[00:00:03]
ARE WE, UH, SET WITH, UH, ALL OF THE MATERIALS THAT WE NEED? YEAH, I THINK WE'RE GOOD TO GO.
[CALL TO ORDER]
UH, WELCOME TO CITY HALL.THIS IS THE WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3RD, 2025 MEETING OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION.
UH, I AM, UH, GOING TO GO AHEAD AND PROCEED WITH CALLING THE ROLE, UH, OR I SHOULD SAY STAFF WOULD PROCEED CALLING THE ROLE, PLEASE.
UM, CHAIR SETH PRESENT, UH, VICE CHAIR EVANS PRESENT, COMMISSIONER ACTON PRESENT, UH, COMMISSIONER ALVAREZ PRESENT.
UH, COMMISSIONER GROGAN PRESENT.
UH, COMMISSIONER LAROCHE PRESENT.
UH, COMMISSIONER PLEASANT WRIGHT PRESENT.
COMMISSIONER TE GUCCI PRESENT.
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
COMMUNICATION.WE HEAR FROM GENERAL SPEAKERS SIGNED UP, UH, ON ITEMS THAT ARE NOT SPECIFICALLY POSTED ON TONIGHT'S AGENDA.
OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS MEGAN KING.
MEGAN KING MOORE, UH, POLICY AND OUTREACH PLANNER FOR PRESERVATION.
AUSTIN, HERE WITH YOUR MONTHLY UPDATE FROM PA.
UM, YOU MAY HAVE HEARD THAT PRESERVATION AUSTIN AND ARCHITECT RECENTLY ANNOUNCED THE NEW JUAN RAYMOND RUBIO PRESERVATION FELLOWSHIP ESTABLISHED IN HONOR OF OUR COLLECTIVE FORMER COLLEAGUE JUAN RAYMOND RUBIO, UM, WHO PASSED AWAY UNEXPECTEDLY LAST YEAR.
THE FELLOWSHIP CARRIES ON HIS NAMESAKE LEGACY BY CHAMPIONING UNDERREPRESENTED HERITAGE, EMPOWERING UNDERREPRESENTED VOICES IN THE PRESERVATION FIELD, AND INVESTING IN FUTURE PRESERVATION LEADERS.
THE RUBIO FELLOW WILL ADVANCE THE PRESERVATION AND INTERPRETATION UNREPRESENTED HERITAGE IN AUSTIN, AND THIS INCLUDES AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY, MEXICAN AMERICAN INDIGENOUS, ASIAN AMERICAN L-G-B-T-Q COMMUNITIES AND WOMEN.
THE RUBIO FELLOW WILL BUILD STRONG PROFESSIONAL SKILLS, INDUSTRY CONNECTIONS.
THEY'LL WORK CLOSELY WITH PRESERVATION AUSTIN STAFF, AND REGULARLY ENGAGE IN LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES WITH ARCHITECT, SHADOWING PEOPLE IN THE PUBLIC, PRIVATE, AND NON-PROFIT SECTORS TO GAIN FIRSTHAND KNOWLEDGE ABOUT CAREER OPTIONS WITHIN PRESERVATION FIELD.
UM, WE'RE SO EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE THIS FELLOWSHIP AND APPLICATIONS ARE, UH, DUE BY DECEMBER 15TH FOR A JANUARY START.
AND WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
AND, UH, WE STILL, I THINK ALL OF US WHO SERVED WITH JUAN RAYMOND HERE, MISS HIM SO DEARLY.
UH, I KNOW HIS PRESENCE PROBABLY IS HERE TONIGHT.
UH, HE, HE'D PROBABLY GIVE US A CHOICE WORD OR TWO IN, UH, IN, IN ENTHUSIASM FOR THE WORK YOU'RE DOING.
UH, AND WE HOPE MAYBE ONE OF THE RECIPIENTS IN THE FUTURE WILL BE SERVING, UH, HERE AS WELL AND USING THEIR SKILLS IN FUTURE GENERATIONS.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK.
OUR SECOND SPEAKER IS SUSAN ARMSTRONG.
SUSAN ARMSTRONG FISHER WITH, UH, TRAVIS HEIGHTS, FAIRVIEW PARK NATIONAL REGISTER HISTORIC DISTRICT.
UM, I'M REPRESENTING THE SRCC HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMITTEE TONIGHT.
CLIFF LAD COULD NOT BE HERE IN PERSON, BUT HAD NO, HE HAD NOTICED AN OMISSION FROM A PROPERTY THAT WAS HEARD AT THE LAST MEETING FOR FIVE 14 EAST MONROE.
WE HAVE SOME CONCERNS THAT IT MAY NOT HAVE FOLLOWED NATIONAL REGISTER HISTORIC DISTRICT REQUIREMENTS, UM, IN THAT PARTICULAR PROPERTY.
AS YOU KNOW, ACTUALLY, LET ME BACK UP.
CONTRIBUTING PROPERTIES IN A-N-R-H-D MUST HAVE NEW CONSTRUCTION PLAN SUBMITTED IN ORDER TO RELEASE THE DEMOLITION PERMIT.
AND FIVE 14 EAST MONROE CONSISTED OF TWO SUCH BUILDINGS THAT WERE CONTRIBUTING THE BACK HALF OF THE PRIMARY HOME, AS WELL AS THE DUPLEX BEHIND FIVE 14 EAST MONROE, WHICH WAS ON 1506 EAST SIDE DRIVE.
UM, HOWEVER, NEW CONSTRUCTION PLANS FOR NEITHER BUILDING WAS SUBMITTED AND, UH, DESPITE THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION THAT THE COMMISSION MUST REVIEW NEW CONSTRUCTION PLANS.
SO I'M JUST BRINGING THIS TO THE COMMISSION'S ATTENTION IF THIS COULD BE
[00:05:01]
REVIEWED OR WHAT THE NEXT STEP WOULD BE.UM, BUT THIS SEEMED LIKE THE FORUM TO DO SO.
AND EXCUSE ME, JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, HAS THE PROPERTY BEEN DEMOLISHED AS AS OF NOW? I AM, I AM EMBARRASSED TO SAY I DON'T BELIEVE SO.
I HAVE NOT DRIVEN BY THERE RECENTLY.
BUT YOUR UNDERSTANDING IS THAT A PERMIT WAS ISSUED AND HAS, AND THAT THEY WILL BE PROCEEDING EVEN THOUGH PLANS WERE NOT REVIEWED AS PER OUR REQUIREMENTS, THE PERMIT WAS RELEASED AT THE LAST, AT THE NOVEMBER COMMISSION MEETING YES.
PURSUANT TO THE MINUTES THAT WERE POSTED ON THE AGENDA.
AND WE CAN CERTAINLY ASK STAFF IF THEY WOULD LOOK INTO THAT, UNLESS YOU HAVE A QUICK RESPONSE STAFF.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT PERHAPS WE CAN, WE CAN DO A CHECK WITH AND BE ABLE TO REPORT BACK.
UM, IT'S OUR UNDERSTANDING THAT THE, UH, DEMO PERMIT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN RELEASED.
UM, HOWEVER, WE WILL CHECK ON THAT AND, UH, REPORT BACK ON THAT.
PLEASE LET US KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WE'RE NOT GONNA WAIT UNTIL THE JANUARY MEETING, BUT, BUT, UH, PLEASE REPORT BACK TO US AT THE MEETING SO WE HAVE THAT ON THE RECORD AS WELL.
AND THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT TO OUR ATTENTION.
I'M, I BELIEVE I'M THE THIRD PERSON AS WELL, SO IF IT'S OKAY, I'LL JUST STAY UP HERE.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO OFFER SOME FEEDBACK AND COMMENT ON A RECENT CHANGE ON THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S HISTORIC LANDMARK, UM, PAGE IN THE PAST, A VIDEO OF THE COMMISSION MEETING WAS POSTED ON THE WEBSITE, WHICH ALLOWED US THOSE WHO WERE NOT ABLE TO ATTEND OR VIEW THE LIVE, UH, MEETING TO WATCH AFTER THE FACT INDEFINITELY, WHICH JUST HELPED WITH BODY LANGUAGE APPLICANT, SPEAKERS, COMMISSIONERS.
AND IT LOOKS LIKE NOW THE VIDEO HAS BEEN REPLACED WITH MINUTES, UM, WHICH OF COURSE SERVES ITS PURPOSE, BUT IT, IT LOSES A LOT OF THE CONTEXT OF THE MEETING FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO WATCH AFTER THE FACT.
SO I'M SURE IT WAS NOT DONE WITH INTENT OF ANY SORT, BUT JUST WANTED TO PASS ON THE FEEDBACK THAT IF VIDEO MIGHT BE RETURNED INSTEAD, THAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL.
UH, MAYBE IS THAT, THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN ASK STAFF CLARIFI CLARIFICATION ON THAT.
UH, THAT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY CURRENTLY, BUT I WAS BEING TRAINED AT THE TIME, SO WE'RE GONNA GET ONTO POSTING THE VIDEOS WITH EXPEDIENCY.
SO IT'S NOT A PERMANENT CHANGE.
I, I HADN'T BEEN CHECKING TO SEE IF THEY ALWAYS GOT MY GOOD SIDE.
SO, UH, THE LAST COUPLE OF MOVE VIDEOS I'VE MISSED.
SO, UH, NO, THANK YOU FOR CALLING THAT TO OUR ATTENTION.
APPRECIATE IT AND THANK YOU STAFF FOR BEING ABLE TO REMEDY THAT.
AND, UH, IT'S AVAILABLE ON THE, ON THE A TXN, LIKE IF YOU GO DIRECTLY ON THE A TXN VIDEO ARCHIVE PAGE, THE MEETING, UM, VIDEOS THERE.
AND SO IT'S, IT'S AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC.
YEAH, I, I, I GOT CONFUSED BY THAT, THE, A COUPLE WEEKS AGO AS WELL.
AND, UM, SO THAT, THAT CLARIFICATION'S VERY HELPFUL.
BUT IT IS, UH, TO THE SPEAKER, UH, IT IS AVAILABLE, UM, IF YOU JUST GO TO THE A TXN PAGE, THE ARCHIVE.
NEVERTHELESS, WE WILL POST IT ON OUR HLC WEBSITE AS WELL.
[Consent Agenda]
UH, AT THIS POINT, LET ME CALL UPON STAFF FOR REVIEW OF OUR AGENDA THIS EVENING.UH, AUSTIN LUKES, UH, HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE.
UM, TO START THE MEETING, WE HAVE, UH, ITEM ONE, THE, UH, REVIEW OF THE NOVEMBER 5TH, 2025 MINUTES.
UH, THIS ITEM IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT, UH, FOR BRIEFINGS.
WE HAVE A BRIEFING FROM, UM, ON THE NOVEMBER 21ST, EQUITY BASED PRESERVATION PLAN SUMMIT, GOING INTO CERTIFICATES OF APPROPRIATENESS.
WE, UH, ITEM THREE IS HR 20 25 1 3 7 1 0 5, UH, FOR 7 0 1 CONGRESS AVENUE, ALSO KNOWN AS THE STEPHEN F. AUSTIN HOTEL.
THIS ITEM HAS BEEN POSTED FOR CONSENT.
ITEM FOUR, HR 20 25 1 3 7 1 1 2 FOR 7 0 9 CONGRESS AVENUE.
THIS IS THE BRUSH TURNER HIRSCHFIELD BUILDING.
THIS ITEM HAS BEEN POSTED FOR CONSENT.
ITEM FIVE, PR 20 25 1 4 4 1 4 2, UH, 4 24 0 6 EAST MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR BOULEVARD.
THIS ITEM IS POSTED FOR DISCUSSION IN OUR NATIONAL REGISTER, HISTORIC DISTRICT APPLICATIONS.
ITEM SIX, PR 20 25 1 0 3 9 0 3 FOR 1513 MURRAY LANE.
THIS IS AN A APPLICANT REQUESTED POSTPONEMENT, ITEM SEVEN PR 20 25 1 2 1 7 8 0 FOR 1105 MO PHRASE STREET.
THIS ITEM IS POSTED FOR CONSENT.
ITEM EIGHT, HR 20 25, 1 3 5 3 2 3 FOR THE CONGRESS AVENUE BETWEEN CA CHAVEZ STREET AND SEVENTH STREET.
THIS ITEM IS POSTED FOR CONSENT.
ITEM NINE, PR 20 25 1 4 2 1 2 0 FOR 1806 DRAKE AVENUE.
THIS ITEM IS POSTED FOR CONSENT.
1 4 4 1 8 2 FOR 1608 PEACE ROAD.
THIS ITEM IS POSTED FOR CONSENT.
[00:10:02]
FOR TWO 10 WEST SIXTH STREET.THIS ITEM IS POSTED FOR CONSENT FOR DEMOLITION AND RELOCATION APPLICATIONS.
ITEM 12, PR 20 25 1 1 2 9 4 1, UH, FOR 28 21 SALE STREET.
THIS ITEM IS POSTED FOR CONSENT.
1 4 2 9 6 5 FOR, UH, 2117 WEST 49TH STREET, ALSO KNOWN AS THE ROSE ROSEDALE SCHOOL.
ITEM IS A, UH, DISCUSSION POSTPONEMENT ITEM 14 DA 2025 DASH 1 4 1 1 3 2 FOR 9 0 6 WEST 22ND STREET.
THIS ITEM IS POSTED FOR DISCUSSION ITEM 15, PR 2025 DASH 1 3 8 0 6 5 FOR 9 0 7 EAST 13TH STREET.
THIS ITEM IS POSTED FOR DISCUSSION ITEM 16 PR 2025 DASH 1 3 1 6 0 5 FOR 6 0 1 NORTH BLUFF DRIVE.
THIS ITEM IS POSTED FOR DISCUSSION ITEM 17, PR 2025 DASH 1 3 7 4 3 6 FOR 26 11 WOOD BOND AVENUE.
THIS ITEM IS POSTED FOR DISCUSSION ITEM 18, PR 20 25 1 DASH 1 41 7 9 5 FOR THREE 3006 FOURTH STREET.
THIS ITEM IS POSTED FOR CONSENT.
UM, ITEM 19, UH, FOR PR 2025 DASH 1 3 9 3 3 6 8 12, UH, PARK BOULEVARD.
THIS ITEM IS POSTED FOR CONSENT.
UH, THAT CONCLUDES THE ITEMS FOR THIS AGENDA.
UM, AT THIS POINT, MR. CALL CONTRERAS PLANNING DEPARTMENT, CAN I GET SOME CLARIFICATION ON ITEM 16 AND 17? UH, ARE THOSE BOTH PULLED FOR DISCUSSION? UH, NO, THOSE ARE, UH, POSTED FOR CONSENT.
SO YOU, YOU SAID THEY WERE DISCUSSION ITEMS, BUT THEY ARE IN FACT, UH, CONSENT, CONSENT FOR SIX ITEM 16 AND AND 17 ARE BOTH CONSENT.
SO JUST SO EVERYBODY'S CLEAR, ANY ITEM THAT WE HAVE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA OR IN APPLICANT POSTPONEMENT WILL ALL BE HANDLED ON OUR CONSENT AGENDA.
THERE IS NO NEED FOR ANY DISCUSSION THAT VOTE WHEN IT'S FINISHED.
IF YOUR ITEM IS ON THAT LIST, IT WILL BE APPROVED.
AND WITH STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION, HOWEVER, WE DO HAVE A POLICY WHERE TESTIMONY OR ANY KIND OF DISCUSSION IS ALLOWED.
I WON'T SAY IT'S ENCOURAGED 'CAUSE WE HAVE AGENDA WITH A LOT OF DISCUSSION ITEMS THAT WON'T PASS ON CONSENT.
BUT IF ANYBODY IS WI WISHING TO READ COMMENTS INTO THE RECORD OR TO TELL US SOMETHING THAT'S IMPORTANT, WE CERTAINLY ARE AVAILABLE.
AND I WILL CALL UP THOSE ITEMS ONE BY ONE.
AND, UH, I BELIEVE A, IF A SPEAKER WOULD WISH TO SPEAK OR IS SIGNED UP, YOU WILL ASK, UH, AND WE CAN SEE IF THEY NEED TO COME TO THE MICROPHONE OR NOT.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO PULL SOMETHING FROM CONSENT.
AND BY THE WAY, UH, COMMISSION MEMBERS AT, AT ANY POINT IF THERE IS AN ITEM YOU WOULD PREFER TO HAVE FOR DISCUSSION, THAT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY, OUR REQUIREMENT.
AND SO PLEASE LET US KNOW AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
OKAY, SO NUMBER 19, WE WILL NOT HAVE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, THAT WILL BE A DISCUSSION ITEM FOR TONIGHT.
COMMISSIONERS, IS THERE ANY OTHER I SHOULD HAVE ASKED? SO ARE THERE ANY OTHER ITEMS, ANY OF OUR VIRTUAL COMMISSIONERS THAT YOU RIGHT NOW SEE THAT YOU WOULD PREFER TO HAVE AS A DISCUSSION ITEM? OKAY.
HEARING NONE THEN WE CAN PROCEED.
ARE THERE ANY SPEAKERS WHO WISH TO SPEAK ON THE FIRST CONSENT ITEM, WHICH IS OUR MINUTES? UH, FROM NOVEMBER 5TH, 2025? I WOULD NOT THINK SO.
NO, WE DO NOT HAVE ANY SPEAKERS.
THE SECOND CONSENT ITEM IS ITEM NUMBER THREE, UH, AT 7 0 1 CONGRESS AVENUE.
WE DO NOT HAVE ANY SPEAKERS FOR THAT ONE.
ITEM NUMBER 4 7 0 9 CONGRESS AVENUE.
UH, NO SPEAKERS FOR THAT ONE EITHER.
ITEM NUMBER SIX, IS THE APPLICANT REQUESTING A POSTPONEMENT? IS THERE ANYBODY WHO NEEDS TO SPEAK ON THAT ITEM? UH, NO SIR.
ITEM NUMBER EIGHT, UM, THE CONGRESS AVENUE NATIONAL HISTORIC DISTRICT.
UH, I'M GONNA USE SOME CHAIR PRIVILEGE AND ASK IF WE CAN AT LEAST SEE SOME OF THAT PRESENTATION.
'CAUSE THIS IS A REALLY COOL PROJECT, SO ABSOLUTELY.
I DUNNO IF IT HAS TO BE IN ORDER, BUT MAYBE WE CAN GET THAT BEFORE WE FINISH THE CONSENT AGENDA.
UM, I THINK WE COULD DO IT NOW.
CAN WE JUST ASK THAT SOMEBODY SHOW A COUPLE OF SLIDES AS PART OF OUR CONSENT AGENDA?
[00:15:04]
YEAH.ITEM NUMBER 9 18 0 6 DRAKE AVENUE.
ANYBODY HERE SPEAK? YES, WE DO HAVE ONE SPEAKER FOR THAT ONE.
THAT IS SUSAN ARMSTRONG IN OPPOSITION.
AND LET'S SEE, WHILE WE'RE STILL ON THE ITEM NUMBER EIGHT, UH, WE JUST REALLY, I HATE TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT, MA'AM, BUT IF YOU JUST IDENTIFY YOURSELF FOR THE RECORD AND GIVE US, UH, ABOUT A 32ND ALL THE COOL STUFF YOU'RE DOING.
UM, WE DO HAVE A PRESENTATION IF WE'D LIKE TO PUT IT UP.
UM, WE'RE WORKING ON THAT CURRENTLY.
UM, BUT YEAH, MY NAME IS RAMANI ANI, I'M A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM MANAGER WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS TO PRESENT ON THE CONGRESS AVENUE URBAN DESIGN INITIATIVE.
AS WE MOVE INTO A PLANNED FIRST PHASE OF CONSTRUCTION AS AND AS WE BEGIN TO FINALIZE OUR DESIGN FOR THE PROJECT, UM, WE'VE GOT SOME COOL DRAWINGS THAT WE CAN SHOW YOU.
IS THERE A TIME LIMIT? I CAN MAKE THIS BRIEF YES.
BE BE VERY BRIEF, BUT JUST LET'S ENJOY, MAYBE WE CAN, YEAH, WE CAN WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE? UM, JUST TECHNICAL TIME LIMIT WITH FIVE MINUTES.
WE COULD PROBABLY SKIP A COUPLE SLIDES AND JUST GO TO THE RENDERING.
UM, SO WE ARE MOVING INTO A FIRST PHASE OF CONSTRUCTION, AND THAT WILL BE LIMITED TO THE PORTION OF CONGRESS AVENUE BETWEEN CAESAR CHAVEZ STREET AND SEVENTH STREET.
SO THIS IS MAYBE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT FROM THE CONCEPT THAT YOU, NOT DIFFERENT, BUT, UH, A REDUCED VERSION OF THE CONCEPT THAT YOU SAW MAYBE LAST YEAR.
UM, YOU MAY RECALL THAT WE WERE, UM, PROPOSING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH A PLAZA BETWEEN SEVENTH STREET AND 11TH STREET, UH, WHICH IS NOW DEFERRED TO A FUTURE UNFUNDED PHASE.
UH, THE ANALOGY WE'VE BEEN USING IS THAT WE WERE TRYING TO SPREAD THE PEANUT BUTTER TOO THIN.
AND SO WE REALLY WANNA FOCUS ON DOING A GOOD PROJECT WITH HIGH QUALITY MATERIALS BETWEEN CAESAR AND SEVENTH.
SO THE BIG ELEMENTS THAT YOU'LL NOTICE IN THIS DESIGN IS A MUCH WIDER PEDESTRIAN REALM THAN WHAT EXISTS NOW, WHICH IS MADE POSSIBLE BY A KIND OF REBALANCING OF THE AVENUE WITH SPACE PROVIDED BY REPURPOSING THE ANGLED PARKING SPACES.
SO GEN GENERALLY, OUR, OUR DESIGN PROPOSES TO REMOVE ALL ANGLED PARKING, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF A DA PARKING SPOTS.
AND WHAT THAT ALLOWS FOR IS A VERY WIDE PEDESTRIAN REALM.
AND SO YOU CAN SEE YOU'VE GOT IN THE MIDDLE, A PEDESTRIAN THROUGHWAY, UM, ON THE RIGHT SIDE, KIND OF CLOSER TO THE BUILDING FACE THAT OFFERS ADDITIONAL SPACE FOR A RETAILER OR RESTAURATEUR TO BE ABLE TO ACTIVATE THAT SPACE.
AND THEN CLOSER TO THE ROADSIDE, WE HAVE THESE ADDITIONAL AMENITY ZONES THAT, UM, OFFER ADDITIONAL ROOM FOR, UM, ACTIVATION.
SO IN TERMS OF, MAYBE I CAN TALK ABOUT THE MAIN POINTS, BUT THE TREES, GENERALLY THE TREES ARE REMAINING IN PLACE UNLESS THEY ARE DDI, SO I FORGET WHAT THAT STANDS FOR, BUT UNLESS THEY'RE IN REALLY BAD CONDITION THAT THEY POSE PUBLIC HAZARD.
UM, SO THOSE WILL REMAIN IN PLACE.
WE'RE ONLY PROPOSING NEW TREES EX ONLY WHERE IT'S REALLY NEEDED BECAUSE THERE'S A REALLY LARGE GAP IN THE CANOPY.
UM, WITH RESPECT TO EXISTING UTILITIES, UM, WE ARE PROPOSING GREAT STREETS FURNISHINGS, SO BENCHES, BIKE RACKS AND TRASH AND RECYCLING RECEPTACLES THAT ARE IN LINE WITH GREAT STREETS.
UH, WE ARE PROPOSING KIND OF THE SAME MATERIAL OF GRANITE THAT EXISTS ON THE STREET TODAY.
SO WE ARE GOING TO KIND OF DO A CHECK OF IS IT POSSIBLE TO REMOVE AND SALVAGE THE EXISTING PAVERS THAT ARE ON THE STREET? UM, IF IT IS NOT POSSIBLE, WE'RE GOING TO MATCH.
UM, YEAH, WE'RE JUST GOING TO MATCH WITH NEW OF THE SAME MATERIAL.
AND THEN WE AREN'T PROPOSING KIND OF WHOLE SCALE LIGHTING IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, AS PART OF THIS PLANNED FIRST PHASE.
WE'RE ONLY LOOKING AT DOING, UM, DOING YEAH.
SO IF WE ACTUALLY SKIP FORWARD A COUPLE SLIDES, I WOULD LOVE YOUR FEEDBACK ON THIS.
