[00:00:03]
[CALL TO ORDER]
TO THE AUSTIN HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION.UM, I WILL, I SEE, UH, I THINK WE HAVE A QUORUM HERE PRESENT, ALL PRESENT AND ACCOUNTANT FOR, AND I DON'T BELIEVE WE HAVE ANYONE ATTENDING VIRTUALLY TONIGHT THAT WE MAY HAVE TWO MEMBERS THAT ARE COMING A LITTLE BIT LATER.
THEN I'LL GO AHEAD AND TAKE THE ROLE.
ANISA CASTILLO WILL BE, UH, COMING A LITTLE BIT LATER.
KEVIN COOK, PRESENT CARL LAROCHE HERE.
I WILL CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER.
BY OUR ORDER OF BUSINESS, I WILL, UM, THERE ARE A FEW THINGS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE AGENDA THAT WE WILL, UM, TAKE CARE FIRST AND THAT'S THE PUBLIC COMMUNICATION, BUT THEN I WILL GO THROUGH THE AGENDA, CALLING OUT THE ITEMS. THAT WILL BE, UM, DISCUSSION ITEMS. THOSE THAT WILL BE APPROVED ON CONSENT, UNLESS SOMEONE ON THE DIOCESE OR IN THE PUBLIC THAT'S Y'ALL, UH, PULLS IT FOR DISCUSSION.
UM, THEN WE WILL GO BACK AND START THE PUBLIC HEARINGS IN THE ORDER THAT THEY APPEAR ON THE AGENDA FOR ALL THE ITEMS THAT PASS ON CONSENT, THEY HAVE BEEN APPROVED WITH WHATEVER STIPULATIONS, UH, OR CONSIDERATIONS STAFF HAS GIVEN IN THEIR, UH, IN THE AGENDA OR IN THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS.
IF PROPERTIES ARE, UM, APPROVED FOR DEMOLITION, IN MOST CASES, A CITY OF AUSTIN, DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE IS REQUIRED.
THAT CONSISTS OF EIGHT BY 10 COLOR PHOTOGRAPHIC PAPER, PHOTOGRAPHS OF EACH FACADE AND A NARRATIVE HISTORY OF THE PROPERTY SUITABLE FOR ARCHIVING, AND IT WILL GO TO THE AUSTIN HISTORY CENTER WHERE IT WILL BE AVAILABLE.
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
OKAY.PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS GENERAL IS, IF ANYONE IS HERE TO SPEAK ON AN ITEM THAT IS NOT ON OUR AGENDA TONIGHT, THAT COULD BE ANYTHING HAVING TO DO WITH PRESERVATION OR SOMETHING NOT HAVING TO DO WITH PRESERVATION AT ALL.
IS THERE ANYONE WHO WISHES TO SPEAK AT PUBLIC COMMUNICATION? OKAY, SIRAM.
I I HAVE A, I'M NOT ON THE AGENDA.
I'M ON NUMBER 14 WHERE YOU'RE ON THE AGENDA.
THEN IF YOU'RE ON THE AGENDA AT NUMBER 14, I'M NOT ON THE AGENDA.
YEAH, THAT'S, UM, YOU WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WHEN THAT ITEM COMES UP ON THE AGENDA.
[Consent Agenda]
OKAY.THE FIRST ITEM IS APPROVAL OF MINUTES THAT WILL BE OFFERED, THAT IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
WE WILL THEN HAVE A BRIEFING ON THE HERITAGE PRESERVATION GRANT AWARD RECOMMENDATIONS.
THEN WE HAVE PUBLIC HEARINGS AND DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION.
FIRST UP, OUR HISTORIC ZONING APPLICATIONS.
ITEM 3 20 32 0 1 SOUTH LAMAR BOULEVARD, A DISCUSSION ON RECOMMENDING THE BROKEN SPOKE FOR LANDMARK DESIGNATION.
THAT WILL BE A DISCUSSION ITEM UNDER HISTORIC LANDMARK AND LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICT APPLICATIONS.
ITEM 4 1 15 EAST FIFTH STREET IS AN APPLICANT REQUESTED POSTPONEMENT.
THE NEXT ITEM NUMBER 5 7 18 CONGRESS AVENUE.
THAT WILL BE A DISCUSSION ITEM 6 17 10
[00:05:02]
WINDSOR AVENUE THAT IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT.AND REMEMBER, IF ANYONE WANTS TO SPEAK TO THESE ITEMS, DOES NOT WANT IT TO PROVE ON CONSENT, YOU MAY PULL IT, RAISE YOUR HAND OR CALL OUT MY NAME.
UH, WIGGLE AROUND AND GET MY ATTENTION, AND WE'LL PULL IT FOR DISCUSSION NEXT ON THE AGENDA.
ITEM SEVEN, 2001 MAPLE AVENUE.
THAT ITEM IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
IT'S AN, UH, TO APPROVE THE APPLICATION PROVIDED THE APPLICANT RETAINS THE SCREEN DOORS AND OTHER IRON WORK ON SITE FOR LATER REPLACEMENT.
UH, CHAIR MYERS? YES, I I WOULD LIKE TO STRIKE THAT PORTION.
I'D STILL LIKE TO KEEP IT AS A CONSENT, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE THOSE SCREENS, UH, WHICH ARE MOSTLY BURGLAR BARS, UH, EITHER ARE HISTORIC OR ARE NECESSARY FOR REPLACEMENT.
WE'LL PULL THAT FOR CONSENT, THEN.
I'D LIKE TO KEEP IT ON CONSENT.
IF WE COULD JUST DROP THAT ONE, ONE RECOMMENDATION OF STAFF.
THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION INCLUDED A REQUEST THAT THE SCREEN DOORS AND OTHER IRON WORKS BE RETAINED FOR REPLACEMENT IF HISTORIC AGE.
I THINK WE CAN DETERMINE THAT IT WAS NOT, AND I WOULD LIKE THAT TO BE STRICKEN AND JUST STAY ON CONSENT.
I THINK WE NEED TO TAKE A VOTE ON THAT.
LET'S, WE'LL PULL IT AND WE CAN, AND IT'S CERTAINLY IN THE AGENDA.
I MEAN, I THINK IT, WE COULD APPROVE IT AS IS BECAUSE IT SAYS IF HISTORIC AGE.
IT'S DETERMINED THAT THEY'RE NOT OF HISTORIC AGE.
THEY DON'T NEED TO BE RETAINED.
AND THEN, AND YOU AGREE WITH THAT AND TO LEAVE IT ON A CONSENT LANGUAGE.
THEN WE'RE GOING TO LEAVE THAT ITEM ON CONSENT AND I JUST, MY COMMENTS WILL BE NOTED TO STAFF.
THE NEXT ITEM NUMBER 8 43 0 8 DUVAL STREET IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT, APPROVAL, AND CLARIFICATION.
ARE WE APPROVING THE ADDITION AS WELL? THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION REFERENCED THE WORK ON THE EXISTING BUILDING, BUT THE DRAWINGS HAD AN ADDITION.
UM, STAFF, THIS IS 43 0 8 DUVAL.
IT'S A HISTORIC LANDMARK, I BELIEVE, UNLESS I PICKED UP THE WRONG BACKUP.
YEAH, THIS WAS PREVIOUSLY APPROVED.
SO THAT, THAT'S WHY IT WAS ON THE DRAWING WAS PREVIOUSLY APPROVED.
THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
UNDER NATIONAL REGISTERED DISTRICT PERMIT APPLICATIONS NUMBER 9 5 12, EASTMAN MONROE STREET IS AN APPLICANT REQUESTED POSTPONEMENT NUMBER 10 13 15 AND 1317 NOON AVENUE IS AN APPLICANT REQUESTED POSTPONEMENT NUMBER 1804 BRECKENRIDGE STREET IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
WE HAVE, I SEE A SPEAKER, UH, HAS RAISED THEIR HAND.
WOULD YOU LIKE THAT PULLED FOR DISCUSSION? YES.
NUMBER 12, 4 0 9 EAST MONROE STREET.
THAT HAS CHANGED CONSIDERABLY SINCE IT LAST CAME TO THE, UH, COMMISSION, AND IT IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
THAT'S ONE OF THE CASES WHERE THEY HAD ORIGINALLY ASKED FOR DEMOLITION AND NOW THEY'RE GONNA RETAIN THE HISTORIC BUILDING.
IS IT AN ADDITION REMODELED OFFER FOR CONSENT NUMBER 14 42 0 6 WILSHIRE PARKWAY DEMOLISH A CONTRIBUTING HOUSE AND BUILD NEW CONSTRUCTION IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
IS THAT ONE WE HAD SOMEBODY? I'M SORRY.
IS THAT THE ONE THAT WE HAD SOMEBODY WANTING TO SPEAK ON? NO.
DID SOMEBODY WANT TO SPEAK ON THAT ITEM? OH, I SEE SOMEONE THERE.
OKAY, THEN WE'LL PULL IT FOR DISCUSSION.
WAIT, ARE YOU IN FAVOR OR I'M IN FAVOR.
SO YOU'RE OKAY WITH IT BEING APPROVED? YES.
IT'S OFFERED FOR CONSENT APPROVAL.
THAT'S, UH, ALL THE ITEMS THAT ARE OFFERED FOR CONSENT ARE CONSENT APPROVAL UNLESS SOMEONE PULLS IT FOR DISCUSSION.
[00:10:01]
OKAY.NUMBER 15, 3005 GLENVIEW AVENUE.
THE NEW CONSTRUCTION IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT NUMBER 1702 ALAMEDA DRIVE.
I WANNA PULL THAT ONE FOR DISCUSSION.
NUMBER 17 25 21 HARRIS BOULEVARD.
NEW CONSTRUCTION IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
IT'S CONSENT APPROVAL UNDER DEMOLITION AND RELOCATION PERMIT.
APPLICATIONS NUMBER 18 73 0 4 KNOX LANE WILL BE A DISCUSSION ITEM NUMBER 19 7 0 7 MIRRORED IN LANE.
STAFF RECOMMENDS REHABILITATION AND ADAPTIVE REUSE, THEN RELOCATION OVER DEMOLITION, BUT RELEASE THE DEMOLITION PERMIT UPON COMPLETION OF A CITY DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE THAT IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT APPROVAL NUMBER 20.
IT SAYS 33 0 5 GLENVIEW AVENUE, BUT THAT IS NOT THE CASE.
THAT ITEM WILL BE A DISCUSSION ITEM.
IT'S THE DEMOLITION OF TWO RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS.
I WANNA PULL THAT FOR DISCUSSION NUMBER 22 38 0 5 BALCONES DRIVE IT.
THE PROPOSAL IS A DEMOLITION OF A RE RESIDENTIAL BUILDING.
STAFF RECOMMENDS, UH, STRONGLY ENCOURAGING REHABILITATION AND ADAPTIVE REUSE, BUT RELEASING THE DEMOLITION PACKAGE UPON COMPLETION OF A CITY DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE THAT'S OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
AND THAT IS THE, UM, THE LAST OF OUR CASES.
WE WILL THEN HAVE COMMITTEE UPDATES, POSSIBLE ACTION STAFF ITEMS, AND POSSIBLE ACTION AND FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, THEN ADJOURNMENT.
SO NOW WE'RE GOING BACK TO THE FRONT OF OUR AGENDA.
AND DO I HEAR A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA? SO MOVED.
WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF, UH, PROVING THE CONSENT AGENDA, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND OR SAY AYE.
FOR ALL THOSE PRESENT, THOSE ITEMS THAT WERE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, THOSE WERE APPROVED, YOU MAY LEAVE NOW AND STAFF WILL GET IN TOUCH WITH YOU ABOUT WHAT IS NEEDED, UM, FOR YOUR DOC DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE OR OTHER, UM, OR OTHER CONSIDERATIONS.
NEXT, WE WILL HAVE BRIEFINGS, A BRIEFING BY, UM, WHAT DO WE, DO? WE WANT TO APPROVE THE POSTPONE.
DID YOU WANT TO SPEAK ON IT? I DIDN'T WANT US SPEAK ON IT.
UM, EXCUSE ME, BEFORE WE MOVE ON.
UH, WE DO, WELL, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL WE GET THROUGH THE ENTIRE AGENDA.
SO DO YOU WANNA WAIT OR? SURE.
UM, SO SORRY, WE MAY HAVE TO GO BACK.
THE SPEAKER WHO SIGNED UP FOR, UH, THE WILLSHIRE PROPERTY DOES INDEED WANNA SPEAK EVEN THOUGH HE'S IN FAVOR OF APPROVAL AND CONSENT APPROVAL.
BUT HE DOES WANNA SPEAK ON THE ITEM.
SO HE DID WANT TO PULLED FOR CONS, UH, DISCUSSION.
WHICH NUMBER DOES THAT? UH, 14.
I THINK WE NEED TO TAKE ANOTHER VOTE.
AND I BELIEVE THEN WE WOULD BE ABLE TO, UM, HAVE THAT VOTE.
[00:15:01]
OKAY.ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE CONSENT AGENDA, EXCEPT FOR NUMBER 14.
DID YOU ALL TAKE A VOTE ON CONSENT POSTPONEMENT YET? NOT YET.
WE'RE JUST NOW GOING TO, OKAY.
DO I HAVE A MOTION ON THE CONSENT POSTPONEMENTS MOVE TO APPROVE THE CONSENT POSTPONEMENT? SECOND BY COMMISSIONER MC WARD.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE CONSENT POSTPONEMENTS.
[2. Heritage Preservation Grant Award Recommendations]
BACK AND GO THROUGH, UM, WE'LL FIRST HAVE A BRIEFING ON THE HERITAGE PRESERVATION GRANT RECOMMENDATIONS, AND THEN GO ON TO THE ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION THE CASES.IS THERE SOMEONE HERE TO MAKE THAT PRESENTATION? HI,
MELISSA VERRADO, HERITAGE TOURISM DIVISION MANAGER WITH THE CITY'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
UM, YOU'LL BE MANAGING THE SLIDES.
UM, OUR DEPARTMENT REIMAGINED ITS CULTURAL FUNDING REVIEW PROCESS FOR ARTS, HERITAGE, AND MUSIC WITH AN INTENTIONAL FOCUS ON EQUITY WHILE MORE EFFECTIVELY PROMOTING TOURISM, UM, WITHIN AUSTIN.
THIS IS IN LINE WITH OUR, UM, GOALS AS A DEPARTMENT, UM, AND ALSO WITH THE CITY'S EQUITY OFFICE STANDARDS AND GOALS.
REVISIONS TO THE GUIDELINES DATE BACK TO 2017 WITH RECOMMENDATIONS BY THE VISITOR IMPACT TASK FORCE, FOLLOWED BY RECOMMENDATIONS IN 2018 BY THE HERITAGE GRANT WORKING GROUP.
ALL IN SUPPORT OF EXPANDING PROJECT ELIGIBILITY AND SUPPORTIVE PROJECTS IN UNDERREPRESENTED GEOGRAPHIC AREAS AND PROJECTS.
AS A PARTNER TO THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE AND THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION, THE HERITAGE TOURISM DIVISION LOOKS FORWARD TO FURTHER EXPANDING PROGRAM GUIDELINES TO EXPAND ACCESS AND OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN THE UPDATE TO THE EQUITY BASED HISTORIC PRESERVATION PLAN, PARTICULARLY AS IT PERTAINS TO HISTORIC DESIGNATIONS.
WE COMPLETED RESEARCH CENTERED ON BEST PRACTICE BY, UM, CON, HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH LEADING PRESERVATION GROUPS, UM, THROUGHOUT SAN ANTONIO, SEATTLE, UM, AND OTHER CITIES.
IN ADDITION, WE COMPLETED A NUMBER OF ASSESSMENTS AND IMPROVEMENTS TO PROGRAM ENTRY BARRIERS, EQUITY TRAINING, PROCESS AUDITS, TOURISM MARKETING, UH, TRAINING, EXPANDED ELIGIBLE EXPENSES, AND, UM, THE CREATION OF EQUITY-BASED PANEL TRAINING.
STAFF CONDUCTED AWARENESS WORKSHOPS PROVIDED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND USED A COMMUNITY NAVIGATOR PROGRAM TO SUPPORT APPLICANTS DURING THE APPLICATION PROCESS.
WE LAUNCHED THE GRANT IN SEPTEMBER OF LAST YEAR, COMPLETED THE REVIEW PANEL IN JANUARY, AND THE, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS WERE PASSED BY COUNSEL IN FEBRUARY ON FEBRUARY 9TH.
WE HAD ANTICIPATED BRIEFING THE H L C PRIOR TO THAT ACTION, UH, BUT DUE TO THE FREEZE, UM, WE SHARED AN UPDATE VIA EMAIL AND I'M HERE TODAY TO PROVIDE THAT BRIEFING.
AS A REMINDER, THE PURPOSE OF THE HERITAGE PRESERVATION GRANT IS TO PROMOTE TOURISM THROUGH HISTORIC PRESERVATION PLANNING, EDUCATIONAL, OR MARKETING PROJECTS THAT ARE ROOTED IN HISTORY AND HERITAGE.
THE STATE LAW REQUIRES THAT THE FUNDING BE USED TO PROMOTE TOURISM AND CONVENTION AND HOTEL INDUSTRIES, AND ALL PROJECTS MUST OCCUR AT A HISTORICALLY DESIGNATED SITE.
UM, HERE IN PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS, I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT THAT APPLICANTS MAY NOW INCLUDE AN OPTIONAL $1,000 FISCAL SPONSORS FEE, INSURANCE FEES, AND A 10% PROJECT MANAGEMENT FEE NOT TO EXCEED $10,000 FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS.
THIS, IN ESSENCE, HELPS TO COVER THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AS A DIVISION, WE PRIORITIZED OUTREACH FOR FIRST TIME APPLICANTS.
ALL AWARDEES WILL BE REQUIRED TO PARTICIPATE IN TOURISM MARKETING TRAINING AS WELL.
ALL PROJECTS WERE REQUIRED TO BE HISTORICALLY DESIGNATED.
[00:20:01]
PREVIOUSLY, PROMOTE TOURISM AND AC OCCUR IN A COUNCIL 10, ONE DISTRICT.THE REIMBURSEMENT GRANTS RANGE FROM 10,000 TO 250,000 DEPENDING ON THE PROJECT TYPE.
AND, AND THE, UH, AND AWARDS ARE UNDER, ARE UNDER THE CATEGORIES OF CAPITAL PLANNING, EDUCATIONAL, OR MARKETING NEW THIS YEAR, CAPITAL PROJECTS ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO MEET WITH THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE PRIOR TO COMING TO THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION FOR DESIGN FEEDBACK AND AN, AND TO HAVE AN INFORMAL DISCUSSION ON THE PROPOSED CAPITAL PROJECT.
NEXT, WITH THE LAUNCH OF THE APPLICATION PROCESS NEXT GO ROUND, THIS WILL BE A REQUIREMENT.
THIS HELPS TO CONFIRM THAT PROPOSED WORK IS COMPATIBLE WITH BOTH LOCAL AND NATIONAL STANDARDS AND DESIGN GUIDELINES IN ADVANCE OF THE HLC REVIEW.
THE STEP OBVIOUSLY REQUIRES NO FEES OR FORMAL APPLICATIONS, AND HELPS BUILD CAPACITY AND EQUITY, UM, FOR ALL PROJECT TEAMS IN TERMS OF ACCESS TO TECHNICAL RESOURCES.
THE PRESERVATION GRANT SCORING CRITERIA INCLUDED FOUR PRIMARY ELEMENTS RELATED TO PRESERVATION, TOURISM ACCESS, AND PROJECT BUDGETS AND BIDS.
THESE ARE SOME INITIAL STATISTICS RELATED TO OUR APPLICANT POOL.
WE RECEIVED 20 APPLICATIONS WITH 4.4 MILLION REQUESTED IN FUNDING.
AND THESE ARE SOME STATISTICS RELATED TO OUR AWARDEES 17.
UH, WE AWARDED, UH, FUNDING TO 17 PRESERVATION PROJECTS, UH, THAT REPRESENTED NINE FIRST TIME APPLICANTS EIGHT, UH, PROJECTS REPRESENTED MAJORITY WOMEN-LED BUSINESSES OR ORGANIZATIONS.
53% OF THE PROJECTS REPRESENT BIPO LED APPLICANTS OR SIGNIFICANT HERITAGE SITES ASSOCIATED WITH, UM, HISTORICALLY WITH PEOPLE OF COLOR.
AWARDEES ALSO LEVERAGED $674,000 IN OTHER FUNDING FOR THEIR PROJECT PROPOSALS.
UM, THE NEXT THREE SLIDES IS A LIST OF ALL OF THE PRESERVATION PROJECTS, WHO THEY WERE PROPOSED BY, AND THE COUNCIL DISTRICTS THAT THEY WILL OCCUR IN, IN ADDITION TO THE AMOUNTS.
ALL OF THIS IS PART OF THE BACKUP FOR TONIGHT'S MEETING, AND YOU CAN KIND OF PROGRESS THROUGH THOSE SLIDES.
THE NEXT HERITAGE PRESERVATION GRANT CYCLE WILL OPEN AUGUST 8TH, 2023, WHICH IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER.
UM, WHAT WE ARE ENCOURAGING APPLICANTS IS TO, UH, VISIT OUR WEBSITE, AUSTIN TEXAS.GOV/D D SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER SO THAT YOU WILL BECOME AWARE OF THESE GRANT OPPORTUNITIES, NOT JUST THROUGH MY PROGRAM, BUT THROUGH ALL PROGRAMS WITHIN OUR DEPARTMENT.
UM, WE DO HAVE AN ONLINE PORTAL APPLICATION PROCESS, AND WE WILL, UM, CONTINUE TO HAVE A COMMUNITY NAVIGATOR ASSIST INDIVIDUALS THROUGH THAT APPLICATION PROCESS.
UM, THE OTHER THING THAT I WANTED TO MENTION IS THAT BECAUSE WE ARE REQUIRING ALL CAPITAL PROJECTS TO GO BEFORE THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE, PRIOR TO SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION, THEY'RE HAVING A CONVERSATION AND BRINGING PROJECT PROPOSALS TO THIS COMMITTEE WILL BE ESSENTIAL OVER, UM, THE SUMMER MONTHS.
AND SO WE WILL BE PROMOTING THAT AS SOMETHING TO DO IN ADVANCE OF SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION.
AND WITH THAT, I AM HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS OF MS. ALVAREZ? JUST A QUICK ONE.
MY, MY COMPLIMENTS TO, UH, THE RATHER THOROUGH WAY YOU'VE REEXAMINED SOME OF THE ISSUES PERTAINING TO THE SELECTION PROCESS.
AND I THINK BY HAVING IT AS MUCH UPFRONT AS POSSIBLE, I THINK IT ALSO MAKES IT A LOT EASIER FOR THE NEXT GROUP THAT WE'LL BE GOING THROUGH THE APPLICATION PROCESS AS WELL.
AND OBVIOUSLY, THE, THE MORE PEOPLE, THE BETTER.
UH, ONE THING I REALIZED OVER THE YEARS, HAVE WE ALSO A REQUIREMENT OF, AND DO WE HAVE ARCHIVAL INFORMATION THAT DOCUMENTS THE SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS WHEN THEY'RE COMPLETED? IS THERE SOME SORT OF, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, EACH CLASS GETS SOME SORT OF, UH, RECOGNITION OR SOME, UH, WAY OF, OF ARCHIVING THE, THE GOOD WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE WITH THESE FUNDS? WELL, THERE ARE TWO THINGS THAT OUR DEPARTMENT DOES.
[00:25:01]
PROGRAM, WE DO HAVE A FINAL REPORT.AND AS PART OF THAT REPORT, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE, UM, LEAN INTO IS, DID WE PROVIDE YOU WITH THE SUPPORT THAT YOU NEEDED SO THAT YOU CAN SUCCESSFULLY SAY THAT YOU COMPLETED THE PROJECT AS YOU HAD ENVISIONED.
UM, SO THAT IS ONE BIT OF FEEDBACK THAT WE TAKE BACK.
UM, AND WITH THIS NEXT GO ROUND, WHAT I AM, UM, ASSEMBLING IN TERMS OF OUR NEXT ROLLOUT IS THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE MANY MORE SITE VISITS THAT WILL BE OCCURRING FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS SO THAT WE CAN, UM, BETTER ESTABLISH THE, A RELATIONSHIP OVER THE, THE TERM OF THE, OF THE GRANT.
AND I THINK THAT WILL LEAD TO A MORE SUCCESSFUL INTERACTION WITH OUR PROGRAM AND WITH MY DIVISION SPECIFICALLY.
UM, AND THEN IN OUR LEGAL CONTRACTUAL, UH, ARRANGEMENT, UM, WE DO HAVE OBLIGATIONS THAT MUST BE MET IN TERMS OF, UH, RECORDS AND, AND TIMEKEEPING AND, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING IN, AS IT PERTAINS TO THE FINANCIALS OF THAT PARTICULAR PROJECT.
IF THAT IS ANSWERING YOUR QUESTION CLOSE.
I, I'M, I THINK I'M SEEING AN OPPORTUNITY.
UH, I CAN SEE A WAY OF CELEBRATING BOTH THESE PROJECTS, BUT ALSO RAISING THE AWARENESS OF THIS PROGRAM, UH, SINCE IT IS A PUBLIC INVESTMENT, UH, AND DOING SOMETHING WHERE, UH, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE SEND OUT A PHOTOGRAPHER TO TAKE PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHS.
THESE GRANT FUNDS OFTEN SUPPLEMENT A LOT OF PRIVATE DOLLARS AND OTHER PUBLIC FUNDS.
BUT, UH, TO BE ABLE TO REALLY SHOW THE IMPORTANCE OF PRESERVATION AND HOW IT'S CONTRIBUTED, I THINK I, I JUST SEE IT'S SORT OF OCCURRING TO ME AT THIS MOMENT THAT, UH, FOR ALL THE YEARS THAT WE'VE SAT AND WATCHED THESE PRESENTATIONS AND HEARD ABOUT THESE, I DON'T BELIEVE WE'VE EVER HAD ONE WHERE WE JUST CAME BACK AND, YOU KNOW, HAD, HAD A WONDERFUL GALLERY OF THE SUCCESSFUL COMPLETED PROJECTS.
UM, SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO AS, AS, AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S A CONTRACTUAL REQUIREMENT, BUT WE DO, UM, REQUIRE ALL AWARDEES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE FUNDING AND THE FUNDING MECHANISM, UM, RECEIVED FOR THEIR PROJECT.
WE SEE THAT AS, YOU KNOW, TWOFOLD.
NUMBER ONE, IT HELPS US DO, IT HELPS US WITH OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT SO THAT OTHERS WITHIN THEIR NETWORKS AND CIRCLES ARE MADE AWARE THAT THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR, UH, PRESERVATION AND FOR RESTORING SITES.
UM, SO THAT IS, YOU KNOW, ONE THING THAT WE UTILIZE THEM FOR.
AND, AND TWO, THEY ARE AN EXTENSION OF OUR COMMUNICATIONS STAFF, AND IN PARTICULAR MY DIVISION, WHICH IS A VERY SMALL DIVISION.
