Sep 03, 2025 Historic Landmark

ALRIGHT, UH, SO COMMISSIONERS, UH, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, YOU'VE HEARD THE AGENDA, YOU'VE HEARD THE ITEMS THAT WERE OFFERED FOR CONSENT.

UH, JUST TO REPEAT THOSE, THAT'S ITEM NUMBER

[00:05:01]

ONE, OUR MINUTES.

THE NEXT ITEM ON CONSENT IS ITEM NUMBER EIGHT, AND WE ALSO HAD ITEM NUMBER NINE, BUT ACTUALLY I'M GOING TO PULL THAT ONE AS WELL.

SO I WOULD LIKE NUMBER NINE NOT TO BE AND HAVE THAT AS A DISCUSSION.

ITEM NUMBER 10, ITEM 11 AND ITEM 12.

ALL OF THOSE ARE BEING OFFERED FOR CONSENT.

AND AT THIS POINT, UM, DO WE ENTERTAIN A MOTION FIRST AND THEN HAVE A CHANCE TO SPEAK? IS THAT THE WAY IT WORKS? YOU'LL, UH, CALL THE CONSENT SPEAKERS AND THEN YOU'LL BE ABLE TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO PASS THE CONSENT.

SO FIRST WE'LL HAVE ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO SPEAK ON THESE ITEMS. UH, IF YOU ARE IN FAVOR, OBVIOUSLY, IF THERE IS ANY ISSUE THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO NOT HAVE ON CONSENT, THEN LET US KNOW AND WE'LL PULL IT OFF THE AGENDA.

BUT THIS WOULD JUST BE A CHANCE IF ANYBODY HAS COMMENTS FOR THE RECORD ON ANY OF THE ITEMS THAT ARE LISTED FOR CONSENT.

UH, THE WAY THE CONSENT ITEM WILL WORK IS, UH, AFTER THESE SPEAKERS, OR IF THERE ARE ANY COMMENTS FROM THE COMMISSIONERS, THEN WE'LL HAVE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE CONSENT AGENDA.

IT'S SECONDED AND VOTED ON.

AND THEN ANY ITEM THAT IS ON THAT CONSENT AGENDA WILL HAVE PASSED WITH THE STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION.

AND OF COURSE, IF YOU ALL ARE HERE WITH ONE OF THOSE ITEMS, THAT MEANS YOU'VE BEEN SUCCESSFUL AND YOU CAN LEAVE.

BUT, UH, AT THIS POINT, IF YOU HAVE ANY COMMENT THAT YOU'D LIKE TO ADD FOR THE RECORD, UH, WE'RE CHANGING THE, UH, THE FORMAT.

WE HAVEN'T DONE THIS BEFORE, BUT, UH, WE FOUND IT COULD BE VERY HELPFUL TO EITHER HAVE CLARIFICATION OR OFFER ANY COMMENTS IN SUPPORT.

SO WE'LL OPEN THE FLOOR TO ANY OF THE CONSENT ITEMS. IS THAT THE WAY WE'LL DO THIS? YEAH.

I BELIEVE WE MAY HAVE SOMEONE ONLINE TO SPEAK ON ITEM NUMBER EIGHT.

AND WHILE WE'RE WAITING, I CAN ALSO CLARIFY.

NO ONE IS REQUIRED TO SAY ANYTHING, BY THE WAY.

SO THE FACT THAT IT'S ON CONSENT MEANS IT'S BASICALLY WOULD BE APPROVED ONCE THE VOTE TAKES PLACE.

DO WE HAVE THE SPEAKER? I, UM, IS THERE SOMEONE ONLINE TRYING TO SPEAK FOR ITEM NUMBER 8 17 0 9 DRAKE AVENUE? YOU CAN SPEAK NOW.

LOOKS LIKE WE DON'T HAVE ANYONE.

AND, UH, COMMISSIONERS, ANYTHING THAT STRIKES YOUR FANCY? I I DO HAVE JUST A QUICK ITEM I'D LIKE TO, UH, BRING FORWARD.

UH, THE FIRST ONE IS ITEM NUMBER 10.

THIS IS, UH, SOMETHING THAT WE WILL BE DOING REGULARLY NOW WHERE WE'LL BE, UH, ABLE TO REVIEW NATIONAL REGISTER APPLICATIONS AS PART OF THE PROCESS BEFORE IT GOES TO THE STATE FOR THEIR FINAL ACTION.

AND I THINK IN PARTICULAR, BECAUSE THIS IS AN IMPORTANT LEGACY PROJECT AND IT'S LONG OVERDUE FOR RECOGNITION, I JUST WANTED TO GIVE SOME COMPLIMENTS TO THE FOLKS WHO'VE BEEN WORKING ON BEHALF OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE CITY FOR THE ON TOP OF THE NEGRO SCHOOL PROPERTY.

UH, AND IT IS GONNA BE A SIGNIFICANT ADDITION TO THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

UH, SO WE'RE GONNA PASS THAT, THAT ON WITH OUR VERY STRONG AND HARDY RECOMMENDATION.

UH, I THINK IN, UH, SUBSEQUENT MEETINGS WE MAY BE ABLE TO SHOW SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPERTY.

UH, SO MAYBE AS A FOLLOW-UP STAFF, ONCE, ONCE THE, UH, VOTE FROM THE THC TAKES PLACE AND WE KNOW IT'S IN THE WAY, UH, THEN WE PROBABLY COULD DO SOME LEVEL OF PRESENTATION TO, UH, GO THROUGH THAT PROPERTY AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT.

BUT THAT'S, THAT'S THE ITEM NUMBER 10 THAT WE'RE BEING ASKED TO CONSIDER ON CONSENT.

UH, THE ONLY OTHER THING, YES.

DO WE HAVE ANOTHER ONE? UH, CAN YOU CLARIFY IF ITEM NUMBER EIGHT, UH, 1709 DRAKE WAS INTENDED TO BE FOR DISCUSSION OR CONSENT? UH, IT IS A CONSENT ITEM AND WAS PRESENTED AS SUCH, BUT CERTAINLY YOU ARE WELCOME.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS IT, WE COULD PULL IT AT THIS TIME.

I, I'D LIKE TO PULL IT.

APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA.

SO LET THE RECORD SHOW THAT THIS IS NOT ON THE CONSENT ITEM.

UH, OKAY.

AGENDA, RIGHT.

ARE THERE ANY OTHER ADJUSTMENTS? ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? ALRIGHT, ONE MORE TIME.

LET ME REVIEW.

UH, THE ITEMS ON CONSENT AT THIS POINT ARE THE FIRST ITEM NUMBER ONE, THE APPROVAL OF OUR MINUTES.

UH, ITEM NUMBER 10, 11 AND 12, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, IS THAT, THAT'S THE GIST OF THEM.

ALRIGHT, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO

[00:10:01]

I MOVE APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA.

UH, VICE CHAIR EVANS.

UH, THE MOTION IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER MCWHORTER.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND.

AND I DO SEE ALL HANDS ARE RAISED.

IT'S UNANIMOUS.

BE ABLE TO PROCEED TO OUR, UH, FIRST ITEM.

UH, AT THIS TIME WE WILL

[2. PR-2025-041615 – 607 E. 38th St. Council District 9]

UH, AND THIS IS A, UH, HISTORIC ZONING APPLICATION ITEM NUMBER TWO.

ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU, CHAIR.

UH, THIS IS A COMMISSION INITIATED, UH, UH, HISTORIC ZONING APPLICATION FOR, UH, 6 0 7 EAST 38TH STREET.

UH, ZONING CHANGE FROM SF DASH THREE DASH CO DASH NP TO SF DASH THREE DASH H DASH CO DASH NP.

UM, UH, THE BASIS OF ARCHITECTURE AND HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS, UH, ORIGINALLY BUILT AS A SIDE BY SIDE DUPLEX IN THE HANCOCK NEIGHBORHOOD.

THE PROPERTY AT 6 0 7 EAST 38TH STREET IS ONE OF THE LAST REMAINING AND MOST INTACT EXAMPLES OF THIS TYPOLOGY.

IN THIS PART OF THE CITY, IT FEATURES WOOD FRAME CONSTRUCTION CLAD WITH LAP TEARDROP SIDING WITH NARROW PROFILE.

WHILE MANY EARLIER EXAMPLES, UH, WHILE MANY EARLIER BUILT PROPERTIES IN HANCOCK, AS WELL AS SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS SUCH AS HYDE PARK WERE SUB SUBDIVIDED TO HOUSE ADDITIONAL TENANTS DURING THE GREAT DEPRESSION.

THIS HOUSE IS PURPOSE BUILT FOR TWO UNITS.

THIS IS VISUALLY APPARENT BY THE TWO EQUALLY SIZED AND PROMINENT FRONT DOORS AT THE, AT THE CORNERS OF THE BUILDING.

EACH COVERED WITH A MODEST GABLE OVER THE RESPECTIVE ENTRIES.

THE HOUSE IS ELEVATED SLIGHTLY ABOVE GRADE BY PIER AND BEAM CONSTRUCTION WITH THE ENTRYWAYS ASSESSED BY SMALL CONCRETE STAIRS THAT ARE PARALLEL TO THE STREET AND LEAD TO A SINGLE CENTERED WALKWAY.

SOME ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS SUCH AS THE EXPOSED RAPTURE TAILS IN THE GABLES BEAR SOME RESEMBLANCE TO HOUSES BUILT BY THE CHU LUMBER COMPANY IN AUSTIN.

THESE HOUSES WERE POPULAR IN EARLY DECADES OF THE 20TH CENTURY AND WERE A COST-EFFECTIVE OPTION FOR BUILDING HOMES ON RECENTLY PLANTED OR DEVELOPED PROPERTIES.

THERE ARE SOME SURVIVING EXAMPLES OF THESE BUILDINGS NEARBY IN HYDE PARK IN NORTH CAMPUS.

IT IS UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME, WHETHER THE DUPLEX AT SIX OR SEVEN EAST 38TH STREET WAS BUILT BY AND OF CHU LUMBER, OR IF IT WAS SIMPLY MADE FROM SIMILAR CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS AND PRACTICES PREVALENT AT THE TIME.

NO KNOWN EXAMPLES WERE FOUND OF A HOUSE MATCHING THE LAYOUT OF THIS PROPERTY WITH TWO FRONT ENTRYWAYS AND MODEST GABLES.

HOWEVER, THE BUILDING DOES RETAIN EXCELLENT IF WEATHERED INTEGRITY OF ITS ORIGINAL MATERIAL AND CONSTRUCTION PRACTICES OF ITS ERA.

AS MENTIONED ABOVE, IN THE SECTION ABOVE THE BUILDING LOCATED 6 0 7 EAST 38TH STREET WAS CONSTRUCTED, CONSTRUCTED AS A SIDE-BY-SIDE DUPLEX.

AND AFTER A BRIEF PERIOD OF BEING OWNER OCCUPIED, THE HOUSE WAS OCCUPIED BY RENTERS FOR AT LEAST THE NEXT 30 YEARS WITH INTERMITTENT PERIODS OF BEING VACANT ON ONE OF THE TWO SIDES.

THESE RENTERS INCLUDED CLERKS, DELIVERY DRIVERS, PHARMACISTS, BOOKKEEPERS, ALONG WITH NUMEROUS STUDENTS ATTENDING THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS OR OTHER NEARBY INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING.

THROUGHOUT THESE EARLY DECADES OF THE PROPERTY, NONE OF THE RENTERS APPEAR TO HAVE STAYED AT THE ADDRESS LONGER THAN THREE YEARS, WHICH SPEAKS TO THE PROPERTY AS A PLACE OF TRANSITION AND TENANT MOVEMENT, AND IS AN UN UNDER-REPRESENTED HISTORY AMONG AUSTIN CITY LANDMARKS.

IT IS MORE TYPICAL THAT THESE TYPES OF BUILDINGS ARE LOST THROUGH LACK OF MAINTENANCE OR OTHER DEMOLITION OF BUILDING STOCK OVER TIME.

HOWEVER, BEING THAT THERE IS NO OVERARCHING CONNECTION AMONG OCCUPANTS, NO LONG-TERM RESIDENCE THAT MAY YIELD A HIGHER HISTORICAL, UH, LARGER HISTORICAL NARRATIVE, AND THAT THE PROPERTY DOES NOT HAVE A UNIQUE LOCATION OR FEATURES BEYOND ITS USE AS A RENTAL, IT'S STAFF'S DETERMINATION THAT IT DOES NOT RISE TO THE LEVEL OF MEETING THE CRITERIA FOR, UH, HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS.

UM, THEREFORE, THE SAC RE STAFF RECOMMENDATION IS TO DO NOT GRANT THE HISTORIC ZONING AS THE PROPERTY DOES NOT MEET TWO CRITERIA FOR DESIGNATION.

STRONGLY ENCOURAGE REHABILITATION AND ADAPTIVE REUSE OR RELOCATION, THEN MATERIAL SALVAGE AND REUSE, BUT RELEASE THE DEMOLITION PERMIT UPON COMPLETION OF A CITY OF AUSTIN DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE.

I'M JUST INTRODUCING MYSELF IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR ANY, UH, WORK THAT THE YES ASSOCIATION NEEDS TO BE DOING ON AN ONGOING BASIS.

UH, ANY QUESTIONS OF STAFF COMMISSIONERS? YOU'LL PROBABLY REMEMBER, UH, WE INITIATED THIS FOR CONSIDERATION FOR HISTORIC ZONING, UH, AND THE STAFF HAS DONE ADDITIONAL RESEARCH, AND I THINK YOU'VE BEEN ABLE TO BENEFIT, UH, UH, FROM THAT IN THE BACKUP.

AND, AND THANK YOU, UH, MR. LUKES FOR THAT RENDITION.

UM, THIS CURRENTLY IS LISTED AS A POTENTIAL ZONING CASE, SO I WILL CALL ANYBODY WHO IS IN FAVOR OF THAT AS A SPEAKER.

FIRST, IS THERE ANYBODY HERE IN FAVOR OF THE HISTORIC ZONING? PLEASE COME FORWARD, UH, AND IDENTIFY YOURSELF FOR THE RECORD.

HI, MY NAME IS CHARLES DARCO.

I'M AN, I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE HANCOCK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.

UM, I PROBABLY DON'T HAVE MUCH MORE TO SAY THAN WHAT YOU ALREADY KNOW, PARTICULARLY BECAUSE, UH, COMM UH, CHAIR AFF WAS ABLE TO VISIT THE PROPERTY, UH, ON A DATE WHEN I WAS OUTTA TOWN.

ANOTHER NAVAL REPRESENTATIVE, UH, CAME BY.

[00:15:01]

AND I'D LIKE TO COMMEND BOTH THE STAFF AND THE COMMISSIONERS ON THE AMOUNT OF WORK YOU'VE DONE AND THE KNOWLEDGE YOU'VE APPLIED TO THIS PROPERTY, TO THIS CASE.

UH, YES, I, I WAS ABLE TO ATTEND AND WAS VERY, UH, THE OWNER WAS VERY GENEROUS WITH HIS TIME AS WELL.

AND, UH, BUT I'LL, I'LL GO AHEAD AND LET THE SPEAKERS PROCEED.

IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE HERE WHO WOULD SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THIS ITEM? OKAY, HEARING NONE.

IS THERE SOMEBODY WHO'S HERE, UH, SPEAKING AND AGAINST, I ASSUME I SEE THE OWNERS HERE.

UH, WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME TO THE MICROPHONE AND SAY SOMETHING AND JUST GO AHEAD AND, UH, TURN THE MICROPHONE ON AND THEN YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE? YES, MY NAME IS JORGE AND GOOD EVENING.

UM, AND THANKS AGAIN FOR LETTING ME TALK ABOUT THIS PROPERTY.

UM, WE HAVE A, A MEETING AS, AS YOU RECALL, AND, UM, LIVING OR TRYING TO MAKE THIS, THIS PROPERTY HISTORIC, UH, MAKES THE, THE PROJECT COMPLETELY, UM, DIFFICULT.

UH, AS I TOLD YOU THAT DAY, I WOULD JUST APPRECIATE THE VIEW, ALLOW ME TO, TO DO A NEW BUILD IN THAT LOCATION AND, UH, TRY TO BLEND WITH THE, WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

AND COMMISSIONERS, WE'VE HEARD FROM THIS, UH, APPLICANT SEVERAL TIMES ALREADY.