UM, SO THE PICTURE ON THE LEFT IS A CORNER WHERE WE'VE GOT A TRAFFIC SIGNAL POLE, WE'VE GOT A LIGHT POLE, WE'VE GOT A TRAFFIC CONTROL BOX AND A TREE IN VERY LIMITED SPACE.
AND SO WE ARE EXPLORING THE POSSIBILITY OF RELOCATING THAT ONE LIGHT POLE.
AND SO THE TWO OPTIONS THAT WE ARE CONSIDERING IS EITHER JUST RELOCATE THE EXISTING ONE THAT IS IN THAT KIND OF GREEN COLOR, OR WE COULD DO, UM, KIND OF A MODERN LOOK, WHICH IS KIND OF THE ONE THAT'S IN GRAY ON THE RIGHT.
SO IF YOU HAVE ANY OPINIONS TO SHARE, I'D LOVE TO HEAR, UM, ABOUT WHAT YOU WOULD YEAH.
IN YOUR IDEAL WORLD, LIKE TO SEE.
WE'RE, WE'RE ONLY GETTING TESTIMONY.
WE'RE NOT DISCUSSING IT TONIGHT.
UM, WELL, YEAH, I THINK THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT.
[00:20:01]
ARE PLANNING TO BEGIN CONSTRUCTION IN EARLY 2026.WE'RE GONNA START WITH THE A HUNDRED BLOCK.
EACH BLOCK SHOULD TAKE ABOUT THREE MONTHS TO COMPLETE.
WE WOULD MOVE NORTH FROM THERE.
AND SO WE'RE LOOKING AT APPROXIMATELY AN 18 MONTH DURATION, BUT MAINTAINING PEDESTRIAN ACCESS TO ALL BUSINESSES THROUGHOUT.
UM, ALTHOUGH THERE MAY BE SHORT TERM VEHICLE DETOURS THAT ARE REQUIRED FOR THE WORK.
UH, AGAIN, THIS IS A CONSENT ITEM, BUT I FELT THIS IS A GOOD EXAMPLE WHERE, UM, PRESERVATION ISN'T JUST ABOUT STREET BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES, IT'S THE WHOLE ENVIRONMENT.
AND WHAT THIS WILL DO TO ENHANCE THAT EXPERIENCE, I THINK IS VERY SIGNIFICANT AND VERY TASTEFULLY DONE.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
YEAH, I MEAN, I'D JUST LIKE, JUST LIKE TO SECOND THAT, I MEAN, I HAD, UM, I WAS JUST, UM, SPEAKING, UH, UH, FROM THE COMMISSIONER ABOUT THAT, ABOUT HOW THE, UM, I JUST HAD THE CHANCE TO WALK DOWN THAT PART OF CONGRESS, UM, LIKE A WEEK AGO FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A LONG TIME BECAUSE IT'S, THERE'S NOT, WE DON'T GET A LOT OF CHANCES TO JUST SCROLL DOWN THAT STREET AS IT IS RIGHT NOW.
AND THERE'S SO MANY WONDERFUL LANDMARK BUILDINGS.
THERE'S SO MUCH INCREDIBLE ARCHITECTURE AND, UM, IT JUST MADE THESE, THESE RENDERINGS ARE VERY EXCITING TO ME.
UH, LET ME CONTINUE WITH THE CONSENT, UH, DISCUSSION, UH, DISCUSSIONS IF NEEDED.
UH, ITEM NUMBER NINE, WHICH IS AT 1806 DRAKE AVENUE.
AND BEFORE I CALL OUR SPEAKER, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO STATE FOR THE RECORD THAT CONSENT SPEAKERS HAVE UP TO THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK, UH, SPEAKERS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
IF PLEASE INDICATE WHETHER YOU WISH TO SPEAK OR WAIVE YOUR THREE MINUTES WHEN I CALL YOUR NAMES AND YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO SPEAK IF YOU ARE IN FAVOR OF THE PROPOSAL, JUST FOR EVERYONE TO KNOW.
BUT OUR FIRST SPEAKER, WELL, OUR ONLY SPEAKER FOR THIS ONE, FOR 1806 DRAKE AVENUE IS SUSAN ARMSTRONG IN OPPOSITION.
GOOD EVENING AGAIN, COMMISSIONERS SUSAN ARMSTRONG FISHER WITH, UH, TRAVIS HEIGHTS, FAIRVIEW PARK NATIONAL REGISTER HISTORIC DISTRICT.
WE DO OPPOSE THE DEMOLITION OF THIS PROPERTY AT 1806 DRAKE, THOUGH PERHAPS NOT THE HIGHEST INTEGRITY PROPERTY IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, IT DOES CONTRIBUTE TO THE TRAVIS TO OUR NATIONAL REGISTER HISTORIC DISTRICT.
WE'RE ALWAYS FAIRLY DISCOURAGED WHEN AN APPLICANT DOES NOT REACH OUT TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD COMMITTEE PRIOR TO APPLYING FOR A DEMOLITION APPLICATION BECAUSE OFTENTIMES WE HAVE DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT NEIGHBORING HOMES LOOK LIKE, WHAT ADDITIONS COULD LOOK LIKE, AND SOME ALTERNATIVES TO DEMOLITION.
UM, WE URGE THE APPLICANT TO CONSIDER AN ADDITION PRIOR TO DEMOLITION, BUT IF THAT'S NOT AN OPTION, WE DO WANNA POINT OUT, AS PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED, THAT NO NEW CONSTRUCTION PLANS HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED FOR THIS PROPERTY.
AND IT'S OUR UNDERSTANDING THEY DO NEED TO BE SUBMITTED BEFORE A DEMOLITION APPLICATION CAN BE SUBMITTED, OR I'M SORRY, APPROVED.
UM, AND WE AS A NEIGHBORHOOD WOULD LIKE TO WEIGH IN ON WHAT THOSE NEW CONSTRUCTION PLANS WOULD BE.
UM, SO THAT IS ONE CONCERN WE HAVE ABOUT THAT IF IT'S APPROVED, BUT THEN THE NEW CONSTRUCTION PLANS AREN'T SUBMITTED TO THE PUBLIC, WE DON'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT ON THOSE PLANS.
SO, UH, TODAY I JUST ASK THAT THE COMMISSION NOT APPROVE THE DEMOLITION APPLICATION UNTIL THE NEW CONSTRUCTION PLANS HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED.
AND THIS WOULD ALSO GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS WITH THE APPLICANT WITHIN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND JUST FOR THE CLARIFICATION PURPOSES, ABSOLUTELY.
A NATIONAL REGISTERED DISTRICT PROPERTY, UH, IF THERE'S A DEMOLITION THAT IS APPROVED, IT CANNOT BE ISSUED WITHOUT A REVIEW OF THE REPLACEMENT BUILDING.
AND SO IF, AGAIN, MAYBE SOMETHING SLIPPED BETWEEN THE CRACKS, BUT, UH, CERTAINLY ANY ACTION WE TOOK TONIGHT WOULD NOT BE IMPLEMENTED UNTIL THAT NEW SET OF PLANS WAS REVIEWED.
JUST FOR THE RECORD, UM, JUST TO CLARIFY, WHEN YOU SAY, WHEN YOU SAY NOT IMPLEMENTED, DOES THAT MEAN THAT LIKE, WE CAN VOTE TO RELEASE THE PERMIT TONIGHT, BUT THAT DOESN'T TAKE EFFECT UNTIL THE, THAT HAPPENS? OR WILL WE PULL THIS FROM CONSENT AND NO, MY UNDERSTANDING IS IF THIS STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION RIGHT NOW MM-HMM
WHICH IS THAT THIS OBVIOUSLY WE WOULD ENCOURAGE, UH, BUT THIS IS NOT A HISTORIC PROPERTY, THEREFORE A DEMOLITION PERMIT WOULD BE PERMISSIBLE.
BUT IT WOULD NOT BE ISSUED UNTIL THE NEW PLANS WERE REVIEWED.
AND THAT, THAT IS OUR, OUR PURVIEW AS A REVIEW, UH, PROGRAM WITHIN THE NATIONAL REGISTERED DISTRICT.
WE'RE ALWAYS ANSWERING MY QUESTIONS
WELL, COMMISSION COULD I, COULD I JUST ASK, DOES THAT GIVE THE THE NEIGHBORHOOD THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT ON THE PLANS THOUGH BEFORE THEY ARE APPROVED? IF THE DEMOLITION HAS ALREADY BEEN APPROVED? THAT'S CORRECT.
[00:25:01]
THE STAFF.THE STAFF WOULD THEN HAVE IT AS A POSTED ITEM ON OUR AGENDA AND THERE WOULD BE A PUBLIC HEARING AND WE WOULD HAVE THE, THE STANDARD VOTE AS WE MAKE OUR RECOMMENDATIONS.
'CAUSE THAT IS IMPORTANT TO US TO HAVE THAT WEIGH IN.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE, UH, TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? THERE ARE NO OTHER SPEAKERS ON THIS ITEM.
UH, ITEM AND OF COURSE, UH, COMMISSIONERS, IF THERE'S ANY OF THESE ITEMS ALONG THE WAY THAT YOU DO FEEL, WE NEED TO HAVE A FULL PRESENTATION.
IT IS CERTAINLY YOUR PURVIEW TO BE ABLE TO PULL THESE FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA.
UH, BUT WE'LL CONTINUE ON WITH ITEM NUMBER 10 AT 1608 PS ROAD.
IS THERE A SPEAKER? YES, WE HAVE ONE SPEAKER, MIKE MCCONE IN FAVOR.
AND HE'S WAIVING AND SAYS HE IS NOT INTERESTED.
ITEM NUMBER 11, UH, 1204 WEST SIXTH STREET.
FOR ITEM NUMBER 11, WE HAVE, UM, MICHAEL WHEELAN IN FAVOR AND HE'S ALSO WAIVING, UH, AND DOES NOT NEED TO, I'M GONNA HAVE TO SAY THAT ALSO, UH, A LOT OF WORK HAS GONE INTO THAT PROJECT AND IT IS PRETTY COOL.
MICHAEL, I'M NOT GONNA REQUIRE YOU TO COME AND SHOW THE PICTURES, BUT, UH, DEFINITELY PEOPLE NEED TO SEE WHAT'S IN OUR BACKUP.
UH, ITEM NUMBER 12 AT 28 21 SOLE STREET.
OH, WE HAD ANOTHER SPEAKER, UH, FOR ITEM NUMBER 11.
IS THERE ANOTHER FOR ITEM 11? YES.
UH, MARINA DL IN FAVOR? MS. DL, YOU ALSO ARE WAIVING.
SHE IS ALSO WAITING TO WRITE, SPEAK TO SPEAK.
ALRIGHT, ANYBODY ELSE ARE NOW THERE ARE NO OTHER SPEAKERS.
ITEM NUMBER 12 28 21 SOTO STREET.
YES, WE HAVE MIKE MCCONE IN FAVOR.
WHO HAS WAIVED HIS RIGHT TO SPEAK.
WE ALSO HAVE VICKY SCHUBERT IN FAVOR, WHO HAS ALSO WAIVED HER RIGHT TO SPEAK.
AND THERE ARE NO OTHER SPEAKERS ON THIS ITEM.
THE NEXT ITEM IS ITEM NUMBER 14, 9 0 6 WEST 22ND STREET.
NO, I'M SORRY, THAT'S A DISCUSSION.
THE NEXT ITEM IS ITEM NUMBER 16 6 0 1 NORTH BLUFF DRIVE.
YES, WE HAVE SHIRLEY REPE IN FAVOR.
SHE, MS. REFI, IF YOU WISH TO SPEAK, PLEASE COME FORWARD.
IF YOU WISH TO WAIVE, JUST LET US KNOW UNLESS SHE'S ON THE PHONE.
YES, SHE IS A VIRTUAL SPEAKER.
SO I WILL MOVE TO THE NEXT SPEAKER.
WHO IS, UH, DANIEL GERKIN? MS. GERKIN? MR. GERKIN, IS HE HERE OR IS HE YES SIR.
IF YOU WOULD WISH TO SPEAK, YOU'RE WELCOME TO.
I THINK HE'S WAIV OR YOU WAIVING WA HIS RIGHT TO SPEAK.
IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE? THERE ARE NO OTHER SPEAKERS ON THIS ITEM.
ALRIGHT THEN ITEM NUMBER 17 26 11 WOODMONT AVENUE.
WE HAVE FOUR SPEAKERS FOR THIS ONE.
OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS MIA CARROS, UH, BREEDLOVE IN OPPOSITION.
AND SHE IS ALSO A VIRTUAL SPEAKER.
IT WOULD APPEAR SHE IS NOT ONLINE.
SO WE WILL MOVE TO OUR NEXT VIRTUAL SPEAKER, WHO IS BRITTANY MOORE IN OPPOSITION.
AGAIN, APPEARS THERE NOT ONLINE.
SO WE WILL MOVE TO OUR NEXT SPEAKER, WHICH IS MIKE MCCONE IN FAVOR, WHO IS WAIVED HIS RIGHT TO SPEAK.
AND THEN OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS LAY TO IN FAVOR.
PLEASE COME TO THE MICROPHONE AND IDENTIFY YOURSELF FOR THE RECORD.
AND WE ARE IN FAVOR OF THE DEMOLITION AT 26 11 WOODMONT.
UM, THE HOME IS IN HORRIBLE CONDITION AND, UM, IT SEEMS THAT THERE'S NO HISTORICAL VALUE.
THERE'S MOLD, THERE'S RIOTS, THERE'S SQUIRRELS, UM, OPEN SPACES IN THE ATTIC.
UM, THERE'S MAJOR FRAMING ISSUES, FOUNDATION ISSUES.
IT'S A SAFETY HAZARD TO LIVE THERE.
SO THE, UM, FAMILY IS ELDERLY THAT LIVES
[00:30:01]
THERE.SO ANYWAY, WE ARE IN FAVOR OF THE DEMOLITION AND, UH, THE PROPERTY'S NOT MARKETABLE IN ITS CURRENT STATE.
THERE'S, THERE'S DEAD TREES, THERE'S TREES ON THE ROOF OF THE HOUSE.
UM, AND GRANTING APPROVAL FOR THE DEMOLITION WILL ENABLE THE PROPERTY TO MOVE FORWARD AND CONTRIBUTE POSITIVELY TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND ALLOW FOR A NEW HOME THAT MEETS MODERN STANDARDS.
UM, AND IT WILL ADD VALUE TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
IT WILL BE AN UPLIFT TO THE 0.63 ACRE LOT THAT IS THERE NOW.
IS THAT IT? OKAY, FOR THE RECORD.
ALRIGHT, IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE ON ITEM NUMBER 17? THERE ARE NO OTHER SPEAKERS.
AGAIN, THIS IS, UH, FOR THE CONSENT APPROVAL.
CAN, I WOULD LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND MAKE A COMMENT.
UM, THIS ONE WAS HARD FOR ME TO NOT PULL.
I DO THINK IT HAS A LOT OF ARCHITECTURAL INTEGRITY,
I, I THINK IT IS VALUABLE TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, EVEN IN ITS CURRENT CONDITION AND AS WE KNOW, WE'VE SEEN, UM, STUFF IN A LOT WORSE SHAPE AND, UM, I'M JUST REALLY SAD TO SEE THIS GO AND, AND NOT REHABBED.
UM, SO IF THERE COULD BE ANY RECONSIDERATION OF THAT, UM, TO THE OWNERS, UM, PLEASE CONSIDER IT.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, I AGREE WITH STAFF.
WE PROBABLY CAN'T GET THIS ONE ALL THE WAY THROUGH, UM, FOR, AS A LANDMARK, BUT, UM, I DO THINK IT WILL BE SAD TO HAVE THIS ONE LOST.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? COMMISSIONERS? ALRIGHT, ITEM NUMBER 18.
UH, THAT'S, UH, 3 0 0 6 FOURTH STREET.
I, YES, WE HAVE ONE SPEAKER, WHICH IS MIKE MCCONE IN FAVOR, WHO HAS WAIVED HIS RIGHT TO SPEAK.
AND THEN THE FINAL ITEM, ITEM NUMBER 19TH HAS BEEN PULLED FOR DISCUSSION.
SO WITH THAT, UH, WE HAVE THE CONSENT ITEMS AND THE CONSENT POSTPONEMENT.
UH, AS NUMERATED, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FROM COMMISSIONERS.
I BELIEVE COMMISSIONER LAROCHE IS MAKING MOTION.
THERE IS COMMISSIONER LAROCHE MOVE AND APPROVE.
ALRIGHT, IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND.
AND, UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, VICE CHAIR EVANS SECONDS.
UH, WE DON'T NEED A DISCUSSION, SO I'LL CALL THE QUESTION.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE CONSENT AGENDA, PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND.
I SEE ALL HANDS RAISED, SO IT IS UNANIMOUS.
ALRIGHT, THE NEXT ITEM IS WE GO TO OUR DISCUSSION POSTPONEMENTS.
AND WE HAVE ONE ITEM THAT IS A DISCUSSION POSTPONEMENT FOR TONIGHT.
AND LET ME MAKE SURE I GET THE RIGHT PLACE HERE.
ITEM NUMBER 13 IS A DISCUSSION POSTPONEMENT.
AND LET ME BEFORE ANYBODY BEGINS ANY, UH, FIRST OFF, ANYBODY WHO'S BEEN HERE FOR THE, ANY ITEM THAT WAS ON CONSENT, IT HAS BEEN APPROVED.
FOLLOWING YOU, PLEASE FOLLOW STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION AND YOU DO NOT NEED TO STAY ANY LONGER.
YOU'RE WELCOME TO, HOWEVER, WE'D LOVE TO HAVE YOU WATCH ALL THE REST OF OUR CASES.
[13. DA-2025-142965 – 2117 W. 49th St. – Rosedale School Council District 7]
NOW WITH THE DISCUSSION POSTPONEMENT, THIS IS ITEM NUMBER 13.IT IS 2117 WEST 49TH STREET, OR THE ROSEDALE SCHOOL.
I WOULD LIKE TO CLARIFY OUR PURVIEW HERE IN THE LANDMARKS COMMISSION IS ON THE MERITS OF THE HISTORIC BUILDING.
ONLY WE ARE AWARE AND THE PUBLIC HAS MADE US AWARE OF A NUMBER OF OTHER ITEMS THAT ARE INVOLVED IN THIS PROJECT.
UH, THEY'RE NOT RELEVANT TO OUR PURVIEW AND I REALLY WOULD PREFER, OR I'M GONNA STOP ANY SPEAKER WHO SPENDS TIME BRINGING UP ADDITIONAL ITEMS THAT ARE NOT PERTINENT TO THE HISTORIC DISCUSSION.
TO BE EVEN MORE SPECIFIC, THE DISCUSSION POSTPONEMENT IS ONLY ON THE REASON WHY WE DO NOT HEAR THIS CASE TONIGHT, BUT INSTEAD WOULD HEAR IT AT POTENTIALLY OUR JANUARY MEETING.
ANYTHING ABOUT THE CASE IS ALSO NOT RELEVANT.
THAT WOULD BE ONLY AVAILABLE IF WE HEAR IT FOR DISCUSSION.
SO WE CAN GO AHEAD AND HEAR IT FOR DISCUSSION AND THEN STILL MAKE A POSTPONEMENT.
BUT THIS CURRENT DISCUSSION AT THE BEGINNING OF OUR AGENDA IS TO SAVE EVERYBODY TIME.
AND THE OWNER WOULD PREFER TO HAVE THE CASE HEARD OR THE APPLICANT, BUT THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO WOULD PREFER TO HAVE A DISCUSSION, A, A, A DELAY.
AND SO WE WANT TO HEAR THE REASONS FOR BOTH POSITIONS BEFORE WE MAKE A DECISION ABOUT WHETHER WE'LL POSTPONE IT OR NOT.
IS THAT CLEAR? CLEAR ENOUGH TO COMMISSIONERS AS WELL.
[00:35:01]
ANY SPEAKERS SIGNED UP ON THE DISCUSSION POSTPONEMENT? YES, WE DO HAVE SPEAKERS, ALTHOUGH I DO WANNA STATE THAT WE HAVE BOTH SPEAKERS IN FAVOR AND OPPOSITION AND I BELIEVE THAT WAS IN REFERENCE TO THE CASE ITSELF OR THE PROJECT RATHER THAN THE ACTUAL DISCUSSION POSTPONEMENT VOTE.BUT NEVERTHELESS, I WILL READ THEM AS THEY'RE WRITTEN.
UH, WE HAVE LEAH BOJO IN FAVOR.
AND I, WE SHOULD HEAR FROM THE, UH, APPLICANT'S, UH, REPRESENTATIVE FIRST.
SO IS MS. BOJO, IS THAT, IS THAT, AND SHE IS PART OF THE APPLICANT TEAM.
AND AGAIN, JUST THE REASON WHY WE SHOULD HEAR THE CASE TONIGHT AND NOT POSTPONE.
THIS I'M LEAH BOJO, UM, WITH JOIN GROUP ON BEHALF OF A ISD.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE, UH, A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEVELOPMENT TEAM HERE.
UM, WE ARE OPPOSED TO THE POSTPONEMENT OF THE CASE TONIGHT.
UM, WE HAVE WORKED VERY HARD WITH STAFF TO COME TO THE COMPROMISE THAT'S BEEN PRESENTED TO YOU.
UM, WE DID, I HAVE HEARD, YOU KNOW, QUESTIONS ABOUT THE TIMELINE.
UM, WE DID MENTION AT AN OCTOBER 20TH COMMUNITY MEETING THAT THERE WOULD BE A HISTORIC HEARING.
UM, WE HAVE, THIS IS ONE OF MANY STEPS TOWARD REDEVELOPMENT OF THIS PROJECT AND THIS AND THIS OVERALL PROJECT.
AND THE DELAYS TO THIS SITE, DELAYS TO THIS PROJECT HURT A ISD AS STEWARDS OF THE PUBLIC MONEY.
AND SO WE WOULD LIKE TO GO FORWARD TONIGHT IF AT ALL POSSIBLE.
UH, THE NEXT SPEAKER, RON THROWER, REPRESENTING THE BUYERS FOR THE PROPERTY, THE DEVELOPERS.
UH, WE ARE ALSO VERY MUCH AGAINST THE POSTPONEMENT AND WOULD VERY MUCH APPRECIATE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS CASE THIS EVENING.
UM, AS WAS MENTIONED, UM, A ISD AND, UH, OUR, OUR CLIENT HAS COME TO AN AGREEMENT TO MOVE THIS CASE FORWARD WITH A DEVELOPMENT AND WE'RE READY TO MOVE.
ANY MORE SPEAKERS? THAT WAS RON THROWER, RIGHT? YEP.
SORRY, OUR NEXT SPEAKER IN FAVOR IS VICTORIA PACE.
THEN I ASSUME SHE HAS WA OR RIGHT TO SPEAK THEN WE ALSO HAVE, UH, STEVEN LORE IN FAVOR AND HE IS A VIRTUAL SPEAKER.
AND MR. LORE, IF YOU'RE AVAILABLE, UM, YOUR COMMENTS ARE ONLY ON THE MERITS OF HEARING THE CASE TONIGHT AS OPPOSED TO, UH, A POSTPONEMENT.
YEAH, I'M WAIVING MY RIGHT TO SPEAK.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS LAURA ALLIE IN OPPOSITION.
WE HAVE A PRIMARY SPEAKER? YES.
UH, MICHAEL ALLIE WOULD LIKE TO GO SPECIFICALLY BEFORE HER.
SO THAT'S WHO'S SPEAKING ALSO IN OPPOSITION.
THANK YOU FOR, UH, ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK TONIGHT.
UM, WE FEEL STRONGLY THAT THIS SHOULD BE POSTPONED.
UH, I THINK I'M, I'M ONE OF THE, UM, INDIVIDUALS WHO'S BEEN LISTED IN THE LAWSUIT, UH, ASKING FOR, UM, THE NULLIFICATION OF THE LEGAL DEED RESTRICTIONS.
AND WITH THAT LAWSUIT, UH, VERY MUCH IN PLAY AND, AND UNRESOLVED ANY PLANS OR ANY IDEAS OF HOW THE LOT MIGHT BE DEVELOPED OR REDEVELOPED ARE REALLY IRRELEVANT.
AND UNTIL THAT OCCURS, IT MAKES NO SENSE FOR ANY DEMOLITION OR PROCESS TOWARD DEMOLITION TO OCCUR.
UM, I'M AN ARCHITECT 45 YEARS, WORKED IN A LOT OF HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS, HAVE DONE NUMEROUS, UH, NATIONAL REGISTER APPLICATIONS AND SUCCESSFUL CERTIFIED REHABILITATIONS.
