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[CALL TO ORDER ]
IS WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4TH, 6:00 PM I'M CALLING TO ORDER THE, UH, MEETING OF THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION.STAFF THE CHAIR, AND I'LL CALL UPON OUR STAFF, UH, TO BEGIN WITH THE, UH, ROLL CALL.
ALL RIGHT, COMMISSIONER HEIM SAFF PRESENT.
COMMISSIONER WHIT FEATHERSTON.
COMMISSIONER KEVIN COOK, PRESENT.
PRESENT, COMMISSIONER TREY MCCARTER.
PRESENT, COMMISSIONER HARMONY GROGAN.
COMMISSIONER RAYMOND CASTILLO IS ABSENT TONIGHT.
COMMISSIONER RON RAYMOND RUBIO.
COMMISSIONER TARA DUDLEY PRESENT.
AND WE ARE GOING TO BE DEPARTING FROM OUR PREVIOUS WAY OF DOING THINGS.
UH, WE'RE GOING TO GO THROUGH THE AGENDA WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF STAFF.
WE'LL GO THROUGH EACH OF THE CASES, UH, AND READ THEM INTO THE RECORD AND THEN WE'LL PULL FORWARD THOSE THAT ARE BEING OFFERED FOR CONSENT AND POSTPONEMENT.
[Consent Agenda]
WOULD YOU PROCEED? THANK YOU.CHAIR ITEM ONE ON OUR SEPTEMBER 4TH, 2024 AGENDA ARE THE MINUTES FROM AUGUST 7TH, 2024, AND THESE ARE OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
ITEM TWO IS A BRIEFING ON THE HERITAGE GRANT LAUNCH FOR 2024.
UH, NO ACTION IS REQUIRED AS THIS IS A BRIEFING ITEM THREE C 14 H 20 24 0 1 0 2 9.
ROY BUTLER BIKE TRAIL IS AN APPLICANT POSTPONEMENT ITEM FOUR C 14 H 20 24 3 AT 1308 SPRINGDALE ROAD IS AN APPLICANT POSTPONEMENT ITEM FIVE C 14 H 20 24 0 115 AT 9 0 6 WEST 17TH STREET IS POSTED FOR DISCUSSION.
ITEM SIX, PR 20 24 0 6 4 2 7 4 AT 1500 EAST 12TH STREET IS POSTED FOR DISCUSSION.
ITEM SEVEN, PR 20 24 0 2 6 6 9 0 AT 900 SPENCE STREET IS POSTED FOR DISCUSSION.
OUR CERTIFICATES OF APPROPRIATENESS TONIGHT START WITH ITEM EIGHT, HR 20 24 0 7 7 4 9 7 AT 2305 EAST 21ST STREET.
ITEM NINE, HR 20 24 0 7 7 9 8 6 AT 1607 WEST 10TH STREET IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
ITEM 10, HR 20 24 0 4 0 2 9 1.
AT 1807 EAST CESAR CHAVEZ STREET IS AN APPLICANT POSTPONEMENT ITEM 11, HR 20 24 0 7 2 5 9 AT 1811 NEWTON STREET IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
ITEM 12, HR 20 24 1 715 AT SEVEN 19 CONGRESS AVENUE IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
ITEM 13, HR 20 24 0 9 5 1 4 2 AT 25 0 4.
BRIDAL PATH IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
ITEM 14, HR 20 24 0 9 5 2 1 4 AT 7 0 1 BAYLOR STREET IS AN APPLICANT REQUESTED POSTPONEMENT.
ITEM 15, HR 20 24 1 0 0 5 0 2 3300 DUVAL STREET IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
OUR NATIONAL REGISTER, HISTORIC DISTRICT APPLICATIONS TONIGHT START WITH NUMBER 16 PR 20 24 0 3 3 5 6 8 AT 1409 ALTAVISTA AVENUE.
THIS ITEM OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
ITEM 17, HR 20 24 0 9 7 6 4 1 AT 1703 NING AVENUE IS POSTED FOR DISCUSSION.
ITEM 18, HR 20 24 0 9 0 3 0 3.
AT 1109 CLAIRE AVENUE IS POSTED FOR CONSENT.
ITEM 19 DA 2 2 4 0 8 9 5 22 AT EIGHT 10 WEST 11TH STREET IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
ITEM 20 PR 20 24 0 4 2 2 7 4 12 0 5 COTTON STREET IS OFFERED FOR DISCUSSION.
EXCUSE ME, WE'RE STARTING OUR DEMOLITIONS AND RELOCATIONS.
UH, ITEM 21, PR 20 24 0 2 2 9 5 7 AT 4,700 SOUTH CONGRESS AVENUE.
NUMBER 10 IS AN APPLICANT REQUESTED POSTPONEMENT.
ITEM 22 PR 20 24 0 4 3 0 3 5 AT 1702 EAST MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
BOULEVARD IS AN APPLICANT REQUESTED POSTPONEMENT.
ITEM 23, PR 2 24 0 4 3 8 4 4 AT 1704 EAST MARTIN
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LUTHER KING, JR.BOULEVARD IS AN APPLICANT REQUESTED POSTPONEMENT.
ITEM 24, PR 20 24 0 2 1 1 4 5 AT 73 0 4 KNOX LANE IS POSTED FOR DISCUSSION.
ITEM 25, PR 20 24 0 9 6 3 4 3 AT 5 3 0 3 SAMUEL HOUSTON AVENUE IS POSTED FOR DISCUSSION UNDER LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICT TAX ABATEMENT APPLICATIONS.
WE HAVE ITEM 26 AT 8 0 9 LYDIA STREET.
THIS ITEM IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT UNDER COMMISSION ITEMS NUMBER 27.
UM, WE HAVE A, UH, REQUEST TO VOTE TO RECOMMEND THAT COUNSEL REVIEW AND ADOPT THE EQUITY BASED PRESERVATION PLAN.
WE HAVE REQUEST, UH, CHAIR TO TAKE TWO ITEMS OUT OF ORDER TONIGHT.
UM, FIRST 1500 EAST 12TH STREET.
UH, COMMISSIONER DUDLEY HAS REQUESTED THAT THIS ITEM BE TAKEN UP FIRST SO THAT SHE MAY ATTEND AND PARTICIPATE.
UM, AND SECOND, UH, NUMBER 27, THE VOTE FOR THE ADOPTION OF THE PRESERVATION PLAN, UM, TO BE TAKEN EARLIER IN THE MEETING THAN VERY LAST.
THAT CONCLUDES THE READING OF THE AGENDA.
UM, LET US FIRST DEAL WITH THE ITEMS THAT WERE THIS, UH, POSTED FOR CONSENT.
UH, ANYBODY WHO IS HERE FOR THOSE ITEMS THAT WERE LISTED ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, IF YOU WISH TO SPEAK, WE WILL NEED YOU TO CATCH OUR ATTENTION AND THEN WE WILL PULL THAT FROM THE AGENDA.
BUT I'M GOING TO REVIEW IT ALL THOSE CASES AND ONCE WE HAVE A VOTE, ANY OF THE CASES THAT ARE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA WILL BE PASSED WITH THE RECOMMENDATION THAT'S POSTED ON OUR AGENDA WITH THE STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION.
SO IF YOU'RE HERE FOR AN ITEM ON CONSENT AND YOU DON'T NEED TO SPEAK AND IT PASSES AND YOU'RE HAPPY, YOU CAN LEAVE AFTER THAT VOTE.
THE SECOND NUMBER OF ITEMS WILL HAVE POSTPONEMENTS AND THOSE, ONCE AGAIN, I WILL GO THROUGH THEM, UH, AS HAVE BEEN POSTED.
IF SOMEBODY OBJECTS OR WISHES TO DISCUSS THOSE, PLEASE GET OUR ATTENTION.
WE WILL ALSO HAVE THE POTENTIAL OF PULLING THOSE BEFORE WE TAKE THAT VOTE.
AND THEN WE'LL ALSO WITH THE REMAINING ITEMS, TAKE THE VOTE FOR THE CASES THAT WERE REQUESTED TO BE TAKEN OUT OF ORDER.
THE ONLY LAST HOUSEKEEPING ITEM, UH, WE'D LIKE TO ADDRESS THIS EVENING, I BELIEVE THE CHANGE IS BEING MADE FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE, UH, SIGNED UP FOR ITEMS AND ARE HERE VIRTUALLY.
AND IN THE PAST WE WERE MUTING PEOPLE WHO WERE ON HOLD, BUT THIS EVENING I BELIEVE THE NEW POLICY WILL BE THAT YOU'LL MUTE YOURSELF AND WE DO ASK YOU TO MUTE YOURSELF, BUT WHEN YOUR CASE COMES UP AND WE CALL YOUR NAME, WE WANT YOU TO PROMPTLY BE ABLE TO RESPOND SO WE CAN PROCEED WITH THE MEETING.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE TO EVERYBODY? HAVE I, HAVE I STATED THAT CORRECTLY? UH, SAM, UH, SO ACTUALLY PEOPLE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO UNMUTE THEMSELVES.
WE'LL HAVE TO SEND A REQUEST TO FOR THEM TO UNMUTE.
UM, BUT WE'LL BE KEEPING AN EXTRA CLOSE EYE ON WHO'S ONLINE TODAY.
SO WE'LL BE SENDING YOU REQUESTS TO UNMUTE IF YOUR CASE COMES UP.
AND ALSO JUST TO HOP IN, WE HAVE A SPEAKER IN OPPOSITION TO ITEM NUMBER 16.
UM, SO WE WOULD LIKE TO PULL THAT ONE FOR DISCUSSION.
ITEM 16 WAS OFFERED FOR CONSENT, BUT THAT WILL NOW BE A DISCUSSION ITEM.
HERE IS THIS WHERE, UM, I SHOULD NOTE ANY ADDITIONAL CASES TO BE PULLED? SORRY, GOT A LITTLE OFF TRACK.
WE CAN CERTAINLY DO THAT RIGHT NOW.
AS OPPOSED TO, AND THAT WAY WHEN I DO THE REVIEW WILL BE MORE CONSISTENT, BUT AT ANY TIME IF SOMEONE HAS, UH, ONE OF THESE THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO PULL OFF OF THESE, EITHER CONSENT OR POSTPONE IT AT ANY TIME, IT'S APPROPRIATE.
