMAN MONROE.
AND I POSED THE DEMOLITION OF 4 0 9 EASTMAN MONROE FOR THREE REASONS.
THE FIRST IS THAT THE DEVELOPER ENGAGED IN DUPLICITOUS AND MISLEADING BEHAVIOR WITH ALL OF US AS NEIGHBORS AND WITH THE SELLERS OF THE HOME.
THE SELLERS CLEARLY INDICATED THAT THEY WANTED TO SELL THE HOME TO SOMEONE WHO WAS GOING TO RESTORE IT, NOT DESTROY IT, AND THE DEVELOPER TOLD THEM AND NEIGHBORS THAT HE INTENDED TO RESTORE.
SECOND DEMOLISHING THE HOME IS A BAD ECONOMIC DECISION FOR THE DEVELOPER AS EVIDENCED BY OTHER NEARBY RENOVATION PROJECTS.
AND THE THIRD IS THAT DEMOLISHING THIS HOME WOULD DESTROY ONE OF AUSTIN'S FEW, OR PERHAPS OUR VERY LAST CENTURY CORNER, WHERE ALL FOUR HOMES ARE AT, UH, ON THE INTERSECTION, OR AT LEAST A HUNDRED YEARS OLD.
SO TO MY FIRST POINT ABOUT THE DUPLICITOUS BEHAVIOR OF THE DEVELOPER, HE DE HE DELIBERATELY MADE MISLEADING STATEMENTS TO ALL OF US AS NEIGHBORS, INCLUDING THE SELLERS.
MOREOVER, IT WAS ONLY WHEN THE SELLERS NOTICED THE DELIBERATE, SORRY.
WHEN NEIGHBORS NOTICED THE DELIBERATE MISLABELING OF THE DEMOLITION NOTICES, AND THEY QUESTIONED THE CONTRACTOR, WAS IT DISCOVERED THAT HE INTENDED TO USE THE COVER OF THE GARAGE DEMO PERMIT FOR 4 0 7 TO TEAR DOWN THE MAIN STRUCTURE.
AND IT WAS ONLY PANIC CALLS TO CITY HALL THAT STOPPED THE UNAUTHORIZED DEMOLITION.
OTHERWISE, YOU WOULD'VE DISRUPTED YOUR SHOULDERS AND SAID, OOPS, WE KNOCKED DOWN THE WRONG ONE.
THE DEVELOPER FURTHER ATTEMPTED TO MISLEAD THE NEIGHBORHOOD BY REPEATEDLY TAKING DOWN THE REQUIRED NOTICE OF PERMIT APPLICATION.
AND EVEN NOW, AS I'M SPEAKING TO YOU, THAT REQUIRED SIGNAGE IS LAYING ON THE GROUND, INSTEAD OF BEING PROPERLY POSTED, THE DEVELOPER ALSO HUNG AND DISTRIBUTED BLANK DOOR HANGERS, UH, WITH NO INFORMATION ON THEM IN ORDER TO SATISFY THE CITY MANDATED NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS.
TO MY SECOND POINT, DEMOLITION IS A BAD
[01:55:01]
FINANCIAL DECISION FOR THE DEVELOPER.THERE WAS ANOTHER DEVELOPER WHO DEMOLISHED TWO HOMES ACROSS THE STREET FROM US, BUT THEY WERE PREVENTED FROM DEMOLISHING THE HOME ON THE CORONER 500 EAST MONROE.
THAT ONE WAS BEAUTIFULLY RENOVATED AND WAS LATER RECOGNIZED AS A HISTORIC LANDMARK.
AND THE DEVELOPER OF THAT CONFIDED TO NEIGHBORS THAT HE MADE MORE MONEY FROM THE RENOVATION PROJECT THAN FROM THE TEARDOWNS, BECAUSE HOME BUYERS IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD HAVE MORE INTEREST IN BEAUTIFUL HISTORIC HOMES THAN CHIEF NEW CONSTRUCTION.
AND THE SECOND EXAMPLE CAN BE FOUND WITH THE MONTESSORI SCHOOL AT THE CORNER OF MONROE AND BRACKENRIDGE.
THAT DEVELOPER WORKED WITH THE NEIGHBORS TO PRESERVE AND HIS AND RESTORE THE HISTORIC HOME, AND THEY WERE THEN ABLE TO COUNT ON NEIGHBORHOOD SUPPORT FOR A NEEDED VARIANCE TO ADD A SECOND STRUCTURE TO THE BACK OF THAT LOT.
THAT PROJECT IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF THOUGHTFUL RESTORATION, COUPLED WITH NEW DEVELOPMENT, WORKING WITH NEIGHBORS, RATHER THAN ATTEMPTING TO DO FOR MISLEAD THEM.
AND I'M GONNA GO QUICKLY FOR THIS LAST PARAGRAPH.
MY THIRD REASON TO EMPHATICALLY OPPOSE THE DEMOLITION PERMIT IS THAT THE LOSS OF THIS HOME WOULD DESTROY ONE OF AUSTIN'S FEW, OR AS I SAID, PERHAPS OUR REMAINING CENTURY CORNER.
UH, THIS IS A LANDMARK INTERSECTION.
IT'S ANGERED BY FOUR LANDMARK PROPERTIES, AND IT HAS HOUSED WRITERS AND CHEFS AND TEACHERS, AND SOME OF AUSTIN'S GREAT MUSICIANS.
WHEN ROBERT PLANT AND PATTY GRIFFIN LIVED THREE DOORS DOWN FROM 4 0 9 ROBERT'S GUITAR PLAYER, DAVID HOLKHAM, LIVED AT 4 0 9.
YOU MAY NOT NOTE DAVID'S NAME BECAUSE HE WASN'T THE FRONT MAN, BUT DAVID, ALONG WITH OTHER MUSICIANS, UH, ELECTRICIANS, CARPENTERS, AND WORKING CLASS AUSTINITE HAVE CALLED 4 0 9 HOME, AND THEY MAKE IT EVERY BIT AS HISTORIC AS IF ROBERT AND PATTY HAD LIVED THERE.
THIS IS MY FINAL STATE SENTENCE.
THIS THE PROMINENT BEAUTIFUL HOME THAT IS PART OF AUSTIN'S HISTORY, AND IT DESERVES TO BE REJUVENATED AND RESTORED, NOT DEMOLISHED.
IT NEEDS THE PROTECTION OF THE AUSTIN HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION.
ANY QUESTIONS OF THE SPEAKER? OKAY.
DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER ADDITIONAL SPEAKERS IN OPPOSITION? GO AHEAD AND COME UP ONE AT A TIME.
I LIVE AT 1602 NEWING, WHICH BORDERS THE PROPERTY ON THE SOUTH SIDE.
UM, AND, UH, I'VE LIVED THERE SINCE 1995.
PRIOR TO THAT, I LIVED UP THE STREET AT 1301 NEWING, WHICH LIKE 4 0 9 MONROE IS A HISTORIC HOME AT THAT TIME, WAS DIVIDED INTO SEVERAL APARTMENTS.
UM, I'M HERE TO OPPOSE THE DEMOLITION.
THERE IS NOT ANOTHER HOUSE THAT LOOKS LIKE THIS HOUSE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
SPECIAL STRIKING AND DISTINCTIVE ARCHI ARCHITECTURE.
OTHERS HAVE SPOKEN TO THE, UH, SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS INTERSECTION.
I WOULD LIKE TO NOTE THAT THIS BEAUTIFUL HOME IS, UH, ONE SIDE OF, UH, A STRING OF, UH, A STATELY HOMES THAT STARTS AT THE ST.
CECILIA HOTEL ON ACADEMY AND CURVES UP NOON.
AND THIS IS THE, THE LAST STOP, UH, OF THOSE BEAUTIFUL HOMES.
THIS IS HIGHLY, UM, REGARDED IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
IT'S AT AN IMPORTANT INTERSECTION.
UH, IT'S A BELOVED IMPORTANT PART OF OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR HISTORIC, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, JUST STEPS FROM THIS HOME AT THE CORNER OF MONROE AND BRACKENRIDGE.
THE OLD MONTESSORI SCHOOL HAS JUST BEEN, UH, REMODELED WITH A VERY MODERN ACCESSORY DEL ACCESSORY, DEL DWELLING UNIT BUILT BEHIND IT, TWO DOORS UP.
BRENRIDGE FROM THAT PROPERTY IS ANOTHER, UH, WONDERFUL EXAMPLE OF, UH, A GREAT QUALITY RESTORATION WITH A MODERN ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT ALL IN KEEPING WITH THE, THE ARCHITECTURAL FABRIC, UH, OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, AND SO THIS IS POSSIBLE TO DO HERE.
I ALSO VIEWED THIS HOUSE, UH, WHILE IT WAS ON THE MARKET.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT THE, UM, UH, QUESTIONS ABOUT WHERE THE PROPERTY LINE WAS, AND THERE WAS AN UNDERSTANDING ALREADY, UH, THAT THERE WAS AN ENCROACHMENT.
THIS WAS NOT SOMETHING, UH, THAT THE OWNER LEARNED.
THIS WAS, UM, KNOWN BEFOREHAND.
UM, I WA UH, SEVERAL MONTHS AGO I OBSERVED BECAUSE MY YARD CAN LOOK AT THE, UH, BACKYARD OF THIS PROPERTY, THAT CONTRACTORS WERE TAKING DOWN LARGE LIMBS FROM A HERITAGE LIVE OAK.
AND I BECAME VERY ALARMED, TRIED TO CONTACT THE CITY, UH, TALKED TO THE CONTRACTOR WHO ASSURED ME, UH, THAT NO, THEY WEREN'T CUTTING DOWN, UH, LARGE LIMBS, THAT CERTAIN LIMBS THAT HAD BEEN MARKED WERE NOT MARKED FOR RE REMOVAL AND EVERYTHING WOULD BE FINE.
AND I RETURNED, UM, SEVERAL WEEKS LATER FROM AN OVERSEAS BUSINESS
[02:00:01]
TRIP TO FIND IN FACT THAT MANY LARGE LIMBS HAD BEEN REMOVED, INCLUDING THE VERY ONES I WAS TOLD WOULD NOT BE REMOVED.IT LOOKS TO ME FROM THE PLANS THAT THE GARAGE APARTMENT MIGHT REQUIRE EVEN FURTHER DESTRUCTION OF THIS, UH, HEARING.
WE'VE REACHED THE THREE MINUTE MARK.
PLEASE WRAP UP YOUR STATEMENT.
I WOULD JUST, UM, UH, SAY THAT YES, THIS HAS BEEN HOME TO MANY, MANY ARTISTS.
THERE ARE NOT A LOT OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING OPTIONS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
THIS HAS BEEN ONE OF THEM, WHICH MAKES IT EVEN MORE, UH, IMPORTANT TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND, UM, RESPECTFULLY, UH, I WOULD ASK THE COMMISSION TO DENY THIS PERMIT AND ASK THE OWNER TO PLEASE WORK WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND FIND A WAY TO SAVE THIS IMPORTANT BUILDING.
ANY OTHER SPEAKERS? ALL RIGHT, COME ON DOWN.
UM, MY NAME IS MELANIE SHERWOOD AND I LIVE AT 1700 NEWING AVENUE, JUST DOWN THE STREET.
UM, AND I, I SO APPRECIATE MY NEIGHBORS WHO HAVE
UM, I BELIEVE IT'S CLEAR THAT IT MEETS AT LEAST TWO CRITERIA FOR THE LANDMARK, UM, DESIGNATION.