AND, UM, ALWAYS WHEN WE ARE IN A NEIGHBORHOOD LIKE THIS, WE WOULD CONSULT WITH THE NEIGHBORS AND WORK WITH THEM TO COME UP WITH A, A SOLUTION.
AND WE WOULD EXPECT THAT A ISD WOULD AND THE DEVELOPER WOULD DO THAT SAME THING, UM, WITH SUCH A GREAT OPPORTUNITY.
SO, SO WITH, WITH SO MANY UNANSWERED QUESTIONS AND NO WAY TO KNOW WHAT THE PROJECT MIGHT LOOK LIKE GOING FORWARD.
'CAUSE CURRENT CURRENT PLANS OR THE PLANS THAT WE'VE SEEN CAN'T BE BUILT WITH CURRENT DEED RESTRICTIONS.
IT JUST SEEMS LIKE IT'S GETTING THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS COMPLETELY UPENDED BY APPROVING A DEMOLITION PERMIT WHEN WE DON'T HAVE ANY IDEA OF WHAT MIGHT BE DEVELOPED IN THE FUTURE.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
I DO WANNA POINT OUT THAT OUR PURVIEW IS, HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH DEED RESTRICTIONS SPECIFICALLY.
UH, OUR PURVIEW IS ON THE MERITS OF THE BUILDING AND THE STRUCTURE.
SO, UH, COMMISSIONERS THAT, THAT REALLY CAN'T BE A MAJOR FACTOR ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
UH, THAT SAID, UH, IF THERE IS ADDITIONAL DISCUSSIONS THAT THE NEIGHBORS FEEL
[00:40:01]
NEED TO BE TAKING PLACE WITH THAT OWNER, AS I UNDERSTAND YOU'RE SAYING THAT WOULD BE RELEVANT TO, UH, WHETHER OR NOT WE CAN TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT FOR POSTPONEMENT.BUT ANYTHING BEYOND THAT WOULD NOT BE APPROPRIATE.
WELL, JUST, SO JUST FOR MY CLARIFICATION, SO I UNDERSTAND, UM, A DEMOLITION PERMIT CAN'T BE RELEASED UNTIL THE PLANS THAT ARE PROPOSED ARE APPROVED TO THAT.
CORRECT? ONLY IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER DISTRICT.
SO, AND THIS IS A REQUEST FOR A PARTIAL DEMOLITION.
SO WHAT IS BEING PROPOSED WOULD BE ABLE TO PROCEED, BUT IF THERE ARE OTHER IMPEDIMENTS THAT ARE NOT RELEVANT SPECIFICALLY TO THE HISTORIC ISSUES THOSE TAKE, UH, THEY'RE, THEY'RE ON, IN, IN OTHER VENUES.
AND AGAIN, IF, IF THEY COULD, IF THEY CAN GO FORWARD, GREAT.
IF THEY CAN'T GO FORWARD, GREAT.
BUT AS IT PERTAINS TO WHAT WE DO WITH A HISTORIC BUILDING, THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT.
AND, AND DEMOLITION OF A HISTORIC BUILDING OR A BUILDING'S, WE'RE NOT REALLY HERE TO COMMENT ON WHETHER THE BUILDING IS, UH, SHOULD BE SAVED OR NOT.
BUT WE'RE JUST HERE TO DISCUSS WHETHER THE BOARD WOULD, OR THE, UH, COMMITTEE WOULD MOVE FORWARD WITH AN, WELL, RIGHT NOW WE'RE ONLY TALKING ABOUT WHETHER WE SHOULD POSTPONE IT OR NOT.
I WOULD, I WOULD, JUST TO MAKE IT CLEAR, I WOULD STRONGLY ENCOURAGE THAT POSTPONEMENT OF THE DISCUSSION.
UH, DOES ADAM SPEAKING FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
NO, I'M, IF I CAN SPEAK FOR LAURA IF YOU'RE NOT SIGNED UP.
WELL, I'M HER SON-IN-LAW AND ALSO LIVE ON THE OKAY.
PLEASE SIR, JUST STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD AND THEN YEAH.
AND SIGN UP WHEN YOU'RE, THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS AND THANK YOU LAURA.
UH, MY NAME IS ADAM HOOT NICK, I LIVE AT 45 18 SINCLAIR AVE.
AND I'M THE SON-IN-LAW OF MICHAEL AND LAURA ALLIE, ALSO A NEIGHBOR.
AND WE HAD A BIT OF CONFUSION ABOUT HOW TO SIGN UP AND, UH, BUT, UH, I JUST WANNA REITERATE, I THINK WHAT, WHAT MICHAEL SAID A BIT, WHICH IS THE NEIGHBORHOOD HASN'T HAD TIME TO REFLECT ON THE VALUE OF THE BUILDING GIVEN EVERYTHING ELSE THAT HAS BEEN GOING ON.
UH, AND I WOULD ALSO REITERATE, WE HAVEN'T HAD TIME TO HAVE ANY DIALOGUE WITH A ISD OR THE DEVELOPER ABOUT THE BUILDING ITSELF.
SO IF THIS IS A CONVERSATION ABOUT ARE WE READY TO WEIGH IN ABOUT THE HISTORICAL VALUE OF THE BUILDING, IS THAT, UH, A CONVERSATION THAT TONIGHT CAN REFLECT THE POSITION OF THE NEIGHBORS? I THINK THERE ARE LOTS OF US HERE WHO FEEL STRONGLY THAT THE ANSWER IS NO.
UH, WE NEED MORE TIME TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.
OKAY, ANOTHER SPEAKER, UH, IF LAURA, ALLIE, WHICH IS TO SPEAK, DONATE MY, WELL WE DON'T DONATE TIME.
SO HE, HE, HE WAS ABLE TO SPEAK ON HIS OWN BEHALF.
AND JUST TO REITERATE, THIS IS JUST A DISCUSSION OF WHETHER OR NOT TO POSTPONE THERE IS A DISCUSSION POSTPONEMENT ON THIS ONE CASE.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS AARON PERMAN IN OPPOSITION.
I LIVE AT, UH, 4 9 1 3 LINWOOD STREET.
SO I'M JUST DOWN THE BLOCK FROM THE ROSEDALE SCHOOL AND I'D STRONGLY URGE A POSTPONEMENT.
UH, I WOULD ECHO THAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD HAS NOT BEEN GIVEN ANY MEANINGFUL OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE ON THIS PROJECT.
AND THE OTHER THING, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THE APPLICATION IS NOT JUST FOR THE DEMOLITION, BUT IT'S FOR SAVING PART OF THE FATE AND MOVING IT TO THEN, UH, UH, BUILD A FIVE STORY APARTMENT BUILDING ON TOP OF IT.
AND, AND I WOULD JUST ECHO, I KNOW THAT THE DEED RESTRICTION IS NOT UNDER YOUR PURVIEW, BUT GIVEN THE DEED RESTRICTION, WHICH A SUBJECT LITIGATION WOULD PROHIBIT A FIVE STORY APARTMENT BUILDING FROM BEING BUILT, IT SEEMS TO PREMATURE TO BE CONSIDERING, UH, PLANS AND DOING WORK AND PRESERVATION WORK THAT MAY NOT FIT WITH THE ULTIMATE SITE PLAN.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS CHRIS ALLEN IN OPPOSITION.
I'M AN ARCHITECT AND I'VE HELPED GUIDE DALE'S, UH, EVOLUTION FOR THE LAST THREE DECADES OF LAND USE ISSUES.
TONIGHT I'M HERE REPRESENTING THE ROSEDALE NA AND I'M ALSO ON THE STEERING COMMITTEE FOR THE NEWLY ORGANIZED PLAYFAIR WITH ROSEDALE GROUP.
WE'RE ASKING FOR A POSTPONEMENT TONIGHT 'CAUSE WE'VE BEEN BLINDSIDED BY THIS PROCESS
[00:45:01]
AND THE SCHEDULE OF TONIGHT'S HEARING.UH, THIS PROCESS HAS ALL BEEN RUSHED WITH NO COMMUNITY DISCUSSION.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO TAKE MY WORD FOR IT THOUGH.
IN TODAY'S STATESMAN, KENNETH WALKER, WHO'S AD'S GENERAL COUNSEL SAID, I QUOTE, THIS IS NOT THE WAY WE NORMALLY SELL PROPERTY.
WE NORMALLY ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY AND MAKE SURE THEIR INPUT IS REFLECTED.
IN THIS INSTANCE, WE'RE PRETTY RESTRAINED.
IN A NORMAL DEVELOPMENT PROCESS, THE DEVELOPER AND THEIR AGENTS WOULD'VE BEEN COMMUNICATING WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION AND IN CONSTANT TOUCH ABOUT UPCOMING HEARINGS, DEADLINES, PROCESSES.
AS A PROFESSIONAL COURTESY WITH THIS CASE, WE'VE HAD EXACTLY ONE MEETING AT WHICH THE DISTRICT AND THE DEVELOPER TOLD US FIRST, THEY'D ALREADY SIGNED, THEY'D ALREADY FILED A ZONING APPLICATION.
SECOND, THEY WERE GONNA SUE MOST OF THE PEOPLE IN THE ROOM AS THEIR NEXT STEP.
ALL WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO ONCE WE PICKED OURSELVES OFF THE FLOOR AT THAT MEETING WAS RAISE CASH AND HIRE AN ATTORNEY TO REPRESENT THE ROUGHLY 125 ROSEDALE NEIGHBORS BEING SUED BY A ISD.
WE HAD NO CLUE THIS HEARING WAS ON THE CALENDAR UNTIL THE MIDDLE OF THANKSGIVING WEEKEND.
WE'RE TOTALLY UNPREPARED TO TALK ABOUT THE HISTORIC VALUE OF THIS BUILDING THAT HAS MEANT SO MUCH TO SO MANY IN THE ROSEDALE NEIGHBORHOOD FOR NEARLY 90 YEARS.
THAT'S NOT YOUR FAULT AND IT'S NOT YOUR PROBLEM.
BUT YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TONIGHT TO AT LEAST GIVE US SOME TIME TO DISCUSS THIS, PERHAPS EVEN WITH THEM.
WE HAVE AMPLE TIME TO GO THROUGH THESE PROCESSES MORE RESPECTFULLY AND MORE APPROPRIATELY.
THE COMMUNITY SHOULD HAVE SOME OPPORTUNITY TO THINK ABOUT HOW BEST TO MITIGATE THE LOSS OF THIS INCREDIBLY VALUABLE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSET.
I HAVE TWO OTHER THINGS YOU MENTIONED, UH, CHAIR THAT, UH, THERE THERE ARE APPLICATIONS FOR A PARTIAL DEMOLITION.
THE DRAWINGS THAT WE'VE SEEN AND THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'VE, WE'VE READ ABOUT INDICATE THAT THE BUILDING WILL BE COMPLETELY DEMOLISHED AND THEY'RE PROPOSING TO RECONSTRUCT A REPLICA OF PART OF THE BUILDING ON THE SITE.
UH, THAT'S, THAT'S A FULL DEMOLITION.
UH, MS. BOJO AND OTHERS, UH, REFERRED TO A COMPROMISE SOLUTION THAT WITH VERY HARD WORK WAS WORKED OUT WITH STAFF.
I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT Y'ALL ARE AWARE WE WEREN'T IN THE ROOM, WE WEREN'T INVITED IN THE ROOM.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE HELL THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT.
UM, I RESPECTFULLY ASK THAT Y'ALL POSTPONE THIS HEARING.
GIVE US SOME TIME TO DO A LITTLE BETTER THAN WE'VE DONE SO FAR.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. ALLEN.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS DARRELL AZAR IN OPPOSITION.
I, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
MY NAME IS DARRELL AZAR AND I LIVE AT 4 9 0 6 LYNNWOOD STREET, WHICH IS THREE HOUSES AWAY, LESS THAN 200 FEET FROM THIS PROPERTY.
UM, I SUPPORT THE REQUEST TO POSTPONE.
UM, AND FOR MANY OF THE REASONS YOU'VE JUST HEARD, UH, MY FAMILY HAS BEEN IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD SINCE 1937.
MY GRANDFATHER BOUGHT THE HOUSE I LIVE IN TODAY WHEN THERE WAS NO ROSEDALE SCHOOL.
UH, IT WAS THE ONLY HOUSE THERE OTHER THAN THE HISTORIC FARMSTEAD.
UH, TWO YEARS LATER, THE SCHOOL WAS BUILT, UH, A YEAR AFTER, UH, A IST BOUGHT LOTS AND WAS GIFTED OTHERS AND AGREED THERE WOULD ALWAYS BE A SCHOOL AND A ONE TIME WAIVER WAS GIVEN BY, YOU KNOW, THE NEIGHBORS.
SO THE SCHOOL HAS BECOME SORT OF THE, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN THERE ALMOST FROM THE BEGINNING.
IT'S THE HEART AND SOUL OF THE COMMUNITY.
UM, I, MY MOTHER WENT TO SCHOOL THERE.
MY UNCLES WENT TO SCHOOL THERE.
MY BROTHER WENT TO SCHOOL THERE.
YOU KNOW, IT'S A DEEP IN, YOU KNOW, DEEP IN OUR ROOTS.
BUT DOES THAT MEAN IT SHOULD BE PRESERVED FOREVER? FRANKLY, I DON'T KNOW.
I HAVEN'T HAD TIME TO REALLY PROCESS IT.
AND SO WHAT I'M ASKING YOU TODAY IS, IS JUST SAYING THAT THERE'S NOT REALLY A REASON TO DECIDE ON A DEMOLITION TODAY.
YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE AND PAY TAXES IN THE ROSEDALE NEIGHBORHOOD DESERVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DIGEST THIS TO BE INCLUDED AT THE TABLE.
AND AS CHRIS POINTED OUT, UH, THERE'S THIS COMPROMISE DID NOT INCLUDE US.
WE WERE NEVER, WE WERE NEVER, YOU KNOW, UH, APPROACHED AND NOT IN THE ROOM.
UM, AND, AND YOU KNOW, WE KIND OF FEEL LIKE THE ONLY REAL REASON TO DEMOLISH THIS BUILDING OR TO ISSUE A PERMIT, UH, YOU KNOW, IS, IS THAT OHT WOULD LIKE TO RAM THIS THROUGH AS FAST AS POSSIBLE.
AND, UH, I'M NOT, I DON'T WANNA BE TOO CRITICAL, BUT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE SIMULTANEOUSLY HAVE A MULTI-PRONGED ATTACK IN WHICH THEY'RE SUING NEIGHBORS.
WELL, ACTUALLY A ISD IS DOING IT AT THEIR BIDDING OR WITH IN COOPERATION WITH THEM.
THEY'RE RUSHING TO DEMOLISH THE BUILDING AND THEY FILE FOR ZONING CHANGES.
[00:50:01]
BY THE DEED RESTRICTIONS.YOU KNOW, IN MY OPINION, THERE, THERE THIS TYPE OF A, YOU KNOW, AS CHRIS SAID, IS HARDBALL.
AND I THINK THE PURPOSE IS TO DEMORALIZE THE PEOPLE WHO OPPOSE THIS AND TO, YOU KNOW, DESTROY THE BUILDING SO THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE GIVE UP AND, AND, AND THAT'S NOT RIGHT.
WE SHOULD HAVE TIME TO THINK ABOUT THIS.
I PERSONALLY AM NOT SURE IF THIS BUILDING SHOULD BE PRESERVED FOREVER.
I HAVE CONFLICTING EMOTIONS AND THOUGHTS ABOUT IT, AND I NEED TIME TO THINK ABOUT IT.
AND I THINK A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE FEEL THE SAME WAY.
AND SO I'D URGE YOU TO SLOW DOWN THE TRAIN, POSTPONE THE DECISION, AND YOU KNOW, WHAT Y'ALL DO IS REALLY IMPORTANT, BUT WE DON'T WANT TO SEE IT BECOME A TOOL FOR SOMETHING ELSE.
SO LET'S TAKE A DEEP BREATH AND, YOU KNOW, LOOK AT THIS LOGICALLY.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS PARKER WELCH IN OPPOSITION.
I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION TO THE IDEA OF POSTPONING THIS.
UM, AND MAYBE ADD SOME CONTEXT FOR WHY YOU SHOULD, UH, VOTE ON THIS TONIGHT.
UM, THE TRUTH IS THIS IS NOT NEW.
UM, THIS PROCESS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR SIX YEARS SINCE BEFORE THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.
UM, IT HAS BEEN PART OF AIS D'S REPURPOSING PLAN FOR THOSE SIX YEARS.
I MYSELF ATTENDED A MEETING ABOUT THIS VERY SITE BACK IN 2023 BEFORE IT BECAME A POLICE TRAINING FACILITY.
THERE HAS BEEN DELAY AFTER DELAY AFTER DELAY.
VOTING FOR ANOTHER DELAY WOULD NOT BE VALUE NEUTRAL.
UM, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO, SINCE THIS IS THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION AND A LOT OF ISSUES ARE GETTING BROUGHT UP THAT DO NOT HAVE TO DO WITH THE HISTORIC LANDMARKING, I WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THIS SITE.
AND WHILE YES, THIS SCHOOL IS OLD, IT IS NOT THE ONLY OLD SCHOOL IN AUSTIN, ONE OF THE OTHER SITES BEING REPURPOSED, UM, THAT IS ALREADY BREAKING GROUND IS THE ANITA COY FACILITY ON THE EAST SIDE WHERE IN A SIMILAR DEAL TO THIS, UH, HUNDREDS OF NEW APARTMENTS ARE BEING BUILT.
HOWEVER, FOR ANITA COY, WE DO NOT SEE THE RESOURCES MARSHALED IN OPPOSITION TO THAT PROJECT THAT WE DO SEE HERE IN ROSEDALE.
I LIVE, UH, JUST SOUTH OF 45TH STREET.
UM, AND I CONSIDER MYSELF A MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY.
BUT REALLY EVERY STAKEHOLDER, EVERYONE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS A STAKEHOLDER IN THIS WITH THE AUSTIN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT BECAUSE THEY HAVE MORE THAN A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS DEFICIT THAT THEY HAD TO CLOSE PARTIALLY WITH, UH, THAT NOT EVEN FULLY, THEY STILL HAVE 19 MILLION LEFT WITH THE $23 MILLION FROM THIS DEAL.
A IST IS FACING IMMINENT, UH, STATE TAKEOVER SIMILAR TO WHAT'S HAPPENED IN HOUSTON AND FORT WORTH.
WE HAVE, I BELIEVE THEY JUST HAD TO TURN IN 20 SCHOOLS WITH A TURNAROUND PLAN.
UH, THEY'RE HEMORRHAGING MONEY.
THEY HAVE DO NOT HAVE, UH, ENOUGH CHILDREN LIVING IN THE DISTRICT.
WE HAVE JUST HAD TO CLOSE, UH, MORE THAN 10 SCHOOLS.
UM, AND IT SHOULD NOT BE LOST ON ANYONE THAT THE MAJORITY OF THOSE SCHOOLS WHO WERE ON THE EAST SIDE, UM, AND ARE PRIMARILY ATTENDED BY FAMILIES WHO WERE NOT ALLOWED TO LIVE IN ROSEDALE IN THE 1930S AND 1940S WHEN THE RESTRICTED COVENANT, UH, THAT'S BEING DISCUSSED WAS ACTUALLY DRAWN UP AND AGREED TO.
UM, I THINK THAT'S ALL IMPORTANT CONTEXT AND I THINK FOR THOSE REASONS, THIS CAN'T AFFORD TO WAIT.
UM, A DELAY, A DEFERRAL IS AN ACTIVE VOTE AGAINST THIS PROJECT AND UNFORTUNATELY AGAINST OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT AND OUR FUTURE.
UH, WE DO NOT HAVE ANY FURTHER SPEAKERS, HOWEVER, IF THE APPLICANT TEAM WOULD LIKE TO OFFER REBUTTAL, I BELIEVE THEY'RE FREE TO SU DO SO.
THE APPLICANT WISH TO ADD ANY FURTHER COMMENT.
UH, I WOULD JUST QUICKLY RE I'M LEAH BOJO, UM, WITH JOIN GROUP ON BEHALF OF A ISD.
AND I WOULD JUST REITERATE WHAT I SAID AT THE BEGINNING, WHICH IS THAT THERE ARE MANY STEPS TO WEIGH IN ON DIFFERENT COMPONENTS OF THIS PROJECT.
THIS IS ONE OF MANY WITH A VERY SPECIFIC JURISDICTION AND, UM, WE WOULD LIKE TO MOVE FORWARD.
WE HAVE NOT HEARD ANYTHING TONIGHT THAT WOULD, UM, PREVENT US FROM GOING FORWARD TONIGHT.
ALRIGHT, THIS IS A DISCUSSION POSTPONEMENT COMMISSIONERS, UH, WE CERTAINLY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS THIS.
I WILL REITERATE OUR PURVIEW IS ONLY THE HISTORIC BUILDING.
THERE MAY HAVE BEEN SOME OTHER THINGS PART OF THESE DISCUSSIONS TONIGHT THAT HAVE BEEN RAISED,
[00:55:01]
BUT I WOULD LIKE US TO RECOGNIZE THERE'S MANY FACETS TO THIS.THE ONLY REASON IT'S ON OUR AGENDA IS BECAUSE THERE IS A BUILDING THAT IS OF A CERTAIN AGE THAT WILL AT SOME POINT NEED A REVIEW.
EITHER WE TAKE THE CASE NOW AND WE EVEN HAVE THE OPTION LATER TO POSTPONE IF THAT'S THE CASE, OR WE SAVE OURSELVES SOME TROUBLE, WE POSTPONE IT AND IT IS THEN TAKEN UP AT OUR JANUARY MEETING.
THAT'S THE ISSUE TO DISCUSS THOUGH.
WOULD ANY ANYONE LIKE TO WEIGH IN BEFORE WE HAVE A VOTE CHAIR? COMMISSIONER? UM, SO WE DID HEAR THIS CASE AT, UM, LAST MONTH'S A RC AND I APPRECIATE, UM, EVERYONE COMING AND TALKING.
WE DID REQUEST A FEW THINGS THAT I'M NOT SEEING IN OUR BACKUP THAT I THINK WOULD HELP US UNDERSTAND A LITTLE MORE ABOUT WHAT EXACTLY IS BEING PRESERVED AND RECONSTRUCTED AND, UM, HOW THAT RELATES TO THE EXISTING SITE.
AND, AND ONE THING WE WERE ASKING FOR WAS A CONCEPTUAL SITE PLAN.
AND IF STAFF OR ANYONE ELSE HAS SEEN THAT, LET ME KNOW IF I'VE MISSED IT.
UM, I STILL THINK THAT WOULD BE VERY VALUABLE FOR US UNDERSTANDING, UM, THE PROJECT BETTER AND, UM, AND HOW IT RELATES TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, SO I WOULD, UM, I'M GONNA SUPPORT THIS POSTPONEMENT AND ASK THEM TO COME BACK TO THE A RC, UM, SO WE CAN HAVE SOME FURTHER TALKS, UM, REGARDING THAT.
COMMISSIONER, ANYONE ELSE? YES, COMMISSIONER, UH, LAROCHE.
I SEE COMMISSIONER LA ROCHE THEIR HAND UP.
I'M JUST GONNA SECOND AND SUPPORT COMMISSIONER GROGAN.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? COMMISSIONERS? ALL RIGHT.
UM, I, I JUST, UM, YOU KNOW, I I, WITH THIS, WITH THIS CASE, I REALLY, IT'S COMPLICATED OBVIOUSLY.
UM, BUT I REALLY, I DO REALLY WORRY ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE HIDDEN COSTS OF FURTHER DELAYS.
UM, AS FAR AS THE POSSIBILITY OF PRESERVING, UM, ANY PORTION OF THIS, OF THIS, YOU KNOW, INCREDIBLY HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT BUILDING AT ALL.
UM, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, OUR RECOMMENDATIONS ARE NOT AS FAR AS LIKE THE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY BINDING.
AND, UM, I JUST, YOU KNOW, TIME IS MONEY IN THESE SORTS OF, UH, CONVERSATIONS.
AND I THINK IT'S A REALLY, THE COMPROMISE THAT'S BEEN WORKED OUT IS A REALLY GOOD DEAL THAT PRESERVES THE FACADE OF THIS IMPORTANT SCHOOL IN AUSTIN'S HISTORY.
I MEAN, NOT JUST IN AUSTIN'S HISTORY, BUT IN LIKE AMERICAN, UH, EDUCATION, UM, IF YOU, YOU KNOW, READING SOME OF THE BACKUPS.