UH, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OF THE OWNER? UH, LET ME JUST SAY THAT I WAS, AGAIN, VERY, UH, I, I, I THINK IT WAS VERY APPROPRIATE FOR US TO HAVE A CHANCE TO BE ON THE SITE, UH, THOUGH THE PROPERTY COULD BE CERTAINLY TURNED INTO SOMETHING.

AND WE CERTAINLY, IN OUR CONVERSATION, JORGE, YOU AND I TALKED ABOUT POSSIBLY EVEN THE HOME ORDINANCE.

UH, THE FACT IS, IS THAT THIS HAS BEEN ON OUR AGENDA.

THIS IS THE LAST DAY THAT WE WOULD HAVE, UH, AVAILABLE TO US TO TAKE ACTION, OR ELSE THIS TIME'S OUT IN A DEMOLITION PERMIT IS BY DEFAULT.

UH, BUT IN, IN THIS CASE, I THINK THAT THE STAFF HAS DONE THE ADDITIONAL WORK.

NOTHING NEW WOULD INDICATE THAT IT IS A CALESHU HOME.

UH, THOUGH IT IS A NICE BUILDING, UH, IT DOES NOT MEET THE MORE RIGOROUS STANDARDS OF A HISTORIC LANDMARK.

SO I, I WAS THE ONE WHO SUPPORTED PUTTING IT ON FOR THE RESEARCH, BUT I, I WON'T BE ABLE TO SUPPORT, UH, HISTORIC ZONING FOR THE PROPERTY TODAY.

UH, HOWEVER THAT SAID, I DO ENCOURAGE, AND I KNOW WE HAD A VERY, UM, PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATION ABOUT THE HOME ORDINANCE AND SOME ADDITIONAL BENEFITS THAT MIGHT BE AVAILABLE TO THE OWNER, UH, WITH THE PRESERVATION BONUS.

AND, UH, EVEN IF WE DO PROCEED WITH A MOTION AND WE DO APPROVE THE DEMOLITION PERMIT, UH, IF THAT MOTION IS WHAT TAKES PLACE JUST TO REMIND THE COMMISSIONERS, THAT IS THE ONLY WAY WE GET A DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE.

IF IT TIMES OUT, THEN IT'LL HAPPEN BY DEFAULT.

AND THAT IS NOT A REQUIREMENT OF THIS OWNER.

BUT IF, IF WE, IN THIS LAST MEETING DO, UH, HAVE THE MOTION, UH, AS STAFF RECOMMENDS, THEN THAT WOULD BE REQUIRED BEFORE A PERMIT COULD BE PULLED ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.

THIS OWNER, I WOULD HOPE, WOULD CONTINUE TO EXPLORE THOSE OPTIONS.

AND IT MAY BE THAT JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE PERMIT DOESN'T MEAN YOU HAVE TO USE IT.

I KNOW.

AND I APPRECIATE THAT .

ANYWAY, I, I THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR, UH, INDULGING ME.

I, I THOUGHT IT WAS, UH, IT'S A NEIGHBOR NEIGHBORHOOD I KNOW VERY WELL.

UH, A HOUSE THAT I DEFINITELY WANTED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT.

BUT AS I SAID, I DON'T SEE THAT IT RISES TO SPECIFIC NEEDS FOR HISTORIC ZONING.

ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? OKAY.

UM, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION MOVE TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND.

I SEE ALL HANDS RAISED HEARING IS CLOSED.

WHO TO RELEASE AN DEMOLITION PERMIT PENDING A CITY OF AUSTIN DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE.

MOTION BY COMMISSIONER COOK.

IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND, UH, COMMISSIONER ACTON.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND.

I'M SORRY.

IF THERE'S ANY DISCUSSION BEFORE WE TAKE THE VOTE, I'M CERTAINLY COULD TAKE THAT THIS HEARING.

NONE, THEN I'LL, I'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE.

PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.

I SEE.

ALL HANDS RAISED.

UH, THE PERMIT IS APPROVED, BUT PENDING A DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

ALRIGHT, ITEM NUMBER THREE

[3. C14H-2025-0086 – 1712 Rio Grande St. Reed House Council District 9 ]

[00:20:01]

AT 1712 RIO GRANDE.

THIS IS, UH, APPLICANT INITIATED HISTORIC ZONING.

THANK YOU CHAIR.

UH, CASE NUMBER C 14 H 20 25 0 0 8 6 IS AN APPLICATION INITIATED BY THE PROPERTY OWNER FOR HISTORIC ZONING OF THE MARGARET BADGER AND MH RE HOUSE AT 1712 RIO GRANDE STREET.

STAFF RECOMMENDS THE PROPOSED ZONING CHANGE TO ADD HISTORIC LANDMARK COMBINING DISTRICT ZONING TO THE BASE ZONING.

UM, SO TONIGHT OUR COMMISSION WILL REVIEW THE ADDITION OF H ZONING ONLY.

UM, AND THEN BASE ZONING CHANGES WILL BE EVALUATED AT SUBSEQUENT PLANNING COMMISSION AND CITY COUNCIL HEARINGS IN TANDEM WITH THE HISTORIC ZONING CHANGE APPLICATION.

THE 2025 DOWNTOWN HISTORIC RESOURCE SURVEY RECOMMENDS THE BUILDING IS ELIGIBLE FOR INDIVIDUAL LISTING AS A HISTORIC LANDMARK AND ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER, AS WELL AS ELIGIBLE AS A CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURE IN BOTH LOCAL AND NATIONAL REGISTER HISTORIC DISTRICTS.

THIS HOUSE IS SIGNIFICANT AS A RARE EXAMPLE OF THE AMERICAN FOURSQUARE STYLE OF THE PRAIRIE SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE IN AUSTIN, WHILE PROLIFIC IN THE MIDWEST.

AUSTIN'S TRUE FOURSQUARE HOMES ARE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN.

THE STYLE IS DEFINED BY ITS HORIZONTAL LINES, INDOOR OUTDOOR LIVING SPACES AND OPEN INTERIORS.

THOUGH THE BUILDING'S ARCHITECT REMAINS A MYSTERY, SOME EVIDENCE SUGGESTS IT IS A UNIQUE EXPRESSION OF A CONTEMPORARY STYLE BY TRADITIONALIST ARCHITECT HAL THOMPSON, WHO SELDOM STRAYED FROM ARRIVALIST AND CLASSICAL FORMS WHEN DESIGNING HI HIGH STYLE HOMES FOR DALLAS' ELITE.

THE HOME'S EYE-CATCHING DESIGN HAS BEEN ATTRIBUTED TO TWO NOTABLE ARCHITECTS.

THOUGH ITS TRUE DESIGNER REMAINS A MYSTERY HISTORIAN.

LORI MARTIN SUGGESTS THAT AUSTIN LUMINARY CHARLES PAGE WAS HIRED BY MARGARET AND MH REED TO CONSTRUCT A BUILDING WITH SIMILAR DETAILING TO THE HOUSE AT 1410 RIO GRAND STREET.

BUILT BY PAGE IN 1907 NATIVE AUSTINITE.

HAL THOMPSON HAS ALSO BEEN CREDITED WITH ITS DESIGN.

HOWEVER, NONE OF THOMPSON'S WELL-KNOWN WORKS IN EITHER AUSTIN OR DALLAS DISPLAY AN ARCHITECTURAL LANGUAGE CLOSE TO THAT OF 1712 RIO GRANDE STREET IF THE BUILDING WAS INDEED DESIGNED BY THOMPSON.

IT IS A UNIQUE AND RARE EXAMPLE OF AN EXPERIMENTAL NEW FORM BY A STYLISTICALLY TRADITIONAL ARCHITECT.

THE HOUSE IS ASSOCIATED WITH MULTIPLE SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTORS TO AUSTIN'S HISTORY, INCLUDING MALCOLM REED, MARGARET BADGER REED, THE BEN IRI HILLEL FOUNDATION, WHICH IS NOW TEXAS HILLEL AND PHI KAPPA ALPHA AND DELTA TAL DELTA FRATERNAL ORGANIZATIONS.

IT WAS ALSO THE HOME TO FORMER GOVERNOR DOLF B BRISCOE JR.

DURING HIS TIME AS A UT STUDENT, MALCOLM REED AND HIS FIRST WIFE, MARGARET BADGER.

REED MOVED TO AUSTIN FOR MARBLE FALLS IN 1908 AND HAVING ALREADY ESTABLISHED A BUSINESS AND RUN A BANK VOLVED INTO A TRUE TITAN OF INDUSTRY IN AUSTIN IN THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY.

BOTH THE INTERIOR AND OR BOTH, BOTH OF THE EXTERIOR MODIFICATIONS, UH, OCCURRED DURING THE HISTORIC PERIOD, UH, DURING THE TIME THAT REED OWNED THE PROPERTY.

A PORTION OF THE FRONT PORCH WAS ENCLOSED IN THE 1940S, UM, AND THEN A LATER EDITION WAS ADDED IN THE 1960S.

BUT, UH, NEITHER OF THESE FORMS AFFECT THE BUILDING'S ORIGINAL INTEGRITY.

THE TERRACOTTA ROOF HAS BEEN REPLACED WITH THE METAL ROOF, BUT AGAIN, ITS ORIGINAL FORM REMAINS.

THUS, STAFF CAN RECOMMEND HISTORIC LANDMARK DESIGNATION FOR THIS PROPERTY.

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONERS.

ANY QUESTIONS OF STAFF? OKAY, HEARING NONE, UH, WE'LL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING.

UH, IS THE APPLICANT AVAILABLE? OKAY.

PLEASE COME TO THE MICROPHONE AND IDENTIFY YOURSELF.

GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.

MY NAME IS TERRY O'CONNELL WITH O'CONNELL ARCHITECTURE.

LORI MARTIN IS ON THE LINE IF WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OF HER.

AS THE AUTHOR OF THE, UM, LANDMARK NOMINATION, AND I HAVE BESIDE ME, ROBIN SHEPHERD, WHO IS THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY, WHO WOULD LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS IN A FEW MINUTES.

UM, WE ARE, WE ARE EXCITED TO PRESENT THIS PROJECT.

UH, WE HAVE VISIONS OF RESTORING THE BUILDING TO, UH, RESTORING A LOT OF THE ORIGINAL HISTORIC CHARACTER THAT'S A PART OF, UH, THIS BUILDING, INCLUDING OPENING UP THE FRONT PORCHES AGAIN AND, UM, AND MAKING, UH, SITE IMPROVEMENTS AND, UH, ADDING A VERY SMALL ADDITION ONTO THE BACK OF THE HOUSE THAT YOU WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO SEE FROM THE FRONT OF THE HOUSE.

THAT'S NOT AN ISSUE TODAY.

WE'VE GOT ALL, ALL YOU'RE LOOKING AT TODAY IS WHETHER OR NOT THIS BUILDING MEETS THE CRITERIA FOR HISTORIC LANDMARK.

WE AREN'T READY TO SUBMIT FOR A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS YET.

UM, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT IT WAS IN YOUR HANDS THOUGH, BECAUSE PART OF THE OVERALL PLAN FOR THIS PROJECT IS TO UP ZONE TO DMU TO ALLOW FOR RESIDENCE RESIDENTIAL LIVING SPACES DOWN AT THE WALKUP BASEMENT LEVEL OF THIS HOUSE.

AGAIN, IT'S NOT GOING TO DESTROY OR, OR, OR DAMAGE THE ARCHITECTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE BUILDING.

BUT ROBIN WOULD LIKE, AND HER AND HER FAMILY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE RESIDENTIAL USES DOWN AT THE BASEMENT LEVEL.

AND THAT REQUIRES A CHANGE IN OUR BASE ZONING.

BUT

[00:25:01]

AS PART OF THAT, WE WANTED TO MAKE VERY CLEAR THAT DEMOLITION WAS NOT IN THE CARDS FOR THIS, THAT'S NOT PART OF THE PLAN FOR THIS PROPERTY.

WE WANNA RESTORE THE HISTORIC BUILDING AS PART OF THIS OVERALL VISION.

SO WE'LL HAVE RESIDENTIAL AT THE FIR BASEMENT AND THEN OFFICES FOR THE SHEPHERD FAMILY FOUNDATION ON THE UPPER FLOORS.

AND I WILL TURN IT OVER TO ROBIN TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHY THEY PICKED THIS HOUSE.

HI.

SO I'M ROBIN SHEPHERD.

UM, I OWN FIVE COLINAS, WHICH OWNS THIS HOUSE.

AND WE, I HAVE A PASSION FOR HISTORIC HOMES.

I HAVE ANOTHER COMPANY CALLED FIVE BIRDS DWELLINGS.

AND I PURCHASED AND RESTORE DILAPIDATED HISTORIC HOMES THROUGHOUT AUSTIN.

AND WE NEEDED A PLACE TO HAVE OUR OFFICES.

AND WE FOUND THIS AMAZING HISTORIC HOUSE AND THOUGHT, MY GOSH, THIS IS PERFECT FOR US AND FOR OUR FAMILY AND FOR OUR LEGACY MOMENT FOR THE CITY.

UM, IT NEEDS SOME WORK.

IT'S, UM, MAYBE, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN A FRAT HOUSE TWICE.

UM, SO OUR HOPE IS TO REALLY RESTORE IT THOUGHTFULLY, HISTORICALLY.

TAKE IT BACK TO A POINT WHERE IT'S TRUE BEAUTY SHINES THROUGH.

THE ATTEND OF THE ARCHITECT IS TRANSPARENT.

WE WILL HOUSE BOTH OUR BUSINESSES THERE, OUR FOUNDATION THERE.

AND THEN WE WILL TRY TO INCUBATE OTHER NONPROFITS THERE AS THEY START UP ENTREPRENEURIAL NON NONPROFITS IN AUSTIN.

IT'S THE HOPE.

AND, UM, YEAH, WE'RE JUST SUPER EXCITED TO GET TO WORK ON THIS PROJECT, MS. SHEPHERD.

THANK YOU, UH, COMMISSIONERS.

ANY QUESTION OF THE APPLICANTS? OKAY.

ARE THERE OTHER SPEAKERS? THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

IS THERE ANY, I BELIEVE WE HAD HISTORIC PHOTOGRAPHS AVAILABLE IF YOU WANTED TO SEE THEM.

THEY WERE JUST FOUND FROM THE DELTA TODD DELTA FRATERNITY AND LORI WAS ABLE TO GET THOSE, UM, FROM THEM.

AND THEY MIGHT BE AVAILABLE FOR YOU TO SEE IF YOU'RE INTERESTED.

ARE THEY, ARE THOSE SOMETHING WE CAN PULL UP NOW OR, OKAY, THAT WOULD BE FUN.

SORRY, WHILE WE'RE DOING THAT, ARE THERE OTHER SPEAKERS? DID WE SAY? IS THERE ANYBODY HERE IN FAVOR? ANYBODY HERE TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION? ALRIGHT, UH, WE'LL GO AHEAD THROUGH THE PHOTOGRAPHS WHILE WE'RE DOING THAT, UH, COMMISSIONERS, LET ME ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.

COMMISSIONER COOK, IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND AND I'M GOING TO ASSUME THAT OUR VIEWERS AT HOME HAVE ALL RAISED THEIR HANDS.

ALRIGHT, THERE WE GO.

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH.

ALRIGHT, UH, COMMISSIONERS, UH, YOU'VE HEARD THE PRESENTATION.

UH, HOW WOULD YOU ALL LIKE TO TAKE AN ACTION ON THIS? I MOVE TO RECOMMEND HISTORIC ZONING FOR STAFF RECOMMENDATION.

DO WE HAVE TO REOPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THIS TO DO THAT? NO.

THERE'S A MOTION TO, UH, ACCEPT STAFF RECOMMENDATION FOR HISTORIC ZONING.

DO I HEAR A SECOND? ALL SECOND.

UH, COMMISSIONER COOK.

COMMISSIONER COOK.

YEAH.

IT'S, UH, OBVIOUSLY A GREAT, UH, STRUCTURE IN, IN AUSTIN SINCE WE'RE, UH, BEHIND THE CURVE ON DISTRICTS.

