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Preservation
Historic zoning for childhood home of AISD's first two Hispanic teachers recommended
In a unanimous vote, the Historic Landmark Commission is sending a 100-year-old house that was the home of the Austin Independent School District’s first Hispanic teachers to City Council with a recommendation for historic zoning. When photos failed to depict…
Preservation • By Jessi Devenyns • Jul 30, 2019
Historic zoning moves forward for 'godfather' of A-frame religious architecture in Austin
Midcentury A-frame churches may be a dime a dozen in Austin, but there is one in particular that caused the now-familiar style to proliferate. The Prince of Peace Church at 1711 E. Oltorf St. is the reason “that form became…
Preservation • By Jessi Devenyns • Jul 29, 2019
Code compliance citation inspires historic restoration
After years of languishing in disrepair, a circa-1922 grocery store at 220 Comal St. was cited for code compliance issues, prompting the owners to file for a partial demolition permit to make repairs. In order to preserve the neighborhood building…
Preservation • By Jessi Devenyns • Jul 25, 2019
City's new historic preservation grants offer more eligibility, higher limits
Nearly a year after City Council directed staff to increase eligibility for sites in need of funding for preservation of historic structures, a new program will greatly increase funding to those properties. The Heritage Grant Program opened its application process…
Preservation • By Chad Swiatecki • Jul 24, 2019
Faux Victorian windows prompt Historic Landmark Commission to reconsider historic zoning
After initiating a case for historic zoning for the home at 1903 New York Ave., investigations by the city’s Historic Preservation Office revealed at the June 24 meeting of the Historic Landmark Commission that significant alterations in the 1980s compromised…
Preservation • By Jessi Devenyns • Jul 9, 2019
'Sensitive' addition prompts Historic Landmark Commission to open historic zoning case
In order to expand a home and obtain room to display a 300-piece Hispanic art collection, the owners of 1216 E. Seventh St. submitted plans to the city to construct a 2,200-square-foot addition to the back side of their 1919…
Preservation • By Jessi Devenyns • Jul 8, 2019
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Historic Landmark Commission looks for a pitch-perfect roofline solution
The Historic Landmark Commission recently discovered that the design guidelines of a local historic district may not always be practical in real-life situations. When Mike Synowiec, the owner of 305 W. 45th St., came before the commission’s Certificate of Appropriateness…
Preservation • By Jessi Devenyns • Jul 5, 2019
I.Q. Hurdle House makes slow but steady progress
The old adage that slow and steady wins the race came into play during a discussion about the status of the I.Q. Hurdle House at the June 24 Historic Landmark Commission meeting. Pam Madere with the Jackson Walker firm, who…
Preservation • By Jessi Devenyns • Jul 3, 2019
Commissioner calls modern addition to Masonic Lodge a ‘desecration of an actual landmark’
In a collaborative effort, the Austin-based Mason Chapter of the York Rite began working with the city’s Historic Preservation Office and several local architecture firms to design a structure that would allow the Masons to retain their ancestral lodge on…
Preservation • By Jessi Devenyns • Jun 26, 2019
Planning Commission gives no recommendation on contentious historic zoning case
After the Historic Landmark Commission voted against the owner’s wishes and staff recommendation to recommend historic zoning for the property at 1603 Willow St., the case came to the June 11 meeting of the Planning Commission. The commissioners weighed the…
Preservation • By Jessi Devenyns • Jun 18, 2019
Travis County commissioners endorse preserving Palm School
Supporters of preserving the Palm School won a partial victory Tuesday when the Travis County Commissioners Court voted unanimously in favor of restrictions that will prevent the historic building from being demolished by a future landowner. However, the issue of…
Preservation • By Jack Craver • Jun 5, 2019
Historic Landmark Commission discovers code interpretation error
At its April meeting, the Historic Landmark Commission postponed the case for 1400 Winsted Lane in search of more context for the property. Instead, staff returned with a new reading of the code that could change how the commission does business…
