Austin will say goodbye to another Fehr and Granger home after a short-handed Historic Landmark Commission failed to move forward with a recommendation for historic zoning at its most recent meeting. Unlike most cases where the Historic Preservation Office weighs in on one side or the other, in this case staff was “neutral” about the […]
West Austin
West Austin, roughly, is the area of Austin west of downtown.
Posted inLand Development Code
Two-year permit puzzle continued at the BoA
It’s back to the drawing board for some Lake Austin homeowners who have yet to move into the home they purchased in 2014. Armbrust & Brown’s Eric DeYoung represented the owners, Stone Park Trust, at the Board of Adjustment meeting earlier this month in an attempt to solve the impervious cover and permit problems at […]
Posted inPreservation
Pemberton bid for historic zoning raises questions about Austin’s racist past, historic future and policy on tax abatement
Is historic preservation honoring Austin’s racist past? That’s the question that came up at the most recent meeting of the Historic Landmark Commission during a sprawling conversation that ultimately landed on how the city manages its historic tax exemptions. In the end, commissioners recommended historic designation for the 1930 William F. and Eleanor Warren House […]
Posted inDevelopment
Grove PUD promises housing for teachers
Though the Grove at Shoal Creek Planned Unit Development hasn’t made much progress through the city’s boards and commissions yet, that hasn’t stopped developers from moving forward in some respects. Yesterday, ARG Bull Creek Ltd. announced plans to set aside 19 affordable homes specifically for Austin Independent School District teachers, which the group says is […]
Posted inPreservation
Roessner-designed home slated for demolition
There are many factors the city weighs when considering what is and isn’t a historic property. On Monday, the Historic Landmark Commission considered the cost of expensive, ongoing upkeep that only delays the inevitable. Though no one cast doubt on the home’s architectural pedigree, Jagjit Yadav, who owns 3800 Balcones Drive and lives there with […]
Posted inPreservation
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 […]
Posted inPreservation
West Austin home demolition moves forward
In accordance with the owners’ wishes, the demolition of a West Austin home built in 1939 will be moving forward. “I think this is simply a case of a house that’s being demolished because it doesn’t fit somebody’s needs,” said Historic Preservation Officer Steve Sadowsky. “We’ve just seen so much of that happen in Austin […]