UM, AND SO THEY SUPPORT US IN THAT EFFORT OF, YOU KNOW, ENSURING THAT MORE INDIVIDUALS ARE, ARE, ARE MADE AWARE OF THIS OPPORTUNITY.
ANYONE ELSE? THANK YOU MS. ALREZ.
AND THANK YOU FOR KEEPING US POSTED ON YOUR ACTIVITIES.
UM, THE GRANTS PROGRAM IS REALLY IMPORTANT AND, UM, WE LIKE TO, WE LIKE TO SEE WHAT'S, WHAT'S GOING ON WITH Y'ALL.
[3. ZC-2022-183567 – 3201 S. Lamar Blvd. - Discussion]
OKAY, WE'RE GOING ON TO THE PUBLIC HEARINGS DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION.THE FIRST ITEM FOR DISCUSSION IS ITEM 3 32 0 1 SOUTH LAMAR BOULEVARD.
IN CASE YOU DON'T KNOW, THAT'S THE BROKEN SPOKE COMMISSIONER MYERS.
I'M OFF THE DIAS FOR THIS ONE.
UM, AND, UH, THANK YOU AGAIN, UM, TO MELISSA ALVARADO AND OUR WONDERFUL PARTNERS AT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UM, HERITAGE GRANTS PROGRAM, UM, OUR HERITAGE TOURISM PROGRAM.
UM, ALWAYS EXCITED TO SEE THE HERITAGE GRANTS.
ITEM NUMBER THREE IS CASE NUMBER C 14 H 20 22 1 76.
UH, THIS IS A CITY COUNCIL INITIATED HISTORIC ZONING CASE FOR THE BROKEN SPOKE AT 32 0 1 SOUTH LAMAR.
RESOLUTION 20 22 1 100 3081, ADOPTED IN NOVEMBER, NOVEMBER OF 2022.
DIRECTS THE CITY MANAGER TO REVIEW AND DOCUMENT DESIGNATION, SUITABILITY, AND TO ADVANCE THE PROPERTY FOR LANDMARK DESIGNATION THROUGH THE LANDMARK COMMISSION PLANNING COMMISSION AND CITY COUNCIL WITH A SENSE OF URGENCY TO PRESERVE THIS IMPORTANT INSTITUTION AND TO ALIGN WITH THE APRIL, 2023 PLACEMENT OF A TEXAS STATE HISTORICAL MARKER AT THE PROPERTY.
[00:30:01]
OKAY.THE RESOLUTION OUTLINES THE BROKEN SPOKE SIGNIFICANCE AS FOLLOWS.
UH, AND I WILL PARAPHRASE, UM, SINCE ITS FOUNDING IN 1964 BY JAMES WHITE, WHOSE FAMILY STILL OWNS AND OPERATES THE VENUE, THE BROKEN SPOKE HAS ENTERTAINED LEGIONS OF AUSTINITES AND VISITORS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE.
IT HELPED SHAPE THE CAREERS OF MANY COUNTRY MUSIC SUPERSTARS AND DEFINE THE CHARACTER OF LIVE, OF THE LIVE MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE WORLD.
AS THE AREA AROUND THE BROKEN SPOKE IS PROSPERED AND SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT HAS OCCURRED, IT IS IMPERATIVE TO SECURE THIS VENUE FROM A FATE SUFFERED BY MANY IN THE CITY.
THE BROKEN SPOKE IS MORE THAN 50 YEARS OLD, AND IT RETAINED ITS INTEGRITY AS A CLASSIC TEXAS MUSIC AND DANCE HALL.
IT HAS SIGNIFICANT AND LONG-STANDING ASSOCIATIONS WITH PERSONS, GROUPS, AND EVENTS OF CITY AND STATEWIDE IMPORTANCE AND PROVIDES DISTINCT COMMUNITY VALUE AS A CORNERSTONE OF AUSTIN'S LIVE MUSIC SCENE.
IN 2015, NOMINATION AUTHOR KATHERINE CLARK EXPANDED UPON THE BUILDING'S SIGNIFICANCE UNDER THE NATIONAL REGISTER CRITERIA FOR ARCHITECTURE AND ASSOCIATIONS.
QUOTE, THE BROKEN SPOKE IS A RAMBLING DANCE HALL BUILT IN 1964 BY JAMES WHITE AND HIS FATHER-IN-LAW, JOE BAYLAND AS A RESTAURANT SERVING CHICKEN FRIED STEAK WITH A JUKEBOX AND A BAR.
THEY EXPANDED WITHIN ITS FIRST YEAR OF OPERATION.
IT QUICKLY BECAME A STAPLE OF THE COUNTRY MUSIC SCENE AS THE ONLY LOCAL HONKY TONK TO BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN CLASSIC COUNTRY ACTS LIKE THE TEXAS PLAYBOYS ROY, AK ERNEST TUB, EVEN A LATE SIXTIES CLEAN SHAVEN WILLIE NELSON AT THE START OF HIS CAREER AND NEWER PROGRESSIVE COUNTRY ACTS, INCLUDING FRIDA AND THE FIRE DOGS ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL DOLLY PARTNER JERRY, JEFF WALKER AND GEORGE STRAIT WITH ACE IN THE HOLE.
THE BUILDING ITSELF IS A TYPICAL MODEST TEXAS HONKY TONK WITH THE PORCH FACADE AND DANCE FLOORS.
ITS MOST IMPORTANT ASPECTS CONSIDERING THE BUILDING WAS PLANNED AND BUILT BY WHITE AND VALENT, WHO IS A CARPENTER.
THE ROUGH, INEXPENSIVE WORKMANSHIP AND MATERIALS ARE APPROPRIATE AND IMPLY ITS AUTHENTIC COWBOY CULTURE.
THE RAMBLING PLAN REPRESENTS BOTH TYPICAL HONKY TONK DESIGNS AND THE ESTABLISHMENT'S INCREASING IMPORTANCE THROUGH ITS CONTINUED USE.
THE BUILDING RETAINS HIGH INTEGRITY, AS NOTED IN DONNA MARIE MILLER'S 27 BOOK.
THE BROKEN SPOKE REMAINED AUTHENTIC AFTER MORE THAN 50 YEARS.
SHE NOTES ONE OF THE ONLY RENOVATIONS OCCURRED IN 2005 WHEN A TOUR BUS DROVE THROUGH THE BACK WALL,
THE BROKEN SPOKE RECEIVED A TEXAS STATE HISTORICAL MARKER IN 2021 THAT EXTOLS ITS CULTURAL IMPORTANCE TO TEXAS MUSIC SLATED FOR INSTALLATION IN 2023.
UM, STAFF RECOMMENDS THE COUNCIL PROPOSED ZONING CHANGE FROM CS TO CS H UNDER THE DESIGNATION CRITERIA FOR COMMUNITY VALUE ARCHITECTURE AND HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS.
UH, THAT CONCLUDES THE PRESENTATION.
NOW DO I HAVE THIS CORRECTLY? CITY COUNCIL INITIATED HISTORIC ZONING AND IT'S COMING TO US FOR A RECOMMENDATION? THAT'S CORRECT, YOUR HONOR.
THIS NEVER HAPPENS IN REAL LIFE
SO ANY QUESTIONS OF STAFF? YES, COMMISSIONER TETTE.
AND MAYBE IT'S FOR THE PEOPLE FROM THE BROKEN SPOKE.
DO Y'ALL OWN THE PROPERTY THAT THIS BUILDING SITS ON? DO YOU KNOW IF, IF, IF WHO'S THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY THAT THE BUILDING SITS ON? SO THE, SO DES WYATT OWNS THE PROPERTY.
I JUST QUESTION BECAUSE I KNOW THEY'RE BUILT ALL THE WAY AROUND IT.
WOULD YOU LIKE HER TO ANSWER A QUESTION AT THE PODIUM? YES, GO AHEAD.
MS. WHITE, THANK YOU FOR COMING VISIT WITH US.
UH, I JUST WAS CURIOUS ABOUT WHO OWNS THE UNDER UNDERLYING PROPERTY, AND THEY, THEY JUST SAID THAT Y'ALL OWN IT.
UM, YOU'RE ASKING WHO OWNS THE LAND BENEATH THE BROKEN, THE LAND BENEATH BROKEN BOOK, THAT THAT IS OWNED BY CW PARTNERS, LLC OUT OF CALIFORNIA.
THEY HAVE AN OFFICE HERE IN TOWN.
BUT THAT'S, SO YOU'RE, WHAT'S THEIR FEELINGS ABOUT THIS BEING? I'M JUST CURIOUS BECAUSE YOU KNOW THAT IF THEY'RE, IF THEY'RE AGAINST THIS, THAT'S GONNA BE VERY DIFFICULT TO, THEY THEY WOULD BE PRESENT, I WOULD IMAGINE IF THEY WERE, BUT THEY, NOT THEM.
THEY'RE A LITTLE HARD TO GET AHOLD OF.
UM, THE, THE BUILDING HAS BEEN LEASED, UM, BY THE, THE LANDOWNER SINCE JAY JOHNSON, THE VERY FIRST CITY COUNCIL MEMBER OWNED THE LAND IN 1964, RIGHT.
WHEN MR. WHITE BUILT THE BUILDING HIMSELF WITHOUT THE HELP OF JOE BAILEN, HIS FATHER-IN-LAW, BUT
AND MR. WHITE TELLS THE STORY AS TRUTH.
WE, UM, WE SEE THAT THE BUILDING
[00:35:01]
HAS STOOD ON THAT LAND THROUGH THREE DIFFERENT LANDOWNERS.FIRST JAY JOHNSON, AND THEN HE DIED IN 2010, AND THEN RIVERSIDE RESOURCES OWNED THE LAND AND TWO YEARS LATER SOLD TO TRANSWESTERN DEVELOPERS.
AND THEY ARE THE ONES THAT BUILT THE COMMERCIAL PROPERTY ON THE NORTH AND SOUTH SIDE OF THE BUILDING KNOWN AS THE 7 0 4.
AND THEN IT WAS SOLD IN 2014 TO CW PARTNERS, LLC.
AND THERE ARE SEVERAL, SEVERAL BUSINESS OWNERS WITHIN THAT LLC.
NO, I JUST, I WAS JUST CURIOUS BECAUSE THAT, WELL, EITHER THEY'LL SHOW UP OR NOT, BUT IT, IT, IT, IT DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
YES, IT HAS BEEN PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE.
THIS IS A LITTLE BIT OUT OF ORDER, UM, WE NEED TO KNOW THIS, BUT WOULD YOU PLEASE STATE YOUR NAMES FOR THE RECORD SO THAT, UH, SO THAT WE KNOW WHO'S BEEN ANSWERING THESE QUESTIONS? DONNA, MS. WHITE, FIRST THIS, THIS IS ANNETTE ANN WHITE.
I'M JAMES WHITES WIDOW, AND I WAS THERE FROM THE VERY BEGINNING.
AND I'M, I'M DONNA MARIE MILLER.
I WROTE THE BOOK, THE BROKEN SPOKE AUSTIN'S LEGENDARY HONKY TONK IN 2017.
AND WE'LL CALL ON YOU AGAIN, UM, IN JUST A MINUTE.
OR MAYBE IF THERE ARE NO OTHER QUESTIONS OF STAFF, WE CAN GO AHEAD AND ASK YOU TO, UM, I'M ASSUMING YOU'RE SPEAKING IN FAVOR OF THIS RECOMMENDATION.
UM, MS. MS. WHITE, COULD YOU PLEASE GO FIRST AND, UH, SAY, UM, WHAT IT IS THAT, UH, THE REASON THAT YOU SUPPORT THIS APPLICATION? I WANNA KNOW WHY YOU SUPPORT THE HISTORIC ZONING.
WELL, I THINK IT WOULD BE A FEATHER IN JAMES' CAP.
AND, UM, HE, THAT'S JUST WHAT HE WANTED TO DO ALL, AND HE'S SPENT HIS WHOLE LIFE DOING IT, AND I WANT TO CONTINUE IT AS LONG AS I, I'M ONLY 80, SO I FIGURE I CAN WORK ANOTHER 10 YEARS
JENNY, UM, DOES ALL THE SOCIAL MEDIA.
SHE'S THE ONE THAT HAD TOXIC SHOCK ABOUT FOUR AND A HALF YEARS AGO AND LOST HER FEET AND MOST OF HER HANDS.
AND, UM, THEN MY OLDEST DAUGHTER HAD TO GO TO WORK.
SHE'S OUR DANCE TEACHER AND HELPS ME DO WHATEVER I NEED.
AND I HAVE VERY LOYAL EMPLOYEES.
AND IF WILLIE WAS HERE, HE'D TELL YOU THAT HE'D, HE'S JUST LIKE THE FATHER OF US, YOU KNOW, HE'S JUST A VERY FINE PERSON.
SO YOU THINK HE WOULD SUPPORT IT? OH, YES.
UH, THERE'S NO DOUBT IN MY MIND HE WOULD GRAB JAMES EVERY TIME HE SAW HIM AND SAY, YOU KNOW, JAMES, THEY'RE WORKING ME HARDER AT 80 THAN THEY DID AT 60
AND THEN GEORGE STRAIT CAME AND SPENT THE DAY WITH US ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO AND PUT US ON THE FRONT OF HIS LAST ALBUM.
AND I, HE, THEY, HIS ASSOCIATION WROTE, UM, THEY CALLED JAMES AND ASKED HIM IF HE WOULD LIKE TO BE ON THE ALBUM COVER.
AND JAMES SAID, WELL, THAT'S SORT OF A NO-BRAINER.
WHY WOULDN'T YOU WANT TO BE ON THAT? SO THAT'S WHERE WE COME FROM.
AND NOW YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK.
I, AGAIN, I'M DONNA MARIE MILLER AND I CONSIDER THE WHITES MY FAMILY AFTER SPENDING SO MUCH TIME WITH THEM.
AND ON BEHI HALF OF THE WHITE FAMILY, I WANNA THANK THE AUSTIN ECONOMIC DEPARTMENT AND THE HERITAGE PRESERVATION GRANT THAT THEY GAVE THEM FOR MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS ON THAT 58 YEAR OLD ROOF.
WE, UM, WE, WE REALLY DO SEE THAT THE BROKEN SPOKE DRAWS TOURISM TO AUSTIN.
THERE ARE PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD THAT COME EVERY WEEKEND.
THEY TAKE ROLL CALL FROM THE STAGE, AND THESE PEOPLE SAY OUTLAND LIKE ROMANIA AND GERMANY AND ITALY AND ALL OVER THE WORLD.
UH, TERRY'S TAUGHT CLASSES TO PEOPLE FROM SOUTH KOREA.
[00:40:01]
EVERYONE'S BUCKET LIST BECAUSE OF THE PEOPLE WHO STARTED THEIR CAREERS THERE.WILLIE NELSON, JERRY, JEFF WALKER, RAY BENSON, ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL, GEORGE STRAIT AND OTHERS THAT PERFORMED THERE OVER THE YEARS.
DOLLY PARTON, KITTY WELLS, UM, YOU KNOW, THE LIST GOES ON AND ON.
WE EVEN HAD RAY PRICE PERFORM THERE, AND WE, WE SEE IT AS A PLACE THAT IS SO AUTHENTIC, THE THINGS THAT GINNY ALWAYS SAYS.
WE DIDN'T GO OUT AND BUY A BUNCH OF COUNTRY WESTERN STUFF AND PUT IT ON THE WALLS.
THOSE THINGS HAVE BEEN THERE SINCE 1964.
THERE'S A SADDLE THAT MR. WHITE'S FATHER RODE IN THE ROSE BALL PARADE.
UM, THERE'S A BUNCH OF, UM, DECORATED WESTERN OUTFITS THAT WERE CREATED BY NOTI KUEN IN THE HOLLYWOOD HILLS WHEN THAT GENE AUTRY ERA WAS AROUND.
UM, THERE ARE GUITARS SIGNED BY GARTH BROOKS WHEN HE PERFORMED THERE IN 2017 DURING SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST.
AND GARTH BROOKS TOLD THE MEDIA, I, I HAD IT ON VIDEO ON K VIEW THAT I, MY VIDEO RAN WHEN HE SAID, IF THERE WERE PLACES LIKE THIS IN OKLAHOMA WHEN I STARTED OUT, I NEVER WOULD'VE LEFT
IT IS A PLACE THAT IS A TOUCHSTONE TO AUSTIN, AND IT WOULD BE SUCH A WONDERFUL THING TO HAVE HISTORIC ZONING.
IT WOULD PRESERVE IT FOR GENERATIONS OF FAMILIES TO COME.
RIGHT NOW ON THE WEEKENDS, WE OFTEN HAVE TWO OR THREE FAMILIES WHO SAY, MY MOTHER AND FATHER MET HERE, MY GRANDPARENTS MET HERE, I MET MY FIANCE HERE.
SO THERE ARE OLDER PEOPLE TEACHING YOUNGER PEOPLE TO DANCE AND CARRYING ON THE DANCE HALL TRADITION.
THERE AREN'T BALLROOM FIGHTS, THERE AREN'T PEOPLE GETTING INTO TROUBLE OF ANY KIND.
THEY'RE THERE TO DANCE AND LISTEN TO GOOD LIVE COUNTRY MUSIC, EAT MRS. WHITE'S CHICKEN FRIED STEAK, AND HAVE A WONDERFUL TIME.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OF, OF THESE YOUNG WOMEN? THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THE DESIGNATION? THANK YOU.
UM, I'M SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF THIS ITEM.
UH, I'M AN INDIVIDUAL WHO WENT TO SCHOOL AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS IN 1975.
I MOVED HERE AND I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT OF AUSTIN SINCE 1975.
AND I ALSO WENT TO THE BUEN SPOKE THAT FIRST YEAR I WAS HERE IN 1975.
AND I APPRECIATE VERY MUCH THE SUPPORT OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN IN PARTICULAR TO TRY TO SAVE AS MANY HISTORIC LIVE MUSIC VENUES AS THEY POSSIBLY CAN.
CUZ IN MY OPINION, AUSTIN CAN'T BE THE LIVE MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE WORLD IF IT DOESN'T KEEP ITS LIVE MUSIC, HISTORIC VENUES.
AND, UH, AND I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO MARKETING OF THE, OF THE CITY.
UM, AND I WOULD ALSO MAKE A, UH, SUGGESTION THAT AFTER PERHAPS THE STATE CAPITAL BUILDING AND PERHAPS THE TOWER OF UT, I WOULD ARGUE THAT THE BROKEN SPOKE IS, IS PRETTY DARN CLOSE TO BEING THE NEXT MOST ICONIC, RECOGNIZABLE, UH, HISTORIC BUILDING IN AUSTIN.
UH, IT'S SEEN AUSTIN IN ADVERTISEMENTS AND, AND MEDIA AND MOVIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND LIKE, LIKE, UH, DONNA MURRAY SAID IN THE, ON THE COVER OF GEORGE STRAIT'S RECORD ALBUM JUST A COUPLE YEARS AGO, THAT'S PRETTY, PRETTY HUGE.
AND, UH, PEOPLE WANT TO COME TO AUSTIN BECAUSE OF THAT RECORD ALBUM AND SEEING THOSE PICTURES.
UM, IT'S ABSOLUTELY A DE DESTINATION SPOT, NOT ONLY FOR TEXANS, BUT ALSO FOR PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD.
AS DONNA MURRAY MENTIONED, IT'S A LIVING, BREATHING, FUNCTIONING HUNKY TONK AND DANCE HALL.
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT'S REALLY A MUSEUM TOO.
IT HAS A, UH, AS I MENTIONED TO ALL THE DIFFERENT ARTIFACTS THEY HAVE IN THERE.
UH, JAMES USED TO CALL IT HIS TOURIST TRAP ROOM, BUT, UH, IT, IT REALLY IS A HISTORIC MUSEUM.
IF YOU EVER GET A CHANCE TO GO THERE AND LOOK AT IT, IT'S SOME AMAZING, AMAZING THINGS THERE.
SO I GUESS I JUST WANT TO TELL YOU, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
UH, REALLY, I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR SERVING ON THIS COMMISSION BECAUSE, UH, THE THING THAT I HEAR MORE OF ANYTHING FROM OLDER PEOPLE LIKE ME IS DOC GARNELL.
I WISH AUSTIN WAS STILL LIKE IT USED TO BE.
AND, UH, I FEEL THAT SAME WAY TOO.
AND, AND YOU GUYS ARE PLAYING A HUGE ROLE IN TRYING TO KEEP AS MUCH OF OLD AUSTIN ALIVE AMONGST ALL THIS, UH, NEW DEVELOPMENT THAT HAS TO HAPPEN.
[00:45:01]
WE THANK YOU FOR, FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO TO TRY TO KEEP AS MUCH OF OLD AUSTIN ALIVE, AND THANK YOU FOR THIS AND, AND CONSIDERATION AND, AND, UH, APPRECIATE Y'ALL VERY MUCH FOR LISTENING TO ME.WOULD ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THIS APPLICATION? IS THERE ANYONE OPPOSED? SAYING NONE.
UM, DO I HEAR A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING? UH, SECOND.
UH, I'M GONNA TAKE THAT SECOND FROM CAROLINE WRIGHT.
UM, ALL IN FAVOR OF CLOSING THE PUBLIC HEARING, PLEASE SAY, AYE.
IS THERE A MOTION ON THE CASE? REMEMBER, WE ARE RECOMMENDING, UH, THE MOTION SHOULD BE COUCHED IN TERMS THAT RECOMMEND, UM, SINCE THE CITY COUNCIL INITIATED.
YES, KEVIN, I'LL, I'LL TAKE THE HONOR IF NO ONE ELSE
UH, SECOND, UM, A AGAIN, CAROLINE, RIGHT, COMMISSIONER WRIGHT, ANY DISCUSSION? I'M SO GLAD TO SEE YOU ALL, AND I'M SO GLAD TO SEE SOMEBODY IN COWBOY HATS, COWGIRL HATS.
UM, WE DO HEAR, MAYBE DEVELOPMENT DOES HAVE TO HAPPEN, BUT AT THIS COMMISSION, EVERY MONTH WE APPROVE SCORES OF DEMOLITION PERMITS FOR HISTORIC PROPERTIES.
AND IT'S A SHAME, AND SOME OF THEM ARE PRETTY FAMOUS.
NOT AS FAMOUS AS THE BROKEN SPOKE, BUT, UM, I'M REALLY GLAD THAT, THAT YOU'RE SUPPORTIVE OF THIS.
UH, THIS IS NOT JUST FOR, FOR Y'ALL OR FOR MR. WHITE, THOUGH.
IT'S FOR THE WHOLE CITY AND STATE OF TEXAS AFTER THAT.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? COMMISSIONER HEIM SET.
I, I, I PROBABLY AM ONE OF THE VERY FEW PEOPLE HERE.
UH, JUST BY VIRTUE OF HAVING AS MANY YEARS AS I'VE HAD AND GROWING UP IN RURAL TEXAS, REMEMBERING THAT THE BROKEN SPOKE, AS IMPORTANT AS IT IS IN THAT AREA AND TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN, IS ACTUALLY IN MY MIND MUCH MORE IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT REPRESENTS WHAT IN PREVIOUS GENERATIONS WE NOW TAKE FOR GRANTED.
BUT THAT WAS, THAT WAS CIVIC ENGAGEMENT.
AND I CAN REMEMBER GOING OUT WHERE FAMILIES WOULD BE, UH, IN THE TOWN DANCE HALL WITH A LOCAL BAND, AND THE TEENAGERS WOULD ALL TRY TO SNEAK OUTSIDE AND THE PARENTS WOULD ALL TRY TO MAKE SURE THEY DIDN'T
AND THOSE OF US WHO WERE YOUNG AND COULD SEE THAT THERE WERE A FEW BEERS LEFT ON THE TABLE WHEN ALL THAT WAS HAPPENING, YOU KNOW, THIS IS HOW YOU LEARNED IN THOSE EARLY DAYS ABOUT ALL THE GENERATIONS.
YOU CERTAINLY LEARNED HOW TO TWO-STEP.
AND YOU CERTAINLY LEARNED ABOUT GOOD MUSIC AND COMMUNITY.
UH, AND UNFORTUNATELY, VERY FEW OF THOSE COMMUNITIES STILL MAINTAIN THOSE DANCE HALLS.
THOSE THAT HAVE, MANY OF THEM HAVE LOST SOME OF THEIR CHARACTER.
UH, THERE MAY BE MUSEUM PIECES.
THE SPOKE CONTINUES THAT LEGACY, UH, WHEN I'M EVER I'M THERE.
UH, IT JUST, IT DEF DEFINITELY BRINGS BACK MEMORIES AND I UNDERSTAND ITS IMPORTANCE ON MANY, MANY LEVELS.
SO I HOPE IT LASTS FOR MANY, MANY MORE YEARS, AND I HOPE IT CONTINUES TO INSPIRE, UH, MANY MORE COMMUNITIES TO GO BACK AND REEXAMINE SOME OF THOSE BUILDINGS.
SO PERHAPS EVEN RECREATE SOME OF THOSE WONDERFUL TRADITIONS.
I'M GONNA SUPPORT THE MOTION, BUT I STILL AM A LITTLE UNEASY THAT THIS IS, THEY DON'T OWN THE PROPERTY.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO ASK STAFF, WHAT ARE, WHEN WE, WE RECOMMEND HISTORIC ZONING, WE TALK JUST ABOUT THE BUILDING.
ARE WE TALKING THE PARKING LOT? AND I, YOU KNOW, THIS IS AN INVESTMENT PROPERTY OWNED BY SOMEBODY, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE NOT TALKING, I MEAN, THEY'VE BEEN PROPERTY PROPERLY NOTIFIED, I IMAGINE THEY HAVE.
UM, WE HAVE REACHED OUT VIA EMAIL AS WELL AS SNAIL MAIL, UM, A COUPLE TIMES.
UM, AND THEY ALSO WILL RECEIVE THE, UH, THE STOCK NOTIFICATION SENT BY THE CITY, UM, FOR BOTH THE NOTICE OF FILING OF THE APPLICATION, WHICH OCCURRED BACK IN, UH, NOVEMBER OR DECEMBER.
UM, THIS PUBLIC HEARING AND ALL PUBLIC HEARINGS MOVING FORWARD.
UM, COMMISSIONER HEK TO, UM, TO YOUR POINT, UM, TELL ME THAT'S ALL.
UM, WE, SO, UM, OUR RECOMMENDATION IS FOR THE ENTIRE PARCEL, HOWEVER, UM, THE COMMISSION AND COUNCIL HAVE THE OPTION TO ZONE JUST THE FOOTPRINT, UM, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT,
[00:50:01]
UM, Y'ALL'S DECISION MAKERS CAN, UH, UH, INFLUENCE, UM, THROUGH YOUR VOTE.UM, I WILL SAY THAT THE, UH, TAX EXEMPTION ESTIMATE HERE IS FOR THE ENTIRE PARCEL.
UM, A FOOTPRINT WILL, UH, NEED TO BE CALCULATED BY TCAD.
