[ CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:02]
UH, IT IS 6 0 1 AND THIS IS THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION.
WE'RE HERE AT CITY HALL ON MAY 6TH, AND WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLE? YES.
UH, VICE CHAIR EVANS IS ABSENT.
COMMISSIONER GROGAN IS ABSENT.
COMMISSIONER PLEASANT WRIGHT PRESENT.
COMMISSIONER RICE IS LATE BUT IS COMING.
UH, COMMISSIONER TAN GUCCI PRESENT.
[Additional Items]
A MOMENT, UH, PRIVILEGE HERE TO RECOGNIZE ONE OF OUR MEMBERS, COMMISSIONER MCW, UH, HAS SERVED THE COMMISSION, UH, FOR A VERY LONG TIME HERE.UH, IT'S A DISTRICT 10 REPRESENTATIVE, AND OUR UNDERSTANDING IS THIS IS HIS LAST MEETING.
SO COMMISSIONER, WOULD YOU LIKE TO, UH, JUST SAY A FEW WORDS? I'LL JUST BE BRIEF, BUT, UH, IT'S BEEN A PLEASURE TO SERVE ON THE COMMISSION AND I'VE HAD A LOT OF FUN.
THEY'VE BEEN AMAZING ALL THE WAY THROUGH AND REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE SUPPORT AND ALL THE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES THAT Y'ALL HAVE GIVEN US.
I'VE LEARNED QUITE A BIT AND, UH, REALLY LEARNED FROM EACH OF THE OTHER MEMBERS ON THE COMMISSION.
EVERYBODY'S VERY, VERY, VERY WELL QUALIFIED IN THEIR FIELDS, AND I HAVE FELT REALLY, UH, PRIVILEGED TO BE A PART OF IT AND LEARN FROM YOU GUYS.
AND, UH, UH, I WILL LEAVE YOU IN GOOD HANDS.
THE, UH, THE, MY REPLACEMENT, UH, WILL BE, UH, MOST LIKELY, UM, AUGUST HARRIS.
AND HE HAS SERVED, UH, IN OTHER COMMISSIONS, IN OTHER CAPACITIES AND IS VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE ON PRESERVATION, AND I THINK HE'LL BE A HUGE ASSET TO THE, UH, THE COMMISSION.
AGAIN, WE THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE AND YOU DEFINITELY WILL BE MISSED, BUT DON'T GO TOO FAR AWAY.
[ PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
HAVE THE PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS FOR ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO THE COMMISSION ON AN ITEM THAT IS NOT SPECIFIC TO OUR AGENDA TONIGHT.DO WE HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP? YES, WE HAVE ONE PERSON FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS.
THAT'S MEGAN KING NOMORE, MS. KING LAMORE.
MEGAN KING NOMORE POLICY AND OUTREACH PLANNER FOR PRESERVATION AUSTIN WITH YOUR MONTHLY UPDATE FROM PA UM, IT'S PRESERVATION MONTH, AS YOU KNOW.
SO WE'VE GOT A BUNCH OF REALLY AWESOME EVENTS COMING UP.
ONE PARTICULAR THAT I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT, ESPECIALLY FOR THIS AUDIENCE HERE, WE HAVE, UM, A HISTORIC HOME MAINTENANCE WORKSHOP COMING UP ON MAY 31ST.
UM, WE'LL BE HOSTING THAT AT THE MACFARLIN BEE HOUSE, OUR OFFICES.
AND, UM, FOR ANYBODY WHO OWNS A HISTORIC HOME, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO GET TIPS ON EXPECT INSPECTING YOUR HOME FOR FROM ROOF TO CRAWL SPACE, OPTIMIZING ENERGY PERFORMANCE, BUILDING YOUR TOOLKIT OF MUST HAVE SUPPLIES AND BEST PRACTICES FOR CONNECTING WITH A CONTRACTOR FOR PROJECTS THAT GO BEYOND DIY.
SO IF YOU'D LIKE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THAT, YOU CAN DO SO AT OUR WEBSITE, PRESERVATION AUSTIN.ORG.
UM, AND ALSO WE JUST PUT OUT OUR CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS FOR OUR 2026 LEGACY BUSINESS MONTH PASSPORT.
UH, IT'S AN ANNUAL PROGRAM THAT WE DO IN OCTOBER, A PASSPORT PROGRAM THAT FEATURES 10 BELOVED AUSTIN BUSINESSES, AND WE'RE NOW ACCEPTING SUBMISSIONS FOR 10 NEW BUSINESSES THIS YEAR.
SO IF YOU HAVE A FAVORITE LEGACY BUSINESS, FEEL FREE TO SEND THEM OUR WEBSITE OR INSTAGRAM AND TELL THEM TO APPLY BY JUNE 1ST.
[ Consent Agenda]
ON STAFF TO, UH, READ OVER THE, UH, TONIGHT'S AGENDA.THANK YOU, CHAIR HEIM STAFF TONIGHT.
OUR FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS THE APRIL 1ST, 2026 MINUTES, WHICH ARE OFFERED FOR CONSENT APPROVAL.
WE HAVE TWO BRIEFINGS TONIGHT.
UH, THESE ARE ITEMS WITH NO ACTION, UH, INFORMATIONAL ONLY.
ITEM TWO IS A BRIEFING FROM STAFF ON 1207 WEST 45TH STREET, AND ITEM THREE IS A BRIEFING ON NINE 16 CONGRESS AVENUE FROM THE OWNER'S AGENT.
WE HAVE NO HISTORIC ZONING APPLICATIONS TONIGHT, BUT WE DO HAVE SEVERAL CERTIFICATES OF APPROPRIATENESS.
ITEM FOUR, PR 2 2 6 0 8 1 8 8 AT 1005 EAST EIGHTH STREET IS OFFERED FOR, UH, CONSENT, UH, POSTPONEMENT.
THIS IS AN APPLICANT REQUESTED POSTPONEMENT AS IS ITEM FIVE, HR 2 2 6 0 2 1 8 AT 1107 WEST NINTH STREET.
[00:05:01]
HR 20 26 0 4 4 1 3 8 AT 1403 HARDIN AVENUE IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT APPROVAL.ITEM SEVEN, PR 20 26 0 3 4 1 3 8, HR 20 26 0 4 2 3 3 3 AT 1901 CLIFF STREET IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT APPROVAL.
ITEM EIGHT, PR 20 26 0 3 2 5 0 4.
HR 20 26 0 3 6 1 6 4 AT 3 0 4 WEST 42ND STREET WILL BE A DISCUSSION ITEM THIS EVENING UNDER NATIONAL REGISTER HISTORIC DISTRICT APPLICATIONS, WE START WITH ITEM NINE, PR 20 26 0 3 0 4 7 3 AT 1 5 1 1 RAINBOW BEND.
THIS WILL BE A DISCUSSION ITEM.
ITEM 10, HR 20 26 0 3 9 5 9 9 AT 32 10 RIKER DRIVE IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
ITEM 11 2700 WOOLDRIDGE DRIVE, HR 20 26 0 3 9 9 5 IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
ITEM 12, HR 20 26 0 3 7 9 6 AT 1210 WEST 12TH STREET IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
ITEM 13, HR 20 26 0 4 8 6 3 AT 1506 EAST SIDE DRIVE IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
ITEM 14, HR 20 26 0 3 7 1 6 3 AT 5 2 2 SUNNY LANE IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
OUR DEMOLITION AND RELOCATION APPLICATIONS TONIGHT BEGIN WITH ITEM 15, PR 20 26 0 3 3 900 0 AT 5 0 7 PARK BOULEVARD.
THIS WILL BE A DISCUSSION ITEM.
ITEM 16, PR 2 26 4 4 0 3 AT 1808 CESAR CHAVEZ STREET WILL ALSO BE A DISCUSSION ITEM.
ITEM 17 DA 20 26, 3 8 7 98 AT 4 0 3 ORCHARD STREET WILL BE A DISCUSSION ITEM.
AND ITEM 18 DA 20 26 0 3 88 1 3 AT 1208 WEST FOURTH STREET WILL BE A DISCUSSION ITEM AS WELL.
UNDER DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS THIS EVENING, WE HAVE ITEM 19, WHICH IS A PRESENTATION AND RECOMMENDATIONS ON NATIONAL REGISTER APPLICATIONS, UH, PREPARED FOR THE TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSIONS STATE BOARD OF REVIEW.
UH, THIS ITEM IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT APPROVAL FOR OUR FOUR NATIONAL REGISTER NOMINEES THIS MONTH.
ITEM 20, UH, APPROVE RECOMMENDATION TO COUNSEL FOR BARTON SPRINGS BRIDGE PROJECT.
UH, THIS RECOMMENDATION IS IN YOUR BACKUP AND THIS IS AN ITEM THAT IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
THAT CONCLUDES THE AGENDA TONIGHT.
UM, AND I WOULD LIKE TO SAY AN ADDITIONAL THANK YOU, UH, TO COMMISSIONER MCCARTER FROM STAFF.
UM, THANKS FOR SHARING YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND YOUR TIME OVER THESE LAST FEW YEARS.
UH, WE HAVE REALLY APPRECIATED IT.
UM, AND ONE MORE REMINDER, IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY, UH, COMMISSIONERS, PLEASE COMPLETE YOUR STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL INFORMATION IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY.
UH, SO YOU CAN CONTINUE TO SERVE ON THIS COMMISSION.
UM, WE WILL NEED THAT, UH, BY THE END OF THE WEEK.
AND COMMISSIONERS, UH, LET ME JUST SAY FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, UH, IF YOU, THIS IS YOUR FIRST TIME DOING THE FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE, IT CAN BE A PAIN, BUT, UH, THE GOOD NEWS IS, IS THAT, UH, SINCE THE EARLY DAYS, THEY NOW HAVE IT ON ELECTRONICALLY.
AND SO IN SUBSEQUENT YEARS, UNLESS THINGS CHANGE RADICALLY, UH, YOU'LL JUST PULL IT BACK UP AGAIN AND ALL THAT WORK WILL BE THERE AND YOU JUST NEED TO UPDATE OR EDIT IT FOR THE NEXT YEAR.
SO, UH, THINK OF IT AS AN INVESTMENT, BUT UH, YOU HAVE TO DO IT AND YOU PLEASE, PLEASE DON'T, UH, MISS THE DEADLINE.
WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO HAVE THE COUNCIL MAKE SPECIAL ACTIONS JUST TO KEEP YOU ON THE COMMISSION LIKE THEY HAD TO MY FIRST YEAR.
SO
UM, LET'S PROCEED NOW WITH A CONSENT AGENDA.
AND JUST AS A REMINDER, UH, WE HAVE COMMISSIONERS THE ABILITY TO PULL ANY ONE OF THESE FOR DISCUSSION IF YOU ARE SO INCLINED.
UH, AND WE ALSO ARE ALLOW, UH, FOR ANY DISCUSSION OR, UH, TESTIMONY FROM THE PUBLIC IF THEY ARE SO INCLINED.
BUT BEFORE WE DO THAT, I WILL REMIND ANYBODY WHO HAS AN ITEM THAT THEY'RE INTERESTED IN THAT IS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA THAT IF IT PASSES, THAT IS ITS APPROVAL WITH THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION.
AND IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, YOU MAY THINK ABOUT WHETHER YOU NEED TO SPEAK, BUT IT IS AVAILABLE TO YOU AS WE GO THROUGH EACH ONE OF THESE ITEMS. SO AT THIS POINT, WHAT I'LL DO IS JUST GO THROUGH EACH OF THE ITEMS ONE BY ONE AND IF THERE IS A SPEAKER OR IF THERE IS ANY ITEMS THAT THE COMMISSIONERS WOULD LIKE TO ADD OR IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO PULL, UH, THIS WOULD BE THE TIME.
SO THE FIRST ITEM THAT WE HAVE ON OUR CONSENT AGENDA IS ITEM NUMBER SIX.
THIS IS AT 1403 HARDWOOD AVENUE.
IS THERE ANYBODY SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? WE HAVE NO SPEAKERS SIGNED UP FOR THAT ITEM.
IS THERE SOMETHING ELSE? JUST EXPLAIN PEOPLE THEIR HAND SPEAK.
AND IF SOMEBODY IS BY THE WAY, UH,
[00:10:01]
SIGNED UP TO SPEAK AND DOES NOT WISH TO COME INTO THE MICROPHONE, YOU, YOU GOOD.UH, STAFF IS ASKING, JUST LET US KNOW BY A WAVE OF HAND THAT YOU DO NOT NEED TO SPEAK AND YOU'RE WAIVING YOUR ABILITY, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
UH, SO ITEM NUMBER SIX, AS WE SAID, THERE IS NO SPEAKER SIGNED UP.
ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, THIS IS, UH, 1901 CLIFF STREET.
IS THERE ANYONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? WE HAVE NO SPEAKER SIGNED UP ON THAT ITEM.
THEN THE NEXT ITEM IS ITEM NUMBER 10 32 10 BRYER DRIVE.
UH, IS THERE ANYONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK THERE? WE DO HAVE ONE SPEAKER SIGNED UP IN FAVOR, BRENT GREEN.
WHO HAS WAD HIS WAVING HIS HANDS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH MR. GREEN.
ALRIGHT, THE NEXT CONSENT ITEM IS ITEM NUMBER 11 2700 WILDRIDGE DRIVE.
WE HAVE ONE SI SPEAKER SIGNED UP IN FAVOR.
AND I SEE MR. ZIS HAND IS BEING WAIVED, SO I APPRECIATE THAT.
ITEM NUMBER 12 12 10 WEST 12TH STREET.
WE HAVE ONE SPEAKER SIGNED UP IN FAVOR.
THAT IS SAM BIRCH AND THEIR VIRTUAL SPEAKER, A VIRTUAL SPEAKER WHO ALSO, UH, IS AVAILABLE IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THEIR COMMENTS BUT IS NOT REQUIRED.
ARE THEY THERE ONLINE? THE SPEAKER CHOOSE TO MAKE ANY COMMENTS? HE'S NOT MUTED.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU.
YES, YOU MAY, YOU MAY, UH, EITHER MAKE A PRESENTATION OR DISCUSSION IF YOU SO DESIRE OR YOU MAY WAIVE THAT, BUT YOU JUST HAVE TO LET US KNOW.
I'LL WAIVE THAT UNLESS THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME.
UH, THAT WAS ITEM NUMBER 12 AND THERE ARE NO OTHER SPEAKERS.
THERE ARE NO OTHER SPEAKERS ON THAT ITEM.
AND THAT IS AGAIN, ANOTHER CONSENT ITEM.
ITEM NUMBER 13 IS THE NEXT CONSENT ITEM.
WE HAVE THREE SPEAKERS SIGNED UP ON THIS ITEM.
OUR FIRST SPEAKER IN FAVOR IS MICHAEL ER, AND MS. FERRIA IS, UH, WAVING HIS HAND.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IN OPPOSITION IS FRANCESCO PASANTE.
YOU MAY COME TO THE MICROPHONE.
AND JUST READ YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD PLEASE.
UH, MY NAME IS FRANCESCO PASANTE AND I LIVE IN TRA SITES.
WE'RE DISCUSSING A COMPOSITE PLOT AT THE CORNER OF EAST MONROE AND EAST SIDE DRIVE BY STACEY PARK.
THIS IS A DEFINING CORNER FOR THE CHARACTER OF THE TRA SITES FAIRVIEW PARK NATIONAL REGISTER DISTRICT.
SO FIRST I WILL DESCRIBE THE PRESENT STATE OF THE PLOT.
HOW DO I NEXT? OKAY, I HAVE IT GOOD.
UM, TODAY THE PLOT COM COMPRISES A BUNGALOW ON MONROE AND A DUPLEX BEHIND IT ON EAST SIDE DRIVE.
THE BUNGALOW HAS A PROMINENT POSITION AT THE CORNER OF TWO STREETS AND ON A RISING SLOPE, THE DUPLEX INSTEAD IS ALMOST INVISIBLE.
IT IS A SMALL ONE STORY BUILDING HIDDEN BEHIND THE BACKYARD OF THE BUNGALOW AND BEHIND AN EIGHT FOOT DROP IN THE RAIN.
SO IN PRACTICE, YOU EXPERIENCE MAINLY THE BUNGALOW AT THE CORNER.
SECOND, I WILL DESCRIBE THE PROPOSED SCHEME.
THERE ARE STILL THREE UNITS, AN EXPANDED BUNGALOW AND TWO NEW HOUSES.
THE RENDERING ON THE RIGHT SHOWS THE VIEW FROM STACEY PARK.
THE FRONT HALF FACING MONROE IS KEPT WHILE THE REAR HALF IS REBUILT WIDER AND WITH A SECOND FLOOR, THE BACKYARD OF THE BUNGALOW HAS DISAPPEARED.
[00:15:01]
TWO NEW HOUSES, EACH TWO STORY SIDE COME RIGHT UP TO THE BUNGALOW.AND NOW MY COMMENTS, I COMMEND THE EFFORT TO KEEP INTACT THE FRONTAL AND MONROE, BUT THE OVERALL SCALE IS TOO BIG AND INCOMPATIBLE WITH THE CHARACTER OF THE DISTRICT.
INSTEAD OF EXPERIENCING ESSENTIALLY A SMALL ONE STORY BUNGALOW, WE EXPERIENCE A MASSIVE COMPOSITE BUILDING ON MONROE.
THE FRONT OF THE BUNGALOW IS DWARFED, ALMOST HUMILIATED BY THE TALL REAR ADDITION ON THE PARK SIDE.
HERE IS A PHOTOGRAPH TODAY USING THE SAME VIEWPOINT AND SCALE OF THE RENDERING.
THE HUGE COMPOSITE MASS OF THE PROPOSED BUILDINGS IS NOT AN APPROPRIATE FOIL FOR THE PARK.
THE CENTRAL ISSUE, I BELIEVE, IS THAT THE BACKYARD OF THE BUNGALOW AND THE TREES THAT ARE THERE NOW HAVE BEEN ELIMINATED.
IF THERE WERE MORE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE BUNGALOW AND THE UNITS IN THE REAR, IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE BOTH TO EXPAND THE BUNGALOW IN THE BACK RATHER.
AND RATHER THAN THAT, THAT'S YOUR TIME.
WOULD YOU GO AHEAD AND WRAP UP YOUR COMMENTS AND TO HAVE A VEGETATION SEPARATED THE BUNGALOW FROM THE REAR BUILDING.
SO I ARGUE FOR NO SECOND FLOOR ON THE BUNGALOW AND FOR SHRINKING THE TWO UNITS IN THE BACK.
DO WE HAVE ANOTHER SPEAKER? YES, WE HAVE ONE OTHER SPEAKER ON THIS ITEM IN OPPOSITION.
ACTUALLY, IT'S SILLY JUST FOR THE RECORD,
UM, WHAT, UH, FRANCISCO SHOWED YOU IS THE SCALE ISSUE.
WE ARE NOT OPPOSED TO THE ADDITION TO THE BACK.
WE ARE NOT OPPOSED TO THE ADDITION OF, UH, A DUPLEX IN THE BACK, BUT LONG AGO IN THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION MOVEMENT, WE CAME UP WITH THE CONCEPT OF FACISM.
AND, AND BY THAT I MEAN JUST STICKING THE FRONT ON SOMETHING AND THEN BUILDING BACK IS NOT REALLY PRESERVATION.
SO WE ARE HOPING THAT THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE WILL LOOK AT THIS AND TAKE FRANCISCO'S CONCEPTS OF EXPANDING THE BACK OF THE UNIT AND LOWERING THE TWO, UH, THE DUPLEX SO THAT IT IS A MUCH MORE WORKABLE VISUAL FOR SOMETHING THAT IS AN IMPORTANT ANCHOR FOR OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND OUR NATIONAL REGISTER DISTRICT.
SO WE ASKED THE COMMISSION SINCERELY, WE ARE NOT OPPOSING THE EXPANSION, WE'RE NOT OPPOSING THE DUPLEX.
WE'RE LOOKING AT COMING UP WITH A BETTER DESIGN THAT MORE APPROPRIATELY REFLECTS THE DISTRICT AND IS NOT WHAT I WOULD CALL FACADE.
SO I THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
ARE THERE FURTHER SPEAKERS? WE HAVE NO OTHER SPEAKERS ON THIS ITEM.
COMMISSIONERS, UH, WE'VE HEARD TWO, UH, MEMBERS WHO HAVE RAISED SOME CONCERNS.
UH, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO PULL THIS FOR DISCUSSION IF ANYBODY WOULD BE SO INCLINED.
OTHERWISE IT WILL STAY ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
ALRIGHT, THE HEARING NONE, AND WE APPRECIATE THE, UH, INFORMATION FOR THE RECORD.
UH, ITEM NUMBER 14, THIS IS, UH, 5 22 SUNNY LANE.
UM, I TELL YOU WHAT, ON ITEM NUMBER 13, UM, I UNDERSTAND THE SCALE QUESTION AND I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION.
HAS THAT ALREADY BEEN IN FRONT OF THE ARCHITECTURE REVIEW COMMITTEE? I UNDERSTOOD IT.
HAD THEY'D ALREADY HAD SOME ADJUSTMENTS BASED ON YOUR COMMENTS OR AM I CONFUSING IT WITH ANOTHER CASE? YES.
THIS HAS APPEARED BEFORE ITEM NUMBER 13.
YEAH, THAT WAS ALONG WITH, UM,
[00:20:01]
YEAH, IT, IT HAS A NUMBER OF TIMES.SO IT'S ALREADY BEEN IN FRONT OF.
THAT THAT, THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
ARE WE ABLE TO MAKE ANY, WHAT'S THE APPROPRIATE TIME TO MAKE ANY COMMENT ABOUT IT? UH, NOW IF NOT PULLING IT? YOU KNOW, I, I JUST WANNA NOTE THAT WE AGREE WITH ALL THE COMMENTS WE'VE MADE.
I THINK THEY'RE VERY ASTUTE, BUT IN THESE SITUATIONS THAT'S ALL WE CAN DO IS COMMENT AND THE OWNERS CAN CHOOSE TO COMPLETELY IGNORE OUR COMMENTS.
SO, UM, THE FACT THAT THEY DID KEEP, EVEN THOUGH IT IS, UH, TO A LARGE DEGREE FACADE, IS THEY DID KEEP THE PRIMARY FACADE.
SOMETIMES WE HAD TO TAKE OUR WIND WHEN WE GET THEM BECAUSE THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH WE CAN DO.
AND, UH, WE SPENT A NUMBER, SPENT A NUMBER OF ROUNDS OF DISCUSSION WITH THIS AND I JUST DON'T THINK THEIR PROGRAM CAN BE MET WHILE MEETING ALL OF OUR REQUESTS.
SO, UH, BUT WE DO APPRECIATE THE INPUT.
OKAY, NOW WE'LL MOVE TO ITEM 14, 5 22 SUNNY LANE.
DO WE HAVE ANY SPEAKERS? YES, WE HAVE ONE SPEAKER SIGNED UP IN OPPOSITION ON THIS ITEM AND THAT IS BARBARA SILLY.
OKAY, WELL YOU'VE ALREADY HEARD THE FACADE COMMENT.
SO I GUESS THAT WOULD SORT OF QUALIFY FOR SOMEBODY'S DEFINITION OF MIDDLE HOUSING.
BUT I WANNA MAKE THE POINT THAT WHEN THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT MIDDLE HOUSING, THEY'RE USUALLY TALKING ABOUT AFFORDABILITY IN THAT CONTEXT.
SO LET'S BE CLEAR ABOUT OUR REDEVELOPMENT IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
THIS IS NOT AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
IT MAY QUALIFY AS MILL HOUSING, BUT OUR REDEVELOPMENT THAT IS OCCURRING IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH TINY HOUSES, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, OR REALLY AFFORDABLE MILL HOUSING.
SO I WASN'T WANT TO GO ON THE RECORD TO SAY THIS IS MIDDLE HOUSING.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO PULL THIS FOR, UH, FULL DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE, THEN WE WILL PROCEED ONTO THE NEXT AND THE NEXT CONSENT.
I THINK THAT MAY BE ALL OUR CONSENT ITEMS. THAT'S IT.
OH, WE HAVE THE ITEM NUMBER 19.
THIS IS THE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR NATIONAL REGISTER APPLICATIONS FOR THE TEXAS HISTORIC COMMISSION.
AND THESE ARE THE FOUR PROPERTIES, UH, IN YOUR BACKUP.
AND THEN ITEM NUMBER 20, THE RECOMMENDATION TO COUNSEL REGARDING THE VARDEN SPRINGS BRIDGE PROJECT, WHICH IS ALSO IN YOUR BACKUP.
UH, ARE THERE E ANY ANYONE SIGNED UP FOR EITHER OF THOSE ITEMS? NO SPEAKERS SIGNED UP ON THOSE ITEMS. OKAY.
AND WE COULD, UM, IF ANYBODY NEEDS TO, WOULD BE APPROPRIATE TO MAKE A COMMENT AT THIS TIME, UH, ON EITHER OF THOSE TWO ITEMS FROM THE COMMISSION, BUT OTHERWISE, UH, IF IT'S NOT PULLED, IT'LL STAY ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
I CHAIR, I MOVE TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA.
UM, COMMISSIONER LAROCHE, IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE ITEMS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND AND I SEE ALL HANDS RAISED IS UNANIMOUS.