THE PROPERTY IS THAT UNIQUE CORNER OF MONROE AND, UH, NEWING AVENUE.
THE BUILDING WAS BUILT IN 1910 AND IS OVER A HUNDRED YEARS OLD.
IT'S ONE OF THE ORIGINAL HOUSES IN THE FAIRVIEW PARK SUBDIVISION.
IT'S ONE OF THE MOST, THE LARGEST OLDER HOMES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, WHICH WE'RE LOSING.
UM, AND THE ADRIAN FAMILY, I MEAN, THESE WERE CONSTRUCTION WORKERS.
MY HUSBAND IS A CARPENTER, AND NOT ONLY DID THEY LIVE IN THAT HOUSE, BUT, UM, THEY ALSO HAD FAMILY MEMBERS WHO WERE ALSO IN CONSTRUCTION, UH, LIVING AT 1605 BRACKENRIDGE, ALSO AT 1611 ALAMEDA.
AND I THINK THIS BRINGS A LOT OF CULTURAL VALUE TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT JUST THE SOCIALITES, IT'S THE, THE BLUE COLLAR WORKERS, THE ARTISTS, THE PEOPLE THAT MAKE, UM, TRAVIS HEIGHTS A COMMUNITY.
UM, BACK WHEN 5 0 2 EAST MONROE WAS BEFORE THIS COMMISSION, THE COMMISSION SAID THAT MONROE AND I QUOTE FROM, UM, YOUR DOCUMENTS, MONROE IS A VERY VISIBLE STREET CUTTING ACROSS THE HEART OF SOUTH AUSTIN.
ITS HISTORIC CHARACTER SHOULD BE RETAINED TO THE GREATEST EXTENT POSSIBLE.
AND, UM, DEMOLISHING ONE OF THE OLD, LARGEST, OLDEST HOMES ON MONROE AND IGNORE ITS GREAT VALUE TO THE, WELL IGNORE ITS GREAT VALUE TO THE COMMUNITY.
UM, IT, UH, REPRESENTS A WORKING CLASS FAMILY DEMOGRAPHIC.
IT WAS A HUGE PART OF THE FAIR PARK SUBDIVISION IN THE BUILDING OF THIS CITY.
THE DEVELOPER, I DON'T BELIEVE IS HINDERED BY THIS REQUEST.
HE IS FREE TO BUILD, YOU KNOW, DO A MODERN ADU LIKE YOU'VE SEEN AND PEOPLE HAVE TALKED ABOUT IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND AROUND THIS BUILDING.
UM, THE OTHER THING, THE PROPOSED, UM, NEW ARCHITECTURE IS, UM, FACES NOON AVENUE, NOT MONROE AVENUE.
I DID A WALK DOWN MONROE FROM CONGRESS UP TO TRAVIS HEIGHTS, AND MOST OF THE HOMES ARE FACING MONROE AVENUE TO NOT HAVE IT WRAP AROUND LIKE, UM, OTHER PEOPLE HAVE SPOKE ABOUT JUST AS HIDEOUS.
WE DON'T NEED ANOTHER TICKY, TACKY, BOXY, PSEUDO POST-MODERN HOUSE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, WE'VE REACHED THE THREE MINUTE MARK.
I'M SO SORRY IF YOU COULD WRAP UP YOUR STATEMENT.
WELL, I JUST WANNA SAY, I, I JUST THINK THIS DEVELOPER HAS, UM, MISREPRESENTED, UM, WHAT THEY INTEND TO DO THERE.
AND I'M ASKING YOU TO PLEASE HELP US SAVE THIS, THIS NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, FROM THESE TICKY TACKY BOXES.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER SPEAKERS IN OPPOSITION? ALL RIGHT.
THE APPLICANT TEAM HAS TWO MINUTES TO REBUT.
I BELIEVE OUR FIRST SPEAKER WAS TERRY IRAN.
UM, YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES, MR. IRAN.
AGAIN, AT LEAST I'M SORRY, I SAID I HAVE NOT ACTUALLY
[02:05:01]
GOT TO SPEAK MY THREE MINUTES.INITIALLY I DEFERRED IT BECAUSE I WAS NOT GOING TO BE THE PRINCIPAL SPEAKER FIVE MINUTES, BUT THE SECONDARY SPEAKER IN SUPPORT FOR THREE MINUTES.
SO I DON'T THINK WE'RE TWO MY TWO MINUTES REBUTTAL YET.
MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT YOU DEFERRED THAT TO THE NEXT SPEAKER.
NO, I, I DEFERRED BEING THE PRINCIPAL SPEAKER WITH FIVE MINUTES WHEN I TRIED TO CLARIFY THAT.
I WE DID NOT IGNORE YOU ON PURPOSE.
UM, IT, IT IS SOMETIMES DIFFICULT TO DO THESE MEETINGS BY, BY TELEPHONE.
AND CAN YOU, UM, CAN YOU IN THREE MINUTES GIVE YOUR STATEMENT AND REBUT FOR THE GROUP? WE ONLY HAVE ONE REBUTTAL.
CAN WE ACCOMMODATE HIM PLEASE? THREE MINUTES.
THREE MINUTES? YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.
UH, I WANNA REMIND, UH, THE BOARD THAT THE STAFF HAS RECOMMENDED DEMOLITION.
THEY DID THIS BECAUSE THE, THE PROPERTY DOES HAVE VERY MARGINAL HISTORIC VALUE.
EVERY WORKING CLASS, FAMILY, EVERY MIDDLE CLASS FAMILY, EVERY ELITE CLASS FAMILY.
THERE WAS NOTHING UNIQUE, HISTORICALLY UNIQUE ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR PROPERTY.
FURTHERMORE, THE STAFF DETERMINED THAT IT DID NOT MEET THE MINIMUM, UH, CRITERIA FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION THAT SET ASIDE THIS.
THERE ARE SOME REAL PROBLEMS WITH THIS PROPERTY.
ONE, IT IS CURRENTLY BEING USED AS A, UH, THE MAIN HOUSE IS A FOURPLEX IN A SF THREE ZONE DISTRICT.
UH, BEYOND THAT, THE, IT ENCROACHES ACROSS THE LOT LINE WITH LOT 4 0 7.
SOME OF THE SPEAKERS HAS SORT OF POO-POOED THAT AND SAID, WELL, IT'S NOT THAT BIG OF AN INFRACTION.
LET ME TELL YOU HOW BIG OF AN AN INFRACTION IT IS.
UH, MR. PARKASH, UH, WHO, WHO DEMOLISHED LEGALLY DEMOLISHED 4 0 7, HE ALSO HAS A BUILDING PERMIT.
HIS BUILDING PERMIT WAS PUT ON HOLD BECAUSE THE STAFF WAS RECOMMEND WAS RECOMMENDING THAT THE DEMOLITION PROCEED ON THIS 4 0 9.
TOLD HIM HE DIDN'T HAVE TO GO TO THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION.
HE WENT AHEAD, COMPLETED HIS PLANS ON 4 0 7, GOT A BUILDING PERMIT, AND WHEN THE HOLD WAS PUT ON DEMOLITION OF 4 0 9, THE HOLD WAS ALSO PUT ON HIS BUILDING PERMIT.
IF, IF THIS HOUSE IS NOT ALLOWED TO BE REMOVED, THERE IS GOING TO BE NO USE OR DEVELOPMENT ON 4 0 7.
AND THE, THE CITY CAN'T HAVE IT BOTH WAYS.
THEY CAN'T HAVE HIM PRESERVE AND GO TO THE ENORMOUS EXPENSE OF TRYING TO RECONSTRUCT THE INTERIOR OF THIS HOUSE THAT HAS BEEN RIPPED INTO A BUNCH OF TACKY LITTLE APARTMENTS INTO ONE SINGLE FAMILY HOME, AND THEN ALSO SUFFER THE LOSS OF THE RIGHT TO DEVELOP 4 0 7.
THE, THE CITY'S GOTTA MAKE A DECISION.
ARE YOU GONNA RELEASE THE BUILDING PERMIT AT 4 0 7 OR ARE YOU GOING TO HOLD FAST TO THE FACT THAT THERE IS A BLOCK LINE IN FRACTION WHICH CREATES AN ILLEGAL? WE'VE MET THE THREE MINUTE LINE.
YOU'RE AT THE END OF WHICH CITY.
AND YOU GAVE YOU, YOU GAVE EVERYONE ELSE A LITTLE EXTRA TIME.
THAT'S WHY WE ASK YOU TO WRAP IT UP.
WE, WE GAVE YOU THREE MINUTES.
JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE, THE CITY WILL NOT ISSUE A BUILDING PERMIT TO REMODEL THIS HOUSE BECAUSE OF THE ILLEGAL INFRACTION AND ENCROACHMENT ACROSS LOT LINE, IT WILL NOT ALLOW A HOUSE TO BE BUILT
[02:10:01]
ON 4 0 7.NEITHER OF THESE PROPERTIES IS DEVELOPABLE AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
MR. MR. BELL, SIR, WE HAVE A COMMISSIONER WHO HAS A QUESTION.
YOU'RE MR. BELL, YOU ARE THE ARCHITECT OF, UH, ON THIS PROJECT.
NO, I'M I I'M THE CLIENT'S ATTORNEY.
AND THEN, UM, I AM LOOKING AT THE LETTER THAT WAS SUBMITTED AS PART OF THE APPLICATION.
IT'S A VERY SMALL GRAPHIC, BUT FROM WHAT I SEE IS A SURVEY THAT SHOWS, UH, THE STRUCTURES ON BOTH LOTS.
I'M ASSUMING THAT THE LOT THAT'S ADJACENT ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE IS THE, IS THE 4 0 7 WHERE THE DEMOLITION TOOK PLACE ALREADY? THAT'S CORRECT.
AND THEN, UH, THE ENCROACHMENT THAT YOU'RE SPEAKING OF, AS BEST AS I CAN TELL, IS PRIMARILY WITH THE GARAGE APARTMENT, THE REAR STRUCTURE.
THAT'S WHAT I'M SEEING ON THIS GRAPHIC.
UH, THE OTHER ONE HAS A VERY, HAS YES, THERE IS.
PRIMARILY THE, UH, STRUCTURE IN THE REAR.
THE MAIN STRUCTURE HAS, UH, AND AGAIN, I CAN'T BLOW THIS UP ON MY SCREEN, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S LESS THAN A FOOT AND IT MAY BE JUST A STAIRWELL THAT STRADDLES THE PROPERTY.
UH, SO, UH, ACTUALLY AS IT TURNS OUT, THE ISSUE OF THE MAIN HOUSE, WHICH IS OUR PRIMARY CONCERN, IS NOT A MAJOR INFRACTION, BUT, UH, WHAT YOU'RE SPEAKING OF, IF THE STAFF HAS SAID THAT THE GARAGE APARTMENT REQUIRES THAT THE BUILDING THAT YOU HAVE A PERMIT FOR IS ON HOLD, THAT'S A DIFFERENT ISSUE AND, AND MAY BE ABLE TO BE RESOLVED, BUT I THINK IS, IS IS NOT GERMANE.
YOU CAN'T, YOU CAN'T, YOU CAN'T ASSUME IT'S GOING TO BE, UH, RESOLVED AND IMPOSE, UH, SOME, UH, REGULATORY DENIAL, UH, FOR A DEMOLITION PERMIT BECAUSE YOU THINK MAYBE SOMEBODY ELSE WILL CHANGE THEIR MIND ABOUT ANOTHER RULE OF REGULATIONS.