SO IF YOU HAVE SEVERAL, GO AHEAD.
UH, I'D LIKE TO PULL NUMBER 8, 13, 15, AND 19.
EIGHT NUMBER 8, 13, 15 AND 19.
SO EACH OF THOSE WILL NOW BE OFFERED AS A DISCUSSION ITEM.
AND AS LONG AS I'M HERE, IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE WHO HAS IDENTIFIED ONE? I'LL ALSO GO THROUGH THE AGENDA ONE BY ONE, UH, FOR THE CONSENT ITEMS, AND IT'S NOT TOO LATE.
IF YOU HAVE ONE YOU'D LIKE US TO PULL, WE CAN STILL DO IT AT THAT TIME.
SO ANY OTHER IMMEDIATE REQUESTS? HEARING NONE, I WILL NOW REVIEW THOSE ITEMS THAT ARE OFFERED ON OUR CONSENT AGENDA.
ITEM NUMBER ONE, THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM AUGUST 7TH.
UH, THAT IS THE 1607 WEST 10TH STREET.
UH, THERE'S AN ADDITION THAT HAD BEEN POSTPONED FROM A PREVIOUS MEETING
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AND THAT IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT.ITEM NUMBER 11 18 11 NEWTON STREET.
UH, THIS IS, UH, REPLACING SOME STONE, WALL AND STAIRS.
ITEM NUMBER 12, UH, SEVEN 19 CONGRESS AVENUE, THE STATE THEATER.
UH, THIS IS A RECONSTRUCTED SIGN.
UM, THE NEXT CONSENT ITEM IS NUMBER 18.
UH, THIS IS A NATIONAL REGISTER DISTRICT, UH, CASE AT 1109 CLARE AVENUE.
UH, PROPOSED CONSTRUCTION OF A GARAGE.
THE NEXT ITEM IS ITEM 26 AT 8 0 9 LYDIA STREET.
UH, THIS IS A, UH, TAX ABATEMENT IN A HISTORIC DISTRICT, UH, THAT IS AT 8 0 9 LYDIA STREET AND IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
I DO BELIEVE THOSE ARE ALL OF THE ONES THAT WE HAVE LISTED.
AND I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
COMMISSIONERS MOVE TO PASS THE CONSENT AGENDA AS STATED.
COMMISSIONER, UH, COOK, UH, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER FEATHERS.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE CONSENT AGENDA, PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND.
AND IT IS UNANIMOUS AND THOSE ITEMS PASSED.
AGAIN, IF YOU ARE HERE FOR ANY OF THE ITEMS THAT HAVE NOW PASSED ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, THOSE HAVE BEEN APPROVED WITH STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION AND WE THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
UH, THOSE ITEMS THAT HAVE BEEN OFFERED FOR POSTPONEMENT, UH, EVERY ONE OF THESE FROM, UH, WHAT WE UNDERSTAND HAVE BEEN REQUESTS FROM THE APPLICANT'S, AND I WILL READ THE POSTPONEMENT ITEMS FOR, UH, AN A, A, A PROPOSED VOTE.
THE FIRST ONE IS ITEM NUMBER THREE.
THIS IS AT 9 0 3 7 ANNE AND ROY BUTLER AND BIKE TRAIL.
UH, THIS IS AN APPLICANT POSTPONEMENT, AND AGAIN, EACH ONE OF THESE, UNLESS NOTED OTHERWISE, WILL BE POSTPONED TO OUR OCTOBER MEETING.
UH, THE NEXT ONE IS 1300 SPRINGDALE ROAD, AND, UH, THAT IS, UH, ALSO OFFERED AS A POSTPONEMENT TO OUR OCTOBER MEETING.
THE NEXT IS ITEM NUMBER 10 AT 1807 EAST AS CHAVEZ.
UH, THAT IS THE BURNER CLARK MERCADO HOUSE AND THE APPLICANT HAS REQUESTED TO POSTPONE AND AGAIN TO THE OCTOBER MEETING ON ITEM NUMBER 14 7 0 1 BAYLOR STREET.
UH, THAT IS A PROPERTY IN THE CASTLE HILL LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICT AND THAT IS POSTPONED, UH, OFFERED FOR POSTPONEMENT TO THE OCTOBER MEETING.
THE NEXT ONE IS 21 4700 SOUTH CONGRESS AVENUE, NUMBER 10.
AND THAT IS, UH, REQUESTING FROM THE APPLICANT TO POSTPONEMENT TO THE OCTOBER MEETING, 22 17 0 2 EAST MLK, UH, THAT IS ALSO POSTPONEMENT TO THE OCTOBER MEETING.
AND 1704 EAST MARTIN LUTHER KING JU UH, JUNIOR BOULEVARD.
THAT IS ALSO AN APPLICANT REQUESTED POSTPONEMENT TO THE OCTOBER MEETING COMMISSIONERS.
I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE POSTPONEMENT REQUESTS.
ALRIGHT, ONCE AGAIN, UH, COMMISSIONER COOK AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
SO ONCE AGAIN, THAT UNANIMOUS AND WE'VE POSTPONED THOSE ITEMS TO OUR OCTOBER MEETING.
UH, AT THIS POINT WE'VE HAD REQUEST FOR TWO ITEMS TO BE TAKEN OUT OF ORDER.
UH, THE FIRST ITEM IS ITEM NUMBER SIX AT 1500 EAST 12TH STREET.
AND THE SECOND ITEM IS THE PROPOSED PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION FOR THE EQUITY BASED PRESERVATION PLAN.
AND, UH, WE APPRECIATE THAT COMMISSIONERS HAVE, UH, LIMITED TIME.
SO, UM, IF THERE IS NO OBJECTION, UH, I WILL MY ACCLIMATION SAY THAT WE CAN TAKE THOSE OUT OF ORDER OR I, I GUESS BETTER, BETTER JUST TO BE SAFE.
LET'S GO AHEAD AND HAVE A MOTION, UH, TO TAKE THOSE TWO ITEMS, UH, FIRST AND THEN PROCEED WITH THE REST OF THE AGENDA IN ORDER.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, UH, PROCEEDING WITH THE CHANGE IN THE ORDER, RAISE YOUR HAND.
IT IS UNANIMOUS AND WE WILL PROCEED.
ALRIGHT, UM, IF THAT IS THE CASE, THEN, UM, WELL, LET ME QUICKLY, WE HAVE A BRIEFING.
IT DOES NOT REQUIRE ANY ACTION, BUT WE CAN PUT OFF THE BRIEFING AS WELL.
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OUT OF ORDER, WE CAN CALL UP ITEM NUMBER[6. PR-2024-064274 – 1500 E 12th St. ]
SIX 1500 EAST 12TH STREET AS OUR FIRST CASE.CASE NUMBER PR 2 2 4 0 6 4 2 7 4 IS A HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION INITIATED AND OWNER A POST REQUEST FOR HISTORIC ZONING.
UH, THIS IS THE EAST END SALOON IN EISEN ADVISORS AS WELL AS THE 1500 CLUB BEAUTY AND BARBERSHOP AT 1500 EAST 12TH STREET.
THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION IS TO RECOMMEND HISTORIC ZONING TO PLANNING COMMISSION AND CITY COUNCIL OTHERWISE REQUIRE A CITY OF AUSTIN DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE BEFORE RELEASING THE DEMOLITION PERMIT.
UH, STAFF HAS FOUND THAT THIS ITEM IS QUALIFIED FOR HISTORIC ZONING UNDER THE CATEGORIES OF ARCHITECTURE, COMMUNITY VALUE, AND HISTORIC ASSOCIATIONS.
THE 2016 EAST AUSTIN HISTORIC RESOURCE SURVEY LISTS THE PROPERTY AS ELIGIBLE FOR LOCAL LANDMARK LISTING BASED ON THOSE CRITERIA AS WELL AS INDIVIDUAL LISTING AND THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES FOR ITS SIGNIFICANCE IN THE AREA OF LAND DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY PLANNING.
THE BUILDING IS A VERNACULAR COMMERCIAL BUILDING, A TYPOLOGY RAPIDLY DISAPPEARING.
IN AUSTIN, IT WAS RECOMMENDED AS A PRESERVATION PRIORITY REQUIRING STABILIZATION IN A 2019 LETTER FROM THE ORGANIZATION OF CENTRAL EAST AUSTIN.
NEIGHBORHOODS ORIGINALLY CONSTRUCTED AS A TWO STORY STORE BUILDING OCCUPANTS CONSTRUCTED ONE STORY BEER ADDITIONS IN AND OUTSIDE OF THE PERIOD OF SIGNIFICANCE.
IT HAS A HIP ROOF WITH A CENTRAL HIP DORMER AT THE 12TH STREET ELEVATION.
ONE OVER ONE WOODEN VINYL WINDOWS AND HORIZONTAL WOOD SIDING COVERED WITH VINYL SIDING THAT HAS BEEN PARTIALLY REMOVED WITHOUT PERMITS.
A SHALLOW FRAME AWNING SHELTERS THE TWO ENTRY STOOPS AT 12TH STREET WHILE THE TWO KAMAL STREET ENTRANCES REMAINED UNCOVERED.
THE BUILDING'S SECOND FLOOR PORCH WAS ORIGINALLY OPEN BUT ENCLOSED DURING THE HISTORIC PERIOD.
THE 2016 EAST AUSTIN HISTORIC RESOURCE SURVEY IDENTIFIES THIS PROPERTY AS SIGNIFICANT FOR ITS ASSOCIATION WITH ERNEST EISEN VISOR AND HIS FAMILY, A PROMINENT AUSTIN GROCER AND SALOON OPERATOR.
THE BUILDING IS ALSO ASSOCIATED WITH THE ALPHA PHI ALPHA FRATERNITY, THE 1500 CLUB, AND THE 1500 BEAUTY AND BARBERSHOP, AS WELL AS CHRISTIAN J WILHELM GROCER AND POLITICIAN.