YOU KNOW, CONGRESS AVENUE SIXTH STREET ARE EFFECTIVELY PROTECTED DISTRICTS ONLY BY VIRTUE OF DENSITY OF LANDMARKS.

AND THERE IS A LOT, A LOT OF GREAT LANDMARKS NEXT TO THIS PROPERTY, WHICH I THINK SPEAKS TO THE VALUE IT'S GONNA, IT'S GOING TO ADD, UH, KNOWING THAT THERE'S A RESTORATION ON HISTORIC PROPERTY THAT NEEDS IT, UH, RELIEVES ANY HEARTBURN I WOULD HAVE ABOUT TAX ABATEMENTS THAT COME WITH THE, UH, DESIGNATION.

AND ALSO SEEING THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE MIXED USE RESIDENTIAL AND NONPROFIT USE.

MULTIPLE NON-PROFIT USE IS, YOU KNOW, ALWAYS A GREAT USE OF BUILDINGS.

SO I JUST THINK IT'S A WIN ALL AROUND.

UH, NOTHING TO ADD TO THAT.

COMMISSIONERS ANY MORE DISCUSSION? I, I REMEMBER THIS, UH, BACK WHEN WE, WE WERE OFFING DOWNTOWN 'CAUSE WE LOOKED AT IT AS A POSSIBLE OFFICE.

UH, SO TO KNOW THAT IT'S NOT GOING TO BE LOST, UH, THERE ARE OTHER DEVELOPMENT PRESSURES IN THE AREA.

UH, I I'M VERY MUCH LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING HOW THIS DEVELOPS AND LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, WHEN YOU COME IN FOR YOUR CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS.

SO, CROSS YOUR FINGERS, ASSUMING ALL THE ZONING GOES FORWARD.

SO COMMISSIONERS, WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND.

AND ONCE AGAIN, ALL HANDS ARE RAISED IS UNANIMOUS.

CONGRATULATIONS.

THANK YOU, CHAIR ITEM FOUR AT 67 0 6 BLUFF SPRINGS ROAD.

ALRIGHT, THAT BRINGS US TO, UH, CERTIFICATES OF APPROPRIATENESS IN LOCAL, UH, HISTORIC DISTRICTS OR LANDMARK PROPERTIES.

UH, THE NEXT IS ITEM NUMBER FOUR.

[4. HR-2025-102555 – 6706 Bluff Springs Rd. Horton-Duval House Council District 9 ]

[00:30:01]

UH, THIS IS THE HORTON DUVAL HOUSE.

UM, AND THIS IS A PROPOSAL TO REMOVE THE RUINS OF A LANDMARK BUILDING DESTROYED BY FIRE IN 1996.

UM, AND MOST OF YOU'RE PROBABLY VERY FAMILIAR WITH THIS BUILDING DUE TO SERIOUS LIFE SAFETY CONCERNS.

THE CASE REVIEW AND ESCALATIONS DIVISION OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT SEEKS TO REMOVE THE MASONRY REMNANTS OF THE CIRCA 1852 BUILDING DESTROYED BY FIRE IN 1996.

THOUGH THE RUINS WERE POTENTIALLY SALVAGEABLE AFTER THE INITIAL FIRE, THE 30 INTERVENING YEARS HAVE LED TO DETERIORATION BEYOND REPAIR, AND THEY NOW POSE A SIGNIFICANT HAZARD TO PEDESTRIANS ON THE NEARBY SIDEWALK.

AND PEOPLE USING THE VACANT LAND AS TEMPORARY SHELTER AS THE REMAINING MASONRY WAS QUARRIED HU AND ASSEMBLED BY ENSLAVED LABORERS FROM THE NEARBY SNEAD PROPERTY, WHO LATER DWELT IN THE BUILDING.

TSD STAFF PROPOSED RESPECTFUL DISASSEMBLY OF THE STONEWORK AND SUSTAINABLE RECYCLING, RATHER THAN REMOVING THE STONES TO A LANDFILL.

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.

THOUGH THE STANDARDS DO NOT TYPICALLY ALLOW DEMOLITION OF LANDMARK BUILDINGS, THIS UNIQUE CASE WARRANTS AN EXCEPTION TO THE STANDARDS DUE TO ITS EXTREME DETERIORATION, DECADES OF FAILED REMEDIATION AND THE IMMINENT THREAT TO PUBLIC SAFETY PROPOSED BY THE REMAINS OF THIS BUILDING.

AS THE PROPERTY IS ALSO A RECORDED TEXAS HISTORIC LANDMARK, THE TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION HAS PERFORMED A SITE VISIT AND EVALUATION OF THE PROPERTY, UH, WHICH YOU CAN REVIEW IN YOUR BACKUP AND DETERMINE THAT THE BUILDING NO LONGER RETAINS SUFFICIENT INTEGRITY TO QUALIFY FOR THE RTHL PROGRAM.

STABILIZATION ATTEMPTS WERE MADE AFTER THE FIRE IN 1996, THOUGH LIMITED PROGRESS WAS MADE DUE TO LACK OF FUNDING.

UH, AS THE OWNER HAD PURCHASED THE PROPERTY AT AUCTION IN 1992, DETERIORATION CONTINUED, UH, LEADING TO THE, UH, SLOW DETERIORATION OF THE MAJORITY OF THE BUILDING, AS IT NOW POSES AN IMMINENT LIFE SAFETY HAZARD, RESPECTFUL REMOVAL OF WHAT MASONRY REMAINS IS APPROPRIATE.

UM, ACCORDING TO THE FEEDBACK RECEIVED AT THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE MEETING LAST MONTH, AND THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION IS TO APPROVE THE CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS AND CONCURRENCE WITH COMMITTEE FEEDBACK AND THE TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION RESPONSE.

UM, AND STAFF WANTS TO EMPHASIZE THAT, UH, THIS IS AN EXTREMELY UNIQUE SITUATION, UM, WITH SOME SERIOUS SAFETY IMPLICATIONS THAT HAVE ESCALATED OVER THE PAST 30 YEARS.

UM, THIS IS NOT A DECISION WE MAKE LIGHTLY, LIGHTLY, AND THIS IS NOT A RECOMMENDATION MEANT TO SET A PRECEDENT.

UM, BUT IT'S A VERY TOUGH DECISION THAT WE HAVE ARRIVED AT THROUGH INTENSIVE COLLABORATION WITH OUR PARTNER DEPARTMENTS.

UM, AND I WILL TURN IT OVER TO, UM, OUR APPLICANT, UH, WHICH IS THE, UM, CRD CASE REVIEW AND ESCALATIONS DIVISION NOW.

CALL GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.

MY NAME IS MARLENA WRIGHT, AND I AM HERE AS THE APPLICANT ON BEHALF OF THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT CASE REVIEW AND ESCALATIONS DIVISION.

THIS PARTICULAR DIVISION MONITORS AND OVERSEAS PROPERTIES WITH ORDERS ISSUED BY THE BUILDING AND STANDARDS COMMISSION.

THE PROPERTY BROUGHT FORTH TONIGHT 67 0 6 BLUFF SPRINGS ROAD IS OUR DEPARTMENT'S OLDEST CASE WITH AN ACTIVE BSC ORDER ISSUED IN 1998.

AS MUCH AS CITY STAFF WANTED TO SEE COMPLIANCE THROUGH PRESERVATION OF THE SITE, UNFORTUNATELY THE STRUCTURE HAS GROWN STRUCTURALLY UNSOUND AND BEYOND REPAIR AND A SAFETY CONCERN IN ITS CURRENT CONDITION.

I WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND YOUR ATTENTION TO STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION THIS EVENING, AND I'M AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS.

UM, I KNOW THIS IS ALSO HAD QUITE A NUMBER OF STEPS BEFORE THAT CAME TO THIS, UH, AND I KNOW THAT THIS IS ALSO SOMETHING WHERE OUR STAFF HAS WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH YOUR DEPARTMENT WITH THE BUILDING STANDARDS COMMISSION.

UM, I, I THINK MS. MCKNIGHT, IF I COULD JUST PUT YOU ON THE SPOT A LITTLE BIT, PERHAPS YOU WOULD FLESH OUT JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE FROM, UH, THE LANDMARK'S PERSPECTIVE.

OBVIOUSLY, WHAT HAPPENS IN WHAT'S HAPPENED ON THE SITE, THE DISPOSITION WITH THE OWNER, ALL OF THAT, THAT'S NOT OUR PRIMARY CONCERN, BUT ITS INTEGRITY IS A HISTORIC LANDMARK IS, AND CLEARLY FROM THE NINETIES ON, WE'VE BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL.

SO, UH, PERHAPS YOU COULD ILLUMINATE SORT OF HOW WE GOT HERE AND WHAT THIS, HOW THIS BRINGS THIS WHOLE SAD STORY TO A CLOSE.

WALLS THAT ARE NOT STABLE AND IT IS VERY, VERY SERIOUS.

KIM MCKNIGHT, DIVISION MANAGER FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION.

UM, THIS IS A VERY, VERY DIFFICULT CASE, UM, BUT IT IS, UH, SORT OF UNTENABLE FOR IT TO CONTINUE MUCH LONGER.

UM, THERE WAS A VERY HIGHLY PUBLICIZED, UH, ENCAMPMENT HERE IN THE SPRING THAT THE CITY EXPENDED THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO CLEAN UP.

AND THAT'S SORT OF WHAT BROUGHT THIS, IT, IT HAD BEEN ON OUR RADAR AS OBVIOUSLY IT'S BEEN ON OUR RADAR FOR 30 YEARS, BUT IT, UH, DID CAUSE MORE VISITS WITH OUR CITY STRUCTURAL ENGINEER BECAUSE WE HAVE PEOPLE ACTIVELY CAMPING, UM, IN BETWEEN

[00:35:01]

UM, SO WE HAD A SITE VISIT WITH OUR STRUCTURAL ENGINEER, WITH OUR, WITH OUR COLLEAGUES IN THE CODE COMPLIANCE DIVISION AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES WITH THE HEAD OF THE DIVISION OF ARCHITECTURE AT THE TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION, PLUS THE DIVISION REVIEWER PLUS AN ARCHEOLOGIST.

AND CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THE, THE COURSE OF ACTION SHOULD BE TO REMOVE THE REMAINING WALLS.

I MEAN, I THINK THERE'S REALLY VERY LITTLE LEFT.

UM, WE DISCUSSED WHAT MITIGATION MEASURES WOULD BE APPROPRIATE AND THE TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION AND THE STAFF RECOMMEND THAT AT SOME POINT IN TIME, A, UH, INTERPRETIVE PLAQUE OR, UM, A REPLACEMENT LIKE SUBJECT MARKER FOR THE TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION WOULD BE APPROPRIATE AS WELL AS AN ARCHEOLOGICAL SURVEY.

UM, YOU KNOW, PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT ALL ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT THE OWNER BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN, AS WELL AS THE STATE, WHICH ALSO SENT A LETTER, LETTING THEM KNOW THAT THEY WERE CONSIDERING REMOVING THE RECORDED TEXAS HISTORIC LANDMARK DESIGNATION HAVE GONE UNANSWERED.

AND SO, UM, WHAT WE ARE RECOMMENDING IS THAT THE HISTORIC ZONING WILL REMAIN.

SO SHOULD THIS PROPERTY TURN OVER IN THE FUTURE, THE NEW OWNER WILL HAVE TO SETTLE UP WITH THE CITY ON, UM, 30 YEARS OF LIENS, AS WELL AS THE COST FOR THE CLEANUP AND OTHER COSTS THAT ARE, THAT ARE INCURRING LITERALLY AS WE SPEAK.

UH, AND YOU KNOW, PRESUMABLY THAT OWNER WILL SEEK TO HAVE HISTORIC ZONING POTENTIALLY REMOVED.

I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THE CONTEXT OF THIS SITE.

WHEN THIS HOUSE WAS CONSTRUCTED, THIS PROPERTY WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS, UM, YOU KNOW, THE COUNTRY.

UM, IT IS NOW, UM, DIRECTLY BEHIND, UM, COMMERCIAL, UM, BUILDINGS LIKE HEB AND BURLINGTON CO FACTORY THAT ARE ALONG THE I 35 FRONTAGE ROAD.

IT'S AN ADJACENT TO A VERY LARGE AUSTIN ENERGY SUBSTATION.

SO IT'S, IT'S, IT'S VERY UNLIKELY THAT SOMEBODY'S GONNA COME IN AND, AND WANNA RESTORE THE BUILDING.

SO THEY WOULD ADVOCATE, I I, IN ALL LIKELIHOOD FOR THE HISTORIC ZONING TO BE REMOVED.

SO IT CAN BE DEVELOPED, AND THAT IS THE POINT WHERE WE WILL REQUEST THE MITIGATIVE MEASURES THAT, WHICH WOULD BE INTERPRETATION AS WELL AS AN ARCHEOLOGICAL SURVEY.

UM, THE TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION, UM, WILL, AT FOLLOWING THIS ACTION, WE WANTED TO, TO BE IN LOCKSTEP WITH THE TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION.

THEY WILL ALSO BE RECOMMENDING THAT THE TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION, WHICH IS A GOVERNOR APPOINTED COMMISSION, REMOVE THIS PROPERTY FROM ITS LIST OF RECORDED TEXAS HISTORIC LANDMARKS.

RIGHT.

SEES THEMSELVES, UH, SOMEHOW BELIEVES IT'S OKAY TO CAUSE THIS KIND OF, UH, DETERIORATION.

COMMISSIONERS.

DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OF STAFF OR OF MS. WRIGHT? UH, I'M, I KNOW THIS HAS JUST GONE ON AND ON, AND OBVIOUSLY CONTINUING OR PERPETRATING THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM IS, IS NOT IN ANYBODY'S INTEREST.

AND CLEARLY THIS, THIS RUIN IS NOT GOING TO BE REPAIRED, CERTAINLY NOT BY THIS OWNER.

UH, CAN WE GET A SENSE OF THE EXTENT TO WHICH THIS OWNER HAS THROUGH ITS NEGLECT, CAUSED THE CITY TO DEVELOP ENOUGH EXPENSE THAT IT LITERALLY IS PLACING LIENS ON THE PROPERTY.

NOW WHAT, WHAT KIND OF, I I, YOU MAY NOT HAVE THE EXACT NUMBER, BUT WHAT KIND OF NUMBERS ARE WE TALKING ABOUT IN TERMS TERMS OF THE NE NEGLECT THAT HAS FORCED THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO PUT EXPENDITURES AND THEN LIENS ON THIS PROPERTY? WELL, FOR STARTERS, WE HAVE AN ACTIVE BSC ORDER THAT HAS ACCRUED PROBABLY OVER $300,000 WORTH OF PENALTIES.

UM, BUT WE'VE ALSO BEEN MOWING AND FENCING, UM, AND ABATING THE ACTIVITIES THAT'S BEEN GOING ON THERE.

AND I, I EXPECT THAT TO BE UP INTO A, MAYBE ABOUT FOUR OR $5,000 IN LIENS, UH, JUST AGAINST THAT ALONE.

AND THEN THE DEMOLITION COSTS, YOU WOULD, AGAIN, THE CITY WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH ITS PROCUREMENT PROCESS AND DO THIS AS A DEMOLITION? THAT IS CORRECT.

AND FOLLOWING OUR RECOMMENDATIONS WITH THE REUSE OF THE STONE.

SO THIS ISN'T JUST COMING IN WITH A FRONT LOADER AND DUMPING STUFF ON THE GROUND THAT IS EXACTLY THAT WE WE'RE LOOKING AT RECYCLING THAT MATERIAL.

WE'RE NOT GONNA BE DUMPING THAT IN THE LANDFILL.

SO THE OWNER, BY THEIR NEGLECT HAS, LET'S JUST, THIS FOR THE RECORD, HAS SUBSTANTIAL LIABILITY THAT IS CONTINUING TO, UH, STACK UP, IF YOU WILL.

YES, SIR.

BA BASED ON THEIR IN UNWILLINGNESS TO BE RESPONSIBLE OWNERS.

YES, SIR.

SO THAT HAS BASICALLY FORCED US INTO THIS SITUATION, AND I APPRECIATE THIS IS MORE YOUR JURISDICTION THAN OURS, , BUT WE DO HAVE TIMES WHERE AN OWNER OF A HISTORIC PROPERTY, INSTEAD OF SEEING THEMSELVES AS STEWARDS MM-HMM .