I THINK THIS AND YOU A DEAL WITH THE, WITH THE FACTS AS THEY ARE.
WELL, THE FACT IS, SIR, I UNDERSTAND IT, IS THAT THE INFRACTION THAT YOU'RE SPEAKING OF IS THE GARAGE APARTMENT.
BOTH OF THEM ENCROACHED ONE ENCROACHES MORE THAN THE OTHER.
I DON'T KNOW IF THIS MAKES A DIFFERENCE, BUT ORIGINALLY THERE WERE ONLY THREE LOTS ON THAT BLOCK.
ON THE, UH, SOUTH SIDE OF THE 400 BLOCK OF MONROE.
THERE WERE THREE HOUSES ON THE BLOCK.
THE GARAGE, THE 4 0 9 WAS BUILT AND EXISTED 40 YEARS BEFORE THE GARAGE APARTMENT WAS BUILT.
UH, THAT 4 0 7, THAT 4 0 7 WAS JUST KIND OF WEDGED IN THERE.
4 0 9 IS THE ORIGINAL, UH, PROPERTY ON THIS LOT.
AND THE OWNER BOUGHT BOTH SIMULTANEOUSLY.
IS THAT, IS THAT, IS THAT CORRECT? OKAY.
DID THE OWNER BUY, HE BOUGHT TWO.
HE BOUGHT, HE BOUGHT TWO LEGALLY PLATTED LOTS, WHICH ENTITLES A TITLES IN TO DEVELOP TWO SINGLE FAMILY OR SF THREE DUPLEX HOMES ON EACH WALL.
AND YOU'RE AWARE OUR, OUR JURISDICTION IS STRICTLY A QUESTION OF THE HISTORIC MERIT OF ANY OF THE STRUCTURES.
ALL THE OTHER ISSUES YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IS NOT OUR JURISDICTION.
UH, I HAVE MORE S THE APPLICANT, BUT YOUR, YOUR STAFF IS, HAS ADVISED THAT BECAUSE OF THE ZONING PROBLEM, BECAUSE OF THE SUBDIVISION PROBLEM AND BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT, UH, THE, THE EXISTING HOUSE HAS BEEN CHOPPED UP AND IS, YOU KNOW, IT'S GONNA BE EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE TO, WELL, YOU COULD, YOU COULD RESOLVE, I APPRECIATE, LEMME PUT ON MY OTHER HALF.
YOU COULD RESOLVE THAT BY RE SUBDIVIDING.
SO THAT IS NOT ENTIRELY A HISTORIC ISSUE AT ALL.
YOU WOULD, YOU WOULD'VE TO REACH OUT TO THE ZONING DEPARTMENT, BUT THAT'S A DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT AND THAT'S NOT OUR JURISDICTION.
BUT I CAN PUT MY ARCHITECT'S HAT ON AND YOU HAVE OTHER SOLUTIONS OTHER THAN DEMOLITION.
SO I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA NO LONGER ASK ANY MORE QUESTIONS OF THE APPLICANT.
THIS, I, I THINK THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET ANYWHERE WITH THIS.
I THINK WE UNDERSTAND YOUR POINTS.
WE DO NOT DEAL WITH, UM, WITH ZONING PER SE AND THE, BUT YOU DO DEAL WITH EXISTING REALITY IN EXISTING LEGAL CONDITIONS.
AV TEXT, WILL YOU PLEASE MUTE THIS SPEAKER? YOU'RE YOU MADAM CHAIR? SIR, YOU'RE OUT OF ORDER.
CAN WE CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING? YES, MAY, MAY I PLEASE, IS THAT A MOTION? THAT'S A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF CLOSING THE PUBLIC HEARING, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY RAISING YOUR HAND, THE PUBLIC HEARING IS CLOSED ALSO, UH, AS STAFF, I WOULD LIKE TO GO ON THE RECORD OF SAYING I KNOW THE COMMISSION IS AWARE AND THE DEVELOPER IS ALSO AWARE OF THE MANY CONVERSATIONS WE'VE HAD WITH OUR TEAM THAT THE
[02:15:01]
DEMOLITION PERMIT THAT WAS RELEASED FOR 4 0 9 WAS DONE IN ERROR.IT WAS NOT DONE IN A WAY THAT SAYS, OH, YOU DON'T NEED TO GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
UM, AND WE HAVE EV THE, THE COMMISSIONER'S STAFF, UPPER MANAGEMENT IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE.
THE DEVELOPERS WERE AT THE TIME UNDERSTANDING OF HOLDING THAT DE DEMO PERMIT SO WE COULD GO THROUGH THE CORRECT HISTORIC REVIEW PROCESSES.
UM, I GUESS THAT HAS CHANGED, BUT JUST FOR THE RECORD, IT WAS A STAFF ERROR NOT DUE TO SAYING THEY DIDN'T NEED TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESSES, BUT LEGITIMATELY JUST AN ERROR.
AND I, I GUESS I WANT, I REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE THE RECORD IS ABSOLUTELY CLEAR.
THERE ARE MULTIPLE OPTIONS THAT THIS OWNER MIGHT HAVE AFTER PURCHASING TWO LOTS TO GET A LOT BUILD UPON.
EVEN IF THERE IS A PORTION OF THIS HISTORIC, UH, STRUCTURE THAT STRADDLES THAT PROPERTY LINE AND THEY COULD RE SUBDIVIDE.
AND SO TO SUGGEST THAT THE HISTORIC PROCESS IS SOMEHOW A TAKING IS COMPLETELY IN INAPPROPRIATE.
UH, IF THEY WERE TO TAKE A DIFFERENT APPROACH AND WORK CONSTRUCTIVELY WITH THIS COMMISSION, I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN ASSISTING THEM AS IT PERTAINS TO THE GARAGE APARTMENT, WHICH IS OF MUCH LESS, UH, VALUE IN MY OPINION THAN THE MAIN HOUSE.
UH, BUT, UH, IF THEY'RE GONNA HAVE, UH,
UM, WE NEED, WE HAD A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
WE HAVE CLOSED THE PUBLIC HEARING.
DO WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE CASE? I'D MAKE A MOTION TO INITIATE HISTORIC ZONING.
WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND FROM, UH, COMMISSIONER TETTE AND COMMISSIONER WRIGHT.
I WOULD LIKE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADDRESS YOUR MOTION? UH, NO.
I JUST, I WOULD, UH, I WOULD DEFER TO OTHER, OTHER FOLKS ON THE COMMISSION IF, IF, UH, ESPECIALLY MY SECOND IF ON THIS, I THINK THAT THEY WOULD BE MORE ELOQUENT.
I, I, BUT I'VE HEARD A LOT TONIGHT THAT IT DOES HAVE COMMUNITY VALUE.
IT DOES, UH, IT IS, THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF CON, APPARENTLY A LOT OF CONFUSION AND THAT IT ALL NEEDS TO BE CLEANED UP AND STRAIGHTENED OUT.
UH, I, YOU KNOW, WHO I'VE NOT, I WASN'T THERE TO LISTEN TO PEOPLE MAKE STATEMENTS, UH, TO THE PERS PER PERSON THEY BOUGHT IT FROM AND THE NEIGHBORS AROUND.
AND I WASN'T THERE TO TALK ABOUT THE TREES.
BUT THERE SEEMS TO BE A LOT OF CONFUSION HERE.
AND I, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT, THAT EVERYBODY SHOULD PROBABLY TAKE A DEEP BREATH AND STAND BACK A LITTLE BIT AND, AND TRY TO, TRY TO COME TO SOMETHING.
I MEAN, THIS IS SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT AND IT'S, IT'D BE A REAL SHAME FOR US TO LOSE SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
AND, UH, I, BUT AGAIN, I, I, I'M GONNA DEFER TO MY SECOND COMMISSIONER WRIGHT.
WELL, I'M GONNA, WELL, I'LL, I'LL I HAVE A LOT TO SAY.
THE, THE ONE THING THAT I, THAT I WANNA SAY IS THAT IT'S BEEN REVIEWED IN COURT AND IN COURT CASES AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION IS NOT CONSIDERED TO BE A TAKING OF THE PROPERTY.
UM, AND I'LL JUST, I'LL JUST NOTE THAT AND I'LL LET YOU SPEAK OR WHAT, YOU KNOW, COMMISSIONER FEATHERSTON SPEAK.
YEAH, I'VE GOT A LOT TO SAY TOO.
I NEED TO TRY AND HAVE IT COME OUT IN SOME SORT OF ORDER.
I'M TRYING TO TAKE COMMISSIONER TALL THAT'S ADVICE AND TAKE A BREATH.
UM, YEAH, I, I, I TRUST YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE LAW ON THAT MATTER.
I THINK THAT IF YOU WANTED TO USE RHETORIC, YOU COULD CALL ANY KIND OF ZONING AND TAKING, AND IT'S FRUSTRATING THAT THE LAWYER ON THE LINE, UH, USED THAT TERM.
HE ALSO REFERRED TO THE, THE STATUS OF THE HOUSE AS A FOURPLEX AS BEING ILLEGAL.
IT'S NON-CONFORMING WITH THE CURRENT ZONING THAT IS IN NO WAY, UH, MAKE IT ILLEGAL.
UM, THE, THE BRIEFING BY STAFF INDICATES THAT WE'RE GONNA DEMOLISH A CIRCA 1910 HOUSE AND CONSTRUCT A NEW RESIDENCE.
UH, I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING BREAKING DOWN THE NUMBER OF UNITS IN THE EXISTING HOUSE, OR IF THERE WAS, I DIDN'T SEE ANY MENTION OF THE, OF THE EXISTING GARAGE APARTMENT EITHER.
SO I WASN'T SURE WHAT WAS ENCOMPASSED BY THIS APPLICATION, IF THAT WAS A STAFF ERROR, OR IF THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS SUBMITTED BY THE APPLICANT ERRONEOUSLY, OR NEEDS CLARIFICATION.
UM, GEEZ, CALLING 'EM TACKY LITTLE APARTMENTS.
[02:20:01]
THAT'S NOT MAKING MUCH PROGRESS WITH ME.I THINK, UM, AND I DON'T, I DON'T THINK IT'S OUR CURRENT STAFF, UM, MADE, MADE THAT RECOMMENDATION.
I DID THE NATIONAL REGISTER NOMINATION FOR FAIRVIEW, TRAVIS HEIGHTS, MONROE AND NEWING WERE TWO OF THE MAIN STREETS IN THE ORIGINAL 1886 FAIRVIEW PARK DISTRICT.
AND THE DISTRICT, I MEAN, SUBDIVISION, AND THE SUBDIVISION, OR THE WHOLE DISTRICT WAS NOMINATED FOR SIGNIFICANCE UNDER CRITERION A FOR BROAD PATTERNS OF AMERICAN HISTORY, INCLUDING, UH, SUBDIVISION PATTERNS.
AND THIS SUBDIVISION WAS LAID OUT TO CONFORM TO THE NATURAL LANDSCAPE, NOT A, NOT A STRICT GRID ACCORDING TO THE FOUR CARDINAL DIRECTIONS, BUT A ALONG THE, THE RAVINES AND THE HILLS AND THE LEDGES.
