Despite a local homeowner and the city spending months compromising, negotiating and working to comply with suggestions from Austin’s Historic Preservation Office, Historic Landmark commissioners were flabbergasted Monday night at the final plans for a multimillion-dollar home in Old West Austin. After the Historic Preservation Office failed to get a supermajority at Council to designate […]
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 inPreservation
Which shingles are the right shingles on a historic structure?
Roofs are pesky. Every 25 years or so they need to be replaced, though not usually with an identical material. Over a quarter-century, technology advances, materials become more environmentally friendly, and roof materials can easily affect a home’s energy efficiency. That means historic homes are often left searching for outdated materials or options that mimic […]
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Schneider-Watson home deemed ‘almost’ historically significant
In the storied neighborhood of Pemberton Heights there’s a little dead-end street known as Green Lanes that houses an enclave of seven homes, including that of Walter E. Long. Two of the original homes on the street have already been demolished, including the home that belonged to Long, and a third was recently approved for […]
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Old home in new historic district is approved for demolition
All things have their moment in the sun, and for an East Austin home at 4200 Wildwood Road, that moment seems to have come and gone. Today, the home is merely a cracked contribution to the Wilshire Woods National Register Historic District, but the Historic Landmark Commission hopes some new owners will spruce up the […]
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Historic Landmark Commission argues over definition of ‘significant’ for historic zoning
Anyone would agree that the Pease Mansion in the Old Enfield Neighborhood is a historic landmark. But what about all the other surrounding properties that inevitably pale in comparison? For the Tudor Revival-style house at 1602 Pease Road, city staff seemed to think a historic designation was not merited. Despite being built for the Covert […]
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New construction is approved for historical lot in South Austin
Putting new construction on a historically zoned lot with an emblematic structure is not an everyday occurrence in Austin, so when it happens, it should be no surprise that it involves months of negotiation. After several months of back-and-forth with the Historic Landmark Commission, on Dec. 17, the commission unanimously approved the construction of three […]
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Historic Landmark Commission postpones case for not following the process
For over a year, the Historic Landmark Commission has been going back and forth over the plans for the back lot of the Stanley Homestead at 1809 Newton St. “What we’re seeking is the Certificate of Appropriateness for the new construction that we are contemplating,” explained William Hodge, the architect representing the applicant at the […]
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Dissatisfied with lack of compromise, Historic Landmark Commission stalls
After its fourth public hearing, the Clarksville storybook house remains a point of contention between owner, commission and the Clarksville Community Development Corporation. Priscilla Glover, the owner of 1002 Charlotte St., told the commissioners at their Nov. 19 meeting, “I have heard your comments on the design of my house. I’m not changing it.” She […]
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Hillside Farmacy recommended for historical designation
There are buildings in this city for which historical zoning is a no-brainer. One of these properties is the Hillside Farmacy at 1209 E. 11th St. The application for this zoning change was presented to the Historic Landmark Commission along with a lengthy history as to the importance of the building to the East Austin […]
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Storybook house remains a looming castle in Clarksville’s imagination
Despite three hearings at the Historic Landmark Commission and repeated attempts by the Clarksville Community Development Corporation to persuade Priscilla Glover, the owner of 1002 Charlotte St., that her proposed home design would not contribute to the character of the neighborhood, the applicant insisted that she had the right to build whatever structure she wished. […]
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An East Austin family unites to fight against historical designation for their home
Sometimes, despite their home’s historical ties, a family still believes it is time to sell it to a developer. One such example is a small 19th-century Victorian folk-style home at 1705 East Sixth St. It is one of the few buildings in the area still inhabited by a family, while the majority of the surrounding properties […]
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Temporary art project for Schneider Store building met with tepid enthusiasm
The J.P. Schneider Store building is the new target of an art installation called Inside Out/Vote intended to encourage voter participation and registration through reimagining civic engagement and unleashing the voice of America’s youth through art. Brought to the Sept. 24 meeting of the Historic Landmark Commission by artist Gabriel Rodriguez, who is working with […]