HAVE I BEEN REFLECTED AS PRESENT? UH, YOU'RE REFLECT AS PRESENT FOR ALL, ALL THE CONSENT CASES OR JUST DO YOU HAVE ANY THAT YOU HAVE? OH, OH, I JUST, I JUST MEAN LIKE PRESENT AT THE MEETING SINCE I GOT HERE LATE.
YOU, YOU ARE, WE KNEW YOU WERE COMING.
JUST MAKING SURE THAT WAS, SO FOR THE, FOR THE RECORD, WHEN I SAY ALL HANDS RAISED, THAT INCLUDES COMMISSIONER RICE, WHO IS NOW HERE.
UH, LET ME ALSO, UH, I DID NOT INCLUDE THE POSTPONEMENT REQUESTS, UH, BUT WE WILL GO AHEAD AND TAKE THOSE AS, UH, THE NEXT ITEMS. THE, UH, CONSENT POSTPONEMENTS ITEM NUMBER FOUR.
UH, THAT IS 10 0 5 EAST EIGHTH STREET AND ITEM NUMBER 5 11 0 7 WEST NINTH STREET.
UH, BOTH OF THOSE, UH, HAVE BEEN REQUESTS FOR POSTPONEMENT BY THE APPLICANT.
AND SO THOSE MAY ALSO BE A CONSENT ITEM IF I CAN RECEIVE A MOTION.
IS THERE A SECOND? COMMISSIONER MCW.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND AND LET THE RECORD SHOW ALL HANDS RAISED.
[2. Staff briefing on 1207 W. 45th St. regarding administrative approval of religious-owned property per State law by Kalan Contreras, Planner Principal, Historic Preservation Office, Austin Planning.]
CAN NOW PROCEED[00:25:01]
TO OUR FIRST OF THE BRIEFINGS.UH, AND THIS IS GOING TO BE ON 1207 WEST 45TH STREET, UH, REGARDING, UH, AN ADMINISTRATIVE APPROVAL AS REQUIRED BY STATE LAW.
ITEM THREE IS A BRIEFING ON DEMOLITION PERMIT APPLICATIONS FOR PROPERTY OWNED BY RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS.
TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION TWO 11.0165 PROVIDES MUNICIPAL AUTHORITY FOR HISTORIC LANDMARK DESIGNATION.
IN 2019, THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE AMENDED THAT AUTHORITY THROUGH HOUSE BILL 24 96.
IN ADDITION TO INTRODUCING A SUPER MAJORITY REQUIREMENT FOR LANDMARK DESIGNATION OVER OWNER OBJECTION, THE BILL MANDATED THAT PROPERTY OWNED BY A RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATION MAY NOT BE DESIGNATED WITHOUT OWNER CONSENT TO COMPLY WITH CITY CODE AND STATE LAW.
THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE MUST ADMINISTRATIVELY APPROVE ALL APPLICATIONS FOR THE DEMOLITION OR RELOCATION OF A BUILDING OWNED BY A RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATION WITHOUT FIRST SCHEDULING A HEARING AT THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION.
THUS, AT REGULAR MEETINGS, STAFF WILL PROVIDE THE COMMISSION WITH A BRIEFING REGARDING ANY SUCH ACTION TAKEN SINCE THE PRIOR COMMISSION MEETING, UH, WHICH, UH, IS ON OUR AGENDA TONIGHT.
UM, SO THE PROPERTY AT 1207 WEST 45TH STREET OWNED BY A RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATION PER THE TEXAS TAX CODE WAS APPROVED FOR DEMOLITION ON APRIL 7TH, 2026.
IT WAS CONSTRUCTED IN 1938 FOR THE TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH AND PARTIAL DEMOLITION OF MORE THAN 50% OF THE BUILDING'S EXTERIOR IS PROPOSED.
AND I WILL NOTE FOR THE RECORD, WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS THE ADJACENT STRUCTURE, IT'S ATTACHED, BUT THAT THE LARGE SPIRE AND THE MAIN, UH, STRUCTURE ON THE CORNER IS NOT PART OF THE DEMOLITION REQUEST, IF THAT'S CORRECT.
UH, THE ONLY OTHER THING I COULD ALSO SAY IS THAT, UH, PART OF THE REASON THAT A BRIEFING OF THIS KIND I THINK IS IMPORTANT AND WHY I BELIEVE WE SHOULD BE MAKING SURE WE'RE AWARE OF THIS, IS THAT, UH, AS THEY SAY WE CANNOT DO ANYTHING WITH AN OWNER'S OBJECTION.
BUT IF WE AT LEAST ARE NOTIFIED THAT THIS IS HAPPENING, AS STAFF HAS HOWEVER RE-RELEASED THE PERMIT, WE AT LEAST NOW HAVE THE ABILITY TO TALK TO THE OWNER AND ASK IF THEY WOULD PERHAPS WANT TO RECONSIDER.
WE HAVE NO, UH, STATUS AS A BOARD OR COMMISSION MEMBERS, BUT AS INDIVIDUALS, THAT IS ALWAYS OUR PURVIEW.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S APPROPRIATE IN THIS CASE, BUT CERTAINLY WHEN THESE CROP UP IN THE FUTURE, THAT MAY BE YET.
ONE LAST ITEM THAT WOULD BE WORTH, UH, CONSIDERING FOR, UM, THE RECORD.
THE SECOND BRIEFING HAS TO DO WITH, UH, FUTURE PLANS.
WAS THERE ANY QUESTIONS OF STAFF ON THIS ITEM BEFORE I LEAVE? ALRIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
UH, ITEM NUMBER THREE, REGARDING
[3. Briefing regarding future plans for 916 Congress Ave. by Patrick Georgiou, Project Manager, Build Austin TX.]
THE PLANS FOR THE NINE 16 CONGRESS AVENUE.UH, WE HAVE A BRIEFING BY, UH, PATRICK GIORGIO, THE PROJECT MANAGER AT BUILD AUSTIN.
WAS THIS BRIEFING SOMETHING THAT WAS AGREED TO? IT WAS, UH, HOWEVER, WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY COMMUNICATION LATELY FROM THE PROJECT MANAGER, NOR DID HE APPEAR TO BE HERE TONIGHT.
UH, COMMISSIONERS, HAS ANYBODY BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THIS OWNER? ANY INFORMATION THEY ATTENDED? WE TALKED ABOUT THE A RC RIGHT? RIGHT.
THEY ATTENDED THE A RC AND WHILE I WAS ATTENDING THROUGH LESS THAN IDEAL CIRCUMSTANCES, COMMISSIONER ACTON, UH, MIGHT HAVE A BETTER, HAVE BETTER, UH, HEARING, BUT IT WAS, UM, NEW OWNERSHIP.
UM, MY MEMORY OF THIS PROJECT, OF THIS PARTICULAR PROPERTY IS THERE WAS A CASE IN, I THINK IN 2013, AND THEN IT CAME BACK, I THINK IN 2017 TO ADD SOMEWHERE BETWEEN FIVE, FIVE TO SEVEN STORY ADDITION, WHICH HAD PASSED.
AND WE, UM, HAD CONCERNS ABOUT STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY IN THIS ROW CONSTRUCTION.
AND, UM, THE DEMOLITION PROCEEDED AND THEN THE PROJECT STALLED.
I UNDERSTAND DUE TO PROPERTY RIGHTS, ERROR RIGHTS CONFLICTS WITH THE NEIGHBORS.
BUT THE NEW OWNER, UH, WAS OF THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE, UH, LANDMARK IS EFFECTIVELY JUST A FACADE WITH NO WINDOWS AND NO GROUND FLOOR CONSTRUCTION BECAUSE THERE WAS A FIRE AND THERE WAS NOT A FIRE, I DON'T KNOW WHO COMMUNICATED THERE WAS A FIRE.
UH, THIS APPEARS TO BE A PROJECT THAT STALLED AND THE PROPERTY SOLD WITH THE STALLED PROJECT.
AND, UH, WE HAD ASKED AT THE TIME IF STAFF COULD KIND OF RESEARCH THE CONDITION OF THE PERMITS, THE STANDING PERMITS.
I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY TRANSFER.
UM, BUT THAT'S KIND OF WHERE IT STOOD.
AND, AND I KNOW THEY OWNED THE NEIGHBORING TWO PROPERTIES AND INTENDED TO HAVE SOME SORT OF COMBINED DEVELOPMENT AND WANTED TO USE IT AS AN EVENT CENTER.
WE TALKED ABOUT PUTTING A ROOF BACK ON
[00:30:01]
IT, AT LEAST PUTTING THE WINDOWS BACK IN, RESTORING THE FIRST FLOOR TO ITS PROPER CONDITION.THE UNIQUENESS OF THESE PROPERTIES BEING ROW CONSTRUCTION, WHERE THE EXTERIOR AT THE SIDES ARE SHARED WALLS, COMMON WALLS, PARTY WALLS, AND THE FRONT FACADE AND CONGRESS BEING THE MOST IMPORTANT, WHICH DOES STILL STAND.
AND THANKS TO OUR CONTINUED EFFORT, DID HAVE AN ENGINEERED SHORING PLAN IN PLACE UNDER THE PREVIOUS OWNER.
AND IT HAS SAT THERE FOR I BELIEVE SOME SEVEN YEARS IN THAT CONDITION.
AND THE BRICKS ON THE PARAPET HAS SLOWLY FALLEN AWAY.
THE WINDOWS WE ASSUME ARE IN STORAGE.
THE FIRST FLOOR CONSTRUCTION WE ASSUME IS IN STORAGE.
AND IT WAS JUST CONCERNING THAT THERE IS NEW OWNERSHIP FOR A, AN ABANDONED CONSTRUCTION PERMIT, UM, THAT APPARENTLY WAS MISINFORMED AS TO HOW THEIR PROPERTY ENDED UP, THE WAY IT ENDED UP.
AND THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE LEFT IT.
IS, IS THIS THE ONE THAT WE PREVIOUSLY REVIEWED ON THE DIOCESE WHERE WE ASKED THEM TO, TO PRESERVE THE FACADE ON THE FRONT? I THINK YOU'RE REMEMBERING THE ONE ACROSS THE STREET.
THAT WAS THE NINE 11 TO NINE 15.
WHICH IS KIND OF A, BUT THEY, THEY'RE, THEY'RE DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET FROM EACH OTHER AND THEY BOTH HAVE BEEN ABANDONED FOR A LONG TIME.
THE ONES ACROSS THE STREET WERE NOT LANDMARKS.
UH, WE WEREN'T CONSIDERING LANDMARKING THE MIDDLE ONE AS I UNDERSTAND IT, IN AN ATTEMPT TO KEEP THE PORTIONS THAT HAD INTEGRITY.
YEAH, THAT'S A WHOLE OTHER SAGA.
THIS IS DIFFERENT OWNER, DIFFERENT STORY.
THIS, THIS IS, THIS IS ON THE WEST SIDE.
I THINK THIS IS WHERE LITTLE CITY WAS.
IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT THEY, THIS WAS A RELATIVELY NEW OWNER.
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THEY WERE TRYING TO DO ANYTHING.
THEIR INTENT AS COMMISSIONER COOK SAID WAS TO DO NOTHING TO IT EXCEPT I THINK PAPA A DOOR IN BETWEEN THE SPACES AT THE DEMISING WALL AND NO, AND NOTHING ELSE.
UM, AND THERE WAS KIND OF TWO TRACKS OF INFORMATION.
ONE, WE SENT THEM BACK AND SAID, YOU GUYS NEED TO FIGURE OUT IF YOU JUST PURCHASE THIS UNDER WHAT, UM, AUSPICES YOU PURCHASED THIS.
AND THEN SECONDLY ON, YOU KNOW, AT SOME POINT, UNLESS IT JUST SITS ABANDONED FOREVER AGAIN, UH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT WHERE THE LINE IS ON WHAT.
AND SOME OF THAT IS WHAT THE EXISTING PERMITS I THINK ARE FOR OR REQUIRE.
AND THAT AT A MINIMUM, THE WINDOWS WOULD NEED TO BE RESTORED AND THE FIRST FLOOR WOULD NEED TO BE RESTORED TO HISTORIC APPEARANCE WITH THE CAST IRON COLUMNS THAT MAY OR MAY NOT EXIST.
UH, THE ROOF, WE RECOMMENDED THE BUILDING NEEDED THE ROOF FOR ITS OWN SAKE AND AS LONG AS, AS WELL AS THE NEIGHBORING LANDMARKS AND THE BACK WALL.
UM, AND I THOUGHT THEY WERE AMENABLE TO RESTORING IT TO A SHELL AND MAYBE USING IT AS AN EVENT CENTER WITH A SHELL.
AND AGAIN, WE, WE ONLY HAVE PURVIEW OVER THE EXTERIOR OF BUILDINGS.
UH, WHEN THEY'RE, WHEN THE SIDE EXTERIORS SHARED WALLS, THAT MAKES IT EVEN MORE COMPLICATED.
BUT, UH, THE PRIMARY SAW IS WHERE WE'D HAVE PURVIEW, BUT I THINK WE COULD ALSO REQUIRE THAT A ROOF BE, UH, INSTALLED AND I THOUGHT THEY WERE AMENABLE TO THAT DIRECTION.
SO THIS MIGHT BE ONE THAT'S INTERESTING THAT AS WE DRIVE BY IT IN OUR DAILY COURSE TO KIND OF KEEP AN EYE ON TO SEE IF ANY WORK IS PROGRESSING OR ANYTHING ALONG THOSE LINES AS, UM, WELL, IT CAN'T, NO, NO WORK CAN BE PROGRESSING.
UH, AND PLEASE BE AWARE, UH, COMMISSIONERS, THIS WAS POSTED ONLY AS A BRIEFING, SO WE ARE NOT TAKING ANY ACTION.
WE'RE NOT POSTED FOR ANY ACTION.
THAT SAID, UH, OBVIOUSLY WITH, UH, AN OWNER BEING A NO-SHOW, UH, WE CERTAINLY CAN MAKE COMMENTS AND IT SEEMS LIKE WE HAVE EXCHANGED SOME VERY PERTINENT INFORMATION THAT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR THE RECORD.
UH, MY ONE COMMENT TO ADD TO THE RECORD WOULD BE THAT IF THIS IS A NEW OWNER, UH, EVERYTHING ABOUT ALL THE PREVIOUS AGREEMENTS AND THE PREVIOUS DEVELOPMENTS ARE ALL A MATTER OF PUBLIC RECORD.
AND IT WOULD BE, I'D BE HARD PRESSED TO THINK AN OWNER BUYING OR INVESTING IN THAT LOCATION FOR THOSE KINDS OF FUNDS WOULD NOT MAKE USE OF THEM, NOR WOULD THE REALTOR WHO, UH, WAS INVOLVED IN THE SALE, UH, COULD SAY THEY DID THEIR JOB IF THOSE WEREN'T ALSO MADE AVAILABLE TO THE PURCHASER.
SO I, I COULD, YOU HAVE TO TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF AN ANCE THAT THIS OWNER MIGHT NOT KNOW WHAT THE STATUS OF THE BUILDING IS.
AND WE CERTAINLY WOULD HOPE THAT IF THEY DO COME BY AND CONTINUE TO MAKE REQUESTS THAT THEY GET THAT REMEDIED RATHER QUICKLY.
UH, THE ONLY OTHER THING I CAN SAY IS THAT, UM, BUILDING PERMITS IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN ARE NOT THAT EASY TO GET AND THEY EXPIRE QUICKLY IF YOU DON'T USE THEM.
SO I THINK IT IS HIGHLY UNLIKELY THAT THERE IS ANY CURRENT BUILDING PERMIT THAT IT, IT'S, UM, NOT BEEN ACTED UPON IN THIS AMOUNT OF TIME.
IT'S NOT TO SAY IT COULDN'T BE REACTIVATED, BUT, UM, SUFFICE TO SAY, IF ANYBODY SEES ANY
[00:35:01]
MOVEMENT OUT THERE, IT'S PROBABLY NOT PER PERMIT AND NEEDS TO BE, UH, THE CITY NEEDS TO BE ALERTED.AND WE HAD DISCUSSED IT GOT INTO DEVELOPMENT SERVICES ISSUES IN TERMS OF THIS BEING A PARTIAL DEMOLITION.
WE'VE HAD DISCUSSIONS IN THE PAST THAT PARTIAL DEMOLITIONS HAVE TO HAVE APPROVED COMPLETE CONSTRUCTION TO KNOW THAT YOU'RE GONNA END UP WITH AN INTACT BUILDING WHEN YOU END AND WHEN THEY'RE ABANDONED, I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENS.
AND ALTHOUGH WE DON'T HAVE PURVIEW OVER THE INTERIOR, SO SOMEONE COULD IN THEORY, GUT ANY LANDMARK THAT THEY WANT, IT STILL NEEDS TO STAND UP, WHICH WOULD BE A REQUIREMENT OF OURS.
BUT THE DETAILS OF HOW THAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS WOULD BE A DEVELOPMENT SERVICES STRUCTURAL DESIGN CONCERN.
SO THIS IS JUST A VERY INTERESTING CASE ALL AROUND.
WE HAD A, WE HAD A DECENT CONVERSATION LAST MEETING ABOUT PARTIAL DEMOLITION PERMITS AND THEIR EXTENTS RELATED TO 10 10 E CESAR CHAVEZ.
SO YES, UH, WE MAY ASK, I KNOW WE'RE NOT TAKING ACTION, BUT IT MAY BE A, IT'S A COURTESY THAT THE STAFF IN REACHING OUT TO THIS OWNER WOULD PLEASE INDICATE TO THEM THAT THEY OUGHT TO BE GOING BACK AND LISTENING TO THIS RECORDING.
UH, AND THAT SOME OF THIS INFORMATION MAY BE VERY PERTINENT AS THEY APPROACH US WITH FURTHER REQUESTS.
AND, UM, I DID ALSO, UM, LIKE COMMISSIONER COOK, I GET THE IMPRESSION THAT THEY WERE AMENABLE TO A BRIEFING.
SO STAFF WILL ALSO, UH, CONTINUE TO ASK THEM TO APPEAR BEFORE THIS COMMISSION AS WELL AS THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE FOR ANY UPDATES AND INFORMATION THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE AS THEY GO THROUGH THE, UH, THE HISTORICAL PERMIT RECORDS AND, AND ALL OF THE, UH, PREVIOUS WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE ON THIS PROPERTY.
ALRIGHT, I THINK THAT'S, UNLESS THERE'S ANY MORE COMMENTS, I THINK THAT CONCLUDES OUR BRIEFINGS.
LET US MOVE ON TO THE FIRST DISCUSSION ITEM, UH, ITEM NUMBER SIX AT 1403 HARDWOOD AVENUE.
ISN'T THAT ONE CONSENT? I'M SORRY, THAT WAS CONSENT.
THE FIRST ONE IS ITEM NUMBER EIGHT,
[8. PR-2026-032504;HR-2026-036164–304W.42ndSt.]
UH, 3 0 4 WEST 42ND STREET.THERE'S PROBABLY SOMEBODY IN THE LOBBY RIGHT NOW HAVING A HEART ATTACK WHEN I CALLED OUT THEIR ADDRESS.
SO NO NUMBER ITEM NUMBER 8 3 0 4 WEST 42ND STREET.
UH, THIS IS A PROPOSAL TO DEMOLISH A CONTRIBUTING BUILDING IN THE HYDE PARK LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICT AND TO REPLACE IT WITH A NEW BUILDING.
THE PROPOSED NEW BUILDING SPANS TWO LOTS AND IS ORIENTED TOWARDS AVENUE C.
IT IS TWO STORIES IN HEIGHT CLAD AND HORIZONTAL LAP SIDING WITH BOARD AND BATTEN ACCENTS.
THE ROOF IS COMPOSED OF A SERIES OF COMPOUND GABLES AND A SHED ROOF DORMER AT THE SOUTHERN ELEVATION, A PARTIAL WIDTH COVERED PORCH DISPLAYS, CRAFTSMAN INSPIRED PROPORTIONS AND TRIANGULAR BRACKETS AT THE 42ND STREET ELEVATION.
SIMILAR BRACKETS APPEAR AT GABLE ENDS ON THE AVENUE C FACADE AND AT THE WESTERN WEST CARPORT, ELEVATION FENESTRATION INCLUDES FIXED CASEMENT AND WHATEVER ONE WINDOWS AND INTERSPERSED THROUGHOUT EACH ELEVATION.
THE EXISTING BUILDING AT 3 0 4 WEST 42ND IS A CIRCA 1932 BUNGALOW.
IT IS ONE STORY IN HEIGHT CLAD AND HORIZONTAL WOOD SIDING WITH SIMPLE MASSING AND A SIDE GABLE RECTANGULAR PLAN.
A GABLE GARAGE ABUTS THE EASTERN MOST ELEVATION FENESTRATION INCLUDES ONE OVER ONE WOOD WINDOWS AND EXPOSED DRAFTER TAILS ARE PRESENT AT THE EAVES AND TRIANGULAR BRACKETS AT THE GABLE LENS.
THE HYDE PARK DESIGN STANDARDS ARE USED TO EVALUATE PROJECTS WITHIN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT, AND THE NEW CONSTRUCTION PROJECT MEETS SOME OF THE, THE APPLICABLE STANDARDS.
UH, AS THIS PROPERTY CONTRIBUTES TO THE HYDES HYDE PARK HISTORIC DISTRICT, THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION IS TO EITHER POSTPONE THE PUBLIC HEARING TO JUNE 3RD, 2026 AND INVITE THE APPLICANT TO THE MAY 13TH, 2026 MEETING OF THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE TO FACILITATE FURTHER EXPLORATION OF ALTERNATIVES TO DEMOLITION OR DENY THE CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS.
WHILE THE NEW CONSTRUCTION PROPOSAL MOSTLY MEET THE DESIGN STANDARDS, STAFF CANNOT RECOMMEND THE REMOVAL OF A CONTRIBUTING BUILDING IN A LOCALLY DESIGNATED HISTORIC DISTRICT.
THAT CONCLUDES THE STAFF PRESENTATION.
UH, COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTIONS OF STAFF? A A QUESTION.
THIS, THIS DOES SPAN TWO EXISTING LOTS OR IT WAS TWO LOTS THAT HAVE BEEN COMBINED INTO ONE.
NOW I'M NOT SURE OF THE HISTORY OF THE LOT COMMISSIONER, BUT THE APPLICANT WILL PROBABLY BE ABLE TO ANSWER THAT.
I'M LOOKING AT IT ON GOOGLE MAPS AND THERE DOESN'T APPEAR TO BE A LOT LINE, BUT THAT'S OBVIOUSLY WAS THE CASE AT ONE TIME.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALRIGHT, SHALL WE HEAR FROM THE APPLICANT? THANK YOU.
UM, A COUPLE OF COMMENTS JUST, JUST FOR THE RECORD.
LET'S, UH, HAVE YOU READ YOUR NAME INTO THE, UH, OF COURSE RECORD PLEASE.
UM, SO JUST A, A COUPLE OF COMMENTS, UM, ABOUT, ABOUT THE HOUSE AGAIN, JENNY.
I HAVE BEEN IN THE HOUSE FOR ABOUT 20 YEARS NOW.
UM, IT'S ACTUALLY BEEN IN MY FAMILY FOR ABOUT 50 YEARS.
[00:40:01]
THE NEIGHBORHOOD, I LOVE THE NEIGHBORHOOD.I'D LIKE TO STAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
I AM GETTING MARRIED, UM, SOON AND UNFORTUNATELY I HAVE OUTGROWN THE SPACE.
IT IS A ONE BEDROOM, ONE BATHROOM HOUSE.
MY HUSBAND WILL BE WORKING AT HOME, SO WE DO NEED SOME MORE SPACE.
UM, I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH A LOCAL BUILDER AND A LOCAL ARCHITECT, UM, WHO'VE BEEN WORKING IN AUSTIN FOR, FOR A LONG TIME.
DONE QUITE A FEW PROJECTS AROUND THE AUSTIN AREA.
UM, AND I THINK THAT WE ALL KIND OF CAME TOGETHER WITH THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE IMPORTANCE OF PRESERVING THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, WHICH IS WHY WE, WE TOOK A LOT OF PAINS INTO DEVELOPING OR CREATING, I GUESS A NEW STRUCTURE.
I I THINK EVERYONE CAN, CAN APPRECIATE THAT.
UM, BUT REALLY AT, AT THIS POINT, I THINK THAT'S ABOUT ALL IT IT HAS GOING FOR IT.
THERE AREN'T ANY, UM, OTHER SPECIAL ELEMENTS WITH, WITH THE HOUSE, AT LEAST WHEN I'M WALKING AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD, NOT THAT I CAN SEE, UM, WHAT, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO BUILD, I BELIEVE WILL ENHANCE THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHILE STAYING TRUE TO THE CHARACTER OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND THAT'S WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO.
AND THOSE ARE ALL MY COMMENTS.
COMMISSIONERS, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OF THE APPLICANT? YEP, YEP.
COULD YOU SPEAK TO WHETHER IT IS TWO LOTS OR ONE LOT OR WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT THE HISTORY OF WHAT WAS IN THE FRONT LOT ORIGINALLY? YEAH, OF COURSE.
SO MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT A LOT OF THE LOTS IN HYDE PARK ARE ACTUALLY VERY NARROW LOTS AND SO A LOT OF THEM ARE TWO OR THREE LOTS THAT HAVE BEEN COMBINED.