UM, BUT JUST KIND OF BACK UP THE NAPKIN MATH, UM, IT'S ABOUT 25% OF THE LAND AREA.
SO, UM, THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING TO CONSIDER, UM, MOVING FORWARD.
I'M, I'M OKAY WITH IT BEING THE ENTIRE PARCEL.
I'M JUST, IT'S JUST, I DON'T REMEMBER.
I'VE BEEN UP HERE EIGHT YEARS.
I DON'T EVER REMEMBER US DOING RECOMMENDING HISTORIC ZONING ON A PROPERTY OR JUST ON A, YOU KNOW, JUST ON A, THIS IS BROUGHT TO US, OBVIOUSLY BY THE COUNCIL, BUT THESE ARE LESS LESSEES, UH, OF THE PROPERTY.
AND I, I JUST, I DON'T KNOW, I JUST, WE'LL SEE HOW IT WORKS OUT.
YOU KNOW, YES, THEY CAN, THEY CAN SURE COME TO COUNCIL AND SAY, NO, WE MAY WELL RECEIVE A VALID PETITION BEFORE WE GET TO COUNCIL.
UM, THAT WOULD BE SAYING NO BY THE OWNER.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE'VE EVER HAD A VALID TIC WHERE THE OWNER WAS THE, WHO WAS INITIATING THE VALID PETITION.
BUT, UH, I THINK I WILL MENTION THAT A, UM, A SUPER MAJORITY WOULD BE REQUIRED, UH, FOR ANY VOTES OVER, UM, THE OWNER'S WISHES.
WELL, THAT'S NOT, THEY HAVEN'T, THEY HAVEN'T SAID ANYTHING ABOUT, SO WE DON'T HAVE, WE DON'T NEED A SUPER MAJORITY PETITION, BUT IT WOULD BE WHO US, IF WE ARE IN FAVOR TO, UH, REGISTER, UH, UH, SUPER MAJORITY HAVE A, A SUPER MAJORITY IN FAVOR.
UM, AND WE HAVE COMMISSIONER WEATHERSTON OFF THE DIAS, UH, AND COMMISSIONER CASTILLO.
SO THAT WOULD BE, BUT WE HAVE NINE HERE.
IF WE, IF I'M, I'M FOR, I'M NOT, I'M NOT.
I JUST, I THINK IT JUST, JUST FEELS A LITTLE FUNNY IN A, IN A WAY.
I THINK IN A WAY, I THINK WE'VE COVERED OURSELVES.
WE'RE FOLLOWING, UH, COUNCIL'S, UM, INITIATION AND ULTIMATELY A GOES TO COUNCIL.
IT SEEMS LIKE WE HAVE DONE DUE DILIGENCE IN NOTIFYING SRO.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THAT WE CAN GO AHEAD WITH A, A CLEAR HEART HEARTS AND MINDS TO, UH, TAKE A VOTE ON THIS.
THAT'S ALL GOOD, BUT YOUR COMMENTS WILL BE ON THE RECORD.
UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION TO RECOMMEND HISTORIC ZONING FOR THE BROKEN SPOKE.
[5. HR-2022-178783 – 718 Congress Ave. – Discussion ]
ITEM IS ITEM NUMBER 5 7 18 CONGRESS AVENUE.SWITCHING GEARS, ITEM 5 7 18 CONGRESS AVENUE IS A PROPOSAL TO REPLACE THE WINDOWS AND DOORS AND RECONSTRUCT A SI, A SKYLIGHT, A TOP, A, UH, AN 1875 LANDMARKED BUILDING.
UM, THIS PROJECT SPECIFIES REPLACEMENT OF WINDOWS AND DOORS, UM, AT EAST AND WEST, UM, ELEVATIONS, UH, REBUILDING THE EXISTING SKYLIGHT, WHICH IS A STEEL STRUCTURE, AND REPLACING THE EXISTING TPO ROOF IN KIND.
UH, THE 1983 APPLICATION FOR HISTORIC DESIGNATION DESCRIBES THE BUILDING'S ARCHITECTURE AS FOLLOWS.
UH, THIS IS AN EARLY VICTORIAN ARCH, EARLY VICTORIAN IN ARCHITECTURE WITH THREE STONE ARCHES.
IN THE SECOND STORY FRONT, THE ARCHES ARE SURROUNDED BY CARVED ROTS AND AN EARLY PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE BUILDING.
THE CAST IRON CORNES CAN BE SEEN WITH A GLOBE TOP EACH CENTER ARCH.
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 AT HISTORIC LANDMARKS.
UH, THE PROJECT MEETS SOME OF THE APPLICABLE STANDARDS AS OUTLINED IN YOUR BACKUP.
AND HOWEVER, HISTORIC PHOTOS AND OR IMAGES SHOWING DETERIORATION EXTENT AT THE WINDOWS, UM, SETBACK CALCULATIONS FOR THE SKYLIGHT AND PROSPECTIVE DRAWINGS WOULD HELP TO DETERMINE THE EXTENT OF COMPLIANCE WITH THOSE STANDARDS.
IF THE EXISTING WINDOWS ARE NOT HISTORIC GAUGE, THE PROPOSED ADMINISTRATION REPLACEMENTS ADEQUATELY MEET THE STANDARDS.
IF THE PROPOSED SKYLIGHT IS APPROPRIATELY SET BACK AND IS NOT VISIBLE, OR IS MINIMALLY VISIBLE FROM THE PEDESTRIAN LEVEL AT THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE PRIMARY STREET, THE PROPOSED SKYLIGHT ADEQUATELY MEETS THE STANDARDS.
HOWEVER, UH, WE DO NOT HAVE THIS INFORMATION AS OF YET.
SO THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION IS TO INVITE THE APPLICANT TO THE NEXT MEETING OF THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE AND REQUEST ADDITIONAL PROJECT INFORMATION OUTLINED IN THE STANDARDS EVALUATION SUMMARY.
[00:55:01]
THANK YOU.IS THERE ANYONE HERE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THE APPLICATION? PLEASE COME DOWN, STATE YOUR NAME AND YOU'LL HAVE FIVE MINUTES AS THE APPLICANT TO PRESENT.
UH, WE ARE DOING AN INTERIOR RENOVATION OF THIS BUILDING.
WE'RE REPLACING THE DOORS AND WINDOWS TO ENHANCE THE ENERGY CONSERVATION ASPECTS OF THE BUILDING.
WE'RE REPLACING THE EXISTING SKYLIGHT CUZ IT'S OLD AND LEAKY AND THEY NEED TO REPLACE IT WITH SOMETHING THAT WORKS A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
IT'S PRETTY SIMPLE FROM OUR STANDPOINT.
I HAD A, THERE WAS A QUESTION ON THE, UM, ON THE APPLICATION, SOMETHING ABOUT THE REPLACEMENT OF, UH, OF CASEMENT WINDOWS.
UM, AT THE TIME WHEN WE SUBMITTED THE APPLICATION, WE DIDN'T HAVE, UM, HISTORIC PHOTOS THAT INDICATED WHETHER THE HUNG WINDOWS WERE APPROPRIATE OR THE CASEMENT WERE APPROPRIATE.
THE, UH, DESIGNERS OF THE PROJECT WISH TO HAVE IT ALL CASEMENT.
WE'VE NOW, AND I BELIEVE WE INCLUDED 'EM WITH OUR UPDATED DRAWINGS.
WE HAVE SOME HISTORIC PHOTOS THAT DO SHOW THAT THOSE HUNG WINDOWS ON THE SIDES ARE APPROPRIATE AS WE'D LIKE TO KEEP THE HUNG WINDOWS IN ONE CASEMENT.
THE CASEMENT IS IN THE CENTER? IN THE CENTER, CORRECT.
THE ONE THAT'S CURRENTLY BROKEN IN THAT PICTURE TO, THAT'S TO ILLUSTRATE THE CONDITION OF THE FRAMES.
UH, CAN WE GO BACK TO THE PREVIOUS FRAME? UH, THIS ONE, UH, THAT ONE RIGHT THERE.
THE PHOTO ON THE LEFT, THE BUILDING WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS THE BUILDING WITH THE AWNING OUT FRONT.
I BELIEVE IT'S THE DAVIS AND FINK.
AND IF YOU, IF WE COULD ZOOM IN VERY CLOSELY, YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO TELL THAT THOSE TWO WINDOWS ON THE SIDE ARE, ARE THE HUNG WINDOWS.
SO WE WOULD LIKE TO MODIFY, UM, APPLICATION TO KEEP THOSE AS A, AS HUNG WINDOWS AND THE ONE IN THE CENTER OH, I'M SORRY, UP ON THE SECOND FLOOR.
YEAH, THOSE LOOK LIKE THEY'RE SINGLE HUNG TO US.
AND THEN THE ONE IN THE CENTER LOOKS LIKE A CASEMENT.
SO WE'D LIKE TO KEEP IT AS IT'S WAS IN HISTORICAL PHOTOS.
I CAN'T TELL WE, WE, UH, DON'T HAVE, UM, COMPUTER SCREENS, UH, AVAILABLE TO US THIS EVENING.
YEAH, YOU CAN GO TO THE CASE HIDDEN THERE.
YEAH, WE, WE FOUND THOSE PHOTOS AFTER WE SUBMIT OUR APPLICATION.
WE'D LIKE TO KEEP IT IN THAT CONDITION.
UM, ANY, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR THE, UH, APPLICANT? I HAD A QUESTION.
DO YOU KNOW IF THE WINDOWS AND DOORS ARE ORIGINAL OR NO, IT SLIP COVERED IN THE FIFTIES OR SIXTIES? WE DON'T KNOW THAT.
UM, JUDGING BY THE CONDITION OF THE WINDOWS ON THE UPSTAIRS, THEY MAY BE ORIGINAL.
WE'RE NOT SURE THAT THEY'RE RELATIVELY GOOD CONDITION, BUT WE DO SEE SOME DRY ROT ON THE SILLS.
UH, THE DOORS ON THE FIRST LEVEL AND DEFINITELY THE WINDOWS ARE NOT ORIGINAL.
THAT AS THE CONDITION YOU SEE THERE IS NOT THE WAY IT WAS PRESENTED TO US.
UH, IT'S MORE OF AN 80 STOREFRONT.
THEY LOOK LIKE THEY'RE IN A VERY GOOD CONDITION AND PROBABLY REPLACED PROBABLY IN THE EIGHTIES RENOVATION MAYBE AFTER THAT WHEN THEY RESTORED IT BACK TO ITS HISTORIC CONDITION.
AND, AND DO YOU INTEND TO PUT INSULATED PANS IN ALL UNITS? YES, WE ARE THE WINDOWS AS WELL AS THE DOORS.
WE INTEND TO RE REGLAZE EVERYTHING TO ENHANCE THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY WITH THE, I BELIEVE THERE'S A GLAZING SPECIFICATION IN THERE THAT'LL BE CLEAR, LOW E UM, IT JUST HELPS WITH OUR AIR CONDITIONING FORCE.
AND HAVE YOU CONSIDERED HOW THAT'S GONNA IMPACT THE PROFILE OF THE POTENTIALLY ORIGINAL WINDOWS ON THE UPPER LEVEL? SO THE GLAZING ON THE UPPER LEVEL? IT SHOULDN'T ON THE EXTERIOR OF THE BUILDING, IT SHOULD NOT AFFECT THE PROFILE OF THE WINDOWS AT ALL.
WE WILL REGLAZE IT FROM THE INTERIOR, REMOVE THE, THE, UH, THE ORIGINAL PLAN WAS TO REMOVE AND REPLACE WITH
[01:00:01]
A, LIKE, FOR LIKE TYPE OF CONSTRUCTION, UH, WOOD FRAME.BUT IF WE ARE TO ADHERE TO THE WISHES OF THIS, UH, ASSESSMENT, WE CAN REGLAZE THEM POSSIBLY IF THE CONDITION OF THE WINDOW REMAINS INTACT AND REGLAZE FROM THE INTERIOR AND NOT HAVE TO AFFECT THE EXTERIOR AT ALL.
BUT YOU WOULD RE GLAZE OR YOU'D REPLACE ENTIRELY BECAUSE I, WE, WE HAD INITIALLY REQUESTED TO REPLACE THEM ENTIRELY.
WE BELIEVE AFTER, UH, WE HAD OUR GENERAL CONTRACTOR LOOK AT 'EM.
HE BELIEVES WE MAY BE ABLE TO KEEP EVERYTH.
WE CAN KEEP THE FRONT DOORS INTACT.
WE CAN KEEP MOST OF THE WINDOWS INTACT ON THE BOTTOM FLOOR.
THE SECOND FLOOR FROM THAT PHOTO, THERE IS SOME SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE.
LOOKS LIKE SOMEBODY THREW A, UM, A BICYCLE LOCK THROUGH THE, THE CENTER WINDOW AT ONE POINT AND DAMAGE THAT CENTER CASEMENT WINDOW.
BOTH, ALL THREE OF THOSE WINDOWS ON THE SECOND LEVEL HAVE, UH, ROTTED FRAMES.
WE'RE GONNA TRY TO KEEP THEM AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, BUT WE DO HAVE A, UM, HISTORIC PRESERVATION, UM, MILL WORKER, THE CW WARNOCK THAT WE'RE, UH, GOING TO ASK FOR THEIR HELP TO REPLACE THESE IF WE NEED TO.
AND DO YOU THINK YOU MIGHT HAVE ANOTHER MONTH BEFORE YOU FINALIZE THE EXACT SCOPE OF WHAT'S BEING REPLACED, WHAT'S BEING REPAIRED, HOW THE DETAILS ARE GONNA WORK? UH, WE'VE, WE'VE ASKED THE CONTRACTOR TO LEAVE THIS FACADE OF BOTH EXTERIOR FACADES ALONE.
UM, ANY OF THE INTERIOR RENOVATION CAN TAKE PLACE WITHOUT TOUCHING IT AT ALL.
BUT IN TERMS OF YOUR APPLICATION AND THE MATERIALS PRESENTED TO FINALIZE THESE DETAILS, WHICH I THINK WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA NEED BEFORE WE CAN GIVE AN APPROVAL AS FAR AS THE LEVEL OF WHAT'S BEING RETAINED AND WHAT'S BEING REPLACED.
DO YOU THINK YOU HAVE ANOTHER MONTH BEFORE THAT'S ALL GONNA BE FINALIZED?
UM, BUT IF IT HELPS OUR CASE TO GET A LITTLE MORE DETAIL, WE WE CAN PROVIDE THAT.
WELL, THE NEXT ARC MEETING IS NEXT WEDNESDAY.
NEXT WEDNESDAY, WHICH I'M NOT GONNA BE AT.
UH, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S A LITTLE MORE DETAIL TO WORK OUT BEFORE PRICING COULD BE FINALIZED ANYWAY, IN TERMS OF THE, SPECIFICALLY IN TERMS OF THE TREATMENT OF THOSE WINDOWS.
BUT WE'LL TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION IN DISCUSSION.
WE ALWAYS PREFER REPAIR OVER REPLACEMENT AND ANY, EVEN PARTS OF THE WINDOW THAT CAN BE REPAIRED RATHER THAN REPLACED AS BETTER THAN REPLACING THE WHOLE KITTEN CABOODLE, UM, FROM OUR, FROM OUR STANDARDS.
COMMISSIONER LAROCHE? YES, I I I'D LIKE TO HEAR A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THE SKYLIGHT.
I TAKE IT THE SKY LIGHT'S NOT ORIGINAL.
I DO NOT BELIEVE THE SKY LIGHT'S ORIGINAL AT ALL.
IT'S, UH, IT LOOKS, UM, THERE IS A PHOTO I BELIEVE OF THE EXISTING SKYLIGHT.
I'M SURPRISED MY COLLEAGUE DIDN'T ASK THAT SINCE HE'S BECOME AN EFFICIENT AUTO OF SKYLIGHTS.
YOU'VE EVER THE PHOTO, I BELIEVE IT WAS IN THE, UH, STAFF'S NOTES.
AND YOU CAN TELL FROM THE CONSTRUCTION THAT THIS IS A MORE THAN LIKELY A, UH, PART OF THE EIGHTIES RENOVATION.
ARE YOU INCREAS YOU'RE NOT INCREASING THE OPENING OR REAR? UH, THE CONFIGURATION LOOKS LIKE IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE PROMINENT THAN WHAT WE SEE HERE.
WE ARE INCREASING THE SIZE OF THE OPENING.
AND SO THERE ARE THAT, THAT IS ONE OF TWO, YOU CAN SEE TOWARDS THE REAR.
THERE'S ANOTHER, UM, SORT OF ATRIUM TYPE SKYLIGHT.
WE WILL CONNECT THOSE TWO AND, OR, OR WE'LL MOVE THE SKYLIGHT TOWARDS THE FRONT AND REMOVE THIS SKYLIGHT.
UH, CAUSE THAT WAS THE OTHER REQUEST OF STAFF IS SOME MORE ANALYSIS ABOUT HOW VISIBLE THAT WOULD MAKE THIS FROM THE STREET.
AFTER WE RECEIVED THOSE NOTES, WE, WE DID DO A VISUAL ANALYSIS, UH, PERSPECTIVES AND, UH, SECTIONS LOOKING FROM, LET'S SEE, I BELIEVE IT WOULD BE THE, MAYBE OUR NEXT SET.
SO YOU CAN SEE ON THE TOP DRAWING, THE SKYLIGHT THAT WE ARE PROPOSING IS TOWARDS THE CENTER OF THE BUILDING.
THE DARKER PORTION TOWARDS THE WEST, WHERE THE LEFT SIDE OF THAT DRAWING IS THE EXISTING SKYLIGHT WHERE WE ARE HOLDING THAT, THE NEW SKYLIGHT BACK FROM THE FACE OF THE BUILDING, 56 FEET, I BELIEVE
[01:05:02]
SIX FEET, UH, 56 FEET.FROM THE FRONT OF THE BUILDING AND THEN FROM THE ALLEY IT'S 72 FEET.
AND FROM THE, UH, THE STREET LEVEL, THE NEW SKYLIGHT WILL NOT BE VISIBLE PER OUR SIGHTLINE DRAWING THERE.
AND THOUGH IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT DIMENSION JUST BASED ON THE SCALE.
IT'S SLIGHTLY TALLER THAN THE EXISTING, BUT NOT BY MUCH.
BUT IT DOES HAVE A DIFFERENT PROFILE ACCORDING TO THE ELEVATION.
UH, OUR DESIGNERS OF THAT SKYLIGHT HAVE ATTEMPTED TO MAKE IT A LITTLE MORE PERIOD APPROPRIATE IF, UH, IF YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT MAYBE, UH, 1920S, UM, MAYBE NOT AS OLD AS THIS BUILDING, BUT A LITTLE BIT MORE.
ARE THERE OTHER QUESTIONS FOR THE APPLICANT? OKAY, THANK YOU.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THE APPLICATION? IS THERE ANYONE IN OPPOSITION? OKAY.
DO I HEAR A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING? SO MAY 2ND.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF CLOSING THE PUBLIC HEARING, PLEASE SAY, AYE.
UM, WHAT IS YOUR PLEASURE? IF THIS IS ALLOWED? I WOULD MOVE TO RECOMMEND I'D MOVE STAFF RECOMMENDATION, UH, TO INVITE THE APPLICANT TO THE NEXT ARC MEETING AND POSTPONE THE CASE TO HEARING IN OUR NEXT, IN THE APRIL MEETING, SPECIFICALLY FOR TREATMENT OF THE FRONT FACADE, THE WINDOWS, UH, FOR CONSIDERATION OF ANY REMAINING HISTORIC MATERIAL, BUT TO APPROVE THE REMAINDER OF THE PROJECT, INCLUDING THE SKYLIGHT.
IS THERE A SECOND? OKAY, WE HAVE A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER VENEZUELAN DISCUSSION.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO DISCUSS YOUR I JUST THINK THERE'S ENOUGH TO SHOW THAT THE SKYLIGHT IS NOT ORIGINAL AND WILL NOT BE VISIBLE FROM THE STREET.
UM, I THINK THE APPLICANT IS GOING THE RIGHT DIRECTION, BUT THERE MAY BE A LITTLE MORE RESEARCH THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE JUST TO ENSURE THAT NO, THIS, THIS WAS ONE OF THE ONES THAT WAS SLIPCOVER AND RESTORED BETWEEN THE FIFTIES AND, UH, THE EIGHTIES, I SUPPOSE.
UM, SO JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT DAMAGING ANY HISTORIC FABRIC THAT MAY HAVE REMAINED UNDER THAT SLIP COVER ALL THAT TIME.
UH, AND JUST, IT'S SOUNDS LIKE THEY HAVE GOOD CONTRACTORS IN MIND.
UH, BUT THERE WAS SOME HEAVY MENTION OF REPLACEMENT RATHER THAN REPAIR.
AND I KNOW PUTTING INSULATED PAINS IN HISTORIC FRAMES IS POSSIBLE, BUT EXTREMELY FRAUGHT.
UM, AND I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE IT WAS THOUGHT THROUGH ENOUGH THAT WE'RE APPROVING SOMETHING THAT WOULD NOT BE, UM, REMOVING AN HISTORIC FABRIC IF THERE'S STILL 50% OR MORE OF THE ORIGINAL WINDOW LEFT.
FURTHER DISCUSSION? YES, COMMISSIONER WRIGHT.
I DIDN'T DO MY FULL RESEARCH ON THIS ONE.
SO I WAS JUST LOOKING UP HISTORIC PHOTOS ON THE PORTAL OF TEXAS HISTORY AND LOOKING CLOSELY AT THE DETAILS OF THE BUILDING.
AND I DO THINK THAT THERE'S A LOT THERE THAT IS REPLACEMENT BASED ON THE, THE SLIP COVER.
SO THE, THE ROUND, UM, UH, LINTELS MM-HMM.
THE CORNICE ALL APPEARS TO BE REPLACEMENT.
THAT'S KIND OF A SIMPLIFIED VERSION OF THE HISTORIC, AND, AND THE WINDOWS TO ME LOOK TO BE ABOUT FROM THAT SAME PERIOD OF, OF CONSTRUCTION.
UM, WHENEVER, WHENEVER THEY REMOVED THE SLIP COVER, THEY DID SOME CREATIVE, UH, RESTORATION.
WELL, YEAH, THEY WERE, THEY WERE FORCED TO BECAUSE WHOEVER PUT THE SLIP COVER UP, IT PROBABLY CHOPPED SOME THINGS DOWN TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
UM, SO THAT'S JUST MY COMMENT TO SAY THAT, UM, I APPRECIATE KEVIN'S LINE OF QUESTIONING CERTAINLY.
UM, BUT I, I THINK IT, IT LOOKS, IT LOOKS FINE, BUT I, YOU KNOW, THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE SHOULD HAVE A LOOK AT WHATEVER HISTORIC DETAILS THEY CAN FIND.
UH, WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE TABLE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, WHICH IS TO INVITE THE APPLICANT TO THE NEXT MEETING OF THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE, UH, TO DISCUSS THOSE ELEMENTS.
BUT TO APPROVE THE REMAINDER OF THE APPLICATION, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND, SAY AYE.
WE'RE EXTENDING THIS INVITATION.
[01:10:01]
YOU.THE NEXT ITEM, UH, IS ONE THAT WAS PULLED, UM, BY A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC IS ITEM 14 42 0 6 WILSHIRE.
[11. HR-2022-165753 – 1804 Brackenridge St. – Consent ]
WHICH IS 1804.SOMEBODY PULLED OUT THIS EVENING, RIGHT? OKAY.
UH, I THINK THERE'S A GENTLEMAN HERE.
UM, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF SPEAKERS THEY PULLED UP.
CHAIR 1804 BRACKENRIDGE STREET IS AN ITEM THAT HAS COME BEFORE THIS COMMISSION.
A NUMBER OF TIMES THE PROPOSALS DUE, DEMOLISH THE CIRCA 1920 HOUSE AND CONSTRUCT A NEW RESIDENCE.
UM, THIS IS A ONE AND ONE HALF STORY CRAFTSMAN.
BUNGALOW CONSTRUCTED AROUND 1920, UH, IT'S FIRST OWNERS WERE JOHN AND ELMEDA HEATH.
JOHN HEATH WORKED AS A TRAVELING SALESMAN AND BY 1925, THE HEAS HAD MOVED OUT AND 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.
UM, AND THEY WORKED AT GALLOWAY SANDWICH SHOP.
UH, THEY ALSO SHARED THE RENTAL WITH MARY SANCHEZ, WHO IS ANOTHER GALLOWAY'S EMPLOYEE.
BY THE FIFTIES, THE DELAWARES HAD PURCHASED THE HOME.
UM, THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S HISTORIC DESIGN STANDARDS ARE USED TO EVALUATE PROJECTS IN NATIONAL REGISTERED DISTRICTS.
UH, THEY'RE REPLACEMENT BUILDING MEETS SOME, BUT NOT ALL OF THE APPLICABLE STANDARDS.
AND THIS PROPERTY CONTRIBUTES TO THE TRAVIS HEIGHTS FAIRVIEW PARK NATIONAL REGISTER DISTRICT.
HOWEVER, STAFF HAS EVALUATED THE PROPERTY AND DETERMINED THAT IT DID NOT MEET TWO CRITERIA FOR LANDMARK DESIGNATION.
THEREFORE, THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION IS TO RELEASE A DEMOLITION PERMIT UPON COMPLETION OF A CITY OF AUSTIN DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE AND COMMENT ON PLANS FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION.
UM, IS THERE ANYONE HERE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THE APPLICATION? NO.
I'M, UH, MICKEY PK, I'M THE ARCHITECT FOR THE PROJECT.
UH, I'VE PRESENTED THE PROJECT SEVERAL TIMES IN THE PAST, SO I, I DON'T REALLY HAVE ANY NEW INFORMATION FOR YOU.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR US? ANYONE? NO.
WE DID MEET, UH, HE DID COME TO THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE LAST TIME AND, UM, AND WAS RELUCTANT TO MAKE ANY CHANGES TO HIS DESIGN AT THIS POINT.
I WILL, I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION, UH, APOLOGIES FOR THE INTERRUPTION, MADAM CHAIR, THAT THE 75 DAYS FOR THE REVIEW FOR THE NEW CONSTRUCTION HAS PASSED.
SO YOU ALL ARE ONLY DISCUSSING THE DEMOLITION TODAY.
THE NEW CONSTRUCTION HAS ALREADY BEEN RELEASED BECAUSE OF THE 75 DAY HOLD HAS PASSED.
IT SEEMS ODD THAT NEW CONSTRUCTION WOULD BE, WOULD PASS BEFORE THE DEMOLITION WAS APPROVED.
180 FOR DEMOLITION FOR NATIONAL REGISTER HISTORIC DISTRICTS.
UM, I CAN PULL UP THE CODE FOR YOU.
THAT DOESN'T BE, LIKE, DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.
IT'S, IT'S BACKWARDS, ISN'T IT? YEAH.