IT WAS ORIGINALLY ADDRESSED AS 1400 EAST 12TH STREET AND IS ESTIMATED TO HAVE BEEN BUILT AROUND 1910 PER THE SURVEY.
HOWEVER, THE BUILDING'S EARLIEST OCCUPANT GROCERY CHRISTIAN J WILHELM IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ADDRESS AS FAR BACK AS 1889.
WILHELM WAS A NATIVE OF BURNETT WHO LIVED ABOVE HIS SHOP AND SOLD GROCERIES AND BEER.
HE ALSO BARTENDED BRIEFLY ON CONGRESS AVENUE.
WILHELM WAS ACTIVE IN POLITICS AND RAN FOR SEVERAL CIVIC ROLES, INCLUDING TRAVIS COUNTY COMMISSIONER.
IN 1910, HE AND HIS FAMILY MOVED TO HOUSTON AND SOLD THE PROPERTY TO DESAL MERCHANTS, ERNEST AND LOUISA EISEN.
THE EISEN STORE SOLD PRODUCE AND DRY GOODS AND HAD AN ATTACHED SALOON AND RESTAURANT.
THE FAMILY LIVED ABOVE THE STORE AND OCCASIONALLY RENTED OUT LIVING SPACE FOR TENANTS DURING PROHIBITION.
THE SALOON WAS CLOSED BY THE BY CITY ORDINANCE, THOUGH IT LATER REOPENED.
AND BY 1934 IT WAS A POPULAR SPOT FOR GERMAN FOOD, MUSIC AND BEER BOASTING NOVELTIES LIKE A MARBLE BEER VAULT AND A RESIDENT ACCORDION BAND.
THE FAMILY STOPPED SELLING GROCERIES TO FOCUS ON THE RESTAURANT AND MADE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE BUILDING, INCLUDING THE ENCLOSURE OF THE OPEN SECOND FLOOR PORCH.
THAT AND NOW AUTHOR JEFFREY KERR RECOUNTS EYES ADVISORS HISTORY.
HE WORKED WITH EMIL BOWLES IN A PFLUGERVILLE MEAT MARKET BEFORE OPENING HIS FIRST CAFE IN DESAL IN 1907.
ALTHOUGH THE STREETCAR TRACKS OUT FRONT ARE LONG GONE, THE NAME EISEN REMAINS STAMPED ON THE CONCRETE STEPS ALONG THE BUILDING'S FRONT.
AFTER HIS DEATH, HIS WIFE LOUISA CONTINUED TO RUN THE THE BUSINESS FOR ABOUT TWO YEARS, BUT BY 1950 SHE HAD SOLD THE BUILDING TO AFRICAN AMERICAN BUSINESSMAN BEAUFORT JOHNSON IN ITS FURNISHINGS TO WIDOW E EM BARTON CALL.
CAN WE SEE THE IMAGES? YOU HAVE, UH, FOUND A HISTORIC PHOTO THAT WASN'T IN OUR BACKUP PREVIOUSLY.
IF THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN PROJECT, THAT'D BE GREAT.
WHILE YOU, WHILE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE HISTORY.
BUSINESSMAN VIEW BUFORD JOHNSON CONVERTED THE BUILDING FROM A CAFE AND SALOON TO SEVERAL SMALL BUSINESSES.
THE 1500 BEAUTY AND BARBERSHOPS OPERATED OUTTA THE BUILDING ALONG WITH CLUB 1500 A BAR AND MUSIC VENUE.
THE GAMMA ADA ALPHA CHAPTER OF THE ALPHA PHI ALPHA FRATERNITY ALSO TOOK UP RESIDENCE THERE, THE OLDEST FRATERNITY TO ALLOW BLACK MEMBERS ALPHA PHI ALPHA BOASTED AN ILLUSTRIOUS MEMBER ROSTER IN AUSTIN AND NATIONWIDE.
THEY REMAINED IN THE BUILDING FOR AT LEAST TWO YEARS, BEGINNING IN 1956.
BY THE EARLY SIXTIES, THE BUILDING WAS OWNED BY HOUSTON TILLSON ALUMNI GILLI C AND GRACE SNEAD JEFFERSON.
JEFFERSON WORKED AS A PLUMBER AND WAS ALSO A DISTRICT COMMISSIONER OF THE BOY SCOUTS.
THROUGHOUT THE SIXTIES, THE JEFFERSON'S CONSTRUCTED ADDITIONS AND MADE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE BUILDING, WHICH GAINED NOTORIETY AS A MUSIC VENUE.
DESPITE ITS PROMINENCE AS AN IMPORTANT CORRIDOR, EAST 12TH STREET FELL INTO DECLINE SHORTLY BEFORE THE END OF THE HISTORIC PERIOD WITH YEARS OF VACANCY INTERSPERSED WITH SPORADIC OCCUPATION.
IN 1995, IT WAS PURCHASED BY RELIGIOUS NONPROFIT WHO USED IT AS A REHABILITATION CENTER, BUT IT ONCE AGAIN STOOD
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VACANT AFTER IT WAS PURCHASED BY THE CURRENT OWNER IN 2016.THE EAST AUSTIN HISTORIC RESOURCE SURVEY ALSO IDENTIFIES THIS PROPERTY AS A UNIQUE LOCATION THAT CONTRIBUTES TO THE CHARACTER, IMAGE OR CULTURAL IDENTITY OF THE CITY.
AS A POPULAR MEETING PLACE IN EAST AUSTIN THAT ALSO FORMS PART OF A HISTORICALLY IMPORTANT INTERSECTION AT 12TH AND KAMAL STREETS OPPOSITE THE SOUTHGATE LEWIS HOUSE AND NEXT TO THE IQ HURDLE HOUSE, IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT THE BUILDING'S PERIOD OF SIGNIFICANCE TO REMEMBER THE BUILDING'S PERIOD OF SIGNIFICANCE WHEN CONSIDERING ITS HISTORIC VALUE.
THOUGH THE BUILDING FELL INTO DECLINE DURING THE 1970S AND LATER AS MANY OF EAST AUSTIN'S GATHERING PLACES DID.
AFTER YEARS OF DISINVESTMENT SPURRED BY SYSTEMIC NEGLECT BY CITY GOVERNMENT IN THE AFTERMATH OF DISCRIMINATORY REDLINING, ITS PERIOD OF SIGNIFICANCE ENDS AT THE LATEST IN 1974, HOWEVER, THE BUILDING APPEARS TO RETAIN MODERATE INTEGRITY.
WINDOWS AND DOORS HAVE BEEN REPLACED, BUT VINYL SIDING HAS BEEN REMOVED TO REVEAL HISTORIC AGE WOOD SIDING, ADDITIONS AND PORCH ENCLOSURES APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN CONSTRUCTED DURING THE HISTORIC PERIOD, AND SIGNIFICANT INTEGRITY MAY BE RESTORED AND EXISTING INTEGRITY RETAINED WITH BASIC REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE WORK.
THANKS TO COMMISSIONER DUDLEY FOR PROVIDING THIS HISTORIC VOTE.
AND, UM, COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTIONS OF STAFF AND I THINK ALSO, UH, THOSE PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE, UH, PROPERTY NOW WITH THE VINYL SIGHTING REMOVED, I THINK WOULD BE APPROPRIATE TO MAKE SURE THE RECORD IS THERE.
UH, AND COMMISSIONERS, JUST TO REMIND YOU, THIS WAS A DEMOLITION REQUEST FROM THE OWNER.
UH, WE TOOK THIS UP AT, UH, PREVIOUS MEETING AND OUR REQUEST WAS TO INITIATE HISTORIC ZONING.
AND SO IT'S COMING BEFORE YOU AS A REQUEST FOR HISTORIC ZONING.
AND IF THERE ARE NO OTHER QUESTIONS OF STAFF, THEN I WILL OPEN A PUBLIC HEARING AND I WILL CALL ANYONE IN FAVOR OF THE HISTORIC ZONING.
THAT'S WHY IT'S POSTED ON OUR AGENDA RIGHT NOW.
IS THERE ANYBODY HERE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF 1500 EAST 12TH STREET FOR HISTORIC ZONING? YES, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF FOLKS ONLINE STARTING WITH MS. TRACY WHITT.
OKAY, MS. WHITT, WOULD YOU PLEASE, UH, IDENTIFY YOURSELF FOR THE RECORD AND YOUR WE'RE WE'RE, WE'RE READY TO HEAR YOUR TEST.
THANK YOU FOR INITIATING HISTORIC ZONING FOR 1500 EAST 12TH STREET AND REFLECTING ON THE RELEVANCE OF A VERNACULAR COMMERCIAL BUILDING THAT'S PERSISTED FOR MORE THAN A CENTURY AND SERVED AS A NOTE OF CULTURAL AND COMMUNITY CONFLUENCE ALONG THE EAST 12TH STREET REVITALIZATION CORRIDOR IN EAST AUSTIN.
I'VE LIVED 24 YEARS ON THE SAME BLOCK IN SWEET HILL AND CENTRAL EAST, HALF AS A RENTER, AND THEN HALF AS A HOMEOWNER WORKING WITH THE ORGANIZATION OF CENTRAL EAST AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOODS.
I'VE BECOME VERY FAMILIAR WITH COMMUNITY PLANS AND DEVELOPMENT PRIORITIES.
THE NEIGHBORHOOD'S PLANS, THE NEIGHBORHOOD PLANS.
NUMBER ONE GOAL IS TO PRESERVE, RESTORE, AND RECOGNIZE HISTORIC RESOURCES THAT VALUE SITS AMONGST OTHERS THAT ENTHUS ABOUT COMMERCIAL SERVICES WITHIN WALKING OR CYCLING DISTANCE.
AND OUR URBAN RENEWAL PLAN ENVISIONS EAST 11TH AND 12TH STREETS IS KEY TO PROVIDING THOSE DAILY NEEDS IN A MIX OF NEW AND OLD BUILDINGS.
IN 2019, OCEAN IDENTIFIED EISEN ADVISOR'S GROCERY TO EUREKA'S REPRESENTATIVE AS A PRESERVATION PRIORITY, ALONG WITH THE IQ HURDLE HOUSE ACROSS THE STREET AT 1416.