UM, SO MY HOUSE CURRENTLY SITS AT THE VERY BACK.
THE, THE PROPERTIES, THE LOTS RUN LONG AND SO IT STRADDLES ACTUALLY BOTH OF THE, THE LOTS IN THE BACK OF THE HOUSE.
AND SO THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING BECAUSE IT, IT APPEARS TO MATCH THE RHYTHM OF THE HOUSES ACROSS THE STREET, UM, THAT ARE ALSO SUBDIVIDED IN TWO, TWO SEPARATE HOUSES INSTEAD OF ONE LARGE HOUSE.
BUT, UM, I THINK WE'LL END UP DISCUSSING THAT MORE.
AND I THINK YOU JUST DON'T KNOW IF THERE EVER WAS A HOUSE IN THE FRONT THAT, NOT THAT I KNOW OF, NO.
AND IN THE FRONT, I WILL JUST SAY IN THE FRONT AND YOU CAN PROBABLY SEE ON THE SURVEY THERE'S SEVERAL PECAN TREES, SO THERE'S A LOT OF ROOT STRUCTURE THAT'S KIND OF AT THE FRONT OF THE LOT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OF THE APPLICANT? ALRIGHT, HEARING NONE.
DO WE HAVE ANYBODY ELSE, UH, SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THIS? YES.
WE HAVE ONE OTHER SPEAKER SIGNED UP ON THIS ITEM.
AND YOUR NAME PLEASE FOR THE RECORD.
MY NAME'S TIM RE THANK YOU MR. RE.
THE OWNER, UM, REQUESTED AND HIRED ME TO HELP BUILD HER HOUSE.
UM, SHE UNDERSTANDS AND I UNDERSTAND BEING AN AUSTINITE, THE DIFFICULTIES, UM, AND THE, AND THE, THE HISTORIC NATURE OF HYDE PARK.
UM, BUT SHE WOULD LIKE TO, AND I'D LIKE TO HELP HER PURSUE AN OPPORTUNITY, UM, TO BUILD A HOUSE ON THE SPECIFIC LOT.
UM, I'M GONNA ARGUE THAT THE, THE, THE, THE HOME IN ITS ORIGINAL LOCATION, AND THAT IS ITS ORIGINAL LOCATION.
THERE WERE, THERE WAS NOTHING FURTHER, UM, DOESN'T MEET THE INTENT OF THE CURRENT AREA.
IT WAS, IT'S, IT'S STUCK WAY, WAY AT THE BACK AND IT'S ACTUALLY FIVE FEET ENCROACHING INTO THE REAR LOT LINE IN TODAY'S STANDARDS, UH, SETBACKS AT 10.
CURRENTLY THE HOME SITS AT 4.9, I BELIEVE I I PROVIDED A LARGER SURVEY FOR YOU TO TAKE A LOOK AT.
UM, AND SO 5.9 OF NEW CONSTRUCTION OF YOUR NCCD ORDINANCE, UM, REQUIRES THAT THE NEW CONSTRUCTION OF A GARAGE OR A CAR CARPORT TO BE IN THE REAR.
AND THAT'S THE EXACT LOCATION OF WHERE THIS HOUSE SITS.
SO IT PUTS HER INTO A HARDSHIP OF WHERE SHE COULD PLACE A HOUSE BECAUSE SHE'S ASKING FOR AND WANTING, UM, A GARAGE OR A CARPORT.
PART SEVEN OF YOUR, UM, NCD IS GONNA TALK ABOUT, UM, HOUSES WHERE THEY NEED TO FACE.
UM, AND I BELIEVE THE INTENT OF SECTION SEVEN STATES THAT IT WANTS TO BE FACING NORTH AND SOUTH STREETS, WHICH ARE ALL THE
[00:45:01]
AVENUES.THIS HOUSE FACES 42ND AND I BELIEVE THAT IT SHOULD BE FACING AVENUE C.
UM, AND I BELIEVE ANYTHING NEW WOULD BE REQUIRED TO FACE FACE AVENUE C.
UM, THE ORDINANCE 4.2 IS GONNA REQUIRE, UM, ANY NEW ADDITIONS TO BE LOCATED AT THE REAR.
AGAIN, THAT'S ANOTHER HARDSHIP THAT SHE, THERE'S REALLY, WE REVIEWED WITH THE ARCHITECT.
OUR ARCHITECT IS KIT FLORES ARCHITECTS, ANOTHER LOCAL, UM, ARCHITECT.
UM, IT'S SITTING EXACTLY WHERE YOU COULD PUT THE GARAGE.
THERE'S, THERE'S NO OTHER WAY FOR US TO BUILD FORWARD OR REMODEL FORWARD.
UM, AND THAT'S 4.2, WHICH IS, IT, IT, IT, IT PRETTY MUCH STATES IT, UH, WHERE IT'S 4.2 LOCATE NEW ADDITIONS AND ALTERATIONS TO THE REAR OR REAR SIDE OF THE BUILDING, SO THEY WILL BE LESS VISIBLE FROM THE STREET.
SO THAT'S WHERE THE EXISTING BUILDING SIT.
UM, WE'RE HAPPY TO MEET WITH STAFF AND, AND REVIEW OUR OPTIONS.
UM, BUT WE WOULD LIKE TO TRAVEL THE OPTION OF NEW CONSTRUCTION FIRST.
AND I, I, I THINK IT'S OUR OPINION THAT THERE ARE NO ADDITIONAL, UM, ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES THAT GIVE THIS ANY HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE.
SO WE'RE GONNA ASK FOR HELP IN NEW CONSTRUCTION.
UH, COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTIONS OF THE SPEAKER? I HAD ONE QUESTION.
WHEN YOU, UH, DESIGNED THE OFFSET OFF OF AVENUE C, DID YOU DO THE, THE MINIMUM CITY OR DID YOU DO THE AVERAGE OF THOSE ON THE CITY BLOCK? IS IT SET BACK FARTHER THAN THE HISTORIC HOMES ON THE BLOCK? UH, THE, THE, THE, THE FRONT SETBACK MM-HMM
IT'S, UH, IT, IT, IT'S ACTUALLY SET BACK A LITTLE FURTHER BECAUSE OF WE'VE GOT A COUPLE OF, UH, HERITAGE TREES OKAY.
THAT WE'RE, THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH.
SO THAT'S PART OF THE REASON WHY IT'S SET WHERE IT IS.
WE'RE, WE'RE PRETTY MUCH LIMITED IN THAT REGARD.
UH, ARE THERE ANY OTHER SPEAKERS? THERE ARE NO OTHER SPEAKERS ON THIS ITEM.
UH, LET ME ASK, WAS THE, I KNOW THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION HAS BEEN VERY ACTIVE IN PUTTING TOGETHER THE NCCD REQUIREMENTS AND HOW THEY'RE ADMINISTERED.
HAS THIS, UH, APPLICANT, OR HAVE YOU, UH, AS THE BUILDER MET WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD? NO, BUT IF WE WILL DO, I, I THINK THAT THAT PROBABLY IS A VERY CRITICAL ELEMENT INCLUDING, UH, THIS ISSUE OF THESE RATHER DEEP SETBACKS ON AVENUE C FOR ALL OF YOUR NEIGHBORS.
UH, THAT SEEMS TO BE PART OF THE ORIGINAL FABRIC.
UH, SO IT MAY NOT BE THAT THERE WAS EVER ANYTHING IN THE FRONT YARD.
IT MAY JUST BE THAT'S THE WAY THIS WAS SET UP.
UH, UH, I THINK THERE ARE PROBABLY PEOPLE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHO KNOW.
UM, YEAH, THAT'S MY COMMENT FOR NOW.
UM, COMMISSIONERS, IF, UH, THERE ARE NO OTHER SPEAKERS, THEN I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
COMMISSIONER COOK SECOND BY COMMISSIONER WRIGHT.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, RICE? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY RAISE THEIR HAND.
THE HEARING IS NOW CLOSED AND I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION, I'LL MOVE TO POSTPONE THIS CASE, UH, TO OUR JUNE MEETING AND INVITE THE APPLICANTS TO ATTEND THE MAY 13TH ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE.
AND THAT WOULD INCLUDE REOPENING THE PUBLIC HEARING AND REOPEN PUBLIC HEARING.
COMMISSIONER ACTON, UM, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK TO YOUR MOTION? SURE, YEAH, I'LL AGREE.
THIS IS DEFINITELY A UNIQUE CASE WITH A UNIQUE OWNERSHIP HISTORY, UNIQUE PATTERNS, UH, THE TREES COMPLICATE THINGS.
I CAN SEE SOME OF THE ARGUMENTS IN TERMS OF KIND OF FLESHING OUT THE HISTORIC PATTERNS IN THE STREET BY BUILDING ON AVENUE SEA.
BUT, UH, WE SPEND A LOT OF OUR TIME HERE EXPLAINING WHY WE CAN'T SAVE HISTORIC BUILDINGS.
AND THIS IS ONE THING THAT WE CAN DO AND WE PRETTY MUCH HAVE TO DO, IS NOT ALLOW THE DEMOLITION OF CONTRIBUTING PROPERTIES IN LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICTS.
THAT'S, THAT'S THE, OTHER THAN LANDMARKS, THAT'S THE STRONGEST POWER WE HAVE TO SAVE HISTORIC BUILDINGS.
UM, AND IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT FOR US TO NOT DO THAT.
SO I THINK WE MAY HAVE TO GET CREATIVE HERE TO MEET THE, UH, THE NEEDS OF THE OWNER.
UM, BUT IT DEFINITELY IS GONNA NEED MORE DISCUSSION.
COMMISSIONER ACTON, UM, I'LL CONCUR WITH COMMISSIONER COOK'S STATEMENTS AND THEN
[00:50:01]
I THINK IN A POSTPONEMENT WE GIVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO NOT ONLY DISCUSS WITH THE A RC, BUT ALSO POTENTIALLY THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.UM, COMMISSIONERS, ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON THIS ITEM? YEAH, I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU DO WORK WITH YOUR NEIGHBORS.
THEY PROBABLY WILL HAVE SOME SUGGESTIONS.
I THINK, UM, THE SPIRIT OF THE NCCD MIGHT BE MET IN SUCH A WAY THAT YOU COULD MAKE, UH, INCORPORATE THIS EXISTING STRUCTURE INTO A NEW STRUCTURE, UH, EVEN IF IT'S NOT IN THE BACK, SO TO SPEAK.
BUT ADJUSTMENTS MIGHT BE POSSIBLE.
UH, AND I JUST WANNA REINFORCE, AS COMMISSIONER COOK HAS SAID, UH, THIS IS A CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURE ON A VIRTUALLY INTACT BLOCK.
AND TO BE LOSING THAT, UH, WE HAVE TO TAKE THAT VERY SERIOUSLY AND EXPLORE ALL OPTIONS.
SO, UM, AT THIS POINT, IF THERE ARE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION, AND I JUST DID WANNA NOTE IN TERMS OF THE ARGUMENT ABOUT THE ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE BUILDING IN DISTRICTS IN PARTICULAR, YOU KNOW, THESE AREN'T LANDMARKS.
THEY CAN BE QUIET BUILDINGS THAT HAVE NEIGHBORHOOD HISTORIC PATTERNS AND IN, IN THEIR MERE EXISTENCE, UM, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE SIMPLE, THEY, THEY DO CONTRIBUTE TO THE DISTRICT AS A WHOLE.
SO, UH, WE DO HAVE TO CONSIDER THAT COMMISSIONER WISE, I'LL JUST SAY, UM, I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS KNOW I TEND TO BE HESITANT ON POSTPONING THINGS, BUT I'M REALLY ENCOURAGED, UM, BY THE APPLICANT'S WILLINGNESS TO WORK TO MEET THESE GOALS.
UM, AND ALSO OF COURSE, THE LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICT OF IT ALL IS, UM, INFLUENCES THAT THINKING ON MY PART AS WELL.
BUT, UM, I THINK IT'S JUST REALLY EXCITING AS LIKE EVERY TIME THAT THERE'S AN APPLICANT WHO IS EAGER AND EXCITED TO WORK, UM, WITH THE COMMISSION, WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, TO MAKE THEIR PROJECT, YOU KNOW, EITHER BETTER OR FIND A WAY TO MAKE IT, TO FIND A COMPROMISE, UH, THAT WORKS FOR EVERYONE.
SO JUST WANNA COMMEND THE APPLICANT FOR HAVING AN OPEN MIND AND BEING WILLING TO WORK WITH FOLKS.
AND I'LL, I'LL REMIND, UM, THE COMMISSIONERS.
THIS IS A LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICT, SO WE DO HAVE JURISDICTION.
THIS IS A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS.
SO WHERE BASICALLY WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS IN FACT THE BEST STRATEGY AND UH, IT'LL BE UP TO THE OWNER AND THE DESIGNERS TO, TO DEMONSTRATE THAT WITH THEIR RECOMMENDATION.
ALRIGHT, UH, WE HAVE A MOTION TO POSTPONE, UH, UNTIL THE JUNE MEETING.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND AND I SEE ALL HANDS RAISED IS UNANIMOUS.
[9. PR-2026-030473 – 1511 Rainbow Bend]
IS ITEM NUMBER NINE AT 1511 RAINBOW BEND.THIS IS NOW NATIONAL REGISTER HISTORIC DISTRICT AND OUR PURVIEW AT THIS POINT IS TO, UH, REVIEW THE PLANS IN THIS CASE FOR THE DEMOLITION OF A 1935 BUILDING.
UH, THIS IS, UH, ONLY FOR THE DEMOLITION.
UH, THE PLANS HAVEN'T BEEN FORMALLY SUBMITTED, SO WE'LL SEE THOSE AT A FUTURE MEETING.
UM, ITEM 10 TONIGHT IS A PROPOSAL TO DEMOLISH A CIRCA 1935 CONTRIBUTING BUILDING IN THE OLD WEST AUSTIN NATIONAL REGISTER DISTRICT.
THIS IS A THREE STORY LIMESTONE, TEXAS VERNACULAR HOUSE WITH ECLECTIC ELEMENTS SUCH AS A MONTEREY STYLE, SECOND FLOOR BALCONY BOARD AND VA AND SECONDARY ELEVATIONS, AND A FRONT FACING BAY WINDOW.
A DESIGN LANDSCAPE, INCLUDING A POND AND SWEEPING STONE ENTRY STAIRCASE APPEARS TO BE ORIGINAL TO THE PROPERTY.
THE HOUSE AT 1511 RAINBOW BEND WAS CONSTRUCTED IN 1935 FOR DR. THOMAS J AND HILDA NEY.
MCELHANNEY WAS THE SECOND PEDIATRIC PHYSICIAN IN AUSTIN AND BEGAN AUSTIN'S FIRST WELL BABY CLINIC IN 1934.
HE SERVED AS PRESIDENT OF BOTH THE TRAVIS COUNTY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION AND THE TRAVIS COUNTY PEDIATRIC SOCIETY, AS WELL AS A DELEGATE TO THE WHITE HOUSE CONFERENCE ON CHILDREN AND YOUTH.
IN 1960, HINNEY'S PRACTICE AT THE CHILDREN'S CLINIC OPERATED FROM A BUILDING ON OASIS STREET UNTIL HIS DEATH IN 1968.
MCELHANNEY SON, DR. THOMAS R MCELHANNEY ALSO WORKED WITH HIS FATHER AS A PEDIATRIC ALLERGIST.
DR. THOMAS J MCELHANNEY WAS HONORED BY THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS IN 1946 FOR PIONEERING A NEW RAPID TREATMENT FOR SCABIES AND CHILDREN WITHOUT THE DANGEROUS SIDE EFFECTS OF EARLIER FORMULATIONS FOR ADULTS IS PART OF HIS WORK WITH THE AMERICAN LEGIONS CHILD WELFARE COMMITTEE.
THE PROPERTY IS ALSO HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT AS THE HOME OF AUSTIN'S FIRST SUMMER CAMP FOR GIRLS FOUNDED AND DIRECTED BY HILDA RU MELE HONEY DUBBED CAMP WINONA.
THE CAMP OFFERED HORSEBACK RIDING AND NATURE STUDIES, ARTS AND CRAFTS AND SWIMMING.
MOST OF THE ACTIVITIES TOOK PLACE ON THE PROPERTY.
THE HOUSE'S SURROUNDING LANDSCAPE PROVIDED A HAVEN FOR THE DAY CAMPERS AND APPEARS TO RETAIN SOME ORIGINAL STONE FEATURES.
THIS PROPERTY CONT CONTRIBUTES TO THE OLD WEST AUSTIN NATIONAL REGISTER.
DISTRICT AND STAFF HAS EVALUATED THE PROPERTY AND DETERMINED THAT IT MEETS TWO CRITERIA FOR LANDMARK DESIGNATION AS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF VERNACULAR
[00:55:01]
VERNACULAR, TEXAS RESIDENTIAL DESIGN AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS WITH DR. THOMAS AND MRS. HILDA.THUS THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION IS TO CONSIDER INITIATING HISTORIC ZONING, UH, AND THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION MUST REVIEW NEW CONSTRUCTION DRAWINGS PRIOR TO PERMIT RELEASE IN NATIONAL REGISTER HISTORIC DISTRICTS FOR DEMOLITIONS.
UH, THERE IS A STRUCTURAL ASSESSMENT AND SUPPORTING INFORMATION IN YOUR BACKUP AS WELL FROM THE APPLICANT.
THAT CONCLUDES THE STAFF PRESENTATION.
UH, COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTIONS OF STAFF? I HAVE A QUESTION VERY QUICKLY.
SO YOU MENTIONED THERE THAT TO RELEASE A PERMIT WE HAVE TO REVIEW THE DRAWINGS, BUT THAT'S NOT THE DEMO PERMIT.
THAT WOULD BE THE NEW CONSTRUCTION PERMIT? THAT'S CORRECT.
SO BEFORE THE APPLICANT CAN PULL A PERMIT FOR DEMOLITION, UM, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT THE COMMISSION HAS APPROVED IT OR NOT, THEY HAVE TO BRING THEIR NEW CONSTRUCTION PLANS BEFORE THE COMMISSION FOR THEIR COMMENT.
BUT YOU SAID THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANY PLANS? NOT AT THIS TIME.
RIGHT NOW WE ARE ONLY DISCUSSING THE PLAN REVIEW APPLICATION FOR THE DEMOLITION.
SO BEFORE THE PERMIT MAY BE PULLED, THEY WILL HAVE TO COME BACK.
SO WE CAN APPROVE IT, BUT THEY CAN'T ACTUALLY RECEIVE IT UNTIL THEY'VE SUBMITTED PLANS? CORRECT.
YEAH, AND, AND THAT'S NOT THAT UNUSUAL FOR PEOPLE TO COME WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THAT IN HAND BEFORE THEY INVEST IN, SO I LITTLE CART BEFORE THE HORSE, BUT, UH, IDEALLY THE BOTH WOULD BE PRESENTED AND EVALUATED SIMULTANEOUSLY.
ALRIGHT, ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS OF STAFF? UH, HEARING NONE THEN LET'S HEAR FROM THE APPLICANT.
MY NAME IS PATRICK BEARD AND I'M HERE WITH MY WIFE CHARLOTTE, REGARDING OUR REQUEST FOR A DEMOLITION PERMIT AT THE STRUCTURE OF THE STRUCTURE AT 1511 RAINBOW BEND.
CURRENTLY WE HAVE THE HOUSE UNDER CONTRACT WITH THE CLOSING CONTINGENT ON SECURING THE PERMIT.
UH, PLEASE LOCATE A DOCUMENT THAT HAS BEEN PLACED IN FRONT OF YOU, WHICH SAYS 1511 RAINBOW BEND TO THE TOP.
IT MAPS EVERY ADDITION ALREADY MADE AND EVERY REPAIR REQUIRED TO BE MADE BY THREE PROFESSIONAL INSPECTIONS THAT WE HAD DONE ON THE PROPERTY TO THE IMPACT ON THE SPECIFIC ASPECT OF INTEGRITY AS DEFINED BY THE NATIONAL REGISTERED BULLETIN 15 IN NRBS FIFTEEN'S OWN WORDS.
THIS DOCUMENT WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH MUCH GREATER DETAIL THAN I'M ABLE TO CONVEY IN WHAT I THOUGHT WAS FIVE MINUTES AND IS NOW THREE MINUTES.
PROPERTY MUST HAVE A HIGH DEGREE OF INTEGRITY ACCORDING TO SECTION 2 5 2 3 5 2.
UH, AS YOU WILL, AS YOU WILL SEE, THE PROPERTY HAS UNDERGONE AT LEAST EIGHT ADDITIONS THAT WE, THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO IDENTIFY EACH OF WHICH DEGRADE THE INTEGRITY.
THE HANDOUT THAT I'VE PROVIDED YOU OUTLINES THE SPECIFIC INSTANCES OF EXACTLY HOW THE INTEGRITY OF THE PROPERTY HAS BEEN DEGRADED.
SECTION A DOCUMENTS THE ADDITIONS THAT HAVE ALREADY DESTROYED CHARACTER DEFINING HISTORIC FABRIC.
SECTION B DOCUMENTS THE REPAIRS THE INSPECTION REPORTS REQUIRE.
THE DESIGN MATERIALS AND WORKMANSHIP COMPONENTS OF THE INTEGRITY TEST HAVE ALL BEEN COMPROMISED IN THIS PROPERTY.
UM, WILL YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE? ACTUALLY SLIDE, UH, TWO MORE.
PROVIDE THIS SLIDE PROVIDES A HIGH LEVEL OF WHAT CAUSED SUCH DEGRADATION, BUT MY HANDOUT IS MORE SPECIFIC.
I WOULD ASK EACH OF YOU TO PLEASE SPEND A FEW MINUTES TO REVIEW THE HANDOUT.
THESE ARE TWO ADDITIONS ON THE EXTERIOR.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THEY'RE NOT ALIGNED WITH MORE COMPLIMENTARY TO THE ORIGINAL 1935 LIMESTONE HOME.
THE SAME PATTERN CONTINUES ON THE INSIDE.
ON DESIGN SPECIFICALLY IN 1992, AN APPLICATION TO THE BOARD OF, UH, ADJUSTMENT WAS SUBMITTED TO REQUEST PERMISSION TO BUILD AN EXTERIOR STAIRCASE FOR A PROPOSED SECOND STORY STUDIO.
ON THE APPLICATION, UH, THE APPLICANT WROTE THE STAIR WILL NOT BE READILY VISIBLE FROM THE STREET.
THIS IS A PHOTO TAKEN FROM THE STREET OF THOSE STAIRS IN THE SECOND STORY STUDIO.
IT'S WORTH NOTING THAT WE HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO FIND A SINGLE PERMIT, UH, FOR ANY OF THE ADDITIONS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE.
AND I MIGHT ALSO MENTION THAT THE HPO RESEARCH SECTION MADE NO MENTION OF ANY OF THE EIGHT ADDITIONS WHICH WE HAVE IDENTIFIED.
UH, WE'VE HIRED RYAN STREET OF RYAN STREET ARCHITECTS TO CONSULT WITH US ON THIS PHASE OF TRYING TO, UM, OBTAIN THE DEMOLITION PERMIT.
UH, THIS IS A QUOTE FROM HIM, WHICH I'LL LET YOU READ ON HIS OWN, GIVEN MY TIME CONSTRAINT.
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THIS IS ANOTHER QUOTE FROM, UH, RYAN STREET, UH, REGARDING THE LANDMARK COMMISSION'S OPINION THAT THE BUILDING IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF VERNACULAR, TEXAS RESIDENTIAL DESIGN.WE COMMISSIONED THREE INDEPENDENT PROFESSIONAL ASSESSMENTS, UH, TO ASSESS, UH, THE STRUCTURAL, THE STRUCTURE, THE ASBESTOS, AND THE, AND THE LEAD.
I CAN MAKE THESE REPORTS AVAILABLE TO YOU IF YOU WOULD LIKE.
NEXT POINT, ALL OF THESE REPORTS POINT TO SYSTEMIC STRUCTURAL FAILURE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS EMBEDDED IN THE ORIGINAL BUILDING, SUCH THAT THE REHABILITATION WOULD REQUIRE SUBSTANTIAL REPLACEMENT OF THE VERY MATERIALS AND ASSEMBLIES THAT CONVEY THE BUILDING'S HISTORIC CHARACTER.
THE ENGINEER'S PROFESSIONAL OPINION IS UNAMBIGUOUS.
BASED ON THE TOTALITY OF OUR FINDINGS, WE HAVE DETERMINED THAT THE STRUCTURE IS NOT SAFE IN ITS CURRENT CONDITION.
EVERY ONE OF THESE CONDITIONS HAVE PRE-EXISTED OUR OWNERSHIP.
UM, WE SEND A LETTER TO THE COMMISSION, UH, WITHIN WEEKS OF, UM, HAVING, HAVING THE PROPERTY UNDER CONTRACT.
UH, HOPEFULLY THE COMMISSION WILL AGREE WITH US AND APPROVE THE DEMOLITION PERMIT BASED ON THE EVIDENCE THAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU.
IF SO, WE WILL THEN MEET WITH THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE TO, UH, TO PUT SOME DESIGN PLANS TOGETHER.
