[00:00:01]
2023.[Houston Archaeological and Historical Commission on March 23, 2023.]
TODAY'S MEETING OF THE HOUSTON ARCHEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL COMMISSION.I'M COMMISSION CHAIR DAVID EK.
UH, TO VERIFY WE HAVE A QUORUM, I WILL CALL THE ROLE, UM, VICE CHAIR.
SO WE WILL, WE WILL COUNT HER ABSENT CURRENTLY UNLESS SHE SHOWS UP VIRTUALLY.
AND IF STAFF CAN HELP ME, JUST IF YOU CAN SEE A COMMISSIONER ON THE TEAMS. LET ME KNOW IF YOU SEE THEM THERE.
COMMISSIONER COSGROVE PRESENT.
COMMISSIONER COLLUM PRESENT, I BELIEVE.
I BELIEVE COMMISSIONER COLLUM IS ON, UH, ONLINE.
WHILE WE'RE WAITING, I'M, I'M GONNA RECALL, UH, ASK AGAIN FOR COMMISSIONER DUBBO.
I CAN SEE HER ON THE TEAMS CALL.
AND I CAN SEE COMMISSIONER COLLUM, CAN YOU JUST ANNOUNCE YOURSELF PRESENT? YES, I'M HERE, BUT, AND THE, I'M HERE.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? YEAH, I CAN, I CAN BARELY HEAR EITHER OF THEM.
CAN THEY INCREASE VOLUME OR, OR IS, OR IS IT A PROBLEM ON OUR END? WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO HEAR 'EM, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT NOW.
I, I CAN HEAR, I CAN HEAR COMMISSIONER.
WELL, I CAN HEAR YOU TO KNOW THAT YOU'RE PRESENT AND WE WILL WORK ON THE, ON THE, UH, TECHNICAL ASPECTS AS WE PROCEED.
COMMISSIONER YAPP, IT'S LOUD ON IT'S LOUD ON MY END.
OKAY, I AM NOT SURE IF COMMISSIONER STAAVA IS HERE.
COMMISSIONER COUCH PRESENT AND DEPUTY DIRECTOR JENNIFER OSLAND PRESENT.
UM, WE'RE GONNA START WITH THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR'S, UH, REPORT, UM, GIVEN BY THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR.
UM, GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. CHAIR AND, UH, COMMISSION MEMBERS.
I'M JENNIFER OSLAND, ACTING SECRETARY OF THIS COMMISSION AND DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE HOUSTON PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
THIS MEETING OF THE HHC IS BEING CONDUCTED IN PERSON AT 900 BAGBY AND COUNCIL CHAMBERS ON THE PUBLIC LEVEL WITH THE VIRTUAL TEAMS PARTICIPATION OPTION.
UM, AS ALWAYS, THE AGENDA IS AVAILABLE@HOUSTONPLANNING.COM, AND IT INCLUDES PUBLIC PARTICIPATION RULES.
PLEASE ONLY SPEAK WHEN RECOGNIZED BY THE CHAIR.
YOU CAN FILL OUT A SPEAKER FORM OR TYPE YOUR NAME AND ITEM INTO THE CHAT TO BE RECOGNIZED TO SPEAK AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME.
PLEASE STAY MUTED UNLESS RECOGNIZED MUTE AND UNMUTE BY PRESSING NUMBER SIX ON MOST PHONES.
UM, I'D LIKE TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON THE CONSERVATION DISTRICTS.
UH, WE EXPECT THE ORDINANCE TO, UM, BE APPEAR ON CITY COUNCIL AGENDA NEXT WEEK, WHICH IS MARCH 24TH.
UM, THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE HAS BEEN REVISED TO INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING, UH, SIX, UM, SIX PILOT NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO COUNCIL WILL CONSIDER THE RULES FOR ESTABLISHING A CONSERVATION DISTRICT, AND AT THE SAME TIME WILL LIMIT THE POSSIBLE DISTRICTS TO THESE SIX NEIGHBORHOODS, UM, SORT OF AS TEST AREAS.
AND IF ANY ADDITIONAL, YOU KNOW, AND AFTER THOSE HAPPEN, THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK TO COUNCIL TO BE ABLE TO INCLUDE ANY OTHERS.
