Barely an hour after taking his ceremonial oath of office at his first Travis County Commissioners Court meeting, Commissioner Jeff Travillion took on a big special assignment.
At the request of County Judge Sarah Eckhardt, Travillion committed to brokering a compromise between the owner of the Montopolis Negro School building in Southeast Austin and neighborhood activists who want to see the structure preserved.
“If you lived here for a long time, you see bits and pieces of your history go away,” Travillion told the owner, Austin Stowell, who showed up to share with the court his side of the story. He told Eckhardt that he would “love to take the lead on” her proposal to bring both sides to the negotiating table to hammer out a solution.
It was the second time in less than a month in which the court discussed the controversy swirling around Stowell’s proposal to redevelop the property. In December, those pushing for preservation – including historian Fred McGhee and Montopolis Neighborhood Association president Susana Almanza – asked the court to urge the city of Austin to protect the school building and convert it into a museum.
Stowell bought the property on which the building sits in March 2014 in order to build 14 single-family homes on the site. He originally believed the structure was an abandoned barn and applied for a demolition permit. On Tuesday, he told the court that he changed his mind about demolishing the building after its complete history came to light.
The building was originally placed on the site – which was then owned by the county – in the 1930s and used as a school for black students during the days of segregation. During the 1960s, the Austin Independent School District shut the school down, and the building was converted into a church.
To give Travillion time to mediate a compromise between Stowell and the activists, Eckhardt decided on Tuesday to postpone a vote on a resolution that would call on City Council to initiate historic zoning on the site. The court could also opt to send a letter to Council asking to delay a public hearing on Stowell’s development plans that is scheduled for the Planning Commission this coming Tuesday.
Stowell warned that continued delays on his project could have adverse consequences.
“If we can’t figure out a plan or what to do with it in a two-year period, I’m left with no other choice than to demolish the church, which is not a position I want to be backed into,” he said. “Delays are a negative in every sense of the word at this point.”
According to Tuesday’s Planning Commission agenda, city staff have recommended a postponement of the public hearing until Feb. 28.
Photo by Fred McGhee.
The Austin Monitor’s work is made possible by donations from the community. Though our reporting covers donors from time to time, we are careful to keep business and editorial efforts separate while maintaining transparency. A complete list of donors is available here, and our code of ethics is explained here.
And we’re honored you look to us for serious, in-depth news. You know a strong community needs local and dedicated watchdog reporting. We’re here for you and that won’t change. Now will you take the powerful next step and support our nonprofit news organization?
Montopolis: An East Austin neighborhood bounded by Grove Street to the west, Texas State Highway 71 to the south and the Southeast Austin neighborhood and U.S. Route 183 to the east. It is located in District 3.
Travis County Commissioners Court: The legislative body for Travis County. It includes representatives from the four Travis County Precincts, as well as the County Judge. The County Judge serves as the chair of the Court.