UM, BUT I JUST, I REALLY WORRY ABOUT THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF POSTPONING YET AGAIN.
UM, BECAUSE WE CAN MAKE, YOU KNOW, WE CAN TAKE ANOTHER MONTH TO MAKE MORE RECOMMENDATIONS AND SEE IF THEY COME BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD.
BUT I JUST, UM, I DON'T WANT THE OUTCOME OF THIS TO BE US POSTPONING AND THEN THE BUILDING JUST GETS DEMOLISHED.
AND THERE'S THE, THE COMPROMISE THAT IS CURRENTLY ON THE TABLE.
AND I THINK, UH, THE PLANS THAT I'VE SEEN ARE QUITE TASTEFUL ARE, UM, I DON'T WANT TO END UP IN A SITUATION WHERE WE'RE NOT ABLE TO PRESERVE ANY PORTION OF THIS BUILDING AT ALL.
UM, SO I AM, I'M GONNA BEVO, UH, VOTING AGAINST THE AGAINST POSTPONEMENT.
ANY MORE COMMISSIONERS? ANYBODY ELSE WANNA WEIGH IN? JUST FOR MY CLARIFICATION, THE NEIGHBORHOOD SAID THAT THEY WEREN'T INVITED TO MEETINGS, BUT THIS GENTLEMAN THAT SPOKE LAST SAID THAT THERE'S BEEN MEETINGS INFORMA THINGS GOING ON FOR THE LAST SIX YEARS.
HAS IT REALLY BEEN GOING ON FOR THE LAST SIX YEARS? AND WHEN DID THE DEVELOPER PURCHASE IT? SO, 'CAUSE I'M CONFUSED, LIKE IF YOU DREAM ABOUT SIX YEARS, HOW DID THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUESTION.
UH, A ISD HAD A PROCESS IN 20 22, 20 23 TO REPURPOSE THE CAMPUS FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR TEACHERS, FOR THEIR STAFF.
UH, ROSEDALE, THE NEIGHBORS SURROUNDING THE PROPERTY ENTHUSIASTICALLY PARTICIPATED IN THAT PROCESS BECAUSE IT WAS GONNA RESULT IN SOMETHING THAT WAS OF TREMENDOUS COMMUNITY BENEFIT, MUCH LIKE THE REFERRED TO PROJECT, UH, AT THE, UH, COY CAMPUS, UH, WHICH IS ALSO AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
THAT'S AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT EQUATION AND AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT CALCULUS THAT HAS TREMENDOUS COMMUNITY BENEFIT.
[01:00:01]
UH, WE EMBRACE THE PREVIOUS PROJECT THAT A SD BROUGHT FORWARD IN 2223.WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED HERE TODAY IS LUXURY HOUSING, 435 UNITS OF LUXURY HOUSING, ZERO AFFORDABLE UNITS.
AGAIN, WE'RE NOT HEARING THE CASE, WE'RE JUST HEARING ABOUT THE ANSWER.
THE QUESTION REGARDING THE INPUT.
IF I UNDERSTAND, WHAT I'M HEARING YOU SAY IS THAT THIS PROPOSAL HAS HAD ONE, ONE PRESENTATION THAT YOU WERE INVITED TO AS A NEIGHBOR.
IS THAT CORRECT? YES, THAT'S RIGHT.
THE PROCESS IN 20 22, 23, THEY DROPPED THAT PROCESS BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T WORK OUT THE FUNDING.
THERE HAVE BEEN NO PREVIOUS HEARINGS, NO PREVIOUS MEETINGS.
WE JUST HAD ONE MEETING WITH THE DEVELOPER AND A ISD THE SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING THAT HAPPENED ON NOVEMBER 12TH.
WE WERE NOT INVITED TO, WE WEREN'T AWARE OF IT.
AND I WILL ASK MS. BOGGIO IF SHE CAN CLARIFY OR HAS ANY OTHER INFORMATION IN ANSWERING THAT QUESTION.
I JUST, I WOULD LIKE TO JUST POINT OUT, I WAS NOT A PART OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS, BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT AT THAT TIME, FULL DEMOLITION OF THE SCHOOL WAS ALSO PART OF THAT.
SO THAT HAS BEEN A CONSISTENT COMPONENT OF THE REDEVELOPMENT.
I THINK MOST OF THE QUESTIONS NOW ARE ABOUT WHAT THE REPLACEMENT PROJECT LOOKS LIKE AND THAT INCORPORATES THE FACADE.
BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THAT ORIGINAL PROJECT ACTUALLY DIDN'T INCORPORATE ANY OF THE SCHOOL BUILDING.
DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? YEAH.
AND I'M GONNA WEIGH IN ON THIS ONE.
UH, WE HAVE A, I, I THINK A, WE CALL IT A TRADITION, BUT I THINK IT IS A, UH, IMPORTANT CUSTOM THAT WHEN A CASE IS PRESENTED, IF THERE ARE MAJOR ISSUES, UH, THAT STILL ARE UNCERTAIN, IF THE MOST IMPACTED INDIVIDUALS, BASICALLY THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOOD COMES TO US AND SAYS WE NEED MORE TIME.
UH, I THINK IT IS A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF, UH, OUR HISTORY AS A COMMISSION, THAT WE ARE MAKING THAT TIME AVAILABLE ONCE THE BUILDING DECISION, UH, ONCE THE DECISION IS MADE BY THIS COMMISSION AND BY THE OWNERS ON THE DISPOSITION OF A BUILDING, UH, PARTICULARLY IF IT PERTAINS TO DEMOLITION, IT'S GONE.
UH, THIS BUILDING'S BEEN HERE FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
IT HAS MEANT A LOT TO A LOT OF PEOPLE.
AND I DO THINK THE EXTRA TIME THAT EVEN FOR THE NEXT 30 DAYS, UH, THAT BOTH THE POTENTIAL BUYER, A ISD AND THE NEIGHBORS, UH, COULD BRING TO THIS WITH THE EXPERTISE, SINCE WE'VE OFFERING, ONCE AGAIN THE EXPERTS AT OUR ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE, I THINK THAT'LL BE TIME WELL SPENT.
I CAN'T COMMENT, AND I WANT, AGAIN, FOR THE RECORD, MAKE IT VERY CLEAR, THIS HAS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH ANY OF THE REZONING, ANYTHING HAVING TO DO WITH CONTRACTS, ANYTHING HAVING TO DO WITH EID RESTRICTIONS.
THERE IS A HISTORIC, POTENTIALLY HISTORIC BUILDING.
THERE IS CERTAINLY AN OLDER BUILDING, AND IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY THAT WHATEVER HAPPENS TO IT IS THE BEST WE CAN ALL COME TO TOGETHER.
SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE ALL PARTIES TO TAKE HEAT OF WHAT'S BEEN SAID TONIGHT, AND I WILL BE VOTING IN FAVOR OF THIS MOTION.
SO, ANY MO ANY MORE, UH, DISCUSSION? YES.
UH, YEAH, I WANTED TO ADD TO COMMISSIONER GROGAN.
UM, IN LOOKING AT THE BACKUP THAT WAS PROVIDED, I DID NOT FEEL IT WAS, UH, SUFFICIENTLY DOCUMENTED BASED ON WHAT STAYS, WHAT GOES, UH, WHAT GETS MOVED.
SO I, I THINK THERE IS SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT WOULD BE USEFUL, AND FOR THOSE REASONS, I SUPPORT THE POSTPONEMENT.
AND I THINK WE MAY HAVE, UH, SOME INSIGHT FROM STAFF ON A PARTICULAR ITEM.
UM, I ALSO JUST WANTED TO ADD CHAIR THAT, UM, TO SPEAK TO THE TIMELINE OF THE PROJECT.
UM, SO THE COMMISSION IS 75 DAYS FROM THIS MEETING TO ACT ON THIS, UM, THIS, UH, ITEM.
UM, SO THAT MEANS THAT THERE ARE TWO MORE COMMISSIONS AFTER THIS.
UM, AND, UH, AFTER THAT, UH, IF, IF THE COMMISSION WERE TO VOTE FOR INITIATING HISTORIC ZONING, THAT WOULD'VE TO BE DONE, UM, PRIOR TO THE FINAL AGENDA THAT IT COULD BE PRESENTED AT.
SO THE WHAT TRIGGERS THE START, AS I UNDERSTAND, IS WHEN THE PERMIT WAS APPLIED FOR, FOR THIS CASE, IT'S THE FIRST SESSION OF THE HLC THAT IT APPEARS AT.
SO THAT'S WHEN THE CLOCK STARTS TICKING.
AND JUST SO THE PUBLIC IS AWARE, WE ARE, THIS MOTION IS FOR POSTPONING TO THE JANUARY MEETING THAT HOWEVER IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY AND THE WAY THAT OUR STATUTES ARE WRITTEN IS WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO CONTINUE THE DISCUSSION OR REVIEW, UH, UP UNTIL, I BELIEVE, WHAT IS IT, YOU SAID 75 DAYS.
SO THE LAST COMMISSION THAT THIS COULD APPEAR AT IS THE FEBRUARY 4TH.
I WOULD ALSO ADD THAT IF IT'S A COMMISSION SPONSORED POSTPONEMENT OR COMMISSION COMMISSION AND SHE POSTPONEMENT, THAT WOULD NOT TOLL THE TIMING.
UM, SO NOT PUSH BACK THAT DEADLINE BY ANY MEANS.
[01:05:01]
DEADLINE'S STILL THE SAME, CORRECT? YES.IF IT'S NOT TAKEN, THEN BY DEFAULT, A PERMIT WOULD BE GRANTED FOR DEMOLITION.
UH, THAT, THAT IS, UH, WE GET A, WE GET A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME, BUT THAT'S IT.
MAKE SURE EVERYBODY'S CLEAR ABOUT THAT AS WELL.
SO I HAVE A MOTION TO POSTPONE, UH, TILL OUR JANUARY MEETING, UH, THIS ITEM AND I WILL NOW CALL A QUESTION.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION TO POSTPONE, PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND.
LET'S SEE, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 IN FAVOR.
THEREFORE, UH, WE HAVE THE MOTION PASSES AND WE WILL HAVE THIS ON OUR JANUARY AGENDA.
STEP IN THE LOBBY ABOUT THE NEXT BEGINNING.
ANY FURTHER CONVERSATIONS, PLEASE HAVE THAT IN THE LOBBY.
UH, WE ARE RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING OF OUR AGENDA.
NOW, WE CAN GO TO THE VERY FIRST, UH,
[2. Staff briefing regarding Preservation Plan Summit. Presentation by Cara Bertron, Program Manager II, Historic Preservation Office, Austin Planning. (Sponsored by Vice-Chair Evans and Commissioner Taniguchi)]
DISCUSSION ITEM, WHICH IS A BRIEFING.UH, WE'LL HAVE A STAFF BRIEFING REGARDING THE PRESERVATION PLAN SUMMIT, WHICH, UH, COMMISSIONER ALVAREZ, UH, AND I WERE ABLE TO ATTEND AND, UH, WOW.
SO, UH, LET ME, UH, LET TURN IT OVER TO STAFF.
HI, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
KARA BERT ON HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE.
UM, HERE TO BRIEF YOU ON THE EQUITY BASED PRESERVATION PLAN SUMMIT, WHICH WAS HELD ON NOVEMBER 21ST, WHICH WAS THE ONE YEAR FORTUITOUSLY THE ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE PLANS ADOPTION.
SO, YOU KNOW, UH, WE'VE BEEN VERY BUSY SINCE THEN.
MUCH REMAINS TO BE DONE, UH, IN IMPLEMENTING THE PLAN.
IT IS A 10 YEAR PLAN AND PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE AND OTHER TEAMS WITHIN AUSTIN, PLANNING OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS, WITH PARTNERSHIP WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS.
THOSE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN IMPORTANT IN GETTING THE PLANS IMPLEMENTATION, GETTING IT IMPLEMENTED.
UM, HOWEVER, NOW WITH THE RECENTLY PASSED CITY BUDGET COLLABORATION IS REALLY ESSENTIAL WITH, WITH INCREASINGLY SCARCE RESOURCES.
UM, THE, THE SUMMIT WAS REALLY DESIGNED TO BRING EXISTING PARTNERS WHO GOT US TO THIS PLACE, UM, BRING THEM ALONG, BRING PEOPLE UP TO SPEED, AND ALSO ENGAGE NEW POTENTIAL PARTNERS AROUND GETTING THINGS DONE, REALLY.
UM, SO, UH, THERE WERE TWO PRIMARY GOALS TO UPDATE KEY STAKEHOLDERS ON IMPLEMENTATION TO DATE AND TO LAY THE GROUND TO WORK FOR COLLABORATION.
THIS MENTIONS NEAR TERM RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO WE WERE MOSTLY LOOKING AT RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE HAPPENING, UH, THAT WE'RE WORKING ON NOW, OR THAT WE PLAN TO WORK ON IN THE NEXT YEAR OR SO.
UM, THAT'S A VERY LARGE NUMBER.
SO WE WERE NOT SHY OF, OF FODDER FOR CONVERSATION.
UH, A THIRD KIND OF TACIT GOAL WAS TO CONNECT PEOPLE ACROSS DISCIPLINES, ACROSS DEPARTMENTS.
AND I THINK THAT WAS A, A REALLY, UH, THE EVENT GENERATED A LOT OF REALLY PRODUCTIVE DISCUSSIONS AROUND THE PLAN THAT MANY OF WHICH OVERLAPPED WITH THE PLAN, SOME OF WHICH DID NOT, BUT THAT STRENGTHEN, UM, THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION, THE PEOPLE WORKING ON HISTORIC PRESERVATION, COMMUNITY HERITAGE, AND RELATED RELATED THINGS.
SO WE HAD 50 PEOPLE ATTEND THE SUMMIT.
UM, THANK YOU TO CHAIR SETH AND COMMISSIONER UCCI FOR REPRESENTING THE, UH, HLC.
AT, AT THE SUMMIT, WE HAD, UH, A NUMBER OF PRESERVATION PLAN WORKING GROUP MEMBERS WHO DEVELOPED THE PLAN.
SO THEY'VE BEEN ENGAGED NOW FOR FIVE YEARS, MORE THAN FIVE YEARS IN THIS PROCESS.
SO IT WAS GREAT TO SEE SO MANY OF THEM TURN OUT.
WE HAD, UM, SOME COMMUNITY AMBASSADORS AND MANY GRANT ORGANIZATIONS WHO HELPED WITH OUTREACH AROUND THE PLAN, INCLUDING ANDERSON COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, AND THE EAST AUSTIN CONSERVANCY.
WE HAD STAFF FROM MANY CITY DEPARTMENTS.
UM, OTHER, OTHER PARTNERS LIKE PRESERVATION AUSTIN AND ULI, OTHER URBAN LAND INSTITUTE WERE THERE WHO HAD HELPED WITH OUTREACH TO THEIR, THEIR CONSTITUENTS AND THE REAL ESTATE COUNCIL OF AUSTIN.
UM, AND THEN SOME ADDITIONAL PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATIONS.
WE INVITED, UH, RELATIVELY, RELATIVELY FRESH.
THESE WERE FOLKS THAT WE'D KEPT IN THE LOOP AS THE PLAN WAS BEING DEVELOPED, BUT WHO HAVEN'T REALLY, UM, BEEN SUB SUBSTANTIVELY AND DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN IMPLEMENTATION.
SO THOSE FOLKS, UM, INCLUDE A, I A AUSTIN, THE AUSTIN BOARD OF REALTORS, DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE, ALTHOUGH THEY DID HAVE A STAFF MEMBER IN THE WORKING GROUPS MISSPOKE THERE.
UM, E FOUR YOUTH, THE HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION OF AUSTIN TXDOT, RALLY AUSTIN, AND REPRESENTATIVES FROM LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICTS.
UM, THERE WERE ALSO REPRESENTATIVES FROM, UM, THREE MAJOR
[01:10:01]
EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS.THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE, HOUSTON, TILLSON, AND UT WERE ALL REPRESENTED.
SO IT WAS A REALLY, UM, A REALLY RICH AND DIVERSE GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO BROUGHT, UH, SO MUCH EXPERTISE AND A LOT OF ENTHUSIASM TO THE EVENT.
PEOPLE WERE REALLY EXCITED TO BE THERE AND ENGAGE THROUGHOUT THE MORNING.
IT WAS, IT WAS JUST OVER THREE HOURS.
NOW I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO MY COLLEAGUE, ANNIE, TO TALK ABOUT WHAT WE DID DURING THE SUMMIT.
I'M ALSO, UH, WITH THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE, AND I'M GONNA SPEAK IN A BIT MORE DETAIL ABOUT THE STRUCTURE OF THE SUMMIT, UM, AND HOW WE ARE INVITING ATTENDEES TO PARTICIPATE IN THESE DISCUSSIONS.
UM, SO TO FRAME, UH, OUR DISCUSSIONS, WE SPLIT, UM, PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS INTO FIVE MAIN IMPACT AREAS.
UM, THIS WAS IN ORDER TO APPROACH THE PLAN, UM, IN A WAY THAT FOCUSED ON OUTCOMES.
UM, AS SOME OF YOU MIGHT ALREADY BE AWARE, THE PLAN CONSISTS OF 14 GOALS AND 107 RECOMMENDATIONS, WHICH IS A LOT TO WRAP YOUR HEAD AROUND.
SO, UM, FOCUSING ON THE FIVE IMPACT AREAS MADE THINGS A BIT MORE CLEAR, UM, AND FOCUSED FOR THE SAKE OF INVITING FEEDBACK, UM, AND FACILITATING DISCUSSIONS.
UM, AND THE IMPACT AREAS, AS MENTIONED, ARE, ARE A WAY TO, UM, FRAME A REALLY AMBITIOUS PLAN.
SO, AS YOU CAN READ, THE, UH, IMPACT AREAS ARE, KEEP RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES IN PLACE, IMPROVE PROCESSES, PROVIDE MORE RESOURCES, RAISE THE VISIBILITY OF PRESERVATION, AND TELL AUSTIN'S FULL STORY.
SO WE HAD 18 RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE CATEGORIZED INTO THESE FIVE IMPACT AREAS AND INVITED FEEDBACK AND DISCUSSION ON NEXT SLIDE.
UM, SO THIS IS JUST A BIT MORE OF A CLOSEUP.
UM, WE CREATED THESE 18 POSTERS, UM, AND EACH POSTER HAD THE RECOMMENDATION, UM, THAT WE WERE INVITING FEEDBACK ON.
THESE ARE ALL NEAR TERM RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, SO AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE LEFT, WE HAVE THE RECOMMENDATION, UM, AND THE SUBTEXT DESCRIBING WHAT IT IS RECOMMENDED RECOMMENDING.
UM, AND THEN WE INVITED PARTICIPANTS TO PUT A DOT ON THIS SLIDING SCALE, UM, INDICATING HOW IMPORTANT THIS RECOMMENDATION IS TO THE THEM OR THEIR ORGANIZATION FROM NOT AT ALL IMPORTANT TO EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
AND THEN WE INVITED, UH, THE PARTICIPANTS TO WRITE THEIR THOUGHTS ON STICKY NOTES FOR THOSE QUESTIONS ON THE RIGHT SIDE.
UM, WE ASK THEM, WHAT ARE YOU OR YOUR ORGANIZATION OR OTHER GROUPS DOING IN THIS AREA? WHAT ARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARTNERSHIP DO YOU SEE? JUST TO GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT'S ALREADY BEING DONE, WHERE WE MIGHT PARTNER WITH FOLKS WHO ARE ALREADY DOING GREAT WORK IN THESE AREAS.
UM, AND WE ALSO ASKED PARTICIPANTS WHAT CHALLENGES THEY SEE, WHETHER THAT BE CHALLENGES WITH RESOURCES, LOGISTICS, POLITICAL CONSIDERATIONS, UM, AND ANYTHING ELSE.
SO THOSE WERE, THOSE WERE WHAT WE INVITED FOLKS TO, UM, PUT WRITTEN FEEDBACK, UH, DURING THIS POSTER REVIEW SESSION.
UM, AND SO AFTER WE GOT FEEDBACK ON THESE POSTERS, AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE IMAGES, THERE WERE A LOT OF STICKY NOTES.
PEOPLE HAD A LOT OF GREAT THOUGHTS TO SHARE.
UM, AFTER WE INVITED THAT WRITTEN FEEDBACK, UH, WE SPLIT INTO FIVE BREAKOUT GROUPS FOR DISCUSSION.
UM, EACH BREAKOUT GROUP REPRESENTED, UM, EACH OF THOSE FIVE IMPACT AREAS.
UM, THEY WERE REALLY AMAZING DISCUSSIONS.
UM, FOLKS TALKED ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES FOR COLLABORATION WORK THAT THEY'RE CURRENTLY DOING ACROSS ALL OF THOSE AMAZING ORGANIZATIONS THAT KARA SPOKE ABOUT, UM, POTENTIAL CHALLENGES, UM, AND RESOURCE NEEDS IN ORDER TO MOVE THESE RECOMMENDATIONS FORWARD IN A COLLABORATIVE FASHION.
UM, AND PEOPLE WERE REALLY EXCITED TO BE THERE.
PEOPLE WERE VERY ENGAGED, UM, CONNECTING WITH EACH OTHER, CONNECTING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE PROCESS OF CREATING THE PLAN FOR THOSE WHO ARE INVOLVED IN IT, UM, AND ABOUT HOW THEIR OWN WORK CONNECTS TO THE PLAN, UM, AND PRESERVATION IN GENERAL.
SO IT WAS A REALLY, REALLY GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR US, AND, AND WE HOPE FOR THE ATTENDEES.
AND AS FAR AS NEXT STEPS, UM, WE HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING UP WITH IN INVITEES AND ATTENDEES.
UM, WE TRANSFERRED, TRANSCRIBED ALL OF THOSE STICKY NOTES THAT WERE ON THE POSTERS, UM, TO AN ONLINE PLATFORM.
SO ATTENDEES AND INVITEES WERE NOT ABLE TO MAKE IT, COULD READ WHAT WAS SAID ON THOSE, UM, ON THOSE STICKY NOTES.
AND THEY'RE ABLE TO KIND OF CONTINUE CONTRIBUTING AFTER THE FACT IF THEY HAVE LATE BREAKING THOUGHTS, UM, OR WANNA MAKE FURTHER CONNECTIONS.
UM, AND STAFF WILL BE REVISITING OUR WORK PLANS FOR THESE NEAR TERM RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, AND THINKING ABOUT HOW TO INCORPORATE THE INPUT AND FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVED AT THE SUMMIT.
UM, AND THINKING ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES FOR GREATER COLLABORATION BETWEEN FOLKS THAT WE HEARD FROM, UM, AND OTHER GROUPS WHO ARE DOING WORK IN THIS AREA.
UM, YEAH, AND JUST HOW, HOW TO MOVE THESE RECOMMENDATIONS
[01:15:01]
FORWARD.I'LL JUST ADD THAT Y'ALL ARE ALL ON THE INVITATION LIST, SO YOU SHOULD BE GETTING THE FOLLOW UP EMAILS.
AND IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN RECEIVING THOSE, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
AND COMMISSIONERS, LET ME JUST SAY, UH, I WOULD STRONGLY ENCOURAGE ALL OF YOU TO NOT ONLY TAKE A LOOK AT SOME OF THE RESOURCES THAT WERE THERE, BUT, UH, I'M GONNA DO EVERYTHING I CAN TO MAKE SURE THIS IS AN ANNUAL EVENT, AND I WOULD SUGGEST THAT YOU ALL PUT IT ON YOUR CALENDARS FOR NEXT YEAR.
THERE IS SOMETHING AMAZING WHEN, FOR AN ENTIRE MORNING, 50 LEADERS FROM A WIDE DIVERSITY OF INTERESTS, ALL OF WHOM HAVE SOME ASPECT OF PRESERVATION INTEREST, UH, THAT THEY BROUGHT TO THE TABLE.
UH, NOT ONLY GET TOGETHER IN ONE ROOM, BUT HAVE THE ABILITY WITH OUR EXPERT FACILITATION TO HAVE SOME VERY MEANINGFUL EXCHANGE.
UH, I HAVE TO SAY, I JUST, I, I WAS ABSOLUTELY BUZZING WHEN I LEFT, AND I KNOW THAT I WAS NOT THE ONLY ONE SHARING THAT FEELING.
I, I MISSED, MISSED, UH, UH, COMMISSIONER TANIGUCHI, UH, WHO WAS ALSO THERE WITH ME.