UM, AND THAT'S INDEPENDENCE HEIGHTS, FRIEDMANS TOWN, ACRES, HOME, MAGNOLIA PARK, MANCHESTER, PLEASANTVILLE, AND PINEY POINT.
SO THOSE ARE THE FIRST NEIGHBORHOODS THAT WE WOULD WORK WITH.
SHOULD THIS ORDINANCE BE ADOPTED.
ALSO, UM, SOMETHING THAT'S ADDED IN THE SECTION, UM, ABOUT ASSESSING THE LEVEL OF SUPPORT, UH, THE FOLLOWING LANGUAGE HAS BEEN ADDED, AND THAT IS TO SECTION 33 DASH 6 0 3 E.
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OF PUBLICLY OWNED LAND WILL BE INCLUDED IN DETERMINING THE PERCENTAGE OF OWNERS IN SUPPORT OR IN OPPOSITION ONLY IF THEY HAVE BEEN DESIGNATED AS A LANDMARK OR A PROTECTED LANDMARK.SO IF IT'S JUST CITY PROPERTY THAT'S NOT CONSIDERED HISTORIC IN ANY WAY, THAT THAT WILL NOT BE INCLUDED IN THE, UM, DETERMIN, YOU KNOW, THE VOTING BASICALLY.
UM, WE JUST RECEIVED THIS ORDINANCE TODAY.
I WAS TRYING TO UPLOAD IT BEFORE I GOT HERE, BUT I'M, I WASN'T ABLE TO GET IN.
SO I'VE ASKED OUR COMMUNICATIONS, UM, PERSON TO WORK ON THAT DURING THIS MEETING.
BUT IT WILL BE LOADED, UM, ON OUR WEBSITE.
AND YOU CAN TAKE A LOOK AT THE LATEST, UH, UH, ORDINANCE REDLINE, SO YOU CAN SEE WHAT CHANGES AT WWW DOT LET'S TALK HOUSTON.ORG/CONSERVATION DISTRICTS.
AND YOU CAN ALSO JUST GO TO LET'S TALK HOUSTON.ORG AND YOU'LL SEE A BUTTON FOR CONSERVATION DISTRICTS.
UM, ALSO NOT RELATED TO OUR HISTORIC PRESERVATION PROGRAM, BUT IMPORTANT FOR HOUSTON.
UM, I WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN WORKING WITH THE COMMITTEE OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO UPDATE OUR DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS.
UH, THE PURPOSE IS TO ENCOURAGE MORE CONSTRUCTION OF A VARIETY OF HOUSING TYPES, SUCH AS ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS, TRIPLEXES, FOURPLEXES AND STRUCTURES WITH UP TO EIGHT UNITS IN THEM ON A LOT.
AND ALSO COTTAGE STYLE DEVELOPMENTS AND COTTAGE STYLE WILL ALLOW MULTIPLE SINGLE FAMILY LOTS, UM, ON A PARCEL TO TAKE ACCESS FROM GREEN SPACE RATHER THAN FROM A PUBLIC STREET.
UM, THESE ARE THINGS THAT YOU COULD DO IN HOUSTON, WE CAN DO ADUS, BUT THERE'S SOME LIMITATIONS.
UM, YOU CAN ACTUALLY DO A TRIPLEX OR A FOURPLEX NOW, BUT IT, IT'S, IT'S A LOT HARDER.
UM, AND SO, UM, WE KNOW HOUSEHOLD SIZES ARE SHRINKING IN HOUSTON AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AND THAT THERE'S A NEED FOR SMALLER HOMES.
UM, ALSO WE'RE PROPOSING TO, UM, ADD STANDARDS THAT WILL REDUCE THE NUMBER OF DRIVEWAYS ON A STREET WHEN LARGE PARCELS ARE SUBDIVIDED INTO NARROW LOT DEVELOPMENTS.
AND SO WE, WE WANT PEOPLE TO STILL BE ABLE TO DO THAT IF YOU'RE MIDBLOCK, BUT WE, WE WANNA ENCOURAGE ALLEY ACCESS WHENEVER POSSIBLE, OR POSS ACCESS FROM A SIDE STREET IF YOU'RE ON A CORNER.
UM, BUT WE'VE GOT SOME LANGUAGE IN THERE, UM, TO MINIMIZE THE NUMBER OF DRIVEWAY CUTS, WHICH WILL MAKE IT SAFER FOR PEDESTRIANS AND, UM, ALLOW FOR MORE PARKING ON THE STREET.