UH,

[00:40:01]

AND ULTIMATELY THAT NEGLECT THEN GETS TO THE POINT WHERE IT IS UNTENABLE.

THAT'S CORRECT.

HOPEFULLY IN THE FUTURE WE'LL BE QUICKER AND IT WON'T TAKE, UH, THAT MANY DECADES TO HAVE THIS HAPPEN.

THAT'S YES.

COMMISSIONERS, YES.

COMMISSIONER ALVAREZ.

UH, QUESTION, IS THERE ANY, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S REASONABLE OR NOT, IS THERE ANY OPPORTUNITY FOR, UH, I, I HEAR MENTION OF THE RECYCLING OF THE STONE, BUT I IDEALLY WOULD WANT TO, YOU KNOW, DECONSTRUCT STORE THE MATERIAL RECONSTRUCT RATHER THAN IT HAVE, RATHER THAN IT BE USED IN SOME OF THE LOCATION.

THIS IS MATERIAL THAT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S ORIGINAL TO THE 1850S OR SO.

SO, UH, IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S, UH, WELL, OBVIOUSLY GOT SOME HISTORY TO IT.

IS THERE ANY OPPORTUNITY FOR THAT FOR SAY, DECONSTRUCTION, STORAGE, MAYBE RECONSTRUCTION IN THE FUTURE? UM, IF I COULD SPEAK TO THAT, UM, THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE DISCUSSED ON SITE.

UM, PRACTICALLY SPEAKING, IT'S REALLY INFEASIBLE BECAUSE WE SIMPLY DON'T KNOW HOW LONG THIS IS GONNA GO ON.

AND SO FOR THE CITY TO TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF STORING PROPERTY, YOU KNOW, STORING STONE, UM, IT WILL HAVE LOST ITS CONTEXT COMPLETELY.

WE CERTAINLY DON'T HAVE THE, WE DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE THE LEGAL ABILITY TO FORCE A NEW OWNER TO USE THAT STONE.

AND IF IT'S TAKEN OUT OF CONTEXT, UM, I, I THINK THE CONCERN WE HAD WAS THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS BUILDING WAS TO OUR KNOWLEDGE, UM, BUILT WITH ENSLAVED LABOR.

AND SO WE DON'T WANT THIS TO BE SORT OF CARELESSLY TAKEN DOWN.

SO WE'VE ASKED THAT A GREAT DEAL OF CARE BE TAKEN TO SALVAGE THE MATERIAL FOR, YOU KNOW, RECYCLING AND, AND, AND JUST NOT, YOU KNOW, TO EXPLORE ALL AVENUES, WHICH THE CITY, I THINK TENDS TO DO ANYWAY.

MM-HMM .

BUT WE'VE ASKED THAT PARTICULAR CARE BE TAKEN IN THIS CASE.

UM, IN MY OWN EXPERIENCE, HAVING BEEN A SITE MAN, LIKE A HISTORIC RESOURCES MANAGER, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO STORE HISTORIC MATERIAL FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME.

UM, AND IT, AND, AND, AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE WE WOULD, WE, WE, WE DON'T HAVE A SORT OF, WE DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO THAT.

IT'S NOT NECESSARILY SOMETHING THAT WE, WE DON'T HAVE WAREHOUSES TO BE ABLE TO STORE MATERIAL.

UM, BUT WE DID DISCUSS THAT AND I, I THINK THAT IN SOME CASES, IN SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES, I THINK IT'S A VERY GOOD IDEA WHEN YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, A, AN OWNER THAT'S, THAT'S WILLING TO WORK WITH YOU.

IN THIS CASE, IT'S, I JUST DON'T SEE, UM, THAT WE HAVE, UH, ANY SENSE OF WHEN THIS IS GONNA COME TO AN END.

UM, OTHER COMMISSIONERS? ANY DISCUSSION? ALRIGHT.

WE THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALL YOUR EFFORTS AND, UH, AGAIN, THE, UH, CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS IS TO ALLOW THE DECONSTRUCTION OF THE RUINS.

WE ARE NOT IMPACTING ITS HISTORIC DESIGNATION THAT WILL REMAIN, IT WILL BE ON THE BOOKS.

AND AGAIN, THAT WOULD KEEP OUR JURISDICTION OVER WHATEVER HAPPENS IF THIS OWNER FINALLY SEES THE LIGHT AND DECIDES TO START PLAYING NICE, OR IF IT WINDS UP IN THE HANDS OF SOME OTHER OWNER, OR IF THE NUMBERS FINALLY START ADDING UP ENOUGH.

I ASSUME AT SOME POINT THE CITY WILL JUST TAKE THE PROPERTY BACK, UH, AT LEAST HAS THE RIGHT TO WHEN THE NUMBERS GET BIG ENOUGH.

MM-HMM .

UH, IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY'RE GETTING CLOSE .

ALRIGHT, COMMISSIONERS, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.

COMMISSIONER ACTON SECOND CLOSE PUBLIC HEARING.

I SECOND THAT MOTION, VICE CHAIR EVANS.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF CLOSING PUBLIC HEARING, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND AND I SEE ALL HANDS RAISED, SO IT'S UNANIMOUS.

UH, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION ON THIS ITEM.

UH, COMMISSIONER DAG GUCCI.

YEAH, I HAVE MOTION TO, UH, PROVE THE CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS, UM, IN CONCURRENCE WITH THE COMMITTEE FEEDBACK AND, UH, TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION RESPONSE, UM, WITH STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION.

UH, THANK YOU FOR THE MOTION.

IS THERE A SECOND? COMMISSIONER MCW, UH, COMMISSIONER UCCI? UM, YEAH, JUST, YOU KNOW, JUDGING FROM THE SITUATION OF IT ALL, LOOKING AT THE PHOTOS, UM, OF WHAT IS, I GUESS OCCURRING AT THE SITE, UH, AND THE KIND OF AMOUNT OF DAMAGE THAT IT'S CAUSING THE COMMUNITY AND EVERYTHING THERE, UM, I THINK THAT THIS IS COMPLETELY KIND OF APPROPRIATE.

UM, AND YEAH, I DON'T KNOW.

I, I THINK IT'S THE ONLY WAY FORWARD THAT MAKES SENSE.

SO THANK YOU COMMISSIONER MC MORDER.

YEAH, I AGREE.

I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD TO THAT

[00:45:01]

COMMERS.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS? I MEAN, THIS IS CLEARLY JUST A MESS AND, YOU KNOW, IT STARTS BECAUSE YOU HAVE A NEGLECTFUL OWNER AND THEN YOU HAVE AN AGGRESSIVE, UH, INACTION THAT CAUSES PUBLIC HARM.

AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT OUR JURISDICTION HAS TO DO WITH ITS IMPORTANCE AS A HISTORIC LANDMARK.

SO ON TOP OF EVERYTHING ELSE, WE'VE LOST AN IMPORTANT LEGACY PROJECT, UH, ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.

UH, I THINK THERE'LL BE PERHAPS LESSONS FROM THIS, UH, COMMISSIONERS, UH, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THIS AT THE END OF THE MEETING, BUT WE'LL HAVE OUR RETREAT.

AND I DO THINK THIS QUESTION OF, UH, OWNERS WHO AREN'T DOING WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO, WE HAVE A TERM WE CALL, UH, DEMOLITION BY NEGLECT, UH, WHERE THEY LITERALLY ARE LETTING SOMETHING GO SO BADLY THAT IS NOW A NUISANCE OR A SAFETY HAZARD.

UH, I THINK THAT WILL BE ONE OF THE TOPICS THAT WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT.

BUT, UH, I, I THINK IN THIS CASE, CERTAINLY I WILL ALSO SUPPORT THE MOTION.

SO WE HAVE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION.

WE HAVE A SECOND.

ALL THOSE.

OH, YES, GO AHEAD.

JUST WANTED TO MAKE COMMENT THAT I'M GLAD WE'RE, I THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE TO KEEP THE HISTORIC DESIGNATION ON THE PROPERTY BECAUSE, UM, YOU KNOW, FIRES ON HISTORIC PROPERTIES AND DEMOLITION BY NEGLECT AND EVERYTHING CAN GET VERY, AND RUINS CAN GET VERY COMPLICATED.

AND I WANNA MAKE SURE IT'S CLEAR THAT THIS IS NOT A PATH TOWARD DELISTING, UH, DEMOLITION BY NEGLECT, WHETHER IT'S ENFORCED OR NOT, THAT THE, THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE HISTORIC ZONING WILL REMAIN ON THE PROPERTY UNTIL IT'S APPROPRIATE.

ALL RIGHT, ANY MORE DISCUSSION? ALRIGHT, I'LL CALL THE QUESTION.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND.

AND I SEE ALL HANDS RAISED, IT IS UNANIMOUS.

FIVE, AND I PULLED THIS ONE.

WE REALLY APPRECIATE, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE COMMISSIONERS.

SOME VERY, VERY GOOD WORK ON SOME VERY DIFFICULT ISSUES.

THE NEXT ITEM, ITEM NUMBER

[5. HR-2025-099714 – 1504 E. 11th St. Ethel Pearl’s Beauty Salon Council District 1]

UM, BUT GO AHEAD.

THANK YOU, CHAIR.

UH, THIS IS A PROPOSAL TO REPAIR AND REHABILITATE A LANDMARK FOR USE AS A RESIDENCE.

UH, SPECIFICALLY, UH, THE PROJECT IS TO REMOVE VINYL SIDING AND REPLACE WITH WOOD LAP SIDING, REPLACE NON-ORIGINAL FRONT DOORS AND WINDOWS, AND INFILL SEVERAL WINDOWS FOR CONVERSION OF THE USE OF THE BUILDING AT TO A RESIDENCE.

UM, THE BUILDING IS A SINGLE STORY, UH, RECTANGULAR SHAPED STRUCTURE WITH A MODERATELY PITCHED HIP ROOF.

THERE ARE NUMEROUS DOORS AND HUNG WINDOWS PRESENT AT THE EAST 11TH AND ANGELINA STREET FACADES.

THE STRUCTURE SITS ON PEAR SET SLIGHTLY ABOVE GRADE, WITH ONE CORNER FEATURE FEATURING A BRICK SKIRTING THAT IS, UH, SHOWING SIGNS OF SAGGING AT THE REAR OF THE HOUSE AS A CIRCA 1962 EDITION.

THE WALLS ARE CLAD IN NON HISTORIC VINYL SIDING INSTALLED AROUND 2007, AND THE PROPERTY WAS LISTED AS A LANDMARK IN 2013.

UM, THE DI UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S HISTORIC DESIGN STANDARDS ARE BASED ON THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR STANDARDS FOR REHABILITATION AND ARE USED TO EVALUATE PROJECTS AT HISTORIC LANDMARKS.

THIS PROJECT AS PROPOSED MEETS SOME OF THE, UH, APPLICABLE STANDARDS, THEREFORE, THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION IS TO APPROVE THE APPLICATION.

UH, IS ANY QUESTION OF STAFF? IS THERE ANYBODY HERE TO SPEAK? IS THE APPLICANT HERE? IS THERE SOMEONE HERE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR? I'LL, UH, OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING.

I OKAY.

PLEASE COME DOWN AND IDENTIFY YOURSELF.

HELLO, I'M MIKE.

I'M WITH HAMMER DESIGN THE ARCHITECT.

AND I REALLY JUST WANTED TO INTRODUCE MYSELF SINCE YOU GUYS PULLED IT FROM CONSENT TO DISCUSSION, AND I WANTED TO BE ABLE TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS ANY, UH, CONCERNS YOU HAVE.

I, I PULLED IT SO I COULD JUST SAY, UM, THE REPLACEMENT OF THAT LARGE, UH, OBVIOUSLY IT WASN'T THE HISTORIC WINDOW ON THE EAST ELEVATION, BUT IT'S A METAL, UH, WINDOW, UH, THAT'S GOING TO BE BOARDED OVER AND NOW IT'LL BE REPLACED BY A LARGE PICTURE WINDOW.

MM-HMM .

UM, THAT'LL ALSO TAKE OUT SOME OTHER MORE TRADITIONAL WINDOWS.

SO I, IN THIS SITUATION, I THINK IT MIGHT BE BENEFICIAL TO TALK TO THE MEMBERS OF THE ARCHITECTURE REVIEW COMMITTEE AND LOOK AT ALTERNATIVES THAT MIGHT ALLOW FOR SOMETHING THAT WAS MORE CONSISTENT WITH THE VOCABULARY OF THAT ERA OF A BUILDING.

THIS IS A HISTORIC LANDMARK, AND THAT WINDOW, ITS PROPORTIONS AND THE WAY IT'S PLACED WOULD NOT IN THE LEAST BIT BE HISTORIC.

SO SOMETHING LIKE, UH, MULTIPLE MILLIONS THAT REFLECT THAT MULTIPLE SQUARE, BUT ALSO THE PROPORTIONS SO THAT IT WOULD BE, YEAH.

UM, IS THAT A, IS THAT A PREREQUISITE TO, UM, GETTING CONSENT NOW? UH, WELL, IF, I DUNNO HOW WE COULD, WE COULD DO IT.

WE CAN'T DO A DESIGN FROM THE DAIS.

UH, RIGHT.

THE PROPOSAL, UH, IF YOU WERE TO MODIFY IT, UH, CONSULTING WITH THE ARCHITECTURE REVIEW COMMITTEE WOULD BE SOMETHING WE COULD DO WITH A POSTPONEMENT, AND THEN YOU WOULD BE ON OUR NEXT MONTH'S AGENDA.

[00:50:01]

BECAUSE EVEN THE, EVEN THE WINDOW THAT'S THERE ON THE EAST ELEVATION, IT'S NOT THE ORIGINAL.

WE KNOW THAT.

BUT SOMEHOW TAKING A LARGER WINDOW AND DOING IT IN A WAY THAT WOULD BE, UH, MORE COMPATIBLE WITH A HISTORIC APPROACH.

AND AGAIN, I, WE CAN'T, WE DON'T HAVE TIME AT THIS FORMAT, BUT THAT'S WHY WE HAVE AN ARCHITECTURE REVIEW COMMITTEE.

IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE, UH, ACCEPTABLE.

I I, THAT WILL REQUIRE US TO POSTPONE IT.

UH, IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE AGREEABLE, I'D HAVE TO MAKE SURE MY COMMISSIONERS AGREE AS WELL.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OF THIS OWNER? ARE THERE ANY OTHER SPEAKERS? ALRIGHT, HEARING NONE, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.

MR. MOVE.

COMMISSIONER COOK.

IS THERE A SECOND? I SECOND THE MOTION.

VICE CHAIR EVANS.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND.

COMMISSIONERS, UH, AS YOU HEARD, UM, A FURTHER EXPLORATION OF THE EAST ELEVATION WOULD BE POSSIBLE PERHAPS, UH, WITH A POSTPONEMENT, BUT I WILL DEFER TO YOU ALL FOR A MOTION.

I'LL MOVE TO POSTPONE TO OUR OCTOBER 1ST MEETING, UH, WITH AN INVITATION OF THE APPLICANT TO COME TO THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE MEETING AND ADD THE POTENTIAL FOR ADMINISTRATIVE APPROVAL GIVEN, UH, IF THE ISSUE OF THE PROPORTIONS OF THE FENESTRATION ARE, UH, RESOLVED TO THE COMMITTEE SATISFACTION.

DOES THAT INCLUDE REOPENING THE PUBLIC HEARING COMMISSIONER? YES, IT'S, THANK YOU.

OF COURSE, IT'S REOPENING THE PUBLIC HEARING AND EVERYTHING HE JUST SAID.

DO WE HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.

COMMISSIONER COOK? YES.

UM, THERE IS NOT MUCH HISTORIC MATERIAL ON THIS TO BEGIN WITH, BUT I AGREE MAINTAINING THE FENESTRATION AT THE VERY LEAST WE CAN DO THE PROPORTIONS.

UH, SO WE'D LIKE TO GET THAT RIGHT AND I THINK THAT'LL BE EASY.

EASILY ENOUGH.

DONE SO, SEEMS A REASONABLE REQUEST.

ALRIGHT, COMMISSIONERS, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? RIGHT.