UH, DO YOU WANT TO ADD ANYTHING ABOUT WHAT, UH, OCCURRED FOR YOU AT THE SUMMIT? UH, NO.
I'LL JUST KIND OF ECHO WHAT YOU SAID.
I MEAN, I, I THINK IT WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR EVERYBODY TO GET TOGETHER AND, UH, BRAINSTORM ON HOW BEST TO, UH, CONTINUE CONTRIBUTING TO THE PRESERVATION PLAN.
AND, UH, YOU GUYS DID A GREAT JOB, UH, PUTTING IT TOGETHER AND THROWING IT IN EVERYTHING.
SO, UH, I, I THOUGHT IT WAS GREAT.
SO HOPE, HOPEFULLY WE WILL HAVE IT NEXT YEAR AROUND THIS TIME.
COMMISSIONERS, UH, PLAN FOR PUTTING IT ON YOUR CALENDAR.
'CAUSE I, I WOULD SAY IT'S AN EVENT NOT TO BE MISSED, SO THANK YOU.
ALRIGHT, WELL THANK YOU FOR THE BRIEFING.
[5. PR-2025-144142; C14H-2020-0069 – 2406 E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Rogers-Washington-Holy Cross Local Historic District Council District 1 (Part 1 of 2)]
WE ARE NOW READY TO GO TO OUR FIRST, UH, DISCUSSION ITEM, AND THAT BRINGS US UP TO ITEM NUMBER FIVE, THE 24 0 6 EAST MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR BOULEVARD.THIS IS A PROPOSED DEMOLITION IN THE ROGERS, WASHINGTON HOLY CROSS HISTORIC DISTRICT, UH, FOR A CONTRIBUTING BUILDING.
UH, THE PROPOSAL TO DEMOLISH A CIRCA 1957 CONTRIBUTING BUILDING THE PROPERTY IS A SINGLE STORY RANCH HOUSE WITH A CORNER INSECT CARPORT.
THERE'S A STONE CLAD SKIRT AROUND THE PERIMETER OF THE FRONT FACADE, BUT THE REMAINDER OF THE WALLS C CLADE WITH HORIZONTAL WOOD SIDING.
THERE ARE TWO SETS PAIRED WINDOWS AT THE FRONT, BUT IS NOT CERTAIN IF THE UNITS WERE REPLACEMENTS.
THE ROOF IS A SHALLOW PITCH SIDE GABLE FORM.
UM, THE DESIGN STANDARDS FOR THE, UH, ROGERS, WASHINGTON HOLY CROSS HISTORIC DISTRICT, UH, FOR DEMOLITION AND RELOCATION STATE TO, UH, DO NOT DEMOLISH, IS CONTRIBUTING BUILDING UNLESS THE STRUCTURE IS A THREAT TO THE SAFETY OF THE PUBLIC AND OR CANNOT BE REASONABLY REHABILITATED EITHER STRUCTURALLY OR ECONOMICALLY.
UM, THEREFORE, STAFF RECOMMENDATION IS TO POSTPONE THE APPLICATION TO THE JANUARY 7TH, 2026 MEETING, UM, BUT ALSO TO DISCUSS THE, UM, WHAT THE COMMISSION WISHES TO SEE AND WHAT THE CURRENT, UH, STATUS OF THE BUILDING IS.
UH, SO, UH, I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH THE STAFF HAS IN THEIR PURVIEW CURRENTLY FOR THE BRIEFING.
UH, I WILL ALSO REMIND COMMISSIONERS, THIS IS A LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICT.
SO UNLIKE THE NATIONAL WHERE WE DO A REVIEW, IN THIS CASE, WE HAVE ON OUR, UH, AGENDA THE REQUIREMENT FOR A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS, UH, FOR, UH, BASICALLY THE, THE DISPOSITION OF A CONTRIBUTING BUILDING.
SO, UH, AGAIN, WE CAN, WE CAN ASK, UH, ANY QUESTION OF STAFF RIGHT NOW, BUT, UH, WE ALSO CAN PROCEED WITH THE PUBLIC HEARING.
SO IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS OF STAFF? ALRIGHT, UH, IS THE OWNER HERE, PLEASE COME FORWARD AND IDENTIFY YOURSELF.
UM, I'M NOT THE OWNER, I'M AN APPLICANT.
UM, THEY'RE ACTUALLY SCATTERED ACROSS THE US AND, UH, GETTING THEIR SIGNATURES HAS BEEN QUITE INTERESTING.
UM, I'M HERE MOSTLY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU GUYS HAVE, BUT I THINK AS, UH, THE STAFF MENTIONED, THE BUILDING IS NOT IN THE BEST SHAPE.
UM, WE ARE PROPOSING FULL DEMOLITION BECAUSE IT IS NOT ECONOMICALLY FEASIBLE TO REHAB IT.
WE RAN SOME NUMBERS AND, YOU KNOW, HONESTLY, IN THE CURRENT CLIMATE, IT JUST DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.
UM, THERE ARE A COUPLE THINGS I DO WANT TO MENTION.
UM, THERE ARE SQUATTERS CURRENTLY ON AND OFF LIVING IN THE BUILDING, WHICH CERTAINLY DOES NOT HELP THE, UH, THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, AND THEN ON THE EAST SIDE, IF YOU DO LOOK AT IT, THERE ARE CURRENTLY POWER LINES RUNNING A FEW FEET FROM THE BUILDING.
AND SO IF WE CHOOSE TO REHAB IT OR DO ANYTHING TO THE BUILDING, UM, THAT'S GONNA BE QUITE A CHALLENGE TO, OR TO DO ANYTHING FROM IT.
I THINK, AS YOU GUYS KNOW, THE CURRENT CODE REQUIRES FOR IT TO BE 15 FEET AWAY, UM, FOR THE POWER LINES, POWER LINES FROM THE BUILDING.
UM, AND SO RIGHT NOW LOOKING AT IT, IT'S, IT'S WAY CLOSER THAN THEY SHOULD BE.
[01:20:01]
COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTIONS OF THE APPLICANT? OKAY.AND THEN WERE WE, TO POSTPONE THIS, UH, TO OUR JANUARY MEETING, WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, UH, ABOUT THE, THE HOUSE? YOU DID GIVE US AN INSPECTION REPORT THAT WAS A MORE OF A STANDARD, UH, INSPECTION OF A, OF A, UH, RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY, BUT, UH, ARE YOU AT THIS POINT DOING ANY FURTHER EVALUATION OR ANY ENGINEERING STUDIES OF THE PROJECT? WE HAVE NOT DONE NONE.
UH, WE WERE IN SOME NUMBERS, YOU KNOW, WE TALKED TO A FEW GENERAL CONTRACTORS AND JUST GOT THE, UH, GOT THE PERFORMER GOING.
UM, AND IT WAS, IT WAS PRETTY CLEAR THAT, AGAIN, IN THE CURRENT ENVIRONMENT, UM, IT'S JUST WITH THE, YOU KNOW, PRICE OF LAND THAT WE WE'RE HAVING UNDER OPTION.
IT'S JUST NOT FEASIBLE TO, UH, TO REHAB IT AS IS.
AND YOUR, YOUR OWNERS ARE AWARE THIS IS A LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICT AND IT IS A CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURE BECAUSE OF ITS, UH, CONTRIBUTION TO, UH, HISTORIC AREA? THEY ARE, UM, THEY'VE HAD ON THE MARKET FOR, FOR ALMOST NINE MONTHS.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, MOST OF THEM NOT IN, IN TEXAS, NOT IN IN AUSTIN.
UM, THEY OWE QUITE A BIT OF TAXES ON THIS PROPERTY AND THEY JUST WANT TO SELL IT, UM, PAY THE TAXES AND, UM, MOVE ON WITH THE LIVES.
AND SO WE, YOU KNOW, AFTER MUCH DELIBERATION WE TOOK ON THIS PROJECT AS, NOT AS A FAVOR TO THEM, BUT ESSENTIALLY TO, TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO AND HELP THEM OUT BECAUSE THEY'VE, THEY'VE HAD VIRTUALLY NO INTEREST, UM, ON THIS PROPERTY.
UM, ARE THERE OTHER SPEAKERS IN FAVOR? THERE ARE NO OTHER SPEAKERS IN FAVOR.
AND WE'LL HAVE SPEAKERS IN OPPOSITION.
WE HAVE ONE SPEAKER IN OPPOSITION, UH, MEGAN KING.
MEGAN KING DE MOORE POLICY AND OUTREACH PLANNER FOR PRESERVATION AUSTIN.
UM, I'M HERE TODAY TO EXPRESS OUR OPPOSITION TO THIS DEMOLITION REQUEST AND REQUEST YOUR POSTPONEMENT, UM, TO THE JANUARY MEETING.
REALLY, I'M JUST HERE TO ECHO THE SENTIMENTS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD, WHICH YOU, UM, SAW IN PUBLIC COMMENT IN YOUR BACKUP.
UM, PA IS VERY CLOSE WITH THE ROGERS, WASHINGTON HOLY CROSS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION AND HAVE WORKED WITH THEM CLOSELY OVER A DECADE SUPPORTING THEIR EFFORTS, UH, TO BECOME A LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICT.
SO, UM, THERE'S, I MEAN, THERE'S A MILLION REASONS WHY WE'RE OPPOSED TO THIS, BUT PRIMARILY, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY FOUGHT TOOTH AND NAIL THROUGH GRA GRASSROOTS ADVOCACY TO ESTABLISH THIS LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICT TO PREVENT EXACTLY THIS FROM HAPPENING.
UM, THIS IS ONE OF, THIS IS THE ONLY HISTORIC DISTRICT IN AUSTIN THAT IS EXCLUSIVELY DEDICATED TO BLACK HERITAGE, AND THEY, MOST OF THE OCCUPANTS OF THIS DISTRICT ARE DESCENDANTS OF THE ORIGINAL, UM, OWNERS IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, SO YEAH, THIS IS A REALLY RICH, HISTORIC DISTRICT THAT WE HAVE WORKED VERY HARD WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
THE NEIGHBORHOOD HAS WORKED VERY HARD TO PRESERVE.
UM, AND THE CITY HAS AN OBLIGATION TO SAFEGUARD THAT HISTORY AS IT IS A LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICT AND THE EFFORTS OF THE ROGERS, WASHINGTON HOLY CROSS NEIGHBORHOOD TO PRESERVE IT.
AND FURTHERMORE, THIS IS FUNDAMENTALLY A VIOLATION OF OUR HISTORIC PRESERVATION ORDINANCE, WHICH EXPLICITLY IS DESIGNED TO PROTECT, UH, DESIGNATED STRUCTURES FROM DEMOLITION.
UH, AND REALLY THIS SHOULD NOT BE GRANTED, UM, ON THAT BASIS AS WELL, BUT EVEN FOR THE MOST RARE AND EXTREME CASES.
AND TO, TO GRANT IT WITH THREATEN THE INTEGRITY OF OUR PROGRAM.
OF COURSE, YOU GUYS ARE AWARE OF ALL OF THIS, BUT, UM, I JUST WANTED TO ENTER THAT INTO THE PUBLIC RECORD AND AGAIN, AMPLIFY WHAT WE'VE ALREADY HEARD FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND BACK UP AND MY COMMUNICATIONS WITH THEM.
OKAY, MS. KING, THANK YOU, UH, COMMISSIONERS.
ANY QUESTIONS OF OUR SPEAKER? I MAY HAVE A QUESTION FOR THE APPLICANT AGAIN, IF THAT'S, UH, WHY DON'T WE HEAR THE OTHER SPEAKERS UNLESS IT'S SPECIFIC TO THOSE COMMENTS.
UH, ARE THERE FURTHER SPEAKERS? THERE ARE NOT.
THEN COMMISSIONER RICE? UM, YEAH, I'M, I'M JUST, UM, TRYING TO GET SOME PERSPECTIVE AND SOME, UM, UNDERSTANDING ON THE TIMELINE HERE.
SO I JUST, YOU KNOW, LOOKING THROUGH THE, IN LOOKING THROUGH THE INSPECTION REPORT, UM, THE, YOU KNOW, IT, I, I SEE EVIDENCE OF THE, THE SQUATTERS THAT YOU MENTIONED AND OF THE, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE ISSUES YOU, YOU BROUGHT UP IN YOUR TESTIMONY.
UM, I'M JUST CURIOUS, UM, HOW, HOW LONG, WHEN, WHEN DID YOU SAY THAT THE CURRENT OWNER HAS PURCHASED THE PROPERTY? SO THE CURRENT OWNER OWNERS ARE 12 HEIRS THROUGH THE LADY WHO PASSED AWAY.
UM, AND SO MY UNDERSTANDING THAT SHE PASSED AWAY QUITE A FEW YEARS AGO, AND SO HAS BEEN IN PROBATE, UM, FOR
[01:25:01]
THOSE YEARS IT'S BEEN ABANDONED.AND AGAIN, ALL THE UTILITIES ARE OFF AND SO IT'S BEEN KIND OF SITTING THERE.
JUST, JUST WANTED CLARIFICATION THERE 'CAUSE SURE.
UM, WITHOUT LIKE HOW, LIKE JUST, YOU KNOW, THE, JUST LOOKING AT THE IMAGES, I WAS JUST CURIOUS.
ANY OTHER, ANY OTHER SPEAKERS? OKAY.
HEARING NONE, UH, WE HAVE A REQUEST OR RECOMMENDATION FROM STAFF THAT THIS IS AN ITEM THAT THEY ONLY HAVE PARTIAL INFORMATION, SO WE COULD BE POSTPONING THIS TO OUR JANUARY MEETING.
UH, BUT THAT WILL REQUIRE A MOTION FROM COMMISSIONERS.
DO I HEAR A MOTION? MOTION TO POSTPONE UNTIL OUR NEXT MEETING.
AND YOU'LL LIKE TO KEEP THE PUBLIC HEARING OPEN AND KEEP THE PUBLIC HEARING OPEN.
THANK YOU FOR PUBLIC HEARING HONOR.
IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
COMMISSIONER GROGAN, UH, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK TO YOUR MOTION? UM, YES, I AGREE WITH STAFF.
THERE'S NOT, NOT ENOUGH INFORMATION, UM, AT THIS POINT.
SO, UH, HOPEFULLY BETWEEN NOW AND THEN WE CAN GET A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION, INCLUDING IF THERE ARE ANY, UM, IF ONE OF THE RATIONALES FOR DEMOLITION WOULD BE STRUCTURAL CONCERNS TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION THAN JUST THE STANDARD, UH, REAL ESTATE INSPECTION REPORT PROVIDED.
COMMISSIONER GROGAN, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT IT IS PRETTY TOUGH FOR US TO AGREE FOR A HOUSE IN A LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICT TO BE DEMOLISHED.
UM, AND SO I JUST WANT TO REALLY HAVE TIME FOR US TO THINK THAT THROUGH AND, AND HAVE, UM, ALL THE INFORMATION WE CAN AT HAND TO REVIEW.
COMMISSIONERS, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON THE, THE MOTION TO POSTPONE? ALRIGHT, HEARING NONE, I'LL GO AHEAD AND CALL THE QUESTION.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND.
AND I SEE ALL HANDS RAISED, SO IT IS UNANIMOUS.
UH, I HAVE ONE QUICK QUESTION OF STAFF.
UH, I KNOW THE NATIONAL REGISTER DISTRICT, A DEMOLITION PERMITS NOT ISSUED UNTIL PLANS ARE REVIEWED.
THIS IS DIFFERENT NOW IT'S A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS IN A LOCAL DISTRICT.
BUT DOES THE SAME CONTINGENCY APPLY? WOULD WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO ALSO MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER WAS GOING TO BE BUILT IN ITS PLACE WAS REVIEWED PRIOR TO THE CITY ISSUING? AND THAT, YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER THAT NOW, BUT UH, I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO KNOW FOR THE RECORD, YES, WE, UH, YOU WOULD, THE COMMISSION WOULD HAVE THAT, UH, PURVIEW TO APPROVE THE, UH, NEW, UM, NEW CONSTRUCTION.
SO THE SAME, THE SAME STANDARD APPLIES, CORRECT? YES.
NOTHING, NOTHING GETS REMOVED TILL WE KNOW WHAT'S GOING IN ITS PLACE.
EVEN AND OBVIOUSLY WITH THE LOCAL DISTRICT WE HAVE A HIGHER THRESHOLD, BUT, UH, BUT THAT SAME STANDARD APPLIES.
ALRIGHT, UM, WE'VE TAKEN A VOTE ON THAT ITEM.
THE NEXT ITEM FOR DISCUSSION IS, UH, COMMISSIONER OR CHAIR HEIM.
SETH, I WOULD LIKE TO REMIND YOU THAT YOU'LL NEED TO MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS ITEM, I BELIEVE.
IS THAT CORRECT OR AM I TOTALLY WRONG? WE POSTPONE.
WE WANNA KEEP IT, WE KEEP THE PUBLIC HEARING OPEN BECAUSE THEN WE WILL PICK, BE PICKING IT UP WHERE WE LEFT OFF.
NOW THE PREVIOUS DISCUSSION POSTPONEMENT, WE NEVER OPENED THE PUBLIC.
WELL, IT'S ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
[14. DA-2025-141132 – 906 W. 22nd St. Council District 9]
ITEM NUMBER 14, UH, 9 0 6 WEST 22ND STREET.UH, THIS IS A PROPOSAL TO DEMOLISH THE CIRCA 1927 BUILDING.
UM, THE PROPERTY AT 9 0 6 WEST 22ND STREET IS IN THE WEST CAMPUS.
NEIGHBORHOOD IS A TWO STORY INTACT FOLK VICTORIAN HOUSE WITH AN L-SHAPED PLAN.
IT FEATURES, UH, FRONT PORCH AT THE RIGHT HALF OF THE FRONT FACADE, WHICH IS RECESSED UNDER THE SECOND FLOOR AND SUPPORTED BY THREE WOOD POSTS.
THE HOUSE IS BUILT ON PIERS AND SITS A FEW FEET ABOVE GRADE AT THE LEFT, ONE LEG OF THE L PROJECTS TOWARDS THE STREET AND IS COVERED WITH, WITH A STEEP PITCHED GABLE, WHICH CREATES ENOUGH HEIGHT TO HOUSE LIVING SPACE WITHIN.
THERE APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN ALTERATIONS MADE TO THE ORIGINAL ROOF ABOVE THE PORSCHE TO CREATE MORE LIVING SPACE, WHICH WAS PER, WHICH WAS, UH, FOR PERMITTED IN, UM, 1948.
IT IS UNKNOWN HOW MUCH THE ALTERATION OF THE ORIGINAL ROOF TOOK PLACE AT THAT TIME.
THE HOUSE WAS ORIGINALLY BUILT BY JESSE AND EMILY HORNSBY, WHO WERE FARMERS, EITHER AT THIS ADDRESS OR FURTHER OUT FROM AUSTIN, MAKING THIS POSSIBLY A SECOND PROPERTY CLOSER TO THE CITY.
JESSE HORNSBY PASSED AWAY IN 1933 WITH THE FUNERAL SERVICES TAKING PLACE AT THE PROPERTY FOR A SHORT TIME AFTER THE HOUSE WAS VACANT, BUT WAS PURCHASED AROUND 1941 BY DI DAVID AND IRENE CRENSHAW.
AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE, DAVID CRENSHAW WAS EMPLOYED AS A CLERK, BUT IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS, THROUGH THE 1950S
[01:30:01]
AND POSSIBLY FURTHER MADE THEIR LIVING RENTING OUT ROOMS TO UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS STUDENTS.THE ADDRESS IS CONNECTED WITH NUMEROUS NAMES AND PERIODICALS FROM THE TIME, TYPICALLY STUDENTS AND OTHER SHORT TERM RENTERS.
UH, UH, IT WAS DURING THIS TIME THAT THE CONVERSION OF THE SECOND FLOOR INTO ADDITIONAL LIVING QUARTERS OCCURRED.
THE 2020 NATIONAL, UH, EXCUSE ME, THE 2020 NORTH CENTRAL AUSTIN HISTORIC RESOURCE SURVEY LISTS THE PROPERTY AS INDIVIDUALLY EL ELIGIBLE FOR THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES, AS WELL AS ELIGIBLE FOR AS AN AUSTIN CITY.
LANDMARK PROPERTIES MUST MEET TWO CRITERIA FOR LANDMARK DESIGNATION.
STAFF HAS EVALUATED THE PROPERTY AND DETERMINED THAT IT MAY MEET TWO CRITERIA FOR THE, FOR LANDMARK DESIGNATION FOR ARCHITECTURE AND COMMUNITY VALUE.
THEREFORE, STAFF RECOMMENDATION IS TO CONSIDER WHETHER THE PROPERTY MEETS THE TWO CRITERIA FOR ELIGIBILITY.
UM, SHOULD THE COMMISSION FIND THE TWO CRITERIA ARE MET, INITIATE HISTORIC ZONING, OTHERWISE ENCOURAGE REHABILITATION AND ADAPTIVE REUSE, RELOCATION OR DECONSTRUCTION AND SALVAGE OVER DEMOLITION, BUT APPROVE THE DEMOLITION PERMIT APPLICATION UPON COMPLETION OF A CITY OF AUSTIN DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE.
ANY QUESTION OF STAFF? ALL RIGHT.
HEARING NONE THEN WE'LL GO AHEAD AND OPEN, UH, HAVE THE PUBLIC, UH, HEARING.
LET US HAVE THE, UH, APPLICANT.
LEAH BOJO WITH NER GROUP HERE ON BEHALF OF THE APPLICANT.
UM, CAN I USE THE REMOTE NOW? YES.
SO, UM, JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF, UH, OF THE LOCATION THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE.
WE'RE, WE'RE ONLY TALKING ABOUT THE MIDDLE LOT, BUT THIS IS PART OF A, OF THREE PARCELS THAT WE WOULD BE, UM, RE LOOKING TO REDEVELOP.
UM, SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE MIDDLE OF THESE THREE SITES.
UM, SO HERE WE HAVE, AGAIN, KIND OF A ZOOMED IN UM, VIEW, JUST SO YOU CAN SEE THE LOCATION THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
UM, I THINK ONE THING THAT'S IMPORTANT, WHICH I'LL TOUCH ON AGAIN LATER, IS HOW MUCH REDEVELOPMENT HAS HAPPENED IN THIS AREA AND HOW MUCH THE CONTEXT HERE HAS CHANGED.
UM, AND THEN JUST AGAIN, JUST SORT OF AREA, SO THIS IS JUST A 0.1 6, 1 3 ACRE SITE, PART OF AN APPROXIMATELY HALF ACRE SITE TOTAL.
UM, THERE ARE CURRENTLY EIGHT APARTMENT UNITS IN THE SITE.
AND THEN OF COURSE WE ALL KNOW THAT WEST CAMPUS HAS EXCELLENT TRANSIT AND MOBILITY ACCESS.
UM, HERE WE HAVE THE ZONING, THE SITE WOULD, UM, PLAN TO PARTICIPATE IN UNIVERSITY NEIGHBORHOOD OVERLAY, NOT SURPRISINGLY.
UM, SO MOVING ON TO LANDMARK DESIGNATION.
UM, WE ALL KNOW OF COURSE THAT THESE ARE THE FIVE CRITERIA THAT YOU WOULD BE, UM, LOOKING TO, TO POTENTIALLY, UM, INITIATE DESIGNATION.
UM, AND I WOULD ARGUE, AND WE'LL MAKE A CASE HERE, THAT THERE IS A SORT OF A LIGHT ARGUMENT FOR THE ARCHITECTURE, BUT I THINK THAT'S REALLY KIND OF WHERE THIS ENDS.
AND EVEN THE ARCHITECTURE REALLY IS SORT OF A MODIFIED, UM, A MODIFIED, UH, EXAMPLE.
SO WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE FROM THE STAFF REPORT IS THAT WE HAVE A RECOGNIZED ARCHITECTURAL STYLE HERE OF FOLK VICTORIAN.
UM, I WANNA POINT OUT THAT AS WAS MENTIONED, UM, BY STAFF, UM, IT HAS BEEN MODIFIED SINCE ITS ORIGINAL, UM, BUILDING IN 1927.
IT WAS MODIFIED IN THE 40 AT THE END OF THE FORTIES.
WE'RE NOT SURE EXACTLY THE EXTENT OF THOSE MODIFICATIONS, UM, BUT IT IS NOT FULLY INTACT.
UM, AND I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ANY REASON TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS LIKE AN, A UNIQUE EXAMPLE OF FOLK VICTORIA A A SINGULAR EXAMPLE.