WITHOUT HAVING MADE ANY SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS ON PLANS FOR A NEW STRUCTURE, I CAN ONLY PROMISE YOU THAT WE INTEND TO BUILD SOMETHING THAT WILL HONOR THE HISTORIC NATURE OF OLD, OLD ENFIELD.
UH, CHARLOTTE AND I RESPECTFULLY ASKED THE COMMISSION TO APPROVE OUR APPLICATION AND ALLOW US TO BUILD SOMETHING WORTHY OF PRESERVING 50 YEARS FROM NOW.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
UM, COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTIONS OF THE APPLICANT? OKAY, UH, DO WE HAVE ANOTHER SPEAKER? YES.
WE ALSO HAVE CHARLOTTE BAYARD, UH, SIGNED UP IN FAVOR OF THE PROJECT.
NOW SHE'S WAIVING AND DOES NOT NEED TO SPEAK.
ALRIGHT, ANYONE ELSE SIGNED UP? NO OTHER SPEAKERS.
UM, WE HAVE NO OTHER SPEAKERS.
UH, SO THAT SHOULD CONCLUDE OUR PUBLIC HEARING.
I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO CLOSE THE HEARING.
UM, LET'S DO THAT WITH COMMISSIONER LAROCHE AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER HORTER.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND AND THEN OPPOSED.
SO THAT, UH, NOW COMMISSIONERS, WE ARE AVAILABLE TO, UM, ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
I WILL MOVE TO APPROVE STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION.
COMMISSIONER LAROCHE, UH, THE MAKE THE, THE RECOMMENDATION IS, UH, CONSIDER THE POSSIBILITY OF HISTORIC ZONING, HOWEVER, UH, A NOTE OF NEW CONSTRUCTION, UH, REQUIRING, UH, A NEW CONSTRUCTION DRAWINGS BEING REQUIRED TO THE PERMIT RELEASE.
SO YOU WOULD, YOU WOULD APPROVE THE DEMOLITION IN THIS REGARD? YES.
ALRIGHT, UH, COMMISSIONER LAROCHE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK TO YOUR MOTION? ALL I'M TORN BY THIS ONE BECAUSE IT'S CLEAR THAT THE ORIGINAL STRUCTURE HAS BEEN MODIFIED MULTIPLE TIMES AND DOESN'T, DOESN'T NEARLY RETAIN ITS ORIGINAL CHARACTER.
HAVING SAID ALL THAT, IF YOU'LL PERMIT ME TO GET ON MY SOAPBOX FOR A LITTLE BIT, AGAIN, I, I JUST WISH THAT THIS DIOCESE IS COMPRISED OF, UH, MULTIPLE ELITE PROFESSIONALS THAT WORK IN HISTORIC PRESERVATION ALL THE TIME.
AND I, AND I FIND IT JUST A LITTLE BIT SALTING WHEN YOU PROVIDE THESE EXPLANATIONS THAT SAY YOU CAN'T DO IT, IT'S DIFFICULT TO DO IT.
IT'S SUCH THINGS AS REPOINTING OF THE MASONRY AND REPAIRING THE STONE.
I MEAN, SERIOUSLY, THESE THINGS ARE DONE ROUTINELY ALL THE TIME BY PRESERVATIONISTS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.
SO, AND I KNOW THAT AS PART OF OUR OBLIGATION TO THE COMMUNITY, WE HAVE TO IMPROVE OUR PRESERVATION
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STANDARDS AND CODES AS THAT CLARITY IS PROVIDED.BUT IT, IT DOES FRUSTRATE ME SIGNIFICANTLY.
SO MOST OF THE ITEMS IN SECTION B WOULD BE NORMAL.
ACTON, UM, I CONCUR WITH, UM, COMMISSIONER LAROCHE, AND I'LL ALSO STATE THAT, YOU KNOW, AS I'VE STATED UP HERE BEFORE, WHAT IT REALLY, SOME OF THESE DECISIONS HINGE ON IS IN AN ABILITY TO DO SOMETHING.
IT'S WHETHER IN A CERTAIN CASE'S WORTH IT.
'CAUSE WE CAN PRESERVE ANYTHING.
IT JUST DEPENDS ON WHETHER IT'S WORTH THE TIME, MONEY, EFFORT BASED ON THE HISTORIC PROVENANCE OF THE PROJECT ITSELF.
AND I THINK, UM, TO BUILD ON WHAT COMMISSIONER LU SAID IN THIS SITUATION, IT HAS A NUMBER OF ADDITIONS AND THINGS THAT PREVENT THAT.
ALTHOUGH ALL OF THESE ARE REPAIRABLE CONDITIONS.
UM, I DO WANT TO COMMEND YOU ON HAVING, HOWEVER, 'CAUSE IT'S SOMETHING ELSE WE HARP ON, WE WON'T TALK ABOUT ITS COMPLETENESS OR EVERY LITTLE ASPECT OF IT.
BUT YOU DID PROVIDE A STRUCTURAL EVALUATION REPORT, WHICH YOU'D BE SURPRISED HOW MANY TIMES PEOPLE COME UP HERE AND SAY THAT THE STRUCTURE IS HORRIBLE AND IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT RETAINABLE AND NO ONE OF A PROFESSIONAL LOOKED AT IT.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR THAT, ACTUALLY.
BUT BECAUSE OF THOSE REASONS, UM, AND, AND BUILDING ON THE FACT THAT THESE THINGS ARE REPAIRABLE, BUT IN THIS CASE, I DON'T, UM, I DON'T THINK THEY RISE TO THE, TO THE LEVEL OF, OF SALVAGING THIS PARTICULAR BUILDING.
SO I'M GOING TO, UM, VOTE TO ALLOW FOR THE DEMOLITION POINT TO ORDER Y'ALL, CAN WE HAVE SOMEBODY RESTATE THE MOTION, UH, 'CAUSE LIMIT COMMISSIONER LAROCHE, UM, VOTED FOR, OR MOTION FOR STAFF RECOMMENDATION, WHICH SHE WAS, WHICH IS TO INITIATE HISTORIC ZONING CONSIDER, RIGHT.
SO, UH, THAT'S WHY I ASKED FOR CLARIFICATION.
BUT LET, LET'S GO AHEAD AND RESTATE YOUR MOTION IN TERMS OF APPROVING THE DEMOLITION IS WHAT I UNDERSTOOD IT WAS.
UM, MY MOTION IS TO, UH, UH, PERMIT THE DEMOLITION AND CONTINGENT UPON REVIEW OF THE, UH, NEW BILL DOCUMENTS.
COMMISSIONER, WOULD YOU LIKE A DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE WITH THAT? YES.
AND INCLUDING A DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE.
AND THAT IS THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE SECONDER OF THE MOTION.
YES, THAT WAS WHAT I HAD SECONDED, YES.
I WOULD LIKE TO ADD REGARDING THE PROFESSIONAL'S REPORT, BECAUSE, UH, I ACTUALLY, I SKIMMED THROUGH IT RATHER QUICKLY, AND I THOUGHT AS, UH, COMMISSIONER ACTON HAS SAID THAT IT CATALOGED A NUMBER OF THINGS, ALMOST A CHECKLIST OF WHAT TO DO TO FIX THE BUILDING.
UM, I HAD NO PROBLEM WITH IT AT ALL UNTIL I'D DONE A SECOND READ AND I SEE THAT THERE'S A SENTENCE SAYING, BASED ON THE TOTALITY OF OUR FINDINGS, WE HAVE DETERMINED THE STRUCTURE IS NOT SAFE IN ITS CURRENT CONDITION.
BUT IF YOU ACTUALLY READ IT MORE THOROUGHLY, THERE'S NOTHING THAT HE'S POINTED OUT THAT ACTUALLY WOULD ALLOW HIM TO SAY THAT DEFINITIVELY, UH, THE BEST HE CAN SAY IS THAT THERE IS POTENTIAL SIGNIFICANT PEER SETTLEMENT, BUT HE ADMITS THAT IT'S NOT VERIFIED DUE TO LACK OF ACCESS TO THE CRAWLSPACE.
SO UP UNTIL THAT POINT, HE HAD ME.
AND THEN I THINK THAT BOLD, UH, STATEMENT, I THINK NEEDS TO BE CALLED OUT BECAUSE I THINK THAT IS BEYOND WHAT THE EVIDENCE AS I READ IT.
UH, I'M NOT AN ENGINEER, BUT I AM A PROFESSIONAL.
UH, AND I THINK THAT'S ANOTHER WAY, PERHAPS, OF STATING WHAT THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS HERE HAVE ALSO STATED, WHICH IS, THIS IS A CHECKLIST OF WHAT TO FIX TO KEEP THIS BUILDING, UH, SOUND.
UH, BUT IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY RISE TO THE LEVEL OF QUESTIONING ITS SAFETY.
UH, THAT WAS NOT ESTABLISHED IN MY OPINION.
AND FOR ME, THAT WAS NOT IT FOR ME.
IT WAS THE MULTIPLE ALTERATIONS THAT REALLY CHANGED THE CHARACTER OF THE BUILDING COMPLETELY.
SO THAT, UH, NOW LEMME PUT ON MY OTHER HAT AS AN ARCHITECT AND SUGGEST THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, I DID APPRECIATE IN THIS PRESENTATION WAS THE THOROUGHNESS WITH WHICH THE OWNER DOCUMENTED WHAT THOSE CHANGES WERE WHEN THEY OCCURRED AND HOW THEY ALTERED THE, THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE BUILDING.
AND I THINK THAT IS A, A VERY SIGNIFICANT, UH, WAY OF APPROACHING IT.
IT'S THE RIGHT WAY TO APPROACH IT, AND THAT REALLY PUTS IT IN OUR PURVIEW OF HOW MUCH ORIGINAL HISTORIC FABRIC MIGHT BE THERE IF WE WERE TO CONSIDER HISTORIC ZONING.
UH, I THINK I'M SUFFICIENTLY CONVINCED BASED ON THAT DOCUMENT AS WELL.
AND I, I WILL BE VOTING, VOTING FOR THE MOTION AS WELL.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? I'LL NOTE I'M GONNA SUPPORT THE MOTION.
UH, I THINK THAT THERE IS SUFFICIENT INTEGRITY FOR THIS TO BE A LANDMARK IF SOMEONE WANTED TO THAT I AGREE THAT ALL THE CONDITIONS COULD BE ADDRESSED, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE HISTORIC ASSOCIATIONS, UH, WITH THE PREVIOUS OWNERS, I
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JUST DON'T, THIS IS NOT THE FIGHT.I THINK WHAT WE WANT TO HAVE ON IN THE NEWSPAPER, UM, YOU KNOW, FIGHTING TO SAVE THIS ONE ON THIS LOT, WHICH HAS HUGE POTENTIAL END VALUE.
AND, UH, THE HISTORIC ASSOCIATIONS TO ME DIDN'T SEEM TERRIBLY STRONG.
THE, THE ALTERATIONS VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION.
I THINK THE ALTERATIONS DEFINITELY IMPACTED ENOUGH.
I THINK THERE PROBABLY IS SUFFICIENT INTEGRITY FOR THIS TO BE LANDMARK.
BUT AGAIN, IT, IT JUST KIND OF PUTS IT ALL ON THE BUBBLE.
AND ALSO THE HISTORY WITH IT BEING PART OF THE, THE GIRLS CAMP IS VERY INTERESTING, BUT IN DOING SO, IT MAKES FOR A HOUSE, IT'S KIND OF RECESS FROM THE STREET AND KIND OF ON A, A VERY UNUSUAL LOT, WHICH IS GREAT HISTORY IN AND OF ITSELF.
BUT ITS CONTRIBUTION TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD, I THINK IS, IS LESS THAN IT WOULD BE IF IT WERE PART OF A ROW, GRAND HOME.
SO, UH, FOR ALL THOSE REASONS, UM, I'LL BE SUPPORTING THE MOTION.
OTHER DISCUSSION? ALRIGHT, HEARING NONE, COMMISSIONERS, I WILL CALL THE QUESTION ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF, UH, THE MOTION, UH, TO RELEASE THE DEMOLITION PERMIT INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND.
AND I SEE ALL HANDS RAISED, IT IS UNANIMOUS.
ALRIGHT, AND THEN WE WILL LOOK VERY CAREFULLY AS YOU ARE IN A NATIONAL REGISTER DISTRICT, AND YOU ARE, AS YOU UNDERSTAND, UH, HAVING THESE DEMO, THIS DEMOLITION IS CONTINGENT UPON THE REVIEW THAT WE'LL HAVE OF YOUR NEW PLANS.
SO WE'LL LOOK VERY CAREFULLY AND WE HOPE THAT THOSE WORK OUT VERY SUCCESSFULLY.
[15. PR-2026-033910 – 507 Park Blvd.]
COMMISSIONERS FOR DISCUSSION IS ITEM NUMBER 15.UH, THIS IS A PROPOSAL TO DEMOLISH A CIRCUIT 1924 HOUSE.
THIS SINGLE STORY RESIDENCE IS AN INTACT EXAMPLE OF CRAFTSMAN BUNGALOW ARCHITECTURE IN THE HANCOCK NEIGHBORHOOD.
THE HOUSE FEATURES A WIDE FRONT PORCH WITH A LIGHT AND LARGE GABLE ROOF ABOVE.
THE FRONT DOOR IS ROUGHLY IN THE CENTER OF THE FRONT ELEVATION WITH A SINGLE ONE OVER ONE WINDOW.
ON I AT EACH SIDE, THE ORIGINAL BRACKETS APPEAR TO BE IN GOOD CONDITION, AND A RECTANGULAR ATTIC VENT IS PRESENT AT THE CENTER OF THE GABLE NARROW TEARDROP SIDING.
LIKELY RICH IS PRESENT ON ALL SIDES.
WHILE THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL MINOR ADDITIONS ADDED TO THE PROPERTY SINCE CONSTRUCTION, THEY'RE ALL COMPATIBLE TO THE PROPERTY AND COULD BE IDENTIFIED AS NOT ORIGINAL TO THE BUILDING.
AS BUILDINGS CHANGE OVER TIME, NONE OF THE ALTERATIONS ARE SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH TO CALL THE BUILDING'S INTEGRITY INTO QUESTION.
THE EXISTING CONDITION EASILY MEETS THE ARCHITECTURE CRITERIA FOR LANDMARK DESIGNATION.
THE FIRST SEVERAL DECADES OF THE HOUSE'S EXISTENCE SAW TWO LONG-TERM OWNERS LIVE AT THE ADDRESS.
FIRST RAY AND MADDIE TROI, UH, OWNED THE PROPERTY UNTIL AROUND 1939 AND RAISED AT LEAST ONE SON THERE.
RAY WORKED AS A SALESMAN FOR THE ENTIRETY OF THEIR OWN OWNERSHIP.
AND RAY JUNIOR WORKED THERE FOR A TIME AS A CLERK.
UH, AFTER THEY MOVED, THE PROPERTY WAS BOUGHT BY ALBERT AND SIDNEY BECKER, WHO LIVED AT THE ADDRESS UNTIL AT LEAST THE 1960S.
UH, COMMENT IS THAT THIS APPLICATION WILL TIME OUT IN JULY, UH, JULY 20TH, 2026, MAKING, UH, THE OPPORTUNITY TO ACT ON THIS.
UM, THROUGH THE JUNE AND JULY HLC MEETINGS, THE 2021 NORTH LOOP HANCOCK, BOBBY BOGGY CREEK, UH, UH, HISTORIC RESOURCE SURVEY LISTS THE PROPERTY AS A MEDIUM PRIORITY AND A CONTRIBUTING RESOURCE TO A POTENTIAL HANCOCK.
WEST HISTORIC DISTRICT PROPERTIES MUST MEET TWO CRITERIA FOR LANDMARK DESIGNATION.
STAFF HAS EVALUATED THE PROPERTY AND DETERMINED THAT IT DOES NOT MEET TWO CRITERIA FOR LANDMARK DESIGNATION.
IT ONLY MEETS THE CRITERIA FOR ARCHITECTURE.
THEREFORE, STAFF RECOMMENDATION IS TO ENCOURAGE REHABILITATION AND ADAPTIVE REUSE RELOCATION, OR TAKE DESTRUCTION AND SALVAGE OVER DEMOLITION, BUT APPROVE THE DEMOLITION PERMIT APPLICATION UPON COMPLETION OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE.
THIS CONCLUDES THE STAFF REPORT.
UM, IS THERE ANY QUESTION OF STAFF COMMISSIONERS? OKAY.
HEARING NONE, WE'LL HEAR FROM THE APPLICANT.
COMMISSIONER'S NAME IS BART WATLEY.
UH, I'M AN ARCHITECT, UH, THAT WAS HIRED BY THE HOMEOWNERS TO, UH, GIVE A ASSESSMENT OF THE, UH, INTEGRITY AND CONDITION AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE HOME.
AND, UH, LOOK AT THE ADDITIONS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE IN THE SUITABILITY OF IT TO MEET THEIR NEEDS.
UM, UH, WE DON'T HAVE A PRESENTATION TONIGHT PREPARED, BUT, UH, THERE ARE SOME PHOTOGRAPHS IN THE BACKUP.
UM, I CAN DESCRIBE SOME OF THE INTERIOR, UM, UH, BUT ESSENTIALLY I'M HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT Y'ALL HAVE.
UM, I WOULD SAY THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S MY OPINION THAT THE ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STRUCTURE IS FAIRLY LOW.
THE FRONT FACADE IS A CRAFTSMAN BUNGALOW, THERE'S NO DOUBT.
UH, BUT THE ADDITIONS, UM, THAT ARE PARTIALLY
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VISIBLE FROM THE LEFT SIDE OF THE HOME, IT'S A WIDE LOT.SO YOU GET A GOOD VIEW TO THAT.
UM, THERE'S WINDOWS ON THE ADDITION THAT ARE DIFFERENT PROPORTIONS THAN THE ORIGINAL HOME AND OF, UH, METAL MATERIAL SO THEY DON'T MATCH.
AND JUST THE QUALITY OF THE CONSTRUCTION, I, I IDENTIFIED, UH, TWO ADDITIONS.
UM, THEY'VE BEEN MADE TO THE HOME AND THE QUALITY OF THE MATERIALS AND THE CRAFTSMANSHIP OF HOW IT WAS DONE IS NOT VERY WELL.
UM, AND, UH, ONE OF THE MAJOR CONCERNS IS FOR THE ELDERLY COUPLE IN THEIR SEVENTIES WISHING TO AGE IN PLACE, IS THE P BEAM WAS ADDED ONTO, UH, WITH A PLAID FOUNDATION PART OF THE ADDITION.
AND IT WAS SET, YOU KNOW, THREE INCHES UP AT A DIFFERENT LEVEL.
AND THERE IS SOME DIFFERENTIAL MOVEMENT AND DOES, UH, IMPEDE, UH, SOME ACCESS TO ALL PORTIONS OF THE HOUSE.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, THE HOUSE, THE, THE WAY THE ADDITIONS WERE CONSTRUCTED, THERE'S JUST A STRANGE, UH, FLOW OF SPACES.
AND I KNOW Y'ALL, YOU KNOW, UH, PRIMARY, UH, INTEREST IS IN THE EXTERIOR OF THE HOUSE, BUT THESE ARE ALL THINGS THAT THE HOMEOWNERS HAVE WRESTLED WITH AS THEY'VE EVALUATED THIS HOME AND WHAT COULD BE DONE WITH IT.
UM, SO, UH, I THINK THE, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS THAT, UH, THAT I SEE, UH, FOR THE EXTERIOR IS ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE HOUSE, UH, THERE IS A CANTILEVER PORTION WITH KIND OF A GARDEN WINDOW YOU'D SEE AT A KITCHEN SINK AS PART OF A BATHROOM THAT, UM, IS A LITTLE, UH, DISTRACTS A LITTLE BIT.
IT'S KIND OF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LOWER PHOTO THERE.
AND THEN, UM, AS THE HOUSE, UH, WING KIND OF KICKS OUT TO THE, TO THE, UH, LEFT BEYOND THAT, UM, YOU CAN SEE A WHOLE SERIES OF WINDOWS OF WHAT'S KIND OF A, UH, ADDED ON, UH, UH, SUNROOM, UM, WITH SOME METAL WINDOWS.
UM, AND, UM, AND THEN ONCE YOU GET TO THE BACK, ALL THE EXPOSED EVES HAVE JUST EX EXPOSED OSB BOARD.
UM, THERE'S JUST NOT FINISHED.
SO THE, THE QUALITY OF THE HOUSE.
UM, SO, UM, AND THEN ADDITIONALLY, THE ONE OTHER POINT OF THE EXTERIOR IS A MISSING, UH, CHIMNEY THAT WAS REMOVED AT SOME POINT.
UM, THE, UH, THE LOWER PORTION OF THE FIREPLACE IS VISIBLE IN ONE OF THE PHOTOS, BUT OVER THE ROOF LINE HAS BEEN REMOVED.
UM, SO IT'S, THAT'S I GUESS TO SUMMARIZE, I'D SAY, YOU KNOW, MY OPINION IS IT'S, IT'S, IT, UH, IS FAIRLY, UH, MUNDANE, UH, AND KIND OF SIMPLE CRAFTSMEN.
YOU KNOW, IT DOES HAVE BRACKETS AND SOME THINGS LIKE THAT THAT ARE DISTINCTIVE QUALITIES FOR SURE, BUT IT'S NOT AS ELABORATE AS A LOT OF THE OTHER, UH, CRAFTSMAN HOMES THAT WERE BUILT IN 1922.
UM, AND, UH, BECAUSE OF THE OWNER'S, UH, KIND OF NEEDS AND HOW THEY WANT TO, UH, LIVE AND THE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT WOULD BE DONE WITH THE ADDITIONS, UM, AND THE INTERIOR OF THE HOUSE, IT HASN'T BEEN LAID OUT VERY WELL.
UM, THAT'S THE REQUEST FOR DEMOLITION.
ANY QUESTIONS TO THE APPLICANT? I HAD A QUESTION.
IS THE, UH, NEIGHBORING LOT PART OF THE PARCEL AND IS IT GONNA BE PART OF THE NEW CONSTRUCTION? THE E THE EMPTY LOT THERE? THERE IS, THERE IS THE, UH, THE LOT IS WIDE AND THEY'VE, THE OWNERS HAVE DONE A SUBDIVISION TO BREAK OFF THAT PIECE OF THE LOT SO THAT A SMALLER, UM, DWELLING UNIT COULD BE PUT ON THERE THAT, YOU KNOW, WOULD, UH, MEET WITH THE HOME INITIATIVE AND SOME OF THE SMALL LOT ALLOWANCES.
AND, UM, HAS THERE BEEN ANY CONSIDERATION TO MAINTAINING THE FRONT 15 FEET AND ADDING ONTO THE BACK? I ASSUME THE, THE PECAN TREE IMPACTING THE PORCH AND THEN THE, UH, ACCESSIBILITY IS THE MAIN, OR THE MAIN ISSUES WITH EVEN CONSIDERING THAT OR HAS, COULD, WOULD THAT BE CONSIDERED? UM, UH, YEAH, I THINK THE, THERE'S, THERE'S CERTAINLY WORRIES ABOUT THE TREE.
UM, AND, UH, AND, AND JUST THE, THE COST OF, YOU KNOW, KIND OF WORKING AROUND THAT EXISTING FRONT, I BELIEVE TO, UH, YOU KNOW, MAKE AN ADDITION.
I WILL SAY THE HOMEOWNERS HERE IS, IS DEFINITELY AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
UM, THEY HAVE BEEN PROACTIVE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AS FAR AS REACHING OUT TO NEIGHBORS AND, UH, LETTING PEOPLE KNOW AND TALKING ABOUT IT.
UM, HAVEN'T HEARD IT, THERE WAS ONLY, UM, HAVEN'T HEARD ANY OPPOSITION.
THERE'S JUST ONE PERSON THAT WAS CONCERNED AND WANTED TO HEAR MORE, BUT ONCE I HEARD THEY WERE PRETTY SATISFIED WITH THE OWNER'S, UH, PLANS THEY DO HAVE, THEY HAVEN'T INVESTED THE TIME IN ANY KINDA ARCHITECTURAL PLANS PENDING, YOU KNOW, THE OUTCOME OF, OF THIS PROCESS RIGHT HERE.
BUT, UM, THEY DO HAVE SOME PHOTOGRAPHS AND THEIR INTENT IS TO, UH, BUILD A SINGLE STORY CRAFTSMAN STYLED HOME, UM, THAT WOULD BE MUCH, YOU KNOW, IN CHARACTER WITH WHAT'S THERE AND WHAT'S THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBOR, UH, HOUSES ARE LIKE.
SO THAT'S, UM, LED TO COMFORT WITH THE NEIGHBORS THAT THEY'VE SPOKEN WITH.
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WHAT, WHAT IS, IF YOU'RE SAYING THAT, UH, THE INTENT IS TO BUILD A NEW HOME THAT IS CRAFTSMAN STYLE IN CHARACTER, UH, WHY NOT REUSE THE EXISTING CRAFTSMAN? UH, IT WAS REALLY, UH, REMODEL.YEAH, THE, IT, IT, IT WAS KIND OF THE, THE TREE AND THE ACCESS AND HOW TIGHT THE, UH, CURRENT DRIVEWAY IS.
AND THEN INPUT FROM A BUILDER ON THE, ON THE COST TO, YOU KNOW, BUILDING NEW VERSUS DOING A, YOU KNOW, EXTENSIVE RENOVATION AND KIND OF ADDITION OR REBUILD OF THE BACK PORTION.