COMMISSIONER ACTON? UH, NOTHING TO ADD TO THAT.

WE HAVE A MOTION TO POSTPONE AND REFER TO THE, UH, ARCHITECTURE REVIEW COMMITTEE WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET THEIR, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS AND THEREFORE RELEASE THE PERMIT.

UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND.

I SEE ALL HANDS RAISED.

IT IS UNANIMOUS.

AND WE APPRECIATE THE APPLICANT AND THEIR WORK ON THIS EFFORT.

UH, THE NEXT ITEMS ARE NATIONAL REGISTER, HISTORIC DISTRICT PERMIT APPLICATIONS, AND WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO REVIEW AND COMMENT, UH, ON PROPOSALS, UH, IN THESE DISTRICTS.

SO, UH, ITEM NUMBER SIX.

[6. HR-2025-075283; PR-2025-062597 – 705 Brownlee Circle West Line National Register Historic District Council District 9]

THANK YOU, CHAIR.

UH, THIS IS A PROPOSAL TO CONSTRUCT A MULTI-UNIT RESIDENCE, UM, ON A PREVIOUSLY APPROVED DEMOLITION, WHICH WAS NON-CONTRIBUTING TO THE HISTORIC DISTRICT, UH, AND THEREFORE WAS NOT REVIEWED BY THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION.

UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S HISTORIC DESIGN STANDARDS ARE BASED ON THE SECRETARY INTERIOR STANDARDS FOR REHABILITATION AND ARE USED TO EVALUATE PROJECTS IN NATIONAL REGISTER DISTRICTS.

UH, THE PROJECT MEETS SOME OF THE APPLICABLE STANDARDS.

UM, THE APPLICA, THE APPLICANT DID ATTEND LAST MONTH'S, UH, ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE, UM, WHERE THEY PROVIDED, UH, FURTHER RENDERINGS OF THE PROPOSED CONSTRUCTION FROM FURTHER AWAY, UH, DOWN THE STREET.

UM, AND IT'S, UH, ITS, IT'S LOCATION SURROUNDED BY SOME OF, UM, THE SURROUNDING BUILDINGS, MANY OF WHICH ARE NOT CONTRIBUTING TO THE DISTRICT AS WELL.

THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS.

YOU REMEMBER WE HAD THIS ON OUR AGENDA AND WE ASK THAT IT BE POSTPONED.

SO THE HISTORIC, UH, THE, THE REVIEW COMMITTEE COULD DISCUSS THIS, UH, BUT I'M UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE IS, WE'RE WE'RE NOT BEING PRESENTED WITH A NEW OR CHANGE.

THIS IS THE SAME PROPOSAL.

GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.

UH, I'LL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING.

IS THE APPLICANT HERE? OKAY.

PLEASE COME TO THE MICROPHONE AND IDENTIFY YOURSELF.

UH, MY NAME IS MELISSA SKIDMORE AND BRAD AND I ARE THE PROPERTY OWNERS AT 7 0 5 BROWNLEY.

UM, THIS IS, I'M HERE WITH DAVID WEBER FROM WEBER STUDIO, SUZANNE ARCHITECT FOR THE NEW PRO PROJECT.

UM, THIS IS THE FIFTH TIME THAT WE HAVE APPEARED IN THIS CHAMBER TO, UM, TRY AND BUILD OUR HOUSE ON BROWNLEY CIRCLE IN OLD WEST AUSTIN.

UM, AS I UNDERSTAND IT TONIGHT,

[00:55:01]

WE ARE TRYING TO DETERMINE IF THIS NEEDS FURTHER COMMENT BY THIS COMMISSION, AND EXCUSE ME IF I'M MISUNDERSTANDING, BUT I DO JUST WANT TO POINT OUT THAT ON WIND FLOW AND BROWNLEY CIRCLE, WHICH ARE THE TWO STREETS IN THE SUBDIVISION, UM, THERE ARE NO, UM, NO HISTORIC STRUCTURES, NONE WITH ANY ALTERATIONS.

EVEN THE HOUSE AT 7 0 5 BROWNLEY IS NOT A CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURE.

THE HOUSES AT 7 0 7 BROWNLEY AND 7 0 3 BROWNLEY ARE LISTED IN THE OLD WEST AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD PLANS ON THEIR HISTORIC RESOURCE STUDY FROM 2000 AS NOT HISTORIC AND NOT COMPATIBLE WITH THE ORIGINAL DESIGN INTENT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

WE HAVE PROPOSED FROM THE VERY BEGINNING FOR THE LAST, WELL, THREE YEARS NOW, A, UH, TWO STORY STRUCTURE THAT IS THREE UNITS.

UM, NOW THAT IS, WE THOUGHT MAYBE WE WOULD BE ABLE TO DO IT, DO IT AS A SINGLE FAMILY USE THROUGH THE HOME ORDINANCE, APPARENTLY THROUGH THE VAGARIES OF THE, WHAT'S IT CALLED? THE, THE ALLOWABLE USE TABLE, 25 DASH TWO DASH EIGHT, WHATEVER IT IS, UM, THAT THERE'S NOT A PE LISTED TO ALLOW THIS TO BE A THREE UNIT RESIDENCE UPON THE ADVICE OF CITY STAFF IN ZONING.

IT WOULD BE EASIER TO NOT CHANGE THE DESIGN AT ALL, BUT JUST ADD A DOOR AND TO TURN THIS STRUCTURE INTO A FOUR UNIT, ADD ANOTHER WATER METER TO GET THIS THROUGH THE PERMITTING PROCESS.

SO THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE DONE.

THE STRUCTURE ITSELF, THE DESIGN HAS NOT CHANGED IN TWO YEARS.

UM, IT IS A TWO STORY RESIDENCE WITH A, UH, BASEMENT.

THERE'S EGRESS ON THE ONE SIDE BECAUSE THE LOT DOES FALL AWAY.

I THINK THERE'S A, THE, THE COVER IMAGE OF OUR PLAN SET BECAUSE ARCHITECTS, LIKE PRETTY PICTURES, SHOWS THE RESIDENCE FROM THE BACK, UM, OF THE BUILDING.

TO BE CLEAR, THAT'S IF YOU WERE STANDING IN THE DRAINAGE EASEMENT OR IN THE ALLEYWAY, THAT WILL BE BEHIND THE PROPOSED FIVE STORY OFFICE BUILDING.

THAT IS OUR BACK FENCE, THAT IS THE BACK VIEW WE PROVIDED AT THE ARCHITECTURAL VIEW COMMITTEE, THE STREET VIEW, UM, JUST TO SHOW HOW IT FITS ON THE STREET.

AND WE WERE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT SOME MATERIALS.

UM, AND WE ARE JUST HERE TO ANSWER ANY OTHER QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE SO THAT WE CAN GET SOME COMMENTS AND PROCEED WITH PERMITTING.

AND DAVID'S HERE WITH ME TO ADD ANYTHING AND WE'RE HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.

UM, ANY QUESTIONS? GO AHEAD.

I THOUGHT ONE OF THE ISSUES LAST TIME YOU WERE HERE, WAS THAT A HEIGHT RESTRICTION, UM, ISSUE FROM THE, IT WAS LIKE A, SOMETHING FROM THE NEIGHBOR OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

WASN'T THERE A HEIGHT ISSUE OF GOING OVER TO THAT? THERE IS A CONTESTED RESTRICTED COVENANT ON THE PROPERTY, BUT THAT, AS WE UNDERSTAND IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH, IT FITS ALL OF THE ZONING, IT FITS ALL OF THE CITY'S PURVIEW, SO THAT RUNS CONCURRENTLY.

MR. WEBER, THANK YOU, UH, COMMISSIONERS.

THIS IS, UH, A ZONING COVENANT FROM 1950 THAT WAS VERY HARD TO UNEARTH AND HAS BEEN FOUND TO BE VIOLATED UP AND DOWN THROUGHOUT THE SUBDIVISION.

SO IT'S BEEN DEEMED UNENFORCEABLE.

AND WE'LL JUST SEE HOW FAR THAT HAS TO GO.

IT, IT DOESN'T HAVE BEARING ON THE HISTORIC, UH, APPROPRIATENESS THAT THAT'S THE PER WE'RE HERE TODAY.

SIR, WOULD YOU GO AHEAD AND IDENTIFY YOURSELF? OKAY.

SORRY.

SORRY, I WAS TRYING TO ANSWER THE QUESTION.

I'M DAVID WEBER FROM WEBER STUDIO.

UM, AND DO YOU, UH, I'M HAPPY TO, TO, I SIGNED UP ALSO TO BE A SPEAKER.

UM, MELISSA AND I BOTH SIGNED UP.

I'D LOVE TO SPEAK FOR JUST A MINUTE ABOUT, UM, UH, ACTUALLY THAT'S FINE.

UH, MS. SKIDMORE, ARE YOU FINISHED? THEN WE CAN, YEAH, JUST I WOULD JUST ADD, JUST IN CASE THERE'S ANY QUESTION AS WE UNDERSTAND IT FROM THE CITY, FROM OUR OWN LEGAL RECORDS REPRESENTATION, THE QUESTION OF THE COVENANT, THERE IS NO HEIGHT RESTRICTION IN TERMS OF ZONING.

WE MEET ALL OF THE, UH, ZONING QUESTIONS AND WE WOULD NOT BE IN A POSITION HERE TO ENFORCE ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.

A RESTRICTIVE COVENANT.

UM, ANY, ANY MORE QUESTIONS OF THE, UH, OF THE OWNER? OKAY, MR. WEBER? UM, YEAH.

HI, HELLO AGAIN.

UH, I'M DAVID WEBER FROM WEBER STUDIO.

UH, I WAS ON VACATION WHEN THE, UH, UH, A RC COMMITTEE

[01:00:01]

HEARING, UH, OCCURRED.

SO I'M SORRY TO HAVE MISSED THAT, BUT I WOULD'VE BEEN VERY HAPPY TO PRESENT, UM, UH, WHAT THE DESIGN IS.

AND I JUST SAW, UH, ON THE SCREEN A MOMENT AGO, TWO OF THE IMAGES THAT WERE SORT OF PIECED TOGETHER, PHOTOSHOPS OF THE STREET SCAPE WITH, WITH THE HOUSE VIEWED FROM THE STREET AND THAT IMAGE AND THE ONE BEFORE.

AND THE ONE BEFORE I THINK IS ACTUALLY VERY TELLING, BUT I JUST WANTED TO EMPHASIZE, AND I, AND I THINK THIS WAS PRESENTED DURING THE A RC UH, COMMITTEE HEARING, WE WENT TO SOME PAINS TO TRY AND CREATE A BUILDING THAT WE FELT LIKE WEREN'T WITHIN THE FABRIC.

THERE'S A, THERE, EVEN THOUGH IT'S A MODERN BUILDING, THERE'S A GABLE, THERE'S IN, THERE'S A REFERENCE TO HISTORIC MATERIALS.

MY UNDERSTANDING, AND, AND I, AND I CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND, UH, THE POSITION OF A RC IS THAT WHILE IT DOES MAYBE HAVE SOME OF THOSE FEATURES, I THINK THE SENSE WAS THAT IT DIDN'T GO QUITE FAR.

UH, AS FAR ENOUGH, UH, AS FAR AS I THINK HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION MIGHT PREFER TO SEE US GO IN TERMS OF, UH, A LITTLE BIT MORE, UM, UH, UH, HISTORICISM RELATED TO MORE OF THE SPECIFIC STYLE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

SO I, I THINK WE DO UNDERSTAND THAT.

BUT I THINK, UH, WORKING THROUGH THE DESIGN WITH MELISSA AND BRAD OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, IT'S BEEN VERY MUCH AN EXERCISE IN, WELL, HOW DO WE MAKE IT RELATED TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD, MAKE IT RELATED TO OUR LOCAL CULTURE, BUT ALSO THE MODERN HOUSE THAT MEETS THE NEEDS THAT THEY HAVE THAT ARE VERY UNIQUE.

SO WE'VE, WE'VE DONE WHAT I THINK IS A, UM, UH, WE PUT A ROBUST EFFORT INTO DOING THAT.

WE THINK IT'S A LOVELY HOUSE.

WE'VE, UH, TRIED VERY HARD AND I THINK THIS IMAGE SHOWS IT A LITTLE BIT BETTER TO HAVE THE ROOF LINES RELATE AND, AND TIE BACK IN A LITTLE BIT TO THE ADJACENT HOUSES, WHICH BY THE WAY, ARE ALSO NON-CONTRIBUTING.

BUT THAT IT DOESN'T MATTER FROM OUR POINT OF VIEW, WE'RE ALWAYS TRYING TO CREATE SOME CONTIGUOUS CONTEXT FROM, UH, BUILDING TO BUILDING TO BUILDING, WHETHER THEY ARE HISTORIC OR WHETHER THEY ARE BUILDINGS THAT EXIST NOW.

UH, SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY AND, AND WE APPRECIATE THE, THE COMMENTS AND THE FEEDBACK THAT WE GOT BACK, UH, THAT I UNDERSTOOD.

WE GOT IN THE, THE ARCHITECTURAL VIEW COMMITTEE, UH, MEETING.

AND I'M SORRY TO HAVE MISSED IT, BUT I APPRECIATE, UM, I THINK WE APPRECIATE GETTING THE FEEDBACK THAT WE GOT AND THE, UH, AND THE INSIGHT.

THAT'S ALL.

ANY QUESTIONS OF THE ARCHITECT? OKAY.

UH, I'M, CAN WE GET THE COMMISSIONERS BACK ON THE SCREEN? THERE WE GO.

UH, ARE THERE OTHER SPEAKERS AT THIS POINT FOR OR AGAINST? OKAY.

SEEING NONE, WE THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

UH, COMMISSIONERS.

I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.

SO MOVED.

MOVED BY COMMISSIONER COOK.

IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND.

OH, UH, COMMISSIONER GROGAN.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND.

ALRIGHT, IS UNANIMOUS, UH, COMMISSIONERS, UH, THIS HAS BEEN, UM, IN FRONT OF THE, UH, ARCHITECTURE REVIEW COMMITTEE.

UH, THERE IS A REQUEST THAT, UH, WE OBVIOUSLY HAVE COMMENTS ON, AND AS I UNDERSTAND THERE'S ALSO A TIME INVOLVED, SO MAYBE STAFF COULD ADVISE US WHAT IS THE TIMING ON SOMETHING OF THIS KIND? YES.

THE, UM, APPLICATION TIME'S OUT ON, UH, OCTOBER THE 20TH.

SO THIS, UH, HEARING AS WELL AS NEXT MONTH, UH, IS STILL AVAILABLE FOR COMMENTS ON THE PLANS.

UH, SO COMMISSIONERS, WE HAVE THE OPTION TO, UH, MAKE SOME ADDITIONAL COMMENTS, UH, APPROVE THE PLAN OR, UM, UH, MAKE A POSTPONEMENT.

I STILL NEVER QUITE KNOW HOW TO MAKE MOTIONS ON THESE, BUT I MOVE TO LEAVE THE PUBLIC HEARING CLOSED AND MAKE OUR FINAL COMMENTS THIS EVENING.

I THINK THAT SOUNDS RIGHT.

IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.

I, I THINK THEIR HEART WAS IN THE RIGHT PLACE.

COMMISSIONER COOK? YEAH.

UH, THERE WERE A LOT OF COMMENTS, UH, IN THE LAST MONTH.

A LOT OF 'EM HAD TO DO WITH TRAFFIC AND, UH, DEED RESTRICTIONS, NONE OF WHICH ARE, UH, IN OUR JURISDICTION.

AND, UH, THE RENDERING THAT WAS PROVIDED AT THE A RC MEETING WAS EXTREMELY HELPFUL BECAUSE EVEN AS AN ARCHITECT, I COULDN'T TELL WHICH SIDE WAS WHICH, RELATIVE TO THE CURB STREET AND, UH, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO SHOW THE BUILDING FOR CONSTRUCTION RATHER THAN IN CONTEXT.

CONTEXT.

SO I THINK THE RENDERING, UH, HELPED A LOT.

UH, WE'VE MADE LOTS OF COMMENTS ABOUT, UH, I CAN TOTALLY SEE HOW IT BLENDS IN WITH THE STREET, UH, BUT THE STREET IS LARGELY NON-INTACT, SO IT KIND OF RAISES THE QUESTION OF WHAT'S APPROPRIATE TO DO.