IT YOU THINK SO? WELL, I THINK TYPICALLY THEY WOULDN'T START ON A NEW DESIGN UNTIL THEY KNEW THEY HAD THE DEMOLITION IN HAND, SO WE DON'T NORMALLY SEE IT IN THIS ORDER.
UH, MY ONLY QUESTION, AND I I THINK WE REALLY DO HAVE TWO ISSUES HERE, AND I, I THINK IT COMES DOWN TO AN OWNER WHO HAS PURCHASED A HOUSE THAT HAS A HIGH LEVEL OF ARCHITECTURAL INTEGRITY, HAS BEEN ENCOURAGED TO DO SOMETHING WITH THE HOUSE, AND MADE A DECISION THAT THEY DON'T WANT TO, AND THEN HAS, YOU KNOW, AS, AS I THINK STAFF HAS SAID, UM, COME UP WITH A DESIGN THAT IN TERMS OF SOME SCALE ITEMS, MEET SOME OF OUR CRITERIA FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION, BUT THE BIG GLARING ITEM IS THE ROOF.
AND, UH, IF THERE'S NO INTEREST IN THIS OWNER TO MAKE ANY CHANGE, OBVIOUSLY THAT NEW CONSTRUCTION HAS, HAS BEEN RELEASED, THEN WE'RE PROBABLY JUST TALKING ABOUT A WAITING GAME.
BUT IT'S UNFORTUNATE BECAUSE I DO THINK THAT THEY'RE, AGAIN, AN OWNER THAT WAS THINKING MORE BROADLY, UH, WOULD SEE MUCH, MUCH MORE OPPORTUNITIES HERE AND WOULD BE SEEING THEMSELVES AS CONTRIBUTING TO THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD AND TO THE HISTORIC DISTRICT THAT THEY'RE A PART OF.
BUT, UH, I GUESS, UH, MR. PEOPLE, YOU DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER PERSPECTIVE FROM THE OWNER'S POINT OF VIEW AT THIS POINT? NO.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE TO SPEAK ON THIS APPLICATION IN FAVOR OR IN OPPOSITION? OKAY.
WE HAVE SOMEONE TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION.
[01:15:09]
SO STAFF HAS JUST INFORMED US THAT WE'RE NOT DISCUSSING THE DESIGN OF THE REPLACEMENT.WE'RE DISCUSSING DEMOLITION ONLY.
UM, M MY SENSE IS IT ONE CANNOT SEPARATE THE TWO BECAUSE YEAH, IN THE END, THE ONLY THING THAT COUNTS IS WHETHER THIS OPERATION I IMPROVES OR, UM, DAMAGES.
AND WOULD YOU SPEAKER, WOULD YOU STATE YOUR NAME? I'LL INTRODUCE MYSELF FIRST.
I LIVE ON KENWOOD AVENUE IN TRAVERSE HEIGHTS, AND I'M AN ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIAN, AND OF COURSE, I DRIVE BY THIS PLACE ALL THE TIME.
UM, I SPEAK IN OPPOSITION AND I WANT TO MAKE TWO POINTS.
THE FIRST IS THAT BRACKENRIDGE, UH, I FORGET WHERE IT'S STREET OR AVENUE IN ANY CASE, BRACKENRIDGE BETWEEN MONROE AND MARY IS THE FACE OF TRAVIS HEIGHTS FOR DOORS COMING IN FROM SOUTH CONGRESS.
IT SETS THE TONE, SO TO SPEAK, FOR TRAVEL SITES.
AND I WILL EVOKE FOR A MOMENT MY FIRST EXPERIENCE OF TRAVEL SITES.
17 YEARS AGO, WE LIVED IN BOSTON.
MY WIFE GOT A JOB AT UT AND WE CAME DOWN TO LOOK FOR A HOUSE OR AN APARTMENT, WHATEVER.
AND WE GOT IN THE CAR WITH THE, UM, REAL ESTATE AGENT.
AND AFTER SEEING SEVERAL OTHER HOUSES, SHE WENT UP, UH, SOUTH CONGRESS AND THEN ANNIE.
AND WHEN WE CROSSED BRACKENRIDGE, I JUST LOOKED RIGHT AND LEFT AND I SAID, UH, THIS LOOKS GOOD ALREADY.
AND, UM, AND THEN OF COURSE WE ALSO LIKE THE HOUSE.
UM, SO BRENRIDGE TO ME IS THE FACE OF TRAVEL SITES FOR THOSE COMING IN.
AND THE PROPOSAL WOULD RUIN THAT FACE.
IT WOULD REMOVE A BEAUTIFUL BUILDING, WHICH FOR SURE NEEDS REPAIR, BUT WHICH IS A WONDERFUL CONTRIBUTION TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD, BOTH IN SCALE AND TYPOLOGY.
AND BY ME, BY SCALE, I MEAN IN PARTICULAR, IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, THE FACT THAT THERE IS A GREAT, UH, LIVE OAK SMACK IN FRONT OF IT, WHICH HAS ONE ARM, ONE BRANCH SORT OF SAYING HELLO TO THE ROOF.
AND, UM, THE HOUSE IS PERFECTLY SET FOR THAT.
IT WOULD INSTEAD TO PUT A TWO-STORY HOUSE, EVEN IF IT IS SLIGHTLY RECESSED.
UM, IT WOULD REALLY BE COMPLETELY OUT OF CHARACTER.
AND ALSO, ALTHOUGH WE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT THE NEW HOUSE, I'LL TALK ABOUT THE NEW HOUSE.
UM, THE NEW HOUSE LOOKS AS IF IT WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE.
AND IT IS EVEN PRESENTED THAT WAY IN THE DRAWINGS.
UM, THE PERSPECTIVES DON'T HAVE ANY CONTEXT.
IT IS COMPLETELY OUT OF CONTEXT.
UM, SO I, UH, I THINK THAT GOING FROM THE PICTURE ON THE LEFT TO THE PICTURE ON THE RIGHT, UM, CONSIDERABLY, UM, WEAKENS THE TONE OF TRAVIS HEIGHTS, AND IT WILL PROBABLY GAIN A COUPLE OF HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS TO DO THAT.
BUT IT DAMAGES THE VALUE OF ALL THE OTHER HOUSES THAT ONE SEES GOING FORWARD FROM THERE.
SO I WOULD VERY MUCH REGRET TO SEE THAT WONDERFUL HOUSE ON THE LEFT GO.
[01:20:01]
THE SPEAKER? THANK YOU, MR. PASANT.AND THEN WE HAVE SUSAN ARMSTRONG FI FISHER ON THE LINE, ALSO IN OPPOSITION.
UM, MY NAME'S SUSAN ARMSTRONG FISHER.
I'M A RESIDENT OF TRAVIS HEIGHTS FAIRVIEW PARK NATIONAL DISTRICT.
I'M HERE TONIGHT TO OPPOSE THE DEMOLITION OF THIS PROPERTY.
THAT SIDE OF THE BLOCK IS ALL CONTRIBUTING HOMES DEMOLISHING THIS PROPERTY WOULD ELIMINATE ONE OF THE LAST FEW STREETS IN TRAVIS HEIGHTS WITH ALL CONTRIBUTING HOMES IN A ROW.
AND I DON'T HAVE THE ELOQUENT STORY THAT FRANCISCO HAS, BUT AS WE KNOW, ONE DEMOLITION BEGETS ANOTHER DEMOLITION.
AND AS YOU KNOW, TRAVIS HEIGHTS IS LOSING ITS CHARACTER ONE BY ONE.
AND SO, YES, PERHAPS THE NEW CONSTRUCTION HAS BEEN RELEASED, BUT WE BEG AND IMPLORE THAT EVERY TOOL WILL BE USED FOR THE HOUSES THAT ARE, WE'RE SLOWLY LOSING AND JUST ASK THE COMMISSIONERS TO DELAY AS LONG AS POSSIBLE FOR ANY HOPE TO PRESERVE ONE MORE HOUSE, ESPECIALLY ON A HOUSE, ON A STREET.
I'M SORRY, THAT HAS AS MUCH CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS THE HISTORIC DISTRICT AS THIS ONE DOES.
THANK YOU, MS. ARMSTRONG FISHER.
UM, ANY QUESTIONS OF THE SPEAKER? OKAY.
UH, IS THERE ANYONE ELSE TO SPEAK? WOULD THE APPLICANT LIKE TO REBUT? YES.
UH, DO I HEAR A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING? IT'S ALL MOVED.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF CLOSING THE PUBLIC HEARING, PLEASE SAY AYE.
ANY OPPOSED? OKAY, THE MOTION CARRIES.
IS THERE A MOTION ON THE CASE? I'M GONNA MOVE TO FOLLOW STAFF RECOMMENDATION TO RELEASE A DEMOLITION PERMIT PENDING A CITY OF AUSTIN DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE.
I WANTED TO SAY I APPRECIATE THE NEIGHBORHOOD SUPPORT, UM, BUT I AM MAKING THIS MOTION IN THE INTEREST OF THE APPLICANT, HAVING MADE AN INITIAL ATTEMPT TO ADAPT THE BUILDING TO MEET A PROGRAM, UH, BECAUSE OF THE TREES ON THE SITE.
THE PROGRAM JUST WOULD NOT WORK WITH THE EXISTING STRUCTURE, BUT THEY DID MAKE AN EFFORT, AND I DON'T WANT TO PUNISH SOMEONE ADDITIONALLY FOR MAKING AN EFFORT.
SO I THINK IT'S BEEN SIX MONTHS IN THAT SINCE THAT ATTEMPT.
SO, UM, THAT'S WHY I'M MAKING THIS MOTION AND NOT USING THE FULL HUNDRED 80 DAYS.
AND I, I DO NOTE THAT THIS IS THE, THE GATEWAY TO TRAVIS HEIGHTS.
IT'S ALSO ADJACENT TO, UM, SOUTH CONGRESS, WHICH, UH, MAY BE A CANARY IN THE COAL MINE, WHERE WE SEE THIS REGION TURNING INTO A VERY CONTEMPORARY DESIGN DISTRICT OF ITS OWN, WHICH I THINK DOES NOT BODE WELL FOR SOUTH CONGRESS ITSELF, UH, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT I HOPE, UH, THE CITY CONSIDERS FOR THOSE.
I JUST WANNA SAY THAT I EMPATHIZE WITH THE, UH, SPEAKERS TONIGHT THAT IN OPPOSITION, UH, CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND AND EMPATHETIC WITH YOUR POSITION.
I'LL, I'LL THIRD THE EMPATHY AND ADD ON JUST THE DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE, THE POOL AND THE, OUR LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE IS PLAY IS SOMEWHAT COMPLICIT IN THE WEALTH INEQUALITY THAT JUST IS GONNA TAKE OVER THIS CITY.
AND TRAVIS HEIGHTS GONNA TURN INTO A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT EVERYBODY HAS THEIR OWN POOL, AND THAT'S NOT THE WAY IT WAS INTENDED.
I, UM, THE RESIDENTS OF TRAVIS HEIGHTS HAVE BEEN, THEY WORKED SINCE 2004, 2005 TO GET THEIR NATIONAL REGISTER DISTRICT.
AND IN THE PAST TWO YEARS, WE'VE JUST SEEN HIM GO DOWN LIKE DOMINOES BECAUSE NATIONAL REGISTER IS AN HONOR RATHER THAN A MANDATE, UM, TO RETAIN CONTRIBUTING BUILDINGS.
AND THE MORE NEW CONSTRUCTION WE HAVE, THE MORE THE HISTORIC CHARACTERS ERODED.
UM, I'M, I'M MORE THAN EMPATHETIC OR SYMPATHETIC TO, UH, THOSE SPEAKING IN OP OPPOSITION.
IT'S MORE LIKE SPEAKING IN DESPERATION.
[01:25:01]
AND, UM, AS THE AUTHOR OF THE NATIONAL REGISTER NOMINATION, UM, IT, IT PAINS ME, UH, TOO, BUT, UM, IS THERE ANYONE ELSE TO SPEAK? OKAY.ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF RELEASING THE DEMOLITION PERMIT? 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.
AND HE OPPOSED TO RELEASING THE DEMOLITION PERMIT? THREE OPPOSED.
[14. HR-2023-004436 – 4206 Wilshire Pkwy. – Consent]
GO ON TO 14 42 0 6 WILSHIRE.CHAIR ITEM 14 42 0 6 WILSHIRE PARKWAY IS A PROPOSAL TO DEMOLISH THE CIR 1947 HOUSE AND CARPORT AND CONSTRUCT A NEW BUILDING WITH A POOL, OH, SORRY.
THIS IS A, A ONE STORY SIDE, GABLE MASONRY HOUSE WITH MULTI LIGHT CASEMENT WINDOWS, A PARTIAL WIDTH THINSET PORCH, AND AN ATTACHED CARPORT.
UH, THIS HOUSE WAS CONSTRUCTED IN 1947 BY WILSHIRE WOOD BUILDERS BRADFIELD AND BRUSH TOM BRADFIELD JR.
AND HIS WIFE MARY, LIVED IN THE HOUSE WHILE HE WORKED WITH WALLING, BRADFIELD AND BRUSH.
THE BRADFIELD SOLD THE HOUSE AROUND 1953 TO PHYSICIAN MARTIN P LEGGETT AND HIS WIFE, UM, LEGGETT OWNED PRACTICES ON BURNETT ROAD AND EAST AVENUE UNTIL THE 1970S.
THE NEW CONSTRUCTION PROJECT MEETS MOST OF THE APPLICABLE STANDARDS EXCEPT FOR SECTION SIX, WHICH IS ROOFS.
UM, STAFF HAS EVALUATED THE PROPERTY AND DETERMINED THAT IT DOES NOT MEET TWO CRITERIA FOR LANDMARK DESIGNATION.
THEREFORE, THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION IS TO APPROVE THE DEMOLITION APPLICATION UPON COMPLETION OF A CITY OF AUSTIN DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE AND TO COMMENT ON THE PLANS FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION.
ALL RIGHT, ANY QUESTIONS? QUESTIONS, STAFF? OKAY.
IS THERE ONE QUICK QUESTION? UH, I THINK WHAT'S SHOW SHOWN RIGHT NOW? THERE WERE REVISED PLANS THAT WERE PART OF THE PACKET.
AND, UM, THOSE PLANS WERE RECEIVED AFTER THE STAFF REPORT WAS POSTED.
SO THESE, UH, DO NOT REFLECT, UH, THESE RECOMMENDATIONS AND THE STAFF REPORT DO NOT REFLECT THE NEW PLANS.
UM, IS THERE ANYONE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THIS APPLICATION? WE DO HAVE THE APPLICANT ON THE LINE, UM, RICHARD LIN, THEREFORE THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION.
I I WAS, UM, IT, IT DIDN'T NEED TO BE CALLED, BUT GO AHEAD.
OH, I DIDN'T CALL IT SOMEONE ELSE, SOMEONE ELSE DID.
RICHARD LAMP, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK ON YOUR ITEM? YES.
UH, YEAH, THERE WAS, THERE WAS SOMEONE ELSE THAT HAD, UM, HAD ASKED TO PULL IT.
I WASN'T THE ONE THAT DID THAT.
I'M JUST STANDING BY TO REBUT.
SO YOU WEREN'T THE OTHER PERSON.
I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED BECAUSE, UH, I BROKE MY LEG AND TURNED DURING THE STORM, SO I, I COULDN'T BE THERE IN PERSON.
UH, WE CAN GO TO THE OTHER SPEAKER WHO PULLED IT FOR DISCUSSION, UH, MORE FOR DISCUSSION AND, BUT IT'S IN FAVOR.
YEAH, I MEAN, I, I IT WOULD'VE PASSED ON CONSENT, BUT YOU PULLED IT, SO, YEAH, I, I DON'T KNOW.
I'M NOT SURE WHERE THE FORMALITIES LIE AND CONSENT VERSUS, UM, NON-CONSENT.
UM, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD.
MY NAME IS, MY NAME IS DAN BROTMAN.
I LIVE AT 42 0 4 WILSHIRE PARKWAY.
UH, ABOUT A COUPLE YEARS BACK, ANOTHER HOUSE ON THE STREET WAS, UH, PULLED DOWN AND A VERY BIG HOUSE WAS PUT IT IN SPACE.
I'M NOT FULLY AGAINST THESE PLANS HERE, SO TO SPEAK, SIMPLY CUZ I'M NOT ABLE TO EXPOSED TO THEM AS MUCH.
THE ONLY THING THAT I REALLY THINK, UH, NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT IS THESE HOUSES ARE VERY OLD AND CLOSE TOGETHER, AND THE ADJOINING PROPERTIES, UM, REALLY DON'T HAVE ANY BARRIER MUCH TO SPEAK OF.
AND I, MINE'S A LITTLE TEENY OLD HOUSE, YOU KNOW, 1500 SQUARE FEET AND THIS HOUSE IS GONNA BE TOWERING OVER IT.
AND I WOULD JUST ASK THE OWNER, I'D NEVER MET THE MAN I TURNED, I THINK HE'S A NICE GENTLEMAN FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD.
UH, JUST THAT THE MOST AMOUNT OF BARRIER BE PUT IN BETWEEN THE TWO HOUSES.
IN OTHER WORDS, I'M IN FULL FAVOR OF JUST HAVING A 10 FOOT BARRIER PUT IN FRONT OF THE TWO HOUSES,
[01:30:01]
BECAUSE I THINK THE WAY THAT I SAW THE DESIGN, IT'S KIND OF HARD TO SEE ON THE DRAWINGS, IS THAT HIS WINDOWS ARE BELOW HIS FENCE LINE.AND I, MY HOUSE KIND OF SITS UP ON A LITTLE PERCH.
SO IT WOULD, I JUST WANT TO ENCOURAGE, YOU KNOW, GOOD FENCES, MAKE GOOD NEIGHBORS, AND I'M HERE TO BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR AND SAY, PLEASE, YOU KNOW, RESPECT, EVEN THOUGH IT'S GONNA BE A, UH, AN UN UNTRADITIONAL HOUSE ON A HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD ON FOR THAT AND FOR PROGRESS, I JUST WANT THERE TO BE ENOUGH PRIVACY IN BETWEEN THE TWO HOMES BECAUSE AFTER THE STORM WE HAD A FEW YEARS BACK, THERE REALLY ISN'T MUCH, UM, PRIVACY IN BETWEEN THESE TWO HOMES.
AND LIKE I SAID, THEY'RE VERY CLOSE BECAUSE A LOSS OF TREE COVER OR SOMETHING, THERE'S A LOT OF LOSS OF TREE COVER, SOME BAMBOO, SOME LOT OF TREE BUSHES IN BETWEEN THE TWO HOUSES.
IF YOU LOOKED TWO YEARS AGO BETWEEN THE TWO HOUSES, YOU WOULD'VE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO SEE THEM SITTING DOWN.
BUT NOW ALL THOSE BUSHES ARE, ARE GONE.
AND I'M NOT SURE WHAT THEIR PLANS ARE FOR, UH, REMOVAL OF THE, OF THE TREES, BUT I, I KNOW THAT THAT MIGHT BE AFFECTED AS WELL.
SO, WELL, UH, MR. BROADMAN, WE MAY BE ABLE TO ADDRESS AT LEAST SOME OF YOUR CONCERNS, NOT SPECIFICALLY AT THEIR HISTORIC, BUT IN TERMS OF THIS BUILDING'S RELATIONSHIP AND ITS SCALE TO ITS NEIGHBORS, THIS IS A ONE STORY BUILDING AND AS IT'S BEEN REVISED AND SUBMITTED TO US FOR, FOR TONIGHT, UM, PLUS THIS WAY THAT THEY'VE ORGANIZED THE LIVING SPACES, UH, THEY ARE ADJACENT TO THEIR PROPERTY LINE.
THEY, THEY, THESE TWO WINGS RUN PARALLEL TO THEIR TWO DIFFERENT PROPERTY LINES.
BUT ACCORDING TO THE PLANS, BOTH OF THOSE ARE, UH, SURROUNDED BY FENCES.
SO THEY WILL LOOK INTO A FENCE YARD.
I UNDERSTAND THEY'RE LOOKING INTO A FENCE YARD.
I WAS JUST ENCOURAGING THE OWNERS TO, YOU KNOW, BEAR WITH ME CUZ IF, YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE PRIVACY ON MY SIDE, IF THEY CERTAINLY DON'T DO IT, WE'RE GONNA HAVE MORE BUILDING AND REMOVING OF TREES AND THAT THEY STILL HAVE TO FOLLOW THESE BASED ON HISTORIC REVIEW.
UM, IF THERE WERE ADJUSTMENTS MADE TO THE FENCES, WE WOULDN'T HAVE ANY SAY.
BUT BASED ON WHAT WE'RE SEEING HERE TONIGHT, I THINK YOUR CONCERNS HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT PUBLIC STATEMENT.
AND, UM, I LOOK TO REBUT NOW THE LANDOWNER OF THE PROPERTY OWNER.
UH, MR. BROCKMAN, WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA BE GOOD NEIGHBORS.
UH, I WANT THE EXACT SAME THING.
SO WE ARE LOOKING TO PUT 10 FOOT FENCES UP.
I'M SUPER HAPPY TO HEAR THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR THE SAME.
UM, WE WOULD LOVE TO KEEP THAT PRIVACY.
THE REASON WE BOUGHT THAT LOT IS BECAUSE OF THE PRIVACY.
UM, WE, UH, WE ARE ABSOLUTELY, UH, GAME FOR ANYTHING YOU WANT TO, YOU WANT TO DISCUSS IN TERMS OF, UM, ADDING SOME BAMBOO OR ANYTHING THAT YOU THINK WILL, WILL CREATE THAT BARRIER FOR BOTH OF US.
UM, I CAN TELL YOU THAT WE DID EVERYTHING WE COULD TO MAKE THIS THING COMPLIMENTARY TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE, WE LITERALLY THOUGHT ABOUT THIS HISTORIC COMMISSION.
I BOUGHT IT KNOWING IT WAS A HISTORICAL PROPERTY AND I BOUGHT IT WITH THE DESIRE TO KEEP WITHIN THAT LOOK AND FEEL, BUT TO MODERNIZE IT.
AND SO, UM, AS THE COMMISSIONER SAID, WE'RE NOT LOOKING TO GO ANY TALLER, UM, THAN ALLOWED.
AND, UH, ONE STORY, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE ABIDING BY ALL OF THE SETBACKS, BOTH 25 FOOT IN FRONT AND THE 10 ON SIDES.
UM, AND WE'RE TRYING TO MAINTAIN THE, THE RHYTHM OF THE STREET BY THE WAY, WE'VE ESTABLISHED, UH, THE FENCE LINES.
AND SO I CAN PROMISE YOU, UM, WE WILL, WE WILL WORK TOGETHER AND, AND WE'LL BE GOOD NEIGHBORS AND WE'LL, WE'LL HAVE SOME ICE TEA TOGETHER, UM, BUT WE WON'T BE ABLE TO SEE EACH OTHER IN EACH OTHER'S BACKYARDS.
UM, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OF THE OWNER WHO WE JUST HEARD FROM? OKAY, THANK YOU.
DO I HEAR A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING? SO MOVED.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF CLOSING THE PUBLIC HEARING.
PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND, SAY, OKAY, PUBLIC HEARING IS CLOSED.
IS THERE A MOTION ON THE CASE? I'LL MOVE STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION FOR APPROVAL OF A DEMOLITION UPON COMPLETION OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE AND, UH, AND THE RELEASE OF THE NEW PLANS, UH, I'M SORRY.
AND THE RELEASE OF AS, AS REVISED.
AND IT'S BEEN SECONDED BY, UH, COMMISSIONER LAROCHE.
ANY DISCUSSION? UH, AGAIN, I THINK, UM, CONSIDERING THE EXISTING HOUSE AND ITS CONDITION, UH, WHILE THERE MAY BE SOME WAYS THAT THIS MIGHT HAVE MORE OF THE CHARACTER OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD IN ITS DESIGN, CERTAINLY, UH, AS A GOOD NEIGHBOR, IF YOU WILL, I DO BELIEVE THIS DESIGN WILL MEET, UH, UH, SATISFACTORILY AND, UH, NO, NO REASON WE SHOULD HAVE ANY PROBLEM, UH, APPROVING THAT.
[01:35:01]
OKAY.ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE SAY, AYE.
[16. HR-2023-002675 – 1702 Alameda Dr. – Consent]
UM, 16, ITEM 16 IS 1702 ALAMEDA 1702 ALAMEDA DRIVE IS A PROPOSAL TO CONSTRUCT AN ADDITION, REPOINT THE BRICK, REPLACE WINDOWS, AND ADD A FRONT PORCH TO A CIRCA 1935 HOUSE.THIS IS A ONE AND A HALF STORY CROSS GABLE TU REVIVAL WITH MASON REC CLATTING.
ONE OVER ONE WINDOWS IN ARCH ENTRYWAY IN EAVES.
IT WAS CONSTRUCTED AROUND 1935 AND ITS FIRST RESIDENCE WERE GUSTAV RAYMOND AND LOIS PETERSON.
UH, PETERSON WORKED AS A, UH, CONCRETE ENGINEER AND A LABORATORY TECHNICIAN AT THE STATE HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT.
THEY SOLD THE PROPERTY TO THE RANNY FAMILY.
ROGER RANNY BEGAN HIS CAREER AS A TEACHER AND A LAWYER IN IOWA BEFORE MOVING TO TEXAS, WHERE HE SOLD BOTH INSTRUMENTS AND PIANOS.
AFTER WORKING AS A SALESMAN FOR SEVERAL YEARS, HE CHANGED CAREERS ENTIRELY AND BECAME ONE OF THE FIRST PROFESSIONAL PAROLE OFFICERS IN TEXAS.
UM, THE PROJECT MEETS MOST OF THE APPLICABLE DESIGN STANDARDS WITH THE EXCEPTION OF RESIDENTIAL EDITIONS.
THIS PROPERTY CONTRIBUTES TO THE TRAVIS HEIGHTS FAIRVIEW PARK NATIONAL REGISTER DISTRICT STAFF HAS EVALUATED THE PROPERTY AND DETERMINED THAT IT DOES NOT MEET TWO CRITERIA FOR INDIVIDUAL DESIGNATION.
SO THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION IS TO COMMENT ON THE PLANS, UM, AND STRONGLY ENCOURAGE THE APPLICANT TO OMIT THE FRONT PORCH, UM, ADDITION TO THIS PROJECT.
ANY QUESTIONS OF STAFF? THANK YOU.
THE FRONT PORCH ADDITION WOULD RENDER THIS PROPERTY NON-CONTRIBUTING IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER DISTRICT.
UM, IS THERE ANYONE HERE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THIS APPLICATION? WE HAVE THE APPLICANT ON THE LINE.
AND, UH, WE HAVE REMOVED THE FRONT PORCH FROM THE, YEP.
THAT WAS QUICK FROM THE FRONT.
THE HOUSE IS BASICALLY INTACT.
WE'RE REPLACING THE WINDOWS WITHIN THE, UH, EXISTING WINDOW OPENINGS.
UH, AGAIN FROM THE FRONT AND BOTH SIDES.
THE ROOF LINE WILL STAY THE SAME.