I THINK THIS IS JUST SORT OF AN EXAMPLE.
UM, AND THEN ON THE SECOND, UH, POTENTIAL CRITERIA, I WOULD ARGUE THAT, UM, UNIQUE LOCATION, PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OR SIGNIFICANT FEATURE.
I THINK THAT THE BEST THAT WE WERE ABLE TO FIND HERE IS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, IT WAS A RENTAL, IT WAS A STUDENT HOUSING OWNED BY OWNER OWNED STUDENT HOUSING RENTAL PROJECT.
UM, YOU KNOW, OVER THE, OVER THE YEARS, UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT WAS THE CASE IN THE TWENTIES, WHICH IS WHEN IT WAS, WHEN IT WAS OBVIOUSLY CONSTRUCTED.
I THINK THE PERIOD OF SIGNIFICANCE DOESN'T QUITE LINE UP THERE.
UM, AND I, AND I WOULD ARGUE THAT THAT'S NOT REALLY, UM, A, A STRONG ENOUGH ATTRIBUTE TO, UH, TO MAKE IT ELIGIBLE FOR LANDMARK STATUS.
UM, HERE, UM, AGAIN, JUST TO SORT OF SHOW YOU SOME OF THESE, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE, WHAT THE AREA LOOKED LIKE IN THE, THIS IS FROM THE FIFTIES.
IT WAS OBVIOUSLY BUILT IN THE TWENTIES, MODIFIED IN THE LATE FORTIES.
UM, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THESE BUILDINGS HAVE CHANGED, UM, AND HAVE BEEN BUILT SINCE, YOU KNOW, THE OLDEST ONE, I BELIEVE, UH, ON THE, ON THE, THIS PART OF THE BLOCK IS FROM 1984 ON THE WESTERN SIDE OF THE BLOCK, 2007 ON THE EASTERN SIDE OF THE BLOCK.
UM, WE ALL, YOU KNOW, KNOW WHAT WEST CAMPUS IS, HAS BEEN SORT OF ZONED TO DO.
AND, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO HERE WITH THIS SITE IS REZONE IT FOR, UM, STUDENT HOUSING, INCLUDING AFFORDABLE OF COURSE, UM, JUST RIGHT OFF THE, OFF THE, UM, TO THE WEST OF UT.
SO WITH THAT, I WOULD REQUEST THAT YOU, UM, ALLOW US TO DO THE DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE AS STAFF PRESCRIBED AND RELEASE THE DEMOLITION PERMIT.
UH, COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTION OF THE APPLICANT
[01:35:02]
QUESTION? YES.IS, IS UH, IS THERE ANY DOCUMENTATION ON THE SECOND FLOOR IF IT IS ORIGINAL OR PERHAPS ADDED AT SOME POINT? UM, THERE IS A PERMIT FROM 19, PARDON ME, FROM THE 1940S, UM, INDICATING THAT A, UM, SECOND FLOOR, UH, INFILL OR ADDITION WAS, UM, PERMITTED.
UM, PRESUMABLY THAT IS WHEN THE, UH, ROOF LINE SLIGHTLY CHANGED AND MORE ROOM WAS ADDED FOR TO TAKE IN SHORT TERM, UH, RESIDENTS OR, UH, STUDENTS FROM UT.
AND A COPY OF THAT SHOULD BE IN THE YES STAFF REPORT.
COMMISSIONERS, ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? ALRIGHT, DO WE HAVE MORE SPEAKERS? YES, WE HAVE, UM, MIKE MCCONE WHO IS OPPOSED.
MR. MCCONE, WE APPRECIATE YOU WEARING A VERY DIFFERENT HAT.
THE HAT I WEAR QUITE OFTEN, IT'S A HAT, YOU KNOW, THAT I WEAR QUITE OFTEN IN MY OWN PRACTICE.
I LIVE IN A HISTORIC BUILDING THAT I'VE MOVED FROM
AND I'VE ALSO PRESERVED, UH, ALL THE PROPERTIES ON THE 22ND RIO GRANDE OR BEING INVOLVED WITH ALL OF THOSE.
THIS IS RIGHT DOWN THE BLOCK FROM THERE.
UH, THERE'S A HISTORIC PROPERTIES, UH, ACROSS THE ALLEY THAT I MANAGED AND HAVE SAVED THE, UH, TEAL HOUSE.
THAT WAS, UH, IF YOU HAVE EVER SEEN THE, UH, HISTORIC MAP THAT THE CITY SHOWS OF THE 1890 OR 1897.
THIS HOUSE ACROSS THE ALLEY, UH, SHOWS THAT IT IS, UH, VERY HISTORIC.
THERE ARE, UH, PROPERTIES DOWN AT THE TWO BLOCK TO TWO LOTS AWAY.
YOU HAVE, UH, THREE HISTORIC BUILDINGS.
UH, THE, OF COURSE THE OLDEST, ONE OF THE OLDEST BUILDINGS IN AUSTIN, THE NEIL COCHRANE MUSEUM, UH, MEMBERS OF, UH, THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
AND I'M HERE TONIGHT REPRESENTING THE UNIVERSITY AREA PARTNERS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
I BELIEVE YOU RECEIVED A RELAY BACKUP BECAUSE WE DIDN'T KNOW THIS WAS ON THE AGENDA UNTIL NOVEMBER THE 27TH OR LATER.
AND THE BOARD ASKED ME SINCE I WAS GOING TO BE HERE, UH, ON OTHER CASES TO REPRESENT A REQUEST FOR A POSTPONEMENT AND HAVE THE APPLICANT HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME TO OUR BOARD AND OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETING AND TELL US WHAT THEY'RE PLANNING AND WHY THEY NEED TO DESTROY THIS BUILDING.
WHEN WE HAVE EXAMPLES OF OTHER PROJECTS THAT HAVE BUILT, BUILT AT 22ND AND RIO GRANDE AND 22ND NEW AIS THAT HAVE INCORPORATED THE HISTORIC BUILDING INTO THE SITE AND PRESERVE THEM.
WE THINK THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO AT LEAST HAVE THAT DISCUSSION.
WE WANT TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION.
WE HAVE HAD NO TIME TO REVIEW THIS APPLICATION AT ALL AND WOULD RESPECTFULLY ASK THAT YOU TREAT THE UNIVERSITY AREA PARTNERS AS THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION REPRESENTING THIS AREA, THE COURTESY OF HAVING THE POSTPONEMENT SO THAT WE COULD HAVE A MEETING WITH THE APPLICANT AND DISCUSS THIS CASE FURTHER.
I ALSO KNOW THAT MANY TIMES WHEN YOU DO A CURSORY EXAMINATION OF THE, UH, CASE, UH, THINGS COME UP WHEN YOU DO THAT FULL EXAMINATION.
SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ALLOW THAT TO OCCUR.
I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY OTHER QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE, BUT DISRESPECTFULLY ASK THAT YOU GIVE GRANT UNIVERSITY AREA PARTNERS THE REQUEST FOR A POSTPONEMENT AS THE RECOGNIZED NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
ANY QUESTIONS OF MR. MCCOMB? ALRIGHT, THANK YOU.
UH, AND I WILL NOTE THAT WE HAD A SIMILAR REQUEST IN OUR BACKUP, UH, BY, BY ANOTHER NEIGHBOR.
UM, IS THERE FURTHER SPEAKERS? THERE ARE NO OTHER SPEAKERS.
OR PERHAPS IF THE APPLICANT, WHICH IS TO OFFER REBUTTAL MS. BOCHO, I APPRECIATE IT AND I'LL BE QUICK.
I WOULD JUST POINT OUT THAT, UM, IN THIS CASE, UM, AGAIN, THIS IS THE MIDDLE LOT OF A THREE LOT REDEVELOPMENT WITH I WOULD, I WOULD SAY A PRETTY TENUOUS HISTORIC, UM, SIGNIFICANCE.
UM, WE ARE MORE THAN HAPPY TO MEET WITH UAP AS WE ALWAYS DO FOR NEW DEVELOPMENTS.
UM, WE'RE STILL WORKING THROUGH ENTITLEMENTS AND OTHER THINGS, UM, AS I'VE DISCUSSED WITH MR. MCCONE WITH, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, AND WE WORK WITH HIM FREQUENTLY,
UM, BUT IN THIS CASE WE WOULD, UM, APPRECIATE IF WE COULD MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS PORTION OF THE REDEVELOPMENT AND, UM, AND WORK
[01:40:01]
WITH, UH, WORK WITH UAP AND OTHERS AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PROJECT.AND, AND I WILL CLARIFY, THIS IS A FULL DEMOLITION PERMIT THAT'S BEEN FILED.
AND SINCE IT IS NOT PART OF ANY REGISTERED DISTRICT OR LOCAL DISTRICT, UH, WHATEVER ACTION WE TAKE WOULD BE THE FINAL ACTION THAT WE WOULD HAVE JUST FOR THE, FOR EVERYBODY'S CLEAR ABOUT THAT.
ANY AND NO OTHER SPEAKERS, IS THAT CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT.
I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO CO PUBLIC HEARING.
UH, AND THEN WE CAN HAVE A MOTION TO, UH OH.
THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND.
DO YOU NEED A SECOND? I DO NEED A SECOND.
COMMISSIONER RICE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SECOND THAT WAY? YOU COMMISSIONER? I'LL SECOND.
I'M, I'M, I'M ALREADY ON THE MOTION.
I'M JUMPING AHEAD AND I REALIZE THAT THE LAST ONE WE DID, I FORGOT TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND THEN WE'RE SUPPOSED TO REOPEN IT AGAIN WHEN WE GET IT.
SO WE HAVE A MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER RICE, A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER GROGAN TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING ALL THIS IN FAVOR, PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND.
ALRIGHT, NOW COMMISSIONERS, I AM ABLE TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
WHAT IS YOUR PLEASURE? AND WE'VE HAD A REQUEST FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO POSTPONE UNTIL OUR JANUARY MEETING.
I BEG YOUR PARDON? I SEE ANOTHER PARTY AT THE SAME TIME.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, PUT FORWARD A MOTION TO REOPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING AND POSTPONE THIS TILL NEXT MONTH'S MEETING.
IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
AND SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER PLEASANT WRIGHT.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF WAIT, YOU CAN DISCUSS YOUR MOTIONS TO POSTPONE.
UM, I AM PERSONALLY INTRIGUED BY THE STRUCTURE.
UM, I'D LIKE A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION ON IT, IF POSSIBLE.
UM, WOULD WELCOME FOLKS TO COME TO THE A RC, UM, THE UPCOMING A RC NEXT WEEK TO DISCUSS MORE.
UM, I PERSONALLY WOULD JUST LIKE A LITTLE MORE TIME, BUT I KNOW THIS IS A TOUGH ONE.
AND COMMISSIONER PLEASANT WRIGHT, WOULD YOU LIKE TO DISCUSS YOUR SECOND? NO.
COMMISSIONERS, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION TO POSTPONE HEARING NONE? I'LL CALL THE QUESTION.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND.
AND I SEE 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 HANDS RAISED AND THOSE OPPOSED.
AND TWO HANDS, COMMISSIONER RICE AND COMMISSIONER TAN.
GUCCI OPPOSED? UH, BUT THE MOTION PASSES AND WE'LL HEAR THAT ON OUR JANUARY MEETING, UH, STAFF, I REALIZED THAT I DID NOT CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PREVIOUS MOTION TO GET A POSTPONEMENT.
DO I HAVE TO CORRECT THAT BEFORE WE CLOSE OUR MEETING? UH, PERHAPS FOR THE SAKE OF THE MINUTES, I WOULD APPRECIATE IT,
UM, LET ANYONE SPEAKING AGAINST THE MINUTES IN THE NEXT MEETING.
SOMEBODY WILL SPEAK AGAINST THE MINUTES.
WHERE WAS, WHERE WERE WE? THAT WAS ITEM WAS THE
WHICH, WHICH ITEM IS IT? NINE SIX.
[5. PR-2025-144142; C14H-2020-0069 – 2406 E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Rogers-Washington-Holy Cross Local Historic District Council District 1 (Part 2 of 2)]
COMMISSIONERS, UM, IN ORDER THAT WE PROCEED PROPERLY, UM, I SHOULD HAVE CLOSED THE PUBLIC HEARING THEN ALLOWED MOTIONS TO TAKE PLACE.AND THEN THAT MOTION SHOULD HAVE REOPENED THE PUBLIC HEARING BECAUSE THAT WAS A POSTPONEMENT.
SO I NEED A MOTION TO RECONSIDER.
AND FOR ANYBODY WHO IS ON THE, UH, THE PREVAILING SIDE, I'LL NEED THAT MOTION TO COME FROM YOU ALL.
SO, UH, WHOEVER WAS AMONG THE PREVAILING VOTERS, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO RECONSIDER ITEM NUMBER, THE ACTION TO POSTPONE ON ITEM NUMBER FIVE, WE CAN DO THAT RIGHT NOW.
[01:45:01]
FAVOR OF THE POSTPONEMENT.AND IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND.
SO, COMMISSIONER RICE, COMMISSIONER ACTON, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND.
NOW ON ITEM NUMBER FIVE, I WILL MAKE A MOTION TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
SO COMMISSIONER WRIGHT, COMMISSIONER ACTON, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND.
ALRIGHT, NOW WE CAN HAVE A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND POSTPONE NO POSTPONE AND REOPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ALL AT THE SAME TIME.
WE HAVE TO DO IT THAT WAY ACCORDING TO THE, TO THE A CLERK'S OFFICE.
MOTION TO POSTPONE TO THE JANUARY MEETING AND AT THE SAME TIME, REOPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING.
COMMISSIONER RICE, COMMISSIONER ACTON.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND.
SO SOMEBODY AT THE CLERK'S OFFICE IS GONNA BE JUMPING UP AND DOWN AND CHEERING AFTER THIS.
NOW WE'VE GOT THE, THE, THE WORKS TAKEN CARE OF.
[15. PR-2025-138065 – 907 E. 13th St. Council District 1]
ITEM IS ITEM NUMBER 15, 9 0 7 EAST 13TH STREET.I THINK WE JUST DID, I'M SORRY, THAT WAS THE ONE WE JUST DID.
COLIN CONTRERAS, PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
UH, THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR HANGING IN THERE.
UH, WHILE I AM NOT FEELING MY BEST, I REALLY APPRECIATE STAFF AND COMMISSIONS, UH, DEDICATION TO RUNNING THIS THING SMOOTHLY AND, AND GETTING ALL OUR MOTIONS RIGHT.
UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH CHAIR FOR, UH, FOR CORRECTING THAT.
UM, ITEM NUMBER 15 AT 9 0 7 EAST 13TH STREET IS A PROPOSAL TO DEMOLISH A HOUSE CONSTRUCTED BETWEEN 1873 AND 1884.
THIS IS A ONE STORY CENTER PASSAGE, NATIONAL FOLK STYLE BUILDING.
IT WAS ORIGINALLY DRESSED ADDRESSED AS 9 0 7 EAST PEACH STREET.
UH, AND IT WAS BUILT BETWEEN 1873 AND 1885 BY JULIUS H KY NICHI.
AND HIS FAMILY IMMIGRATED FROM SAXONY, GERMANY IN 1855 AND HE AND HIS FOUR BROTHERS, UH, OWNED AND OPERATED.
NITSKY BROTHERS CABINET MAKERS ON CONGRESS AVENUE.
HE MARRIED LOUISA PHILLIPS IN 1871 AND HE WORKED AS A CARPENTER, CABINET MAKER AND CARPET LAYER UNTIL HIS DEATH IN 1910.
HIS SON, JH NITSKY JR, ALSO WORKED AS A CARPENTER AND DABBLED IN CAR REPAIR AND RAILROAD WORK BEFORE HE BECAME A CAREER FIREMAN.
HE SOLD 9 0 7 EAST 13TH TO THE GOYS FAMILY BETWEEN 1912 AND 1920.
ANNALISA, ELIZA GOYS, FORMERLY OF MAYNARD LIVED IN THE HOME UNTIL HER DEATH IN 18.
IN 1956, SHE WORKED AS A COOK AND IS A LARIS, WHILE ALSO RENTING OUT ROOMS. HER CHILDREN AND THEIR SPOUSES LIVED WITH HER INTERMITTENTLY THROUGHOUT THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY.
AND AFTER HER DEATH, HER DAUGHTER, ROXY TUCKER, LIVED THERE UNTIL AT LEAST THE SIXTIES.
THE HOME'S OCCUPANCY IS EMBLEMATIC OF HOW THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THIS EAST AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD HAVE CHANGED.
THROUGH THE YEARS, EUROPEAN IMMIGRANT FAMILIES, NUMEROUS AT THE TURN OF THE CENTURY, GRADUALLY MIGRATED ELSEWHERE.
WHILE AFRICAN AMERICAN FAMILIES WERE FORCED TO MOVE EASTWARD DURING THE AREA OF SEGREGATION.
HOWEVER, ALL OF THE BUILDING'S OCCUPANTS WERE WORKING CLASS PEOPLE WHO INNOVATED TO SUPPORT THEIR FAMILIES AND TO BUILD COMMUNITIES IN THE FACE OF INEQUALITY AND SEGREGATION.
THE 2016 EAST AUSTIN SURVEY LISTS THE PROPERTY IS ELIGIBLE FOR LOCAL LANDMARK LISTING, INDIVIDUAL LISTING ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTRIBUTING TO A POTENTIAL LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICT AND CONTRIBUTING TO A POTENTIAL NATIONAL REGISTER HISTORIC DISTRICT.
THE BUILDING IS MORE THAN 50 YEARS OLD AND APPEARS TO RETAIN MODERATE INTEGRITY.
THE ORIGINAL PORCH WAS MODIFIED DURING THE PERIOD OF SIGNIFICANCE.
HOWEVER, THE PROVIDENCE OF THE EXISTING TURNED POST IS UNCLEAR.
THE PORCH WAS REHABILITATED AND INCOMPATIBLE ASBESTOS SIDING REMOVED IN NEITHER 19 77, 19 83 OR 1995 PER PERMIT HISTORY.
BUT AGAIN, THE ACTUAL PROVIDENCE IS UNCLEAR.
THE BUILDING MAY MEET TWO CRITERIA FOR LANDMARK DESIGNATION.
UH, THUS THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION IS, UH, SHOULD THE COMMISSION FIND THAT THE BUILDING'S HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS AND INTEGRITY SUFFICIENTLY MEET THE CRITERIA FOR LANDMARK DESIGNATION, INITIATE HISTORIC ZONING.
OTHERWISE, STAFF RECOMMENDS ENCOURAGING REHABILITATION AND ADAPTIVE REUSE, RELOCATION OR DECONSTRUCTION AND SALVAGE OVER DEMOLITION, BUT APPROVAL OF THE DEMOLITION PERMIT APPLICATION UPON COMPLETION OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE.
THAT CONCLUDES THE STAFF PRESENTATION.
UH, COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTIONS OF STAFF? ALRIGHT, HEARING NONE THEN WE'LL PROCEED WITH THE SPEAKERS.
THE FIRST ONE IS RIVER DELANO AND OPPOSITION.
DO WE HAVE, DO WE HAVE THE APPLICANT? IT WOULD APPEAR NOT SO THERE'S NO, THERE'S NO SPEAKER WHO SPEAKS IN FAVOR, IS THAT CORRECT? UM, WE DO HAVE A SECOND SPEAKER, BUT THEY DID NOT INDICATE WHETHER THEY'RE IN FAVOR OR OPPOSITION.
[01:50:01]
ONE HERE IS SPEAKING IN FAVOR, THEN WE MAY PROCEED TO THOSE IN OPPOSITION.PLEASE, UH, READ YOUR NAME INTO THE RECORD AND, UH, PROCEED.
I, UH, LIVED IN THIS HOME AND OWNED IT FOR ABOUT 10 YEARS.
UM, THE, I BASICALLY, I NOW LIVE NEXT DOOR, SO I'VE LIVED EITHER IN THAT HOME OR NEXT DOOR FOR 22 YEARS.
AND THE, UM, I WAS JUST LOOKING AT THE PICTURES THERE.
I'VE NEVER SEEN THE TOP PICTURE.
THE BELOW PICTURES ARE HOW IT LOOKS NOW, AND IT'S BEEN VACANT FOR A LITTLE WHILE.
AND I THINK THERE'S BEEN NOT ENOUGH TIME ON THIS ONE BECAUSE THE OWNER, WHICH IS EUREKA, MY, I SOLD IT TO EUREKA UNDER A SHELL CORPORATION.
AND THE OTHER CORPORATION'S NAME IS NOT THE, THE ACTUAL OWNER EUREKA, UM, HAS NOT KEPT THE BUILDING INTACT.
AND SO A LOT OF CODE VIOLATIONS RACKED UP AND THEN THEY DECIDED TO PUT THIS PERMIT IN TO GET OUT OF TRYING TO KEEP THE HOUSE INTACT.
AND I THINK THAT A, A NEIGHBOR OF MINE WHO LIVED IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD SAID THAT SHE SPENT A LOT OF TIME IN SWEDEN WHEN SHE GREW UP.
OF COURSE, THIS IS IN SW HILL.
AND SHE SAID THAT THIS HOME UNIQUELY REPRESENTS HOW SWEDISH HOMES LOOK IN THE EXACT PROPORTIONS OF THE ARCHITECTURE.
AND UNLIKE ANY OTHER HOMES IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD THAT ARE LEFT REMAINING HAVE THIS PROPORTION HERE.
SO I THINK THAT THE ARCHITECTURE OF THIS BUILDING, PLUS ALSO THE COMMUNITY VALUE BY BE, BECAUSE IT'S A UNIQUE LOOKING SWED HILL STRUCTURE FROM THE 1880S, UM, BUT ALSO ACROSS THE STREET FROM ME FOR 70 YEARS WAS DELORIA GRANT, AN AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMAN WHO IS MY BEST FRIEND IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHO'S NOW PASSED.
AND SHE GAVE ME A LOT OF STORIES ABOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO I'M REALLY HERE TO TELL THE STORIES.
SHE SAID THAT THE BLOCK ITSELF WAS FULL OF, IT WAS AN AFRICAN AMERICAN BLOCK, LIKE SHE SAID, ONCE EVERYONE WAS PUSHED OVER AND IT BORDERED RIGHT UP AGAINST A, UM, EUROPEAN NEIGHBORHOOD.
BUT THE LINE WAS VERY CLEAR AND BACK IN THE FIFTIES AND THE FORTIES THAT THE BLOCK FUNCTIONED MORE LIKE A HOME AND MORE LIKE A FAMILY.
AND IF ONE PERSON ON THE BLOCK HAD A TRUCK, THAT PERSON WOULD GO HUNT ACTUALLY SQUIRRELS AND THINGS LIKE THAT AND BRING THEM BACK FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND THEN ANOTHER PERSON ON THE BLOCK WOULD COOK BEANS VERY WELL.
SO THEY COOKED BEANS FOR THE WHOLE BLOCK.
AND THEN IN THAT HOUSE, UM, WITH THE COOK THAT WAS LISTED WAS A TAYLOR WHO LIVED, WHO I HEARD A LOT OF STORIES ABOUT THE PARTIES THAT THE TAYLOR WOULD HAVE.
IN ADDITION, IN THE BLOCK THERE, DELORIA GRANT, HER FATHER WAS A REALLY FAMOUS TRACK COACH IN AFRICAN AMERICAN HIGH SCHOOLS AND THEN WENT ON TO COLLEGE AND THEN PRO PROFESSIONAL COACHING.
HE WAS REALLY FAMOUS AND HE GOT TOGETHER WITH OTHER AFRICAN AMERICAN LEADERS AT THE TIME AND THEY PLANNED FOR THE HUMAN SWEAT APPLICATION TO THE UT LAW SCHOOL.
UM, I WENT TO UT LAW SCHOOL MYSELF AND THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN WHO EVER ATTENDED UT LAW SCHOOL WAS NAMED HEMAN SWEAT.
AND THAT WHOLE ACTION TO TRY TO GET HIM TO APPLY AND THEN DEAL WITH THE BACKLASH WAS ALL PLANNED THERE ON THAT BLOCK.
AND THEN THE LAST THING I ALSO WANNA SAY IS THAT AZ MORTON SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON THIS BLOCK.
THE PERSON WHO THEY NAMED THE STREET AFTER ROBERT E. LEE, WHEN THEY CROSSED OUT ROBERT E. LEE BY BARTON SPRINGS POOL AND AZ MORTON CAME OVER FROM SAN MARCOS AND DIDN'T HAVE VERY GOOD CLOTHING TO WEAR FOR HER HOUSTON COLLEGE ATTENDANCE.