AND THIS IS A, I ASSUME THIS IS A PROTECTED TREE THAT WOULD AFFECT YES, IT IS A AREA, YOUR BUILDABLE AREA.
IT, IT, IT IS A HERITAGE TREE THAT WOULD'VE, WOULD AFFECT THE AREA.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? IT SEEMS TO ME THE HERITAGE TREE IS GONNA ALREADY PUSH YOUR NEW CONSTRUCTION FURTHER BACK 'CAUSE YOU'LL HAVE TO GET OUT OF THE DRIP LINE.
SO I, I, I WAS CONCERNED WHEN I READ YOUR LETTER THAT YOU WERE SO DEFINITIVE ABOUT THE STATUS OF THE BUILDING AND THAT IT'S NOT WORTHY OF CONSIDERATION FOR HIS HISTORIC PRESERVATION.
AND, UH, THAT, I MEAN, I TOOK ONE LOOK AT YOUR PHOTOGRAPHS AND I DID NOT HAVE THAT CONCLUSION.
UH, MOST ALL OF YOUR COMMENTS WOULD BE VALID FOR THE BACK OF THE HOUSE AND, UH, NOT NECESSARILY 15 FEET, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE THAT THE 1922 PORTION WAS WELL-BUILT A HUNDRED YEARS AGO, UH, HAS BEEN RELATIVELY WELL-MAINTAINED.
AND THE FACADE FROM THE FRONT IS LARGELY INTACT AND ORIGINAL UNLESS YOU CAN POINT TO SOMETHING SPECIFIC, UH, THAT WOULD'VE BEEN ADDED.
IT CERTAINLY IF IT WAS, IT WAS ADDED SYMPATHETICALLY.
SO, UM, I, I THINK IN FACT, THIS IS A VERY GOOD CANDIDATE FOR SOMEBODY WHO WOULD WANT TO WORK WITH A HUNDRED YEAR OLD HOME THAT WAS BUILT WITH QUALITY AND WOULD POTENTIALLY, UH, USED A LOT, MAYBE MORE EFFECTIVELY AND, AND ADD SOME OF THOSE ISSUES OF ACCESSIBILITY, UH, MAYBE BY RECONSIDERING THE BACK OF THE HOUSE.
UH, WE'D CERTAINLY BE VERY MUCH MORE ENCOURAGING OF THAT.
AND I THINK IT WOULD BE MORE APPROPRIATE, UH, BOTH IN TERMS OF ITS HISTORIC NATURE, BUT ALSO JUST FOR THE CONSERVATION OF RESOURCES.
UM, YOU KNOW, YOU GOT SOMETHING THAT WORKS.
YOU DON'T NEED TO TAKE IT APART AND START ALL OVER AGAIN.
UH, IF YOU CAN INTEGRATE THAT, UH, YOU MAY HAVE BEEN TALKING TO THE WRONG BUILDER.
SO, UM, YEAH, I'M, I'M TORN ABOUT THIS ONE.
I THINK THAT MANY OF THE CONCLUSIONS THAT ARE BEING BROUGHT FORWARD IS DEFINITIVE.
UH, I DON'T BELIEVE, UM, ARE THE RIGHT CONCLUSIONS.
AND I WONDER WHETHER THE OWNERS HAVE BEEN GIVEN ENOUGH INFORMATION TO CONSIDER THE POSSIBILITY OF RENOVATION ADDITION AS OPPOSED TO A COMPLETE TEAR DOWN.
SO I'M, I'M TORN ABOUT THIS ONE.
I DON'T IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER PERSPECTIVE ON THAT.
UM, THE, THE HOMEOWNER CAN SPEAK TO SOME OF THE DISCUSSIONS WITH THE BUILDER THAT I WASN'T A PART OF.
UM, BUT I KNOW THAT COST HAVE BEEN A CONCERN AND, AND YOU'RE RIGHT, DIFFERENT BUILDERS, YOU KNOW, WILL HAVE DIFFERENT OPINIONS.
UM, I DID WITNESS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE FRONT OF THE HOUSE, WELL, I'D SAY THAT THE, UH, FRONT FACADE ITSELF AND THE PORCHES, IT DOES HAVE INTEGRITY, ORIGINAL WINDOWS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UH, THE FOUNDATION, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF CINDER BLOCKS UNDERNEATH THERE, NOT THE ORIGINAL CEDAR POST.
SO THERE'S SOME CINDER BLOCKS THAT HAVE BEEN DONE BUT NOT DONE WELL.
THEY'RE STARTING TO, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE ALL THINGS THAT OF COURSE CAN BE FIXED, BUT IT JUST KIND OF ADDS UP.
UM, THEY'RE KIND OF TILTING AND THAT WOULD NEED TO BE REDONE.
AND THEN THERE'S A DIFFERENTIAL MOVEMENT AT THE, UH, FIREPLACE, WHICH IS A FAIRLY TYPICAL THING.
AND WE'VE GOT SOME, UH, THE WINDOWS ARE KIND OF GETTING A, A DIAGONAL SHAPE AND, UH, DON'T CLOSE PROPERLY.
AND YOU CAN SEE SOME DAYLIGHT BETWEEN THE SIDING AND THE, AND THE FIREPLACE.
AGAIN, ALL THINGS THAT COULDN'T BE ADDRESSED, BUT IT'S JUST THESE, THESE THINGS ARE ADDING UP, UH, WHEN THE BUILDER WAS LOOKING AT IT AND, AND THE HOMEOWNER WAS LOOKING AT THINGS, SO.
WELL, WELL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR RESPONSE.
UM, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OF THE ARCHITECT? COMMISSIONERS? OKAY.
HEARING NONE, DO WE HAVE OTHER SPEAKERS SIGNED UP OR IS THE OWNER AVAILABLE TO, UH, SPEAK TO THIS ITEM? UM, WELL, WE DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER SPEAKERS SIGNED UP, BUT THE OWNER'S ALWAYS WELCOME TO COME UP.
IF THE OWNER'S HERE, WE'D SURE LIKE TO HEAR FROM THEM.
UH, I'D LIKE TO, MY NAME IS ANDY SCHULTZ.
WE ARE THE, UH, OWNERS OF THE PROPERTY.
WE CURRENTLY LIVE ABOUT FIVE BLOCKS AWAY ON EAST 44TH STREET.
UH, AND WE KNOW THE NEIGHBORHOOD WELL.
[01:25:01]
LIVE IN A 940 SQUARE FOOT, UH, HOME THAT WAS, WE BELIEVE WAS A SEARS KIT.UH, OUR DESIRE, UH, WAS DEFINED A PLACE THAT WAS A LITTLE BIT BIGGER AND A LITTLE FARTHER FROM INTERSTATE 35.
AND, UH, WE KNEW PARK BOULEVARD WELL, LOVED IT, UH, LOVED THE CHARACTER OF, UH, ALL THE BUILDINGS THERE.
AND, UH, WHEN 5 0 7 BECAME AVAILABLE, UM, IT SEEMED LIKE THE PERFECT SOLUTION TO OUR NEEDS, AND WE INITIALLY INTENDED TO RENOVATE IT, UH, BECAUSE WE LIKE THAT STYLE AND THAT IS THE STYLE THAT WE WOULD BUILD IF WE ARE ALLOWED TO.
AND I THINK I'LL ADD A COUPLE THINGS TO WHAT, UM, OUR ARCHITECT MENTIONED.
THE HERITAGE PECAN TREE AT THE FRONT OF THE BUILDING IS A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM TO PRESERVING THE FACADE.
IT IS DISRUPTING THE FRONT STEPS OF THE PORCH, UH, AND THE WALKWAY IS CAUSING WATER WHENEVER IT RAINS TO POOL AGAINST THE, UH, BUILDING AND UNDERNEATH IT, IT IS CAUSED, IT IS LIKELY THE CAUSE OF CRACKING IN THE EXTERIOR SKIRTING AT THE FRONT.
UH, AND OF COURSE, UH, THAT PROBLEM WILL ONLY, UM, GET WORSE OVER TIME.
UH, ONE OF THE ADVANTAGES OF, UH, DEMOLISHING AND REBUILDING IS THAT WE CAN CITE A BUILDING FURTHER AWAY, UH, FROM THE TREE WHEN, AS, UH, OUR ARCHITECT ALLUDED TO, WE, UM, UH, RE SUBDIVIDED THE LOT, MOVED THE PROPERTY LINE SIX FEET TO THE EAST.
SO THAT WOULD ALLOW THE HOUSE TO NOT ONLY MOVE BACKWARD A LITTLE BIT, BUT ALSO SIX FEET AWAY FROM THE TREE, UH, GOING EASTWARD.
UM, ANOTHER PROBLEM THAT, UH, IMPLICATES THE FRONT IS, UH, AS OUR ARCHITECT, UH, MR. WATLEY ALSO MENTIONED IS THAT THE SLAB AT THE BACK WAS, UH, POURED THREE INCHES HIGHER THAN THE REST OF THE HOUSE.
WE CAN'T KNOW FOR SURE WHY THAT WAS, BUT IT APPEARS THAT THE REASON IS, IS THAT BACK CORNER, IF IT WERE POURED AT THE SAME LEVEL AS THE PURINE BEAMS, IT WOULD, UH, ACTUALLY HAVE BEEN BELOW GRADE AT THE SOUTHWEST CORNER.
SO IT IS CURRENTLY EXACTLY AT GRADE AND, UH, THE SIDING AND FRAMING IS, UH, IN THE DIRT.
AND THIS IS PROBABLY THE LIKELY CAUSE OF SUBSTANTIAL TERMITE DAMAGE, UH, AT THAT END OF THE HOUSE EXTENDING INTO THE ATTIC.
UM, SO TO RAISE THE BACK END OF THE HOUSE AND KEEP THE REST OF THE HOUSE AT THE SAME LEVEL, WE'D ALSO HAVE TO RAISE THE FRONT END OF THE HOUSE.
SO THE FRONT H END OF THE HOUSE CAN'T REALLY STAY THE WAY IT IS, UH, ANY EVENT OR, OR THE POTENTIAL YOU COULD, WOULD HAVE OF JUST REMOVING THE ONLY THE BACK ADDITION AND STARTING AGAIN, UH, AND RESTORING THE FRONT HOUSE.
BUT THAT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE IT'S SOMETHING YOU'VE TAKEN SERIOUSLY.
WELL, I DISCUSSED IT WITH OUR BUILDER AND I DISCUSSED IT WITH OUR ARCHITECT, AND IT SEEMS LIKE, UH, THE BUILDER THOUGHT THAT IT WOULDN'T REALLY BE POSSIBLE TO DO, UH, MR. WATLEY THOUGHT YES, IT PERHAPS COULD BE DONE, BUT, UH, IT'S SIGNIFICANT EXPENSE AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE A RETIRED COUPLE WITH SOMEWHAT LIMITED MEANS, AND, UH, WE'RE TRYING TO DO THE RIGHT THING BY THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND ALSO DO SOMETHING THAT WE CAN, UH, MANAGE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OF THE APPLICANT? ALL RIGHT, WE THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
AND ARE THERE, THERE ARE NO OTHER SPEAKERS, IS THAT CORRECT? OKAY.
UH, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
COMMISSIONER MC MORTER, SECONDED BY, UH, COMMISSIONER UCCI.
UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND.
COMMISSIONERS, WHAT IS YOUR, UM, READY FOR A MOTION? I CAN SAY AT THIS POINT, WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF ADDITIONAL RESEARCH ON THE PROPERTY.
UH, SO I'M HESITANT TO MAKE ANY RECOMMENDATION REGARDING HISTORIC ZONING AT ALL.
UH, HOWEVER, I THINK THERE ARE CERTAINLY INDICATIONS THAT THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES TO WORK WITH WHAT COULD BE A CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURE IF THERE WERE A FUTURE HISTORIC DISTRICT IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD.
MOST OF THE BUNGALOWS ON THE BLOCK ARE, UH, INTACT AND MANY OF THEM ARE
[01:30:01]
MAINTAINING THE SAME TYPE OF, UH, STREET FRONTAGE, UH, INTEGRITY THAT WOULD BE CONSISTENT WITH THE PAST A HUNDRED YEARS.SO, I, I'M TORN ABOUT THIS ONE, BUT AGAIN, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
I WILL MOVE TO RELEASE THE DEMOLITION PERMIT PENDING A CITY OF AUSTIN DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE.
UH, COMMISSIONER COOK, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER LA ROCHE.
I OBVIOUSLY DON'T DO IT WITH ENTHUSIASM, UH, BUT BETWEEN THE IMPACTS OF THE TREE AND HOW THE HOUSE SITS IN THE TOPOGRAPHY, UH, THIS IS AN AMAZING STREET.
IT SHOULD BE A NATIONAL REGISTERED DISTRICT, OUR LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICT.
UM, BUT THERE HASN'T BEEN THAT MOVEMENT FOR IT.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, IF IT WERE A NATIONAL REGISTERED DISTRICT, OBVIOUSLY THERE'D BE MORE, MORE REASON TO PUT, TO PUSH TO MAINTAIN, UH, THE INTEGRITY.
UH, I WOULD JUST STRONGLY, STRONGLY ENCOURAGE TO RECONSIDER THE RETENTION BECAUSE IT'S, YOU KNOW, DOESN'T QUALIFY AS A LANDMARK AS, AS STAFF HAS, UH, HAS OFFERED.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT AN OPTION TO US.
WE ONLY HAVE 75 DAYS BECAUSE IT'S NOT A DISTRICT.
UM, I THINK ALL WE CAN DO AT THIS POINT IS, UM, KNOWING THAT THE OWNERS REALLY APPRECIATE THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE HISTORY TO TRY TO LOOK AGAIN AT THE POSSIBILITY OF AT LEAST RETAINING THE FRONT PORTION OF THE HOUSE IN SOME FORM OR FASHION, OR IN THE REPLACEMENT TO DO YOUR ABSOLUTE BEST TO KEEP THE MASSING IN PARTICULAR APPROPRIATE TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, AND THE DETAILS AND STYLE, UH, SO THAT THE REPLACEMENT AT LEAST, UM, HELPS US TO RETAIN THE POTENTIAL FOR THIS TO BE A FUTURE DISTRICT.
OH, OH, DID YOU, YOU WITH THE SECOND, OR COMMISSIONER NACI? IT WAS THE ROCHE, YES.
NO, I, I, I CONCUR WITH COMMISSIONER COOK'S, UH, COMMENTS.
ITS RARELY DO YOU KNOW WE GET A HOUSE IN THIS CONDITION THAT IS, TO YOUR POINT, CHAIR IS, UH, EASILY RESTORABLE AND, YOU KNOW, MANY, WHILE IT'S AN ACCUMULATION OF THINGS, THEY'RE, THEY'RE IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS.
THEY'RE RESPECTIVELY MINOR, UH, UM, WE WOULD BE OUT ON A LIMB TRYING TO DESIGNATE AND, AND FOR THAT REASON, I'M SUPPORTING THE MOTION.
OKAY, COMMISSIONER, IT'S FURTHER DISCUSSION.
UH, YES, UH, I'LL BE SUPPORTING THE MOTION AND, UH, I'LL JUST MAKE A COMMENT AND PERHAPS A RECOMMENDATION, UH, TO THE OWNER FOR SOMETHING FOR EXPLORATION THAT ONCE THE PART OF, UH, THE REAR PART OF THE BUILDING THAT'S, I GUESS WAS DETERMINED TO NOT BE ORIGINALLY IN ADDITION, ONCE THAT IS CLEARED OUT, IF THERE MAY BE ANY INTEREST IN EXPLORING POTENTIALLY EITHER A MOVING OR DECONSTRUCTION RECONSTRUCTION OF THE ORIGINAL LAYOUT HERE, WHICH YOU HAVE AT THE FRONT, SO THAT IT IS OUT OF THE WAY OF THE TREE AND IN A BETTER LOCATION FOR YOU, SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT.
UH, YOU HAVE A LOT OF GREAT MATERIAL HERE THAT YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO REPLICATE AND GET, UH, GET THESE DAYS.
ANY OTHER, YEAH, I'M, I'M CONCERNED, UM, BECAUSE THERE IS SUCH VALUE TO THE PROPERTY THAT YOU'VE PURCHASED, THAT IF THIS MOTION PASSES, UM, I JUST REMIND THE COMMISSIONERS THAT BECAUSE THIS IS NOT A NATIONAL OR LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICT, UM, LEMME CLARIFY WITH STAFF, THERE IS NO REVIEW OF THE FUTURE PLANS, UM, WHEN THIS PERMIT IS RELEASED, UH, IT WILL BE THE APPLICANT'S ABILITY TO PULL THE PERMIT WHENEVER THEY WISH.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT, YES.
YEAH, SO WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO REPLACE IT.
UH, WE, UH, HOPE WE WILL TAKE THE APPLICANT AT THEIR WORD THAT ASSUMING THAT THIS PASSES, THAT THEY WOULD BE, UH, RESPECTFUL OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, WE HAVE AN EXAMPLE RIGHT NEXT DOOR, A FAIRLY CONTEMPORARY HOUSE THAT WAS DONE WITH THE SCALE AND SOME OF THE SYMPATHETIC MATERIALS.
UH, AND I THINK THERE'S OPPORTUNITY, UH, HERE, IF THE PREFERRED OPTION OF KEEPING THIS BUILDING ISN'T, ISN'T THERE, THAT THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WOULD STILL REINFORCE THE, THE SCALE AND THE LOOK AND THE QUALITY OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
I WOULD ALSO ENCOURAGE, UH, IF THIS MOTION PASSES THAT THE OWNER AND THEIR TEAM EXPLORE THE REUSE OF THESE MATERIALS.
UH, AS COMMISSIONER ALVAREZ SAID, THESE ARE A HUNDRED YEAR OLD, VERY QUALITY BUILDING MATERIALS, UM, SALVAGING THEM, MAKING THOSE WINDOWS, MAKING THOSE DOORS, MAKING THOSE BRACKETS, MAKING SOME OF THE WOOD FRAMING AVAILABLE TO FUTURE HOMEOWNERS AND RESTORERS.
[01:35:01]
UH, THERE ARE RESOURCES AVAILABLE FOR BEING ABLE TO SALVAGE THOSE MATERIALS.AND I THINK I WOULD STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT.
UH, THAT IS A VERY USEFUL AND VERY VALUABLE BUILDING.
AS I SAID, IF IT CAN'T BE KEPT INTACT, UH, YOU KNOW, KIND OF LIKE SURGERY, YOU KNOW, IF YOU CAN'T SAVE THE PATIENT, AT LEAST USE THE
SO, UH, BUT I, I PERSONALLY, I'M GONNA VOTE AGAINST THIS MOTION, BUT I AM SYMPATHETIC WITH THE DISCUSSION.
UM, AND I DO THINK THAT ZONING THIS HISTORIC IS NOT THE RIGHT OPTION, BUT SINCE THAT'S OUR ONLY TOOL, UH, FOR A PROPERTY OF THIS KIND, UH, I'M, I'M SAD THAT THAT WOULD BE THE CASE THAT THE OWNER WOULD HAVE ALREADY EXHAUSTED THE OPPORTUNITIES TO SAVE IT.
BUT, UH, AT LEAST ON THE RECORD, UH, I, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO, UH, INDICATE WHY IT'S OF QUALITY.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE, I'LL CALL TO QUESTION ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION.
UH, PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND.
OKAY, THOSE OPPOSED? AND ONE OPPOSED.
AND COMMISSIONER RICE, I'D LIKE TO BE SHOWN ABSTAINING AND COMMISSIONER RICE ABSTAINING.
UH, BUT THAT IS, UH, EIGHT VOTE, UH, WHICH IS ENOUGH FOR A MAJORITY, AND THEREFORE THE MOTION PASSES.
AND SO THIS IS A APPROVAL OF THE DEMOLITION PERMIT WITH THE DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE, UH, FOR THE, UH, HISTORIC, UH, RECORDING OF THE BUILDING.
[16. PR-2026-040403 – 1808 E. Cesar Chavez St.]
WE ARE NOW ON THE NEXT ITEM.ITEM NUMBER 16 18 0 8 EAST CESAR CHAVEZ STREET.
AND THIS IS A PROPOSAL TO DEMOLISH A 1930S COMMERCIAL BUILDING, UH, ON CESAR CHAVEZ.
UH, THE EXISTING STRUCTURE OF THIS 1930 STRUCTURE IS A TWO STORY COMMERCIAL BUILDING WITH TWO STOREFRONT ENTRIES SIDE BY SIDE ON THE MAIN ELEVATION.
THERE'S A SMALL METAL CLAD AWNING ABOVE THE GROUND FLOOR ENTRYWAYS ABOVE TWO SETS OF PAIRED WOOD FRAME.
WINDOWS ARE PRESENT AT THE SECOND FLOOR WITH A MODERATELY PITCHED HIP ROOF WITH EXPOSED RAFTER TAILS ABOVE THE ROOF MATERIALS, METAL STAND ON SEAM, AND ALL EXTERIOR WALLS ARE CLADDED THIN TEARDROP SIDING.
WHILE SEVERAL OF THE WINDOWS ARE CURRENTLY BORDERED OVER OR OTHERWISE INACCESSIBLE IMAGES FROM THE PAST DECADE WOULD INDICATE THAT THE EXISTING MATERIALS LARGELY INTACT IF IT NEEDED OF REPAIR.
THIS PROPERTY HAS A LONG HISTORY OF COMMERCIAL TENANTS WHO SERVE THE EAST AUSTIN COMMUNITY.
FOR SEVERAL DECADES AFTER CONSTRUCTION, IT WAS OWNED TO A BEAUTY, BEAUTY PARLOR, A BARBER SHOP, AND A SHOE REPAIR SHOP.
BY THE 1950S, ONE OR MORE OF THESE TENANTS HAD VACATED THE BUILDING, BUT THERE WAS ALWAYS AT LEAST ONE OCCUPIED STOREFRONT AT THE PROPERTY.
NEWSPAPER RECORDS, UH, FEATURE ADVERTISEMENTS FOR SMITH'S BARBERSHOP GUARANTEE WAVE SHOP AND CARLSON'S SHOE REPAIR SHOP.
THE LETTER OF THESE WAS OWNED BY REVEREND EA CARLSON, FORMERLY A SWEDISH BAPTIST MIN MINISTER FOR 31 YEARS UNTIL HIS DEATH IN 1964.
UM, SOME DEPARTMENT COMMENTS, UH, TWO PERMITS WERE ISSUED FOR THE PROPERTY IN 1999.
THOUGH THERE ARE NO DIGITIZED RECORDS OF THE APPLICATION MATERIAL.
HOWEVER, SUMMARY DESCRIPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE IN CITY RECORDS.
ONE PERMIT DESCRIBED WORK TO REMODEL THE BUILDING'S INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR TO CREATE A DUPLEX.
THE SECOND PERMIT FROM THE SAME YEAR IS SUMMARIZED AS, QUOTE, ADD FIRST FLOOR STAIR TOWER PORCH, AND SECOND FLOOR EXTENSION.
THERE ARE NO RECORDS OF THIS PROPERTY BEING SURVEYED IN THE 1980 EAST AUSTIN HISTORIC RESOURCE SURVEY, OR THE 1984 CITYWIDE COMPREHENSIVE RESOURCE SURVEY AT TIME OF FRIDAY.
NO PHOTOS OF THE PROPERTY CAN BE FOUND PRIOR TO THE 1999 PERMITS.
THIS APPLICATION WILL TIME OUT ON JULY 20TH, 2026.
THE 2016 EAST AUSTIN RESOURCE HISTORIC RESOURCE SURVEY LISTS THE PROPERTY AS ELIGIBLE AS A CITY OF AUSTIN LANDMARK, AS WELL AS CONTRIBUTING TO A POTENTIAL LOCAL OR NATIONAL REGISTER.
HISTORIC DISTRICT PROPERTIES MUST MEET TWO CRITERIA FOR LANDMARK DESIGNATION.
STAFF HAS EVALUATED THE PROPERTY AND DETERMINED THAT IT MAY MEET TWO TRE TWO CRITERIA FOR LANDMARK DESIGNATION, INCLUDING ARCHITECTURE, HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS, AND COMMUNITY VALUE.
THEREFORE, STAFF RECOMMENDATION IS TO CONSIDER INITIATION HISTORIC ZONING.
SHOULD THE COMMISSION FIND THE BUILDING AS IT EXISTS, MEETS TWO OF THE CRITERIA FOR ARCHITECTURE, HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS AND COMMUNITY VALUE.
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 THE CITY OF AUSTIN DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE.
THIS CONCLUDES THE STAFF REPORT.
ANY QUESTIONS TO STAFF? UM, I KNOW THAT, UH, DON'T, IT PROBABLY WAS RIGHT AFTER THE EIGHTIES, UH, RENOVATION, BUT, UM, AT LEAST IN THE NINETIES AND THE EARLY TWO THOUSANDS, THERE WAS A VIABLE COFFEE SHOP AND IT WAS A REGULAR NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, GATHERING PLACE BECAUSE, UH,
[01:40:02]
MY WIFE WORKED AT METS ELEMENTARY DOWN THE STREET, AND THAT WAS MY REGULAR STOP AFTER I DROPPED HER OFF AT SCHOOLSO, UH, I, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY RECORD OF THE, THE NAME OF THAT, UH, APPLICANT WHO PUT THAT TOGETHER OR THE NAME OF THE STORE.