ALL OF OUR WORK WILL BE IN THE, ON THE BACK.
WELL, IT'S NOT JUST OUT OF THE GOODNESS OF MY HEART.
THERE WERE SOME OTHER ISSUES, UH, WITH THE FRONT PORCH.
OH, WAIT, YOU DIDN'T DO THAT JUST FOR ME? NO, I THINK IT WAS HERITAGE TREES, NOT THE HERITAGE PRESERVATION.
IN ANY CASE, UM, WE'RE PROUD TO PRESERVE THE HOUSE.
THE INTERIOR WILL BE, YOU KNOW, WILL BE NEW.
WILL BE NEW, BUT THE EXTERIOR WILL BE AS IS.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OF THE SPEAKER? I HAVE ONE, UH, WE HAVE A QUESTION FROM COMMISSIONER VALENZUELA.
DID, DID I HEAR YOU SAY YOU ARE STILL REPLACING THE WINDOWS? AND IF SO, ARE THOSE RESTRIC? YES.
WE'RE REPLACING THE WINDOWS WITHIN THE EXISTING OPENING SO WE DON'T HAVE TO, UH, UH, SO ANYWAY, SO YES, WITHIN THE BRICK, UM, FACADE, THE, UH, THE NEW WINDOWS WILL MATCH THE OLD WINDOWS.
AND, AND THAT'S ON ALL FOUR FACADES? YEAH, ALL THREE FACADES THAT ARE VISIBLE FROM ALAMEDA, THE BACK, UH, WE'RE PRETTY MUCH HAVING TO PICK OUT BACK AN ORDER TO ADD NEW SPACE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? IS THERE ANYONE ELSE TO SPEAK ON THIS CASE? OKAY.
DO I HEAR A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING? I'M STILL STUNNED.
IS THERE A, IS THERE A SECOND? COMMISSIONER GROGAN SECOND.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF CLOSING THE PUBLIC HEARING? PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
DO I HEAR A MOTION ON THE CASE? I'LL MOVE, UH, APPROVAL WITH STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION AND THE OMISSION OF THE FRONT PORCH AS WAS ORIGINALLY SUBMITTED IN THE PLANS.
I'M GONNA TAKE, UH, LET'S SEE, FEATHERSTON THIS TIME.
COMMISSIONER FEATHERSTON A SECOND.
ANY DISCUSSION? UM, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
AND THE OPPOSED, THANK YOU, SIR.
[01:40:01]
SO, TWO, TWO UNPRECEDENTED CASES.I KNOW WHEN THE COUNCIL INITIATED A ZONING, WHICH WE WISH THEY'D DO MORE OF, AND THEN ONE WHERE A A A GLARING PROBLEM WITH A DESIGN IS MIRACULOUSLY EVAPORATED, SAVED THAT AS WELL FROM THE CLUTCHES OF EVIL.
YOUR, YOUR NEIGHBORS WILL LOVE YOU FOR THIS.
[18. PR-2022-143328 – 7304 Knox Ln. – Discussion ]
ITEM NUMBER 18 73 0 4 KNOX LANE.THIS IS A PROPOSAL TO DEMOLISH THE CIRCA 1940 HOUSE, UH, 73 0 4 KNOX LANE IS AN ECLECTIC HOUSE WITH EARLY RANCH AND VERNACULAR STYLISTIC INFLUENCES.
IT IS ONE AND A HALF STORIES IN HEIGHT WITH AN L-SHAPED PLAN AND INTERSECTING PARTIAL WITH PORCHES.
IT'S COMPOUND ROOFLINE FEATURES DEEP EAVES WITH CEDAR SHAKES AT THE GAY BLENDS.
VENATION INCLUDES EIGHT OVER EIGHT WOOD WINDOWS OF VARYING DIMENSIONS.
THIS HOUSE IS AT THE INTERSECTION OF KNOX AND RUNNING ROPE LANE, AND IT'S BEEN KNOWN AS 73 0 4, UH, OR 73 0 6 KNOX THROUGH HISTORY.
IT WAS CONSTRUCTED BETWEEN 1930 AND 1940.
THE LAND WAS PURCHASED IN THE 1930S BY MARY LOU AND WARREN PENN KNOX.
WP KNOX, UH, THE DISTRICT COMMISSIONER FOR THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA TURNED THE PROPERTY INTO A DAY CAMP FOR BOYS CALLED RUNNING ROPE RANCH.
KNOX WAS A VERMONT NATIVE WHO MOVED TO AUSTIN AFTER WORLD WAR I.
AFTER SERVING AS AN ARMY CAPTAIN IN WORLD WAR II, HE BECAME INVOLVED IN CENTRAL TEXAS OUTDOOR YOUTH ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING WORK AS THE OFFICIAL OPERATOR OF THE ARROWHEAD RANCH CAMP IN KERRVILLE.
BEFORE OPENING THE RUNNING ROPE RANCH, IT OFFERED RIDING LESSONS, HIKING AND SURVIVAL TRAINING, SWIMMING IN THE, AND SWIMMING IN THE SPRING-FED POOL.
UM, THE LAND BOASTED SEVEN NATURAL SPRINGS, WHICH LATER IDEN LATER IDENTIFIED BY MARGARET THOMAS KNOX AS A HABITAT OF THE THREATENED JOLLYVILLE PLATEAU SALAMANDER.
IT ALSO OFFERED OTHER OUTDOORS MANSHIP TRAINING.
FROM 1959 TO 1966, LEGENDARY AUSTIN HORSE WOMAN, GINGER POOL TODD AT THE RANCH.
THE KNOX FAMILY OPERATED THE DAY CAMP FOR 10 YEARS.
WP KNOX NOTED AS LARGER THAN LIFE AND POSTUM AS PUBLICATIONS HAD AN ECLECTIC PATCHWORK OF INTERESTS.
HE ENTERTAINED HIS PUPILS BY SHOWCASING ROPE TRICKS HE LEARNED AS A RODEO PERFORMER.
AFTER WORLD WAR I, HE WAS A LIFE MEMBER OF THE MARSHALL FORD GAME PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATION, AND HE ALSO VOLUNTEERED ON THE COUNCIL OF THE TEXAS CONFEDERATE HOME FOR MEN, UH, AND TAUGHT SUNDAY SCHOOL.
IN LATER YEARS, JAMES AND MARGARET THOMAS KNOX AND THEIR CHILDREN MOVED TO THE PROPERTY.
MARGARET KNOX, WHO WAS, UH, WP KNOX'S DAUGHTER-IN-LAW, WAS THE DAUGHTER OF FAMED O AUSTIN ARCHITECT ROY L. THOMAS.
SHE MARRIED AVIATOR AND P O W JAMES KNOX IN 1944.
AFTER HE RETIRED FROM THE MILITARY, THE COUPLE MOVED BACK TO HIS FAMILY HOME IN 66.
AND THERE MARGARET KNOX WORKED AS A SEAMSTRESS, A BEEKEEPER, A CHILDREN'S BOOK AUTHOR, AND A WILD LIVE REHABILITATOR UNTIL HER DEATH IN 2022.
STAFF HAS EVALUATED THE PROPERTY AND DETERMINED THAT IT MAY MEET, UH, SEVERAL OF THE CRITERIA FOR LANDMARK DESIGNATION.
THIS BUILDING IS AN ECLECTIC HOUSE WITH EARLY RANCH AND VERNACULAR STYLISTIC INFLUENCES.
THE PROPERTY IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE KNOX FAMILY AND THE RUNNING ROPE BRANCH.
UH, THE, THE COMMISSION, UH, SHOULD CAREFULLY WEIGH WP KNOX'S, UH, VOLUNTEERSHIP WITH THE CONFEDERATE HOME, UM, ALONG WITH OTHER ITEMS, UM, RESEARCH INDICATES A HIGH PROBABILITY OF SIGNIFICANT ARCHEOLOGICAL DATA, INCLUDING EVIDENCE OF NATIVE AMERICAN MOUND BUILDING ACTIVITY IN SPRINGS, PURPORTED TO BE USED, UH, BY EARLY RESIDENTS OF THE LAND.
AND THE PROPERTY MAY POSSESS UNIQUE LOCATION, PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTIC, OR A SIGNIFICANT FEATURE THAT CONTRIBUTES TO THE CHARACTER IMAGE OR CULTURAL IDENTITY OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AS IT HAS BEEN NOTED IN SEVERAL NORTHWEST AUSTIN CIVIC ASSOCIATION PUBLICATIONS, THE PROPERTY MAY ALSO FUNCTION AS A SIGNIFICANT NATURAL LANDSCAPE WITH ARTISTIC AESTHETIC, CULTURAL OR HISTORICAL VALUE TO THE CITY.
WHILE SOME OF THE ORIGINAL RANCH HAS BEEN DEVELOPED AND SOME OUTBUILDINGS REMOVED NATURAL SPRINGS IN A SPRING-FED POOL REMAIN, THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION IS TO CONSIDER INITIATION OF HISTORIC ZONING IN LIGHT OF, UH, THE ABOVE CRITERIA.
HOWEVER, SHOULD THE COMMISSION DECIDE AGAINST HISTORIC ZONING RECOMMENDATION IS TO RELEASE THE DEMOLITION PERMIT UPON RECEIPT OF A CITY OF AUSTIN DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE AND A PLAN FOR ARCHEOLOGICAL MONITORING.
IS THERE ANYONE HERE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THE APPLICATION? OKAY.
IS THERE ANYONE TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION TO THE APPLICATION? OKAY.
DO I HEAR A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING? I WOULD RECOMMEND WE NOT CLOSE
[01:45:01]
THE PUBLIC HEARING IN CASE WE INITIATE.WE'RE NOT GOING TO, WE'RE GONNA LEAVE THE PUBLIC HEARING, UH, OPEN HERE.
UM, IS THERE A MOTION ON THE, ON THE CASE? I, I THINK THIS IS ONE WHERE, BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW THE OWNER'S INTENTION AND, UH, THEY ARE NOT REPRESENTED HERE TONIGHT.
AND UNLESS STAFF YOU HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO HAVE MORE EXTENSIVE DISCUSSIONS WITH THE OWNERS AND WHAT'S BEHIND THE REASON FOR THE INITIATION OF THE DEMOLITION PERMIT, UH, I I THINK THERE'S SUBSTANTIAL ARGUMENT TO BE MADE.
THANK YOU TO YOUR RESEARCH FOR, UM, THE CULTURAL ASSOCIATION.
UM, AND, AND OTHER, UM, UM, VALUES THERE.
UH, I'M NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT SURE ABOUT THE ARCHITECTURE BECAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE IT MAY HAVE BEEN, UH, BUILT OVER SOME AMOUNT OF TIME, UH, SOME ADJUSTMENTS OR CHANGES.
BUT THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT ALSO WOULD BE WORTH LOOKING INTO.
AND SO I'M GOING TO ARGUE THAT IT'S WORTH POSTPONING TO OUR NEXT MEETING AND WITH A REQUEST THAT WE REACH OUT TO THE OWNER, UH, BUT ALSO, UH, HAVE A CHANCE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE EXISTING BUILDING.
I THINK I SEE A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER MCCORD.
FOR SOME, I THOUGHT I READ IN THE, IN THE BACKUP THAT THERE, SOMEBODY WOULD SAY THAT IT WAS A NEIGHBOR SAYING THAT THEY, THEY PLANNED A SUBDIVISION ON THIS PROPERTY CUZ IT'S A LARGE PIECE OF PROPERTY.
SO I THINK IT'S, IN MY MIND, THAT'S PROBABLY THE INTENTION.
UH, AND AND THAT WOULDN'T NECESSARILY NEGATE PRESERVING, UH, SOME PORTION.
DO SO I, IT, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M TRANSITIONING OFF THIS COMMISSION, BUT I, IT SURE SEEMS TO ME THAT THIS, I'M VERY SURPRISED NOBODY'S HERE ACTUALLY.
UH, CUZ THAT'S A, THOSE, YOU KNOW, THOSE NEIGHBORS UP THERE KNOW, KNOW WHAT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE VERY AWARE OF THIS PROPERTY FOR THEM.
UH, IS THERE ANY, UH, ANY FEELING ABOUT, JUST FOR US TO GET A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION TO GO AHEAD AND INITIATE HISTORIC EXAMINING ON THIS? I'VE, I'VE SEEN THIS SITE AND THERE THERE'S MORE THAN JUST A SPRINGS AND A POOL.
THERE'S, THERE ARE NUMEROUS SPRINGS AND, UM, LANDSCAPE, UH, ARCHITECTURE AND THE, THE HISTORIC ASSOCIATIONS WITH, UH, WITH SCOUTING AND, UM, WITH KNOX.
I THINK CITY COUNCIL WANTED US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KNEW THAT MR. KNOX WAS, UM, WAS ON THE BOARD OF THE CONFEDERATE HOME FOR MEN.
UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT TAKES AWAY FROM THE HISTORIC, HIS HISTORIC CONTRIBUTIONS TO, UH, SEVERAL GENERATIONS OF YOUNG PEOPLE OR HIS ASSOCIATION WITH HIS PROPERTY OR WITH THE ARCHITECTURE AND LANDSCAPE.
AND ALSO THIS IS, UH, A CASE WHERE ARCHEOLOGY, UM, CERTAINLY COMES INTO PLAY BECAUSE IT HASN'T BEEN PREVIOUSLY, UH, DEVELOPED ALL, ALL OVER WHERE THE SPRINGS ARE.
AND, UM, I THINK, UH, I, I WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO, UM, TO INITIATE HISTORIC SOUNDING.
UH, IF THERE'S NOT BEEN A SECOND TO THE PROPO, THE MOTION TO POSTPONE, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE WAS A SECOND, BUT IF THERE'S NOT BEEN, THERE WASN'T OFFICIALLY A SECOND AND, AND I CAN WITHDRAW MY MOTION.
UH, IF, IF, UH, YOU WOULD PREFER TO MAKE, I'D RATHER YOU KNOW, IT, IT WOULD, IT WOULD SHARPEN EVERYBODY'S FOCUS.
I WOULD THINK IF WE INITIATED HISTORIC ZONING, IT WOULD GIVE STAFFS MORE TIME.
UH, IT, THE OWNERS WOULD PROBABLY NEED TO COME AND VISIT WITH THE COMMISSION NEXT MONTH AND, UH, OR WHENEVER THEY, WHENEVER THEY COME AND TO EXPLAIN WHAT THEY PLAN TO DO.
AND IF THERE'S, I MEAN, I, YOU KNOW, YOU HATE TO SEE SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
I MEAN, YES, IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO HAVE MORE HOUSING IN THIS CITY AND I, I A HUNDRED PERCENT AGREE WITH THAT.
UH, AND YOU CAN HOLD ME TO IT CUZ YOU KNOW WHO I AM.
UH, BUT I THINK THAT THIS IS, THIS IS SOMETHING, UH, I THINK WE SHOULD INITIATE HISTORIC ZONING AND I WOULD MAKE THAT MOTION.
AND THAT'S LET'S HIS FIRST STEP.
IS THERE A SECOND TO THAT MOTION? OKAY.
UM, COMMISSIONER MCC ORDER, WE'RE GONNA, UH, WE HAVE A SECOND.
UM, IF I CAN GET CLARIFICATION ON THE CRI THE CRITERIA BEING SELECTED FOR THE INITIATION.
UH, I THINK THE STAFF, THEY RECORDABLE THE ARCHITECTURE IS, I'D LIKE TO KNOW SOME MORE ABOUT THE ARCHITECTURE.
[01:50:01]
SO I WOULD USE THAT, UH, THE HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION.UM, I THINK THAT THERE'S, UH, THERE'S SOME COMMUNITY VALUE UP THERE.
I THINK THERE'S PROBABLY STRONG COMMUNITY VALUE AND PERHAPS THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE ISN'T AWARE OF THE PLAN BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE GROWN UP BOY SCOUTS AND, AND OTHERS WHO SPENT TIME HERE.
UH, AND THERE PROBABLY STILL A FEW THAT STILL LEFT IN TOWN THAT HAVE, THERE PROBABLY ARE STILL A FEW LEFT IN.
AND IT'S, AND THERE MAY BE ARCHEOLOGICAL, UH, THERE MAY BE SOMETHING THERE.
SO I THINK THAT THAT'S FOUR LEGS, LANDSCAPE LANDSCAPE.
I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S AN INITIATION.
IT'S NOT NECESSARILY A RECOMMENDATION.
AND WE'D LIKE TO, WE'D LIKE TO HAVE, AND IF IT CAN'T, IF THE INFORMATION CAN'T BE BROUGHT BACK TO THE NEXT COMMISSION, THEY CAN, WE CAN GO TO ANOTHER, TAKE A COUPLE MONTHS.
UH, I WOULD ADVISE WE'D BE VERY CAUTIOUS ABOUT THE TIMELINES THOUGH, BECAUSE I THINK YOU HAVE TO MAKE THE DECISION WITHIN 75 DAYS AFTER INITIATING, UH, SONY FIVE DAYS.
SO THAT WOULD GIVE US, WE WOULD HAVE TO TWO MEETINGS AFTER THIS.
POSTPONED ONCE, UH, DUE CANCELATION LAST MONTH.
DUE TO THE CANCELLATION LAST MONTH, IT WAS ALREADY POSTPONED.
UM, THAT DOES COUNT TOWARDS THE CLOCK.
UM, 28 DAYS ARE ALREADY ON THE CLOCK.
IT SEEMS LIKE THE RECOMMENDATION MAY, MAY HAVE TO HAPPEN AT THE NEXT MONTH'S MEETING.
YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I WAS WONDERING.
IF YOU WELL THEN WE SHOULD BE REGARDLESS.
I THINK THERE MAY BE A 45 DAY AFTER INITIATION, 75 DAY AFTER APPLICATION, BUT DON'T 75 DAYS FROM THE TIME IT APPEARS ON THE AGENDA FOR THE FIRST TIME, WHICH WAS TECHNICALLY FEBRUARY, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS CANCELED, IT WAS POSTPONED TO A DATE CERTAIN, WHICH IS MARCH 1ST.
THAT LEAVES 47 DAYS FROM THIS DAY, WHICH IS APRIL 17TH.
UM, SO THE DEMOLITION WILL BE RELEASED APRIL 17TH.
SO, UH, THERE'S ONLY ONE MORE MEETING THAT THIS CAN GO TO.
SO IT WOULD NEED TO BE RECOMMENDED AT THE NEXT MEETING.
I GUESS I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED.
OKAY, SO THE 75 DAYS BEGINS THE FIRST DATE IT APPEARS ON THE AGENDA.
BUT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE DEMOLITION PERMIT, RIGHT? YEAH, THE DEMOLITION PERMIT.
AND ON OUR PREVIOUS DISCUSSION, THAT WAS A 180 DAYS, THAT'S FOR NATIONAL REGISTERED DISTRICTS.
THIS IS FOR PROPERTIES THAT DO NOT HAVE ANY HISTORIC DESIGNATION.
THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
AND IT, IT, IT, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER IT'S THIS MEETING RE REGARDLESS OF WHETHER WE INITIATED THIS MEETING, THE 75 DAY CLOCK IS STILL TICKING.
SO IF WE WERE POSTPONED THIS TONIGHT, THAT WASN'T, THAT WOULDN'T STOP THE CLOCK.
IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT WOULD PRECLUDE US FROM RECOMMENDING CUZ WE WOULDN'T HAVE ENOUGH MEETINGS.
YEAH, YOU WOULDN'T HAVE ENOUGH MEETINGS TO INITIATE AND RECOMMEND.
SO YOU WOULD HAVE TO INITIATE THIS MEETING TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO RECOMMEND BEFORE RELEASE.
I'LL STICK WITH MY, MY RECORD.
UM, IS THERE FURTHER DISCUSSION? OKAY.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF INITIATING HISTORIC ZONING, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY, UH, SUPER MAJORITY.
[20. PR-2023-005025 – 3305 Glenview Ave. – Discussion]
ITEM 20 IS 33 0 5 DUVAL STREET.I HAVE, I HAVE ONE QUICK COMMENT.
SO YOU JUST SAID A THING ABOUT SUPER MAJORITY.
DO YOU ACTUALLY NEED A SUPER MAJORITY TO INITIATE? NO, JUST TO RECOMMEND.
JUST BEING, MAKE SURE WE'RE ALL LEARNING HERE.
WE WILL HAVE ANOTHER TRAINING THIS SUMMER.
JUST FYI,
CLEARLY THE LAST ONE DIDN'T STICK.
THIS IS A PROPOSAL TO DEMOLISH THE CIR 1936 DUPLEX AND 1947 REAR APARTMENT.
ONE IS A TWO-STORY L PLAN, DUPLEX WITH A CROSS GABLED ROOF, ASBESTOS SIDING, CORNISH RETURNS, A PARTIAL WIDTH PORCH SUPPORTED BY BOXED COLUMNS AND SCREENED WINDOWS.
UH, THE OTHER IS A TWO-STORY COLONIAL REVIVAL APARTMENT WITH HORIZONTAL WOOD SIDING, DECORATIVE BRACKETED HOODS OVER THE FIRST AND SECOND FLOOR ENTRYWAYS AND SCREENED WINDOWS.
[01:55:01]
BUILDINGS AT 33 0 5 OF ALL STREET, UH, WERE BUILT AROUND 1936 AND 1947 AS A GARAGE APARTMENT AND A DUPLEX.WHILE LIMITED INFORMATION ON RENTERS WAS AVAILABLE VIA CITY DIRECTORIES.
UH, NOTABLE EARLY RESIDENTS INCLUDE MAJOR GENERAL JAMES EDWARD AND ESTELLE TAYLOR, JAMES E. TAYLOR, A LIFELONG NATIONAL GUARDSMAN WHO PUBLISHED NEWSPAPERS IN KAREN'S AND COR AANA AND SERVED TWO TERMS IN THE TEXAS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES BEFORE HE WAS MOBILIZED DURING WORLD WAR II, RECEIVED SILVER AND BRONZE STARS FOR HIS ACTIONS IN THE EUROPEAN THEATER AFTER THE WAR.
TAYLOR SERVED IN THE TEXAS SENATE FROM 1945 TO 1949 ACCORDING TO HIS OBITUARY, HIS WORK AS CHAIRMAN OF THE GILMER ATKIN COMMITTEE FOR IMPROVING EDUCATION AMONG CHILDREN OF DIFFERENT RACIAL.
AND SO SOCIOECONOMIC BACKGROUNDS WAS HIS MOST IMPACTFUL CONTRIBUTION AS A SENATOR.
HE RESIGNED IN 1949 TO LEAD THE TEXAS MOTOR TRANSPORTATION ASSOCIATION, WHICH WAS A TRUCK AND FUSS ORGANIZATION IN 1953.
SHORTLY AFTER MOVING TO THE HOUSE ON DUVALL STREET, TAYLOR WAS PROMOTED TO BRIGADIER GENERAL AND MADE COMMANDING GENERAL OF THE GUARDS 36 DIVISION ARTILLERY.
HE HELD THIS POSITION UNTIL 1961 WHEN HE WAS MADE MAJOR GENERAL AND APPOINTED AS THEON GENERAL OF TEXAS.
THE TAYLORS LIVED AT 33 0 5 DUVALL STREET UNTIL AROUND 1959 WHEN THEY PURCHASED A HOU PURCHASED A HOUSE ON ROCKMORE AVENUE, THE 2021 NORTH LOOP HANCOCK BOGGY CREEK SURVEY LIST.
THIS PROPERTY AS MEDIUM PRIORITY STAFF HAS EVALUATED THE PROPERTY AND DETERMINED THAT IT MAY MEET TWO CRITERIA FOR LANDMARK DESIGNATION.
THE BUILDINGS ARE CONSTRUCTED WITH COLONIAL REVIVAL AND MINIMAL TRADITIONAL INFLUENCES.
AND THE PROPERTY IS ASSOCIATED WITH MAJOR GENERAL JAMES Z. TAYLOR, WHO IS A TEXAS STATE SENATOR AND GENERAL OF TEXAS.
HOWEVER, HIS TENURE AT THE HOUSE IS RELATIVELY SHORT, THEREFORE, THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION IS TO CONSIDER WHETHER MAJOR GENERAL JAMES E TAYLOR'S ASSOCIATION IS SUFFICIENT TO INITIATE HISTORIC ZONING.
SHOULD THE COMMISSION DECIDE AGAINST INITIATION, UH, THE RECOMMENDATION IS TO REQUIRE A CITY OF AUSTIN DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE PRIOR TO DEMOLITION PERMIT RELEASE.
I WOULD, I WOULD LIKE TO ADD SOMETHING THAT EVEN THOUGH IT WAS A DUPLEX AND AN ACCESSORY BUILDING, UM, IT IS CURRENTLY THREE APARTMENTS IN THE MAIN HOUSE AND TWO IN THE GARAGE APARTMENT.
SO IT'S ACTUALLY HOME TO FIVE DWELLING UNITS.
UM, ANY QUESTIONS OF STAFF? OKAY.
UH, IS THERE ANYONE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THIS APPLICATION TO DEMOLISH THESE BUILDINGS? GOOD EVENING.
I'M THE APPLICANT FOR THIS ON BEHALF OF JOSH MCGUIRE.
SIMON SHOWALTER IS, SHOEMAKER IS ALSO HERE.
UH, IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS I CAN'T ANSWER FOR YOU.
I JUST WANNA MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THE OWNER OF THIS PROPERTY, UM, IS VERY WILLING TO WORK WITH THE ARCHITECTURAL COMMITTEE TO DESIGN, UH, TO HAVE INPUT ON ANY DESIGN THAT WOULD GO IN PLACE OF THESE BUILDINGS.
THE CONCERN ABOUT THESE BUILDINGS IS THAT THEY HAVE NOT BEEN PROPERLY MAINTAINED FOR VERY LONG TIME.
WHEN THEY CAME INTO HIS HANDS, THERE WERE FIVE NON-COMPLIANT APARTMENTS.
UM, HE NOW HAS THAT DOWN TO TWO AND TWO BECAUSE ONE WAS JUST NOT REALLY A LIFE SAFETY SITUATION THAT COULD BE RENTED.
THERE WERE ILLEGAL PERMITS, OR I'M SORRY, NO PERMITS PULLED FOR TURNING THOSE APARTMENTS INTO A THREE AND A TWO IN THE BACK.
UH, THERE WERE QUESTIONABLE UPGRADES, SOME WERE NOT SAFE.
SO HE'S DONE EVERYTHING HE CAN DO WITHOUT PULLING PERMITS.
BUT WE DID LOOK INTO GETTING BUILDING PERMITS FOR HIM TO UPGRADE THIS PROPERTY AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND SAID, IT'S NOT COMPLIANT.
YOU CAN'T HAVE FIVE UNITS ON THIS LOT, YOU CAN ONLY HAVE THREE.
UM, SO ALTHOUGH HIS HOPE WAS TO DO A TWO AND A TWO TO REPLACE THOSE TWO STRUCTURES AND HAVE TWO IN THE FRONT AND TWO IN THE BACK, WE DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A PATH TO THAT THROUGH ZONING.