TECHNICALLY, WE SHOULD ENCOURAGE SOMETHING APPROPRIATE TO THE DISTRICT, WHICH I THINK WOULD BE MORE DISTRACTING, LOOKING DOWN THIS CURVED, NON-COMPLIANT STREET, WHICH I THINK JUST KIND OF GOT SWEPT UP INTO THE DISTRICT BY HAPPENSTANCE OF THE GEOMETRY OF THE STREETS.

SO, UM,

[01:05:01]

I THINK IT'S NOT DISTRACTING WHEN YOU DRIVE BY.

I, UM, BELIEVE THAT A TRULY HISTORIC APPROPRIATE HOUSE WOULD LOOK ODD IN THAT LOCATION.

UH, AND, UM, I THINK THE SAME WOULD HOLD TRUE FOR ANY OTHER HOUSE ON THAT STREET THAT WAS NON-CONTRIBUTING, TORN DOWN, AND THERE WAS NEW CONSTRUCTION.

UM, I DON'T THINK WE'RE GOING TO BE REBUILDING THIS WING OF THE DISTRICT, UH, PROPERTY BY PROPERTY, SO I DON'T THINK IT'S WORTH BELABORING THE POINT ON THIS CASE.

COMMISSIONER ACTON, NOTHING TO ADD TO THAT, COMMISSIONER, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM? ALRIGHT.

UH, THIS IS A MOTION TO, UH, COMPLETE OUR COMMENTS AND, UH, I GUESS CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND BE DONE WITH IT.

UM, WE'LL HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE TERMINOLOGY IS TO GET THAT RIGHT.

UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND.

NONE OPPOSED, IS UNANIMOUS.

AGAIN, A NATIONAL REGISTERED DISTRICT, UH, APPLICATION.

WE APPRECIATE ALL YOUR WORK.

ALRIGHT, UH, ITEM NUMBER SEVEN,

[7. PR-2025-088150 – 2514 Wooldridge Dr. Old West Austin National Register Historic District Council District 10]

JUST FOR REFERENCE, THE TERMINOLOGY IS TO, UH, COMMENT ON AND RELEASE THE PLANS AND RELEASE THE PLANS.

YES, THAT WAS, THAT WAS WHAT WE WERE SAYING.

ITEM SEVEN AT 25 14, WOOLDRIDGE DRIVE IS A PROPOSAL TO DEMOLISH A CIRCA 1938 BUILDING.

THIS IS A TWO STORY GEORGIAN REVIVAL HOUSE WITH A CURVED PORTICO, SYMMETRICAL SHUTTERED WINDOWS, BRICK VENEER, AND A SIDE GD ROOF WITH ADDED DORMERS.

THE HOUSE WAS CONSTRUCTED IN 1938 FOR CLARENCE MCCULLOUGH AND HIS FAMILY MCCULLOUGH, WHO BEGAN HIS CAREER AS ASSISTANT CASHIER AT THE SECURITY TRUST COMPANY, SLOWLY ROSE IN PROMINENCE AS A BANKER.

EVENTUALLY HE PARTNERED WITH RANCHER AND FELLOW REAL ESTATE BROKER, DR. JOSEPH KOENIG, TO DEVELOP THE VIOLET CROWN HEIGHT SUBDIVISIONS BETWEEN 1946 AND 1948.

LENDING KOENIG'S NAME TO ONE OF ITS MAJOR THOROUGH AFFAIRS.

IN 1950 AND 1951, THEY BUILT THE ADJACENT VIOLENT CROWN SHOPPING CENTER ON THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF NORTH LAMAR AND BRENTWOOD STREET NOTES.

VIOLET CROWN HISTORIAN IN RESIDENCE UNIT SUSAN BEON.

THE CENTER WAS IN THE HEART OF VIOLET CROWN HEIGHTS SECTION ONE.

THE BUILDING IS MORE THAN 50 YEARS OLD AND CONTRIBUTES TO THE OLD WEST AUSTIN NATIONAL REGISTER DISTRICT AND APPEARS TO RETAIN MODERATE INTEGRITY.

HOWEVER, WINDOWS HAVE BEEN REPLACED AND A REAR SECOND FLOOR ADDITION WAS CONSTRUCTED IN 1991.

UH, AND DURING WHICH TIME THE FRONT FACADE DORMERS MAY HAVE BEEN ADDED.

STAFF HAS EVALUATED THE PROPERTY AND DETERMINED THAT IT MAY MEET TWO CRITERIA FOR LANDMARK DESIGNATION, UM, AS IT IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THE GEORGIAN REVIVAL STYLE, UM, DESPITE ITS INTEGRITY ISSUES, AND IT IS ASSOCIATED WITH CLARENCE MCCULLOUGH, DEVELOPER OF VIOLET CROWN HEIGHTS AND THE FAME VIOLET CROWN SHOPPING CENTER.

THUS, THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION IS TO CONSIDER WHETHER MCCULLOUGH'S ROLE AS CO-DEVELOPER OF VIOLET CROWN HEIGHTS AND THE SHOPPING CENTER, UH, HAVE SUFFICIENT IMPACT ON AUSTIN'S HISTORY TO OFFSET THE BUILDING'S INTEGRITY ISSUES, UH, WHEN EVALUATING FOR LANDMARK ELIGIBILITY.

IF NOT, ENCOURAGE REHABILITATION AND ADAPTIVE REUSE, THEN RELOCATION OR DECONSTRUCTION AND SALVAGE, BUT APPROVE THE DEMOLITION PERMIT UPON COMPLETION OF A CITY OF AUSTIN DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE.

UM, AND DEMOLITION PERMITS IN NATIONAL REGISTER DISTRICTS MAY NOT BE RELEASED UNTIL THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION HAS REVIEWED PLANS FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION, UH, WHICH I BELIEVE ARE SLATED TO COME BEFORE YOU NEXT MONTH.

THAT CONCLUDES THE STAFF PRESENTATION.

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONERS.

ANY QUESTIONS OF STAFF? OKAY.

HEARING NONE, I'LL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING.

IS THE APPLICANT HERE? OH, PLEASE COME TO THE MICROPHONE AND IDENTIFY YOURSELF.

HI, MY NAME'S LINDA SULLIVAN AND I AM WORKING FOR THE PROPERTY OWNER.

THIS IS THE ARCHITECT FOR THE NEW BUILD.

UM, I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ON WHAT IS GOING TO BE COMING BEFORE YOU FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION AND CLARIFY.

WE SAW, UM, A LETTER OF OPPOSITION IN THE BACKUP, AND I WANTED TO SPEAK TO SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT WERE BROUGHT IN THAT LETTER.

UM, THE, THE INTENTION IS TO SALVAGE IF, IF THE DEMOLITION, IF AND WHEN THE DEMOLITION PERMIT IS APPROVED, UM, SALVAGE WHAT THEY CAN RECYCLE, WHAT THEY CAN DONATE, WHAT THEY CAN.

UM, THE OWNERS LIVE DIRECTLY BEHIND THIS LOT ON MCCALLUM STREET.

THAT'S THEIR FAMILY HOME.

IT'S A FAMILY OF SIX, AND THEIR INTENTION IS TO COMBINE THE LOTS OF 25 12 AND 25 14 WITH THE UDA THROUGH THE PROCESS FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION.

UM, THE, THE NEW PROJECT WILL MEET HISTORIC DESIGN STANDARDS AND IN FACT, UM, PATRICK CRANE WENT BEFORE A RC LAST MONTH TO DISCUSS THE NEW CONSTRUCTION PLANS.

UM, AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE WANTED TO, TO COMMENT ON WAS THE LETTER INDICATED THAT THE INTENTION WAS TO JOIN ALL THREE OF THOSE LOTS.

THAT'S NOT THE INTENTION.

[01:10:01]

THE INTENTION IS FOR THEM TO LIVE IN MCCALLUM STREET ON MCCALLUM STREET WHILE THEY, THE, THE PROPERTY ON, UH, WOOLDRIDGE DRIVE AND COMBINE THOSE TWO LOTS AND IT, IT WILL FIT INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD BECAUSE OF THE, THE WAY WOOLDRIDGE IS AND THE LOTS THAT ARE ACROSS THE STREET FROM WOOLDRIDGE.

UM, I TOOK A LOOK AT FOUR OF THE PROPERTIES THAT ARE DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET FROM THIS PROPERTY.

AND OF THOSE, THEY ARE, THREE OF THEM ARE MUCH LARGER THAN THIS LOT WILL BE WHEN IT'S COMBINED.

UM, AND THOSE LOTS HAVE KIND OF SHORTER FRONTAGE, 50 FEET, 51 FEET FRONTAGE AS OPPOSED TO THE ONES THAT ARE ACROSS THE STREET AND A LITTLE BIT MORE SWEEPING.

SO THAT'S THE INTENTION.

UM, AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT YOU CAN'T RELEASE THE DEMOLITION PERMIT UNTIL YOU SEE THE NEW CONSTRUCTION PLANS, WHICH WILL BE BACK BEFORE YOU EITHER NEXT MONTH OR THE MONTH AFTER.

ARE THERE QUESTIONS OF THE SPEAKER? OKAY, LET'S HEAR FROM THE NEXT SPEAKER.

YEAH, SO MY NAME'S PATRICK CRANE.

I'M WITH PRACTICE, UH, ARCHITECTURAL OFFICE AND JUST HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT MAY COME UP.

WE'VE BEEN, UH, VERY CAREFUL TO CONSIDER, UH, SCALE MATERIALITY.

WE'VE STUDIED THE HISTORIC DESIGN STANDARDS AND THINK THAT WE HAVE, UH, APPLIED THOSE TO THE NEW PROJECT.

I THINK THAT WE'VE SUBMITTED, UH, UH, THE KIND OF RENDERED ELEVATION IN THE PLANS.

I'M NOT SURE IF YOU GUYS GOT TO REVIEW THOSE IN YOUR, IN YOUR PACKET.

NO.

HAVE WE HAVE NO, NOTHING BUT A DEMOLITION REQUEST.

THAT'S ALL.

IT'S OUR, ALL THAT WE HAVE.

YEAH.

SO WE WOULD, WOULD HAVE PRESENTED THOSE TODAY.

THEY ARE, THEY ARE READY TO GO.

I GUESS IT WAS JUST A, A MISUNDERSTANDING ON HOW TO, HOW TO PROCEED WITH THAT.

BUT WE HAVE BEEN BEFORE A RC UH, WE HAVE, UH, KIND OF ADDRESSED SOME OF THE, UH, JUST NEED FOR FOLLOW UP ON MATERIALITY AND SCALE AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF THAT WE'RE, WE'RE FULLY, UH, KIND OF PREPARED AND HAVE DONE OUR RESEARCH ON WITH LOT SIZE AND, AND THE FOUND OTHER CONTRIBUTING HOUSES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD WITH THE SAME MATERIALITY WE'RE PROPOSING AND ALL THESE THINGS.

BUT, UH, REALLY I'M JUST HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT MAY COME UP AND I APPRECIATE YOUR GUYS' TIME AND, UH, THAT'S IT.

WHAT ITS CURRENT REPRESENTATION WAS COMPARED TO ITS HISTORIC, UH, FABRIC AND WHAT IT WAS ORIGINALLY.

UH, COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTIONS OF THE ARCHITECT? I HAD A QUESTION.

HAVE YOU TRIED TO ENCOURAGE THE OWNERS TO RETAIN THE BOTH APPROPRIATE AND HISTORIC HOUSE AND IF, IF SO, WHY ARE THEY CHOOSING TO DEMOLISH A HOUSE THAT APPEARS TO BE VERY GOOD IN GOOD CONDITION? HISTORIC CONTRIBUTING TO THE STREETSCAPE AND, UM, SEEMS PERFECTLY USABLE AND IN GOOD SERVICE.

UM, THE, THE HOUSE, UH, I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE FULL HISTORY.

LINDA MIGHT, MIGHT KNOW MORE THAN THAN ME ABOUT IT AS SHE'S BEEN INVOLVED IN THE, IN THE PROJECT AND IN THE STREET LONGER THAN I, BUT THE HOUSE HAS BEEN VACANT FOR A WHILE.

UM, I THINK THAT THE, THAT THE OWNER IS INTERESTED IN, UM, BUILDING A HOUSE WITH THE UDA ON BOTH LOTS.

THERE'S ALREADY BEEN A DEMOLITION PERMIT GRANTED FOR THE ADJACENT, UH, LOT.

AND SO THE, THE INTENTION IS TO, UH, BUILD A HOUSE ACROSS, ACROSS BOTH THE LOTS.

SO THERE HASN'T BEEN, UH, DISCUSSION OF, OF REUSE, CERTAINLY SALVAGE AND RECYCLING IN, IN THOSE THINGS, BUT, UH, WE HAVEN'T LOOKED AT, UM, REUSING THE EXISTING HOUSE.

NO.

ANY MORE QUESTIONS? OKAY.

ARE THERE OTHER SPEAKERS HERE BEFORE WE CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING? I DO HAVE A QUESTION AND MAYBE ONE OF THE TWO SPEAKERS WILL KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT THE EXISTING HOUSE.

COULD WE SEE THE SIDE ELEVATION? WE COULD PULL THAT UP RIGHT NOW BECAUSE, UH, WHEN STAFF MENTIONED THAT THERE WAS AN ADDITION IN THE REAR, IT OCCURRED TO ME, YOU'D HAVE TO ALMOST ZOOM IN TO SEE IT.

THE, OH, ABOUT TWO THIRDS OF THAT ELEVATION IS MASONRY AND IT LOOKS LIKE THE PITCH OF THE ROOF WOULD'VE BEEN PROBABLY HISTORIC, BUT THE GABLE END IS VERY, VERY BROAD.

AND THEN THE LAST THIRD ON THE BACK, UH, THAT'S ALL HORIZONTAL SIDING, I ASSUME, EITHER WOOD OR HARDY SIDING.

AND SO IF THAT WAS DONE IN THE NINETIES, THE QUESTION IS DID THEY REBUILD THE ENTIRE ROOF AND THEN INCORPORATE THE PORTION THAT WAS A TWO STORY MASONRY HOUSE? BECAUSE IF THAT WAS WHAT THE ADDITION WAS, THE CONSIDERATION FOR HISTORIC DESIGNATION, UH, I MEAN, I, I UNDERSTAND THERE ARE SOME CHANGES AND STAFF MADE REFERENCE TO THEM, BUT THE FULL EXTENT OF THAT CHANGE WOULD MAKE A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE.

THAT PROBABLY DOESN'T FACTOR INTO YOUR INTENT WITH THE HOUSE AT ALL, BUT IT CERTAINLY WOULD, UH, HELP US IN SOLIDIFYING THE RECORD IN INDICATING WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO THE HOUSE AND

[01:15:01]

BUT MY EYE TELLS ME THAT YOU BASICALLY BLEW UP, UH, THE HOUSE WE SEE HERE, UH, OR, OR IT IS, HAS COME AS A BLOW UP ON TOP OF WHAT POTENTIALLY WAS THE HISTORIC HOUSE, BUT I, I KNOW THERE WAS NO SPECIFIC PHOTOGRAPH OR RECORD THAT WE HAD IN THE STAFF'S BACKUP FOR THAT.

I, I CANNOT CENTERED BETWEEN THE TWO.

YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.

I CANNOT CONFIRM EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED.

I'D BE HAPPY TO, TO RESEARCH AND FIND THAT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF WE SAW SOME, UH, PHOTOGRAPHS.

AND, UH, COMMISSIONER ACTON IS SHOWING THE, UH, ALTERNATE, UH, MAYBE YOU WANNA JUST MENTION THAT COMMISSIONER ACTON, IF YOU PULL UP THE SECOND, UH, SIDE ELEVATION YEAH, IF YOU PULL UP THE OTHER SIDE ELEVATION, YOU CAN SEE THAT WHAT IS MOST LIKELY THE ORIGINAL CHIMNEY IS CENTER LINE, RIGHT? UM, BETWEEN THE WINDOW OPENINGS ON THE MASONRY PART.