AND IT'S HARD TO SEE THAT IN THE PHOTOGRAPH, IN THE STREET VIEW, OR WHATEVER PHOTOGRAPH WE HAVE HERE.
UM, BUT THIS SITS ON A HILL, AND THIS SITE IS VERY IMPORTANT PHYSICAL LANDMARK IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD.
IT REPRESENTS THAT EARLY, UM, THAT EARLY PERIOD OF CONSTRUCTION IN FAIRVIEW, PREDATES TRAVIS HEIGHTS, PREDATES ALL OF THE SOUTHERN PART OF, OF FAIRVIEW, AND, AND REALLY SPEAKS TO THAT SORT OF GARDEN SUBURB OR CITY BEAUTIFUL SORT OF AESTHETIC.
UM, THE HOUSE WAS BUILT, UH, I BELIEVE THIS WAS A BUILDER, DESIGNER HOUSE.
YOU'RE NOT GONNA FIND ANOTHER ONE LIKE THIS.
UH, I HAVEN'T SEEN ANOTHER HOUSE LIKE THIS IN AUSTIN.
THERE'S NOT ANOTHER ONE LIKE IT IN TRAVIS HEIGHTS, AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN TELL, BUT IT HAS A SHINGLED SIDING DOWN, UH, ACROSS THE FOUNDATION.
UM, THESE, THE TWO STORY GALLERIES ARE ORIGINAL TO THE HOUSE.
THIS WAS A PROMINENT HOUSE BUILT BY A CARPENTER WHO BUILT IT FOR HIS FAMILY.
AND I THINK IT DATES TO 19 SIX.
I LOOKED AT MY ORIGINAL SURVEY, UM, MATERIALS ON IT.
UM, IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER NOMINATION, IT'S ONLY LISTED AS C BECAUSE THAT'S HOW THE THC AND THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE WANTS IT.
THEY WANT IT TO BE THEIR CONTRIBUTING OR NON, BUT IN THE SURVEY, WE DIVIDED IT INTO, UH, H FOR HIGH PRIORITY, M FOR MEDIUM, L FOR LOW, LOW IS EITHER NON-CON, NON HISTORIC, OR A HISTORIC BUILDING THAT'S BEEN SUBSTANTIALLY ALTERED.
THAT'S A GOOD OR TYPICAL EXAMPLE OF ITS TYPE.
AND H HIGH MEANT THAT IT MAY BE INDIVIDUALLY ELIGIBLE FOR LISTING ON ITS OWN MERIT IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER.
AND WE LISTED THIS BUILDING AS A HIGH PRIORITY THAT WAS ELIGIBLE UNDER CRITERION A FOR ASSOCIATIONS WITH THE BROAD PATTERNS OF AMERICAN HISTORY, I E THE SUBDIVISIONS AND WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT, AND C FOR ARCHITECTURE.
UM, IN OUR, IN OUR SYSTEM, WE ALSO ADD COMMUNITY VALUE.
AND THIS, THIS IS AN IMPORTANT CROSSROADS IN THAT ENTIRE FAIRVIEW PARK, TRAVIS HEIGHTS NEIGHBORHOOD OF NEWING AND MONROE.
SO I JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT IN.
I THINK MAYBE THE STAFF DIDN'T HAVE SOME OF THAT INFORMATION.
UM, I NEED TO LOOK FURTHER IN MY GARAGE ARCHIVES TO PULL OUT THE ORIGINAL SURVEY, UH, THE ORIGINAL SURVEY FORM ON IT.
BUT WE SURVEYED IT IN 2005 AND SIX, AND THEN AGAIN FOR THE NATIONAL REGISTER NOMINATION IN 2020.
UH, AND THE, AND THE SURVEY DIDN'T CHANGE.
THE, THE, UH, UH, EVALUATION DIDN'T CHANGE ON IT.
SO WE THOUGHT IT WAS, UM, WE THOUGHT IT WAS A VERY SIGNIFICANT PROPERTY AT THE TIME.
UM, AND IN FACT, I WILL ALSO TAKE, UH, COMMISSIONER TO LET'S ADVICE AND, AND TAKE A DEEP BREATH.
AND, UM, FIRST ACTUALLY JUST BY START, BY COMPLIMENTING AND THANKING THE NEIGHBORS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO EXPRESS YOUR CONCERN, TO TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS HOUSE AS A LEGACY.
[02:25:01]
WE HAVE, UM, UNFORTUNATELY BEEN WITNESSED TO QUITE A BIT OF CARNAGE, AS I CALL IT, IN THE FAIRVIEW PARK NEIGHBORHOOD.BUT I THINK, UH, YOUR, YOUR EXPRESSION TONIGHT IS AN INDICATION OF JUST HOW IMPORTANT THIS PARTICULAR PROPERTY IS.
AND, UH, I ALSO, UH, IN REVIEWING THE CASE, WENT BACK SINCE IT'S A RECENT SALE TO THE SALES DOCUMENT AND THE WAY THIS WAS DESCRIBED.
SO THIS IS NOT A SURPRISE TO ANYBODY, UH, WHO WOULD BE A PURCHASER OF THIS PROPERTY.
IF I PUT MY ARCHITECT'S HAT ON TONIGHT, UH, I WOULD SEE IF AN OWNER CAME TO ME AND SAID, I'M, I'M BUYING TWO LOTS.
I'VE GOT, UH, SOME NON-CONFORMING USES, AND I HAVE SOME PROPERTY, UH, SOME STRUCTURES THAT STRADDLE PROPERTY LINES.
UH, I THINK THE IDEA OF SEPARATING THE TWO DOES MAKE SENSE.
I THINK IF WE ALL TAKE A STEP BACK AND WE COULD ENCOURAGE THIS OWNER TO TAKE A STEP BACK, SOME OF THE REASONS WHY THIS WAS PROMOTED AS A HISTORIC HOUSE IN A HISTORIC DISTRICT AS A FIXER UPPER, ALL OF THOSE THINGS WERE MADE KNOWN TO THEM AS THEY WERE IN THE PROCESS OF EVALUATING THIS STRUCTURE.
AND THERE WAS ALREADY LISTED IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER, AND IT'S LISTED IN NATIONAL REGISTER.
SO ALL OF THESE, UH, BUT I WOULD SAY THAT THE OTHER STRUCTURES, THERE'S QUITE A BIT OF LAND, THERE'S QUITE A BIT OF PROPERTY, AND THERE'S QUITE A BIT OF FLEXIBILITY THAT THIS OWNER COULD HAVE, WERE THEY TO STEP BACK AND BE MUCH MORE CREATIVE INSTEAD OF JUST TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU ONLY HAVE A HAMMER, EVERYTHING LOOKS LIKE A NAIL.
UH, I WOULD, I WOULD SAY FOR THE, THIS DEVELOPER TO STEP BACK AND REALLY LOOK CREATIVELY AT WHAT THEY HAVE PURCHASED, BECAUSE THERE ARE MANY MORE OPPORTUNITIES AND WORKING CONSTRUCTIVELY WITH THE COMMISSION, UH, COULD PRODUCE A VERY VALUABLE RESTORED HOUSE AND SOME, YOU KNOW, WONDERFUL MARKET RATE STRUCTURES THAT WOULD STILL BE RELATED TO THAT, UH, ALL QUITE SUCCESSFULLY ON THIS, UH, YOU KNOW, VERY STRATEGIC PIECE OF PROPERTY.
SO, UM, I, I THINK I JUST WANNA SAY FOR THE RECORD, WE'RE OPEN TO TAKING A, A, A NEW APPROACH.
UH, THIS UNQUESTIONABLY MERITS PROTECTION, AND I'M GONNA WHOLEHEARTEDLY, UH, ENDORSE THE MOTION, BUT I DO HOPE THIS IS ONE WHERE WE, UH, CAN HAVE A BETTER OUTCOME.
AND WE DON'T JUST SEE THIS AS A CONTINUING OR ESCALATION OF THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'VE HAD UP TO THIS POINT.
UM, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? OKAY.
UH, I JUST WANTED TO NOTE, MY ONLY HESITATION IS THAT WE DO ALSO HAVE THE 180 DAY DEMOLITION DELAY AVAILABLE TO US.
I AM A LITTLE CONCERNED WITH OUR PRESERVATION OFFICE STAFF AT HALF STAFFED
WE'VE LOST, WE'RE LOSING TWO RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND SO I'M, I'M JUST A LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT PUSHING THE TIMELINE QUITE SO HARD WHEN THERE ARE OTHER ALTERNATIVES TO EXPLORE.
AS I UNDERSTAND, WE COULD, UM, PURSUE A 30 DAY TO 30 DAY, 180 DAY DEMO.
DEMOLITION, DELAY, AND INITIATION WOULD STILL BE AVAILABLE TO US EVEN AFTER SIX MONTHS.
UM, SO IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE MORE PRUDENT IN, IN THE INTEREST OF TAKING A BREATH TO CONSIDER A POSTPONEMENT.
AND I WOULD MAKE AN, AN ALTERNATE PROPOSED ALTERNATE MOTION FOR A POSTPONEMENT, UH, RATHER THAN INITIATION, UH, TAKING THAT INTO CONSIDERATION.
I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT.
I MEAN, THAT'S STRATEGICALLY, THAT PROBABLY MAKES MORE SENSE.
I JUST, I JUST GOT A LITTLE EXCITED AND
YOU, WE, YOU NEED TO HAVE YOUR, UH, SECONDER SECOND AND, AND YOURSELF, UH, SEPARATE, WITHDRAW THE INITIAL, WITHDRAW YOUR MOTION.
YEAH, I WILL, I WILL I WITHDRAW MY MOTION? WOULD YOU? INITIATION.
AND I'LL SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, I, I SUPPORTED THAT MOTION.
UM, I DIDN'T HAVE A LOT TO SAY FOR, BECAUSE I KNEW YOU HAD A LOT TO SAY AND YOU HAVE A GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE THE HISTORY OF THE PROPERTY LIES AND THE IMPORTANCE OF IT.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I, I DO AGREE WITH, WITH, UM, BOTH, YOU KNOW, WITH EITHER PROPOSAL, UM, TO, TO COMMISSIONER COOK'S COMMENTS, YOU KNOW, I KNOW YOU WOULD WORK TO SUPPORT THE STAFF WITH INFORMATION THAT THEY NEED.
IF WE WERE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH HISTORIC INITIATION, I WILL DIG IT OUT OF THE DEPTHS OF MY GARAGE
[02:30:01]
WHERE I KEEP MY ARCHIVES.AND, AND SO THERE'S NO MISTAKE.
PLEASE TELL THE APPLICANT THAT THIS, THERE CAN BE NO DEMOLITION UNTIL, UNTIL WE MAKE A DECISION HERE.
I DON'T WANT US, I DON'T WANT US, I DON'T WANT US TO COME BACK NEXT MONTH, 1ST OF FEBRUARY AND FIND THAT, WHOOPS, SOMETHING'S HAPPENED CUZ WE, THESE THINGS HAPPEN.
I MEAN, I DON'T, UH, NOT SAYING IT WOULD HAPPEN HERE, BUT I JUST THINK IT'S A, WELL, THEY HAD A SIGN OUT AND ON THIS PROPERTY, AND THE THING IS, IS WHEN WE FIRST GOT IT, IT WAS 4 0 7, IT WAS THE GARAGE APARTMENT.