AND AS UPDATED IN 2022, THE URBAN RENEWAL PLAN ITSELF EXPLICITLY CITES SUPPORT FOR IN-PLACE, RENOVATION OF HISTORIC LANDMARKS IN THE URP AREA.
THE 2016 EAST AUSTIN HISTORIC SURVEY IDENTIFIES THE STRUCTURE AS ELIGIBLE FOR INDIVIDUAL LOCAL LANDMARK STATUS FOR COMMUNITY VALUE AND SEVERAL HISTORIC ASSOCIATIONS, INCLUDING ITS LONG TENURE UNDER EARNEST, I EIS A GERMAN IMMIGRANT AND HIS WIFE LUIS, WHO WAS BORN IN NEW YORK FOR NEARLY 40 YEARS.
FROM 1910 TO 1949, THEY OFFERED GROCERIES, FOOD, BEER, FEED, AND OR LODGING.
SANTA AND A DAUGHTER EMMA, ARE BURIED NEARBY IN OAKWOOD ANNEX IN SECTION G AT KAMALA AND EAST 14TH STREET, A MAY 19TH STATESMAN PEACE NOTES THAT EISEN ADVISOR WAS KNOWN TO MANY UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN AUSTINITES AS POP AND A MAY 30TH, 1947 MEJIA WEEKLY HERALD REPORTS AUSTIN'S EISEN ADVISOR DIES, EISEN ADVISOR'S CAFE ON EAST 12TH STREET.
POPULAR WITH UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS STUDENTS SINCE 1910 MISSED A LONG FAMILIAR FIGURE TODAY, THE OLD CAFE WITH ITS COLLECTION OF POSTERS, POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENTS OF EARLIER YEARS AND ITS REPLICA OF THE BUILDING AND MINIATURE HAS A STATEWIDE FAME.
THIS WAS A SPECIAL PLACE RUN BY BELOVED PROPRIETORS.
IT WAS MIXED USE BEFORE SUCH A TERM.
I'M SENSITIVE TO THE PERSPECTIVE, SHARED WITH YOU AT THE LAST HEARING THAT THIS SITE, UH, HOLDS SOME BAD MEMORIES FOR SOME OF THE COMMUNITY.
SADLY, THAT IS TRUE FOR SO MANY PLACES THAT WE LANDMARK.
WHETHER LAUDABLE OR INFAMOUS ACKNOWLEDGING WHAT HAS OCCURRED WITHIN A HISTORIC STRUCTURE, HOPEFULLY LEADS US TO PONDER WHAT FACTORS OCCASION THOSE OUTCOMES SO WE CAN ENDEAVOR TO EMULATE AND BUILD UPON THE GOOD.
PLEASE ENCOURAGE THE CITY COUNCIL TO
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ZONE THIS SITE HISTORIC AND HELP THE COMMUNITY AND CURRENT OWNERS TO PRESERVE IT AND STEER ITS USE TOWARDS THE BELOVED AND THE BENEFICIAL.PLEASE DRAW A LINE ON WHAT CANNOT BE LOST, BUT ALSO UNDERSCORE THAT PERHAPS HELP IS NEEDED TO MOVE RESTORATION FROM VACANCY TO VITALITY.
ANY QUESTIONS OF THE SPEAKER? UH, WERE WE ABLE TO GET THE IMAGES FROM OUR BACKUP POSTED? THERE WE GO.
AND, UH, WE HAVE MORE SPEAKERS.
I'M ORA HOUSTON AND I AM HERE IN SUPPORT OF HISTORIC ZONING PROTECTION FOR 1500 EAST 12TH STREET.
PLEASE GRANT HISTORIC PRESERVATION PROTECTION TO THE E EEF EISEN VISOR BUILDING AT THE CORNER OF EAST 12TH AND COMAL SO THAT CURRENT AND FUTURE RESIDENTS OF AUSTIN LEARN ABOUT, SEE AND FEEL THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF IMMIGRANT AMERICANS TO OUR CITY.
THE BUILDING WAS BUILT BY GERMAN AMERICANS BETWEEN 1889 AND 1901.
IT HAS SEEN MANY USES, SOME REPUTABLE AND SOME NOT.
ITS LOCATION MADE THE BUILDING A HAVEN AND GATHERING POINT FOR MANY GROUPS OF AUSTINITES WHO WERE PHYSICALLY OUTSIDE OF AUSTIN'S ANGLO DOMINATED SOCIETY.
I BELIEVE HISTORIC PRESERVATION IS JUSTIFIED BY HOW LONG A STRUCTURE HAS BEEN INTEGRAL TO A COMMUNITY RATHER THAN PARTICULAR USAGES GIVE THE BUILDING THE SAME PROTECTIONS AS THE OTHER TWO HISTORIC STRUCTURES ON THE CORNERS OF EAST 12TH.
PEOPLE WHO LOOK LIKE ME WERE FORCED TO RELOCATE TO EAST AUSTIN BY THE 1928 MASTER PLAN.
I'VE LIVED IN AUSTIN SINCE 1945 AND WE LIVED ON EIGHT 15 EAST 11TH STREET ACROSS FROM SAMUEL HOUSTON COLLEGE.
I ATTENDED AND GRADUATED FROM ALL SEGREGATED SCHOOLS IN THE SEGREGATED EAST AUSTIN AS AN ADULT.
AND BEFORE THE BUILDING IN QUESTION WAS CLOSED, I WOULD STOP BY PERIODICALLY TO LISTEN TO LIVE MUSIC.
THIS BUILDING HAS BEEN PART OF EAST AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOODS MY ENTIRE LIFE AND LONGER THAN ANY OF US HAVE BEEN ALIVE.
MY REQUEST IS FOR THE BUILDING TO BE PROTECTED BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN AND CONTINUES TO BE A SIGNIFICANT PART OF THE HISTORY OF AUSTIN BECAUSE OF THE GERMAN CITIZENS WHO CONSTRUCTED IT, OPERATED AND PROVIDED MUCH NEEDED GOODS FROM MEMBERS OF THE DIVERSE COMMUNITIES EAST OF EAST AVENUE.
AND BECAUSE IT CONTINUES TO STAND, MY ASK IS THAT YOU GRANT ZONING PROTECTION TO PROMINENT HISTORIC PRESERVATION SO THAT CURRENT AND FUTURE RESIDENTS OF AUSTIN ARE AWARE OF THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF GERMAN AMERICANS TO THIS CITY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION AND MS. HOUSTON, WE THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR YEARS OF SERVICE.
UM, I APPRECIATE THAT YOU KNOW, YOU WERE, YOU WERE MY COUNCIL MEMBER FOR A WHILE,
UM, ANY QUESTIONS, UH, COMMISSIONERS, UH, OF MS. HOUSTON? AGAIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR INPUT.
IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE, UH, HERE SPEAKING IN FAVOR? I BELIEVE WE HAVE MEGAN KING.
I'M MEGAN KING, POLICY AND OUTREACH PLANNER FOR PRESERVATION.
I'M SPEAKING TODAY ON BEHALF OF OUR ORGANIZATION IN SUPPORT OF HISTORIC DESIGNATION FOR THE PROPERTY AT 1500 EAST 12TH STREET.
YOU HEARD FROM US LAST MONTH ON THE DEMONSTRABLE HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS BUILDING FROM ITS EARLY, ITS EARLY GERMAN HISTORY TO ITS LATER ASSOCIATION WITH EAST AUSTIN'S HISTORIC BLACK COMMUNITY.
THIS IS UNDERSCORED BY THE FINDINGS OF THE 2016 EAST AUSTIN SURVEY, WHICH IDENTIFIES THIS BUILDING AS A POTENTIAL CITY OF AUSTIN LANDMARK AND RECOMMENDS IT FOR INDIVIDUAL LISTING ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES.
WE ALSO HEARD FROM OTHERS ABOUT SOME OF THE MORE UNPLEASANT CHAPTERS IN THE BUILDING'S HISTORY.
THIS IS AN UNFORTUNATE REALITY OF MANY PLACES THROUGHOUT AUSTIN, ESPECIALLY AS IT RELATES TO THE HISTORY OF OUR CITY'S BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES.
BUT AS WE KNOW, THIS IS NOT THE ONLY STORY OF THIS BUILDING.
THIS PROPERTY HAS HAD A LONG LIFE DURING ITS CENTURY OF EXISTENCE.
BY PRESERVING IT, WE CAN CHOOSE TO DEFINE HOW THE STORY OF THIS BUILDING IS TOLD AND HOW IT CAN BE USED AS A TOOL TO INVEST IN A BETTER FUTURE FOR THIS VERY IMPORTANT EAST AUSTIN BLOCK AT PRESERVATION AUSTIN, WE BELIEVE THAT PRESERVING OLD BUILDINGS IS A VITAL TOOL FOR FORWARD THINKING, PLANNING, AND ECONOMIC REVITALIZATION.
DEMOLISHING THIS PROPERTY FOR AN EMPTY LOT AS IS INTENDED, IS NOT GOING TO LEAD TO A BETTER OUTCOME FOR THIS NEIGHBORHOOD.
IF ANYTHING, AN EMPTY LOT WILL FURTHER CONTRIBUTE TO THE NEGLECT.
THIS NEIGHBORHOOD IS SYSTEMICALLY EXPERIENCED FROM OUR CITY'S LEADERSHIP, AND THERE'S NO SHORTAGE OF RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO MAKE PRESERVATION ECONOMICALLY VIABLE FOR THIS PROPERTY AND REACTIVATED ITS STREET PRESENCE.
IF IT IS DESIGNATED AS A CITY OF AUSTIN LANDMARK, THE OWNER WOULD QUALIFY FOR LANDMARK PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTIONS.
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THE OWNERS COULD ALSO APPLY FOR A CITY OF AUSTIN HERITAGE TOUR TOURISM GRANT TO REHABILITATE THE BUILDING POTENTIALLY WORTH UP TO $250,000.IF IT'S LISTED ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES, THEY COULD RECEIVE STATE AND FEDERAL TAX CREDITS FOR REHABILITATING THE BUILDING.