SO IT'S VERY LIKELY THAT THAT BACK THIRD WAS COMPLETELY REDONE AND THEY REFRAMED, WHICH YOU COULD POP YOUR HEAD IN THE ATTIC AND FIGURE THAT OUT PRETTY QUICK TOO, PROBABLY.

SO, UM, YEAH, THAT'D BE HELPFUL.

I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO KNOW ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.

UH, AGAIN, THIS IS, UH, IF A DEMOLITION DOES GO THROUGH, UM, YOU WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT UNTIL WE SAW YOUR NEW PLANS.

SURE.

BUT IT ALSO IS A CHANCE TO RECORD WHAT THE HISTORIC BUILDING THAT IS REMOVED OR THAT THE OLDER BUILDING THAT IS REMOVED, EVEN IF IT'S NOT DEEMED HISTORIC, UH, WHAT IT WAS AND HOW IT'S RECORDED.

AND THAT COULD BE SIGNIFICANT.

SURE.

SO JUST FOR CLARIFICATION AND SO THAT WE CAN COME BACK WITH THE RIGHT INFORMATION, ARE YOU LOOKING FOR, UH, US TO, TO GET UP IN THE ATTIC AND PROVIDE OUR EXPERTISE ON A, ON A GUESS AS TO WHAT HAPPENED? OR YOU WANT US TO DO SOME RESEARCH WITH THE PERMIT OFFICE AND FIND PLANS THAT ARE ON FILE? PHOTOGRAPHS WOULD BE THE BEST PHOTOGRAPHS.

PLANS WOULD BE BAD EITHER.

AND EVEN IF THE PHOTOGRAPH IS WHAT YOU FOUND IN THE ATTIC, GREAT.

YEAH, BUT I THINK THAT EVERYBODY'S SUSPICION ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED HERE, I THINK WE CAN ALL TELL THAT, THAT THAT IS MOST LIKELY WHAT, WHAT OCCURRED.

COMMISSIONERS, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? AND THERE ARE NO OTHER SPEAKERS, UH, THEN I'LL GO AHEAD AND, UH, ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.

SO MOVED.

COMMISSIONER COOK? UH, IS THERE A SECOND? COMMISSIONER ACTON.

UH OH.

WE GOT, WE GOT, WE GOT HIM UP HERE.

COMMISSIONER GROGAN.

UH, COMMISSIONER COOK.

I'LL MOVE TO POSTPONE THIS CASE TO OUR OCTOBER 1ST MEETING AND REOPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING AND REOPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING OFF TONIGHT.

IS THERE A SECOND? COMMISSIONER, GROGAN COMMISSIONER COOK? YEAH, I, I AGREE THE POINTS MADE OUT.

I, UM, AGREE THAT'S PROBABLY THE CASE, THAT THE WHOLE THIRD STORY WAS ADDED AND LIKELY THE GABLES AS WELL, WHICH, UM, A CHANGE AS SIGNIFICANT AS THAT, YOU KNOW, BURGES BEYOND ADDITION TO, EVEN THOUGH THE FRONT FACADE MAY BE INTACT AND THE SIDE FACADE, IT, IT REALLY CHANGES THE OVERALL MASSING OF THE BUILDING AND THE FENESTRATION ROOF LINE.

IT'S JUST TOO MANY DINGS AGAINST IT.

BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME CONFIRMATION ON THAT BEFORE WE LET IT GO.

MR. GROGAN AGREED.

I DON'T SEE ANY HARM IN TAKING A LITTLE MORE TIME TO, TO GET SOME INFORMATION BACK.

AND THE OWNER HAS HEARD OUR REQUEST, SO WE HOPE THAT, UH, WHEN THAT COMES BACK AND WHETHER IT'S PRESENTED WITH THE NEW PLANS OR NOT, THAT WE'LL HAVE SOME CLARIFICATION.

UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION FOR POSTPONE, UH, PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND AND I SEE IT AS UNANIMOUS.

THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S, UH, HISTORIC DESIGN STANDARDS ARE BASED ON THE SECRETARY OF INTERIOR STANDARDS FOR REHABILITATION AND ARE USED TO, TO EVALUATE PROJECTS IN NATIONAL REGISTER DISTRICTS.

THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH AND WE APPRECIATE THE OWNER, UH, AND THEIR EFFORTS.

UH, THAT WAS ITEM NUMBER SEVEN.

THE NEXT ONE IS

[8. PR-2025-095243; PR-2025-095042 – 1709 Drake Ave. Travis Heights-Fairview Park National Register Historic District Council District 9]

ITEM NUMBER EIGHT.

ALRIGHT, THANK YOU CHAIR.

THIS IS A PROPOSAL AT 1709 DRAKE AVENUE TO DEMOLISH A CIRCA 1925 RESIDENCE, UH, WHICH IS A CONTRIBUTING RESOURCE TO THE NATIONAL REGISTRY HISTORIC DISTRICT, ALSO TO CONSTRUCT A TWO STORY SINGLE FAMILY HOUSE IN GENERALLY THE SAME LOCATION.

THE CRAFTSMAN BUNGALOW LOCATED AT 1709 DRAG AVENUE IS A SINGLE STORY HOUSE WITH A CORNER INSET PORCH AND FRONT GD ROOF.

THE STREET FACING FACADE FEATURES TWO PAIRS OF HUNG WINDOWS, WHICH APPEAR TO BE ORIGINAL.

THERE'S A SMALL ROOF COVERING THE FRONT OF THE PORCH, INSIDE AMONG THE LARGER GABLES.

THIS ROOF IS SUPPORTED BY DEC DECORATIVE BRACKETS, AND SOME RAFTER TAILS ARE VISIBLE FROM THE STREET.

THE HOUSE'S FOUNDATION IS PURE IN BEAM AND IS OVERALL IN GOOD CONDITION.

UPON CONSTRUCTION.

AT THE END OF THE 1920S, THE PROPERTY WENT THROUGH A SERIES OF OWNERS UNTIL AT LEAST THE 1950S.

MANY OF THESE RESIDENTS WERE LOCAL CRAFTSPEOPLE AND SERVICE INDUSTRY WORKERS, AND FOR A TIME THE OWNERS, UH, AND FOR A TIME THEY WERE THE OWNERS AND OPERATORS OF A LOCAL CAFE, UH, LIVED AT THIS ADDRESS, UH, DESPITE MANY OF THE OWNERS ONLY LIVING AT THE ADDRESS FOR A SHORT TIME.

SEVERAL LATER LIVED IN OTHER PARTS OF TRAVIS HEIGHTS OR SOUTH AUSTIN BEFORE AND AFTER THEIR STAY AT 1709 DRAKE AVENUE.

[01:20:01]

UH, THIS PROJECT MEETS THE APPLICABLE STANDARDS.

UH, THE PROPERTY CONTRIBUTES TO THE TRAVIS HEIGHTS, FAIRVIEW PARK NATIONAL REGISTER DISTRICT, AND PROPERTIES MUST MEET TWO CRITERIA FOR LANDMARK DESIGNATION.

STAFF HAS EVALUATED THE PROPERTY AND DETERMINE THAT DOES NOT MEET TWO CRITERIA.

THEREFORE, STAFF RECOMMENDATION IS TO STRONGLY ENCOURAGE REHABILITATION AND ADAPTIVE REUSE, THEN MATERIAL DECONSTRUCTION AND REUSE AND RELOCATION, AND OVER AND OVER DEMOLITION.

BUT RELEASE THE PERMIT UPON COMPLETION OF A CITY OF AUSTIN DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE, UH, ALSO TO COMMENT ON PLANS FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION.

UH, COMMISSIONERS.

ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS OF STAFF? ALL RIGHT.

HEARING NONE, I'LL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING.

IS THE APPLICANT AVAILABLE? YES, PLEASE.

OH, OKAY.

WELL, WE, DO WE HAVE THE APPLICANT HERE OR SOMEONE SPEAK IN FAVOR.

ALL RIGHT.

UH, THEN HEARING NONE, UH, IF WE HAVE SOMEONE HERE TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION.

UH, COMMISSIONER.

THESE WINDOWS ARE SIGNIFICANT.

I THINK WE HAVE TO GET THE MICROPHONE ON.

THERE WE GO.

OH, , THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, COMMENT ON THIS PROJECT.

AND BEFORE I GET INTO, UM, AND, UH, GO AHEAD AND FOR THE RECORD, IDENTIFY YOURSELF.

OH, MY NAME IS BARILL.

I'M THE CO-CHAIR ALONG WITH, UH, CLIFF LAD OF THE HISTORIC, UH, COMMITTEE OF THE SOUTH RIVER CITY CITIZENS.

UH, WE DO NOT SUPPORT THE DEMOLITION OF THIS STRUCTURE.

UM, BUT BEFORE I GET INTO MY COMMENTS, I, I WANTED TO SAY SOMETHING ON A PERSONAL NOTE, AND THAT IS I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR DISCUSSION ON FENESTRATION BECAUSE IT'S ONE OF MY PET PEEVES ABOUT HISTORIC STRUCTURES AND WINDOWS .

I MEAN, I HAVE A WINDOW SALESMAN ALL THE TIME TELL ME, OH, WE CAN REPLACE YOUR WINDOWS WITH, AND I'M GOING, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND.

SO I APPRECIATE THOSE COMMENTS.

BUT ANYWAY, UM, WE ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE DESTRUCTION OF MULTIPLE CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURES.

WE HAVE, UH, VERY CLOSE TO THIS PROPERTY, A FIVE STRUCTURES UP FOR SALE THAT ARE PART OF THE CONTRIBUTING, UH, STRUCTURES, UH, FOR OUR HISTORIC ZONE.

UH, AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THIS, UH, PICTURE, IT'S REALLY IN PRETTY GOOD CONDITION, AND IT HAS HAD NO ADDITIONS THAT WOULD DETRACT FROM THE NATURE OF THE STYLE OF THIS BUNGALOW.

WE ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT SCALE AND THE CONTRIBUTING ZONE.

I MEAN, EXCUSE ME, THE CONTRIBUTING, UH, DISTRICT OF THIS FROM THE STREET.

THERE ARE NOT TOO MANY, UH, STRUCTURES THAT HAVE TWO STORY.

SO WE REALLY DON'T WANT TO SEE A CONTINUING PRECEDENT ON SCALE FOR TWO STORIES.

UH, WE THINK THERE'S A LOT OF LAND WITH THIS SO THAT IF THERE IS A NEEDED EXPANSION, THERE IS THE POTENTIAL TO, UH, WORK WITH THESE, UH, APPLICANTS, I THINK, AND ASK THEM TO LOOK AT EXPANDING IN A DIFFERENT, UH, ONE STORY, UH, MANNER.

BUT AGAIN, UH, THE WHOLE IDEA, UH, OF LOOKING AT A, A CONTRIBUTING, UH, STRUCTURES AND THE SCALE OF WHAT'S GOING ON TO TWO STORY FROM ONE IS SIGNIFICANT.

THIS IS AN AREA THAT HAS A LOT OF LITTLE BUNGALOWS THAT ARE AT RISK, AND WE'RE CONTINUING TO SEE A SERIES OF, UH, APPLICANTS COME IN AND ASK FOR DEMOLITION OF THESE BUNGALOWS.

SO WE DON'T WANNA CONTINUE THIS TREND.

UM, ALTHOUGH THIS STAFF COMMENTED ON THIS DESIGN, YOU CAN SEE FROM THE SCALE IT IS MUCH LARGER AND MUCH TALLER THAN THE EXISTING STRUCTURE.

SO I WOULD HOPE, UH, THE APPLICANT WOULD BE INTERESTED IN LOOKING AT DIFFERENT DESIGN CONCEPTS IN THIS SCALE.

OKAY, THANK YOU.

UM, COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTIONS OF THE, UH, SPEAKER? ALRIGHT, AND HEARING NONE, I KNOW COMMISSIONER ALVAREZ, YOU PULLED THIS FOR, UH, DISCUSSION.

ARE THERE ANY ITEMS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO ASK OF THE SPEAKER OR ANY COMMENT THAT NO, UH, NO.

I, I, I THINK, UH, THE

[01:25:01]

SPEAKER HAS MENTIONED SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I'LL MENTION AS WELL WAS, WAS VERY MUCH INTACT.

AND, UH, UH, I, I THINK THE PROPOSED SIDE IS, WELL, IS IT APPROPRIATE FOR ME TO MENTION IT? WOULD THIS STATEMENT OR ONCE WE PROPOSE A MOTION, UH, I, I THINK AT THIS POINT THIS IS THE PUBLIC HEARING, UH, BUT WE CAN THEN CERTAINLY, UH, HAVE COMMENTS AT THIS PUBLIC HEARING.

BUT, UH, IF YOU HAVE LONGER DISCUSSION, THEN WE WOULD PROBABLY DO WELL TO WAIT UNTIL THE MOTION IS ON THE TABLE.

ALRIGHT, COMMISSIONERS, UH, BACK.

UH, COMMISSIONERS, ANY OTHER COMMENTS? ALRIGHT, ARE THERE OTHER SPEAKERS? ALRIGHT, HEARING NONE, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.

COMMISSIONER MWATER, IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND.

COMMISSIONER TAN GUCCI.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND AND THE PUBLIC HEARING IS CLOSED.

COMMISSIONER ALVAREZ, WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION? I, YES, I AM GOING TO MOVE TO, I GET IT RIGHT, REOPEN PUBLIC HEARING, POSTPONE THE APPLICATION, AND UH, THEN INVITE THE APPLICANT TO THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE.

AND I WOULD ADD THAT THIS, UM, THIS BUILDING LOOKS VERY MUCH INTACT AT 1925.

IT'S A HUNDRED YEARS OLD.

THE MATERIALS LOOK GOOD, DECIDING LOOKS GOOD.

BRACKETS, UH, ALL AROUND REALLY.

IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S BEEN GENERALLY TAKEN CARE OF.

LOOKS LIKE IT'S GONE.

COMMISSIONER, LET, LET'S, LET'S WAIT TILL YOU HAVE A SECOND AND THEN WE CAN TAKE IT FROM THERE.

SO IS THE MOTION TO POSTPONE TO OUR OCTOBER MEETING, UH, AND THE REFERRAL TO ARCHITECTURE REVIEW COMMITTEE? IS THERE A SECOND? COMMISSIONER COOK? UH, ALRIGHT.

UH, COMMISSIONER ALVAREZ, WOULD YOU LIKE TO CONTINUE SPEAKING TO YOUR MOTION? YEAH, YEAH, I GOT AHEAD OF MYSELF THERE.

UH, YEAH, SO I'LL JUST SUMMARIZE THAT THE BUILDING LOOKS LIKE IT'S IN VERY GOOD SHAPE.

UM, SEE I GOT A NEWER AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM, MEANING TO ME THAT IT'S BEEN TAKEN CARE OF.

AND THEN ALSO LOOKING AT WHAT'S PROPOSED, THE FOOTPRINT OF THE PROPOSED STRUCTURE IS ALMOST THE SAME AS WHAT IS EXISTING THERE.

SO I THINK THERE'S MAYBE AN OPPORTUNITY THEN TO WORK WITH THE HOMEOWNER, UH, WITH THE APPLICANT TO TRY TO FIGURE SOMETHING OUT THAT RETAINS MORE OF THE HISTORIC FABRIC OF, UH, THE EXISTING BUILDING AND, UH, REALLY BE ABLE TO KEEP A LOT MORE OF THIS AND NOT TOTALLY OPPOSED TO SOME SORT OF EXPANSION, UH, MODIFICATION TO MEET THEIR NEEDS.

BUT I THINK THERE'S JUST AN OPPORTUNITY HERE FOR SOMETHING MORE THAN JUST DEMOLISH THIS, UH, STRUCTURE, WHICH IS CONTRIBUTING TO A NATIONAL DISTRICT.

OKAY, THANK YOU.

UH, OR SECONDER TO SECOND IT.

OH, NO, I'M SORRY.

COMMISSIONER COOK.

I DID.

YOU DID? NO ADDITIONAL COMMENTS? AGREED.

UH, AND COMMISSIONERS, I'LL JUST POINT OUT THAT THIS IS THE, THE IDEAL SCENARIO BECAUSE WE HAVE BOTH THE DEMOLITION REQUEST AND THE NEW CONSTRUCTION.

