The owners of a West Austin property formerly home to the grandson of Edgar Howard “Commodore” Perry may find their plans to make way for new construction prove more challenging than expected.
Last week, the Historic Landmark Commission voted unanimously to postpone the request to demolish the midcentury modern residence, which owners claim would take cost-prohibitive measures to be preserved. Now, commissioners will gear up to evaluate the site’s case for historic zoning, which staff says is on the table given its architectural merits and connection to prominent figures in city history.
The home, located in Highland Park at 4901 Ridge Oak Drive, was built in 1951 for newlyweds Edgar Perry III and his wife, Kathleen. A descendant of cotton tycoon and real estate developer Commodore Perry, Edgar III went on to leave his own footprint in 20th century Austin, serving a five-year term on City Council where he was briefly crowned youngest mayor pro tem in the country.
Architecturally, the home is abound with midcentury features en vogue at the time in the West Austin neighborhood – its flat roofed, L-shape silhouette placed strategically on a sloped, triangular lot to provide views of Downtown to the east.
“In part, it was 4901 Ridge Oak that made me want to live in this neighborhood. It embodies the mid-century optimism upon which the neighborhood was founded,” neighbor Talmadge Smith wrote in a statement opposing demolition. “The long, low roof forms nestle comfortably beneath the prominent heritage oaks, while the home itself steps back respectfully from the street. … The material palette is simple and native to central Texas: undressed limestone, wood siding and glass. Its unobtrusive scale is friendly, welcoming and utterly without pretension.”
Yet new owner Reagan Sahadi, a Corpus Christi-based personal injury lawyer who purchased the site as a secondary residence, claims these initial impressions betray a host of structural defects.
“Years of deferred maintenance have taken their toll on this building. There are multiple areas damaged by water leaks, and roof leaks, and the walls are in poor condition,” said real estate agent Michael McHone on Sahadi’s behalf. “The foundation is a combination of slab on grade and concrete crawl space, and it’s fairly level, but in several areas, the concrete is separating from the rebar. … This has led to foundation failure in several places.”
Using a rough order of magnitude estimation, Sahadi and his applicant team price the cost of conducting necessary repairs at a whopping $3,639,887. But commissioners voiced skepticism at that figure, particularly after confirming it was based on the projected cost of complete reconstruction rather than rehabilitation.
“My neighbors also have a 1950s home, and they renovated it, added 2,000 square feet, updated the piping and electrical, all for $1 million,” added neighbor Cathlin McCullough, who spoke in opposition to the demolition request. “They love midcentury design and they did it trying to retain the midcentury character, so I believe that $3-plus-million figure quoted is outrageously overpriced.”
Commissioners voted unanimously to postpone the case to their April meeting, with hopes that time to further review evidence, particularly regarding foundation failure, may bring some clarity. If they do choose to initiate historic zoning, the case will need a supermajority vote at both Planning Commission and City Council to override the owner’s wishes.
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Historic Landmark Commission: The city’s Historic Landmark Commission promotes historic preservation of buildings and structures. The commission also reviews applications and permits for historic zoning and historic grants.
historic preservation: Official actions of a municipality such as the City of Austin taken to preserve structures with their jurisdiction. Preservation is often accompanied by a property tax exemption.