OBJECT ESCAPES ME, BUT, UH, IT WASN'T THAT LONG AGO THAT IT WAS A VERY VIABLE BUSINESS.
WE UNDERSTAND IT TO BE AZO, UM, AZO OR, AND THEN AFTER THAT IT WAS ALSO WEATHER UP, UM, UH, A RESTAURANT OR BAR.
AND THEN IT WAS A BAR AFTER THAT.
AND THAT, THAT'S AT THE TIME, THAT'S WHEN THE, THE SECOND STRUCTURE THERE FOR THE, UH, RESTROOMS, THAT'S A FREESTANDING NEW STRUCTURE WAS, WAS PUT TOGETHER AT THAT TIME.
UM, BUT THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
IS THERE, UM, ANY, ANYONE HERE FOR THE APPLICANT? OKAY.
MY NAME IS VINCE DEMAR, AND, UH, I'M THE OWNER.
I REPRESENT THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY, UM, WHICH IS A LENDER.
WE FORECLOSED ON THIS PROPERTY IN DECEMBER.
UM, THE PREVIOUS OWNER PURCHASED THE PROPERTY IN 2019.
WE DID THE LOAN FOR THE PURCHASE.
SO WE'VE BEEN FAMILIAR WITH THIS PROPERTY FOR THE LAST SEVEN YEARS, AND THERE'S BEEN NOTHING DONE TO THIS PROPERTY AT ALL.
AND IT'S BECOME A MAJOR MAGNET FOR THE HOMELESS.
THE PREVIOUS BAR THAT YOU REFERRED TO WAS, I THINK CALLED WEATHER UP, AND IT WAS THERE FROM 2012 TO I THINK 2019.
AND THERE'S BEEN NOBODY THERE SINCE 2019.
THE PROPERTY IS A COMPLETE DISASTER.
THE HOMELESS, UM, HAVE TAKEN OVER THE PROPERTY.
I SENT, I WENT OUT THERE RANDOMLY YESTERDAY MORNING IN PREPARATION FOR THIS MEETING AND DID TWO SHORT VIDEOS.
I THINK THE COMMISSIONERS RECEIVED THOSE VIDEOS.
AND THE, THIS, IT'S, WHAT I COULDN'T DEPICT ON THE VIDEOS WAS THE OVERWHELMING SMELL OF URINE AND FECES, WHICH YOU CAN SMELL ALL THE WAY OUT TO THE STOPLIGHT.
AND SINCE WE FORECLOSED ON THAT PROPERTY IN DECEMBER, I'VE BEEN OUT THERE ABOUT A HALF A DOZEN TIMES JUST AT RANDOM TIMES.
AND IT'S ALWAYS COMPLETELY OVERTAKEN BY THE HOMELESS.
THEY'VE, GOING BACK TO WHEN THE PROPERTY WAS BUILT, I THINK THE PROPERTY WAS BUILT AS A MIXED USE PROPERTY BECAUSE WHEN THE BUSINESSES WERE THERE, THERE WAS ALWAYS ONE OR TWO BUSINESSES ON THE BOTTOM.
AND THE UPSTAIRS IS A RESIDENTIAL LAYOUT.
THERE'S A, THE KITCHEN AND A COUPLE OF BEDROOMS AND VERY SMALL.
AND THE HOMELESS ARE IN EVERY NOOK AND CRA CRANNY IN THAT PLACE.
AND THEY'VE, THEY'VE DECIDED, I GUESS, WHEN IT'S COLD TO MAKE CAMPFIRES NOT ONLY ON THE PERIMETER OF THE, OF THE STRUCTURE, BUT IN THE STRUCTURE.
AND, AND ONE OF THE PICTURES AND VIDEOS THAT I SENT WAS A FIRE THAT THEY SET UPSTAIRS IN THE KITCHEN, PRESUMABLY TO STAY WARM.
AND, UH, AND, AND THERE'S EVIDENCE OF THAT AS FAR AS YOUR, UM, TWO CRITERIA TO MEET THE, UM, HISTORIC, THE LANDMARK DESIGNATION.
I THINK IT WAS MENTIONED THAT ARCHITECTURE AND HISTORIC, OR THREE, I THINK THREE CRITERIA WERE MENTIONED TO BE, TO BE ELIGIBLE.
SECONDLY, HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION.
I'M, I'M NOT SURE I AGREE WITH THE ARCHITECTURE.
UM, INTERWAR COMMERCIAL ARCHITECTURE WAS SOMETHING THAT PREDOMINANTLY CONTAINED STEEL 'CAUSE IT WAS A NEW TECHNOLOGY BACK THEN.
AND, AND, AND THERE'S NO, THERE'S NO STEEL IN THE BUILDING.
I, THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER VARIABLES THAT CONTRIBUTE TO INTERWAR COMMERCIAL ARCHITECTURE, BUT I DON'T THINK, UH, THIS BUILDING HAS ANY, UH, OUTSTANDING ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES THAT WOULD, IT WOULD FALL UNDER THAT.
HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION SEEMS TO BE SOMETHING THAT COULD BE ASSOCIATED WITH ANY COMMERCIAL PROPERTY, AS ANY COMMERCIAL PROPERTY WOULD HAVE A HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION.
AS FAR AS THIS ONE BEING ONE OF THE REMAINING COMMERCIAL STRUCTURES ALONG THE STRETCH OF EAST CEDAR CHAVEZ.
UM, THERE'S QUITE A FEW REMAINING STRUCTURES ALONG THAT, UH, BOULEVARD.
AND THEN THIRDLY, THE COMMUNITY VALUE.
I DON'T KNOW IF, IF THIS CONTRIBUTES TO THE CHARACTER, IT MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE CHARACTER IN IMAGE AND CULTURAL IDENTITY OF THE CITY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AT SOME POINT IN TIME.
[01:45:01]
THE ONLY THING IT'S CONTRIBUTING TO NOW IS, IS, UH, IS THE HOMELESSNESS.WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU GO EAST ON EAST CAESAR CHAVEZ FROM I 35, IT'S INUNDATED WITH HOMELESS PEOPLE PREDOMINANTLY IN THE PARK, UH, ON THE SOUTH SIDE, AND THEN ALL THE WAY DOWN, INCLUDING, UH, MY BUILDING.
THIS PROPERTY SITS ON A, UH, THIS BUILDING SITS ON A 1.27 ACRE TRACT.
AND I THINK BY NOT ALLOWING THE DEMOLITION, IT'S GOING TO HINDER SOMEBODY COMING IN AND DOING A NICE DEVELOPMENT, WHICH BY THE WAY, CANNOT BE A BIG BOX BECAUSE THE NEIGHBORHOOD OVERLAY PLAN RESTRICTS IT TO 45 FEET.
MY GOAL IS TO DEMOLISH THE BUILDING, CLEAN UP THE PROPERTY, MAKE IT LOOK PRESENTABLE, AND SELL IT.
ANY QUESTIONS OF THE APPLICANT? I HAVE A QUESTION.
UM, SO YOU HAVEN'T OWNED THE PROPERTY FOR THE SEVEN YEARS, YOU FORECLOSED ON A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME AGO.
IT, IT WAS OWNED BY A VERY COLORFUL CHARACTER.
YOU MAY HAVE BEEN READ ABOUT NATE.
PAUL IS ONE OF HIS MANY PROPERTIES THAT HE'S OWNED IN DOWNTOWN.
HE'S NEVER DONE ANYTHING TO PRACTICALLY ANY OF HIS PROPERTIES, INCLUDING THIS ONE HE BUYS AND DOES NOTHING.
SO HE WOULD'VE BEEN THE ONE THAT'S RESPONSIBLE FOR SECURING THE PROPERTY AND MAINTAINING THE PROPERTY IN A REASONABLE FASHION.
SO HE WOULD'VE BEEN THE ONE THAT'S RESPONSIBLE FOR, FOR SECURING.
SO WE GET A LOT OF PEOPLE COME IN AND TALK ABOUT LIKE THE HOMELESSNESS AND STUFF LIKE THAT ON THEIR PROPERTY.
AND IT ALWAYS STRIKES ME OF THE FACT THAT THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO MITIGATE THAT.
AND SO THAT'S KIND OF MY QUESTION IS, SO IT WOULD'VE BEEN HIS RESPONSIBILITY TO MITIGATE THAT? CORRECT.
I, I'VE OWNED THE PROPERTY, WE FORECLOSED ON THE PROPERTY PROPERTY IN JANUARY OF, OF LAST YEAR.
SO I WAS ON THE PROPERTY FOR FIVE MONTHS.
I WAS SHOCKED ON MY INITIAL VISIT.
AND THEN EVERY SUBSEQUENT VISIT, I'M, I'M JUST, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT.
THE NEEDLES, THE NEEDLES YESTERDAY MORNING, THEY WERE LITERALLY SHOOTING UP WHEN I WALKED UP.
WE GET A, WE GET QUITE A BIT OF DEMOLITION BY NEGLECT KIND OF A SITUATIONS.
AND SO TRYING, WHEN I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY, I LIKE TO ASK ABOUT THAT BECAUSE ONE OF THE SITUATIONS LIKE THAT IS THERE IS OBVIOUSLY A RESPONSIBILITY TO SECURE YOUR PROPERTY FROM THOSE TYPE OF ACTIVITIES.
AND OBVIOUSLY THAT HAPPENED LONG BEFORE YOU TOOK OVER, BUT, UM, I LIKE TO REINFORCE THAT, THAT YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE, IT'S NOT A REALLY GOOD REASON AS WE SIT UP HERE BECAUSE IT'S LIKE, WELL, YOU DO A BETTER JOB SECURING A PROPERTY.
RIGHT? AND THEN THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN, AND IT DIDN'T HAPPEN FOR SEVEN YEARS AND SEVEN YEARS AGO.
THAT WAS A BUSINESS THAT, THAT I WENT TO, A LOT OF PEOPLE WENT TO, AND IT WAS IN A MUCH BETTER CONDITION.
AND SO IT'S VERY DIFFICULT FOR US TO FIGHT THE SITUATION OF, WE'RE JUST GONNA SIT ON THIS, WE'RE GONNA LET IT FALL APART, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA COME KIND OF WITH A STORY OF LIKE, IT'S FALLING APART.
IT COULD HAVE BEEN, IT COULD HAVE BEEN HANDLED A LOT BETTER.
I CAN, I CAN'T DISAGREE WITH YOU.
IT'S A, AT SOME POINT IT WAS A GREAT BUILDING, BUT, AND I'M NOT SURE IT'S GOT THE ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES THAT THE HLC WANTS TO SEE TO, TO SAVE IT.
UM, ANYTHING COULD BE SAVED ARGUABLY, BUT I THINK IT REALLY DETRACTS FROM THE, FROM CLEANING UP THE PROPERTY AND MAKING IT SOMETHING MORE PRESENTABLE FOR THE COMMUNITY.
WELL, LET ME, LET ME APPRECIATE IT.
LET ME JUMP IN ON THAT ONE BECAUSE I, I'VE HAD A SLOW BURN ABOUT THIS.
UH, I EVEN REMEMBER IT BEFORE.
IT WAS A BAR, IT WAS A COFFEE SHOP, IT WAS A NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER.
THEY HAD A, THE COUPLE THAT BASICALLY PICKED IT UP WHEN IT WAS DERELICT, RESTORED THE BUILDING, PUT IT BACK INTO USE, LIVED UPSTAIRS.
AND, UH, IT WAS A FEATURE NOT ONLY IN THE COMMUNITY AT THAT PERIOD OF TIME IN THE LATE EIGHTIES, NINETIES, AND, UH, PROBABLY INTO THE EARLY TWO THOUSANDS, UH, BUT IT WAS DOING WHAT HAD HAD DONE HISTORICALLY, WHICH IS TO BE A NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER.
THAT WAS THE WAY IT WAS BUILT, THE WAY IT FUNCTIONED.
AND LITERALLY UP UNTIL, UH, THIS NATE PAUL INDIVIDUAL BOUGHT IT, UH, IT WAS A PERFECT, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY IT WAS A PERFECT CANDIDATE FOR OUR TYPE OF A PROGRAM WHERE WE RECOGNIZE THAT IT IS A LEGACY FROM THE PAST THAT IS FUNCTIONAL THAT, UH, HASN'T AT THAT TIME CERTAINLY ENOUGH INTEGRITY, AND WE WANNA DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO FOSTER SAVING THAT AND, AND ALLOWING FUTURE GENERATIONS TO MAKE GOOD USE OF IT.
UM, THE FACT IS, IS THAT OBVIOUSLY FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS, WE HAVE FRUSTRATIONS WITH THAT OWNER, BUT AS OF FIVE MONTHS AGO, YOU ALL BECAME THE OWNERS AND WHATEVER YOU DO TO THAT OR HAVE DONE TO THAT OVER THE LAST FIVE MONTHS, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU TOOK IT OVER WITH THE INTENT TO HAVE IT DEMOLISHED.
[01:50:01]
YOUR, UH, OWNER ALSO ACCOUNTABLE FOR MAYBE EVALUATING THAT, UH, AND OVERLOOKING WHAT ARE THE POTENTIAL FOR THAT BUILDING AS AN IMPORTANT RESOURCE.UH, THE REASON THAT THEY'RE HOMELESS IN THERE IS BECAUSE IT'S NOT BEING SECURED.
UH, THE REASON IT LOOKS LIKE IT DOES IS BECAUSE NOBODY'S TAKING CARE OF IT.
SO ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE FIXABLE.
AND ON A LARGE PROPERTY LIKE THIS, A HISTORIC BUILDING ANCHORING A 45 FOOT DEVELOPMENT COULD BE A HUGE ASSET.
AND ANOTHER REASON FOR ATTRACTING INVESTMENT HERE.
SO I, I GUESS I'M, I'M, I'M CONCERNED THAT YOUR FINANCIAL GROUP MAY HAVE SPENT ALL ITS ENERGY IN, UH, POINTING FINGERS AT THE PREVIOUS OWNER AND NOT ACTUALLY LOOKED AT WHAT THE RESPONSIBILITY OF BEING THE NEW OWNER WOULD ENTAIL.
SO I I, I HAVEN'T SEEN A STRUCTURAL REPORT.
I'VE SEEN A BUNCH OF HOMELESS PEOPLE.
I KNOW HOMELESS PEOPLE CAN BE, UH, THEY, THEY, THEY WILL GO WHERE THEY'RE ALLOWED TO GO.
UH, SO YOU EITHER TAKE CARE OF YOUR PROPERTY OR YOU DON'T.
AND JUST BECAUSE THE PREVIOUS GUY DIDN'T, I DON'T THINK I'M BUYING THIS AS AN EXCUSE THAT YOU SHOULD CONTINUE THAT AND THAT THERE'S NO OTHER OPTION.
I'M, I'M NOT TRYING TO POINT THE FINGER AT, AT THE PREVIOUS OWNER, UH, THIS COMMISSIONER ASKED ME ABOUT THAT.
SO I RESPONDED, AND AS, AS FAR AS ADDRESSING THE FIVE MONTHS I'VE OWNED IT.
THE FIRST, ABOUT THE FIRST MONTH AND A HALF, WE WERE TRYING TO WORK OUT A RECONVEYANCE BACK TO NATE PAUL AFTER WE, WE DIDN'T WANT THE PROPERTY.
WE STILL DON'T WANT THE PROPERTY.
WE WERE TRYING TO WORK OUT A RECONVEYANCE.
AND THEN THE, THE LAST TWO MONTHS WE'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH THE DEMOLITION PERMIT PRO PROCESS WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
SO WE HAVEN'T BEEN TRYING TO DOUBLE DOWN ON THE NEGLECT.
WE WANT TO MAKE THE PROPERTY PRESENTABLE TO SELL IT.
AND RIGHT NOW WE DON'T THINK IT'S PRESENTABLE TO SELL.
I, I GUESS I'M SUGGESTING THAT FOR THE COST OF TAKING IT DOWN, YOU COULD PUT IT ON BACK ENOUGH THAT THE ABILITY TO BE AN ASSET AS A HISTORIC BUILDING WOULD BE VERY MUCH IN EVIDENCE.
UH, I'M JUST NOT HEARING THAT THAT'S EVEN BEING CONSIDERED.
WELL, THE COST TO TAKE IT DOWN IS NOT A LOT OF MONEY.
I THINK THE, I THINK WE WERE GIVEN ABOUT A $30,000 QUOTE TO DEMOLISH IT, WHICH I, YOU KNOW, I HAVEN'T DONE ANY ESTIMATES OF THE COST TO DO A CURSORY RESTORATION.
AT LEAST TO THE EXTENT THAT IT'S, IT'S SECURE.
I, I IMAGINE TO YOUR POINT, IT, IT COULD BE A WASH, BUT I'M ALSO COGNIZANT OF THE FACT THAT ANY, UH, PERSON TO BUY IT AS A DEVELOPMENT WOULD LOOK AT THE HISTORICAL DESIGNATION OF THAT BUILDING IS A DETRIMENT TO WHAT THEY COULD DO TO THE PROPERTY.
NOW IT DEPENDS ON WHO YOUR OWNER BUYER IS, BUT YES, THERE'S GOING TO BE A, A MORE LIMITED POOL OF POTENTIAL BUYERS.
COMMISSIONER, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OF THE APPLICANT, APPLICANT COMMISSIONER, COOK? UH, COULD YOU SPEAK A LITTLE BIT TO THE BEING A FORECLOSURE PROPERTY? I DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF STAKE YOU HAVE IN THIS, WHAT YOU HAVE TO LOSE IF THE PROPERTY IS, BECOMES A LITTLE STICKIER BY HAVING A HISTORIC LANDMARK ON IT.
UM, YOU, YOU'RE NOT A GENERAL GENERATIONAL OWNER.
YOU FORECLOSED, UM, YOU REPRESENT THE, THE COMPANY THAT FORECLOSED.
WHAT, WHAT KIND OF FINANCIAL POSITION ARE YOU IN WHEN TO INDICATE ANY, ANY SORT OF HARDSHIP FOR THIS? FOR, FOR IT BEING? WHEN, WHEN WE, WHEN WE FORECLOSED THE FIRST TUESDAY IN DECEMBER, THE BALANCE ON THE LOAN WAS LIKE 5.4 MILLION.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO RECOVER BY SELLING THE PROPERTY THAT IF, IF, IF YOU WANT A NUMBER THAT'S THE STATE, BECAUSE WE NO THANK THA NO, APPRECIATE YOU.
YOU, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY THAT'S ALL REC RECORDED SOMEWHERE, BUT WE APPRECIATE THAT, THAT BEING YEAH.
THAT ALL PUBLIC TO THE CONVERSATION.
UM, ARE YOU, OR, OR WAS, UM, THIS INDIVIDUAL, THE OWNER OF THE ADJACENT LOTS FROM 18 0 1818 0 2 AND 1804, BECAUSE I'M JUST LOOKING AT THE GOOGLE MAPS RIGHT NOW, AND I'M SEEING ALL THREE OF THOSE ADJACENT LOTS APPEAR TO BE VACANT.
ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE ADJACENT LOTS THAT RUN WEST TOWARDS, UM, DOWNTOWN? YES.
IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THOSE LOTS ARE OWNED BY A GENTLEMAN NAMED PETER BARLOW.
THEY'RE OWNED BY AN X, Y-Z-L-L-C, WHATEVER.
BUT IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT HE OWNS THOSE, AND HE IS, HE'S ACTUALLY AN INTERESTED BUYER IN OUR PROPERTY.
AND IRONICALLY, UM, HE, HE DOESN'T, I DON'T THINK HE WANTS THE, THE BUILDING DEMOED, BUT
[01:55:01]
HE'S NOT UNDER A HARD CONTRACT YET.HE TALKED TO MY REAL ESTATE AGENT AND SAID, LOOK, I'M INTERESTED IN BUYING A PROPERTY, AND MY REAL ESTATE AGENT SAID, YEAH, THE, THE SELLER IS GOING TO, UH, TRY TO DEMO THE STRUCTURE.
AND HE'S LIKE, WELL, I DON'T KNOW IF HE SHOULD DO THAT.
SO WE WERE LIKE, WELL, WE'RE NOT GONNA HOLD UP, WE'RE NOT GONNA HOLD UP DEMOING IT BASED UPON YOU MAYBE BUYING THE PROPERTY FOR WHATEVER THAT'S WORTH.
I, UM, THAT'S HELPFUL INFORMATION.
COMMISSIONERS, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OF THE APPLICANT? OKAY.
UH, ARE THERE OTHER SPEAKERS SIGNED UP ON THIS ITEM? THERE ARE NO OTHER SPEAKERS.
THEREFORE, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO ASK A QUESTION OF STAFF? SURE.
UH, LOOKING AT THE TOPIC SHEET ON THIS CASE, THE AREA THAT IS SHOWN ALONG CESAR CHAVEZ AND CHI COHEN SEEMS TO BE A FAIRLY LARGE AREA THAT ENCOMPASSES THE LOCKS THAT WERE JUST UNDER DISCUSSION.
CAN YOU SPEAK AS TO THE EXTENTS OF THE, THE LAND THAT'S IN DISCUSSION? UH, OUR UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE LAND THAT'S IN DISCUSSION IS JUST LIMITED TO THE ADDRESS THAT IS, UM, 1808.
I BELIEVE THAT THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN A, UM, UH, THE MAP THAT WAS CREATED BY OUR DEPARTMENT, UH, MAY HAVE SELECTED AN AREA TOO LARGE FOR WHAT IS, UM, ACTUALLY BEING DISCUSSED HERE.
OKAY, SO IT'S PROBABLY JUST THE SECOND LOT FROM THE CORNER? THAT'S CORRECT.
IS THAT CORRECT? FACT? LOOK AT TCAD, THE LOT LOOKS LIKE IT'S A QUARTER OF BASICALLY THE WHOLE BLOCK.
IT GOES HALF THE WIDTH OF THE BLOCK.
IT'S THE SAME OUTLINE AS THERE.
AND IT POTENTIALLY MIGHT GO ALL THE WAY TO STARTING AT 1800.
IT LOOKS CONSISTENT WITH WHAT'S ON GOOGLE MAPS.
SO IT WOULD BE 1800 ALL THE WAY TO THE CORNER.
YOU'RE SAYING THE CORNER, BUT I THOUGHT 1 0 2 PICKS UP ON CHACON SO THAT PROPERTY ENDS IT, BUT IT'S STILL A PART OF THE BLOCK.
IT DOESN'T GO ALL THE WAY TO THE CORNER.
TAC SEEMS TO SHOW IT ALL THE WAY TO THE CORNER.
AND I, I WILL REMIND THE COMMISSIONERS IF THERE IS A DESIRE, UH, AND I, I'M, I'M NOT PRESUPPOSING A MOTION HERE, BUT IF HISTORIC ZONING WERE TO BE INITIATED, WE COULD EVEN ON A LARGER LOT LIMIT IT TO THE FOOTPRINT OF THE BUILDING.
AND WE'VE DONE THAT AS COMMISSIONERS ARE AWARE ON SEVERAL OTHER PROPERTIES WHERE, UM, THE REST OF THE PROPERTY AND ITS POTENTIAL FOR DEVELOPMENT WAS NOT ENCUMBERED BY THE PRESERVATION.
AND THIS TOTALS UP TO ONE AND A QUARTER ACRES, WHICH I THINK MIGHT BE CONSISTENT WITH WHAT THE OWNER MENTIONED.
IT DOES GO TO THE, THE PROPERTY DOES GO TO THE QUARTER.
THANK YOU FOR THE CLARIFICATION.
AND I, I GUESS I HAVE A QUESTION, AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S TO STAFF OR TO Y'ALL.
LIKE I, I JUST DON'T REALLY KNOW, I GUESS, RIGHT.
THESE HISTORIC RESOURCE SURVEYS, UM, I GUESS WHAT IS THE BAR THAT NEEDS TO BE PASSED IN ORDER FOR LIKE A RESOURCE SURVEY TO LIST THE PROPERTY AS ELIGIBLE FOR LANDMARKING? BECAUSE I GUESS IN THE 2016 SURVEY THEY SAID IT WOULD BE ELIGIBLE, BUT I DON'T KNOW, IS THEIR BAR THE SAME AS OUR BAR KIND OF, OR LET'S, LET'S HAVE STAFF ADDRESS THAT.
I THINK THE ISSUE OF THE HISTORIC SURVEYS AND, YOU KNOW, THEY COME FROM VARIOUS TIMEFRAMES, NOT ALL OF THEM ARE CURRENT.
BUT THERE IS A CONSISTENT METHODOLOGY, SO I THINK STAFF CAN SPEAK TO THAT.
YEAH, IT WAS, UM, THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.
UM, AT THE PERIOD WHEN THE STARK RESOURCE RESOURCE SURVEY WAS, UH, WRITTEN IN 2016, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT, UM, WITH THE AMOUNT OF RESEARCH THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO DO ON THE PROPERTY, THAT IT, UM, MAY MEET TWO OF THE, UH, REQUIREMENTS, UM, CRITERIA, UM, UH, FOR THIS PARTICULAR SURVEY, SURVEY THEY DID, UM, HAVE THOSE FIVE CRITERIA TO MEASURE AGAINST.
SO IT'S SIMILAR TO THE SAME, LIKE THE SAME CRITERIA THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT JUST AT THAT PERIOD OF TIME? THAT'S CORRECT, YES.