SO WE HAVE A CHANCE TO REALLY SEE WHAT WILL BE THE OUTCOME.

AND, UH, AGAIN, I SUPPORT THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, TRY TO BE CREATIVE WITH A, A VERY SOLID STRUCTURE THAT'S THERE AND IS A CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURE.

AND IF IT CAN BE MAINTAINED AND THIS OWNER CAN ALSO MEET THEIR NEEDS FOR THEIR, UH, NEW HOUSE, UH, EXPANSION, THAT WOULD BE IDEAL.

SO, ANY MORE DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE, I WILL GO AHEAD AND, UH, CALL THE QUESTION.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND.

IT LOOKS LIKE IT IS UNANIMOUS.

SO WE HAVE CLOSED THE PUBLIC HEARING AND WE HAVE POSTPONED BOTH ITEMS THEN, UH, FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION WITH THE ARCHITECTURE REVIEW COMMITTEE.

AND WE'LL SEE YOU AGAIN AT THE OCTOBER MEETING, UH, AND HOPEFULLY THE OWNER WILL BE AVAILABLE AT THAT POINT.

A 1948 EDITION IS PRESENT AT THE REAR OF THE PROPERTY.

WE ARE NOW ON TO ITEM NUMBER

[9. PR-2025-086196 – 902 W. Johanna St. Council District 3 ]

NINE.

AND NOW THIS IS, UH, PERMITS THAT ARE UNDER REVIEW, UH, BECAUSE OF THE AGE OF THE BUILDING OR THE, UH, UH, POTENTIAL FOR, UH, HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE.

UH, THIS IS A PROPOSAL AT, UH, 9 0 2 WEST JOHANNE STREET, UH, PROPOSAL TO DEMOLISH A CIRCA 1935 HOUSE.

THE CRAFTSMAN START INSPIRED BUNGALOW LOCATED AT 9 0 2 WEST JOHANNA STREET IS CURRENTLY A SIDE-BY-SIDE DUPLEX WITH A SHARED FRONT PORCH.

THIS PORCH STRETCHES ACROSS THE MIDDLE HALF OF THE FRONT ELEVATION IS AND IS COVERED BY A FRONT FACING GABLE ROOF, WHICH IS INSET WITHIN A GABLE COVERING THE MAIN HOUSE.

DECORATIVE BRACKETS ARE PRESENT AT BOTH GABLES, ALONG WITH LATTICE WORK, ATTIC VENTS.

THE, UH, THE WALLS ARE CLAD IN NARROW TEARDROP SIDING AND THE HOUSE IS ELEVATED ON PIERS.

[01:30:01]

IT ISN'T KNOWN WHETHER THE HOUSE WAS ORIGINALLY CONSTRUCTED AS A DUPLEX OR IF IT WAS CONVERTED TO SUCH AN ORIENTATION SHORTLY AFTER BEING BUILT FROM ITS CONSTRUCTION AROUND 1935 UNTIL THE NI MID 1950S.

THE HOUSE WAS OWNED BY CECIL AND DAISY NAVIN, WHO HAD MOVED TO AUSTIN FROM WICHITA FALLS.

AROUND THE START OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION.

CECIL NAVIN WORKED FOR SEVERAL YEARS AT SOUTHWESTERN BELL BEFORE, BEFORE BEING LISTED IN CITY DIRECTORIES AS A MECHANIC AND REPAIRMAN.

DURING THIS TIME, THEY PERIODICALLY HAD RENTERS LIVING AT THE ADDRESS, PRESUMABLY IN THE OTHER HALF OF THE HOUSE.

A WORK PERMIT FOR A REAR EDITION WAS FILED WITH THE CITY IN 1948.

THE 2015 BOLDEN CREEK HISTORIC RESOURCE SURVEY LISTS THE PROPERTY AS A MEDIUM PRIORITY.

PROPERTIES MUST MEET TWO CRITERIA FOR LANDMARK DESIGNATION.

STAFF HAS EVALUATED THE PROPERTY AND DETERMINED THAT IT DOES NOT MEET TWO CRITERIA.

THEREFORE, THE, THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION IS TO STRONGLY ENCOURAGE REHABILITATION AND ADAPTIVE REUSE, THEN MATERIAL DECONSTRUCTION AND REUSE, THEN RELOCATION OVER DEMOLITION, BUT RELEASE THE PERMIT UPON COMPLETION OF A CITY OF AUSTIN DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE.

ANY COMMENTS? UH, QUESTIONS OF STAFF? UH, I, I WAS ALSO WANTING THIS ONE TO BE, UH, A DISCUSSION ITEM.

UM, WE HAVE ALREADY HAVE IN YOUR BACKUP AN INDICATION FROM THE ARCHITECT THAT THE OWNER IS GOING TO FIGHT HISTORIC ZONING.

THAT SAID, UM, I THINK THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THIS BUILDING AND IT CERTAINLY COULD BE ADAPTED IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS.

IT'S NOT IN A HISTORIC DISTRICT, SO WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WILL REPLACE IT.

UH, BUT IF THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT HAS BEEN HEARD STAFF, WOULD YOU GO AHEAD AND LET US KNOW, UH, WHAT IS THE TIMING ON APPLICATIONS LIKE THIS IF WE CONTINUE TO WANT TO DISCUSS THIS WITH THE OWNER? OF COURSE, THIS SAYS A 75 DAY, UH, REVIEW PERIOD, UH, WHICH MEANS THE TIME'S OUT ON THE 17TH OF NOVEMBER.

THEREFORE THERE ARE TWO MORE COMMISSION MEETINGS THAT THIS CAN BE HEARD AT ON OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER.

AND LET ME GO AHEAD AND OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING.

IS THE OWNER HERE? OKAY, WELCOME.

PLEASE IDENTIFY YOURSELF FOR THE RECORD.

HI, I'M RACHEL, UH, WITH POINT B DESIGN GROUP.

I'M NOT THE OWNER, UM, BUT I AM WITH THE ARCHITECTURE FIRM THAT IS WORKING WITH THE OWNER TO DEMOLISH THE PROPERTY AND, UH, ON HER NEW BUILD.

AND HAS THERE BEEN ANY DISCUSSION OR CONSIDERATION OF THE INTEGRITY OF THE BUILDING OR BEING ABLE TO ADAPT IT TO THIS OWNER'S NEEDS? YES.

UM, WHAT THE INITIAL PART OF OUR FEASIBILITY FOR THIS PROJECT WAS TO TAKE A LOOK AT REUSING THE EXISTING STRUCTURE, UH, LOOKING AT THE EXISTING BUILDING FOOTPRINT AND THE OVERALL STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE PROJECT.

UM, IT IS CURRENTLY A DUPLEX AND HAS BEEN A DUPLEX FOR 85 ISH YEARS.

YEAH, IT WAS, IT WAS BUILT IS WHEN IT LOOKS LIKE YEAH, YEAH.

ARE CONVERTED RIGHT AFTER BEING BUILT.

SO IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT TO, THERE'S A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH THE FOUNDATION AND OR THE WALLS, UM, ON THE CURRENT PROPERTY.

UM, AND WHAT WANTING TO FOLLOW THE OWNER'S USE OF THE HOME AMENDMENTS.

UM, IT DOES NOT SEEM TO BE A VIABLE USE TO KEEP THE PROPERTY AND TO DO ADAPTIVE REUSE FOR, FOR THE PROJECT.

UH, DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER, UH, UH, COMMENTS YOU'D LIKE TO, UH, ADDRESS TO INDICATE, UH, IF THIS WAS A, UH, IMPORTANT BUILDING FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT, YOU KNOW, WHY, WHY SHOULD WE THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, OUR JOB IS TO KEEP BOSTON'S HISTORY.

WHY SHOULD THIS ONE NOT BE PART OF THAT LEGACY? UM, I KNOW THE PLANS THAT WE'RE, THAT WE ARE PROPOSING TO REPLACE THIS PROJECT, UM, FIT IN THE SCALE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, AND HAVE A SINGLE STORY FOR THE FIRST PORTION OF THE PROPERTY.

UM, OUR GOAL AND INTENT WITH REBUILDING IS TO MAINTAIN, UM, THE SOUTH AUSTIN CRAFTSMAN AND OR BUNGALOW STYLE AND OTHER PROPERTIES THAT ARE ON JOHANNA STREET OR ADJACENT STREETS, UM, THAT ALSO HAD THE MEDIUM DESIGNATION PRIORITY DID NOT SEEM TO FOLLOW SUIT.

UM, BUT OUR GOAL WOULD BE TO PUT A NEW BUILD BACK THAT FITS IN WITH THE PROPERTY.

THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS TO THE UH, SPEAKER? ALRIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

ARE THERE OTHER SPEAKERS? YES.

UH, WE HAVE MS. CARSON ONLINE.

YOUR, YOU MAY BEGIN SPEAKING.

UH, MS. CARSON, PLEASE, UH, IDENTIFY YOURSELF FOR THE RECORD AND, UH,

[01:35:01]

HELLO? UM, I'M TALKING FROM MY PHONE, .

MY NAME IS KAREN CARSON AND I'M A RESIDENT OF THE BOULDER CREEK NEIGHBORHOOD.

UM, I'M SPEAKING, UM, IN OPPOSITION OF THE DEMOLITION APPLICATION OF 9 0 2 WEST JOHANNE STREET.

UM, THIS IS A CLASSIC BOLDEN CREEK NEIGHBORHOOD CRAFTSMAN STYLE BUNGALOW.

AND IT'S A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF STYLE OF HOUSES THAT CONTRIBUTE MOST TO THE CHARACTER OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

UM, ON A PERSONAL NOTE, I WALK MY DOG EVERY MORNING AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND AM OFTEN DISMAYED AT THE PACE OF DEMOLITION OF THE, WHAT I CALL THE NATIVE HOMES OF MY NEIGHBORHOOD.

UM, THEY'RE OFTEN THEN REPLACED WITH NEW CONSTRUCTION OF SIGNIFICANT LARGER HOUSE, UM, EVEN MASSIVE.

UM, I WAS GLAD TO HEAR THAT THE OWNER IS CONSIDERING TO MAINTAIN THE BUNGALOW STYLE.

HOWEVER, UM, THIS BUNGALOW, I KNOW IT'S CURRENTLY A DUPLEX, BUT I'M WONDERING IF IT COULD POTENTIALLY BE CONVERTED TO A SINGLE FAMILY HOME AND EVEN POSSIBLY CONSTRUCTING AN ADDITION IN THE REAR IF MORE SPACE IS DESIRED.

EXCUSE ME.

THERE ARE A NUMBER OF EXAMPLES IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD OF THOSE TYPES OF RENOVATIONS TO, UM, THE ORIGINAL BUNGALOW TYPE ARCHITECTURE.

UM, IF THE OWNER WOULD, YOU KNOW, WOULD LIKE TO EXPLORE THOSE OPTIONS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, EXISTING RIGHT NOW, IT WOULD BE GREAT NOT TO HAVE YET ANOTHER TEAR DOWN.

UM, I THOUGHT THAT THE APPLICANT HAD NOT YET SUBMITTED PLANS FOR A NEW STRUCTURE.

I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S TRUE OR NOT AT THIS POINT, BUT IN ANY CASE, I REALLY HOPE THIS APPLICATION CAN BE POSTPONED SO THAT THE APPLICANT CAN EXPLORE AND CONSIDER OTHER OPTIONS BESIDES JUST CARRYING DOWN ANOTHER HOUSE IN BOLDEN CREEK.

ANYWAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH MS. CARSON.

THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS.

ANY QUESTIONS OF, UM, OUR SPEAKER? OKAY, THANK YOU.

IS THERE ANY OTHER SPEAKER? NO.

UH, HEARING NONE THEN.

COMMISSIONERS, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING CHAIR.

WE CAN DO A REBUTTAL ON THIS.

I BEG YOUR PARDON? UH, WE CAN DO A REBUTTAL IF YOU WISH.

OH, I'M SORRY.

UH, SO THERE IS A OPPORTUNITY FOR REBUTTAL.

UH, THE APPLICANT, UH, HAS THE ABILITY TO MAKE COMMENTS, UH, IN, UH, TO REBUT THE, UH, OPPOSITION.

SO YOU'RE WELCOME IF YOU WISH TO MAKE ANY FURTHER COMMENTS.

BE THE FIRST SPEAKER.

GO AHEAD.

IF I WANTED TO REQUEST A POSTPONEMENT, WOULD I DO THAT NOW OR AFTER? UH, IF YOU'RE WILLING TO ACCEPT ONE, THAT COULD BECOME ONE OF THE ACTIONS THAT THE COMMISSIONERS WOULD TAKE.

SO WOULD YOU ACCEPT A POSTPONEMENT? I CAN REQUEST, I CAN REQUEST IT NOW.

OR WOULD IT BE BETTER TO WAIT AFTER HEARING WHAT YOUR, UH, WHAT YOUR INITIAL FEEDBACK WOULD BE? WELL, WE'RE ABOUT TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND THAT WOULD, AND THAT WOULD BE ONE OF THE MOTIONS THAT COULD HAPPEN IMMEDIATELY.

SO IF YOU YES, I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST A POSTPONEMENT, PLEASE.

UH, THEN WE FIRST HAVE TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.

SO, UM, COMMISSIONERS, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING MOTION? UH, COMMISSIONER TAN GUCCI.

IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND.

UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, ACTON.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING HAND.

ALRIGHT, IT IS CLOSED.

UH, COMMISSIONERS, YOU'VE HEARD THERE HAS BEEN AN ACCEPTANCE OF, UH, POSSIBILITY FOR A POSTPONEMENT.

I WOULD ALSO ARGUE THAT IT PROBABLY WOULD MAKE SENSE FOR A VISIT TO THE ARCHITECTURE REVIEW COMMITTEE AS WELL.

UH, BUT I WILL LEAVE THAT TO YOUR DISCRETION COMMISSIONERS.

AND JUST A NOTE HERE, CHAIR, UM, REMINDER THAT THIS IS A PROPERTY THAT IS NOT WITHIN HISTORIC DISTRICT.

SO THE COMMISSION DOES NOT, UH, HAVE PURVIEW OVER THE DESIGN.

HOWEVER, UM, ATTENDEES ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMISSION, UH, OR ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE FOR INFORMAL FEEDBACK ON THEIR DESIGN.

THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.

THIS IS NOT A REGISTERED DISTRICT, SO, UH, THERE IS NO FORMAL REVIEW FOR WHAT A NEW DESIGN WOULD BE, BUT UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT MIGHT PROVE TO BE AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT AND THAT COULD BE BROUGHT TO THE REVIEW COMMITTEE AS WELL.

MR. WAS THAT COMMISSIONER ALVAREZ? IT WAS BOTH OF US, BUT I'LL, I'LL GRAB IT.

ALRIGHT, UH, COMMISSIONERS, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION MOVE TO POSTPONE TO OUR OCTOBER 1ST MEETING AND INVITE THE APPLICANT TO THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE.

IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.

I HEARD LOTS OF SECONDS.

ONE OF ONE OF OUR SPEAKERS AT HOME.

WHO WAS THAT?

[01:40:03]

UH, COMMISSIONER COOK, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK TO YOUR MOTION? I THINK GIVEN THE APPLICANT'S, UM, REPRESENTATIVE'S STATED INTEREST AND POSTPONE, I THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE.

IT'D BE GOOD TO HAVE ONE ROUND WITH THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE JUST TO MAKE SURE THERE'S NOT ANY OPTIONS TO AT LEAST RETAIN THE FACADE AND STILL ACHIEVE, UM, THE GOALS OF THE PROJECT.

SO I THINK IT'S WORTH A SHOT.

COMMISSIONER GROGAN? COMPLETELY AGREE.

I WOULD ENCOURAGE THE ARCHITECTS TO CONSIDER SAVING A FRONT PORTION OF THE HOUSE THE FACADES SINCE IT SEEMS LIKE THEY'RE ALREADY, UM, LOOKING AT A SINGLE STORY STRUCTURE AT THE FRONT.

ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE, I'LL CALL THE QUESTION.

UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION TO POSTPONE, PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND AND IT IS UNANIMOUS.

AND THAT WAS, BY THE WAY, REOPENING THE PUBLIC HEARING AS WELL.

IS THAT CORRECT? YES.