UM, BECAUSE THIS PROPERTY IS ONLY SIZED AND ZONED TO HAVE A DUPLEX AND A GARAGE APARTMENT.
UM, SO ASIDE FROM THOSE CONCERNS, HE WANTS TO UNDERSTAND THE FEASIBILITY OF THIS LOT.
UM, THE, THE PROPERTIES THAT EXIST, LIKE I SAID, HAVE NOT BEEN MAINTAINED PROPERLY.
SO THERE ARE SOME CONCERNS AND THERE ARE MAJOR CONCERNS ABOUT THE WORK THAT WAS DONE WITHOUT PERMITS OVER THE 20 YEARS THAT THE, I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG THE PREVIOUS OWNER OWNED IT FRANKLY, BUT, UM, THE TENANTS ARE QUITE HAPPY TO HAVE HIM.
FRANKLY, I HAVE LETTERS FROM TENANTS SAYING, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.
AND ONE TENANT IS ACTUALLY IN SUPPORT OF DEMOLITION BECAUSE THEY ARE REASONABLY SURE THAT THEY WILL BE ABLE TO EITHER RENT FROM THE, THE NEW BUILDINGS THAT ARE BUILT, FIND AN INTERMEDIATE TIME TO
[02:00:01]
INTERMEDIATE PLACE TO LIVE IN THE TIME, BUT THEY, UM, SAY THESE, THESE PROPERTIES REALLY NEED TO BE UPGRADED.HE'S ALSO DONE SOME TREE WORK AND THE, THE OWNERS, OR I'M SORRY, THE RESIDENTS WERE VERY HAPPY FOR THAT BECAUSE THEY HAD NO LIMBS DOWN DURING THE, THE RECENT STORM BECAUSE NOW HE'S MAINTAINING THE PROPERTY IN, UH, YOU KNOW, RESPONSIBLE FASHION.
SO REALLY THAT'S ALL WE WANTED TO SAY WAS THAT HE'S VERY WILLING TO WORK WITH BOTH HLC, THE ARCHITECTURAL COMMISSION, HPO, WHATEVER IS REQUIRED TO PUT BACK A, A BUILDING THAT'S BEAUTIFUL FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND, UH, CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT, WHAT THE PROPOSED USES ARE? IS IT FOR A SINGLE FAMILY HOUSE OR A DUPLEX OR WHAT? DUPLEX WITH A GARAGE APARTMENT, A DUPLEX.
I MEAN, THEY'D, THEY'D REALLY LIKE TO HAVE TWO DUPLEXES, BUT THE, THE LOT IS NOT LARGE ENOUGH TO SUSTAIN THAT FOR THE ZONING.
UH, ANY, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR THIS, UH, SPEAKER? YES.
IS THERE ANY INTEREST IN JUST RENOVATING THE INTERIORS TO BE TWO IN ONE AND KEEP THE EXTERIORS AS THEY ARE? I, I CAN'T REALLY SPEAK TO THAT IN DETAIL.
I THINK THE INTEREST IS MORE TO PUT SOMETHING NEW AND BEAUTIFUL IN ITS PLACE.
SOMETHING THAT FITS THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
THEY, THEY'RE NOT INTERESTED IN, IN FIGHTING WITH THE, THE SPIRIT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT THEY ARE INTERESTED IN BUILDING A PROPERTY THAT'S WELL BUILT.
AND I THINK THAT AT THIS POINT THE PROPERTY HAS BEEN REMODELED NOT TO CODE AND NOT BY PROFESSIONALS.
SO OFTEN THAT MAINTAINING IT WOULD REALLY JUST BE SHORING UP THE EXTERIOR WALLS AND ARCHITECTURALLY IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY SEEM TO BE THAT VALUABLE OF, OF A CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURE.
I MEAN, I KNOW THAT'S OPEN TO OPINION, BUT, UM, THERE ARE DEFINITELY SOME ISSUES WITH THE PROPERTY AS IT STANDS THAT MAY NOT BE FIXABLE.
SO CUZ IT JUST HASN'T BEEN MAINTAINED PROPERLY FOR SO MANY YEARS.
ARE THERE ANY OPEN CODE VIOLATIONS? THERE ARE NOT OPEN CODE VIOLATIONS, BUT THERE ARE PERMITS THAT WERE PULLED AND THEN ABANDONED.
SO THERE ARE SOME EXPIRED PERMITS.
IT'S CLEAR WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE PERMIT HISTORY, HOW MINIMAL IT IS THAT THOSE NEW APARTMENTS WERE NOT PERMITTED PROPERLY.
UM, THERE'S BEEN, THERE, THERE WERE A COUPLE OF PERMITS PULLED FOR JUST VERY BASIC UPGRADES.
UH, THERE WAS A SEWER LINE REPLACED, BUT AS ONE OF THE LEGACY TENANTS SAID, THE PREVIOUSLY PREVIOUS OWNER ONLY DID WORK WHEN THEY WERE BEGGED TO DO SO, OR IT BECAME UNTENABLE FOR THEM TO NOT DO.
SO THE NEW BUILDING OWNER HAS BEEN AS PROACTIVE AS THEY CAN, BUT CANNOT LEGALLY DO ANYMORE BECAUSE OF THE NUMBER OF UNITS ON THE PROPERTY.
LIKE WE'VE SPENT A YEAR TALKING TO RESIDENTIAL REVIEW ABOUT CAN WE, CAN WE PULL PERMITS TO JUST UPGRADE WHAT WE HAVE? AND THEY'RE LIKE, IT'S NON-COMPLIANT.
WE CANNOT ISSUE PERMITS FOR NON-COMPLIANT LOT.
UH, IT, THE LOT IS NOT NON-COMPLIANT.
THE STRUCTURES ARE NOT COMPLIANT.
AND WHAT'S THE CURRENT ZONING? SF THREE.
SF THREE, BUT IT'S LARGE ENOUGH TO SUPPORT A MAIN HOUSE WITH A GUEST HOUSE, NOT JUST AN ADU.
SO THE GUEST HOUSE COULD BE LARGER.
YOU COULD HAVE A LARGER GARAGE WITH A LARGER UNIT ON THE BACK BECAUSE OF THE SQUARE FOOTAGE.
LOOKS LIKE IT'S, IT'S ALMOST 14,000 SQUARE FEET.
IT'S ALMOST, YOU COULD ALMOST SUBDIVIDE IT AND HAVE TWO, YOU COULD ALMOST, ALMOST, BUT YOU CAN'T
AND THEY WOULD LOVE TO AND THEY, THEY DID HEAR THAT THERE WAS SOME PUSHBACK FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION SAYING, NO, NO, WE WANT YOU TO KEEP IT AS FIVE UNITS.
AND HE IS LIKE, GREAT, I'D LOVE TO HAVE FIVE UNITS IF YOU CAN FIND ME A PATH TO THAT.
BUT YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD RESIDENTIAL REVIEW DISCUSSIONS WITH THIS FOR, LIKE I SAID, CLOSE TO A YEAR AND RESIDENTIAL REVIEWS JUST SAID, WE DON'T SEE A PATH UNLESS YOU, YOU KNOW, ASK FOR A VARIANCE.
BUT THAT'S UNLIKELY THAT WOULD BE APPROVED.
SO I I I WOULD ALMOST, I THINK OF VARIANCE THIS WOULDN'T, I WOULD THINK THAT WOULD BE A, A, A PATH THAT COULD HAVE BEEN DONE.
I MEAN, IT COSTS MONEY TO, TO FILE A VARIANCE.
BUT I MEAN THE, THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT I, I'VE WATCHED THEY LIKE DENSITY AND THIS, THIS IS CRIES OUT FOR DENSITY AND THAT YOU COULD HAVE, YOU'D HAVE ONE 7,000 SQUARE FOOT MARK.
WELL, IF THERE WAS BACKUP FROM Y'ALL TO SUPPORT FIVE UNITS, THEN I, IT WOULDN'T BE FIVE, IT'D BE FOUR, IT'D BE TWO DUPLEXES.
WELL, BUT THAT, AND THAT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT NEW CONSTRUCTION.
WELL YOU'RE TALKING OR ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT MAINTAINING AND TURNING IT BACK INTO TWO AND TWO OR THE TWO AND ONE THAT IT WAS LIKE, IT WAS NEVER TWO AND TWO, IT WAS ORIGINALLY TWO WITH A GARAGE APARTMENT AND THEN ALONG THE WAY IT WAS TURNED INTO THREE AND TWO.
CURRENTLY IT'S ONLY TWO AND TWO BECAUSE THE THIRD UP FRONT WAS SO UNLIVABLE THAT HE REFUSED TO RENT IT TO ANYONE ELSE.
[02:05:01]
THERE IS DIFFERENCES IN FOUNDATIONS, YOU KNOW, PURE AND BEAM AND SLAB AND, WELL, I I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT KEEPING STRUCTURED.I JUST, YOU WOULD THINK THAT THERE'D BE A WAY TO, TO SPLIT THE LOT AND IF THERE'S ONE OF THE LOTS IS LESS THAN 7,000 SQUARE FEETS VARIANCE FOR THAT.
I, YOU KNOW, I I HAVE BEEN IN FRONT OF THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT A FEW TIMES AND UM, THEY DON'T OFTEN ALLOW YOU TO SPLIT AND SUBDIVIDE IF YOUR LOTS ARE NOT PROPERLY SIZED.
SO I HAVEN'T HAD THAT EXPERIENCE WHERE THEY'VE SAID YES TO SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
I THINK THEY COULD SUBDIVIDE, BUT THEY WOULDN'T GAIN ANYTHING.
THEY'D NEED 14,000 SQUARE FEET IN ORDER TO SUBDIVIDE AND HAVE TWO 7,000 TO HAVE TWO OTHERWISE, TWO, OTHERWISE THEY'RE IN THE SAME SPOT THEY'RE IN NOW.
HAVE, HAS YOUR OWNER DONE ANY RESEARCH ON AFFORDABILITY UNLOCKED AND THE ABILITY TO DEVELOP ADDITIONAL UNITS WITH YOUR AGREE TO MAKE SOME OF THEM AFFORDABLE? NO, I DON'T THINK HE'S LOOKED INTO THAT QUITE YET.
SO I THINK THIS WAS MORE ABOUT BEFORE THEY GET INTO THE DESIGN PHASE, THEY NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY CAN DO.
BECAUSE IF THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MAINTAIN, IF THIS WOULD BE APPROVED FOR HISTORIC ZONING AND THEY'RE REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN THOSE LOTS, THEN THAT WOULD GO DOWN A DIFFERENT DESIGN PATH.
SO YOU KIND OF HAVE TO DECIDE, LIKE HE HAS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS GOING TO BE REQUIRED AT THIS STEP BEFORE WE CAN MOVE INTO DESIGNING WHAT WOULD, YOU KNOW, BE BEST FOR THE, FOR THE LOT.
I UNDERSTAND THE, THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION IS HA SOME MEMBERS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION HAVE, UM, HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THE DESIGN BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S SORT OF THE ENTRANCE TO THE SOUTHERN HALF OF HANCOCK NEIGHBORHOOD THERE AT THE CORNER OF DUVAL AND HARRIS AVENUE.
AND SO I THINK THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, UH, LEADERSHIP WOULD PROBABLY BE VERY MUCH IN FAVOR OF WORKING WITH THE OWNERS ON, ON A DESIGN THAT THEY WOULD THINK WOULD, YOU KNOW, ENHANCE THE NEIGHBORHOOD RATHER THAN DETRACT FROM THE HISTORIC CHARACTER.
AND THE, AND THE OWNER HAS NO INTENTION OF COMING IN AND BUILDING A BIG BOX THAT, YOU KNOW, IS GONNA BE SUPER MODERN.
HE, SOME OF WHICH WE'VE SEEN TONIGHT EXACTLY.
BUT THERE'S NO POINT IN GOING DOWN THE ROAD OF DESIGN UNTIL, YOU KNOW, IF THIS, IF THE DESIGN IS GOING TO HAVE TO BE A REMODEL, AN ADAPTIVE REUSE.
UM, DID ANYONE ELSE WANNA SPEAK IN FAVOR? Y'ALL? OKAY.
UH, IS THERE ANYONE TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION? WE DO HAVE SOMEONE ON THE LINE.
CAN YOU, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN.
HELLO, MY NAME IS BARBARA EPSTEIN AND I AM APPEAR, I'M APPEARING HERE BEFORE YOU AS A NEIGHBOR OF 33 0 5 DUVAL STREET.
NOT IN MY CAPACITY AS PRESIDENT OF THE HANCOCK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION BECAUSE OUR ASSOCIATION MEETING RESULTED IN A VOTE NOT TO SUPPORT THE DEMOLITION PERMIT APPLICATION BEFORE YOU TONIGHT.
BUT A THAI VOTE ON WHETHER TO OPPOSE IT AS A GROUP 33 0 5 BLUE WALL STREET AT THE CORNER OF HARRIS AVENUE IS A GATEWAY TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD IN AN AREA OF LARGELY INTACT HISTORIC SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, DUPLEXES, AND GARAGE APARTMENTS.
ITS POTENTIAL LOSS COUPLED WITH A POSSIBLE CONSTRUCTION OF A MODERN BUILDING, WOULD PROBABLY SPEED UP THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ALL OLDER ARCHITECTURE AS WELL AS OUR MATURE URBAN TREE CANOPY.
AND I SAY THAT NOT BECAUSE OF WHAT THIS APPLICANT MIGHT DO, BUT BECAUSE OF WHAT OTHER OTHER INVESTORS MIGHT DO.
THANKS TO YOUR STAFF'S THOROUGH RESEARCH, THIS PROPERTY QUALIFIES MAY QUALIFY FOR HISTORIC LANDMARK STATUS IN LARGE PART BECAUSE A PROMINENT CITIZEN LIVE THERE AND THE HOUSE AND ITS STYLE ARE INTACT, PRESERVING IT RATHER THAN TEARING IT DOWN WOULD BENEFIT EVERYONE.
WE WOULD GET TO KEEP A COMFORTABLE HOUSE AS AN HISTORIC STRUCTURE AND A VISIBLE REMINDER OF OUR CITY'S PAST.
THE OWNER WOULD HAVE TO SPEND LESS MONEY ON IT AND ITS UNITS THAT HAVE BEEN RENTED FOR DECADES CAN CONTINUE TO PROVIDE OUR CITY'S STATED OBJECTIVE OF MORAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAN ANY RESULT OF COSTLY NEW CONSTRUCTION COULD PROVIDE.
WE CERTAINLY WANNA BE GOOD NEIGHBORS.
THE OWNER'S REPRESENTATIVE SAYS THEY WANT TO WORK WITH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT WOULD NOT COMMIT TO ANYTHING IN WRITING.
CONSEQUENTLY, I REQUEST THAT YOU PLEASE VOTE TO DENY THE PROPOSED DEMOLITION PERMIT SO THAT THIS HISTORIC HOUSE CAN REMAIN AN INTEGRAL PART OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND
[02:10:01]
HOPEFULLY WE CAN HELP THE OWNER RESOLVE ANY REMAINING PERMITTING ISSUES.NOW, I WILL SAY THAT I HAVE BEEN TRYING FOR THE PAST WEEK TO GET THROUGH TO, TO DEPARTMENTS AT THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO EXPLORE WHAT OPTIONS THERE ARE AND I WOULD WHOLEHEARTEDLY OFFER TO WORK WITH THE OWNER TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT WORKS, EITHER, EITHER TO GET AS MANY AFFORDABLE UNITS, UH, MAINTAINED, OR IF A DEMOLITION PERMIT IS GRANTED THAT WE, THAT WE WE AGREE OR THAT IT, THAT, THAT IS TO SAY THAT WE WHOLEHEARTEDLY APPROVE OF THE DESIGN THAT THEY PROPOSE.
BUT TO DATE, I DON'T HAVE ANY COMMITMENT FROM THE OWNER OR THEIR REPRESENTATIVE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK.
UM, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS, UH, OF THE SPEAKER? I HAVE A QUESTION OF STAFF AND THAT CONCERNS THE, UM, ADDRESS THAT'S ON OUR AGENDA.
DOES THAT INDICATE THAT WE, UH, HAVE AN ISSUE THAT WOULD AFFECT THE POSTING? SINCE IT'S A 33 0 5 DUVAL AND WE'VE GOT IT SHOWN ON OUR AGENDA AS GLENVIEW AVENUE? WE, UH, I THINK, I BELIEVE CHAIR MEYERS ADDRESSED THIS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING, THAT THAT IS A TYPO.
UH, ALTHOUGH MAILED NOTICES DID HAVE THE CORRECT ADDRESS AND WENT OUT TO THE CORRECT NEIGHBORS WITHIN 500 FEET OF THE CORRECT ADDRESS, ALL THE BACKUP IS POSTED UNDER THE CORRECT ACC UH, ADDRESS.
AND, UH, AFTER CONFERRING WITH, UH, THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE THIS MORNING, ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS GO ON THE RECORD SAYING, OOPS, I MADE A TYPO.
SO
SO WHILE I'M HERE, UH, COMMISSIONERS, I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, RELAY IN THE CONVERSATION A BIT, UM, JUST TO MENTION THAT, UH, THIS BUILDING IS NOT CURRENTLY IN A HISTORIC DISTRICT.
UM, SO THIS COMMISSION'S PURVIEW IS OVER THE DEMOLITION AND POTENTIALLY HISTORIC ZONING OF THE BUILDINGS THAT ARE ON THE GROUND RIGHT NOW.
UM, WE WILL NOT HAVE ANY INPUT INTO THE, UH, THE NEW DESIGN PROCESS, UM, ONCE THIS BUILDING HAS BEEN APPROVED FOR DEMOLITION.
UH, IF THAT IS YOUR INTENTION, JUST A REMINDER.
AND THEN WHILE WE'RE ON IT, LET'S TALK ABOUT, SINCE THIS WAS POSTPONED ON JANUARY 11TH, WE'RE PROBABLY IN THE LA THIS IS THE LAST MEETING WE WOULD BE ABLE TO CONSIDER ACTION ON THIS.
IS THAT CORRECT? IT WAS ON A JANUARY.
IT WAS NOT, IT WAS NOT ON THE JANUARY AGENDA, BUT WE DID HAVE THIS POSTPONED.
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IT'S COME UP BEFORE.
SO 70 DI THE 75 DAYS BEGINS TODAY.
AFTER THIS, UM, DO I HEAR A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING? UH, I BELIEVE THE, SORRY.
WOULD, UH, THE APPLICANT LIKE TO REBUT THE OPPOSITION? UM, I'M SORRY, YOU HAVE TO TROT DOWN HERE.
UM, IF THE PROPERTY HAD BEEN CORRECTLY MAINTAINED AND THE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WHO'VE BEEN THERE, LEGACY TENANTS WHO HAD BEEN THERE, FELT THAT THE PROPERTY HAD BEEN CORRECTLY MAINTAINED, I THINK THEY WOULD BE FIGHTING AGAINST THE DEMOLITION.
BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE SEEING.
SO, UM, AND IF THERE IS A PATH TO HAVE AFFORDABLE HOUSING OR MORE THAN THREE UH, UNITS THERE, THAT WOULD BE FANTASTIC BECAUSE THEN WE WOULD HAVE MORE DENSITY.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S NOT AN OVERLAY, SO THERE'S NO REQUIREMENTS, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE NEW OWNER WOULD NOT BE WILLING TO SHOW PLANS TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH HIM FOR A YEAR.
THERE'S NOTHING THAT MAKES ME THINK HE'S NOT ACTING IN GOOD FAITH WHEN HE SAYS HE WOULD BE HAPPY TO OFFER HIS PLANS.
NOW I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH INPUT THEY WOULD GET ON THE DESIGN.
I THINK IT WOULD BE MORE OF A HERE'S THE DESIGN, NOW GIVE ME YOUR FEEDBACK.
UM, BUT YOU WOULD BE WILLING TO WORK WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD? I BELIEVE HE WOULD LEADERSHIP ON THAT.
WELL, YOU SEE THE QUANDARY WE'RE IN THOUGH, RIGHT? THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION HAS REACHED OUT TO SAY, HEY,
[02:15:01]
WE HAVEN'T REALLY HEARD FROM YET.WE APPRECIATE THE OFFER FOR THE INTERACTION, BUT NO INTERACTION HAS OCCURRED.
YOU HEARD FROM STAFF THAT IF WE ACT ON THIS THIS EVENING, WELL THEN IN EFFECT THERE'S NO OVERSIGHT.
THERE'S NO OVERSIGHT TO ENSURE THAT INTERACTION WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO, SO THAT'S, YEAH, I GUESS I, I WOULD APPRECIATE IT.
PERHAPS WE COULD POSTPONE IT AND ASK THAT'S WHAT I'M THINKING.
BUT I WOULD, YOU KNOW, I WOULD APPRECIATE A BIT MORE, UH, FORTHCOMING AND A COMMITMENT TO WORK WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION IN MAY I ASK A QUESTION ON, ON YOU CAN, CAN ASK ALL THE QUESTIONS YOU WANT.
WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? BECAUSE, UM, IN MY EXPERIENCE, YOU KNOW, THERE, IT WASN'T SO MUCH THAT THERE WAS A REFUSAL TO PUT ANYTHING IN WRITING.
IT'S THAT I'VE BEEN WORKING AND PERMITTING FOR QUITE SOME TIME, AND IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY HOLD ANY WATER IF THE, IF THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY PUTS SOMETHING IN WRITING, IF CODE DOES NOT SUPPORT THAT, THEN THERE, IT DOESN'T MATTER.
SO IT SEEMED MAYBE A, A EFFORT OF FUTILITY TO PUT SOMETHING IN WRITING AND SAY, YES, I'M WILLING TO DO THIS.
AND THEN RESIDENTIAL REVIEW SAYS, YOU CAN'T DO THAT, UH, BECAUSE WE CAN'T HAVE THAT MANY UNITS, OR WE CAN'T ALLOW YOU TO, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING'S NON-COMPLIANT.
YOU CAN'T HAVE IT IN THE SETBACK.
SO THERE'S, THERE'S A LITTLE PUSH AND PULL IN THAT.
UM, AND I DID HAVE A COUPLE OF CONVERSATIONS WITH, UM, MS. EPSTEIN AND, AND ASSURED HER THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT HE WOULD BE WILLING TO WORK WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
I'M NOT SURE THAT THEY BELIEVED THAT.
SO WHEN SHE GOT BACK TO US AND SAID THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION DID NOT VOTE TO, UH, OPPOSE DEMOLITION, THEN HERE WE ARE TO FIND OUT WHAT THE FEASIBILITY IS.
SO, WELL, I THINK, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT WAS.
WELL, THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIA ASSOCIATION VOTED, THEY, THEY,
I, I GOT MIXED INFORMATION OF THAT.
I GOT AN EMAIL FROM MS. EPSTEIN THAT SAID TWO VOTED TO SUPPORT OPPOSING DEMOLITION AND THE REST DID NOT.
SO I DIDN'T KNOW HOW THAT, IF I DON'T HAVE THE NUMBERS AND I WASN'T AT THE MEETING, SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE WAS, YOU KNOW, MORE SUPPORT OR NOT.
BUT I, I THINK THIS IS MORE, UH, AGREEING ON CONCEPTUAL DESIGN.
AND, AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT THIS IS ABOUT.
AND I GUESS TO THAT, TO THAT END, UH, IF I COULD, UM, HAVE WE CLOSED THE PUBLIC HEARING? NO, NO, NO.
UM, AND I'M NOT SURE WE WANT TO, IS THERE A WAY TO HAVE A HYBRID SINCE IT'S NOT IN A HISTORIC OVERLAY, IS THERE NO WAY TO APPROVE ON CONSENT, SAY, OR APPROVE CONDITIONALLY APPROVE AND SAY, WE'LL APPROVE DEMOLITION, BUT WE NEED TO SEE, WELL, WE COULD POSTPONE IT TO THE NEXT MEETING AND ASK AND INVITE YOU TO THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE.
SO LET, THERE IS NO DESIGN IN THE WORKS.
I, BECAUSE I SEE THERE WAS NO POINT FOR THAT.
BECAUSE IF IT WAS DETERMINED THAT, I'M SORRY.
I WASN'T LIKE THE OTHER ONE WHERE THEY HAD THE WHOLE DESIGN BEFORE THE DESIGN, BUT I, MAYBE I COULD JUST, MY COLLEAGUES, I, IF YOU GIVE ME JUST A MOMENT TO SPEAK, UH, AND WE APPRECIATE THE APPLICANT, UH, YOU MAY BE RESPONDING, SO JUST HOLD FOR A MOMENT.
BUT I THINK THE ISSUE REALLY FOR US, GETS BACK TO THE QUESTION OF OUR ONE TOOL HERE.
IT'S EITHER HISTORIC ZONING OR IT'S NOT, UH, ALL THE OTHER ELEMENTS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WERE THIS, TO HAVE BEEN IN A HISTORIC DISTRICT WOULD BE RELEVANT.
AND CERTAINLY FROM A NEIGHBORHOOD PERSPECTIVE, IT CERTAINLY IS RELEVANT TO THE NEIGHBORS.
BUT AS FAR AS OUR JURISDICTION IS CONCERNED, WE HAVE A QUESTION IN FRONT OF US, WHICH IS, IF WE'RE NOT DEMOLISHING THIS HOUSE, IT IS BECAUSE IT IS WORTHY OF BEING ELEVATED TO THE, THE GROUP OF HISTORIC LANDMARKS.
AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY OUR QUESTION TONIGHT.
IF WE CAN MAKE IT, IF WE NEED ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, I THINK THAT WOULD WARRANT POSTPONEMENT.
I DO THINK AS USEFUL AS SOME OF THIS OTHER CONVERSATION MAY BE TO YOU AND TO THE NEIGHBORS, IT REALLY FALLS OUTSIDE OF OUR IMMEDIATE JURISDICTION, MY OWN OPINION.
I DO THINK THAT'S OUR OTHER, LIKE, THAT'S OUR OTHER SORT OF TOOL THAT, UH, IT FALLS OUTSIDE OF OUR JURISDICTION.
BUT WHILE WE HAVE THEM HERE, WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT.
BUT, BUT FINALLY, FINALLY, WE HAVE A MOTION TO MAKE.
[02:20:01]
TO MAKE A MOTION IF WE COULD CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.DO WE WANT TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING THOUGH? WELL, LET ME ASK THIS BEFORE I MAKE MY MOTION, UH, OR SUGGEST THAT ONE SCENARIO IS THAT THIS PROPERTY, IN OUR OPINION, IS WORTHY OF BEING DESIGNATED A HISTORIC LANDMARK WITH BOTH THE RESPONSIBILITIES AND THE BENEFITS THAT IMPARTED TO THE OWNER.
UH, YOU VERY LIKELY IN THIS SITUATION, AND I DON'T, CAN'T SPEAK FOR MY COLLEAGUES, BUT IF, IF THEY DO WISH TO GO IN THAT DIRECTION, FOR ME, IT WOULD BE THE MAIN HOUSE ON THE CORNER, ONLY, NOT THE GARAGE APARTMENT.