AND SO TAYLOR'S ON THE, UM, BLOCK WERE MAKING CLOTHES FOR AZ MORTON.
AND YOU MAY ALREADY KNOW THAT HOUSTON TILLSON USED TO BE TWO COLLEGES, HOUSTON AND TILLSON.
AND SO HOUSTON, THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COLLEGE, WHICH WAS DEMOLISHED WHEN I 35 WAS PUT IN, 'CAUSE THIS IS RIGHT BY I 35.
UM, THIS BLOCK WAS FULL OF TEACHERS WHO TAUGHT AT HOUSTON TILLSON.
AND I KNOW THAT IN THIS SPECIFIC ONE THERE WERE TWO DIFFERENT TEACHERS.
ONE WOULD LIVE IN EACH ROOM AND THEN THEY HAD THE HALLWAY DOWN THE MIDDLE.
THE BUILDING IS NOT IN GREAT SHAPE, BUT I THINK IT REALLY SHOULD BE PRE THE FRONT TWO ROOMS ARE THE ONES THAT ARE HISTORIC.
AND I REALLY WISH IT WOULD BE PRESERVED.
I ALSO DON'T BELIEVE THESE APPLICANTS HAVE HAD ONE WORD WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
I MEAN, THEY'RE NOT EVEN HERE TONIGHT.
WE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHO THEY ARE.
I THINK THEY'RE JUST RUNNING FROM THE CODE VIOLATIONS AND THEY'RE, I THINK THEY'RE A LARGE CORPORATION IN DALLAS THAT OWN 150 TO 200 PARCELS IN EAST AUSTIN AND DON'T CARE THAT MUCH ABOUT US OR THE PROPERTY.
[01:55:01]
SO I WOULD ASK THAT YOU PLEASE CONSIDER THIS TO BE A HISTORIC PROPERTY, ESPECIALLY THESE FRONT TWO ROOMS. THERE'S STILL THE WOOD FLOORS INSIDE AND THE ORIGINAL SHIP LA ON THE WALLS.UH, COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTIONS OF THE SPEAKER? UM, YOU MENTIONED THE ORIGINAL, UM, THE FRONT TWO ROOMS BEING ORIGINAL.
DO YOU KNOW WHEN THE, I MAY HAVE MISSED THIS IN THE BACKUP, BUT DO YOU KNOW WHEN THE, THE REST OF THE ADDITIONS WERE CONSTRUCTED? I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT YEAR, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT I WAS TOLD THAT WHEN THE FRONT TWO ROOMS WERE CONSTRUCTED, OF COURSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE RUNNING WATER, BATHROOMS OR KITCHENS.
BUT IF YOU GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE REST OF THE HOME, IT IS REALLY DILAPIDATED.
THE REST OF THE HOME IS REALLY USELESS.
IT'S REALLY VERY OLD, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I MEAN IT'S VERY, IT DOESN'T HAVE HISTORIC VALUE, I BELIEVE.
SO WHEN I WAS LIVING THERE, I HAD JAMIE CHICO, THE ARCHITECT, DRAW UP DESIGNS FOR THAT PROPERTY.
WE NEVER IMPLEMENTED THEM, BUT WE PRESERVED THOSE FRONT TWO ROOMS BEAUTIFULLY AND THEN BUILT BEHIND IT.
THE FRONT TWO ARE THE ONES THAT ARE THE OLD ONES.
ANY MORE QUESTIONS OF THE APP OF THE UH, OF THE SPEAKER? ALRIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THANK YOU FOR CONSIDERING THIS NEXT SPEAKER.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS PAULINA KOVICH, UH, IN OPPOSITION.
HI, MY NAME IS PAULINA KOVICH.
I WASN'T PLANNING TO SPEAK TONIGHT.
I WAS ACTUALLY HERE JUST TO LEARN HOW THE LANDMARK COMMISSION WORKED.
AND I ALSO WANNA SAY THAT, UM, LIKE RIVER SAID, THE NEIGHBORHOOD HAS NOT BEEN MADE AWARE OF THIS APPLICATION.
THE APPLICANTS HAVE NOT COME TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
I AM VERY CLOSE TO THE BOARD, BUT I'M NOT ON THE BOARD OF THE SWEET HILL NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
UM, SO I WOULD LOVE, I WOULD LOVE FOR THIS TO JUST BE DENIED, BUT AT THE LEAST CASE POSTPONED, UM, I DON'T LIVE CLOSE ENOUGH TO GET A NOTICE.
AND I THINK RIVER MAY BE ONE OF THE ONLY OP APPLICANT OR ONLY RESIDENTS ON THAT BLOCK.
THE REST OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD, OR I'M SORRY, THE REST OF THE BLOCK IS AIRBNBS AND RENTALS.
AND WHILE I LOVE RENTERS, THEY MAY NOT NECESSARILY PAY ATTENTION TO NOTICES LIKE THIS.
UM, THERE ARE DEFINITELY, THERE ARE FIVE AIRBNBS ON THAT BLOCK AND I'M AFRAID THAT IF WE ALLOW ANOTHER DEMOLITION OF A HISTORIC PROPERTY THAT WE'LL GET ANOTHER AIRBNB.
UM, MOST OF SWEET HILL IS ALREADY EITHER UNDER I 35 OR EXCUSE ME, UM, UNDER THE PROPERTY WHERE THE DENNY'S AND THE DOUBLETREE ARE.
SO I THINK THE COMMUNITY VALUE OF THIS BUILDING IS THAT IT'S STILL STANDING.
I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T MEAN, I DON'T MEAN TO GET CHOKED UP, BUT OUR NEIGHBORHOOD IS, YOU'RE DOING GREAT, BEING LOST AND I'M JUST TRYING TO HELP TO FIGHT TO KEEP HIM.
ANY QUESTIONS OF THE SPEAKER? THANK YOU.
UH, ANY OTHER SPEAKERS? UH, NO OTHER SPEAKERS.
UH, WE'VE HAD OBVIOUSLY TWO SPEAKERS.
THE APPLICANT IS NOT AVAILABLE.
UH, COMMISSIONERS, UH, AT THIS POINT I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
COMMISSIONER RICE, UH, COMMISSIONER HORTER.
UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND.
COMMISSIONERS, WE HAVE SEVERAL OPTIONS HERE.
JUST AS A REMINDER, THIS IS NOT IN ANY HISTORIC DISTRICT.
SO OUR PURVIEW IS STRICTLY, UH, TO EITHER GRANT THE REQUEST FOR DEMOLITION DELAY IN THE EVENT THAT THERE'S EITHER MORE INFORMATION THAT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE OR SOME WAY THAT WE COULD ENCOURAGE THIS OWNER TO WORK WITH THE OWNERS TO COME UP WITH SOME, UH, RESOLUTION.
UH, OUR ONLY OTHER TOOL THAT WE HAVE IS TO INITIATE HISTORIC ZONING.
AND JUST FOR THE RECORD, THIS IS NOW THE FIRST TIME THAT THIS CASE HAS BEEN HEARD.
SO, UH, THAT SAME TIME CLOCK THAT WE TALKED ABOUT IS THE, THE TIMEFRAME FOR POTENTIAL INITIATION.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.
IT'S A 75 DAY WINDOW, UH, WITH THE FINAL BEING, UH, THE FEBRUARY, 2026, UH, COMMISSION MEETING.
UM, SO JUST TO CLARIFY, LIKE WE HA DO WE HAVE THE ABILITY, FOR INSTANCE, TO POSTPONE TO NEXT MONTH OR NO, BECAUSE IT'S NOT IN YES, WE CAN POSTPONE TO NEXT MONTH AND ALL THE SAME ACTIONS WOULD BE OF AT, AT OUR DISPOSAL NEXT MONTH.
AND IN THE SORT OF, I'M JUST TRYING TO THINK THROUGH OF LIKE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A REALLY INTRIGUING CASE TO ME.
I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM THE APPLICANT.
UM, I THINK THERE'S A VERY STRONG CASE FOR PRESERVATION HERE AND I, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT MEANS LANDMARKING, BUT I, UM,
[02:00:01]
I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO HEAR FROM THE APPLICANT AND GET SOME MORE INFORMATION.UM, I JUST, UM, WE, WE HAVE THE TIMELINE WISE, WE, WE HAVE THE OPTION.
IT CAN HELP WITH THE TIMELINE, UM, IF THAT WILL HELP.
UM, SO THE COMMISSION HAS 75 DAYS FROM THE DATE THAT THE ITEM FIRST APPEARS ON AN AGENDA TO MAKE A DECISION ON A CASE OUTSIDE A HISTORIC DISTRICT, UH, SORRY, CALL CONTRERAS PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
UH, 75 DAYS FROM TODAY IS FEBRUARY 16TH.
SO THE LAST HLC MEETING AT WHICH THIS CASE MAY APPEAR, UH, IS THE FEBRUARY 4TH, UH, 2026 MEETING.
UM, IF THE COMMISSION WISHES TO PURSUE HISTORIC ZONING, UM, TWO MEETINGS ARE REQUIRED FOR THE COMMISSION TO VOTE ON FIRST INITIATING AND THEN RECOMMENDING A BUILDING FOR DESIGNATION.
UM, AND A SUPER MAJORITY VOTE IS ALSO REQUIRED ON THAT SECOND RECOMMENDATION MEETING.
UM, IF THEY WANT TO RECOMMEND TO, UH, PLANNING COMMISSION AND COUNSEL OVER AND OWNER'S WISHES.
SO THAT WOULD, WHICH WOULD MEAN WE COULD INITIATE ONE MOTION COULD INITIATE THIS MONTH, AND THEN THAT COULD BE ACTED ON IN JANUARY, BUT WE COULD WAIT, GET MORE INFORMATION AND THEN STILL INITIATE IT JANUARY AND STILL BE ABLE TO MEET THE REQUIREMENT IF WE, SO WE'RE INCLINED IN FEBRUARY.
DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? YES.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING AND POSTPONE THIS UNTIL OUR, UH, NEXT MEETING.
UH, MOTION TO POSTPONE TO THE JANUARY MEETING.
UH, IT'S BEEN MADE BY COMMISSIONER ACTON.
IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND? UM, I SAW COMMISSIONER ROGANS.
WE'RE, WE'LL, WE'LL SPREAD THE WEALTH AND THIS'LL BE, UH, COMMISSIONER PLEASANT WRIGHT SECOND.
UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? WELL, DO YOU WANNA DISCUSS, UH, YOUR MOTION FIRST? UH, COMMISSIONER ACTON? UM, YES.
I FEEL THAT, UM, MAYBE THIS NEEDS A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME FOR MAYBE THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO WEIGH IN, TO MAYBE HAVE, POTENTIALLY HAVE THE, THE DEVELOPER THAT OWNS THIS HAVE SOME AMOUNT OF COMMENT, MAYBE AN IDEA WHAT THEY'RE PLANNING ON DOING WITH IT AND EXPLORING SOME OF THE MORE, UM, HISTORICAL ASPECTS OF, UH, THIS IN THE SURROUNDING AREA.
SO THAT'S MY RATIONALE FOR POSTPONING.
UH, POINT OF ORDER, UH, THIS MOTION, UH, TO POSTPONE SHOULD ALSO INCLUDE A MOTION TO REOPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING, IF THAT IS THE MOTION MAKER.
I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T RESTATE THE MOTION THAT HE HAD MADE, BUT YES, THAT IS THE REOPENING AS WELL.
UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, PLEASANT WRIGHT.
UH, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK TO YOUR SECOND? YEAH, JUST THE BACK DOOR, WHAT HE SAID.
UM, ALSO TO GIVE THE APPLICANT TIME TO, TO WORK WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND TALK TO THEM AND ALSO IF YOU HAVE THE PICTURES OF THE, THE INSIDE, YOU COULD PRESENT THAT NEXT MONTH AS WELL.
AM I ALLOWED TO ASK THAT? SURE.
WELL, AND AGAIN, THE APPLICANT HOPEFULLY WILL BE FOLLOWING UP AND HEARING WHAT WE'RE HAVING TO SAY.
UH, AND I HOPE THEY DO BECAUSE, UH, I ACTUALLY, WHAT, WHAT WHAT WAS SAID BY THEIR FIRST SPEAKER, WHICH IS THERE IS, UH, UH, A UNIQUENESS TO THE SHAPE AND THE PROPORTIONS, BUT ALSO THE DETAILING, UH, THAT IS A CLASSIC VICTORIAN WINDOW DETAIL.
UH, IT'S IN THESE FRONT TWO ROOMS. THE FRONT FACADE IS IN REMARKABLY GOOD SHAPE.
UH, I THINK IT WAS A VERY LUCKY THING THAT THE, UH, VINYL SIDING WAS REMOVED, BUT IT REVEALED WHAT IS MOST LIKELY THE ORIGINAL WOOD SIDING.
UH, IT'S A SMALL ORIGINAL STRUCTURE THAT HAS MADE IT THROUGH THE YEARS.
IT WOULD BE AN ABSOLUTE SHAME TO LOSE IT.
IT IS IN THE FRONT OF A VERY DEEP LOT, AND WE KNOW THERE HAVE BEEN MANY CREATIVE, UH, SOLUTIONS WHERE A STRUCTURE IN FRONT, PARTICULARLY ONE OF THIS QUALITY THEN IS THE GATEWAY OR THE CONNECTION TO MORE DEVELOPMENT IN THE BACK.
I'M JUST SORRY THAT, UH, JAMIE CHIKO WASN'T, THE ARCHITECT WASN'T ABLE TO DO THAT WITH THE PREVIOUS SPEAKER.
WE WOULDN'T BE IN THIS SITUATION.
BUT, UH, IF THE, UH, IF THE OWNERS ARE LISTENING, UH, I WOULD VERY MUCH ENCOURAGE THEM TO USE THESE NEXT 30 DAYS BEFORE WE SEE YOU AGAIN.
UH, BUT I, I THINK THIS IS A JEWEL AND MAY VERY WELL BE, UH, WORTH LOOKING AT FOR, UH, PROTECTION.
UM, DO, IS THIS PROPERTY WITHIN, UM, THE EAST 12TH NCCD? LEMME CONFIRM THAT FOR YOU, COMMISSIONER.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND EXTEND AN INVITATION TO THE A RC FOR THIS ONE.
AH, UM, I THINK THIS IS AN ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS STRUCTURE AND SO MUCH POTENTIAL TO DEVELOP THE BACK OF THE LOT AND RETAIN THE FRONT OF THIS HOUSE.
SO, UH, WE'D BE HAPPY TO DISCUSS OPTIONS WITH THEM.
I'M, I'M SURE IT'D BE A RICH CONVERSATION AND YOU GET A LOT OUT OF IT.
[02:05:01]
OKAY.UH, DO WE WANNA WAIT FOR STAFF'S, UH, RESPONSE BEFORE WE MAKE THE CALL? A QUESTION? IT, IT'S GONNA BE A LITTLE BIT.
I'M, UH, I'M NOT SO GOOD AT TYPING RIGHT NOW, SO, UH, IT JUST A SECOND.
I, I, I, I WAS, THAT'S MOSTLY, UM, RELEVANT IN CONVERSATION WITH THE, WITH THE APPLICANT ANYWAYS, JUST IN REGARDS OF LIKE HOW MANY OF THOSE TOOLS ARE AVAILABLE SINCE I BELIEVE THOSE SUPERSEDE THE, UM, THE HOME, UM, GUIDELINES.
YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S AN OVERLAY.
SO, UM, YES, COMMISSIONER, I'M HAPPY TO PROVIDE IT, UH, AFTER THE MEETING AS WELL.
SO COMMISSIONERS, WE HAVE A MOTION TO POSTPONE TO OUR JANUARY MEETING, UH, AND WE PROPERLY CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
SO ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND AND I SEE ALL HANDS RAISED, SO IT IS UNANIMOUS.
[19. PR-2025-139336 – 812 Park Blvd. Council District 9]
TO OUR FINAL DISCUSSION.ITEM ITEM NUMBER 19 AT EIGHT 12 PARK.
UH, THIS IS A PROPOSAL TO DEMOLISH A CIRCA 1937 BUILDING.
UM, THIS SINGLE STORY, STONE CLAD HOUSE WAS CONSTRUCTED AROUND 1937, BUT CONTAINS SOME DE DESIGN FEATURES THAT WOULD BECOME COMMON TO THE RANCH STYLE, COMMONLY SEEN IN OTHER PARTS OF AUSTIN.
THE LOW HORIZONTAL FORM WITH TWO SEPARATE FRONT FACING GABLES THAT BOOKEND A LONG, LOW SIDE GABLE ROOF FORM, AS WELL AS THE PICTURE WINDOW ALONGSIDE OTHERWISE HORIZONTALLY ORIENTED FENESTRATION.
AND THE L-SHAPED PLAN WOULD ALL BECOME FEATURES OF LATER DEVELOPMENTS.
BUT HERE COMBINED WITH A WHITE STONE CLADDING AND COVERED ENTRYWAY THAT ARE MORE COMMON TO THE OLDER HOUSES FOUND ON THE REST OF THE PARK BOULEVARD DECORATIVE ATTIC VENT AND TWO SMALL VERTICAL WINDOWS ON THE FRONT ELEVATION APPEARED TO HAVE, UH, EMBEDDED A SLIGHT TUDOR REVIVAL INFLUENCE AS WELL.
THE HOUSE WAS ORIGINALLY BUILT FOR RALPH AND ELIZABETH BUTTON OF BUTTON ICE CREAM COMPANY, WHICH WAS DEVELOPING INTO A LARGE ORGANIZATION AFTER BEING FOUNDED SOME YEARS BEFORE.
HOWEVER, THIS CHANGED WITH THE PASSING OF RALPH BUTTON IN 1943, AFTER WHICH SOLE OWNERSHIP PASSED TO ELIZABETH AND AFTER TO RALPH JUNIOR, WHO WORKED AS A DRIVER.
ELTON AND MLO, UH, MARKHAM PURCHASED THE PROPERTY AFTER AND LIVED THERE FOR SEVERAL YEARS.
ADDING ON TO THE FOOTPRINT IN 1962, THE 2021 NORTH LOOP HANCOCK, BOBBY C CREEK, BUGGY CREEK HISTORIC RESOURCE SURVEY LISTS THE PROPERTY AS A MEDIUM PRIORITY AND ELIGIBLE AS A CONTRIBUTING RESOURCE TO A POTENTIAL PARK BOULEVARD.
HISTORIC DISTRICT PROPERTIES MUST MEET, UH, TWO CRITERIA FOR LANDMARK DESIGNATION.
STAFF HAS EVALUATED THE PROPERTY AND DETERMINED THAT IT DOES NOT MEET TWO CRITERIA FOR LANDMARK DESIGNATION.
THEREFORE, STAFF RECOMMENDATION IS TO ENCOURAGE REHABILITATION AND ADAPTIVE REUSE, UH, RELOCATION OR DECONSTRUCTION AND SALVAGE OVER DEMOLITION, BUT APPROVE THE DEMOLITION PERMIT APPLICATION UPON COMPLETION OF A CITY OF AUSTIN DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE.
UH, COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM STAFF? ALRIGHT, HEARING NONE.
IS THE APPLICANT AVAILABLE? UH, IS THE APPLICANT HERE TO SPEAK? WHAT IS ALRIGHT, UH, THAT'S NOT THE CASE.
IS THERE, UH, ANYONE HERE TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION? ACTUALLY, THE APPLICANT MAY POSSIBLY BE HERE.
IT IS A RERA, DEMOLITION AND CONSTRUCTION IN FAVOR AND THEY ARE VIRTUAL.
DENISE RERA HERE WITH, WITH BARRERA DEMOLITION.
I'M IN, UH, FAVOR FOR THE DEMOLITION.
AND MS. RERA, WOULD YOU CHOOSE TO, UH, GIVE US ANY MORE INFORMATION, UH, HAVING HEARD THE STAFF'S PRESENTATION ABOUT THE BUILDING AND WELL, WHAT, ANYTHING ELSE YOU CAN TELL US? ABSOLUTELY.
SO, UM, THE, THE OWNER OF THE BUILDING IS ALSO ON THE PHONE CALL CURRENTLY, UM, FROM THE CURRENT CONDITION, CONDITION OF THE HOUSE IS INHABITED AND IT IS, UH, BEING, UM, CONSTANTLY HABITED BY SQUATTERS.
UM, SO, UH, IT'S BECOMING, UM, DANGER TO THE COMMUNITY AND THE ACTUAL, THE NEIGHBOR HAS ALSO, UM, REQUESTED TO HAVE IT DEMOLISHED BECAUSE OF ALL THE SQUATTERS THAT ARE CURRENTLY RESIDING IN THE PROPERTY.
COMMISSIONERS, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OF, UH, THE SPEAKER? ALRIGHT.
HEARING NONE, UH, YOU SAID THAT THE OWNER IS ALSO AVAILABLE.
ARE THEY SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? UM, I BELIEVE NOT.
THEY ARE ACTUALLY ON THE PHONE.
[02:10:01]
THE OWNER TO MAKE SURE THAT IT IS, UM, KNOWN THE WALL THAT IS, UH, COVERING OR AT THE BEGINNING OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD IS GONNA BE LEFT THERE.WE ARE NOT PLANNING ON, UH, DEMOLISHING THAT WALL.
I, IS THAT JUST A, UH, THAT'S A, THAT'S, I I DON'T SEE THE PICTURES.
IS THAT AN EXTERIOR GARDEN WALL? THAT'S NOT A STRUCTURAL WALL OF THE BUILDING? THAT'S CORRECT, CHAIR.
IT IS A WALL TO THE ENTRANCE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, WE HAVE HAD REQUESTS FOR, UH, POSTPONEMENT ON THIS FROM NEIGHBORS WHO HAVE SAID THAT THEY ARE, HAVE NOT BEEN NOTIFIED OR AWARE OF WHAT IS GOING ON.
UM, BUT, UH, WOULD YOUR OWNER HAVE AN OBJECTION TO, UH, POSTPONING THIS FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION? THE OWNER DOES HAVE AN OBJECTION TO POSTPONING IT.
UH, SHE WANTS TO GO AHEAD AND GET THIS ISSUE RESOLVED.
WE'VE HAD VARIOUS COMPLAINTS BY THE NEIGHBORS ABOUT THE SQUATTERS THAT ARE RESIDING IN THE HOU THE HOME.
WE HAVE NOT HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO PASS OUT ANY FLYERS JUST YET.
WE HAVEN'T GONE INTO THAT PROCESS OF THE DEMOLITION PERMITTING.
AND THEN ONE QUESTION THAT FREQUENTLY COMES UP, HOW, HOW LONG IS THIS OWNER? UH, ACTUALLY WHEN DID THEY PURCHASE THE HOUSE? I DO NOT HAVE THE ANSWER TO THAT.
SO IT IT, DO YOU KNOW, IS THE, THE OWNER'S NOT THERE.
CAN THEY TELL YOU, IS IT A RECENT PURCHASE? GIVE ME ONE MOMENT.
I'M GETTING THE INFORMATION AS WE SPEAK.
I I'M RECEIVING A TEXT MESSAGE AT THIS MOMENT 'CAUSE HE IS ON HIS OWN PHONE.
THE HOUSE, UH, ONE YEAR AGO IT WAS PURCHASED.
THANK YOU FOR THAT INFORMATION.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR, BUT THE SPEAKER ALRIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
IS THERE ANY OTHER SPEAKER? YES, WE HAVE ONE SPEAKER WHO IS ALSO VIRTUAL.
WELL, LET ME NOT SAY ONE SPEAKER.
WE HAVE ANOTHER SPEAKER, UH, CHARLES DHAR COURT, WHO I HAVE LISTED IN FAVOR, BUT I KNOW HIS STANCE IS NEUTRAL.
I REPRESENT THE HANCOCK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION AND CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, PLEASE PROCEED.
SO, UH, OUR ASSOCIATION HAS MET THE OWNER ON SUNDAY AND, UH, A CO UM, COUP COUPLE NEIGHBORS VISITED THE HOUSE, UH, YESTERDAY, SORRY, ON MONDAY.
AND THEN YESTERDAY WE HAD A SPECIAL MEETING TO DISCUSS IT.
UH, WE DID NOT COME TO A CONCLUSION EITHER IN FAVOR OR IN OPPOSITION JUST BECAUSE OF DEMOCRATIC RULES.
SO WE HAVE NO OFFICIAL POSITION, BUT I WANTED THE COMMISSION, UH, THE, THE COMMISSIONERS TO KNOW THAT, UH, WE HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THE NEIGHBOR.