THE ONLY PHOTOGRAPHS THAT WE SAW WERE 4 0 7, NOT 4 0 9, NOT, NOT THIS HOUSE THAT SITS ON THIS PROMINENT CORNER ON A LITTLE RISE.
UM, AND SO THAT, THAT WAS A SURPRISE.
AND THEN WHEN THE NEIGHBORS SAW IT, THEY PLANTED THIS SIGN OUT THERE SAYING DEMOLITION WOULD START ON, I THINK IT WAS A FRIDAY, THE 18TH WAS POURING DOWN RAIN, AND PEOPLE STARTED CALLING ME.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IT WAS THAT IT, IT COULD HAVE GONE THAT WEEKEND AND MAYBE WOULD HAVE HAD IT NOT BEEN POURING DOWN RAIN ALL WEEKEND.
BUT BETH VILLA HAS HAD HER HAND UP FOR A WHILE.
I'M SORRY, BETH, WE HAD A PICTURE.
I WAS JUST, UH, GOING TO REQUEST THAT WE REOPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THIS YES.
IF WE WERE GONNA INITIATE, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S AS RELEVANT IF WE'RE GOING TO POSTPONE.
WE COULD, WE COULD REOPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING, UM, WITH THE STIPULATION THAT IT'D BE CIVIL.
I'LL AMEND MY MOTION, UH, FOR POSTPONEMENT TO, UH, OUR FEBRUARY 1ST, FIRST MEETING AND, UH, REOPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING.
SECOND, IT IS THAT CLEAR? MM-HMM.
THE MOTION, UH, COMMISSIONER BELLEN WILL IS TO, UM, POSTPONE IT TO FEBRUARY 1ST MEETING AND REOPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING.
UM, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? OKAY.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
THE NEXT, AND LAST I THINK, NO, NO, NO.
YOU WANT ME TO GO BACK TO OH, WE HAVE TO GO BACK TO, OKAY.
WE HAVE ITEM 47 0 5 BALCON DRIVE.
SO WE'RE GONNA TAKE UP 21 AND THEN GO BACK TO 12.
[21. PR-2022-175256 – 4705 Balcones Dr. – Discussion Council District 10 Proposal: Demolition of a residential structure. Applicant: Romina Cardiello City Staff: Kalan Contreras, Historic Preservation Office, 512-974-2727 Staff Recommendation: Consider whether the property meets designation criteria. If the Commission decides against initiation of historic zoning, release the demolition permit upon completion of a City of Austin Documentation Package. If the Commission determines that the property meets the required criteria for historic zoning, initiate historic zoning.]
BALCON DRIVE IS A PROPOSAL TO DEMOLISH THE 1951 HOUSE.UH, THIS IS A TWO-STORY HOUSE WITH RANCH AND MID-CENTURY MODERN INFLUENCES, CLOUD AND STUCCO STONE AND HORIZONTAL SIDING.
UH, STEEL CASEMENT WINDOWS AND SLIDERS ARE PRESENT THROUGHOUT THE HOUSE.
HAS LOW SLUNG, SHALLOW PITCHED ROOF WITH DEEP EAVES AND ASYMMETRICAL FRONT FACADE, AND AN INTEGRAL GARAGE.
UH, THIS IS CONSTRUCTED BY AC PILAND, WHO IS THE BUILDER, AND DESIGNED BY AND FOR ARCHITECT GLENN L. HARRIS.
HARRIS WAS A DECORATOR OF WORLD WAR II, ARMY AIR CORPS VETERAN WHO DESIGNED SEVERAL PROMINENT AUSTIN BUILDINGS, INCLUDING THE VFW HEADQUARTERS, THE ORIGINAL NIGHTHAWK RESTAURANT, UH, ST.
STEPHEN'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH, AND K F D M CHANNEL SIX IN, UH, WICHITA FALLS.
HARRIS WAS BORN IN SAN ANGELO IN 1915, UH, WENT TO TEXAS A AND M BEFORE WORKING AS A DRAFTSMAN AT PAGE IN SUTHERLAND FROM 1936 TO 1939.
UH, AND THEN, THEN ON, UH, UNTIL 1941, HE OPERATED HIS OWN FIRM IN CORPUS CHRISTI BEFORE MOVING BACK TO AUSTIN AND SERVING IN THE MILITARY.
HE SOLD HIS AUSTIN HOME IN 1952 TO MOVE TO WICHITA FALLS, WHERE HE CONTINUED HIS CAREER AND SERVED AS A CHAPTER REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE TEXAS SOCIETY OF ARCHITECTS AND ON THE PUBLICATION BOARD FOR TEXAS ARCHITECT.
UH, BEFORE RELOCATING TO BEAUMONT, HE SOLD THE PROPERTY AT 47 0 5.
ALCON DRIVE TO THE POMAN FAMILY AFTER HE AND HIS WIFE LIVED THERE FOR ONLY A YEAR.
JOSEPH POMAN WAS OWNER AND PRESIDENT OF ROCKFORD FURNITURE ASSOCIATES.
UH, PROPERTIES MUST MEET TWO CRITERIA FOR LANDMARK DESIGNATION FOR OUR LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE.
SECTION 25 2 3 52 STAFF HAS EVALUATED THIS PROPERTY AND DETERMINED THAT IT MAY MEET TWO CRITERIA.
[02:35:01]
EXAMPLE OF A MID-CENTURY MODERN BUILDING WITH RANCH INFLUENCES, AND IT'S ASSOCIATED WITH ARCHITECT GLENN HARRIS.HOWEVER, HARRIS LIVED IN THE PROPERTY FOR ONLY A YEAR.
UM, SO THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION IS TO CONSIDER WHETHER THE PROPERTY MEETS THE DESIGNATION CRITERIA WITH THAT SINGLE YEAR OF ASSOCIATION.
IF THE COMMISSION DECIDES AGAINST INITIATION, UH, STAFF RECOMMENDS RELEASE OF THE DEMOLITION PERMIT UPON COMPLETION OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE.
UM, FIRST SPEAKER WE HAVE IN, UH, FAVOR.
UH, IS CHRISSY STROOP OR ALEX FENNEL? OKAY.
UM, I'M AN ARCHITECT HERE IN TOWN, UH, AND JUST WANT TO SAY A FEW WORDS ABOUT THIS HOUSE.
I'M ALWAYS FOR ARCHITECTS, BEING ABLE TO BUILD AND, UH, HAVE THEIR OWN HOUSES.
SO THAT WAS KIND OF A NOVEL PIECE OF INFORMATION THAT THIS WAS HIS HOUSE THAT HE DID FOR HIMSELF.
UH, BUT I WILL SAY THIS HOUSE IS NOT A GREAT HOUSE, UH, AND IS IN VERY BAD CONDITION, SO I DON'T THINK IT'S A REALLY GOOD CANDIDATE FOR, UH, FOR, UH, HISTORIC DESIGNATION.
UH, THE HOUSE ITSELF FROM THE FRONT IS, UH, VERY LOW.
SL DOESN'T HAVE A LOT OF STREET PRESENCE.
UH, IT'S KIND OF TUCKED DOWN THE HILL AND IS ACTUALLY LIKE, UH, IT'S A NORTH FACING, SO IT'S ACTUALLY ALWAYS IN THE SHADE TOO.
SO IT'S NOT MUCH FOR CONTRIBUTING TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, AND I WOULD ALSO SAY THAT THERE'S, THE NEIGHBORHOOD ITSELF IS, UH, QUITE A DIVERSE GROUP OF, UH, NEWER AND OLDER HOMES.
UH, AND YEAH, I THINK THAT'S KIND OF IT.
IT, AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE INSIDE, IT'S, UH, HAS NOT BEEN WELL MAINTAINED BY THE, THE LAST OWNERS.
UH, IT HAS SOME DAMAGE FROM THE LOW ROOF, UH, THE FLAT ROOF, AND THERE'S A LOT OF RETAINING CONDITIONS, UH, THAT ARE NOT IN GOOD REPAIR.
UH, SO I THINK IT'S GOT SOME DEFINITE, DEFINITE ISSUES THERE.
ANY QUESTIONS OF THE SPEAKER? THANK YOU.
AND THEN WE HAVE CHRISTIE STROBBE.
NOW WE DON'T HAVE ANY, UH, THIS IS, SO THIS ISN'T A HISTORIC DISTRICT, SO WE DON'T HAVE, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S REPLACING IT.
HI EVERYONE, THANKS FOR LETTING US SPEAK TONIGHT.
UM, JUST TO STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE, OH, I'M SORRY.
UM, AND I AM THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY.
AND, UM, I'LL PIGGYBACK ON WHAT ALEX SAID, AND I DON'T HAVE MUCH MORE TO SAY, BUT I LIVE DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET FROM THIS PROPERTY.
I'VE LIVED THERE FOR 10 YEARS, SO I'VE BEEN IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD FOR 10 YEARS.
I'VE HAD BOTH MY CHILDREN IN MY HOME AND RAISING THEM THERE.
AND REALLY, UM, LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO, UM, THIS HOUSE BEING ACROSS THE STREET FROM ME HAS BEEN REALLY, UH, AN EYESORE FOR A DECADE.
UM, AND IT HASN'T JUST BEEN AN EYESORE, BUT IT'S ALSO BEEN A HAZARD, I FEEL LIKE.
UM, I KNOW THAT THAT DOESN'T SPEAK MUCH TO THE ARCHITECTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE HOME, BUT THE PEOPLE WHO WERE LIVING THERE, UM, AND OCCUPYING THE HOME, AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE PHOTOS, WERE NOT WELL.
UM, AND SO THERE WAS A LOT OF KIND OF SCARY THINGS THAT WENT ON OVER THERE.
I THINK THERE'S PROBABLY A LOT OF A LONG POLICE REPORT OF THINGS HAPPENING OVER THERE.
UM, SO ANYWAYS, IT'S ALL THAT TO SAY I HAVE BEEN REALLY WAITING FOR THE DAY FOR THIS PROPERTY TO ACTUALLY BECOME SOMETHING THAT WAS A CONTRIBUTION TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD RATHER THAN A DETRIMENT.
UM, IT WAS REALLY GREAT TO SEE THAT WHOLE GROUP OF, UM, PEOPLE OUT HERE SUPPORTING THEIR TRAVIS HEIGHTS NEIGHBORHOOD.
I, I GET THAT THEY WERE HERE, UM, BECAUSE THEY HAD A VESTED INTEREST IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, AND THEY, THEY FELT LIKE THAT PROPERTY, UM, WAS OF HIGH COMMUNITY VALUE, AND THIS PROPERTY IS PRETTY MUCH THE EXACT OPPOSITE.
UM, I DID SEE THAT THERE WAS ONE, UH, RESPONSE SENT IN VIA MAIL, AND THAT ONE WAS
[02:40:01]
IN FAVOR OF DEMOLISHING IT.SO THERE'S, UH, THIS HAS BEEN AN EYESORE FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, AND I THINK EVERYONE'S REALLY READY TO SEE IT GO FOR A LOT OF REASONS.
UM, I ALSO READ THE EVIDENCE ARTICLE THAT WAS, UH, FOUND AND IT SPOKE TO A LOT OF THE ELEMENTS ON THE INTERIOR OF THE HOME.
TALKED ABOUT HOW IT WAS VERY NOVEL AT THE TIME FOR OUTSIDE ELEMENTS TO BE BROUGHT INSIDE ROCK, EVEN LIKE A, YOU KNOW, OLD TREE TRUNK.
