Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt’s plan to sell off a valuable piece of downtown property appeared to have hit a snag at Commissioners Court on Tuesday. Members of Austin’s Mexican-American community showed up to urge the commissioners to preserve the Palm School building at the corner of East Cesar Chavez Street and I-35. Gilberto Rivera […]
Preservation
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Bluebonnet Hills clears another city hurdle
The Bluebonnet Hills local historic district is just one vote shy of creation, but its future remains uncertain after a late-night discussion at City Council. As of Wednesday night, 52.12 percent of the property owners within the district supported its creation, according to Historic Preservation Officer Steve Sadowsky. That’s beyond the majority required by statute. […]
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East Austin cottage relocation plan worries some
A plan to relocate four Calcasieu cottages from East Austin has stalled at the Historic Landmark Commission for the time being, with some commissioners deciding the current plan is just too risky to endorse. Built by the Calcasieu Lumber Company of Austin in the 1920s and 1930s, the cottages at 2819 and 2821 Manor Road […]
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Landmark Commission hears tale of two houses
A novel bid to preserve two unrelated homes in West Campus passed through the Historic Landmark Commission on Monday night. Commissioners approved a half-mile move for the historic Dabney-Horne House, in the hopes that its relocation could save the Clyde Littlefield Home just down the road. Currently, the Dabney-Horne House is located at 507 West […]
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“Risky” demolition permit plan inspires preservation effort for downtown church
In August, a suggestion to pursue a demolition permit for Austin’s St. Martin Lutheran Church sparked controversy in the congregation and preservation community. Though no decision about the permit has been made and church leaders maintain the permit is a means to gather information, the prospect of tearing down the church remains a point of […]
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Midcentury modern home sparks modern debate
Everyone seemed to agree that it is a lovely house. But that wasn’t nearly enough to quell a debate on historic tax abatements that overwhelmed a West Austin historic zoning case at the Historic Landmark Commission last week. The homeowner, Pierre Filardi, was seeking historic landmark designation for his residence at 3941 Balcones Drive. As […]
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Rosewood Courts’ historic zoning denied
Balancing affordable housing and preservation in East Austin resulted in a dead-even split at the Historic Landmark Commission on Monday night, when a divided commission of six failed to recommend initiation of historic zoning for Rosewood Courts, one of the country’s first public housing projects. Commissioners voted 3-3, with Chair Mary Jo Galindo and Commissioners […]
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Stone cottage demolition leaves confusion behind
Over the weekend, James Retherford was arrested for criminal trespass while trying to stop the demolition of a stone cottage in Bouldin Creek. He was unsuccessful, and the house at 901 Dawson Road is no longer one of the nine intact stone cottages in the neighborhood. The news of the cottage’s demise is especially crushing […]
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Council denies landmark designation for Lightsey-Russell House
The yellow-clad neighbors who came out to urge preservation of the Lightsey-Russell House struck a chord with City Council, but not one strong enough to save the 83-year-old home at 1805 Lightsey Road from demolition. With a seemingly heavy heart, Mayor Steve Adler and four other Council members cast votes denying a petition by neighbors […]
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BoA delays compromise variance in Travis Heights
Neighborhood support for a plan to preserve a historic home alongside new development wasn’t quite enough to sway the Board of Adjustment on a Travis Heights case at its last meeting. Though some board members seemed inclined to support the requested variances and others seemed concerned about the requests, most eventually agreed on a postponement […]
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City Council talks historic preservation goals
City Council members found themselves tackling the underpinnings of historic preservation on Tuesday, as they wrestled with whether to proceed with four very different cases of historic landmark designation on today’s agenda. Ultimately, Council members remained undecided on whether to proceed with decisions on all four cases. They seemed more certain about the need to […]
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Austin to soon have one less A.D. Stenger home
When the Historic Landmark Commission meets later this month, it will not consider whether to grant historic zoning on a Barton Hills home designed by A.D. Stenger. That ship sailed last month, when a bare-bones commission did not have the unanimous votes needed for a postponement. With three commissioners absent and two positions vacant, any […]