The family-owned Parker House sits on a 0.32-acre tract of land in West Campus that is worth $1.7 million. In an effort to preserve the historic home at 2404 Rio Grande St. and also develop the back portion of the lot, the property owners applied for removal of the historic zoning from the rear of […]
Preservation
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Scarbrough Building narrowly avoids losing tax relief status
The historic Scarbrough Building had a close call with its tax abatement status when the Historic Landmark Commission voted unanimously at its April 27 meeting to remove its eligibility status. When the Velvet Taco restaurant opened a new outdoor seating area, workers removed three panes of glass from the bottom floor of the historic Scarbrough […]
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Historic Landmark Commission looks to save Rainey Street’s Bungalow
For years, 90-92 Rainey St. has been home to the Bungalow and the Container Bar, but those two nightlife fixtures could soon be replaced with a 53-floor high rise. However, the Historic Landmark Commission did not greet the project with approval at its meeting on April 27 and instead postponed the case until next month. […]
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Historic Landmark Commission denies request to remove historic zoning
For over a year now, the owners of the historic Majors-Butler-Thomas House at 1119 E. 11th St. have been asking the city to remove historic zoning from the property. Despite repeated attempts, their requests have been met with denial. The first blow to the case came last April when the Planning Commission voted unanimously not […]
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City offers info sessions for next round of historic preservation grants
The city has opened the application process for the latest round of grants to aid in the preservation of historic structures that can promote cultural tourism throughout Austin. With a May 1 deadline looming, the Heritage Tourism Division has scheduled the first in a series of information sessions to take place at the City Hall […]
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HLC debates ‘original character’ in Smoot-Terrace Park
In the city of Austin, a home is considered historic if it meets several criteria, among them being at least 50 years old. Thanks to the timeline associated with its remodeling choices, the home at 607 Oakland Ave. qualified twice over. The home is part of the Smoot-Terrace Park Historic District located off West Sixth […]
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Rendon house denied historic preservation zoning
The East Austin home of the late Edward Rendon Sr. will not be getting the historic zoning designation desired by some members of the Rendon family. If granted, the designation would have halted the plans of Rose Rubio, a majority owner of the 1705 Haskell St. property and one of Rendon’s daughters, to sell the […]
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Planning Commission recommends Rendon house for historic zoning over owner’s wishes
The Planning Commission took another step Jan. 14 to pave the way for historic zoning for the home of the late Edward Rendon Sr. despite continued opposition from one of Rendon’s 16 heirs. With a vote in favor of historic zoning, the case for 1705 Haskell St. will go before Council with supermajority recommendations from […]
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Parks department staff occupy and transform a historic home in South Austin
A rare and intact example of a mid-1860s rural Travis County residence sits at 10140 Old San Antonio Road. After years of neglect, the Austin Parks and Recreation Department has taken over stewardship of the property and installed an administrative office in the building. Commissioner Terri Myers noted at the Dec. 16 meeting of the […]
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HLC says Pemberton Heights home no longer deserves historic status
Remodeling the exterior of a historic home requires care, attention to detail – and a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Historic Landmark Commission to sign off on the proposed design. Failing to involve the commission can have financial consequences on one’s taxes. Despite not having the prior approval of the commission, John Ball proceeded to […]
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A divided landmark commission recommends Green Pastures Hotel
In the decades since Green Pastures opened in 1946, the restaurant has become a beloved venue known for its elegant, porch-wrapped home and verdant grounds. It was noteworthy when the proposed addition of a hotel to the property swept through the Historic Landmark Commission with full support in 2016. The approved project remained unrealized on […]
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West Campus home fails to receive required votes for historic designation
The Historic Landmark Commission recently recommended historic zoning for a 19th-century West Campus home at 704 W. 22nd St. against the owner’s wishes. Planning commissioners have now voted to deny the recommendation for historic zoning, preventing the case from moving forward. “I think we need to hold ourselves to a higher caliber,” said Commissioner James […]