Sure, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but sometimes a desire for architectural continuity within a neighborhood trumps the desires of a homeowner. At 1002 Charlotte St. in the Clarksville neighborhood, there is a small one-story home built in the minimal traditional style of the mid-20th century whose future is uncertain. Those who […]
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
Council OKs Smoot Terrace Park Historic District
Council gave final approval Thursday to creation of the Smoot Terrace Park Historic District just west of downtown, after neighbors decided to eliminate three properties owned by people who signed a valid petition opposing the historic district. That meant Council could designate the district without a supermajority of nine votes – which is required by […]
Posted inPreservation
Commissioners dive into St. Edward’s records
There are many reasons that a building can be historic. One of them is if a structure is a part of a historic district where an architect has produced a significant body of work that embodies a period style and makes the building a landmark. One building does not, however, make a historic district. Unless […]
Posted inPreservation
Commissioners request authentic reconstruction for Lamar Bridge
Sometimes, accidents happen. In an emergency addition to the Historic Landmark Commission agenda on July 23, commissioners heard the case of the Lamar Boulevard Bridge over Shoal Creek. Last month a vehicular collision damaged the bridge, which lies between 12th Street and 15th Street. A portion of the original railing was torn off and landed […]
Posted inPreservation
Three Congress storefronts will soon be dismantled
For over a decade, three properties at 907, 909 and 911 Congress Ave. have stood vacant as they awaited a plan to restore their original facades. In September of 2006, two of the properties were approved for dismantling, but now the owner, Dalton Wallace, has approached the Historic Landmark Commission to ask that all three […]
Posted inPreservation
West Campus home pushes for relocation to pay property taxes
As time passes, things change, and like all things in Austin, neighborhoods are feeling the effects of the city’s evolution. Once an area with stately homes, West Campus has become the de facto residence for students who share their neighborhood with offices and restaurants that occupy the grandiose homes of yesteryear. However, the stately home […]
Posted inPreservation
Council seeks more historic preservation funds
Several City Council members agree with their colleague Leslie Pool, who says the city’s Historic Preservation Office is “desperately understaffed” and badly in need of more funding in order to make sure that Austin can keep many of its historic structures. Pool is sponsoring a resolution on this week’s agenda along with Mayor Pro Tem […]
Posted inPreservation
Will Smoot Terrace Park be a local historic district?
Old West Austin could be home to another local historic district, if a proposal for Smoot Terrace Park is approved by City Council. The district is located between West Sixth and Ninth streets, covering 17.5 acres of land along Highland Avenue, Oakland Avenue and Pressler Street. City Council heard the proposal at its regular meeting […]
Posted inPreservation
After years of delays and protest, West Lynn demolition moves forward
It took a long time to get there, and there was a lot of angst in the process, but, in the end, the demolition of 611 West Lynn St. was approved without much fanfare at all. “This is a case that has been around for a long time,” said Historic Preservation Officer Steve Sadowsky, at […]
Posted inPreservation
Mary Street historic district sails to Council
Travis Heights is one step closer to getting its first local historic district after a trip to the Planning Commission last week. The Mary Street historic district is a modest bid for a historic district that would cover just 2.5 acres of the city. Scaled down from a recent attempt to create a Bluebonnet Hills […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Landmark commission drills down on CodeNEXT
As the final draft of CodeNEXT inches ever closer to City Council, city commissions are compiling their recommendations in preparation. This week, the Historic Landmark Commission took a look at the third draft of the Land Development Code rewrite at a special called meeting on the subject. In addition to the meeting, commissioners got answers […]
Posted inPreservation
Eastside demo moves quietly forward
East Austin is losing another home to demolition. The demolition moved forward without a fight at the Historic Landmark Commission, where Historic Preservation Officer Steve Sadowsky noted he had put the item on the agenda because “I didn’t want to let this one go by without, at least, a discussion.” The home, which was built […]