AND IF THAT WERE TO BE THE CASE, WOULD WE HAVE THE OWNER'S SUPPORT? AND WOULD YOU, WOULD THE OWNER LIKELY BE DEVELOPING A PLAN TO PRESERVE AND CONTINUE DOING ANY FURTHER DEVELOPMENT WITH THAT HOUSE AS A HISTORIC STRUCTURE? I BELIEVE HE WOULD.
WELL THEN, IF THAT'S THE CASE, THEN, UM, IF SOMETHING ELSE YOU MIGHT CONSIDER IS, I'M SORRY, GO AHEAD.
LIKE HE WAS JUST ASKING IF IT WOULD, WOULD, OR WOULD IT'S FRAME, SHE SAID YOU, THE ODOR WOULD BE WILLING TO, IF, IF YOU DETERMINE THAT THIS IS WORTHY OF HISTORIC LANDMARK STATUS, THEN HE UNDERSTANDS THAT THERE ARE CERTAIN BENEFITS THAT ARE GOING TO COME WITH THAT.
AND I, I THINK IN MY TALKS THAT I'VE HAD WITH HIM, HE JUST WANTS TO DO WHAT'S BEST FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND FOLLOW WHATEVER YOU DECIDE TO DO.
I THINK ULTIMATELY HE WOULD PREFER TO DEMOLISH BECAUSE THE HOUSE IS IN QUITE A STATE OF DISREPAIR.
AND ARCHITECTURALLY IT'S ARGUABLY NOT SUPER SPECIAL.
BUT, YOU KNOW, FIGHTING AGAINST IT IS NOT, NOT THE IMPRESSION I GET THAT HE WOULD BE INTERESTED IN FIGHTING.
HE, IF YOU DETERMINED THAT IT'S A LANDMARK, THEN HE'LL DO WHAT HE NEEDS TO DO, WHICH SEEMS TO BE A WIN FOR ALL PARTIES INVOLVED.
LIKE WHEN YOU DISCUSS WHAT IT'S GONNA COST TO SAYING THAT IT'S GOING, I THINK BARBARA MENTIONED THAT SHE BELIEVED IT WOULD COST LESS TO REFURBISH THAN IT WOULD TO BUILD NEW.
AND AS THE WIFE OF A CONTRACTOR, I CAN TELL YOU THAT THAT IS NOT ALWAYS THE CASE.
I ALSO THINK THIS SITS ON A LOT, IT'S ALMOST 14,000 SQUARE FEET.
AND I'M IN MY HEAD THINKING, DO WE PUT HISTORIC PRESERVATION ON A DUPLEX? THAT'S GREAT.
AND THOSE ARE ACTUALLY A RARE BREED THESE DAYS.
OR IN AFFORDABILITY UNLOCKED, YOU COULD SUBDIVIDE THAT AND GET TECHNICALLY AS MANY AS LIKE 16 UNITS.
IF YOU AGREE TO EXPLAIN THE NEIGHBORHOOD WOULD, WOULD OPPOSE THAT.
OH, I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF IT WOULD ACTUALLY WORK ALL THE WAY DOWN THE LINE PHYSICALLY, BUT HYPOTHETICALLY, YEAH.
I MEAN, THERE ARE ON A, ON THE LOT BY ITSELF, YOU COULD EASILY GET TO SIX LOTS BY RIGHT.
IF YOU SUBDIVIDE IT, IT COULD GO AS HIGH AS 16 BY AGREEING TO EXTREME AFFORDABILITY MEASURES.
BUT JUST, THAT'S WHAT'S POSSIBLE.
THIS IS A GINORMOUS LOT WITH GINORMOUS OPPORTUNITIES.
DO YOU LOOK AT SAVING A DUPLEX, WHICH SHOULD IS WHICH ARE AT RISK ACROSS THE CITY OR LOOK AT THE OTHER POSSIBILITIES? COMMISSIONER WRIGHT, TO ADD TO THAT THOUGH, WE HAVE NO CONTROL OVER WHETHER IT REMAINS A DUPLEX, BUT WE HAVE THEM HERE.
I I FEEL LIKE WE SHOULD HAVE A MOTION SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE DISCUSSION.
UM, COMMISSIONERS ONE, UH, QUICK PROCESS NOTE.
UM, I WOULD ALSO LIKE Y'ALL TO REMEMBER THAT, UM, IF Y'ALL DECIDE TO DESIGNATE THIS PROPERTY, IT WILL NEED TO GO THROUGH PLANNING COMMISSION AND CITY COUNCIL.
UM, AND, UH, PART OF YOUR CHARGE IS TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THE, UH, CRITERIA ARE STRONG ENOUGH TO MAKE IT THROUGH, UH, NOT ONLY THIS COMMISSION, BUT ALSO PLANNING COMMISSION AND CITY COUNCIL.
UM, BUT IT, IT, IT WOULD BE A DIFFERENT PROSPECT.
WERE WE AS IN, AS WE ARE IN MANY CASES PROPOSING THIS OVER AN OWNER'S OBJECTION VERSUS HAVING AN OWNER'S SUPPORT? WELL, THAT IS CORRECT.
UM, HOWEVER, WE, UH, WE HAVE A NEW COUNCIL, UM, WE DON'T KNOW, UM, REALLY WHAT THIS WOULD LOOK LIKE MOVING FORWARD.
UM, SO IT'S JUST SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND.
WE HAVE TO HOPE FOR THE BROKEN SPOKE
I, AND, AND, AND SUPPORT IS STRONG.
I MEAN, I THINK IT WOULD BE EXTREMELY RELUCTANT SUPPORT FROM THE OWNER.
IT'S, IT, THE HOUSE IS JUST, IT'D BE KICKING AND SCREAMING.
I CAN'T EMPHASIZE HOW MUCH IN DISREPAIR THIS HOUSE IS.
I WANNA ASK, UH, COMMISSIONER, WELL, COMMISSIONER VALENZUELA HAS BROUGHT UP AN IMPORTANT POINT, WHICH IS THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING THOSE WITH NO MOTION ON THE TABLE.
WE SHOULD REALLY CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
I MOVE TO CLOSE, NOT PUBLIC HEARING.
[02:25:01]
OKAY.OR YOU CAN KEEP THE PUBLIC HEARING OPEN, BUT WE JUST NEED A MOTION.
AND FOR MY MOTION IS TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
WE HAVE A MOTION, WE HAVE A SECOND.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, WE CAN ALWAYS REOPEN IT IF NECESSARY LATER.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF CLOSING THE PUBLIC HEARING.
NOW, DO WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE CASE? I, I HAVE TO SAY THAT IT WAS, IT WAS TANTALIZING TO THINK THAT MAYBE WE HAD AN OWNER THAT WOULD THINK THIS WAS VALUABLE ENOUGH TO DO SOMETHING WITH IT.
BUT IT WOULD TAKE A LOT OF WORK AND IT DEFINITELY WOULD TAKE A LOT OF WORK TO MAKE THIS A REALLY WONDERFUL LANDMARK BUILDING.
I JUST, I DON'T THINK THAT THE CASES IS PRESENTED TO US TONIGHT IS STRONG ENOUGH.
AND SO MY MOTION WILL BE TO APPROVE, UH, THE, UH, UH, THE REQUEST FOR DEMOLITION PENDING A, UH, FULL CITY OF AUSTIN DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE ON SECOND.
I, I ALSO BELIEVE IT'S NOT A STRONG ENOUGH CASE FOR HISTORIC DESIGNATION.
I DO THINK THERE'S, UH, I WOULD ENCOURAGE THE, THE OWNER AND THE, AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO WORK TOGETHER TO FIND A SUITABLE SOLUTION FOR THEM.
BUT AS I SIT HERE ON THE DIAS, ALL I CAN DO IS RECOMMEND THAT THAT OCCUR.
I WOULD LIKE TO ASK COMMISSIONER WRIGHT, UM, IF THIS, IF THIS PROPERTY REMAINS AN INCOME PRODUCING PROPERTY, DOES IT QUALIFY FOR STATE AND FEDERAL TAX CREDITS? THEY WOULD HAVE TO SEEK DESIGNATION ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES.
THEN THE PROPERTY WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR HISTORIC TAX CREDITS.
AND IF YOU'VE NEVER HEARD OF THOSE, YOU CAN JUST GOOGLE TEXAS HISTORIC TAX CREDITS AND IT WILL TAKE YOU TO SOME INFORMATION.
AND I'D JUST LIKE TO PUT THIS B IN YOUR BONNET IS THAT IT'S, THE TWO CREDITS CAN BE TAKEN TOGETHER.
AND IT'S TANTAMOUNT TO, UH, RECOUPING 45% OF THE RENOVATION COSTS BACK IN TAX CREDITS.
AND THAT'S A PRETTY, I MEAN, 45% IS A LOT.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE CASE? COMMISSIONER FEATHERSTON
SO OUTSIDE OF THE PURVIEW OF THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION, I JUST THINK IT'S INAPPROPRIATE THAT A LOT THAT IS LARGER THAN THE SUM OF TWO LEGAL CONFORMING SF THREE LOTS SHOULD ALSO ITSELF BE DESIGNATED SF THREE.
I THINK THAT, UH, YOU SOUND LIKE YOU'RE VERY INTERESTED IN DOING WHAT'S RIGHT BY THE PROPERTY AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD, AND I THINK WHAT WOULD BE RIGHT IS A SUBDIVISION OF THAT LAND.
UM, THERE'S SO MUCH MORE OPPORTUNITY THERE.
I MEAN, THAT IT, IT'S JUST AMAZING THAT THERE'S ALMOST 14,000 SQUARE FEET OF ONE SINGLE LOT THAT SHOULD ONLY HOLD THREE UNITS IN, IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, I KNOW THAT THAT'S AN EXPENSE OF SUB SUBDIVISION IS, IS A VERY REAL EXPENSE, BUT IT'S 10 SQUARE FEET SHORT OF BEING TWO COMPLIANT LOTS.
A COMPLIANT LOT COULD ALSO BE 57 50.
YOU JUST COULDN'T GET A DUPLEX ON IT.
BUT THROUGH AFFORDABILITY UNLOCKED, YOU COULD HAVE ADDITIONAL UNITS BEYOND THE ONE THAT WOULD BE ALLOWED ON A 57 50 LOT.
SO YOU CAN HAVE TWO, YOU CAN HAVE MULTIPLE CONFORMING LOTS DIVIDED OUT OF THE LOT YOU HAVE NOW.
IT'S JUST ONE OF THEM WOULD NOT SUPPORT A DUPLEX BY RIGHT.
WITHOUT USING AFFORDABILITY UNLOCKED.
IF YOU HAVE TENANTS IN THERE, THE CARRYING COST OF THE LAND IS MUCH LOWER WHILE YOU ARE SEEKING THE SUBDIVISION.
YOU SEEM LIKE YOU'RE IN A PRETTY SWEET SPOT TO GET THAT DONE.
THAT IS ALL BEYOND HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION PURVIEW.
BUT, UH, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO RIGHT BY A LOT.
THAT'S JUST WAY TOO BIG FOR ITSELF RIGHT NOW.
THAT'S, THAT'S IN, UH, THE OPINION OF COMMISSIONER FEATHERSTON.
COULD I ASK A QUESTION AND PROBABLY NOT THE ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNERS? YES.
IS, IS, IS AFFORDABILITY UNLOCKED? IS THAT, IS THAT, IS THAT, HAVE I MISSED? IS THAT SOMETHING, OR IS THAT, IS THAT A PROPOSAL?
I MEAN, THERE ARE REQUIREMENTS THAT YOU HAVE TO, FOR RENTAL AND FOR FUTURE OWNERSHIP, YOU HAVE TO MEET CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS THAT YOU AGREE FOR 40 YEARS INTO THE FUTURE, 25% OF THE UNITS WILL BE RENTED TO PEOPLE MAKING LESS THAN 50% OF THE MEDIUM FAMILY INCOME.
SO THAT'S ONEROUS, BUT IT'S POSSIBLE.
I JUST, I JUST, I JUST, I I TRY TO KEEP UP ON THINGS AND I'VE NEVER, I GUESS I'VE MISSED THAT.
SO YEAH, WE CAN HAVE THEM COME DO A BRIEFING.
UH, I THINK BECAUSE OF THE NUMBER OF, UH, CONSTRAINTS, WE ARE NOT SEEING A LOT OF IT AT THIS POINT.
[02:30:01]
THERE REALLY AREN'T ANY PROVISIONS GETTING BACK TO OUR PURVIEW.IT DOESN'T AFFECT US, UH, A A LARGE LOT THAT YOU WANTED TO USE.
IT MIGHT, UH, EVEN MAKE SOME OF THE ECONOMIC NUMBERS WORSE FOR PRESERVING A HISTORIC PROPERTY.
AND I KNOW THERE ARE NO PROVISIONS ONE WAY OR THE OTHER IN AFFORDABILITY UNLOCKED, UH, TO RECOGNIZE OR, UM, TAKE IT INTO ACCOUNT HISTORIC ZONING.
I WAS JUST GONNA SAY I'LL SUPPORT THE MOTION.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF, AND THE MOTION IS TO RELEASE THE DEMOLITION PERMIT WITH DOC CITY OF AUSTIN DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
THERE ARE, WHAT DO WE HAVE YOUR 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 8 MEMBERS IN FAVOR TO OPPOSE THE TWO OPPOSED ARE VALENZUELA, COMMISSIONER VALENZUELA AND COMMISSIONER MYERS? I, UM, THE MOTION CARRIES.
I REALLY DO ENCOURAGE, UH, THE OWNERS TO WORK WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, ASSOCIATION TO WORK WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERSHIP ON THE DESIGN.
THIS IS, THIS IS A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT HAS BEEN RELATIVELY UNSCATHED BY A LOT OF REDEVELOPMENT, EVEN THOUGH IT'S ACTUALLY VERY DENSE.
UM, I LIVE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS NEIGHBORHOOD.
EACH HOUSE IN MY BLOCK HAS MULTIPLE.
IF THEY DON'T HAVE FOUR, AT LEAST FOUR UNRELATED ADULTS, THEY HAVE A HOUSE AND AN ADU OR GARAGE APARTMENT.
AND, UM, SO IT, IT IS, IT'S LIKE STEALTHILY DENSE.
UM, BUT PLEASE DO, UH, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO WORK WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
[21. PR-2023-005113 – 509 Texas Ave. – Consent]
ON OUR, ON OUR AGENDA IS 5 0 9 TEXAS AVENUE.I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A QUICK ANOTHER TYPO.
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IT HAS APPEARED ON THE AGENDA.
OUR FINAL CASE OF THE EVENING, IT'S ITEM 21 AT 5 0 9 TEXAS AVENUE.
THIS IS A PROPOSAL TO PARTIALLY DEMOLISH AND CONSTRUCT A SECOND FLOOR EDITION TO A CIRCA 19 32 1 STORY HOUSE.
UM, THIS IS A ONE STORY MASON VENEER HOUSE WITH ONE OVER ONE WINDOWS, A COVERED ENTRY WAVE BENEATH THE G WITH CORNISH RETURNS AND SHINGLE SIDING AT THE GINS.
IT WAS CONSTRUCTED AROUND 1932 AND ITS EARLIEST RESIDENCE.
RAYMOND AND LARA WILSON LIVED IN THE HOME FOR 20 YEARS.
RAYMOND WILSON WAS A DRIVER AND A SALESMAN FOR THE STEPHEN F OFF F AUSTIN HOTEL LAUNDRY, AND BURTON'S LAUNDRY AND CLEANERS.
AFTER 1953, THE HOUSE BECAME A RENTAL PROPERTY WHOSE RESIDENCE INCLUDED A CHIEF AUDITOR AT THE I R S AND A TECHNICIAN AT XEROX.
THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S HISTORIC DESIGN STANDARDS ARE USED TO EVALUATE PROJECTS AT POTENTIAL HISTORIC LANDMARKS.
UM, THE PROJECT AS PROPOSED MEETS FEW APPLICABLE STANDARDS.
HOWEVER, STAFF HAS EVALUATED THE PROPERTY AND DETERMINED THAT IT DOES NOT MEET TWO CRITERIA FOR INDIVIDUAL DESIGNATION.
SO THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION IS TO APPROVE THE APPLICATION UPON COMPLETION OF A CITY OF AUSTIN DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE, UH, ENCOURAGING THE APPLICANT TO REMOVE THE DECORATIVE CORPORALS AND MOVE THE ADDITION BACK BEYOND THE EXISTING ROOF RIDGE.
UH, ANY QUESTIONS OF STAFF? IS THERE ANYONE HERE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THIS APPLICATION? OKAY.
AND, UM, MY CLIENTS CAME TO ME.
WE, THEY WANTED TO EXPAND THE HOUSE FOR A GROWING NUMBER OF PEOPLE, THEIR FAMILY, UM, HER NEW FAMILY MOVING IN WITH HER.
AND SO WE WANTED TO ADD A SECOND FLOOR AND WE WANTED TO TRY AND KEEP WITHIN THE KIND OF MORE HISTORIC STYLE OF THE HOUSE AND NOT HAVE SOME BIG OVER, YOU KNOW, OVER REPEATING OVER, WHAT'S THE WORD? OVER IMPEDING STRUCTURE, UM, DOMINATING THE STREET.
THE STREET IS LOVELY AND THERE'S SO MANY LOVELY HOUSES ALONG THERE.
SO WE WANTED TO KIND OF DESIGN IT SO WE COULD ADD SOME MORE BEDROOMS AND JUST MAKE SOME OF THE LIVING AREAS, UH, LARGER ON THE FIRST FLOOR.
AND SO WE WERE TRYING TO MAKE IT LOOK LIKE IT WAS KIND OF A DORM OR ON THE SECOND FLOOR.
AND THEN WE, UH, SLOPED THE ROOF DOWN IN THE FRONT SO IT EXTENDS LIKE THREE FEET SO THAT IT TENDS
[02:35:01]
TO LOOK LIKE THERE'S MORE ROOF THERE.AND THEN ALSO KEEPING THE FRONT PORCH SO THAT IT ADDED A WHOLE BUNCH OF DIVERSITY ON THE FACADE.
UM, ALSO IN THE DORMER, JUST KIND OF ADDING THE SIMPLE ARCH CUZ THERE ISN'T A COUPLE ARCHES INSIDE THE HOUSE.
UM, I DON'T, I, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD, WE ADDED THE BLES FOR SOME EXTRA DECORATION.
YOU KNOW, WE COULD TOTALLY DISCUSS LOOKING AT NOT HAVING THAT, UM, MOVING IT BACK PAST THE RIDGE, I THOUGHT THAT THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION WAS TO NOT HAVE THE SECOND FLOOR LINE WITH THE FIRST FLOOR WALL, IS WHAT I THOUGHT.
WE USUALLY ENCOURAGE 15 FEET, UM, BEHIND THE FRONT WALL OF THE BUILDING.
YEAH, SO I MEAN, IF WE LOOKED AT THAT, IT'S NOT A SUPER LARGE LOT.
UM, THERE'S ALSO AN EXISTING TWO CAR GARAGE STRUCTURE IN THE BACK.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD MAKE THEIR LIVING SPACE SMALLER THAN WHAT THEY WOULD WANT IT TO BE.
UM, IT'S NOT A, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT AN OVERLY LARGE HOUSE.
WE KEPT THE FIRST FLOOR ALL AT THE SAME LEVEL.
SO WE KEPT THAT, WE KEPT ALL THE BRICK.
THERE'S A FASCIA PIECE THAT GOES AROUND AND WE KEPT THAT AS WELL.
UM, SO WE WERE TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, KEEP THE EXISTING STRUCTURE AS MUCH AS WE COULD.
WE HAD TO EXTEND THE CHIMNEY OF THE EXISTING FIREPLACE IN ORDER TO MEET THE CODE.
UM, WE'RE GONNA TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT FIREPLACE WORKS.
UM, SO YEAH, WE WERE JUST TRYING TO KEEP WITHIN USING ALL THE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF MORE HISTORIC MATERIALS THAT ARE USED IN THE, YOU KNOW, 1930S, 1940S HOUSES.
ANY QUESTIONS OF THE SPEAKER? I PULLED THIS APPLICATION, UM, BECAUSE THIS, UH, THE TWO STREETS, TEXAS AND CAROLYN WERE RECOMMENDED BY THE RECENT ARCHITECTURAL SURVEY OF THIS AREA, THE NORTH LOOP OF A UPPER BOGGY CREEK, UM, FOR LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICT.
AND THE CHANGES THAT YOU'RE PROPOSING WOULD RENDER THE PROPERTY, UM, NON-CONTRIBUTING IN THAT, UH, IN THAT PROPOSED HISTORIC DISTRICT.
AND I DIDN'T KNOW IF YOU WERE AWARE OF THAT OR, UM, OR IF IT MATTERED AT ALL.
UM, WE DIDN'T KNOW THAT WHEN WE WERE DESIGNING IT.
UM, JUST RECENTLY I, THE PRESIDENT HAD REACHED OUT TO THE HOMEOWNER TO DISCUSS THAT AND WE DID NOT, WE WERE NOT AWARE OF THAT.
SO IT'S ALL VERY NEW IN THE LAST COUPLE DAYS.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR? GOOD EVENING.
UM, JUST WANTED TO GIVE A LITTLE MORE CONTEXT BEHIND THE PROJECT AND WHY I'M DOING IT.
UM, I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN AUSTIN.
UM, MY FAMILY'S ACTUALLY HERE, MY PARENTS AND BROTHER AND BOYFRIEND.
UM, AND I BOUGHT THIS HOUSE IN 2015 AND I DID SOME WORK AT THE TIME JUST IN, IN THE INTERIOR.
IT HAD BEEN A RENT HOUSE FOR A LONG TIME AND I WANTED TO FIX IT UP TO BE LIVABLE.
AND I ALWAYS HAD THE HOPE THAT SOMEDAY I WOULD EXPAND THE HOUSE.
UM, MY BOYFRIEND AND HIS SEVEN YEAR OLD DAUGHTER ARE PLANNING TO MOVE IN WITH ME AND WE ARE JUST HOPING TO CREATE MORE OF A FAMILY HOME.
IT'S ABOUT 1300 SQUARE FEET AND WE JUST NEED A LITTLE MORE ROOM TO GROW.
UM, AND SO WHEN I MET WITH DIANE, THE FIRST THING I SAID WAS THAT I LOVE MY HOUSE AND I LOVE THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND I WANNA STAY HERE.
AND I WANTED A DESIGN THAT DIDN'T OVERWHELM THE HOUSE CUZ IT IS SMALL.
AND I SAID, I DON'T WANT A BOX.
UM, I SAID, I WANT IT TO BE ARCHITECTURALLY INTERESTING.
UM, AND I, I WANT IT TO BE IN KEEPING WITH THE STYLE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO THAT'S SORT OF BEEN MY, MY NORTH STAR THROUGHOUT ALL OF THIS.
UM, AND I, I THINK THAT DIANE'S DONE A, A BEAUTIFUL JOB OF THAT.
UM, I THINK IF WE WERE FORCED TO MOVE THE FRONT OF THE SECOND STORY BACK 15 FEET, IT JUST WOULDN'T BE ENOUGH SPACE.
UM, I DID MEET WITH BARBARA EPSTEIN AND, UM, MY BOYFRIEND ERIC WAS THERE TOO FOR ABOUT AN HOUR ON SUNDAY.
AND WE, UM, WE HAD A GOOD CONVERSATION AND WE JUST TALKED ABOUT OUR GOALS AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I TOLD HER, I, MY UNDERSTANDING IS IF WE HAD TO DO THAT, I JUST, I DON'T KNOW THAT, THAT THAT WOULD WORK FOR US AND WE WOULD POTENTIALLY HAVE TO SELL THE HOUSE.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING I REALLY DON'T WANT TO DO.
I'M HOPING WE CAN MAKE IT WORK.
UM, I AM THANKFUL TO BARBARA FOR RAISING THIS.
IT'S PROMPTED ME TO SPEAK TO MORE OF MY NEIGHBORS ABOUT IT AND SHARE THE PLANS WITH AS MANY PEOPLE AS I'VE CONTACT.
INFORMATION FOR THE SUPPORT ON MY IMMEDIATE BLOCK HAS BEEN PRETTY OVERWHELMING.
UM, EVERY SINGLE HOMEOWNER THAT I'VE CONTACTED ON THE BLOCK HAS, UM, SUBMITTED A LETTER OF SUPPORT, WHICH I THINK YOU GUYS HAVE IN YOUR FILE.
I SUBMITTED ONE ORIGINALLY, AND THEN I GOT THREE MORE.
SO I SUBMITTED AN UPDATED VERSION.
UM, THOSE ARE ALL THE HOMEOWNERS ON THE BLOCK.
I DON'T HAVE CONTACT INFORMATION FOR SOME OF THE NEW TENANTS.
UM, SO MY IMMEDIATE NEIGHBORS ARE VERY SUPPORTIVE.
UM, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS I WANNA STAY
[02:40:01]
IS BECAUSE I HAVE PEOPLE LIKE THAT WHO ARE WILLING TO SUPPORT ME.AND I DON'T THINK THAT, UH, MS. EPSTEIN OBJECTED TO IT.
SHE, SHE WANTED TO REACH OUT, I THINK, AND, UM, AND JUST TALK ABOUT THE, TALK ABOUT THE PLANS.
AND WE DID HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.
NO, UM, MY, MY PURPOSE IN PULLING IT WAS THAT I, I DIDN'T KNOW IF YOU WERE AWARE THAT IT, IT NOT ONLY CREATES A NON-CONTRIBUTING PROPERTY, IT ELIMINATES A CONTRIBUTING PROPERTY.
SO I, I UNDERSTAND THAT AND I TOLD BARBARA THAT I UNDERSTAND THE CONCERNS.
IT'S JUST THE RUB IS TRYING TO FIT WITHIN THAT AND GET THE SPACE THAT WE NEED.
IT SEEMS THAT IT'S, IT'S NOT, NOT POSSIBLE ON OUR END.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OF THE APPLICANT? HONOR, THANK YOU.
IS THERE ANYONE TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION? OKAY.
UM, DO I HEAR A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING? YES.
WE HAVE, UH, COMMISSIONER VALENZUELA MOVED.
COMMISSIONER LAROCHE SECONDED IT.
UM, IS THERE A MOTION ON THE CASE? WELL, CAN WE, HMM? CAN WE CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING? OH, YEAH, WE CAN DO THAT.
I'VE BEEN BAD ABOUT THAT TONIGHT.
I JUST WANTED TO GO ON AND ON AND ON.
LIKE COMMISSIONER FEATHERSTON? NO.
DO WE, DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING? NO, WE JUST HAVE TO VOTE ON MOTION.
HERE, THIS IS MY LAST NIGHT HERE ANYWAY.
SO WOULD SOMEBODY ELSE PLEASE TAKE OVER THE CHAIRMANSHIP? UM, OKAY, LET'S VOTE.
ALL IN FAVOR CLOSING THE PUBLIC HEARING.