ANY OTHER QUICK COMMENTS HERE? QUICK, QUICK QUESTION MAYBE FOR STAFF.
IT, IT APPEARS, SO I'M LOOKING AT IT IN AN MLS RESOURCE, BUT IT APPEARS THAT 1 0 4 CHACON IS ALSO PART OF THIS TRACT.
IS THAT CORRECT? IT'S A QUESTION FOR THE APPLICANT.
[02:00:01]
WOULD YOU COME TO THE MICROPHONE PLEASE? WE HAVE FURTHER QUESTIONS OF YOU.WOULD YOU RESTATE THE COMMISSIONER, UM, RESTATE YOUR QUESTION? YES.
I JUST WANT TO CONFIRM IS 1 0 4 CHACON PART OF THIS TRACT 1 0 4 CHACON IS PART OF THE TRACK.
IT'S A, IT'S A SMALL HOUSE, ABOUT A THOUSAND SQUARE FOOT HOUSE IN PRETTY GOOD CONDITION.
AND WE ARE NOT ASKING FOR THAT TO BE DEMOLISHED.
BUT I THINK WE JUST HAVE TO CLARIFY THAT FOR ANY MOTION THAT IF WE APPROVE A DEMOLITION PERMIT, THEN DO WE NEED TO BE SPECIFIC ABOUT WHICH PROPERTY? YEAH.
JUST MAKE SURE WHICH STRUCTURE.
WE'RE, WE'RE JUST, UH, APPLYING FOR THE 1808.
WE WE'RE DEFINITELY NOT APPLYING FOR 1 0 4 CHACON.
AND I MAY ASK THE OWNER, WHEN YOU MENTIONED THE POTENTIAL INTERESTED BUYER, IS THAT BEYOND THE EMPTY LOTS AND INTO THE POPULATED LOTS FARTHER TOWARD DOWNTOWN, OR HE OWNS THE ADJACENT LOT TO THE DIRECT WEST OF MY LOT GOING TOWARDS DOWNTOWN, AND I THINK HE HAS FOOD TRUCKS ON THERE.
UM, THIS IS A QUESTION EITHER FOR THE OWNER OR FOR STAFF.
UM, JUST WOULD BE INTERESTED IN INFORMATION ON WHEN THE, HOW LONG THE OTHER ADDRESSES ON THIS LOT HAVE BEEN VACANT.
UM, JUST THAT 1 0 2 CHICON AND THEN 18, 1818 0 2 AND 1804.
AND I GUESS WHAT IS, WOULD, WOULD THAT BE EIGHT, EITHER 1800 OR ONE 1800 CAESAR SHOP AT 1810, OR I THINK IT WOULD BE 100 CHACON.
I THINK I CAN ANSWER THAT JUST BECAUSE I KNOW THE PROPERTY FOR THOSE 30, LET PAST 30 OR MORE YEARS.
UH, THE WHOLE TIME I'VE EVER BEEN THERE, IT'S ALWAYS BEEN VACANT ON BOTH SIDES.
MAY I, THE, THE ONLY STRUCTURES ON THE WHOLE 1.27 ACRE TRACT ARE THE 1808 BUILDING THAT IS BEING APPLIED TO DEMOLISH IN THE 1 0 4 CHACON HOUSE.
SO EVERY, THERE'S NO OTHER STRUCTURES ON THIS LAND.
NOR NOR HAVE THERE BEEN FOR, FOR DECADES.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE BASED ON THE MAP.
I WAS JUST, YOU KNOW, WANTED SOME CLARITY, SO THANK YOU.
UM, COMMISSIONERS, DID WE CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING? WE'RE JUST ABOUT TO DO I ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
COMMISSIONER UCCI, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER MCWHORTER.
THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND.
COMMISSIONER, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION ON THIS ITEM.
I WILL MOVE TO POSTPONE TO NEXT MONTH'S MEETING, UH, TO SEE, UH, WHAT OTHER INFORMATION CAN BE OBTAINED AND, UH, IT LOOKS LIKE THERE MAY BE POTENTIAL FOR ANOTHER, A BUYER WHO MAY BE INTERESTED IN NOT DEMOLISHING THE STRUCTURE.
SO, UH, I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN JUST GIVING IT MORE TIME.
UH, IS COMMISSIONER ALVAREZ'S MOTION, IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND.
COMMISSIONER RICE, UH, COMMISSIONER ALVAREZ? UH, YEAH, I MENTIONED I, THIS, I THINK IT'S JUST WAY TOO SOON TO JUST LET THIS ONE GO, UH, TO, TO DEMOLITION.
I THINK IT'S, IT HAS A LOT OF POTENTIAL AS MENTIONED BY, UH, OTHERS HERE ON THE COMMISSION.
THIS WOULD NOT BE THE FIRST, UH, SAY HISTORIC STRUCTURE WITHIN A NEW DEVELOPMENT, WHICH COULD BE VERY ATTRACTIVE TO SOME, UH, PARTICULARLY IN THIS PART OF TOWN.
SO I THINK WE HAVE TO GIVE THIS ONE MORE TIME.
I MEAN, I, I ECHO ALL OF THOSE COMMENTS.
I ALSO, UM, I'M JUST HESITANT, YOU KNOW, TO LET THIS GO SO SOON.
UM, IN PART BECAUSE OF THE, YOU KNOW, SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THAT, UH, BLOCK BEING VACANT, I THINK IS, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY, UM, DETRIMENTAL TO THE, TO THE STREETSCAPE, BUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, JUST ON, YOU KNOW, IN THE EVENT THAT SAY IT'S DEMOLISHED AND THEN NOTHING DOES GET BUILT, UM, I'M NOT SAYING THAT THAT'S NECESSARILY WHAT WOULD BE HAPPENING, BUT IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALWAYS A POSSIBILITY WITH THESE THINGS.
AND I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT SOME OF THE OTHER DEMOLITION BY NEGLECT, UM, TYPE CASES THAT HAVE COME BEFORE US SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THE COMMISSION, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK I CAN, I CAN, I'D LIKE TO JUST SEE MORE HERE.
I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, WHO HAD SENT SOME WRITTEN PUBLIC COMMENT, UH, REQUESTING A POSTPONEMENT, UM, SO THAT THEY COULD GET A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME TO, YOU KNOW, ENGAGE WITH THE PROCESS.
UM, AND I DON'T KNOW, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY THIS BUILDING COULD BE IN BETTER SHAPE AND IT HAS BEEN IN BETTER SHAPE AND, YOU KNOW, VERY RECENT MEMORY, UM, IN THE
[02:05:01]
LAST, YOU KNOW, EIGHT YEARS OR SO.UM, AND, YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE TO SEE A REASON THAT IT'S NOT SALVAGEABLE TO BE COMFORTABLE, UM, RELEASING THIS PERMIT OR YEAH.
APPLICATION, YOU KNOW, DEMOLITION.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? I'D LIKE THE COMMISSIONER COOK.
I'M GOING TO SUPPORT THE MOTION.
UM, I THINK WHAT THIS PROPERTY NEEDS IS THE RIGHT DEVELOPER TO SENSITIVELY RESTORE THIS BUILDING, UH, WHICH IS LISTED AS RECOMMENDED AS ELIGIBLE, UH, FOR LANDMARK DESIGNATION.
UH, AND ALSO DEVELOP THE REMAINDER OF THE AREA.
THERE IS A LANDMARK ACROSS THE STREET THAT WE'VE BEEN, THERE'S BEEN AN OWNER THAT'S COME TO US A FEW TIMES TRYING TO GET IT RESTORED.
IT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, COVERED IN GR GRAFFITI.
IT'S RIGHT NEXT TO A GAS STATION AND, AND VACANT FIELDS.
SO, UM, I MEAN, I THINK THE ARGUMENT COULD BE MADE TO HAVE BLANK SLATE IS BEST FOR POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT HERE, BUT THAT'S NOT THE BEST FOR THIS PROPERTY.
UM, THIS IS JUST, THIS IS GONNA BE A DIFFICULT ONE, ESPECIALLY HERE, UH, ON THIS STREET WHERE WE ARE, ARE LOSING HISTORIC PROPERTIES.
AND THIS ONE WAS AN ACTIVE, UM, COMMERCIAL SITE, NOT, NOT LONG AGO, AND PROBABLY COULD BE.
AGAIN, IT'S INTERESTING, UH, OWNERSHIP HERE.
I THINK WHAT WE HAVE, AUSTIN HAS ATTRACTED NOT THE KIND OF OWNERS WHO ARE SENSITIVE TO THE COMMUNITY CONTEXT AND TO HISTORY.
AND I THINK THIS IS A PRIME EXAMPLE OF IT.
WE, WE'VE SEEN IT IN OTHER PLACES.
AND I, I, I CAN APPRECIATE THE SITUATION YOU'RE IN, BUT I THINK EVERYONE CAN AGREE THAT THE BEST IN, IN ALL CASES IS TO HAVE AN OWNER THAT WOULD BUY THIS, DEVELOP AROUND IT, AND HAVE THIS BE AN ANCHOR, A HISTORIC ANCHOR FOR A NEW DEVELOPMENT, WHICH WOULD BE A WIN ALL AROUND.
IT'S JUST A MATTER OF FINDING THAT BUYER.
AND, UH, IT SOUNDS LIKE WE HAVE A POTENTIAL ONE, UH, NARROWING IT DOWN TO ONE IS GONNA MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR YOU GRANTED, BUT IF THERE'S ONE, THERE MAY BE OTHERS.
UM, BUT I ALSO WILL SAY, I DO HESITATE TO, YOU KNOW, DESIGNATE THIS TROUBLED PROPERTY, UM, WHEN THERE'S AN OWNER WHO'S, WHO'S NOT INTERESTED.
AND IT'S KIND OF IN A STICKY SITUATION WITH THAT MUCH LAND AROUND IF IT WOULD HAVE TO BE DEVELOPED.
IT'S JUST NOT SOMEONE WHO COULD BUY IT.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU COULD CONSIDER SUBDIVIDING IT, AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN DO THAT.
UH, BUT I THINK THIS POSTPONEMENT ALLOWS US TO BUY TIME TO LOOK AT ALL THE, LOOK AT ALL THE OPTIONS.
CAN I MAKE ONE MORE COMMENT? YEAH, COMMISSIONER.
UM, I'D ALSO JUST ADD, JUST ON THE NOTE OF LIKE ARCHITECTURAL VALUE.
UM, THIS IS A KIND OF COMMERCIAL BUILDING THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE AREN'T REALLY BUILDING ANYMORE, AND IT'S A, IN A SCALE OF COMMERCIAL BUILDING THAT WE'RE NOT BUILDING ANYMORE.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY, UM, IT'S, YOU KNOW, NOT DOING MUCH RIGHT NOW, AND IT'S, AND YOU KNOW, NOT IN GREAT SHAPE, BUT IT'S ALSO, I'M, UH, PARTICULARLY HESITANT, UM, JUST SEEING HOW MANY BUILDINGS LIKE THIS HAVE BEEN LOST, ESPECIALLY IN EAST AUSTIN, UM, THAT ARE, UM, ON THIS SCALE OF COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT.
UM, AND I THINK THAT THERE IS ARCHITECTURAL AND COMMUNITY VALUE POTENTIALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, ONCE AGAIN, IN A WORLD WHERE THIS CAN BE REVITALIZED AND REHABILITATED.
AND I JUST, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I'VE GOT TO ADD THERE.
AND, UH, LET ME ADD, UM, BECAUSE I THINK I, I MAY HAVE SOUNDED VERY HARSH REGARDING THE CURRENT OWNER AND THEIR RESPONSIBILITY, BUT I APPRECIATE THIS APPLICANT FILLING IN SOME OF THE BACKGROUND.
I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE I THINK WHAT WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT IS A PROPERTY OWNER THAT, UH, PURCHASED THIS WITHOUT ANY UNDERSTANDING OR APPRECIATION OF WHAT HAD ALREADY HAPPENED.
THIS IS ONE OF THE EARLY SUCCESSES IN PRESERVATION IN EAST AUSTIN.
THIS COMMISSION DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO LANDMARK IT, BUT WE PROBABLY AT THE TIME DIDN'T FEEL LIKE WE NEEDED TO BECAUSE YOU HAD A BUILDING THAT AT THAT TIME WOULD'VE BEEN 70 TO 80 YEARS OLD, HAD SERVED A COMMUNITY FUNCTION, THAT FUNCTION PERHAPS WAS NO LONGER CURRENT.
'CAUSE I BELIEVE IT WAS AN ABANDONED BUILDING WHEN I FIRST REMEMBER IT.
AND THROUGH ATTENTION, THROUGH CARE, THROUGH CREATIVITY, YOU HAD A SERIES OF OWNERS WHO NOT ONLY RESTORED THAT BUILDING AND PUT IT BACK INTO USE, INTO GOOD SHAPE, BUT THEY ALSO PUT IT BACK INTO USE.
SO IT BECAME A COMMUNITY ASSET, AND IT WAS A MEETING PLACE FOR BOTH NEW MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY AS WELL AS THE OLD TRADITIONAL MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY.
I REMEMBER BECAUSE I, I WAS THERE AND I THINK THEY, UH, AGAIN, NO, NO FAULT WHATSOEVER TO
[02:10:01]
THE FINANCIAL INSTITUTION.UH, YOU'RE STUCK WITH THIS, UH, BUT WE CERTAINLY CAN HOLD, UH, UP THE PREVIOUS OWNER AND FOR HIS DERELICTION ON MULTIPLE LEVELS, UH, TO NOT RECOGNIZE OR APPRECIATE THE VALUE AND TO ACTIVELY UNDERMINE THAT VALUE ON BEHALF OF SUPPORT OF THE COMMUNITY.
BUT NOW YOU DO, UH, HAVE A NEW INSTITUTION, A NEW OWNER.
I APPRECIATE ALSO, IT MAY HAVE BEEN A FIVE MONTH TIMEFRAME, BUT AT LEAST FOR THE FIRST COUPLE OF MONTHS, YOU HOPED YOU WOULDN'T HAVE TO CONTINUE TO BE THE OWNER.
BUT NOW, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE A BUILDING THAT UP UNTIL SEVEN YEARS AGO, WAS IN VERY GOOD SHAPE AND WAS AN ASSET.
AND AS AN ARCHITECT WHO WORKS WITH BUILDINGS OF THIS VINTAGE AND THIS TYPE OF CONSTRUCTION, YOUR ROOF IS STILL INTACT.
THEREFORE, I CAN TELL YOU THE WORST SCENARIOS THAT WOULD BE WORRIED WORRISOME ARE NOT THE ISSUE.
IT REALLY HAS TO DO WITH THE VANDALISM.
AND IF THAT IS SOMETHING THAT THIS OWNER WOULD OVER THE NEXT MONTH OR TWO, TAKE AGGRESSIVE ACTIONS AND WE'D HAVE ALL OUR SUPPORT THAT WE CAN OFFER, UH, JUST TO CLEAN THE PLACE UP.
UH, I DO THINK THAT OVER THE NEXT MONTH IF THIS, UH, MOTION PASSES, WE'LL GET TO KNOW A LOT MORE ABOUT THIS BUILDING AND WHAT ITS POTENTIAL IS.
AND I THINK WE CAN MAKE AN OBJECTIVE, UH, DECISION WITH, UH, CONSULTATION WITH THIS OWNER ABOUT WHAT'S THE BEST FUTURE FOR THIS PROPERTY.
UH, AND I HOPE THAT IT'S PRESERVATION, AND IT MAY EVEN BE, UH, BECAUSE I SEE A LOT OF REASONS WHY, UH, THAT ORIGINAL ASSESSMENT BACK IN 2016, UH, MIGHT ALREADY BE SLIGHTLY OUT OF DATE.
I THINK THERE MAY BE EVEN MORE VALUE TO THIS BUILDING BECAUSE IT'S MADE IT THIS LONG, UH, IN A PRESERVED STATE, UH, AS A LANDMARK FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
I THINK IT'S PREMATURE TO MAKE THAT EVALUATION RIGHT NOW, AND I THINK THE MOTION IS THE RIGHT WAY TO GO, WHICH IS STRICTLY AT THIS POINT HAVE A POSTPONEMENT.
BUT I THINK WE SHOULD BE VERY SERIOUSLY LOOKING AT NOT ONLY WHAT IS THE POTENTIAL FOR THE PRESERVATION AND REDEVELOPMENT, BUT POTENTIALLY WHAT IS THE PRESERVATION, UH, AND AND WOULD THIS FIT AS A HISTORIC LANDMARK.
SO I'M, I'M HOPING THAT WILL BE SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD CONSIDER.
SO NEEDLESS TO SAY, I WILL SUPPORT THE MOTION.
ANY OTHER QUICK POINT TO ORDER, UH, AND A SUGGESTION AS WELL? YES.
UM, WE NEED TO REOPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING AS PART OF THE MOTION IF, UH, POSTPONEMENT IS MOTION ON THE TABLE.
AND IF POSTPONEMENT TO NEXT MONTH IS INDEED THE MOTION, UH, PERHAPS A, AN INVITATION TO THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE COULD ALSO BE PART OF THAT MOTION, UH, TO HELP THE OWNER EVALUATE POTENTIAL ALTERNATIVES TO TOTAL DEMOLITION.
WOULD THE MAKER OF THE MOTION ACCEPT THAT, UH, ADDITIONAL YES.
ITEMS THAT WE REOPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING AND THE INVITATION TO THE A RC? YES.
I WILL MOVE TO, UH, REOPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING, POSTPONE THE CASE TO NEXT MONTH'S MEETING, AND INVITE THE APPLICANT TO NEXT WEDNESDAY'S ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE MEETING AND THE SECONDER SAME.
OKAY, SO THAT'S, THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION, COMMISSIONERS.
IS THERE FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM? HEARING NONE, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND.
AND I SEE IT IS UNANIMOUS AND WE THANK THE APPLICANT AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU.
[Items 17 & 18]
NEXT DISCUSSION ITEM AT 4 0 3 ORCHARD STREET, AND I DO BELIEVE, IS IT CONTIGUOUS, UH, WITH 1208 WEST FOURTH STREET? SHOULD WE BE ABLE TO DISCUSS THESE AS ONE DISCUSSION ITEM? YES.THAT, UM, IF YOU WOULD'VE TO MAKE A MOTION TO DO THAT.
UH, COMMISSIONERS, LET ME, UH, ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO TAKE ITEM 17 AND 18, UH, TOGETHER.
UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND AND IT IS UNANIMOUS.
LET US PROCEED WITH BOTH CASES.
AND, UH, THAT'LL BE ITEM 17 AT 4 0 3 ORCHARD STREET.
AND ITEM 18 AT 1208 WEST FOURTH STREET.
UH, I'LL START WITH 4 0 3 ORCHARD STREET.
IT'S A PROPOSAL TO DEMOLISH THE CIRCUIT 1912 HOUSE CURRENTLY USED AS A BUSINESS.
UM, THIS HOUSE IS A SINGLE STORY, NATIONAL FOLK STYLE BUILDING WITH AN INSECT PORCH AT ONE CORNER.
THE WALLS ARE CLAD WOOD TONGUE GROOVE SIDING, AND THE WINDOWS APPEAR TO BE ORIGINAL WOOD FRAMES.
THERE IS A MODERATELY PITCHED, UH, HIP ROOF CLADDING, COMPOSITE SHINGLES.
THE FOUNDATION IS PUREING BEAM WITH THE HOUSE SLIGHTLY ELEVATED ABOVE GRADE.
NEWSPAPER RECORDS INDICATE THAT A PERMIT WAS ISSUED FOR TWO ADDITIONAL REAR ROOMS IN 1944, WHICH WAS THE ONLY SIGNIFICANT ALTERATION TO THE BUILDING IN THE FIRST FEW DECADES AFTER CONSTRUCTION, THE OCCUPANTS OF THE PROPERTY WERE EMPLOYED IN LOCAL INDUSTRIES THAT WERE SITUATED NEAR THE, UH, ADJACENT RAILROAD TRACKS, INCLUDING THE AUSTIN TRANSIT COMPANY AND IN ICE
[02:15:01]
STORAGE FACILITY.THE LAW OF THIS OCCUPANTS WERE LEO PAYNE, WHO WORKED AS AN ICEMAN AND, UH, BRA LEO AND MARIA, UH, UH, NIA, WHO WORKED AS A COBBLER AND SHOE SALESMAN.
THEY WOULD REMAIN AT THE ADDRESS THROUGH AT LEAST THE 1950S AND RAISED AT LEAST ONE SON AT THE HOUSE.
UM, THE 2020, THE 2025 DOWNTOWN AUSTIN HISTORIC RESOURCE SURVEY LISTED THE PROPERTY AS A HIGH PRIORITY AND ELIGIBLE FOR THE NATIONAL REGISTER.
AS AN INDIVIDUAL RESOURCE, UH, OR CONTRIBUTING TO A POTENTIAL DISTRICT, UM, PROPERTIES MUST MEET TWO CRITERIA FOR CITY OF AUSTIN LANDMARK DESIGNATION.
HOWEVER, UM, STAFF HAS EVALUATED THE PROPERTY AND DETERMINED THAT IT DOES NOT MEET TWO CRITERIA FOR LANDMARK DESIGNATION, ONLY MEETS FOR ARCHITECTURE.
UH, THEREFORE, STAFF RECOMMENDATION FOR 4 0 3 ORCHARD STREET IS TO ENCOURAGE REHABILITATION AND ADAPTIVE REUSE, RELOCATION OR DECONSTRUCTION AND SALVAGE OVER DEMOLITION, BUT APPROVE THE DEMOLITION PERMIT APPLICATION UPON COMPLETION OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE, THE PROPERTY AT 1208 WEST FOURTH STREET IS A PROPOSAL TO DEMOLISH A QUO HUT, CURRENTLY USED AS A BREWERY AND A CIRCA 1910, UH, BACKHOUSE.
THE MAIN STRUCTURE OF THIS COMPLEX OF BUILDINGS IN ADDITIONS IS QUONSET HUT, WHICH WAS MOVED, UH, TO ITS CURRENT LOCATION FROM CAMP MAYBURY SOMETIME IN THE 1970S.
THOUGH NO PERMIT RECORDS CAN BE FOUND CONFIRMING THIS, IT'S DISTINCTIVE CURVED ENCLOSURE, CURRENTLY HOUSES AS A BREWERY AND ASSOCIATED BACK OF HOUSE SPACES.
THE ORIGINAL MATERIAL OF THE ROOF STRUCTURE IS INTACT, BUT NEW WALLS TO THE EAST AND WEST SIDE WERE CONSTRUCTED AROUND 2020 WHEN THE CURRENT BUSINESS OPENED.
THE HISTORIC MATERIAL THAT REMAINS IS IN RELATIVELY GOOD CONDITION, CONSIDERING THE DESIGN INTENT OF QUONSET HUTS AS BEING TEMPORARY OR QUICK TO CONSTRUCT SHELTER TO THE SIDE.
A TA WOODEN TONGUE AND GROOVE CLAD BACKHOUSE IS CURRENTLY USED FOR ADDITIONAL BREWERY SPACE, AND IT APPEARS THAT WHEN THE QUONSET HUT WAS MOVED TO ITS CURRENT LOCATION, IT WAS PLACED VERY NEAR THE STRUCTURE.
AS STATED ABOVE, THERE ARE FEW RECORDS THAT EXIST OF THE HUTS ORIGINAL BE, UH, UH, ORIGIN.
BEYOND THAT, IT WAS CONSTRUCTED FOR CAMP MAP AND WAS MOVED ON SITE SOMETIME IN THE 1970S AERIAL IMAGERY OF THE PROPERTY BEFORE THIS, UH, TIME SHOWS A LARGELY EMPTY LOT WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE BACK HOUSE.
THERE APPEARS TO BE VEHICLES AND OTHER MATERIALS STORED ON SITE.
IT IS UNKNOWN WHETHER THERE WERE PREVIOUS STRUCTURES THAT ARE ILLEGIBLE IN HISTORIC AERIALS AS PERMIT RECORDS FOR THIS PROPERTY ARE SCARCE.
UH, BOTH OF THESE APPLICATIONS WILL TIME OUT IN JULY 20TH, 2026 FOR THIS PROPERTY AT 1208 WEST FOURTH STREET, THE 2025 DOWNTOWN AUSTIN HISTORIC RESOURCE SURVEY LISTED BOTH THE QUONSET HUS STRUCTURE AND THE BACK HOUSE AS MEDIUM PRIORITIES.
THOUGH THERE IS NO SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATION FOR PRESERVATION, WRITTEN PROPERTIES MUST MEET TWO CRITERIA FOR LANDMARK DESIGNATION.
STAFF HAS EVALUATED THE PROPERTY AND DETERMINED THAT IT MAY MEET TWO CRITERIA FOR LANDMARK DESIGNATION, INCLUDING ARCHITECTURE FOR THE WELL MAINTAINED QUO HUT AND HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION, UM, FOR THE, UH, SURVIVING EXAMPLE OF A 20TH CENTURY MODULAR CONSTRUCTION FOUND ON MILITARY BASIS, GENERALLY, SPECIFICALLY CAMP MABRY IN THIS CASE.