THAT'S A 45 UP TO 45% TAX CREDIT ON QUALIFYING EXP EXPENSES POTENTIALLY WORTH HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS, IF NOT MORE.
THERE ARE INCREDIBLY LUCRATIVE INCENTIVES TO PRESERVE AVAILABLE TO THE OWNERS OF THIS PROPERTY THAT WOULD NOT BE AVAILABLE IF IT IS DEMOLISHED.
WE ASK THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION TO RECOGNIZE THIS IMPORTANT PIECE OF EAST AUSTIN HISTORY THAT WE HAVE HERE ON 12TH STREET, AS WELL AS THE IMMENSE POTENTIAL THAT THIS PROPERTY HOLDS FOR THE FUTURE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
ARE THERE ANY, UH, COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS OF THE SPEAKER? RIGHT? UM, ARE THERE MORE SPEAKERS? THAT IS ALL FOR THOSE IN FAVOR.
PLEASE COME TO THE MICROPHONE AND INTRODUCE YOURSELF.
UH, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TODAY AND FOR INITIATING THIS CASE.
I ENCOURAGE YOU TO PROTECT THE BUILDING AT 1500 EAST 12TH STREET.
PRESERVATION AND ADAPTIVE USES ARE ABSOLUTELY POSSIBLE.
I HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE ON A BOARD OF A NONPROFIT THAT IS THE STEWARD OF TWO HISTORIC LANDMARK BUILDINGS ON EAST 11TH STREET.
IN BOTH CASES, THEY WERE BOARDED UP DERELICT BUILDINGS WITH CHECKERED HISTORIES THAT MANY WOULD'VE RECOMMENDED DEMOLITION.
I INVITE YOU TO VISIT BOTH OF THEM.
THE FORMER SHORTY'S BAR IS NOW THE HAIL BUILDING, WHICH IS A BEAUTIFUL WARM SPACE FOR A WOMAN OWNED BOOKSTORE AND WINE BAR.
THE EAST ROOM, ANOTHER PREVIOUSLY QUESTIONABLE ESTABLISHMENT, IS NOW THE HERMAN SHEER HOUSE ON LYDIA IS THE OFFICE OF A DENTIST, TWO THERAPISTS AND A COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.
ALL AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THERE ARE SUCCESSFUL EXAMPLES OF BUILDINGS THAT ADAPT AND THRIVE.
THE JUNIPER OLIVE HOUSES WERE BARELY STRUCTURES BEFORE THEY BECAME AFFORDABLE HOMES DESIGNED BY AN ARCHITECT WHOSE OFFICE IS IN THE OLD BAKERY.
THE OLD PHARMACY TURNED INTO A RESTAURANT, A RESIDENCE INTO AN OFFICE, A TRAINED DEPOT INTO A HOME.
IF THE GOAL IS IN DEMOLITION, THERE IS A REALLY GOOD CHANCE FOR SUCCESS.
THAT IS TRULY ALL THOSE IN FAVOR.
UH, WE AND THE PREVIOUS DID NOT HEAR FROM THE OWNER, BUT WE ASSUME THE OWNER IS IN OPPOSITION.
ARE THEY HERE TO PRESENT THEIR, UH, THEIR CASE? THE APPLICANT? MR. NICK SANDLIN IS HERE.
MR. SANDLIN, PLEASE COME TO THE MICROPHONE.
AS A PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER IN AUSTIN RESIDENT, I WANNA BRIEFLY REITERATE WHAT WAS DISCUSSED IN THE PREVIOUS MEETINGS AND PROVIDE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE COMMISSION TO ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT THE DATA PROVIDED THROUGH THIS PROCESS TO ENABLE INFORMED DECISION MAKING.
IT'S OUR STANCE THAT THE BUILDING AT 1512TH STREET PRESENTS TOO MANY SAFETY HAZARDS TO REMAIN, HAS FAR LESS HISTORICAL VALUE THAN THE STAFF REPORT INDICATES, AND FAR MORE PUBLIC BENEFITS COULD BE GAINED BY ENABLING SAFE DEMOLITION.
IT'S CLEAR FROM THE EXPERT TESTIMONY PROVIDED THAT THE STRUCTURE PRESENTS AN UNSAFE SITUATION.
THE DATA INDICATES A STRUCTURE THAT IS BEYOND SAVING AND WAS SO BEFORE THE CURRENT OWNERSHIP.
THE MOST EQUITABLE PATH FORWARD FOR THIS PROPERTY IS TO BE ALLOWED TO BECOME PART OF THE STREETS PROGRAM, WHICH CANNOT BE ATTAINED WITH THE CURRENT BUILDING MODERN SAFETY STANDARDS.
AS CITIZENS AND REPRESENTATIVES OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAVE DOCUMENTED THAT THEY DESIRE AS A PART OF THAT GREAT STREETS PROGRAM, I NOTED THAT THE SPEAKER FOR PRESERVATION AUSTIN'S PROCESS SHARED TO THE COMMISSION THAT THEY OMITTED THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION OR DIRECT NEIGHBORS FOR THEIR INPUT.
UH, I ALSO NOTED IN THE LAST MEETING THAT SEVERAL NEIGHBORS TAKE SERIOUS ISSUE WITH THE CITY'S BACKUP DOCUMENTATION, RELAYING THE SITE'S HISTORY, MET MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY DISAGREE WITH THE OVERLY POSITIVE AND ABBREVIATED RESEARCH BY STAFF ABOUT WHAT THE STRUCTURE MEANT TO THE COMMUNITY.
I'M ASKING THE COMMISSION TO PLEASE ADDRESS THOSE CONCERNS AS A PART OF THE DECISION THAT THEY'RE MAKING.
WE SEE THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION AND OTHER NEIGHBORS WANT THIS COMMISSION TO AGREE THAT DEMOLITION IS APPROPRIATE FOR THE STRUCTURE THAT IS WELL BEYOND ITS INTENDED FUNCTIONAL SERVICE DURATION.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OF THE, UH, SPEAKER? YEAH, I'VE GOT A FEW QUESTIONS.
UM, ASSUMING THAT THE STRUCTURAL ASSESSMENT THAT, THAT YOU'VE READ IT, UM, IT'S ABOUT A PAGE AND A HALF, TWO PAGES WORTH OF OBSERVATIONS.
UM, I'M CURIOUS IF THEY FOUND OR SAW ANY KIND OF TERMITE DAMAGE OR PRIOR TERMITE DAMAGE? THERE WAS NO IN, THERE WAS NO INTERIOR PHOTOS IN THIS STRUCTURAL
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REPORT AT ALL.SO, SO I, I BELIEVE TWO REPORTS WERE PROVIDED FROM TWO SEPARATE STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS, BOTH DEEMED PORTIONS OF THIS HOUSE INTERNALLY UNSAFE TO INHABIT.
AND SO THERE WERE AREAS THAT THEY DID NOT GO INTO BECAUSE OF OBSERVED ISSUES.
SO NO PHOTOS OF THE INTERIOR, NO KNOWLEDGE OF TERMITES DAMAGE OR ANYTHING? UM, I MEAN, THIS REPORT, THERE'S A COUPLE THINGS IN HERE THAT TALK ABOUT WINDOWS, WINDOWS BEING OPEN.
YOU KNOW, I'VE WORKED WITH PLENTY OF, YOU KNOW, STRUCTURAL ASSESSMENTS AND NOT ONCE IS, YOU KNOW, WINDOWS BEING LEFT OPEN BECAUSE THAT'S A STRUCTURAL ISSUE OR IS THAT AN OWNER NEGLECT ISSUE? SO THERE'S QUITE A FEW THINGS IN THIS REPORT THAT ARE NOT STRUCTURAL ISSUES AND DON'T GIVE US ANY DETAILS.
THEY DON'T EXPLAIN WHERE THE DAMAGE IS COMING FROM.
UH, IT ALLUDES THAT MOST OF THE DAMAGE IS COMING BECAUSE THE BUILDING'S NOT BEING MAINTAINED.
AND THAT'S WHY THIS BUILDING IS BEING OPEN.
IT SHELL IS BEING OPEN, ALLOWING THE, THE STRUCTURE TO DETERIORATE FURTHER AND MORE RAPIDLY.
SO I'M JUST CURIOUS ON SOME OF THOSE THINGS.
'CAUSE IT IS VERY, VERY LITTLE INFORMATION HERE IN THE STRUCTURAL REPORT.
SO, SO THE STRUCTURAL REPORT COINCIDED WITH THE TIME THAT THE ASBESTOS ABATEMENT WAS HAPPENING.
SO I THINK SOME OF THOSE OBSERVATIONS ABOUT WINDOWS BEING OPEN MIGHT HAVE BEEN RELATED.
THAT BEING SAID, THIS BUILDING HAS BEEN, UH, VACANT FOR MANY YEARS AND SO, UH, EVEN PRIOR TO THIS CURRENT OWNERSHIP.
SO I I I'M NOT SURE THAT, UH, I FOLLOW SOME OF THE, SOME ILLUSIONS THAT ARE BEING SAID ABOUT THAT.
ARE THERE OTHER QUESTIONS? UH, MR. SANDEL, I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS REGARDING YOUR UPDATED LETTER ON AUGUST, DATED AUGUST 6TH, AND YOU ALLUDE TO AND REPRESENT THIS BUILDING HAS UNSAFE CONDITIONS AND THEN YOU ENUMERATE A NUMBER OF ITEMS. ARE YOU AWARE OF WHEN THE CITY OF AUSTIN ADOPTED ITS FIRST BUILDING CODES? DO YOU KNOW WHEN THOSE WERE THE FIRST BUILDING CODES? IS IT AS THE CITY OF AUSTIN? THAT'S CORRECT.
I DON'T HAVE THAT NUMBER OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
THEY WOULD, I'M NOT SURE, KEVIN.
PROBABLY IT'S, I THINK IT'S IN THE THIRTIES.
UH, THAT WAS WHEN WE FIRST HAD SOME OF THE PLANNING AND THEN LATER ON BUILDING CODES WERE ADOPTED AFTER THE SECOND WORLD WAR.
A NUMBER OF THE SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS HAVING TO DO WITH SETBACKS WERE ADOPTED.
