Property demolitions in underserved areas of Austin have historically ranked among the most emotional cases to come before the Historic Landmark Commission – often the first stop in a succession of reviews of what’s proposed to be built in place of a building already standing. Now, the HLC and the Historic Preservation Office aim to […]
Preservation
Posted inDistrict 9, Preservation
Landmark commission postpones demolition in West Line Historic District
The Historic Landmark Commission heard a proposal last month to demolish an old building and construct a new one on a property located in the West Line Historic District, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. The building in question, at 1007 Maufrais St., is also a contributing building, meaning […]
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Landmark Commission votes against front-yard pool proposal
At last month’s meeting on March 22, the Historic Landmark Commission discussed a certificate of appropriateness application to modify the landscape, construct a terrace and build a swimming pool at the historic Jackson-Novy-Kelly-Hoey House at 2406 Harris Blvd. First recommended for historic zoning in 2009, the property has been home to “some of the most […]
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Landmark commission approves changes to historic Mary Street home
Last week, the Historic Landmark Commission gave the go-ahead for some repairs and upgrades to a home at 508 E. Mary St., a property in the Mary Street Historic District. Originally established in 1928, “the 500 block of E. Mary Street was part of a working-class neighborhood comprised of a mix of homeowners and renters, […]
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Landmark Commission postpones decision to deliberate on historic designation
At last week’s meeting of the Historic Landmark Commission, commissioners reviewed a rehabilitation case at 1601 Brackenridge St. The home, which was built in 1915, was first inhabited by William and Lettie Webster Davis, two teachers at the Texas School for the Deaf. According to city documents, the couple taught “during a time of great […]
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Travis County Parks looks to remove historic Manchaca Gardens structure
The Commissioners Court fielded discussion Tuesday on the planned removal of structures at Manchaca Gardens; specifically, a former fire hall adjacent to Ladybird Montessori School. Charles Bergh, director of Travis County Parks, gave an overview of the property’s history to commissioners while Glen Gillman, park land manager, detailed some of the management processes the property […]
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Design Commission gives feedback on Fiesta Gardens vision
On Monday, the Design Commission reviewed plans for Fiesta Gardens, a city-owned events center in East Austin that is set to receive extensive renovations within the next two years. The venue, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, includes a dining hall, a grandstand overlooking Lady Bird Lake and a Parks and Recreation […]
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Ellen Wyse house denied historic designation, after owners protest
A debate at the Jan. 26 meeting of the Planning Commission centered around the merits of historic preservation versus the potentially regressive effects of a historic landmark designation on cash-strapped property owners. The owners and developer of the Ellen Wyse house favored demolition, while the Historic Preservation Office enumerated the reasons for the house’s historical […]
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Demolition proposal receives pushback from Tarrytown residents, commission delays decision
A demolition request for a 1938 home received a surprising amount of pushback from community members at the Jan. 25 meeting of the Historic Landmark Commission. The home at 2803 Bonnie Road was first constructed for Frank D. and Ollie Lloyd, a couple who moved around Austin a few times throughout the 20th century. According […]
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Former Threadgill home on its way to historic designation
Commissioners at the Jan. 25 meeting of the Historic Landmark Commission voted to advance the historic designation process for 4310 Rosedale Ave., the former home of Kenneth and Mildred Threadgill. Kenneth Threadgill, an Austin-based country musician who collaborated with national figures like Jimmie Rodgers, lived at the home from 1945 to the mid-1980s. Threadgill operated […]
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Planning Commission recommends rezoning Delta Kappa Gamma building to make way for tower
Paving the way for a proposed 31-story residential tower on the site of the historic Delta Kappa Gamma building at 416 W. 12th St., the Planning Commission voted 11-0-1 last Tuesday to recommend the requested Downtown Mixed-Use (DMU) zoning. The circa-1959 midcentury-modern building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, serves as the […]
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Historic Landmark Commission delays log cabin relocation decision
Last month, the Historic Landmark Commission discussed a proposal to deconstruct and relocate a log cabin located at 5613 Patton Ranch Road. The cabin is on property owned by St. Andrew’s Episcopal School, a K-12 private school. The organization is looking to relocate the building to Pioneer Farms, a self-styled “living history museum” that sits […]