UM, BUT UNFORTUNATELY THE INTERIOR OF THE HOME IS JUST NOT, IT'S NOT VIABLE.
AND I DID TAKE, I DID RECENTLY, UM, KIND OF EXPLORING MY OPTIONS WITH THE HOME.
BROUGHT IN A JUNK REMOVAL COMPANY.
THEY CAME OUT TO GIVE A BID, AND THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME I HAD ACTUALLY EVER WALKED THROUGH THE HOME.
UH, THE TIME PRIOR TO THAT, I STEPPED IN THE FRONT DOOR, LOOKED AND SAID APPRAISER WHEN I WAS PURCHASING, PURCHASING THE HOME.
AND HE SAID, I CAN'T APPRAISE THIS HOME.
I'LL APPRAISE THE LOT, BUT THAT'S ALL I CAN DO.
AND I SAID, OKAY, I'LL TAKE WHAT I CAN GET.
THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I ACTUALLY WALKED THROUGH THE HOME AND, SORRY, WE'VE REACHED A THREE MINUTE MARK.
AND, AND EVERY ROOM JUST GOT WORSE AND WORSE AND WORSE.
UM, THE CEILINGS WERE, SEEMED LIKE THEY WERE GONNA CAVE IN AT ANY MOMENT WITH ALL THE WATER DAMAGE.
SO ANYWAYS, UM, NOT A BIG DEVELOPER AT ALL.
THIS IS MY FIRST PROJECT AND I'VE JUST BEEN REALLY EXCITED TO SEE THE HOUSE ACROSS THE STREET FROM MY CHILD, YOU KNOW, MY CHILDREN'S FAMILY HOME, BE SOMETHING SPECTACULAR.
MAYBE SOMETHING ANOTHER FAMILY COULD MOVE INTO WITH CHILDREN.
ANY QUESTIONS OF THE SPEAKER? WHAT, UH, ARE YOU PLANNING TO BUILD? IS WITH YOUR ARCHITECT A ANOTHER HOUSE ON THE LOT? CORRECT? YES, IT WOULD BE A SINGLE FAMILY HOME QUESTIONS.
IS THERE ANYONE TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION QUESTION.
UM, WE'RE ALL GONNA SQUEAK DOWN.
DO WE KNOW SINCE THE ARCHITECT WHO DESIGNED THE HOUSE, SINCE HE ONLY LIVED THERE FOR A YEAR, DO WE KNOW IF THERE WAS ANY, UM, WORK OF HIS THAT WAS PRODUCED WHILE HE LIVED THERE? IF THERE WAS ANYTHING SIGNIFICANT TO HIS CAREER DURING THAT TIME? UM, IN THAT YEAR, UM, I'M NOT SURE THAT WE HAVE ANYTHING SPECIFIC, BUT HE DID WORK ON A NUMBER OF COMMERCIAL PROJECTS.
UM, NOT NECESSARILY AS THE PRINCIPAL ARCHITECT, BUT, UM, AS A CONSULTING PARTY OR A SECONDARY.
UM, BUT AGAIN, IT WAS ONLY THAT, THAT ONE YEAR OF 1952.
UM, AND HE IMMEDIATELY MOVED, UM, AFTERWARDS TO WICHITA FALLS.
ARE WE ONLY ASKING QUESTIONS OR CAN I CONTRIBUTE SOME INFORMATION? CONTRIBUTE? UM, MAYBE WE CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARINGS.
WE'LL, YOU CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND HAVE A MOTION ON THE, ON THE THING.
IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION OF STAFF THOUGH.
UM, WAS THERE ANYONE TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION? OKAY, THEN DO I HEAR A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING? SOME MOVED.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF CLOSING THE PUBLIC HEARING? AYE.
DO I HEAR A MOTION? I'LL MOVE TO APPROVE THE DEMOLITION PERMIT AND DO THE, UH, DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE.
UM, IS THERE A SECOND? WAS THAT A I SAW YOU NOD.
UH, I WAS, I WAS NODDING TO THAT, BUT I'LL, I'LL SECOND.
SO WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
PLEASE, UM, SHARE YOUR INFORMATION WITH US.
SO I LIVE AROUND THE CORNER FROM THIS HOUSE, UHHUH
AND SO, UH, I SHARE THE STRS PAIN IN, UH, HAVING DRIVEN BY THIS HOUSE.
IT'S NOT JUST THE HOUSE IS IN IN REALLY TERRIBLE CONDITION, AND IT DOESN'T REALLY, I'VE STUDIED THIS NEIGHBORHOOD EXTENSIVELY.
THIS IS THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE ARTHUR FAIR, FAIREN GRANGER BUILT A HOUSE.
ROLAND RESNER OF RESNER, UH, BUILT HIS FIRST HOME.
UH, BARTON RILEY BUILT HIS HOME, UH, GRAVER, I FORGET HIS, UH, DAVID DAVID GRAVER BUILT HIS HOME THERE.
[02:45:01]
LONDON BUILT HIS HOME THERE.THIS IS A NEIGHBORHOOD CHOCK FULL OF PROJECTS, BUT ALSO CALLED IT HOME.
AND THIS HOUSE JUST DOESN'T SHOW UP ON MY RADAR.
I KNOW EVERY HOME IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD AND, AND THE, UM, THE ARCHITECTS BEHIND THEM, I'M NOT POO-POOING THIS PARTICULAR ARCHITECT, BUT HE'S NEVER BEEN ON MY RADAR.
I'VE HAVE NOT COME ACROSS HIS NAME BEFORE.
SO, UM, ANYWAY, UM, EXCITED THAT THERE'S NO LONGER SOMEBODY LIVING IN A TRUCK ON THE DRIVEWAY THAT DOES NOT, IS NOT EMPLOYED AS A WELDER, BUT DOES A LOT OF WELDING
SO VERY HAPPY TO, UH, APPROVE A DEMOLITION FOR THIS PARTICULAR HOME.
I THINK I SAW IT ON THE THIRD, UH, THE THIRD SEASON OF HOARDERS
MY ONLY REQUEST IS, PLEASE DON'T BUILD SOMETHING WITH A TILE ROOF.
SETH, DID YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING? ANYONE ELSE? OKAY.
I'LL, I'LL JUST BACK UP THAT THE REASON I ASKED THE STAFF THAT QUESTION WAS JUST KNOWING THAT IF, IF THE ARCHITECTS LIVED THERE FOR A YEAR, THERE'S A LIMITED CHANCE THAT THEIR ARCHITECTURE WAS, YOU KNOW, INFLUENCED OR IMPACTED IN ANY WAY BY THAT EXPERIENCE.
SO I, I, I DON'T KNOW THIS FOR SURE ABOUT ARCHITECTS, BUT I KNOW THAT IN THE PAST, BUILDERS WOULD BUILD A HOUSE AND LIVE IN IT, AND THEN THEY WOULD HAVE SUAREZ, UM, WHERE THEY WOULD INVITE THEIR FRIENDS AND ASK THEIR FRIENDS TO INVITE OTHER PEOPLE TO COME TO THESE SOCIAL EVENTS AS, UM, AS SORT OF ADVERTISING, AS LIKE USING YOUR OWN HOUSE AS A MODEL HOME, UH, IN HOPES OF GETTING OTHER COMMISSIONS AND THINGS.
AND SO HIS BEING AN ARCHITECT AND BUILDING IT, IT DIDN'T SEEM LIKE IT WAS, HE WAS BUILDING IT FOR HIS FOREVER HOME, AS THEY MIGHT SAY.
BUT, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT HOLDS TRUE FOR ARCHITECTS OR IF THEY JUST, THEY REALIZE, UH, WHAT THEY'VE DONE ON THIS ONE AND THEY WANNA TRY IT AGAIN, UH, PRETTY QUICKLY AFTERWARDS.
SO IT MAY VERY WELL BE THAT HE INTENDED TO BE THERE FOR ONE YEAR AND NO MORE.
WELL, THAT, THAT'S THE SAME THING WITH THE BUILDERS WHO WOULD BUILD THESE HOUSES.
THEY KNEW THEY WERE GONNA MOVE ON AND, AND LIVE IN THE NEXT ONE FOR HOWEVER LONG IT TOOK TO.
I KNOW OF SEVERAL OF MY COLLEAGUES WHO'VE, YOU KNOW, BEEN ABLE TO BUILD THEIR NEST EGGS, UH, THAT VERY SAME WAY.
UM, IF, IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? COMMISSIONER VALENZUELA?
IT'S, UM, IF THERE'S NO FURTHER DISCUSSION, UM, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY RAISING YOUR HAND SAYING, AYE.
UM, GET WITH THE STAFF ABOUT YOU NEED TO PHOTOGRAPH ALL FACADES AND DO A NARRATIVE HISTORY FOR ARCHIVING AT THE ALSTON HISTORY CENTER.
OUR LAST ITEM, 10 20 SPENCE, BACK TO THE FUTURE.
[11. HR-2022-152879 – 1020 Spence St. – Discussion Willow-Spence National Register District Council District 3 Proposal: Partially demolish a contributing structure with addition/remodel (postponed December 14, 2022) Applicant: Christopher Myers City Staff: Kalan Contreras, Historic Preservation Office, 512-974-2727 Staff Recommendation: Invite the applicant to the next meeting of the Architectural Review Committee. While the proposed addition is somewhat compatible, proposed changes to the main house would preclude future designation and render the building noncontributing to the National Register district and any future local district. (Part 2 of 2)]
UM, NUMBER 11, DATE AS WE HAVE RECEIVED WORD FROM LAW, UM, THAT A RECOMMENDATION IS NEEDED TO, UH, PROLONG THE CASE PER SECTION 25 11 2 14 D TWO, UM, A RECOMMENDATION, UH, NOT AN INITIATION WILL BE ABLE TO EXTEND THE TIMELINE.UH, SO UNFORTUNATELY, UM, WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME FOR AN INITIATION AND A RECOMMENDATION.
DO WE HAVE TO HAVE INITIATION AND RECOMMENDATION? YES.
I MEAN, DO WE HAVE TO HAVE A MONTH SEPARATING THEM? YES, YOU MUST INITIATE BEFORE RECOMMENDING, UNFORTUNATELY, YOU WOULD HAVE TO HAVE A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING BEFORE THE 75 DAY DEADLINE, WHICH IS NEXT MONDAY, WHICH IS A CITY HOLIDAY, WHICH ONLY GIVES US 48 HOURS TO HAVE THE SPECIAL CALLED MEETING, WHICH PER CITY CLERK'S, UH, CODE, WE HAVE TO HAVE AN AGENDA POSTED 72 HOURS PRIOR TO A MEETING.
SO EVEN IF WE WANTED TO HAVE A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING, WE CAN'T, BECAUSE WE CANNOT POST AN AGENDA 72 HOURS BEFOREHAND, UH, BEFORE
[02:50:02]
WE IT'S RELEASED.I JUST WANT TO TAKE NOTE OF THIS LESSON LEARNED RELATIVE TO US MANAGING THE SCHEDULE THE WAY WE'RE DOING WITH, UH, MONROE.
AND DOES THAT HAVE ANY BEARING ON, ON, ON POSTPONING YET FOR SIX MONTHS? IT COULD AT THE END.
