Preservation
New supermajority law for historic districts now in effect
The already tough task of creating historic districts in Austin just got a little harder, thanks to new state laws. In 2019, the Texas Legislature changed the rules governing the designation of historic landmarks by requiring a supermajority of the Historic…
Preservation • By Elizabeth Pagano • Sep 16, 2021
Fire destroys log cabin and preservation hopes
Plans to reconstruct and relocate a 19th-century log cabin at 5613 Patton Ranch Road are now moot after a fire destroyed the property. “We’ve reviewed the fire report and the cabin is a total loss,” Historic Preservation Officer Steve Sadowsky explained…
Preservation • By Elizabeth Pagano • Sep 15, 2021
East Austin stadium celebrated by Black community nominated for national historic status
At first glance, Yellow Jacket Stadium feels a bit unassuming. Visitors see a track, a football field, a few sets of bleachers, and a parking lot with room for only a handful of vehicles. Unlike other athletic sites like Burger…
Preservation • By Sean Saldaña • Sep 13, 2021
Partial demolition granted for Avenue A home located outside of historic districts
Earlier this week, the Historic Landmark Commission unanimously voted to co-sign some major redesign plans at 4315 Avenue A, a property located in the Hyde Park neighborhood. Owner/applicant Nathan Hobbs is seeking to expand the size of the home, which…
Preservation • By Sean Saldaña • Aug 27, 2021
Landmark commission doubles down on Air Conditioned Village recommendation
This week, the Historic Landmark Commission voted unanimously to recommend 2502 Park View Drive for historic zoning, a move working against the wish of homeowners to demolish the house. The case has been before the commission several times as efforts…
Preservation • By Sean Saldaña • Aug 26, 2021
Landmark commission weighs options in Tarrytown demolition case
At last month’s meeting of the Historic Landmark Commission, committee members confronted both the evolving definition of what constitutes “cultural significance” and the bounds of their responsibility to those personally affected by their decisions. Representative of this dilemma was the…
Preservation • By Kali Bramble • Aug 23, 2021
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Landmark commission initiates historic zoning against wishes of property owners
At last month’s Historic Landmark Commission meeting, commissioners voted unanimously to initiate the historic zoning process at 2502 Park View Drive against the request of the homeowners, who were seeking to demolish the aging home. The house was under review…
Preservation • By Sean Saldaña • Aug 5, 2021
Lutheran Church relocation case looks at the nature of historic status
On Monday, the Historic Landmark Commission revisited a case that involves relocating the Dessau Lutheran Church, which was constructed in 1876, to Pioneer Farms, an outdoor museum dedicated to 19th-century Texas history. The church, located at 13300 Dessau Road in…
Preservation • By Sean Saldaña • Jul 29, 2021
City postpones skate shop demolition
A groundswell of support for a beloved Austin skate shop did not fall upon unsympathetic ears at the Historic Landmark Commission. Austin Community College was seeking a permit to demolish No-Comply Skate Shop at 812 W. 12th St. to make…
Preservation • By Elizabeth Pagano • Jul 28, 2021
'This is sacred ground': Austinites and researchers seek to restore Mexican American cemeteries in Montopolis
Sandwiched between private properties in southeastern Travis County sits a little-known cemetery off Hoeke Lane, just west of U.S. Highway 183. From the outside, there’s nothing that indicates the site is the final resting place for a number of Mexican…
Preservation • By Marisa Charpentier, KUT • Jul 7, 2021
Landmark Commission sends West Line case to Architectural Review Committee
Last week, applicants asked the Historic Landmark Commission for permission to demolish a building located in the West Line Historic District and replace it with a one-story cabana and a garage at 1415 W. 10th St. The building, which was…
Preservation • By Sean Saldaña • Jul 7, 2021
Landmark commission reverses course, grants demolition for Scenic Drive home
Last month, a demolition permit request for the property at 2708 Scenic Drive came in front of the Historic Landmark Commission. The home, which was built in 1952, has fallen into disrepair, but instead of granting the permit, city staffers…