SO, UM, PLANNING COMMISSION OPENED A PUBLIC HEARING ON THESE STANDARDS LAST WEEK.
UM, AND WE'LL BE TAKING COMMENTS THROUGH APRIL 16TH.
YOU CAN READ THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE AND PROVIDE COMMENTS AT WWW DOT LET'S TALK HOUSTON.ORG/LIVABLE PLACES.
AND SO WE ENCOURAGE, UM, COMMISSIONERS AND ANY PUBLIC LISTENING TO TAKE A LOOK AND GIVE US YOUR COMMENTS.
UM, WE ARE LOOKING AT, UM, POSSIBLE DATES OF APRIL 25TH OR 26TH MIDDAY FOR THE, UH, HISTORIC TRAINING AND ANNUAL PHOTO.
I THINK THERESA'S BEEN IN CONTACT WITH Y'ALL, SO WATCH FOR MORE ON THAT.
UM, AND THIS WILL BE, UH, AN IN-PERSON EVENT.
AND, UM, SO THAT MORE COMING, NO REGULAR HHC MEETING IS SCHEDULED IN APRIL.
UM, SO THIS, UH, COMMISSION WILL CONVENE AGAIN IN MAY, MAY 18TH.
AND LASTLY, UH, HERE'S A SNAPSHOT OF SOME PRESERVATION WORK LAST MONTH THAT IS BEYOND TODAY'S AGENDA.
UH, STAFF HAS RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 54 APPLICATIONS THROUGH FEBRUARY, 2023 WITH 25 RECEIVED SINCE THE REPORT IN JANUARY.
THE COMMISSION REVIEWED NINE OF THESE APPLICATIONS, UM, AND THAT'S FOR A TOTAL OF 13.
SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, STAFF REVIEWED NINE ADMINISTRATIVELY APPROVED ITEMS WITH 24 BEING THE YEAR TO DATE.
TOTAL STAFF ALSO RECEIVED REQUESTS FOR ONE PRE-APPLICATION DESIGN REVIEW THIS PAST MONTH.
UM, AND THAT'S THREE SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, YOU CAN CALL THE HOUSTON OFFICE OF PRESERVATION HOTLINE AT 8 3 2 3 9 3 6 5 5 6 OR VISIT OUR WEBSITE@HOUSTONPLANNING.COM.
UM, I KNOW THAT MARTHA CORNO, THE MAYOR'S LIAISON, IS NOT PRESENT, SO I DON'T THINK SHE HAS A REPORT.
SO I'M GONNA MOVE TO THE APPROVAL OF THE BOTH THE FEBRUARY 9TH AND THE FEBRUARY 23RD, 2023 HAHC MEETING MINUTES.
DO ANY COMMISSION MEMBERS HAVE ANY COMMENTS ABOUT, UM, THE MEETING MINUTES FROM THOSE TWO DATES?
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NOT HEARING ANY DISCUSSION.IS THERE A COMMISSIONER WHO WOULD BRING A MOTION TO APPROVE BOTH THE FEBRUARY 9TH AND THE FEBRUARY 23RD MEETING? MINUTES? COMMISSIONER SSO MOVES SECOND TO BOTH.
ANY AGAINST ANY, ANY ABSTENTIONS MOTION PASSES.
UH, THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING OF AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON THE NOMINATION TO THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES FOR THE MONTRE LENOIR MANUFACTURING FACILITY AT 21 0 3.
LEON, UH, LEONS AVENUE, HOUSTON, TEXAS 7 7 0 2 4.
UH, UH, FOR THE RECORD, I DON'T THINK A PUBLIC HEARING IS REQUIRED JUST TO, UM, THAT ONE.
YOU, I THINK YOU, BUT IT'S OKAY IF WE HAVE ONE, IT WOULD BE FINE TO CALL IT.
SO THIS IS ONE OF THESE, UM, FEEL GOOD, UM, UM, INCIDENCES.
UH, AND THE REASON YOU'RE SEEING THIS REQUEST IS BECAUSE HOUSTON IS A CERTIFIED LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNDER THE TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION, AND THEREFORE REQUIRED TO COMMENT THIS, THIS COMMISSION IS REQUIRED TO COMMENT ON NOMINATIONS TO THE NATIONAL REGISTER.