THE NEIGHBOR DIDN'T SIGN, SORRY, THE, THE PROPERTY OWNER DIDN'T SIGN UP TO SPEAK.
I DO HAVE AN EMAIL HE SENT OUT TO THE MAILING LIST, WHICH I COULD READ PARTS OF IF THAT PROVIDES ANY INTERESTING INFORMATION FOR THE COMMISSIONERS.
UH, HOWEVER YOU'D LIKE TO USE YOUR TIME.
SO, UH, WHAT HE SAID IS, OUR PLAN IS TO BUILD A SINGLE FAMILY HOME TO SERVE AT AN APPROPRIATE GATEWAY TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE'RE WORKING WITH ARCHITECT DAVID TRON TO DESIGN A MODERN TUTOR AS A COMPLIMENT IN CONTRAST TO CHRIS, UH, OAKLAND'S RESTORE TUTOR ACROSS THE STREET ON THE CORNER OF THE EIGHTH, UH, EIGHT 30 PARK BOULEVARD.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY DESIGN YET, BUT OUR INSPIRATION COME FROM DAVID DAVID'S DESIGNS AT 8 0 7 8 0 9, AND 8 1 1 MA POSTER, WHICH YOU CAN SEE AT DAVY'S WEBSITE, WHICH IS DAVY DAVY M ARCHITECTURE.COM.
WE HONESTLY HAVE NO IDEA AT THIS POINT HOW THE END DESIGN WILL LOOK, BUT WE ARE VERY SENSITIVE TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD AESTHETICS AND WILL NOT BE BUILDING MONSTROSITY OR ONE OF THE OTHER INVESTORS STYLE MODERN HOUSE THAT ARE PLAGUING OFF THESE DAYS.
AND WE WILL ABSOLUTELY BE KEEPING THE GOLDSTONE WALL, THAT PLANKS PARK BOULEVARD TO ENSURE THAT OUR HOUSE IS COMPLIMENTARY.
UH, SO THAT'S THE END OF THE QUOTE FROM, FROM THE OWNER.
I WANT TO SAY THAT A NUMBER OF NEIGHBORS HAVE EXPRESSED, UH, CONCERN ABOUT THE, THE GATEWAY.
SO THIS IS ABOUT 10 FOOT OF STONEWALL THAT'S ON THE NORTH PART OF B OF PARK BOULEVARD.
AND THERE'S, UH, A SISTER 10 FOOT ON THE SOUTH PARK ALONG A HISTORIC HOUSE CALLED THE EMMA LONG HOUSE THAT
[02:15:01]
IS BEING REMODELED, UH, UH, RESTORED RIGHT NOW.AND, UH, IT, THE TWO TOGETHER FORM KIND OF LIKE A GATEWAY ENTRANCE TO PARK BOULEVARD IN THE NEIGHBOR.
UH, IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT HISTORIC COMMISSION NEED TO OR CAN DO TO, TO ENSURE THE PRESERVATION OF, OF THE, OF JUST THAT STONEWALL ENSURE THE NEIGHBORS WOULD APPRECIATE.
UM, AND I THINK THAT'S ALL THE INFORMATION I HAVE THAT COULD BE OF USE.
I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION POINT OF VIEW.
COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTIONS? YES.
SO IS IT THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION YOU WANNA SAVE THE HOUSE OR JUST THE WALL? UH, THE WALL.
THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION HA HAS NO OFFICIAL POSITION ON EITHER OF THOSE, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE COMMENTS, EVEN THE PEOPLE WHO WERE, UM, WANTING TO APPROVE THE DEMOLITION, UH, DID WANT TO PRESERVE THE WALL 'CAUSE AS THE OWNER IS PLANNING ON IT.
UH, ARE THERE ANY OTHER SPEAKERS? UH, WE HAVE ANOTHER SPEAKER SIGNED UP IN FAVOR, WHICH IS HANS MENDEL, BUT IT WOULD APPEAR THAT NOT HERE.
SO OUR NEXT SPEAKER THAT WE HAVE SIGNED UP IS BRITTANY MOORE IN OPPOSITION, AND THEY WOULD BE A VIRTUAL SPEAKER.
AND, BUT EVIDENTLY THEY ARE ALSO NOT ONLINE.
SO THERE ARE NO OTHER SPEAKERS.
I WOULD NOT CHARACTERIZE MR. DEHART COURT'S COMMENTS AS OPPOSITION.
HOWEVER, MS. BARRERA, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE ANY FINAL WORDS AS THE APPLICANT, WE CAN PUT YOU BACK ON FOR ANY REBUTTAL THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE.
I THINK, UM, I DIDN'T MAKE IT CLEAR ENOUGH, BUT THE WALL IS STAYING NOT GONNA BE DEMOLISHED.
ALRIGHT, IF THERE ARE NO FURTHER SPEAKERS, THEN I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND AND I SEE IT IS UNANIMOUS.
SO, COMMISSIONERS, UH, WE LIKE THE PREVIOUS CASES.
UH, THESE LAST TWO CASES, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE'VE HEARD THIS.
IT IS NOT IN ANY HISTORIC DISTRICT.
AND SO THEREFORE OUR ACTIONS ARE TO TAKE ACTION, UH, AND APPROVE THE REQUEST.
WE CAN POSTPONE, UH, OR WE CAN EITHER NOW INITIATE HISTORIC ZONING OR STILL BE ABLE TO DO SO IN THE SAME TIMEFRAME SINCE THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IT'S BEEN HEARD.
SO WHAT IS YOUR PLEASURE, COMMISSIONER LAROCHE? I WOULD MOVE TO APPROVE PER STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION.
THAT'S A MOVE TO, UH, UH, GO, UH, PER PER STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION.
IS THERE A SECOND? UH, COMMISSIONER, SECOND.
WE HAVE A MOTION TO, UH, ACCEPT THE, UH, APPLICANT'S REQUEST.
COMMISSIONER LA ROCHE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO DISCUSS YOUR MOTION? NO, IT JUST, IT, IT JUST SEEMS TO ME LIKE THERE'S ALREADY ONGOING DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION AND THE APPLICANT.
SO I THINK THE BEST THING WE CAN DO IS REMOVE OURSELVES FROM THAT AND LET THE PROCESS CONTINUE.
GUCCI, UH, YEAH, I ECHO THOSE COMMENTS.
AND THEN ALSO IT SEEMS LIKE MOST OF THE OPPOSITION THAT'S BEEN INCLUDED IN OUR BACKUP IS RELATED TO THE WALL.
UM, AND FROM THE SOUND OF IT, THEY'RE KEEPING THE WALL.
SO YEAH, I, I AGREE WITH, UH, COMMISSIONER LAROCHE.
AND NOW COMMISSIONERS, I BELIEVE ONE OF YOU ALL PULLED THIS FOR DISCUSSION, IS THAT RIGHT? RIGHT.
DO YOU HAVE ANY, NOW THAT WE'VE HEARD THE PRESENTATION, DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS? I I JUST WANTED TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THIS DISCUSSION AND HEAR MORE FROM THE COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY SINCE THERE WAS SO MUCH, UM, BACKUP AVAILABLE OR BACKUP, UM, PROVIDED.
UM, I'M NOT QUITE SURE HOW I'M GONNA VOTE YET.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? UM, GO AHEAD.
COMMISSIONER RICE, I'M, I'M ALSO UNDECIDED AT THE MOMENT.
I'M, UM, I, I I REALLY, I MEAN, I, IT SEEMS LIKE, LIKE THE APPLICANT
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IS WORKING IN, IN GOOD FAITH WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD.UM, I ALSO LIKE, GIVEN THE TIMELINES THAT WE'VE BEEN, THAT SEEM THAT, AS FAR AS I'M UNDERSTANDING FROM THE TESTIMONY THAT WE'VE HEARD, UM, I DON'T, IT DOESN'T IMMEDIATELY SI DON'T IMMEDIATELY SEE WHY A POSTPONEMENT WOULD BE, UM, A SIGNIFICANT HINDRANCE.
UM, AND I'M PART OF ME IS INCLINED TO POSTPONE UNTIL WE CAN HAVE AN IDEA OF, UM, PLANS.
ALTHOUGH THAT IS THE, IS THAT NOT WITHIN OUR PURVIEW SINCE IT'S NATIONAL? NO.
UM, WE COULD ASK BUT THAT WOULD NOT BE, YEAH.
NONE OF THE DEMOLITION WOULD BE CONTINGENT UPON THAT.
UM, BUT I, I, UM, YOU KNOW THAT THE, THE WALL IS, IS ANOTHER THAT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S A RECOGNIZABLE FEATURE OF THAT, THAT PART OF THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND, UM, AS THE, AS ONE OF THE, AS I BELIEVE THE APPLICANT SAID, IT'S A, YOU KNOW, ACROSS THE STREET FROM A, ANOTHER HISTORIC BUILDING.
SO, UM, I DON'T THINK I HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO SAY.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ITEM? COMMISSIONERS? UH, I'M GONNA WEIGH IN IN THAT.
I THINK THOUGH THERE ARE SOME ITEMS THAT ARCHITECTURALLY THE STAFF NOTED THAT HAVE SOME INTEREST ON THIS BUILDING THAT ARCHITECTURALLY IT REALLY IS NOT THAT SIGNIFICANT.
UH, I WONDER, IT DOESN'T SURPRISE ME WHEN THEY TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE CONDITION OF THE BUILDING, UH, THOUGH THAT WAS NOT NECESSARILY IN EVIDENCE JUST BY THE PICTURES WE HAVE, IT LOOKS LIKE SOME MODIFICATION PROBABLY HAS TAKEN PLACE.
SO I, I'M THINKING OF THIS NOT SO MUCH IN TERMS OF WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN IN THE NEXT MONTH, BUT ULTIMATELY WHETHER THIS WOULD RISE TO THE CASE.
I, I THINK IF THERE WERE A HISTORIC DISTRICT, IT MIGHT VERY REASONABLY BE A CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURE, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE IT WOULD EVER, UH, RISE TO THE CASE WHERE IT WOULD DESERVE LANDMARK STATUS AS A INDIVIDUAL ITEM.
SO, UH, I, I THINK I HAVE ENOUGH TO MAKE THAT DECISION TONIGHT.
AND SO I AM GOING TO FA UH, GO AHEAD AND, AND VOTE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION.
BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, A DELAY WOULDN'T HURT IF THAT, IF THE MOTION FAILS, WE CAN ALWAYS ENTERTAIN THAT AS WELL.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? UM, NOT, I JUST, IS SORT OF LIKE, I DUNNO WHAT THIS WOULD BE POINT OF LIKE, CLARIFICATION.
UM, AND MAYBE THIS IS SOMETHING TO BRING UP IN COMMITTEE, BUT I'M JUST, IT'S, I'M INTERESTED IN THE FACT THAT WE'VE HAD MULTIPLE CASES BEFORE US TONIGHT WHERE THERE'S BEEN A RUSH TO DEMOLISH A HISTORIC BUILDING BECAUSE OF AN ISSUE WITH SQUATTERS.
UM, AND OBVIOUSLY LIKE THAT IN SOME WAYS FALLS OUT OF OUR PURVIEW.
UM, BUT IT ALSO LIKE, IT, IT DOES MAKE ME INTERESTED IN THE POSSIBILITY OF LIKE, IS THERE A RESOLUTION THAT WE COULD SEND TO, YOU KNOW, UM, THE COUNCIL OR TO WHEREVER, UM, OR POTENTIAL RECOMMENDATIONS AROUND HOW TO BETTER BALANCE THAT PROBLEM.
BECAUSE I MEAN, THAT'S A VERY REAL PROBLEM.
IT'S A SAFETY, IT'S A SAFETY PROBLEM.
BUT I ALSO, LIKE, I DON'T LOVE SEEING THIS PRO LIKE THE PROCESS HASTENED, UM, JUST FOR THAT REASON WHEN THERE'S, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY OUTSIDE OF OUR PURVIEW, BUT THERE'S POTENTIALLY OTHER THINGS THAT COULD BE DONE TO PREVENT THOSE SITUATIONS FROM ARISING IN THE FIRST PLACE IN CREATING THAT PROBLEM, UH, ON THOSE PROPERTIES.
SO, UM, I KNOW THAT'S KIND OF OUTSIDE OF THE PURVIEW OF THE CONVERSATION WE'RE HAVING RIGHT NOW, SO I MAY BE OUT OF LINE.
WELL, THEY, THEY DID BRING IT UP AS A CONCERN AND IT IS NOT, CERTAINLY OLDER BUILDINGS ALONE ARE NOT THE ONLY ONES THAT ARE SUBJECT TO NEGLECT.
THEREFORE, UH, BEING ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE, HAVE, BE STUCK WITH THE PROBLEM WITH SQUATTERS, NOR IS IT A HISTORIC PRESERVATION SPECIFIC ISSUE.
THAT SAID, UH, WE HAVE A VERY CLOSE WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CITY DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE IN CHARGE OF BUILDING STANDARDS.
AND THE BUILDING STANDARDS COMMISSION IS, UH, IS ALSO A BODY THAT IS ENFORCING THOSE.
AND THIS MAY BE AN, AN ITEM THAT, UH, THE OPERATIONS COMMITTEE AS THEY ARE ALREADY LOOKING AT SEVERAL OTHER ASPECTS, UH, MAY, MAY CONTINUE THE DIALOGUE WITH THOSE DEPARTMENTS AND SEE IF THERE MAY BE WAYS WE CAN STREAMLINE OR EVEN OFFER SOME ASSISTANCE MM-HMM
SEPARATE FROM WHAT WE'RE SPECIFICALLY DOING AS A LANDMARKS COMMISSION, BUT JUST BEING MORE FAMILIAR WITH THOSE OTHER RESOURCES.
YEAH, I MEAN I, THAT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT WAS JUST, YOU KNOW, IT'S ON MY MIND TONIGHT SINCE IT'S BEEN MULTIPLE, MULTIPLE CASES OF
[02:25:01]
THAT AND JUST THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S SOMETHING WE CAN DO THAT'D BE GREAT,BUT, YOU KNOW, ALSO OUR SCOPE IS LIMITED, SO.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE APPLICANT'S REQUEST FOR DEMOLITION.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND.
I'M SEEING, OH, ALL HANDS RAISED.
THE MOTION PASSES AND OF COURSE THAT IS WITH STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION AND WE WILL STILL REQUIRE A DEMOLITION, UH, A DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE.
ALRIGHT, UH, COMMISSIONERS, THAT CONCLUDES OUR CASES.
[20. Update from the Architectural Review Committee regarding the November 12, 2025, meeting. ]
GO TO COMMITTEE UPDATES AND, UH, WE HAVE TWO MEMBERS OF THE ARCHITECTURE REVIEW COMMITTEE AND GIVE US A SYNOPSIS OF WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON.UM, OF US TWO, I WAS THE ONE THERE.
UM, WE HAD A, IT WAS RARE, A A SHORT MEETING
UM, WE DID REVIEW THE, UM, THE ROSEDALE SCHOOL AND HAD A DISCUSSION AS WE MENTIONED EARLIER ON THAT ONE AND A COUPLE OTHER ITEMS. BUT, UM, WE ALWAYS APPRECIATE FOLKS COMING AND TALKING THROUGH THE PROJECTS.
I THINK IT'S, IT'S HELPFUL FOR ALL OF US AND WE, AGAIN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE.
SO, AND WE'RE GLAD THAT ONE WAS A SHORT MEETING.
'CAUSE WE KNOW A LOT OF, OF MARK, GREAT.
[21. Update from the Operations Committee regarding the November 19, 2025, meeting]
UH, THE OPERATIONS COMMITTEE, UH, HAD A MEETING ON NOVEMBER 19TH.UM, SO WE SPENT THAT MEETING LOOKING AT, UM, THE POTENTIAL REVIEWS OF THE SIGN STANDARDS, UM, WHICH LED TO SOME VERY INTERESTING AND VERY PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATION.
UM, I MAY, UH, HAVE COMMISSIONER ACTON CHIME IN IN, UH, A MOMENT, BUT IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE WILLING, BUT, UM, WE WE'RE GONNA BE TAKING, WE, WE HAD A, A LOT OF PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATION AT, AT THE LAST MEETING.
A LOT OF LIKE, YOU KNOW, JUST GETTING INTO SORT OF THE WEEDS OF LIKE, WHAT, WHAT THE PURPOSE OF THESE, UH, THE SIGN STANDARDS ARE AND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH.
UM, IN THE REVIEW OF THEM AS THEY'RE CURRENTLY WRITTEN.
THERE'S A LOT OF, UM, THERE'S A, THERE'S SIMULTANEOUSLY A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE BOTH VERY, LIKE, VERY SPECIFIC IN SOME REGARDS AND EXTREMELY VAGUE IN OTHER REGARDS.
UM, AND I THINK, UM, I, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THE WHOLE COMMITTEE, BUT I KNOW FOR MYSELF, LIKE I THINK I'D LIKE TO SEE A PROCESS WHERE, YOU KNOW, IT'S CLEAR WHAT IS ACCEPTABLE AND WHAT ISN'T.
WE LOOKED AT SOME, UM, EXAMPLES FROM PEER CITIES.
UM, THERE'S A, A REALLY, UM, GREAT PAMPHLET FROM SAN FRANCISCO THAT THEY PUBLISH, UM, THAT LIKE, KIND OF IS, IT LOOKS AT, UM, SIGNS AND MURALS AND PUBLIC ARTWORK AND ASKS A LOT OF DIFFERENT QUESTIONS ABOUT LIKE, WHAT IS A SIGN AND HOW SHOULD WE BE LOOKING AT THAT? AND, UM, HOW, UM, AT WHAT POINT, LIKE WHERE DO YOU DRAW THE LINES BETWEEN, UM, A SIGN THAT IS IN OF ITSELF HISTORIC, OR IT'S A NEW SIGN ON A HISTORIC BUILDING OR, UM, YOU KNOW, A SIGNIFICANT PIECE OF PUBLIC ARTWORK ON A BUILDING THAT IS OTHERWISE LIKE, NOT PARTICULARLY, UM, HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT.
UM, AND WE HAD A, WE HAD A LOT OF PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATION, UM, BUT WE'RE GONNA BE REVISITING SOME OF THAT AT THE NEXT MEETING.
UM, IN THE MEANTIME, UM, WE'VE ALL SORT OF, UM, BEEN TRYING TO TAKE A CHANCE TO, UM, SORT OF GET, GET, GET A SENSE OF, UM, HOW THE STANDARDS AS THEY'RE CURRENTLY WRITTEN ARE BEING FOLLOWED.
UM, I'VE HAD A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY, UH, LAST WEEK TO, UM, TAKE SOME WALKS AROUND, UM, SETH CONGRESS AND AROUND, UM, THE OF SIXTH STREET, UH, AROUND THE PARAMOUNT THEATER, LIKE THAT STRETCH OF, UM, DOWNTOWN CONGRESS, UM, AND JUST TO GET A FEEL FOR HOW THE CURRENTLY LANDMARK BUILDINGS ARE FOLLOWING THE CURRENT STANDARDS.
AND THERE'S, UM, THERE'S A LOT TO BE LEARNED THERE THAT I'M SURE WE'LL UNPACK AT OUR, AT OUR FORTHCOMING MEETING.
UM, BUT, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF COMMISSIONER ACTON, IF YOU HAVE ANY, UH, WE GENERATED A LIST OF QUESTIONS THAT WE'RE GONNA ASK, UH, THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT, MIC, MICROPHONE ABOUT, UH, I, WE SENT THAT EMAIL TO KARA, UH, LAST WEEK, I BELIEVE.
SO WE'RE G IN OUR NEXT MEETING WE'RE GONNA DISCUSS WITH LEGAL, SOME OF THE DEFINITIONS OF SIGNS PUSHING INTO
[02:30:01]
SOME OF THE PUBLIC ARTWORK IDEAS, SOME OF THE IDEAS OF WHAT MIGHT BE ABLE TO BE LANDMARKED AS OBJECTS, WHICH, LIKE THAT SITE WALL WE WERE TALKING ABOUT EARLIER IS AN INTERESTING EXAMPLE OF SOMETHING THAT MIGHT FALL UNDER THAT PURVIEW.UM, SO THAT'S GONNA OCCUPY OUR TIME FOR THE NEXT MEETING.
WE PUSH TALKING ABOUT THE STRUCTURAL ITEMS, UM, AT LEAST TO A MONTH OR MONTH.
AND THEN WE'RE STILL WAITING FOR SOME OF THE OTHER, UM, BUILDING CODE, UM, CHANGES TO GO THROUGH LEGAL.
SO THAT WILL, IF ANYBODY'S INTERESTED IN ATTENDING THOSE, THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING AT IN THE NEXT 2, 3, 4 MONTHS.
UH, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN THE SIGN PIECE, ONE OF THE THINGS WE ASKED, KINDA EVERYBODY'S HOMEWORK LEAVING WAS WE HAVE SOME PRESCRIPTIVE SIGN REQUIREMENTS.
IT'S KIND OF FUN EXERCISE TO WALK AROUND THE CITY STREETS, LOOK AT SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE SIGNS, AND THEN DETERMINE WHETHER THEY ACTUALLY MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE CITY.
AND IF THEY DON'T, IT BECOMES A QUESTION OF SHOULD THEY? AND SO THAT'S KIND OF SOMETHING WE'VE ALL ASKED OURSELVES WE'RE GONNA ADDRESS AT THE NEXT MEETING.
AND OBVIOUSLY IF ANY OF YOU ARE INTERESTED, UM, UH, WE WOULD LOVE Y'ALL'S OPINION EITHER IN THAT MEETING OR SEPARATELY.
SO, SO RUN, RUN DOWN SIXTH STREET WITH A TAPE MEASURE.
THAT WAS, THAT WAS ONE THAT I, I NEON MADE SOMEONE ANGRY BACK IN THE DAY, AND SO THERE ARE SOME LIMITATIONS ON THAT.
UM, AND THAT I'VE, UM, IN MY, ONE OF THE THINGS I DISCOVERED IN MY WALK IS THAT THERE'S A NEON SIGN ON THE, UM, THE BUILDING WHERE AROS IS LOCATED ON SOUTH CONGRESS, WHICH IS, UH, I BELIEVE THAT'S WHAT, LATE 1890S.
AND, UM, I THINK THE SIGN STANDARD IS 1950 OR OLDER, CAN'T HAVE A NEON SIGN.
AND, UM, THE CONTINENTAL CLUB ALSO LIKE ONLY BARELY FALLS WITHIN THAT, UH, WINDOW.
[22. Update from the Preservation Plan Committee regarding the November 12, 2025, meeting and the November 21, 2025 meeting.]
THE PRESERVATION PLAN COMMITTEE THAT, UH, ALSO ON THE, THE NINTH, UH, THE WELL MET ON THE 12TH AND THEN ALSO ON THE 21ST, UH, WITH THE, UH, UH, SUMMIT.UH, ANY, ANY MORE DISCUSSION THAT WE NEED TO HAVE? COMMISSIONER TUCCI? NOPE.
LOOKS LIKE HE'S AWAY FROM THE, FROM THE MIC.
UH, THAT I, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I, I DON'T THINK THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF OTHER DISCUSSION THAT HASN'T ALREADY BEEN UNPACKED, UM, IN STAFF'S, I GUESS BRIEFING.
UM, THEY, I GUESS THERE IS A EQUITY BASED PRESERVATION PLAN ANNUAL REPORT THAT STAFF IS WORKING ON PUTTING TOGETHER.
UM, AND WE KIND OF BRAINSTORM SOME IDEAS ABOUT HOW THAT WILL, UM, LOOK AND KIND OF COME TO FRUITION.
BUT, UH, STILL VERY EARLY STAGES, SO.
ANY OTHER ITEMS FROM COMMISSIONERS THEN? I WILL GO AHEAD AND CALL THE MEETING ADJOURN.
ACTUALLY, I'M SUPPOSED TO HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
I, I TRADITIONALLY HAVE HAD A MOTION TO AURN.
THEY SAID I DON'T HAVE TO HAVE IT, BUT I'LL DO IT BECAUSE THAT'S MY TRADITION.
SECOND FOR A MOTION TO RESERVE.
SO MOVED FROM COMMISSIONER RICE, COMMISSIONER GROGAN.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND AND WE ARE ADJOURNED.
YEAH, THE CLERK SAYS I CAN DO IT, BUT I REALLY DO LIKE HAVING A MOTION TO ADJOURN.