A 114-year-old home in Travis Heights that narrowly escaped demolition last year might be on the chopping block after all, with neighbors taking to the podium at last week’s Historic Landmark Commission meeting warning of a possible demolition by neglect. Preservationists celebrated their victory over 409 E. Monroe St. last March after a resistance campaign […]
Travis Heights
The Travis Heights neighborhood is bounded by Lady Bird Lake on the north, Interstate 35 on the east, Congress Avenue on the west and Oltorf Street on the south.
Posted inPreservation
Preservationists lament the eroding of Travis Heights at Historic Landmark Commission
The city’s Historic Landmark Commission mourned the steady chipping away of homes recognized in the Travis Heights-Fairview Park National Register district last week, with yet another falling to the housing market’s demand for more contemporary, spacious designs. The application to demolish 1804 Brackenridge St., presently a 1.5-story Craftsman bungalow built in 1920, stoked neighborhood opposition […]
Posted inPreservation
Travis Heights residents put up a fight to preserve century-old fourplex
The Historic Landmark Commission kicked off 2023 with a bang last Wednesday, with nearly a dozen Travis Heights residents taking the stand to oppose demolition of a century-old home on the corner of East Monroe Street and Newning Avenue. The house at 409 E. Monroe St., which has been a rental fourplex since the 1930s, […]
Posted inPreservation
Landmark commissioners stall Travis Heights demolition
Faced with the proposition of losing another historic home in Travis Heights, Historic Landmark commissioners have pushed their decision to another day. On the table is the total demolition of the 1937 house at 1803 Kenwood Ave. in order to build a two-story home with an in-ground pool on the lot. Since the house is […]
Posted inPreservation
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 […]
Posted inPreservation
Historic District wins Planning Commission support
The proposed Bluebonnet Hills preservation district was back at City Hall this week. This time, it won the support of the Planning Commissioners. On Tuesday, commission members voted 5-1 to recommend creation of the Bluebonnet Hills Historic District, with Commissioner Brian Roark voting against. Commissioners Jean Stevens, Alfonso Hernandez and Richard Hatfield were absent. The […]
Posted inAustin, Preservation
Bluebonnet Hills district gets go-ahead … again
For a second time in as many months, the Historic Landmark Commission has endorsed the creation of the Bluebonnet Hills preservation district. Though the commission already voted to recommend the district in November, there was a noticing error for that hearing, and commissioners were asked to hold the hearing a second time. On Monday, they […]
Posted inAustin, Preservation
New preservation district on hold after staff error
The Bluebonnet Hills preservation district will be returning to the Historic Landmark Commission this month, after a determination that the city did not give proper notice for the hearing. When the district was before the Historic Landmark Commission in November, neighbor Arif Panju raised an objection to the short notice he had received and asked […]
Posted inDevelopment, Preservation
Proposed local historic district wins first victory
A proposed local historic district within Travis Heights won the unanimous support of the Historic Landmark Commission this week. “I received something like 17 letters in favor of this, and only one letter in opposition,” said Commissioner Terri Myers. Bluebonnet Hills is an area within Travis Heights bounded by Annie Street on the north, Leland […]