ARE YOU AWARE OF THE, ANY EFFORT THAT WAS MADE WHEN THE CITY ADOPTED THESE STANDARDS TO FORCE CONFORMANCE WITH EXISTING BUILDINGS, FORCE CONFORMANCE WITH BUILDING CODES OR EXISTING SETBACKS S THAT WERE IN NON, THAT WERE IN NON-COMPLIANCE WITH THEIR LATER IMPOSED SETBACK? BU SO YOUR, YOUR QUESTION IS ABOUT THE BUILDING CODES OR ABOUT THE PLANNING SETBACK? THE QUESTION OF SAFETY, BECAUSE YOU'RE IMPOSING, YOU'RE IMPLYING THAT BECAUSE THEY DON'T MEET MODERN STANDARDS THAT SOMEHOW THAT IS A DEFICIENCY OF THE BUILDING, WHEREAS AT THE ADOPTION OF THE CODES, IT WAS WELL UNDERSTOOD AND THERE ARE MANY PROCEDURES FOR ALLOWING NON-CONFORMING USES.
AND IF IN FACT THERE WAS AN UNSAFE CONDITION, AS YOU SUGGEST WITH EITHER THE ELECTRICAL PLACEMENT OR EVEN THE PLACEMENT OF THE, THE, UH, SETBACKS, THE CITY HAD EVERY ABILITY TO MAKE THOSE ADJUSTMENTS AT THE TIME IT PLACED THOSE AND CHOSE NOT TO AND GENERALLY DID NOT PLACE ANY KIND OF CONDITION, UH, IF IT, IF IT, UH, IMPOSED THOSE BECAUSE THEY SAW THOSE AS EXISTING CONDITIONS THAT WERE NON-CONFORMING.
SO I DON'T AGREE WITH THE ASSESSMENTS THAT YOU HAVE PLACED IN THESE LETTERS, UH, INDICATING UNSAFE CONDITIONS BECAUSE THEY ARE ALL BASED ON ACCEPTED NON-CONFORMING STANDARDS, WHICH ARE PART OF OUR BUILDING CODE.
UNLESS YOU CAN, UNLESS YOU CAN POINT TO ME SOMETHING OTHERWISE THAT THAT IS NOT PART OF OUR CODE AND WOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AN UNSAFE CONDITION IN AND IF IT HAD BEEN AT THE TIME OF ADOPTION OR AT THE TIME OF INSTALLING THE ELECTRIC WIRES, THE CITY HAD EVERY ABILITY TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS IN ORDER TO PROVIDE A SAFE CONDITION AND CHOSE NOT TO.
SO JUST SO I UNDERSTAND, YOU'RE SAYING THAT THE CODE FROM THE 1930S THAT ENABLED THIS BUILDING TO BE PLACED RIGHT UP ON THE CORNER IS SOMEHOW OKAY TODAY BY SAFETY STANDARDS AND THE CURRENT CODE IMPLIES THAT I I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THE TIMELINE OF WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, WHICH CODE WOULD APPLY.
YOU'RE IMPLYING TO THE BUILDING LOCATION, YOU'RE, WHAT I'M SUGGESTING IS, IS THAT MODERN CODES WERE SUPERIMPOSED OVER EXISTING BUILDINGS ALL OVER THE CITY AND THOSE EXISTING BUILDINGS WHEN THEY WERE NOT IN COMPLIANCE, WERE NOT FORCED INTO COMPLIANCE AND DO NOT, IN MANY CASES CONTINUE THAT I SEE TO SUGGEST OTHERWISE IS IS NOT PART OF OUR BUILDING CODE REQUIREMENTS, NOR WOULD IT BE APPROPRIATE TO SAY THAT THERE IS SOME CAUSE THAT REQUIRES IT? WELL, SO I'M, I'M BEING
[00:40:01]
SPECIFIC TO THIS LOCATION AND THIS BUILDING, SO I CAN'T REALLY SPEAK TO THE OTHER LOCATIONS OR THERE SITUATIONS THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.UM, WHEN IT COMES TO THE LOCATION OF THE BUILDING AND THE SITE DISTANCE ON THE INTERSECTION AS WELL AS THE PEDESTRIAN ACCESS, ALL OF THAT IS INADEQUATE BY MODERN STANDARDS.
SO, UH, AS FAR AS THAT BEING ACCEPTABLE TO CURRENT CODES, I I, I'M STILL NOT REALLY FOLLOWING WHY SOMETHING LIKE THIS WOULD BE GRANDFATHERED TO A MODERN SAFETY STANDARD AS I'VE ALLUDE TO IN THE LETTER.
I, I, I UNDERSTAND YOU CAN SAY IN A NON-CONFORMING USE HAS, UM, REASONS WHY IT DOESN'T PERFORM IN THE SAME WAY THAT A CODE RESPECTING BUILDING WOULD.
BUT, UH, BEYOND THAT CONCLUSION, I THINK THE REST OF THIS IS NOT APPROPRIATE.
I JUST WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT.
1931, AND ANYWAY, YOU, YOU CAN'T GO BACKWARDS.
WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY PUT THE CODES IN PLACE, THERE WERE PROVISIONS FOR ALLOWING NON-CONFORMING USE.
THEY'RE PART OF OUR CODES, THEY'RE PART OF OUR BUILDING STANDARDS, THEY'RE PART OF OUR ORDINANCES AND TO SUGGEST OTHERWISE I DON'T BELIEVE IS APPROPRIATE.
OTHER THAN THAT, AGAIN, AS WE'VE SAID, WE DON'T SEE ANY OTHER STRUCTURAL REASON THAT'S POINTED OUT DEMONSTRABLY.
IT SAYS THIS IS NOT A RESTORABLE BUILDING.
SO WE JUST WANT THAT TO BE CLEAR.
UH, THIS IS AN OWNER WHO HAS HAD THIS BUILDING FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS AND HAS HAD THE ABILITY TO DO WHAT THEY WANTED WITH THIS BUILDING.
IF THE CONDITION IS POOR, THAT IS BY THEIR CHOICE NOW, I WISH THE OWNER WERE HERE AND WE COULD DISCUSS IT FURTHER, BUT, UH, UH, YOU'RE, YOU'RE NOT AT LIBERTY TO SUGGEST ONE WAY OR THE OTHER IN TERMS OF THE CONDITION OF THE BUILDING.
I HAVE YET TO SEE EVIDENCE THAT IT'S BEEN DILAPIDATED MORE UNDER THE CURRENT OWNER THAN IT WOULD HAVE BEEN FOR THE PAST, UH, DECADES THAT IT WAS VACANT BEFORE THEN.
SO, BUT AGAIN, I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND, UM, WE WILL MAYBE HAVE OTHER COMMISSIONERS WHO HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS OF YOU.
IS THERE ANOTHER SPEAKER? WE DON'T HAVE ANY LEFT FROM THE APPLICANT TEAM, BUT WE DO HAVE SOME FOLKS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION TO HISTORICAL ZONING.
UM, PLEASE COME TO THE MICROPHONE OR ARE THEY COMING IN FROM, UH, FROM TELEPHONES? NO, THESE FOLKS.
ALRIGHT, SO FIRST WE HAVE MS. MEGAN SLATTERY.
WE, HI, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
I'M A RESIDENT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
I WOULD JUST LIKE TO READ INTO THE RECORD, UM, A LETTER THAT, UH, THE DAVIS THOMPSON NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, UH, SUBMITTED TO THE COMMISSION THAT SHOULD BE IN YOUR BACKUP.
UM, DEAR HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSIONERS, UH, WE ARE WRITING IN RESPONSE TO A LETTER DATED JULY 2ND, 2024 TO THE COMMISSION FROM NATE JONES, PRESIDENT OF THE ORGANIZATION OF CENTRAL EAST AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOODS OCEAN.
THIS LETTER PERTAINED TO THE ABOVE NAMED CASE REGARDING THE PROPERTY AT 1500 EAST 12TH STREET, WHICH FALLS WITHIN THE BOUNDS OF THE DAVIS THOMPSON NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
D-T-N-A-D-T-N-A DOES NOT SUPPORT OCEAN'S VIEWPOINT THAT THE PROPERTY MERITS HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND WE DO NOT OPPOSE THE OWNER'S REQUEST FOR DEMOLITION.
UM, IN NOVEMBER, 2023, DTNA EXPRESSED TO OCEAN IN A MEETING THAT WE WERE NOT OPPOSED TO DEMOLITION OF THIS BUILDING, OCEAN DID NOT SOLICIT OUR, OUR INPUT PRIOR TO DRAFTING THEIR JULY LETTER TO YOU.
AND WE WERE GIVEN ONLY ONE DAY TO RESPOND TO THEIR DRAFT.
THEY IGNORED OUR INITIAL FEEDBACK.
THIS ONE INSTANCE IS INDICATIVE OF A BROADER PATTERN THAT OCEAN DOES NOT EFFECTIVELY REPRESENT THE OPINIONS OR VIEWPOINTS OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS THEY PURPORTEDLY REPRESENT.
EQUITABLE FEEDBACK IS NOT REGULARLY REQUESTED FROM CONSTITUENT NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS.
AND SO OCEAN'S OFFICIAL VIEWPOINTS DO NOT ACCURATELY REFLECT THOSE OF ALL EAST AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOODS, INCLUDING THIS ONE REGARDING THE SPECIFICS OF THEIR LETTER, WE DISAGREE THAT THE EXISTING BUILDING HAS ARCHITECTURAL MERIT, WHICH IS DEFINED AS EXHIBITING HIGH QUALITY WORKMANSHIP OR BEING A QUALITY EXAMPLE OF A SPECIFIC ARCHITECTURAL STYLE.
NEITHER OF THESE QUALITIES IS PRESENT IN THE EXISTING STRUCTURE.
THE BUILDING WAS IN A DILAPIDATED STATE BEFORE THE CURRENT OWNER ACQUIRED IT AND HAS REMAINED VACANT FOR DECADES.
ONE WAY TO HONOR CULTURAL HERITAGE IS TO WORK WITH A DEVELOPER OF AN OLDER PROPERTY TO ENCOURAGE PREFERENCE OR PROVIDE INCENTIVES FOR A CULTURALLY SENSITIVE DEVELOPMENT THAT ENGAGES THE EAST AUSTIN COMMUNITY.
