Council wants Landmark Commission to review demolition plans for schools

City Council unanimously, with Council Member Ellen Troxclair absent, approved a resolution Thursday that encourages the Austin Independent School District to coordinate with historic preservation advocates in the implementation of the large-scale reconstruction program that it is undertaking with the bond funds approved by voters last fall. The resolution directs city staff to identify upcoming school projects “that may require demolition permits, and to develop recommendations regarding which properties have historical significance and should be reviewed by the Historic Landmark Commission, and which properties shall be reviewed administratively.” Mayor Pro Tem Kathie Tovo said that the resolution “deals with what we all want to prevent, which is an administrative approval of the (demolition) of a historic facility.”