AND, UH, SO IS THE MAYOR IN OUR CITY.
AND SO WE HAVE A LITTLE, I'M GONNA JUST READ A LITTLE BIT OF THE NARRATIVE.
THE FULL NOMINATION DOCUMENT IS IN YOUR PACKET, THE RE AND ANY, I DON'T.
IS THAT LENIR? I ACTUALLY, IF ANY, I'M SURE SOMEBODY HERE IS BETTER THAN ME, BUT I'LL CALL IT THE LENIR MANUFACTURING COMPANY COMPLEX AT 2103 LIONS AVENUE IN HOUSTON.
HARRIS COUNTY IS LOCATED ON 6.88 ON A, ON A 6.88 ACRE PARCEL, APPROXIMATELY TWO MILES NORTHEAST OF DOWNTOWN HOUSTON.
IN A HISTORICALLY INDUSTRIAL SECTION ADJACENT TO MAJOR RAILROAD ARTERIES, THE 109,000 SQUARE FOOT 10 CAN SHEET METAL MANUFACTURING FACILITY IS A FUNCTIONAL, FUNCTIONALLY RELATED COMPLEX CONSISTING OF THREE BUILDINGS WITH 10 ADDITIONS AND ONE ATTACHED STRUCTURE.
WITH THESE ADDITIONS, TWO OF THE BUILDINGS, ONE AND TWO ARE NOW CONTIGUOUS WITH INTERNAL CONNECTIONS.
CONSTRUCTION BEGAN IN 1916 WITH BUILDING ONE A THREE STORY BRICK MASONRY AND WOOD FRAME INDUSTRIAL BUILDING NEAR THE CORNER OF LYONS AVENUE AND SIMS STREET, AND CONTINUED FOR NEARLY A CENTURY WITH X EXTENT BUILDINGS AND ADDITIONS.
CONSTRUCTED IN 1916 THROUGH 1920.
BUILDING NUMBER 2, 19 44 TO 51, THE CANOPY STRUCTURE, 1953, BUILDING THREE.
ADDITION FOUR AND OH, THESE GO FORWARD IN 74 AND 77 AND ONWARD.
EARLY 20TH CENTURY BUILDINGS IN THE COMPLEX ARE BRICK, MASONRY AND WOOD FRAME CONSTRUCTION.
POST WORLD WAR II BUILDINGS IN THE COMPLEX, COMPLEX OR STEEL AND CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION BUILDING ONE, BUILDING TWO IN THE CANOPY ARE CONTRIBUTING RESOURCES.
ADDITION FIVE IS A NON-CONTRIBUTING BECAUSE IT DATES AFTER THE PERIOD OF SIGNIFICANCE.
AND BUILDING THREE IS NON-CONTRIBUTING BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN EXTENSIVELY ALTERED WITH NON HISTORIC ADDITIONS AND EXTERIOR CLADDING.
NOTABLE ALTERATIONS TO CONTRIBUTING RESOURCES INCLUDE THE ADDITION OF GLASS BLOCK TO WINDOWS RED ACRYLIC PANELS ADDED AROUND ONE STORY, ONE ENTRY, I'M SORRY, ON LYONS AVENUE AND INFILLING OF SEVERAL WINDOW OPENINGS.
DESPITE THESE ALTERATIONS, THE MONCRIEF LENIR MANUFACTURING COMPANY COMPLEX RETAINS A HIGH DEGREE OF OVERALL HISTORIC INTEGRITY TO CONVEY ITS HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE AS AN EARLY TO MID 20TH CENTURY, I LOST THE SOUND INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX AND IS ELIGIBLE FOR LISTING ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES.
HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU.
OH, AM I GONNA MUTE UP? JUST NEED TO PUT IT IN THE CHAT CHAIR.
UM, IS ANYONE REPRESENTING THE PROJECT HERE? CAN CAN, CAN I INTERRUPT IF, IF THEY'VE LOST SOUND? APPARENTLY REMOTELY.
SO CAN WE HAVE HTV CHECK THE CHECK THE CONNECTION OR, I'M NOT SURE WHAT IT IS NOT I WAS A LIBERAL ARTS MAJOR.
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TESTING ONE, TWO.COULD YOU, I HAD A QUESTION FOR ROMAN.