SO THESE TWO PROPERTIES ARE DIFFERENT BECAUSE VERY DIFFERENT, UH, MONROE STREET PROPERTY IS A TOTAL DEMOLITION, UM, WHICH HAS THE 180 DAY DEMOLITION DELAY PROVISION IN CODE, WHEREAS PARTIAL DEMOLITIONS AND NEW CONSTRUCTION, ANYTHING WITH THE, WITH THE NEW DESIGN, UM, HAS TO MAINTAIN THAT 75 DAY CLOCK.
UM, SO THEY, WE DO HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME WITH THE, UH, THE MONROE PROPERTY.
SO WE SOLD OH, THE INTRICACIES OF OUR BUILDING CODE.
UH, WE DO STILL NEED A MOTION FOR 10 20 SPENCE.
I THINK THE OPTIONS ARE EITHER NO ACTION AND STAFF WILL RELEASE OR, UM, YOU COULD CHOOSE TO RELEASE.
BUT 10 20 SPENCE IS A CONTRIBUTING PROPERTY TO A NATIONAL REGISTERED DISTRICT, CORRECT? YES, CORRECT.
DISTRICT A TOTAL DEMOLITION IS NOT INVOLVED, HOWEVER, SO WE CAN'T DO THE DEMOLITION DELAY.
180 DAY DEMOLITION DELAY IS RESERVED FOR TOTAL DEMOLITION OF CONTRIBUTING PROPERTIES.
THIS ONLY HAS 75 DAYS, WHICH TIMES OUT ON MONDAY, WHICH SINCE IT'S A CITY HOLIDAY, I'M REQUIRED TO RELEASE IT ON FRIDAY.
SO BY TAKING NO ACTION, WE PICK UP A COUPLE EXTRA DAYS, I THINK NO ACTION IS APPROPRIATE IN THIS CASE.
AND I WOULD ASK THE STAFF WITH YOUR VERY PRECIOUS TIME NOW, IT JUST SEEMS SO CLOSE TO A WIN-WIN SITUATION THAT IT'S EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING TO HAVE IT IN THIS WAY AND JUST BAG OF THEM TO SAVE SOME MONEY AND LEAVE THE ORIGINAL HOUSE ALONE,
WE HAVE, THEY COULD COME BACK TO US AND IF THEY'RE INTERESTED, EMAIL ME AND WE CAN PUT IT UP AGAIN.
WITH THE NO ACTION, I WILL BE STAMPING WHAT THEY SENT TO US.
IF THERE ARE ANY REVISIONS, THEY WILL HAVE TO COME BACK AND START THE PROCESS OVER.
[24. Architectural Review Committee – Updates from previous meeting]
US TO COMMITTEE UPDATES.THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE.
WE HAD A SPECIAL CALLED COMMITTEE.
DID WE HAVE THE SPECIAL COLD COMMITTEE LAST? I THINK IT WAS TOO.
UM, COMMISSIONER VALENZUELA, WERE YOU AT THE LAST ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE MEETING? I, THAT WAS THE ONE THAT I CALLED IN AND HAD AUDIO TROUBLE AND YOU COULDN'T HEAR ME.
WE HAD SEVERAL APPLICATIONS COME TO US AND ONE OF 'EM, UH, WE SAW, UM, DAVID WEBER, UM, HAD THE HOUSE ON BLANCO, UM, I CAN'T THINK OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD OF WHAT ELSE WE HAD.
AND 7 0 6 OAKLAND, I THINK 7 0 6 OAKLAND.
AND THAT, THAT WAS A REALLY INTERESTING PROJECT WITH A REALLY CREATIVE BUILDER, UM, BUILDER, DESIGNER.
UM, AND HE WAS, HE WAS VERY COOPERATIVE AND WE CAME TO WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS A GOOD SOLUTION OR A WORKABLE SOLUTION ON THAT.
AND WE SAW THAT, UM, WE PASSED IT ON CONSENT TONIGHT.
AND I AM INTERESTED TO HEAR WHAT, UH, DAVID WEBER, HOW HE FIGURED OUT TO APPLY THE, UH, VAPOR BARRIER FROM THE INSIDE.
BECAUSE WE HAVE HAD A NUMBER OF CASES WHERE PEOPLE WANNA REMOVE ALL THE SIDING AND THE WINDOWS AND FULLY INSTALL IT LIKE A MODERN BUILDING.
AND THERE WAS DISCUSSION ABOUT CODE REQUIREMENTS AND WHATNOT, BUT, UM, I KNOW IT'S HAPPENED ON TWO BUILDINGS AND IT CAN BE DONE WELL, IT'S JUST PARTICULARLY WITH TWO INCH TEARDROP, IT'S NEAR IMPOSSIBLE, I THINK TO DO, I THINK CLOSE UP.
WE NEED A, WE MADE A STRONG CASE THAT THAT REMOVAL OF THE SIGHTING AND REPLACEMENT IN LIKE KIND WAS NOT, WAS NOT APPROPRIATE AND IT WOULD RENDER THIS HOUSE, UM, NON-CONTRIBUTING.
IT'S IN A LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICT AND WE THAT'S PROHIBITED.
THE, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S ALWAYS TOUGH WORKING FROM THE INSIDE LIKE THAT AND TRYING TO USE MO MO MORE MODERN TECHNOLOGY WITH ESSENTIALLY THE OLD SYSTEM INTACT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IT IS POSSIBLE TO PUT SOMETHING AROUND THE BACK OR USE A, UM, SPRAY FOAM, PREFERABLY CLOSED CELL, UH, INSULATION THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO GET SOME LEVEL OF ADDITIONAL CEILING.
MAY I HESITATE TO SUGGEST THAT GIVEN THE POTENTIAL ROT AND CONDENSATION IMPACTS, I KNOW IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, YOU'VE GOTTA KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND WHERE YOU FLY.
FIVE PEOPLE HAVE 10 DIFFERENT OPINIONS ON THAT, AND
[02:55:01]
THERE'S THE PERFECT WALL SYSTEM.WHAT'S, IT'S INSULATED FROM THE INSIDE AND YOU KNOW, NOTHING ON THE OUTSIDE.
IT, IT'S, YEAH, THERE, THERE ARE OPTIONS, BUT IT'S, IT'S NOT THE SAME AS TRYING TO DO IT.
[25. Operations Committee – Future meeting to be scheduled.]
A REPORT FROM THE OPERATIONS COMMITTEE? I KNOW I'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET YOU GUYS A NEW, ANOTHER MEETING SCHEDULED AND I'M SO SORRY.WE'RE JUST VERY SHORT STAFFED.
I WILL GET SOMETHING SCHEDULED FOR FEBRUARY.
I JUST DON'T WANT MY LACK OF A RESPONSE TO YOU TO BE THE REASON WHY WE'RE NO.
YOU KNOW HOW I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST SOMETHING FOR THE OPERATIONS COMMITTEE TO CONSIDER ON THE STAFF REPORTS WHERE THEY, THEY GO DOWN THROUGH THE DESIGN STANDARDS AND SAY IT MEETS THE DESIGN STANDARDS OR IT SOMEWHAT MEETS THE DESIGN STANDARDS.
IT MEETS SOME OF THE DESIGN STANDARDS.
I'D LIKE TO HAVE THAT QUANTIFIED A LITTLE BIT IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS TO WHERE, UM, IT MEETS THE DESIGN STANDARDS TO ONE TO FIVE, SORT OF SOME KIND OF A, A QUANTITY THAT, THAT WE CAN COMPARE BECAUSE SOMEWHAT, YOU KNOW, SOME OF IT MEETS THE DESIGN STANDARDS.
TO WHAT DEGREE AND HOW DOES THAT IMPACT THE OVERALL? IT'S SOMETHING THAT I, I'VE, I'VE THOUGHT OF COMING ALONG IN THIS.
A LOT OF IT IS IT SOMEWHAT MEETS IT, IT SOMEWHAT MEETS IT, IT SOMEWHAT MEETS IT.
I I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW MORE TO WHAT DEGREE YOU AS STAFF THINK, UH, THAT IT MEETS IT.
I THINK WE COULD MAKE, UH, BETTER INFORMED DECISIONS JUST YEAH.
WELL, A TOPIC THAT I THOUGHT OF ALSO EARLY ON IN TODAY'S MEETING, UM, REGARDING THE CONSENT POSTPONEMENT AGENDA AGENDA.
AND MAYBE I'M BEING WAY OVERLY SKEPTICAL, BUT IS THERE A POSSIBILITY THAT APPLICANTS ARE INTENTIONALLY PUTTING, UH, THE NEIGHBORS THROUGH SOME SORT OF PROTEST FATIGUE? I DON'T THINK SO.
I GENERALLY, GENERALLY WHENEVER AN APPLICANT REQUESTS POSTPONEMENT, IT'S BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE REVISIONS READY OR THEY CAN'T ATTEND THE MEETING OR THEY'RE WAITING TO HEAR BACK FROM SOMEONE ELSE.
UH, IT'S, THAT IS 100%, WELL, 95% OF THE REASONS I GET.
CHAIR MEYERS, I, I WANTED TO RESPOND TO YEAH.
TO CHAIR MEYERS, I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING ABOUT YOUR DESIRE FOR, FOR LIKE RANKING, HOW THINGS DON'T, UM, IT'S HARD TO DO THAT BECAUSE WHEN YOU HAVE A CASE OF LIKE, OH, IT DOESN'T MEET THE STANDARD FOR, LIKE, DON'T REPLACE YOUR WINDOWS, THAT WEIGHS MORE THAN LIKE, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER STANDARD.
THEY'RE NOT MEETING, SO IT'S HARD TO, SO IT'S HARD TO, TO SAY LIKE THEY DON'T MEET 3.5 STANDARDS, BUT WHAT'S THE WEIGHT OF THE STANDARDS AND HOW DO WE CLASSIFY THAT IN ANY OTHER WAY THAN HAVING TO READ THROUGH THE WHOLE DOCUMENT AND SEEING WHAT STANDARDS IT DOES AND DOESN'T MEET, DO ANY, AND I DON'T, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT A BETTER WAY TO DO THAT
BUT I WOULD RATHER SEE IT SAY, UH, IT MEETS THE STANDARDS FOR FENESTRATION PATTERN BUT NOT MATERIALS OR, UM, IT, IT MEETS THE STANDARD FOR ROOF PITCH BUT NOT FORM OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
I THINK WHAT WE CAN DO IS TRY TO, I I AM SO GLAD, DIFFERENT FORMATS.
I'M GLAD THAT YOU GO THROUGH THE STANDARDS.
I REALLY THINK THAT WAS, THAT WAS A GREAT INNOVATION WHEN STAFF STARTED DOING THAT.
AND, AND I, I DON'T WANNA DISCOURAGE YOU AND I KNOW, YOU KNOW, JUST THE THOUGHT OF EXTRA WORK FOR YOU IS JUST HORRIBLE RIGHT NOW.
I THINK WHAT WE CAN DO IS TRY SOME DIFFERENT FORMATS.
UM, BECAUSE IN, IN MOST OF THEM WE DO KIND OF GO THROUGH, IT IS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH THIS STANDARD.
IT'S NOT COMPATIBLE WITH THIS STANDARD.
IT'S, YOU KNOW, UM, ON THE LINE BY LINE ANALYSIS.
UM, SO WE CAN MAYBE MAKE THE INDIVIDUAL STANDARD ASSESSMENTS A LITTLE BIT MORE CONCISE.
SO THAT YOU'LL HAVE THAT AS KIND OF THE FIRST SENTENCE OF EACH INDIVIDUAL STANDARD.
