Republic Square is one of the original squares in the city of Austin, but it has long been an underutilized spot in the city center. In an effort to activate the space, the city has worked for the past few years to revitalize the park, and this year, there will be another addition to the […]
Historic Landmark Commission
The city’s Historic Landmark Commission promotes historic preservation of buildings and structures. The commission also reviews applications and permits for historic zoning and historic grants.
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: Wake wake
Is nothing sacred?… The Historic Landmark Commission exercised its right to delay the advancement of an application for a two-story deck at 311 E. Sixth St. at its Jan. 27 meeting. In a unanimous vote, commissioners asked staff to postpone the case and begin researching the building to determine if it qualifies for historic landmark […]
Posted inPreservation
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 […]
Posted inPreservation
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 […]
Posted inPreservation
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 […]
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: Code warrior
Nineteenth-century home discovered in Northeast Austin… Homes dating prior to the 20th century are rare in Texas. Therefore, discovering one is a momentous event. Historic Landmark commissioners expressed excitement at the announcement from Historic Preservation Officer Steve Sadowsky that the home at 1208 E. Howard Lane is from the mid-19th-century settlement of the Dessau community, […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Historic Landmark Commission expresses displeasure at preservation efforts in LDC draft
As Council’s first vote on the new Land Development Code draft inches ever closer, the Historic Landmark Commission publicly weighed in at its Nov. 18 meeting – and its reaction was not a positive one. Of particular concern was the “preservation incentive,” which received an icy blast of the commissioners’ ire. The preservation incentive that […]
Posted inPreservation
In the midst of preservation push, city permits demolition of church
After the Historic Landmark Commission initiated historic zoning for the Prince of Peace Lutheran Church at 1711 E. Oltorf St. last July, the status of the midcentury, A-frame church became tenuous as its integrity continued to degrade month after month. Finally, last week, the city administratively issued the property owners a demolition permit – even […]
Posted inPreservation
Rendon House deemed worthy of preservation due to exceptional merit of its prior owner
Edward Rendon Sr.’s contributions to the East Austin community have never been in question. However, whether or not his house is eligible to be zoned historic to commemorate his efforts has become a subject of debate. Rendon was an activist who fought for the East Austin Latino community, and among other things, helped clean up […]
Posted inPreservation
Historic Landmark Commission hesitantly approves Masonic lodge renovation plans
After months of discussions and tweaks to the original plans for the Royal Arch Masonic Lodge, the Historic Landmark Commission finally came to a compromise with designers for a 30-plus-story addition to the 93-year-old ancestral home of the Masons at 311 W. Seventh St. In a 6-4 vote, the commissioners approved the initial certificate of […]
Posted inPreservation
State law leaves the Historic Landmark Commission in gridlock
Getting a property zoned historic when the owner opposes it requires a supermajority vote at City Council. Yet even getting such a case before Council is an endeavor that requires the support of the Historical Landmark and Planning commissions. Prior to September of this year, that support could come in the form of a simple […]
Posted inPreservation
Historic Landmark Commission contemplates bending rules for influential Mexican American activist
Sometimes a house is more than a home. In the case of Edward Rendon Sr., his home served as a community center that some say is as meaningful to the neighborhood today as it was 40 years ago. Rendon was an activist who fought for the East Austin Latino community and helped, among other things, […]