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Preservation

Historic zoning moves forward for 'godfather' of A-frame religious architecture in Austin

Midcentury A-frame churches may be a dime a dozen in Austin, but there is one in particular that caused the now-familiar style to proliferate. The Prince of Peace Church at 1711 E. Oltorf St. is the reason “that form became…

Code compliance citation inspires historic restoration

After years of languishing in disrepair, a circa-1922 grocery store at 220 Comal St. was cited for code compliance issues, prompting the owners to file for a partial demolition permit to make repairs. In order to preserve the neighborhood building…

City's new historic preservation grants offer more eligibility, higher limits

Nearly a year after City Council directed staff to increase eligibility for sites in need of funding for preservation of historic structures, a new program will greatly increase funding to those properties. The Heritage Grant Program opened its application process…

Faux Victorian windows prompt Historic Landmark Commission to reconsider historic zoning

After initiating a case for historic zoning for the home at 1903 New York Ave., investigations by the city’s Historic Preservation Office revealed at the June 24 meeting of the Historic Landmark Commission that significant alterations in the 1980s compromised…

'Sensitive' addition prompts Historic Landmark Commission to open historic zoning case

In order to expand a home and obtain room to display a 300-piece Hispanic art collection, the owners of 1216 E. Seventh St. submitted plans to the city to construct a 2,200-square-foot addition to the back side of their 1919…

Historic Landmark Commission looks for a pitch-perfect roofline solution

The Historic Landmark Commission recently discovered that the design guidelines of a local historic district may not always be practical in real-life situations. When Mike Synowiec, the owner of 305 W. 45th St., came before the commission’s Certificate of Appropriateness…

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I.Q. Hurdle House makes slow but steady progress

The old adage that slow and steady wins the race came into play during a discussion about the status of the I.Q. Hurdle House at the June 24 Historic Landmark Commission meeting. Pam Madere with the Jackson Walker firm, who…

Commissioner calls modern addition to Masonic Lodge a ‘desecration of an actual landmark’

In a collaborative effort, the Austin-based Mason Chapter of the York Rite began working with the city’s Historic Preservation Office and several local architecture firms to design a structure that would allow the Masons to retain their ancestral lodge on…

Planning Commission gives no recommendation on contentious historic zoning case

After the Historic Landmark Commission voted against the owner’s wishes and staff recommendation to recommend historic zoning for the property at 1603 Willow St., the case came to the June 11 meeting of the Planning Commission. The commissioners weighed the…

Travis County commissioners endorse preserving Palm School

Supporters of preserving the Palm School won a partial victory Tuesday when the Travis County Commissioners Court voted unanimously in favor of restrictions that will prevent the historic building from being demolished by a future landowner. However, the issue of…

Historic Landmark Commission discovers code interpretation error

At its April meeting, the Historic Landmark Commission postponed the case for 1400 Winsted Lane in search of more context for the property. Instead, staff returned with a new reading of the code that could change how the commission does business…

IQ Hurdle House

Eureka Holdings to begin repairing I.Q. Hurdle House

After a surprising turn of events last month brought the I.Q. Hurdle House from a demolition-by-neglect case to a Certificate of Appropriateness approval for maintenance and repairs, the Historic Landmark Commission expressed enthusiasm that the fate of the property was…

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