GIVEN THAT THE COST TO RESTORE THE BUILDING WOULD BE AT A SIGNIFICANT UNDERTAKING, WE BELIEVE SUCH MONEY WOULD BE BETTER SPENT ON CULTURALLY SENSITIVE DESIGN OR ENCOURAGEMENT OF MY OWN BUSINESS USE IN A NEW BUILDING.
UH, FURTHER, THE BUILDING IS ALSO SITUATED ON THE SITE IN A WAY THAT DOES NOT MEET THE CRITERIA OF AUSTIN'S GREAT STREETS INITIATIVE.
EAST 12TH STREET TRAFFIC HAS INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY OVER THE YEARS AND WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE AS EAST AUSTIN DEVELOPS.
BUT THE EXISTING BUILDING DOES NOT ALLOW FOR SAFE SETBACKS FOR PEDESTRIAN USE.
THE BUILDING APPEARS TO BE LESS THAN SIX FEET FROM THE CURB ON 12TH STREET AND FOUR FEET ON KAMAL DISPLACEMENT DOES NOT ALLOW FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN REQUIRED TREE LANDSCAPE BUFFER AND SIDEWALK PER GREAT STREET'S GUIDELINES.
A MINIMUM OF 16 FEET IS REQUIRED FROM THE STREET, AS IT LITERALLY STANDS TODAY.
THE BUILDING PREVENTS MULTIMODAL INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WOULD ENHANCE THE
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STREETSCAPE FOR NEIGHBORHOOD PEDESTRIANS, BICYCLISTS, AND BUS RIDERS.SUCH IMPROVEMENTS WOULD BE A FAR MORE MEANINGFUL CONTRIBUTION TO EQUITY ON THE EAST SIDE THAN THE PRESERVATION OF A NON-CONTRIBUTING DILAPIDATED BUILDING.
FINALLY, OCEAN CLAIMED THAT THIS PARTICULAR PROPERTY OWNER IS INSENSITIVE TO THE CULTURAL ASPECTS OF EAST AUSTIN, AN OPINION THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE VALID.
NEVERTHELESS, IT DOES NOT REASON ENOUGH TO PUNISH THIS DEVELOPER BY DISALLOWING THEIR REQUEST FOR DEMOLITION.
THIS MATTER SHOULD BE LOOKED ON OBJECTIVELY WITHOUT PRESUMED UNDERSTANDING OF THE LANDOWNERS INTENT.
THIS PROPERTY MAY CHANGE HANDS AGAIN, IN WHICH CASE OUR NEIGHBORHOOD WOULD BE PENALIZED BY THE DENIAL OF A PRODUCTIVE USE OF THIS PROPERTY THAT WOULD BENEFIT THE NEIGHBORHOOD IN EAST AUSTIN AT LARGE.
WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO APPROVE THE OWNER'S DEMOLITION REQUEST.
SINCERELY, THE DAVIS THOMPSON NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
COMMERS, ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU.
JUST, YOU KNOW, GONNA COMMENT ON SOME OF THESE THINGS.
IT'S, IT'S ALMOST DEJA VU HEARING SOME OF THE URBAN RENEWAL ARGUMENTS BACK IN THE SIXTIES, THAT THIS BUILDING HAS NO ARCHITECTURAL MERIT.
THAT IT'S BETTER SERVING THE, THE COMMUNITY BY PROVIDING FUNDS ELSEWHERE, DOING SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
IT'S, UH, IT'S JUST INTERESTING THAT WE'RE, WE'RE HITTING THESE POINTS ON, UH, A VERY, VERY INTERESTING BUILDING.
SO, IS THERE ANOTHER SPEAKER? HELLO, MY NAME IS MEGAN SLATTERY.
UM, I AM ALSO AFRAID TO ADMIT TO THIS CROWD THAT I'M AN ARCHITECT.
UM, I, YOU KNOW, WE PULLED THE NEIGHBORS BACK WHEN EUREKA APPROACHED US ABOUT HOW WE FELT ABOUT DEMOLISHING THIS BUILDING.
AND THE NEIGHBORS THAT SHOWED UP, UM, SHOWED NO LOVE FOR THIS BUILDING.
UM, AS YOU'VE HEARD MENTIONED BEFORE, YOU KNOW, THE RECENT HISTORY OF THOSE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHO CAN REMEMBER HAS NOT BEEN FAVORABLE.
THIS BUILDING'S BEEN IN DISREPAIR FOR MANY YEARS, UH, MANY YEARS BEYOND THE CURRENT OWNERSHIP.
UH, IT, IT SEEMS UNFORTUNATE THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN THE TIME WAS RIGHT TO RENOVATE THIS BUILDING WOULD'VE BEEN PROBABLY 30 YEARS AGO WHEN IT WAS STILL POSSIBLE.
UH, I KNOW THAT THERE'S ARGUMENTS AGAINST THE INTEGRITY OF THE BUILDING, UM, BUT HAVING SEEN IT EVERY SINGLE DAY, BECAUSE I LIVE AROUND THE CORNER, IT, YOU KNOW, THE UNSAVORY BEHAVIOR, UH, ACTUALLY ENDED WITH THE CURRENT OWNERSHIP BECAUSE THEY PUT UP FENCES AROUND THE PROPERTY, UM, UNDERSTAND THAT THEY DIDN'T DO ANYTHING ELSE TO REPAIR THE PROPERTY AT THE TIME.
UM, YOU KNOW, FROM A PRACTICAL STANDPOINT, WOOD BUILDINGS NEED MAINTENANCE AND THIS BUILDING HAS NOT BEEN MAINTAINED AND FAR BEYOND THE CURRENT OWNERSHIP, UNFORTUNATELY.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, NOT SPEAKING TO THE CULTURAL, UM, ASPECTS THAT HAVE BROUGHT, BEEN BROUGHT UP, YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT WHERE, UM, WHAT I'M SPEAKING TO RIGHT NOW AND UNDERSTAND THAT HERITAGE AND UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS CORNER.
UM, YOU KNOW, FROM AN ARCHITECTURAL MERIT STANDPOINT, THERE'S ANOTHER BUILDING NOT TOO FAR FROM HERE CALLED THE GEESE SAR, UH, BUILDING.
IT WAS A GROCERY BACK IN 1900, I BELIEVE IT WAS DESIGNATED AS HISTORIC IN 2004.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY, THAT BUILDING HAS BEEN SITTING THERE IN DISREPAIR SINCE 2004.
WHAT, WHAT IS GONNA BE DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS BUILDING WHEN IT'S DESIGNATED HISTORIC? ARE YOU, ARE THEY REQUIRED TO DO WORK TO BRING THIS BACK TO LIFE, OR ARE THEY, ARE THEY ABLE TO LET IT SIT THERE? UM, PERSONALLY, AS AN ARCHITECT, I FEEL LIKE THERE IS A HIGHER AND BETTER USE FOR THIS CORNER THAT COULD BRING JOBS, THAT COULD BRING MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING THAT COULD BRING OFFICE SPACE AND HELP REVITALIZE THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, THAT'S MY PERSONAL OPINION.
UH, POLLEN ARCHITECTURE DID AN AMAZING JOB DOWN THE STREET ON THAT CORNER.
THEY, THEY TORE DOWN SOME OLD BUILDINGS AND THEY PUT UP A BEAUTIFUL BUILDING THAT HAS BEEN A CULTURAL HUB FOR SOME OF OUR BEST DESIGNERS IN TOWN.
SO I DO THINK THAT THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY HERE, UH, TO DO SOMETHING FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
I HAVE A QUESTION, UH, FOR YOU REAL QUICK.
IF, UH, DO YOU HAVE ANY DEMOGRAPHIC DATA ON THE NEIGHBORHOOD OR ORGANIZATION OF HOW MANY PEOPLE, UM, HAVE LIVED IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD FOR, YOU KNOW, LONGER THAN 25, 30 YEARS? SAY, I WISH I DID.
I DON'T, I KNOW THERE'S ABOUT 150 HOUSEHOLDS.
UM, WE TRY TO REACH AS MANY AS POSSIBLE, BUT IT'S JUST A MATTER OF WHO SHOWS UP.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S THE HARD PART.
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YOU KNOW, AND PEOPLE ARE HAVE BAD MEMORIES.WELL, A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KICKED OUT AND A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN, YOU KNOW, UH, THEIR LIVES ARE, ARE NO LONGER WITH US.
RIGHT? THEY'RE NOT HERE ANYMORE.
UM, AND MAYBE THEIR GRANDCHILDREN OR CHILDREN DON'T HAVE THE SAME ATTACHMENT OR DON'T HAVE THE SAME VALUES.
AND, UH, IT JUST, IT'S, IT'S AGAIN, JUST POINTS TO MAKE.
I I MEAN, I WOULD JUST ASK, IS THERE, ARE THERE OTHER WAYS TO HONOR THE CULTURE AND HISTORY? IS THERE A WAY TO IMPOSE THAT ON ANY FUTURE DEVELOPMENT HERE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN PROVIDE FOR THE CURRENT CULTURE AND THE CURRENT, UM, NEIGHBORHOOD? THAT WOULD BE A QUESTION.
AND, AND NOT, NOT AN EASY BUT ONE TO ANSWER.
ARE THERE MORE SPEAKERS? GOOD EVENING AGAIN, COMMISSIONERS.
UM, I'M HERE AGAIN TO URGE YOU TO VOTE AGAINST FORCING 1512TH STREET TO BE DESIGNATED AS HISTORIC.
AFTER REVIEWING WHAT LED UP TO THIS SITUATION, I SEE PROCESS ERRORS THAT PAINTED A BIAS PICTURE FOR SUCH A DESIGNATION.
A NUMBER OF US NEIGHBORS TAKE SERIOUS ISSUE WITH THE CITY'S BACKUP DOCUMENTATION, RELAYING THE SITE'S HISTORY, INCLUDING FIRST PRESERVATION.