I, I THINK TOO, IN SOME OF THE CASES WE, THE, THE PROPOSAL IS TO DEMOLISH THE PROPERTY AND WHAT YOU'RE, AND WHAT YOU'RE MAKING YOUR ASSESSMENTS ON, IT SOMEWHAT MEETS THE STANDARDS.
AS FOR THE NEW CONSTRUCTION, IN MY
[03:00:01]
OPINION, IT DOESN'T MEET THE STANDARDS BECAUSE THE HOUSE IS GONE.YOU KNOW, SO NO, IT DOESN'T MEET THE STANDARDS, BUT IT'S NOT HORRIBLE
UM, AND THERE IS A, UH, A STANDARD FOR DEMOLITION.
UM, WE JUST DON'T ADD THAT IN THERE BECAUSE IT'S KIND OF ASSUMED THAT THE DEMOLITION IS NOT APPROPRIATE IF THEY'RE HERE.
BUT, UM, FOR CLARIFICATION, WE CAN ABSOLUTELY ADD THAT IN.
WELL, WHEN, JUST SO THAT IT'S ON THE RECORD, I ALSO WANNA ADD THAT THE REVIEW OF THE DEMOLITION VERSUS THE NEW CONSTRUCTION IS TECHNICALLY SEPARATE.
UH, CUZ THEY HAVE DIFFERENT TIME CLOCKS.
SO THAT'S, IT KIND OF ADDS, ADDS TO IT.
IT'S ASSUMED THAT THE DEMOLITION OBVIOUSLY DOES NOT MEET THE DESIGN STANDARDS.
SO THE DESIGN STANDARDS WE DO GO THROUGH IS FOR THE NEW CONSTRUCTION REVIEW.
E YEAH, I JUST, I JUST JUST THINK IT'S, I, I THINK TONIGHT'S EXPERIENCE ON 4 0 9 EAST MONROE IN SOME WAYS SORT OF, WE HAVE, WE HAVE SOMEONE WHO IS SORT OF SAYING, WELL, STAFF SAID THIS, STAFF SAID THAT, AND, AND, AND I, I THINK, I THINK WE JUST MAYBE NEED TO BE MORE SPECIFIC OR JUST THINK ABOUT IT.
WE'LL, WE'LL TRY SOME DIFFERENT ONES OUT.
UM, AND AT THE END WHEN WE KIND OF REGROUP, UM, DURING THIS PART OF THE MEETING, UH, WE'LL, UH, WE'LL SEE.
WHAT Y'ALL LIKE BEST AND THE, YOU KNOW, WITH THE, WITH THE OPERATIONS COMMITTEE TOO, THIS IS, IT'S JUST ON MY MIND.
UH, FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FOR THE OPERATIONS COMMITTEE AND I'M, I'M HOPING THIS ACTUALLY WILL ASSIST STAFF AND NOT BE MORE WORK FOR STAFF, BUT I, UH, OVER THE LAST MONTH HAVE STUMBLED UPON, UH, THE DIFFICULTIES WE'RE CURRENTLY HAVING WITH OUR WEB PRESENCE IN THAT, UH, I WENT AND DID A SIMPLE SEARCH FOR BASIC INFORMATION ABOUT OUR PROCEDURES AND WHAT CAME UP WERE, UH, INCORRECT AND OUTMODED INFORMATION, INCLUDING A VERY LONG AND DETAILED OUTLINE OF OUR CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS FROM 2002.
SO, UH, THE ADDRESSES ARE WRONG, THE LINKS ARE WRONG.
SO THIS, THIS IS REALLY A PROBLEM THAT, UH, SOMEBODY TRYING TO INTERFACE WITH US, UH, YOU KNOW, MUST ALREADY HAVE TO DEAL WITH, ALREADY HAVE TO DEAL WITH FRUSTRATION, ALREADY HAVE WRONG INFORMATION OUT THERE, AND THEY'RE NOT GETTING LINKED, EVIDENTLY, ACCORDING TO, AND TIMELINES ARE WRONG.
DIDN'T WE TALK ABOUT THAT? WELL, ACCORDING TO, UH, STAFF, WE'RE HEARING THAT, UH, IT IS THE REQUIREMENT OF A WHOLE WEB DEPARTMENT TO PUT THESE, UH, AS PRIORITIES AND THEY HAVE NOT MADE US A PRIORITY.
AND I THINK THAT'S THE KIND OF THING THAT WE AS COMMISSIONERS, UH, PROBABLY CAN GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF, UH, EXTRA LEVERAGE.
SO I'M GONNA REFER THIS AS A QUESTION THAT I THINK IS APPROPRIATELY ADDRESSED BY THE OPERATIONS COMMITTEE, BUT ALSO MAYBE TO FIGURE OUT WHO YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, LIGHT A FIRE UNDER SO THAT THIS DOESN'T CONTINUE TO BE OUR, OUR CONDITION HERE AT THE LANDMARKS COMMISSION.
AND WE HAVE, UM, MOVING ON TO THE PRESERVATION PLAN COMMITTEE.
[26. Grants Committee – Future meeting to be scheduled.]
OVER GRANT'S COMMITTEE.BUT I DO WANNA TELL THOSE OF THE GRANTS COMMITTEE THAT WE WILL NOT BE RESCHEDULING A MEETING.
THE, WE ONLY HAD ONE PRESENTER WHO WANTED TO MEET WITH YOU ALL, AND SHE HAS DECIDED SHE'S JUST GOING TO BRIEF THE WHOLE COMMISSION IN FEBRUARY.
UM, SO UNLESS YOU ALL WOULD LIKE TO MEET FOR ANY SPECIFIC REASON, UM, THERE'S NO NEED TO RESCHEDULE AT THIS TIME.
WAS IT ANYTHING ELSE FROM GRANTS? OKAY.
[27. Preservation Plan Committee – Updates from previous meeting.]
A PRE PRESERVATION PLAN COMMITTEE, BETH OR CHAIR MEYERS? WE HAVE, WE HAVE NOT MET SINCE OUR LAST DECEMBER 14TH MEETING, SO I DON'T HAVE ANY NEW UPDATES FROM THAT.ALSO TO ADD, UH, THOSE OF YOU IN THE PRESERVATION PLAN COMMITTEE, KARA BERRAN SENT AN EMAIL OUT YESTERDAY, UH, ASKING YOU WHICH KIND OF DATES, UH, FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR WORK OUT BEST WITH YOUR SCHEDULE, AS WE WILL HAVE TO RESCHEDULE ALL OF OUR MEETINGS FOR THE YEAR FOR SOME INTERNAL STAFF CONFLICTS.
SO PLEASE REPLY TO HER AS SOON AS YOU CAN.
I ALSO AN ADD THAT REMINDS ME AN ADDITIONAL ITEM THAT, UH, KARA SENT OUT, UH, THE TAP, UH, SURVEY THAT WAS TAKING PLACE BY UL ULI.
UH, WE HAVE NOW A DRAFT, OR I SHOULD SAY THE FINAL REPORT, UH, TITLED AUSTIN HISTORIC AGE HOUSING PRESERVATION.
UH, SOME OF YOU PERHAPS WERE PART OF THE INTERVIEW PROCESS, AS WAS I.
AND, UH, I THINK THERE NOTHING THAT'S EARTH SHATTERING HERE, BUT IT'S NICE TO SEE IT ALL IN ONE PLACE.
AND IT SPECIFICALLY REFERENCES OUR WORK IN EQUITY-BASED, UH, PRESERVATION, UH, AS SOMETHING THAT IS, UH, THIS IS RUNNING IN PARALLEL WITH.
[03:05:01]
IF YOU HAVEN'T GOTTEN A COPY, UH, SENT TO YOU, I DON'T KNOW IF SHE SENT IT TO ALL THE COMMISSIONERS OR JUST TO THE PRESERVATION PLAN COMMITTEES, BUT I'D, I'D LIKE TO SEE IT.I PRE I, I WAS INTERVIEWED FOR IT, SO I'D LIKE TO SEE THE RESULTS.
SO I, I, I PRINTED OUT MY COPY, BUT, UH, LET'S, LET'S SEE IF THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN GET HER TO SEND TO ALL THE COMMISSIONERS AND, AND, UH, REALLY SEE IF WE CAN ALSO, UH, HAVE AS WIDE A DISTRIBUTION AS WE CAN.
IT, IT'S A VERY READABLE DOCUMENT.
AND I THINK IT VERY SUCCINCTLY STATES SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT AND COME UP OVER AND OVER AGAIN IN OUR MEETINGS.
UH, ALSO IF ANYONE IS INTERESTED, CARE IS GIVING A PRESENTATION ON A, UH, THE, IT'S A ULI BREAKFAST, UH, SEMINAR.
UM, I BELIEVE IT'S ON THE 25TH.
UM, PLEASE REACH OUT TO HER SO SHE CAN SEND AN INVITE.
UH, SO SORRY, ONE LAST THING BEFORE WE GET TO ADJOURNMENT, BUT THERE IS A DEDICATION AT THE AUSTIN HISTORY CENTER, UH, READING ROOM IN HONOR OF BETTY BAKER AND STEVE SADOWSKI.
I SENT YOU ALL AN EMAIL WITH AN INVITE, UM, BUT I WANTED TO REMIND YOU ALL THAT IT IS SUNDAY, JANUARY 29TH FROM TWO TO FOUR AT THE AUSTIN HISTORY CENTER.
WILL THEY, THEY WILL BE, UH, THERE WILL BE A REDEDICATION OF THE READING ROOM IN HONOR OF BETTY BAKER AND STEVE SADOWSKI.
SO IF YOU ALL CAN MAKE IT I KNOW STAFF WERE GONNA BE THERE.
WE'VE BEEN SPREADING OUT THE WORD AND I THINK IT'S GONNA BE A PRETTY, PRETTY GOOD TURNOUT.
SO, UM, CAN HOPE YOU ALL CAN COME.
I DON'T KNOW ABOUT BETTY, BUT, UH, IT WAS, IT'S KIND OF LIKE HONORING STEVE'S HOUSE OR YOU KNOW, HIS RESIDENCE.
I, PEOPLE WOULD CALL ME SOMETIMES AND SAY HIS, HIS, UH, MESSAGE, UH, MACHINE IS FULL.
I CAN'T GET, I SAID GO DOWN TO THE BOSTON HISTORY CENTER.
YEAH, WELL, AND I, I GUESS I CAN SPEAK FOR BETTY BAKER BECAUSE SHE PROBABLY PREDATED THIS HISTORY CENTER,
SO, UH, YEAH, THAT'LL, THAT, THAT'S VERY APPROPRIATE.
I HAD IN A STAIRWELL ONCE, UH, SO I DIDN'T HAVE TO TALK TO BETTY
I DIDN'T, SO I DIDN'T HAVE TO JUSTIFY MY EXISTENCE.
IT WAS, YEAH, BUT THAT'S ANOTHER STORY.
SO, YOU KNOW, KIND OF LIKE MY CHILDHOOD HOME, UM, STAIRWELL.
ARE THERE, ARE THERE ANY FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? DO WE HAVE ANY, DO WE HAVE ANY ITEMS FOR FUTURE AGENDAS? I THINK WE JUST DISCUSSED SOMETHING.
DO I HEAR A MOTION TO ADJOURN? SOME OF THEM.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? YOU STILL HAVE TIME TO GET YOUR, UM, APPLICATION IN FOR THE EQUITY BASED