THEREFORE, THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION FOR THIS PROPERTY IS TO CONSIDER INITIATION OF HISTORIC ZONING, UH, FOR THE CRITERIA OF ARCHITECTURE AND HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION.
AND IF IT IS DETERMINED THAT THOSE ARE MET, THEN INITIATE, UH, CONSIDER INITIATING HISTORIC ZONING, OTHERWISE ENCOURAGE REHABILITATION AND ADAPTIVE REUSE RELOCATION OR DECONSTRUCTION AND SALVAGE OVER DEMOLITION, BUT APPROVE THE DEMOLITION PERMIT APPLICATION UP UPON COMPLETION OF A CITY OF AUSTIN DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE.
THIS CONCLUDES THE STAFF REPORTS.
AND SO, UH, JUST TO CLARIFY, ON UH, 4 0 3 ORCHARD STREET, THE RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURE, UH, THIS IS A RECOMMENDATION TO ENCOURAGE REHABILITATION AND ADAPTIVE REUSE, UH, OVER DEMOLITION, BUT OTHERWISE APPROVE THE DEMOLITION PERMIT.
AND THEN THE POTENTIAL FOR HISTORIC ZONING IS FOR THE 1208 WEST FOURTH STREET.
IS THAT CLARIFICATION? THAT IS.
ANY QUESTIONS OF STAFF COMMISSIONERS? OKAY, HEARING NONE, UH, CAN WE HEAR FROM THE APPLICANT? HELLO COMMISSIONERS.
I'M LEAH BOJO WITH JOINER GROUP.
I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AS THE LAST ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
UM, I WILL, UM, I'LL GO QUICKLY THROUGH, THROUGH SINCE, UM, YOU, YOU'VE HEARD A LOT ALREADY.
SO THIS IS, SO, SO THE, THE CLIENT I'M REPRESENTING IS WORKING TO REDEVELOP ALMOST THE ENTIRE BLOCK.
YOU CAN SEE THAT, UM, NOT THAT TOP, THAT TOP WEST CORNER OF THE BLOCK, UM, IS NOT INCLUDED, BUT THE OTHER SITES ARE INCLUDED.
UM, AND THEN JUST TO KIND OF REMIND EVERYBODY, I THINK EVERYBODY HERE KNOWS THESE FACTS, BUT, UM, THERE ARE TWO NEARBY LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICTS.
UM, BUT THIS, UM, PROPERTY IS OBVIOUSLY NOT INCLUDED IN EITHER OF THOSE.
UM, AND IT IS, AND I APOLOGIZE FOR WESTLINE BEING ONE WORD INSTEAD OF TWO THERE.
UM, IT IS ALSO NEAR THE WESTLINE NATIONAL REGISTER HISTORIC DISTRICT, BUT AGAIN, NOT INCLUDED.
AND THEN THIS IS THE DOWNTOWN, UM, AUSTIN HISTORIC RESOURCES SURVEY, UM, SHOWING WHAT THE, WHAT A POTENTIAL NATIONAL RE REGISTER, HISTORIC, I'M SORRY,
[02:20:01]
NATIONAL REGISTER, HISTORIC PLACE AND LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICT COULD LOOK LIKE AROUND THE RAILROAD.AND THE REASON I POINT ALL OF THESE OUT IS BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THIS PART OF TOWN HAS HAD A LOT OF, UM, HISTORIC REVIEW AND HISTORIC STUDY FOR GOOD REASON, AND THESE PROPERTIES HAVE NOT BEEN RECOMMENDED SO FAR.
UM, SO THIS IS THE 1960 SANBORN MAP.
I JUST KIND OF MERGED SOME OF THESE SLIDES TOGETHER SO YOU CAN SEE THAT THE ORCHARD HOUSE IS THERE.
UM, BUT YOU CAN ALSO SEE THAT IN 1960, UM, THE TWO LOTS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HAD HOMES, OR I ASSUME HOMES, UM, DWELLINGS.
WITH SMALL STRUCTURES IN THE BACK, UM, THAT WERE, UM, THAT WERE OBVIOUSLY HAVE BEEN MOVED SINCE THAT TIME.
UM, EVEN THE BACK HOUSE THAT IS STILL ON THE SITE TODAY IS NOT, DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE, I SHOULD SAY, IN THE LOCATION THAT IT WAS ON, ON THIS MAP.
UM, SO NOW IF WE LOOK AT THESE SPECIFIC SITES, HERE'S THE ORCHARD SITE.
UM, I THINK THIS HAS BEEN PRETTY WELL COVERED.
I WOULD SORT OF CHALLENGE THE INTEGRITY OF, UM, OF THE HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE JUST IN THAT THE CONTEXT HAS COMPLETELY CHANGED, UM, AROUND THIS SMALL HOUSE.
UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THE, I I WOULD NOT CHALLENGE THE ARCHITECTURAL, UM, THE ARCHITECTURAL VALUE, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT THERE'S, UM, ANY OTHER HISTORICAL CRITERIA THAT ARE MET.
UM, AND I, I GUESS I'M ALSO NOT REAL SURE IF THIS IS REALLY A RARE EXAMPLE.
UM, I THINK THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN POINTED OUT IN STAFF REPORT.
I'M NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT SURE, BUT I THINK, UM, THIS, THIS IS, THIS IS SOMETHING WE DO SEE AROUND TOWN.
UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, STAFF IS RECOMMENDING, UM, DEMOLITION AND, UM, YOU KNOW, POTENTIAL REHABILITATION, ADAPTIVE REUSE, BUT THEN DEMOLITION AND DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE.
I WILL SAY SOMEONE HAS REACHED OUT ABOUT POSSIBLE RELOCATION AND WE'RE IN CORRESPONDENCE WITH THEM.
I HAVE NO IDEA HOW THAT'S GONNA GO, BUT I JUST WANTED TO RELAY TO YOU THAT IF SOMEONE IS OPEN TO SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WE'RE, WE'RE HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
UM, NOW IF WE MOVE ON TO, AS WE MOVE ON TO THE WEST FOURTH STREET SITE.
UM, SO THIS, JUST LOOKING AT THE SORT OF INITIAL CRITERIA THAT HAVE TO BE MET.
UM, WE ARE, DON'T, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A 1977 AERIAL THAT DOES NOT YET SHOW THE QUO HUT ON IT.
SO I'M NOT EVEN SURE IT'S BEEN IN THIS LOCATION FOR 50 YEARS.
UM, IT DOESN'T APPEAR THAT IT HAS BEEN.
UM, AND THEN AS FAR AS THE INTEGRITY OF THE STRUCTURE ITSELF ASIDE, EVEN FROM THE FACT THAT IT WAS RELOCATED TO THIS PROPERTY FROM CAMP MADRE AS AS WAS DESCRIBED, UM, IT ALSO HAS, UM, SOME PRETTY SIGNIFICANT, UM, CHA CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE TO IT, AS YOU MAY KNOW.
IT'S BEEN, IT'S BEEN USED AS A BREWERY, UM, AND STAFF GOES INTO MORE DETAIL.
BUT THERE HAVE BEEN A, A LOT OF MODIFICATIONS TO THE STRUCTURE ITSELF.
UM, SO I THINK, I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE HERE, UM, FROM A DESIGNATION CRITERIA, UM, STANDPOINT, THEY ARE, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE, THEY WERE, THEY ARE AN INTERESTING THING.
THEY HAVE BEEN AROUND TOWN, THEY ARE BUILT FOR A TEMPORARY PURPOSE.
IT'S NOT SURPRISING THAT IT WAS RELOCATED, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT IT HOLDS UP AS A HISTORIC LANDMARK, UM, IN ITS NEW LOCATION AS IT HASN'T EVEN BEEN THERE LET FOR 50 YEARS, LET ALONE THE FACT THAT IT IS ACTUALLY FROM THE FORTIES.
SO I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE PERIOD OF SIGNIFICANCE WOULD BE, UM, IN THAT, IN THAT DISCUSSION.
UM, AND, AND I DON'T THINK THERE ARE ANY OTHER CRITERIA THAT ARE MET.
UM, WHOOPS, SORRY I WENT THE WRONG WAY THERE.
SO, YOU KNOW, AS WAS AGAIN DISCUSSED BY STAFF, THE SOURCE HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS WOULD BE WITH CAMP MARE MABRY, NOT WITH THE, THE PLACE THAT IT IS NOW IN THE PERIOD OF SIGNIFICANCE THAT IT WOULD BE IN NOW.
UM, SO WITH THAT, I'LL WRAP UP.
WE ARE REQUESTING DEMOLITION OF BOTH PROPERTIES.
UM, OF COURSE WITH THE DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE, UM, IF SOMETHING COMES THROUGH ON THE ORCHARD SITE, WE'RE MORE THAN HAPPY TO WORK WITH A POTENTIAL RECEIVER OF THAT HOME.
BUT, UM, BUT THIS IS WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW AND I'M AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS.
UM, ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? YES.
UH, WHAT ABOUT THE PROPERTY AT THE CORNER AT 4 0 1? OOPS, I LOST THAT I THINK WAS WITHIN YOUR PLAN TO BE DEMOLISHED AS WELL, BUT YOU GOT, YOU HAVEN'T SUBMITTED THAT ONE? WE HAVE SUBMITTED IT AND I BELIEVE IT WAS HERE THAT WAS APPROVED BY STAFF BECAUSE IT DID NOT MEET ANY OF THE CRITERIA FOR, UH, LANDMARK DESTINATION.
OKAY, SO THAT'S ALREADY GONE OR GOING TO BE, UH, CORRECT.
THAT HAS BEEN APPROVED THROUGH THE HISTORIC REVIEW.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OF THE APPLICANT? I WAS JUST CURIOUS HOW THE TREES ON THAT SIDE ARE GONNA IMPACT THEIR FAMOUSLY OR VERY LARGE OAK TREE.
AND I WAS JUST CURIOUS WHAT THE IMPACT OF THAT'S GONNA BE ON DEVELOPMENT.
WE HAVEN'T QUITE GOTTEN THERE YET, BUT WE ARE VERY MUCH AWARE OF THE TREES THAT ARE ON THE SITE AND THAT THEY WILL HAVE TO BE ACCOMMODATED.
UM, WE ARE FIRST STEP WAITING TO SEE, YOU KNOW, WHAT OUR SORT OF DEVELOPMENT AREA LOOKS LIKE AND THEN WE WOULD BE INCORPORATING, UM, LANDSCAPE AND OPEN SPACE INTO THE OVERALL SITE.
ANYTHING ELSE? ALRIGHT, DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER SPEAKERS
[02:25:01]
ON THIS ITEM? YES, WE DO HAVE THE SAME SPEAKER ON BOTH ITEMS. AND THAT IS DONNA OSBORNE AND OPPOSITION OSBORNE.HI, I AM DONNA OSBORNE WITH THE OANA, UM, OLD WEST AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
AND WHILE THESE ARE NOT SPECIFICALLY WITHIN OUR HISTORIC DISTRICT, THEY ARE WITHIN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, THAT WE REPRESENT.
UM, AND WE DID MEET WITH THE APPLICANT.
THEY CAME TO MEET WITH US LAST WEEK, I THINK IT WAS LAST WEEK.
UM, AND, UM, WE WERE FIRST NOTIFIED OF THIS REQUEST, UM, ON TUESDAY, APRIL 28TH, AND WE MET WITH THE APPLICANT ON THURSDAY THE 30TH.
AT THE TIME OF THE MEETING, THERE WAS UNCERTAINTY ABOUT LIMITED DETAILS OF REGARDING, YOU KNOW, THE SIGNIFICANCE, UM, OF THE STRUCTURE, THE FULL SIGNIFICANCE OF POSSIBLY THE STRUCTURE AT 1208 WEST FOURTH STREET, AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE THAT COULD BE, UM, I GUESS RESEARCHED THROUGH ARCHIVES AT THE, UH, CAMP MAVERY.
UM, YOU KNOW, DURING OUR DISCUSSION WE ALWAYS TRY TO, UH, EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF PRESERVING STRUCTURES, CONTRIBUTING OR NOT, AND THAT 4 0 3 ORCHARD IS A HIGH PRIORITY FOR A NATIONAL REGISTER INDIVIDUAL RESOURCE.
UM, IT, THESE STRUCTURES APPEAR TO BE IN FAIRLY DECENT CONDITION.
UM, I EVEN THOUGH THE QUO HU HAS BEEN ALTERED TO SOME DEGREE, THESE ARE WORKING FUNCTIONING SPACES.
UM, UH, IF THE FINDINGS DO NOT YIELD, YOU KNOW, WITH MORE INVESTIGATION, IF THE FINDINGS DO NOT, UH, YIELD THE METRICS TO MEAD NOMINATION, ANA WOULD RECOMMEND THAT THE APPLICANT MAKE A GENUINE EFFORT TO RELOCATE AND FINANCIALLY FUND THE RELATE THE RELATED EXPENSES TO RELOCATE THESE STRUCTURES.
I THINK THEY MIGHT FIND MORE O UM, OPPORTUNITIES FOR, UH, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE INTERESTED IN IT IF THAT WAS THROWN IN THE POT.
BUT WE STRONGLY ENCOURAGE ALLOWING ADDITIONAL TIME FOR THE STAFF TO CONDUCT ANY KIND OF OTHER FURTHER ARCHIVAL RESEARCH THAT MIGHT HELP EITHER OF THESE STRUCTURES, ESPECIALLY 1208 WEST FOURTH STREET.
UM, AGAIN, Y'ALL BEEN WONDERFUL TALKING ABOUT THE INTEGRITY OF THE HISTORIC STRUCTURES AND WE CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THAT, UM, ESPECIALLY IT'S A GREAT IMPORTANT TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, BUT GIVEN THE LIMITED AMOUNT OF TIME THAT WE'VE HAD TO LOOK AT THIS AND THE LIMITED AMOUNT OF TIME, UH, THAT IS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE BEFORE THE MAY 6TH, UH, THIS MEETING, UM, WE WOULD, UH, WE WOULD LOVE THE LANDMARK COMMISSION TO INITIATE POSTPONEMENT FOR THE DEMOLITION CASES TO ALLOW MORE TIME TO UNDERSTAND IF THERE IS ANY SIGNIFICANCE, UM, THAT COULD BE UNDERSTOOD ON THE STRUCTURES.
AND WE HOPE THAT THE APPLICANT WOULD AGREE TO THIS IN A PRUDENT AND NECESSARY STEP IN THE PROCESS.
UM, I, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALWAYS BETTER TO LOOK AS MUCH HARDER AS WE CAN RIGHT NOW INSTEAD OF LATER FINDS OUT SOMETHING LATER THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO DISCUSS.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
UH, COMMISSIONERS, ANY COMMENTS FROM THE SPEAKER? QUESTION, CLARIFICATION FOR STAFF.
UM, SINCE THIS IS NOT IN THE NATIONAL REGISTERED DISTRICT, THIS IS OUR, THIS THE ONLY TIME WE'LL BE, WE'LL HAVE A CHANCE TO COMMENT ON OR HEAR THIS CASE.
UM, YES, YOU WILL NOT HAVE, UH, REVIEW OF THE, UH, NEW CONSTRUCTION, HOWEVER, BOTH APPLICATIONS DUE TIME OUT ON JULY 20TH.
SO THERE ARE TWO MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO HEAR THIS CASE.
ANY QUESTIONS OF THE SPEAKER? OKAY, WE THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
ARE THERE FURTHER SPEAKERS? THERE ARE NO OTHER SPEAKERS.
I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON BOTH ITEM 17 AND 18.
UM, IF I COULD JUMP IN, UM, THIS CUSTOMARY TO ALLOW THE APPLICANT FOR A REBUTTAL ON, UH, AH, OKAY, THAT'S TRUE WHEN WE'VE HAD AN OPPOSITION SPEAKER.
UH, WE'LL HOLD ON THE MOTION AND WE WILL ALLOW AS A POTENTIAL REBUTTAL.
UM, I THINK THE ONLY, THE ONLY REBUTTAL I HAVE IS THAT WE, WE, WE HAD BEEN IN TOUCH A LITTLE SOONER THAN JUST LAST TUESDAY.
WE DID ACTUALLY JUST LOOK AND WE REACHED OUT AT THE END OF MARCH.
THERE WASN'T A MEETING, I DON'T THINK THAT REALLY IS SUPER IMPORTANT HERE.
BUT, UM, THAT'S THE ONLY POINT I GUESS THAT I WOULD MAKE, UM, TO THIS.
AND THAT WE WOULD, UM, THE, THE SOONER WE'RE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT OUR DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS ARE GONNA BE ON THE PROPERTY, THE SOONER WE'LL ABLE BE ABLE TO START WORKING WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD ON THE NEW DEVELOPMENT AND THE NEW PLANS, WHICH WILL BE, YOU KNOW, A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF WORK.
OKAY, SO NOW I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
[02:30:01]
RICE AND SECONDED.ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND AND IS UNANIMOUS.
UH, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION ON ONE OR BOTH OF THESE CASES.
IT DOES SEEM THAT BOTH OF THEM HAVE THE POTENTIAL OF SOME SORT OF MOVE THAT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE.
UH, CERTAINLY THE QUO HUT ITSELF WAS MOVED THERE TO BEGIN WITH, AND SO IT IS CERTAINLY A, A VALUABLE STRUCTURE, UM, WHETHER THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT COULD BE EXPLORED WITH MORE TIME BEFORE IT COMES BACK TO US AS A QUESTION.
BUT AS WAS POINTED OUT, UM, WHEN WE TAKE ACTION OR IF THIS TIME'S OUT, WE WILL NOT BE PART OF THE REVIEW FOR WHAT COMES NEXT.
UH, I MOTION TO POSTPONE DECISION ON BOTH OF THESE TO OUR NEXT MEETING.
AND TO REOPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING AND TO REOPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING.
UH, COMMISSIONER TANIGUCHI, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER COOK.
COMMISSIONER, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK TO YOUR MOTION? UH, YEAH, I JUST THINK THAT THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF LEARN MORE ABOUT BOTH OF THESE PROPERTIES.
UM, AND IT SOUNDS LIKE, UH, ANA HASN'T REALLY HAD TIME TO GO LOOK THROUGH ANYTHING EITHER, SO I FEEL LIKE IT'S PRUDENT TO GO AHEAD AND POSTPONE IT TO THE NEXT MEETING.
THERE WAS ALSO THE QUESTION ABOUT THE DATE OF PLACEMENT OF THE QUONSET HUT.
UM, AND THEN, YEAH, THE POTENTIAL FOR RELOCATION.
I THINK GIVING BOTH OF THOSE A LITTLE MORE TIME TO GET MORE INFORMATION AS, AS WELL AS I ALWAYS, UM, LIKE TO SUPPORT OUR ADVOCATES THAT TAKE THE TIME TO COME OUT HERE.
UH, JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE FIGHTING THE OTHER SIDE, THERE'S ALWAYS AN APPLICANT TO FIGHT FOR WHAT THEY WANT, BUT WE ALWAYS NEED THE ADVOCATES HERE, SO I DO ALWAYS TRY TO SUPPORT THEM WITHIN REASON.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE, I'LL CALL THE QUESTION.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, UH, PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND.
AND I'M SEEING 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 HANDS RAISED, ALL THOSE OPPOSED.
AND ANY ABSTAINING? I SEE TWO COMMISSIONER RICE AND, UH, COMMISSIONER, UM, LAROCHE.
COMMISSIONER CARL, UH, UH, UH, ABSTAINING.
SO THAT BEING EIGHT VOTES IN FAVOR.
THAT MOTION PASSES AND THAT WILL BE POSTPONED TO OUR NEXT MEETING.
WE HAVE TWO MORE ITEMS, UH, ON
[21. Update from the Architectural Review Committee regarding the April 8, 2026 meeting. Members: Commissioners Koch, Alvarez, and Grogan.]
THE AGENDA WITH OUR COMMITTEE UPDATES.UH, THE UPDATE FROM THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE, FROM WHAT I COULD HEAR THROUGH THE PHONE, UH, AGAIN COM.
UH, APPRECIATE COMMISSIONER ACTON BEING THERE TO, TO LISTEN.
UH, GOOD WORK AT PARAMOUNT THEATER ONGOING.
UH, THEY'RE PAYING ATTENTION TO DETAILS AND DOING EVERYTHING RIGHT, RECASTING, SOME, SOME COPING TILES AT THE TOP OF THE ROOF IF YOU'VE BEEN BY, YOU'VE SEEN THE PAINSTAKING WORK THEY'RE DOING.
I LOOKED AT A CASE AT ALDRIDGE PLACE, ACTUALLY, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT ONE GOT HEARD.
UH, WE LOOKED AT THE NINE 16 CONGRESS, WHICH IS WHERE WE HEARD KINDA THE BEGINNING OF THE TALE THAT HOPEFULLY WE'LL HEAR MORE ABOUT.
AND THEN 10 10 HE SEES OUR CHAVEZ WAS THERE FOR SOME TIME AND WE TALKED ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF MAINTAINING EVERYTHING THAT REMAINS, UH, AND THEY WILL BE COMING BACK WITH, WITH MORE DETAIL ON THAT.
[22. Update from the Operations Committee regarding the April 30, 2026 meeting. Members: Commissioners Rice, Acton, and McWhorter]
OPERATIONS COMMITTEE.UM, SO WE ARE PRETTY CLOSE TO, UM, BEING ABLE TO PASS OUT OF COMMITTEE OUR LANGUAGE FOR THE REVISED SIGNAGE, HISTORIC SIGN STANDARDS, AND THE, UM, UH, HISTORIC DISTRICT TAX, TAX ABATEMENT UPDATES.
UM, WE DIDN'T AT OUR LAST MEETING BECAUSE, UM, DUE TO POSTING REQUIREMENTS AND WHATNOT, THAT WOULDN'T BE ON THIS MONTH'S HLC AGENDA.
SO WE FIGURED THAT WE'LL, UM, JUST BECAUSE OUR, OUR MEETING THIS PREVIOUS MONTH WAS LATE.
UM, IT WAS, IT WAS ACTUALLY JUST LAST WEEK.
UM, SO WE'LL BE MEETING, I BELIEVE ON THE 15TH.
UM, AND WE HOPE TO PASS OUT THAT LANGUAGE FROM COMMITTEE, UH, SO IT CAN BE HEARD BEFORE OUR FULL COMMISSION AT NEXT MONTH'S HLC MEETING.
AND COMMISSIONERS, I WILL NOTE THAT THIS BEING COMMISSIONER MCWATERS LAST MEETING, THAT WE WILL HAVE A VACANCY ON THE OPERATIONS COMMITTEE AND, UH, OBVIOUSLY CONSIDER WHAT YOU ARE CALLED TO DO AND WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO WORK ON.
UM, AS YOU ALL ARE AWARE, EVERYBODY HAS A COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENT SO FAR AND WE HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE TO THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION.
BUT, UH, WHEN AN OPENING LIKE THIS OCCURS, THERE'S
[02:35:01]
OBVIOUSLY A CHANCE TO RECONSIDER WHAT, WHAT YOUR COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENT IS.[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT WE NEED TO YES, UM, I, I WAS JUST GONNA, I GUESS AT THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION, THE LAST MEETING THAT THEY HAD, UM, A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT CAME AND SPOKE ABOUT, UM, THE IMAGINE AUSTIN PLAN THAT THEY'RE WORKING ON.AND IT'S, I MEAN, THEY'VE ALREADY KIND OF ASSEMBLED A WORKING GROUP.
IT'S 45 PEOPLE, BUT BECAUSE THAT PLAN, UM, TAKES INTO ACCOUNT KIND OF THE EQUITY PRESERVATION PLAN AS WELL UNDERNEATH IT, UM, I THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO ASK THEM TO COME TO OUR MEETING AND PROVIDE A BRIEFING AS WELL.
AND SO THEY SAID THAT THEY'D GET ON OUR SCHEDULE EVENTUALLY.
SO ABSOLUTELY, WE APPRECIATE THAT.
AND THAT'S PART OF THE ADVANTAGE OF HAVING A, A SET OF EYES THERE AT THAT COMMISSION.
AND, UH, I, I'M SORRY WE NEGLECTED TO HAVE THAT, BUT AS A REGULAR, UH, UPDATE, UM, WHEN I SERVED ON THE COMMISSION, IT WAS ON THE AGENDA AND I GOT A CHANCE TO PUT IN TWO OR THREE SENTENCES ABOUT WHAT, WHAT THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION WAS DOING.
SO WE'LL MAKE SURE WE GET THAT ON AS WELL.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE WE FORGOT? PLEASE FILL OUT YOUR FINANCIAL INFORMATION STATEMENTS, ASAP IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY.
CAN YOU, YOU'LL PROBABLY BE HEARING FROM THE EMAIL, UH, FILLED IT OUT, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW IF IT WAS FOR, OR IS THAT RUDE? OKAY.
I CAN'T SEE WHO HAS FILLED IT OUT OR NOT.
HOWEVER, THE CLERK'S OFFICE HAS LET ME KNOW WHO HAS FILLED IT OUT AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT YOU ARE.
COME DOWN, COME DOWN AND ASK SO THAT, THAT DOESN'T NEED TO BE AN AGENDA ITEM.
IF YOU'RE RECEIVING ANY EMAILS FROM ME SAYING YOU NEED TO FILL THIS OUT, IT'S, IT'S YOU.
SO COMMISSIONERS, I THINK WE'VE CONCLUDED OUR BUSINESS.
I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HANDS.