DO I HEAR A MOTION ON THE CASE? UH, I'LL, I'LL GO AHEAD.
UM, I, I WILL MOVE THE APPROVAL OF THE PARTIAL DEMOLITION AS OUTLINED IN THE PLAN SUBMITTED, UH, WITH THE, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS WITH STAFF.
UM, AND I THINK DID YOU ALSO INDICATE THE COMPLETION OF A CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, REC RECORDED PACKAGE? IS THAT CORRECT? YEAH.
WHICH IS AFTER RECOMMENDATION AS WELL.
AND YOU'LL SPEAK TO THE APPLICANTS ABOUT WHAT THAT ENTAILS? FOLLOW UP WITH ALL APPLICANTS.
THE DAY AFTER WITH ALL NEXT STEPS THAT THEY NEED.
WE HAVE A MOTION TO RELEASE THE DEMOLITION PERMIT.
ONCE AGAIN, UH, WE COULD, UH, I, I THINK THE GENERAL DESIGN HAS MERIT.
I DO THINK THAT THERE ARE SOME REFINEMENTS THAT MAYBE, AGAIN, WORTH THIS TO BE A CANDIDATE FOR, UH, HISTORIC ZONING OR IN A HISTORIC DISTRICT, UH, OR STRONG CANDIDATE, UH, THAT WE MIGHT BE WORTH, UH, A REFERRAL.
UM, I, I THINK EVEN WERE THEY, TO PUSH THE DORMER BACK, IT STILL WOULD NEGATE IT BE, IT'S GONNA BE A CONTRIBUTING TRUCTURE IN THE FUTURE, PRETTY ANYWAY.
SO, UH, FOR THAT REASON, ONCE AGAIN, FOCUSING ON OUR JURISDICTION, UM, I, I DON'T BELIEVE THIS WOULD RISE TO A LANDMARK STATUS.
AND SO I THINK, UM, WE ENCOURAGE THE OWNERS AND THE NEIGHBORS TO WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE US AS GOOD A DESIGN FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD AS POSSIBLE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
UM, I DO WANNA NOTE THAT COMMISSIONER CASTILLO HAS JOINED US, UH, TOWARDS THE END OF THE AGENDA.
WE STILL HAVE TWO ACTION ITEMS. SO NOW WE DO HAVE 11.
[23. Architectural Review Committee – Updates from previous meeting.]
UH, PASS THIS DOWN TO COMMISSIONER CASTILLO, PLEASE.AND WE HAVE COMMITTEE UPDATES.
POSSIBLE ACTION ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE.
WE, UH, SAW A NUMBER OF INTERESTING CASES OF THE PRESERVATION.
AUSTIN HEADQUARTERED 38 0 5 RED RIVER.
THEY'RE LOOKING AT FINISHING OUT THE, UH, GARAGE, FITTING THAT OUT, AND DOING SOME RESTORATION OF THE ORIGINAL FINS ON THERE.
AND OF COURSE, THEY'RE GONNA DO A GREAT JOB.
UH, WE SAW ROOF FENCE, AIR REPAIR AT THE, UH, DEPENDENCY OF THE NEIL COCHRANE HOUSE, WHICH IS THE ONLY SURVIVING SLAVE QUARTERS IN THE CITY.
WE SAW THE GERMAN FREE SCHOOL RESTORATION OF ITS VICTORIAN
[02:45:01]
EXTERIOR GALLERY REPLACING A 1950S GREEK REVIVAL PORCH, UH, WHICH IS BEING VERY WELL DONE.AND WE SAW, UM, THE REHAB PLANS FOR BARTON SPRINGS.
SO IT WAS QUITE A, QUITE A MEETING.
DID WE NOT ALSO AT OUR LAST MEETING, OR THAT WAS A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING WHERE WE MET WITH MICHAEL WHELAN AND HIS TEAM TO DEMOLISH TWO CONTRIBUTING BUILDINGS IN THE CONGRESS AVENUE HISTORIC DISTRICT AND TAKE OUT 80% OF A LANDMARK IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER DISTRICT.
WAS THAT IN DECEMBER, THE SPECIAL COLD MEETING? YES.
I, I, THERE HAVE BEEN NO UPDATES SINCE DECEMBER MEETING.
[24. Operations Committee – Future meetings to be scheduled.]
COMMITTEE, FUTURE MEETINGS TO BE SCHEDULED.I'M TRYING
YEAH, WE'RE IN FLUX RIGHT NOW.
AND GETTING SPACE, UH, FOR THE MEETINGS IS A LITTLE TRICKY.
UM, AND AGAIN, WE ARE KIND OF IN FLUX, SO, UM, NEXT MEETING FOR SURE, UH, WE WILL KIND OF MAYBE BE MOVING SOME COMMITTEE MEMBERS AROUND, UH, BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA LOSE SOME, WE'RE GONNA GAIN SOME NEW MEMBERS, UH, OR NEW COMMISSIONERS.
SO WE MIGHT HAVE TO KIND OF MOVE SOME PEOPLE AROUND FOR COMMITTEES.
UM, THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE MEETS MONTHLY.
THAT ONE'S KIND OF THE, LIKE, PRETTY INVOLVED.
UM, THE PRESERVATION PLAN COMMITTEE ALSO PRETTY INVOLVED, BUT IT IS OUT OF PAUSE RIGHT NOW, UH, WHILE WE TRY TO FIND A PROJECT MANAGER, UH, TO HIRE SO WE CAN GET, UM, SOME MORE PROGRESS GOING FOR THAT.
AND THEN OPERATIONS COMMITTEE, UM, I'M WANTING TO DO MONTHLY MEETINGS AND BE MORE PROACTIVE ABOUT GETTING, UM, SOME MORE STUFF DONE, UH, WITH OUR PROCESSES.
GRANTS COMMITTEE PRETTY LAID BACK.
UM, BUT, UH, YEAH, I DON'T KNOW WHEN THEY WILL MEET.
BUT YEAH, THAT'S JUST AN OVERARCHING THAT LIKE, BE IN MIND THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WILL NEED SPOTS AND COMMITTEES FILLED VERY SOON.
AND, UM, STAFF ITEMS. SO NO, ITEM 20.
CHAIR MYERS ACTUALLY HAVE A UPDATED ACTION
[26. Preservation Plan Committee – Recommend Applicant List of New Members for Preservation Plan Working Group]
ITEM FOR THE PRESERVATION PLAN COMMITTEE, PLEASE.UM, SO WE, AS, UH, MS. ALLEN NOTED, WE ARE ON A BRIEF PAUSE WHILE WE ARE WAITING FOR THE CITY TO POST THE POSITION FOR THE, UH, THAT WILL LEAVE THE, UH, THE, UH, PRESERVATION PLAN IN THE FUTURE.
UH, WE'RE BOTH THE WORKING GROUP AND THE COMMITTEE IS ON A BRIEF HIATUS UNTIL THAT PLAN MANAGER IS HIRED.
UM, AND ONCE THAT HAPPENS, UH, WE WILL START TO MOVE PRETTY QUICKLY, UH, WITH HIRING AN ENGAGEMENT CONSULTING, UH, CO CONSULTING FIRM, UH, HIRING COMMUNITY AMBASSADORS, AND THEN LAUNCHING THAT DRAFT PLAN, UM, THAT'S READY TO GO FOR BROAD, UM, COMMUNITY FEEDBACK.
UM, BUT BEFORE WE WENT ON HIATUS, UH, WE MET AS A COMMITTEE LAST MONTH AND, UH, RE ARE RECOMMENDING EIGHT NEW MEMBERS BE APPOINTED TO THE WORKING GROUP.
I BELIEVE, UM, THE INFORMATION ON THOSE MEMBERS WERE INCLUDED IN THE BACKUP, UM, FOR THIS MEETING.
AND, UM, BECAUSE WE MOVED FROM PHASE ONE TO PHASE TWO, WE HAD SOME WORKING GROUP MEMBERS THAT DID NOT CHOOSE TO CONTINUE ON.
UM, AND SO WE HAD SOME, UM, UH, EXPERIENCE LEVELS THAT WE WERE MISSING ON THE WORKING GROUP.
SO WE, UH, WERE ABLE TO RECOMMEND EIGHT NEW MEMBERS THAT, UM, ARE REPRESENTATIVES IN URBAN PLANNING AND SOCIAL JUSTICE ORGANIZATIONS, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY, UH, COMMUNITY ATTORNEYS, CONTRACTORS AND DEVELOPERS.
SO WE DO NEED A MOTION THIS EVENING TO APPROVE THOSE WORKING GROUP MEMBERS SO THAT THEY CAN JOIN, UM, AND BE PART OF THE PRESERVATION PLAN WORKING GROUP.
ONCE IT GETS, UM, TAKEN OFF OF ITS HIATUS, I WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO THAT EFFECT.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? I, I JUST WANT TO ADD THAT, UM, THESE, THESE WORKING GROUP MEMBERS HAVE DONE SOME HEAVY LIFTING AND WE'RE EXCITED THAT SO MANY OF THE MEMBERS ARE COMING BACK AND WILL CONTINUE AS WE GO TO THE IMPLEMENTATION STAGE.
BUT, UH, BEING ABLE TO GET SOME NEW ENERGY IN AND, UH, AGAIN, FILL IN SOME SPECIFIC AREAS OF EXPERTISE.
UH, I'M, I'M SO IMPRESSED WITH WHAT'S ALREADY BEEN ACCOMPLISHED.
I REALLY CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS IN THE YEAR TO COME.
UM, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF RECOMMENDING
[02:50:01]
THIS NEW LIST IS NEW MEMBERS PLEASE SAY, AYE.AND THEN, UH, SINCE I WILL BE TRANSITIONING OFF OF TRANSITIONING
UM, WE DO NEED, UH, SINCE WE ARE ON HIATUS TO ELECT A NEW CHAIR OF THE PRESERVATION PLAN COMMITTEE, UM, TO COORDINATE, UM, THE UPDATES THAT WILL HAPPEN, UM, IN THE INTERIM.
AND SO I DON'T KNOW WHO OF THE COMMITTEE IS, IS STAYING, WE HAVE COMMISSIONER GROGAN, HEIM, SETH, AND LAROCHE, UM, ON THE COMMITTEE AVAILABLE TO SERVE AS CHAIR WELL, AND WE VERY WELL MAY WIND UP WITH A NEW MEMBER.
UM, SO I'M NOT SURE IF THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO OR WE'RE NOT GONNA MEET, WE WON'T MEET UNTIL MAYBE, UH, THREE TO FOUR MONTHS DOWN THE ROAD.
UM, AND SO, UH, MS. BEK NEEDS SOMEONE TO CONTACT, SO I GUESS IF WE DON'T ELECT A CHAIR, JUST WE NEED TO HAVE SOMEONE BE HER CONTACT.
UM, ON THOSE UPDATES, I'LL STEP UP AND CHAIR.
AND, UH, YOU'RE IN, IN A SOMEWHAT RELATED VEIN, UH, THE, UH, PRESERVATION PLANNING, UH, AND UPDATING PLANS HAPPENS TO BE ON A PRESENTATION AGENDA NEXT MONTH AT THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF PRESERVATION COMMISSIONS AND OUR OWN, KARA TRON IS ONE OF THE, UH, UH, KARA, UH, WILL BE ONE OF THE, UH, GOOD, UH, PRESENTERS.
IF YOU HAVEN'T SIGNED UP FOR IT ALREADY, I'D ENCOURAGE YOU TO GO TRACK IT DOWN AND SIGN UP.
AND I'M SORRY I DIDN'T, I, I HEARD AMBER TALK ABOUT THE PRESERVATION PLANNING COMMITTEE AND I NEGLECTED YOU.
SO MAYBE YOU CAN, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF INFORMAL DISCUSSION ABOUT, UH, MEMBERSHIP CHANGES ON THE DIAS.
MAYBE YOU COULD OFFICIALLY FILL US IN ON.
WELL, I, WE HAD ONE MORE ITEM ON THE LEN OF THE LANDMARK INSPECTION RESULTS, BUT I'LL GO AHEAD BEFORE EVERYBODY RACES OUT THE DOOR.
UM, WE ARE IN A STATE OF TRANSITION OR FLUX OR REFLUX, UM, HERE.
UH, WE ARE LOSING COMMISSIONER TETTE AND COMMISSIONER VALENZUELA AFTER EACH SERVING EIGHT YEARS.
UM, AND WE ARE, WE, THE ROYAL WE, UH, BUT I THINK EVERYONE VALUES YOUR SERVICE SO MUCH ON THIS COMMISSION.
I WAS JUST INFORMED ON MONDAY THAT I HAVE ALREADY BEEN REPLACED.
SO I'M LEAVING AFTER 14 YEARS ON THE COMMISSION.
UM, WE HAVE NEW COUNCIL PERSONS, UH, FOR, UM, DISTRICT NINE AND DISTRICT THREE, SO WE'RE NOT SURE ABOUT COMMISSIONER'S.
UM, I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU SERVE UNTIL YOU'VE BEEN GIVEN, UH, OFFICIAL NOTICE THAT YOU'VE GOT THE ACTS.
UM, I, I DON'T KNOW, BUT, UH, SO Y'ALL, GOOD LUCK,
WELL, SO, SO MAYBE YOU CAN EXPLAIN THE, THE PROCESS TO ME.
NOT ONLY DOES COUNCIL DECIDE TO REPLACE A MEMBER, THEY ALSO DECIDE WHO CHAIRS THE COMMISSION.
THE ELECTIONS FOR CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR IN APRIL.
YOU GET TO, YOU GET, YOU GET TO, UH, WELL, WHEN YOU SAID REPLACED, I WAS TRYING TO UNDERSTAND.
UM, MY COUNCILPERSON, UH, HAS, UH, ALREADY HAD A NEW, UM, MY REPLACEMENT APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL.
SO YEAH, I JUST HEARD THIS FROM STAFF ON MONDAY.
SORRY TO LOSE YOU AS THE CHAIR.
YOU KNOW, AFTER IT, IT IS, IT'S SORT OF WITH MIXED FEELINGS.
UM, THERE HAS RARELY BEEN A COMMISSION MEETING THAT I HAVE LEFT WITHOUT TELLING MYSELF I NEED TO RESIGN BECAUSE I CAN'T STAND THE NUMBER OF ACTUAL
[02:55:01]
HISTORIC PROPERTIES THAT ARE, ARE BEING DEMOLISHED AT EVERY COMMISSION MEETING.AND THERE USED TO BE A LOT MORE, I THINK A LOT ARE BEING MORE ADMINISTRATIVELY APPROVED THAN THERE USED TO BE.
WE DID HAVE, WE HAD THAT WIN ON THE, THIS THE CORNER HOUSE.
AND THAT, THAT SURPRISED THE HECK OUT OF ME.
BUT THEN I THOUGHT THAT WOULD BE A, YOU KNOW, DRAG, YOU KNOW, IT WAS GONNA BE ONE OF THOSE, POSSIBLY THE COUNCIL COULD BE CONVINCED THAT IT WAS A GATEWAY INTO A COMMUNITY.
THAT THERE WAS COMMUNITY BAY, BUT PROBABLY NOT.
SOME, I WAS GLAD TO SEE 4 0 9 MONROE.
I THOUGHT THIS IS ANOTHER ONE THAT'S HITTING, GONNA HIT TRAVIS HEIGHTS FAIRVIEW PARK.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE APPRECIATE THAT.
IF I COULD, UM, THIS IS NOT SOMETHING I'VE PREPARED BECAUSE SO MUCH OF THIS IS RATHER SUDDEN.
BUT AS VICE CHAIR, IF I COULD TAKE JUST A MOMENT AND SAY, UH, ON BOTH A PERSONAL LEVEL, BUT I THINK EXPRESSING WOULD CERTAINLY WOULD BE THE, THE SENTIMENT OF MY COLLEAGUES THAT, UH, CHAIR MEYERS, IF THIS IS YOUR LAST MEETING, I THINK IT IS, WE WILL ABSOLUTELY NOT ONLY MISS YOU, BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, WILL BE MISSING YOU BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU'VE ACCOMPLISHED IN THOSE 14 YEARS, UH, WITH YOUR VIGOR, WITH YOUR, UH, ABSOLUTE DETERMINATION.
AND, UH, I HAVE THE FEELING THAT EVERY ONE OF US WILL PROBABLY FOR YEARS TO COME HAVE A TERRY MEYERS STORY.
DID THOSE BOYS IN THE BACK BEHAVE RIGHT AFTER THAT? I'LL NEVER FORGET.
WELL, I WAS A HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER FOR 10 YEARS
SO, UH, THAT MAY HAVE HAD SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, YOU ROSE, YOU ROSE TO A TOWERING HEIGHT THAT NIGHT, AND FOUR FOOT 10 AS AS MAYBE 11.
AND I WANT TO PASS ON ALSO TO MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS VALENZUELA, AND TO, TO LET HOW MUCH I HAVE ENJOYED AND APPRECIATED SERVING WITH NOT ONLY YOUR DETERMINATION, BUT YOUR WISDOM.
UH, I'VE BEEN IN THE TRENCHES WITH YOU, UH, COMMISSIONER VALENZUELA WITH OUR AMAZING WORK ON THE PLANNING COMMITTEE, UH, COMMISSIONER TOLET, YOUR DEEP KNOWLEDGE OF PARTS OF AUSTIN THAT I YEAH, I I COULD ONLY IMAGINE WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN NOW WE JUST HAVE THIS DEFICIT BECAUSE WE JUST WON'T KNOW AUSTIN LIKE WE WOULD THANK YOU.
BUT THANK YOU, ALL THREE OF YOU FOR YOUR, YOUR SERVICE.
UH, WE MAY STILL GET VALENZUELA DEPENDING ON WHETHER YOU GET REPLACED OR NOT, BUT I KNOW, UH, IT, IT IS GOING TO BE A A A, THERE'D BE VERY, VERY TOUGH SHOES TO FILL.
AND WE THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE.
AND, UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT I WILL DO.
YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN ON THE COMMISSION FOR SO LONG THAT IT IS REALLY, UH, I'M NOT MARRIED.
MY CHILDREN DON'T SPEAK TO ME.
UM, I CAN'T GET MY FRIENDS TO GO HAVE BEERS WITH ME ANYMORE.
SO I'VE LARGELY DEFINED MYSELF AS A, UH, COMMISSIONER ON THIS, UH, ON LANDMARK COMMISSION.
SO I, I'M GONNA NEED TO GET A HOBBY.
AND YOU'VE HELD IT TOGETHER ALL YOU'VE HELD ALL OF US TOGETHER THROUGH A LOT, SO THANK YOU.
WELL, I THINK WE'LL AHEAD AND JUST GET HER.
I'VE BEEN FEELING PRETTY KIND OF DESPONDENT, A LITTLE DEMORALIZED, BUT, UM, JUST, YOU KNOW, I WAS EXPECTING TO GO OFF IN TWO YEARS WHEN MY COUNCIL MEMBER, YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN HER TERM WAS UP.
BUT, UH, I HAVE BEEN ON THE COMMISSION FOR 14 YEARS, SO I'VE SKIRTED THIS, UH, EIGHT YEAR TERM LIMIT, UM, THROUGH, UH, NO ACTUAL INTENTION OF MY OWN.
BUT, UM, I THINK MY, MY, WHAT I THINK OF AS MY LEGACY TO AUSTIN IS HAPPENED BEFORE LANDMARK COMMISSION AND,
[03:00:01]
UM, IT WAS GETTING THE CITY TO ADOPT THE LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICT ORDINANCES AND, AND GETTING THE VERY FIRST LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICTS DESIGNATED.AND, UM, I HOPE THAT Y'ALL WILL DEFEND THOSE DISTRICTS, UH, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IT IS REALLY THE ONLY THING THAT PROTECTS HISTORIC BUILDINGS, NATIONAL REGISTER CAN'T DO IT, BUT, UM, LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICTS CAN.
AND SO, UM, I'M GONNA LEAVE YOU WITH THAT, UH, WITH, WITH THAT PROBLEM, UH, WHICH WILL COME UP IN THE FUTURE.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO GO ON TWO.
CAN I BRING UP ONE MORE COMMITTEE RELATED QUESTION? YEAH.
I'M NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO MAKE THE ARC FOR PERSONAL REASONS.
AND THE OTHER TWO MEMBERS, ARE THEY STILL GOING TO BE SERVING AT THAT TIME AND SHOULD THEY SHOW UP? SO, UM, UNTIL THE, SO THERE IS NOT A NEW APPOINTMENT FOR VALENZUELA'S, UH, POSITION.
SO SHE, HER SEAT IS EXISTING UNTIL SOMEONE ELSE IS APPOINTED AND TRAINED.
UM, THERE IS A NEW APPOINTEE FOR MEYERS, UH, POSITION, BUT THEY HAVE NOT BEEN TRAINED YET.
AND FROM WHAT I HEAR FROM, OH, LET ME TRAIN THEM.
SO, UH, THE EXISTING COMMISSION AS IT SITS RIGHT NOW STILL HAS A COUPLE MORE WEEKS, SO WE WOULDN'T HAVE A QUORUM.
SO WE CAN'T ACTUALLY MEET FOR THOSE PEOPLE THAT WE RECOMMENDED.
WELL, TWO OF THE THREE, SO I WON'T BE HERE.
AND TERRY OH, TERRY, TERRY'S BEEN REPLACED SO WELL, NO, SHE STILL HAS HER SEAT UNTIL HER REPLACEMENT TRAIN IS TRAINED.
NO, UNTIL, UH, THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE, THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE NOTIFIES ME.
UM, AND THEY HAVE TOLD ME IT'LL BE A COUPLE WEEKS.
WELL, I'LL SEE YOU NEXT WEEK, BETH.
[27. 2023 Landmark Inspection Results]
HAVE, UH, ONE LAST ITEM ON THE AGENDA, WHICH IS THE INSPECTIONS OF THE LANDMARKS, LANDMARK INSPECTION RESULTS.UM, THESE ARE, UH, THE RESULTS OF THE ANNUAL INSPECTION OF HISTORIC LANDMARKS, UM, THAT WE ARE APPROVING FOR THE PARTIAL
THIS WILL BE FORWARDED TO COUNCIL.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE SOME REPAIR PROPOSALS, UH, SO WE'LL COME BACK WITH THOSE IN APRIL FOR ANOTHER VOTE.
UH, BUT THIS FIRST BATCH, UH, NEEDS A VOTE FROM Y'ALL ALL TONIGHT TO MOVE ON TO COUNCIL.
WHAT ARE WE VOTING ON? THIS IS THE, UM, THE ANNUAL REVIEW THAT ALL THE PROPERTY OWNERS WHO ARE IN THE TAX ABATEMENT PROGRAM, I HAVE TO BASICALLY, ESSENTIALLY BE CERTIFIED IS WHAT TURNS DOWN.
I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T KNOW THERE WAS GONNA BE A VOTE, SO I DIDN'T WHEN I SIGNED THAT.
UM, BECAUSE MY PROPERTY IS ON THERE, YOU ARE RECUSED.
YOU CAN, YOU CAN REMOVE YOURSELF FROM THAT AGENDA.
SO YEAH, IF YOU OWN A LANDMARK, PLEASE
REMOVE YOURSELF FROM THAT AGENDA.
I, SO, CAITLIN, SINCE I WASN'T PRESENT LAST YEAR AT THIS TIME, WE'RE CERTIFYING.
I, I MEAN, I SEE ALL THE FAILED ON THERE AND SOME OF THOSE STRUCTURES I KNOW QUITE WELL.
I'M A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED THAT THEY FAILED.
WHAT, WHAT DOES ALL THAT MEAN? WELL, WE DO HAVE SOME, UM, PROPERTY OWNERS WHO HAVE, UH, COME BACK WITH REPAIR PROPOSALS, UH, WHICH HOPEFULLY WILL ALLEVIATE SOME OF THOSE FAILURES.
UH, WE'LL BE VOTING ON THOSE AT OUR NEXT MEETING.
UH, YEAH, IT'S GENERALLY PRETTY EFFECTIVE.
IT, IT'S A WAKE UP CALL TO OWNERS AND, UH, WE'VE OVER THE YEARS, UH, HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE STAND UP AND SAY, OH, THAT WAS A PROBLEM.
OKAY, WE NEED TAKE CARE OF IT.
I HOPE MOST OF THEM ARE IN THAT CATEGORY.
BUT THE ONES THAT ARE ALREADY DONE, WE CAN PASS ON AS OF THIS VOTE.
DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER WRIGHT.
ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE RESULTS ON, OKAY.
ANY OPPOSED NAME? NOT SO FAST.
I HAVE A COUPLE OF VERY IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE BEFORE WE ADJOURN.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, TELL YOUR FRIENDS, TELL YOUR FAMILY, UH, TELL PEOPLE ON THE STREET.
WE HAVE TWO OPEN POSITIONS, UH, IN THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE, A SENIOR PLANNER AND A PLANNER.
UM, THEY ARE UP ON PRESERVE NET RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND THEY WILL BE POSTED ON THE CITY'S JOB SITE UNTIL, UM, MARCH 12TH, I BELIEVE.
UM, AND ALSO, UM, TO THOSE OF YOU LEAVING, UH, THIS COMMISSION, THANK YOU WHOLEHEARTEDLY, PARTICULARLY CHAIR MEYERS, UH, FOR YOUR SERVICE.
UH, FOR THOSE OF YOU STAYING, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE.
UM,
SO THAT MEANS THE PRESERVATION OFFICER HAS BEEN FILLED.
[03:05:01]
IT'S ME,UH, BUT THE PRESERVATION OFFICE AS IS, IS STILL AMBER AND I, UM, SO NO CHANGES YET.
WHEN, WHEN AMBER, UH, AMBER AND CALLEN, EVERY, EVERY DAY EARLIER IN THE DAY OF EACH MEETING, WE HAVE A SECRET MEETING BETWEEN STAFF AND THE CHAIRMAN WHERE WE TALK ABOUT WHAT ARE OUR PROBLEM.
UH, NO, WE, WHERE WE BRIEFLY GO OVER THE, THE AGENDA AND AMBER CA SAID, I THINK IT'S JUST ME, TOM, AND CALLEN, AND I'M LIKE, TOM, WE HAVE A NEW STAFF MEMBER.
IT'S STILL JUST CALLEN AND AMBER
I THOUGHT TOM WAS GONNA BE THE NAME OF THE PLANT OR SOMETHING.
DO I HEAR A MOTION TO ADJOURN? SO MOVE.
AND THEN I JUST WANNA BUILD OFF OF CALLENS.
UM, FOR THOSE WHO ARE LEAVING, THIS IS MY FIRST GROUP OF COMMISSIONERS, CUZ I'VE ONLY BEEN HERE FOR ABOUT TWO YEARS.
AND I JUST WANNA SAY THAT YOU ALL HAVE BEEN A PHENOMENAL EXAMPLE OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A COHESIVE AND COOPERATIVE COMMISSION.
UH, MANY CONSTRUCTIVE AND PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATIONS.
UM, AND I, I WILL UPHOLD THESE STANDARDS THAT YOU ALL SET IN THE FUTURE COMMISSIONS TO COME