AUSTIN'S PROCESS FAILED TO REACH OUT TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION OR DIRECT NEIGHBORS OF THIS ADDRESS FOR INPUT WITH THE ORGANIZATION.
ACKNOWLEDGING THAT LAST TIME WE ALL AGREED THAT BETTER COLLABORATION IS A BETTER PATH FORWARD IN THE FUTURE.
SECOND, THE ONLY NEIGHBORS THAT WE KNOW THAT THE CITY'S PROCESS CONSULTED WITH WERE ALL WITH OCEAN.
THAT ORGANIZATION HAS CREDIBILITY PROBLEMS GIVEN THEIR PATTERN OF SHUTTING DOWN VOICES THAT DON'T ALIGN WITH THEIR VIEWS.
THIRD, THE ELDERS OF OUR COMMUNITY NOT ONLY DISAGREE WITH THE OVERLY ROSE COLORED GLASSES VIEW OF WHAT THIS STRUCTURE MEANT TO THEIR COMMUNITY.
THEY ARE DOWNRIGHT INSULTED BY IT BECAUSE IT'S SO OFF BASE.
DANNY THOMPSON SAID IT WELL WHEN HE URGED YOU TO UNDERSTAND IT'S A BAD MEMORY PLACE FOR RESIDENTS BECAUSE OF ALL THE HARMFUL BEHAVIORS IT FOSTERED.
HE AND FREDDIE DIXON KNOW THE GOOD MEMORY PLACES AND WANT TO WORK WITH YOU ON PRESERVING THOSE.
BUT THIS SITUATION HAS BEEN TRIGGERING FOR FREDDIE IN PARTICULAR BECAUSE HE FEELS LIKE IT'S ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF POWER RIGGING AN OUTCOME AS OPPOSED TO FOLLOWING SOME KIND OF FAIR PROCESS.
LASTLY, THE ONLY HISTORY THAT THIS STRUCTURE HAS ANY POTENTIAL TO HONOR IS GERMAN.
THEY ARE, THERE ARE FAR BETTER AND MORE ARCHITECTURALLY SIGNIFICANT AND SAFER STRUCTURES TO ACCOMPLISH THAT.
ALL OF US SPEAKING IN A POSITION HERE TONIGHT AND EXPERT ENGINEERS AGREE THE BEST THING FOR THIS SITE AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD IS FOR THE STRUCTURE TO COME DOWN.
THE MOST EQUITABLE PATH FORWARD FOR THIS SITE IS FOR IT TO BE ALLOWED TO BECOME A PART OF THE GREAT STREETS PROGRAM.
AND I'M SORRY, DID YOU GIVE US YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD? LET'S MAKE SURE IT'S ELLIOT.
I SHOULD HAVE INTRODUCED MYSELF AGAIN.
I, WE, WE JUST, THAT WAY THE RECORD'S CLEAR.
ANY QUESTIONS? ANY, ANY COMMENTS, COMMISSIONERS? YEAH.
UH, THE ONLY THING I'LL SAY IS AS FAR AS PROCESS GOES, WE DID AND HAVE, AND CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THE REQUIRED PROCESS AS PER OUR LAWS.
UM, THIS WAS AN INITIATED ZONING, UH, INITIATED DEMOLITION REQUEST.
WHEN THAT WAS PRESENTED TO US, WE COMMISSIONERS HAD MADE THE REQUEST OF STAFF TO DO FURTHER INVESTIGATION BECAUSE WE THOUGHT IT WOULD MERIT HISTORIC ZONING.
UH, THAT IS NOT REQUIRING US TO TALK TO ANYBODY IN ORDER TO START THE PROCESS.
NOW, ONCE THE PROCESS STARTS, WE HAVE PUBLIC HEARINGS, WE HAVE OUTREACHES, SO THERE'S NOTHING NEFARIOUS OR DIFFICULT OR CHANGED GOING ON.
THIS IS WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO IN ORDER TO DETERMINE THE HISTORIC MERITS OF A PROPERTY.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE FOLLOWING.
I WOULD LIKE TO ALSO ADD THAT THIS COMPANY, EUREKA, IS NOT TRYING TO KNOCK DOWN THE BUILDING IF THEY CAN HELP IT, LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, MY HOUSE THAT I, I'VE LIVED IN, THEY FIX STRUCTURAL WOOD ISSUE WHEN IT HAS LIKE A GOOD ENOUGH, WHEN IT'S GOOD ENOUGH WHERE IT'S LIKE, HEY, LET'S MAKE THIS THING GOOD.
BUT WHEN IT'S SO BAD THAT YOU GOTTA TEAR IT DOWN, THERE'S, THERE'S A LINE THERE.
WE HAVE TO DRAW A LINE SOMEWHERE.
AND THAT LINE'S BEEN CROSSED WITH THIS PROPERTY.
[00:55:01]
THANKS.YEAH, NOT NECESSARILY A QUESTION FOR THE SPEAKER, BUT JUST HE DID MENTION THAT, UH, THE PROPERTY WOULD BECOME PART OF THE GREAT STREETS PROGRAM.
I THINK WE ESTABLISHED LAST TIME THAT THERE'S NO PLANS ON THE BOOKS, UH, FOR THE REDEVELOPMENT OF THIS PROPERTY.
AND THIS IDEA THAT THE, YOU KNOW, THE BUILDING THE PROPERTY CURRENTLY IS NON-CONFORMING TO GREAT STREETS.
UM, THERE'S NOTHING IN THE WORKS THAT WOULD INDICATE IT'S ACTUALLY GOING TO BECOME THAT.
IT IT, THE, THE CURRENT, ALL WE KNOW IS IT'S GONNA BE A VACANT LOT IF THIS DEMOLITION IS APPROVED.
I DON'T THINK THEIR INTENTION, SO THAT ARGUMENT THAT'S BEING MADE BY BOTH THE OWNER AND THEN BEING PICKED UP BY THE OTHER SPEAKERS, UH, I JUST WANNA ADDRESS THAT SPECIFICALLY THAT, THAT WE, WE, WE DON'T HAVE ANY PLANS TO LOOK AT AS TO WHAT THEY'RE PROPOSING OTHER THAN TEARING THIS THING DOWN.
I THINK IT HAS TO COME DOWN BEFORE THAT CAN BE ESTABLISHED, RIGHT? I MEAN NOPE.
THEY CAN DEFINITELY TELL US WHAT THEY WANT TO BUILD BEFORE THEY TEAR DOWN WHAT'S THERE.
BUT IT WASN'T A QUESTION TO YOU, IT WAS JUST A STATEMENT.
AND THAT'S GENERALLY THE OUR, OUR RECOMMENDATION.
UM, IS THERE ANOTHER SPEAKER? IS THERE ANYONE, UH, CALLING IN ANYONE ELSE? WE HAVE ONE MORE ON THE LIST.
I'M NOT SURE IF HE'S STILL HERE.
IS DANNY THOMPSON HERE? HE IS NOT HERE.
THAT WILL BE ALL THE SPEAKERS ON THIS ITEM.
UH, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
UM, WE HAVE A, A MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER RUBIO, SECONDED BY, UM, COMMISSIONER HORTER.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF CLOSING THE PUBLIC HEARING INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND AND IT IS UNANIMOUS.
UM, COMMISSIONERS, UH, BEFORE WE START DISCUSSION, I WILL NEED A MOTION.
I MOVE TO, UM, INITIATE DESIGNATION OF LANDMARK STATUS FOR THIS BUILDING.
UH, TO, TO, TO PROCEED WITH THE LANDMARK, UH, YES.
UH, COMMISSIONER DUDLEY, THANK YOU.
AND REOPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING A SECOND.
YEAH, YOU HAVE TO REOPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING TO DO THIS.
IS THAT PART OF YOUR MOTION, COMMISSIONER? YES.
MY MOTION IS TO REOPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING AND PROCEED WITH DESIGNATION.
UH, MOTION BY COMMISSIONER DUDLEY.
SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER RUBIO.
COMMISSIONER, UH, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK TO YOUR MOTION, UM, ASIDE FROM WHAT, UH OH, LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE MUTED NOW.
UM, I, I APOLOGIZE, I'M NOT VERY ARTICULATE TODAY.
UM, BUT ASIDE FROM WHAT OTHER COMMISSIONERS HAVE, UM, HAVE SAID THIS EVENING, UH, PARTICULARLY COMMISSIONER RUBIO, UM, I THINK THE INTENT, UH, IS CLEAR OF THE OWNER THAT, YOU KNOW, DEMOLITION IS THE KEY, YOU KNOW, AND THAT THERE'S NOTHING ELSE THAT WOULD SPEAK TO COMMUNITY VALUE.
UM, IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT, AND I, AND I HOPE THAT THE PRESERVATION PLAN, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT'S LATER ON THE AGENDA, WILL HELP TO AID IN A BROADER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT COMMUNITY VALUE IS.
UM, AND THAT IT CAN COVER A LARGE PERIOD OF SIGNIFICANCE.
UM, THE PERIOD OF SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS BUILDING CONTINUES EVEN INTO THE SEVENTIES WHEN IT HAD, UM, A, A PRETTY UNSAVORY, UM, HISTORY WITH ACTIVITY AND THINGS THAT WERE GOING ON WITH THIS STRUCTURE.
AND, UM, IT, UH, YOU KNOW, WITH, FROM THE GERMAN HISTORY WITH, UM, WITH HELM TO THE OWNERSHIP OF MR. BUFORD JOHNSON IN THE 1950S AND BEYOND, I THINK THE, THE STRUCTURE SPEAKS FOR ITSELF.
IT'S IMPORTANT AS A VERNACULAR BUILDING, UM, IN, IN SOMETHING THAT IS ONE OF THE FEW STRUCTURES EXTENT FOR, YOU KNOW, REPRESENTING THE EAST 12TH STREET.
UM, BUSINESS DISTRICT FROM ITS LONG HISTORY, UM, IS A DIVERSE COMMUNITY WITH GERMAN AUSTINITES TO AN AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY.
UM, AND I'D ALSO JUST LIKE TO SPEAK TO THE, UM, THE ISSUES ABOUT, I MEAN, WHO IS WE, WHO THE COMMUNITY IS