IS, IS ANYONE REPRESENTING THE PROJECT HERE TODAY? BE BESIDES YOURSELF? NO.
IF THERE ARE NO OTHER QUESTIONS, THIS WAS FOR CONSIDERATION ONLY, AND, UH, WE DON'T NEED TO VOTE OR ON THIS MATTER.
IT IS MORE JUST FOR COMMENTS, CORRECT? UH, YES.
I JUST, UH, I AM RE YOUR OPINION IS REQUESTED TO BY THE TEXAS HISTORIC COMMISSION IF YOU'RE IN SUPPORT OF THIS.
I DON'T KNOW IF I NEED A FORMAL VOTE, BUT I NEED TO CONVEY THAT.
WELL, WELL, IF THERE, IF ANYONE WANNA MAKE A MOTION TO SUPPORT, I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ENTHUSIASTICALLY SUPPORT THE NOMINATION, UH, OF THE REVE LENOIR MANUFACTURING FACILITY.
IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
YOU WANNA FLIP FOR THAT? WELL, OKAY.
WE'LL LET COMMISSIONER STAAVA, UH, HAVE THE SECOND AND ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION.
ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTIONS? THAT MOTION PASSES FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF ADDING THAT PROPERTY TO THE NATIONAL REGISTER, AND WE'LL MOVE ON, UH, TO THE NEXT ITEM, WHICH IS, UH, ITEM B.
THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING IN CONSIDERATION OF AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON A PROTECTED LANDMARK DESIGNATION APPLICATION FOR THE SPENCER AND LEILA ROBINSON HOUSE AT 3 0 1 9 GRACE STREET, HOUSTON, TEXAS 7 7 0 4.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. CHAIR AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION.
THIS IS STAFF MEMBER YASMINE ALAN, I SUBMIT FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
ITEM B SPENCER AND LEILA ROBINSON HOUSE AT 30 19 GRAY STREET, HOUSTON, TEXAS, FOR A PROTECTED LANDMARK DESIGNATION.
THIS, THE SITE INCLUDES A ONE AND A HALF STORY, WOOD FRAME, BRICK VENEER, SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCE, A ONE STORY WOOD FRAME GARAGE, AND A SMALL WOOD FRAME SHED.
THE GARAGE IS A CONTRIBUTING ELEMENT.
THE ROBINSON HOUSE IS A 19 29, 1 AND A HALF STORY WOOD FRAME TO YOUR DOOR.
RE REVIVAL COTTAGE WITH CRAFTSMAN ELEMENTS LOCATED IN THE PIERCE COURT NEIGHBORHOOD NEAR THE CURRENT NORTHERN EDGE OF HOUSTON.
THIRD WARD, THE ROBINSON FAMILY OWNED THE HOUSE THROUGH ITS ENTIRE HISTORY UNTIL THE RECENT PASSING OF DELLA ROBINSON IN 2022.
CALLEN WASHINGTON, A LONGTIME NEIGHBOR AND CLOSE FAMILY FRIEND, OWNS THE HOUSE NOW AND IS SEEKING THIS DESIGNATION.
THE ROBINSON HOUSE IS A UNIQUE EXAMPLE OF THE ODOR REVIVAL AND CRAFTSMAN STYLES IN A HISTORICALLY SEGREGATED NEIGHBORHOOD WITHIN THE LARGER, PRIMARILY AFRICAN AMERICAN THIRD WARD, IT IS AMONG THE MOST INTACT SMALL RESIDENTS REMAINING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
THE ROBINSON FAMILY INCLUDED LEILA ROBINSON, A LONGTIME EMPLOYEE OF THE HARRIS COUNTY WELFARE DEPARTMENT, WHO WAS AN ACTIVE AND RESPECTED COMMUNITY MEMBER OF THE HARRIS, UM, AND IS RECOGNIZED AS A PIONEER AMONG BLACK SOCIAL WORKERS IN HOUSTON.
THE PROPERTY MEETS CRITERIA 1, 3, 4, AND FIVE FOR LANDMARK DESIGNATION.
AND CRITERION ONE FOR PROTECTED LANDMARK STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL.
AND THIS REPORT WAS PREPARED BY PRESERVATION HOUSTON, AND WE THANK THEM FOR THEIR SUPPORT.
WE HAVE EMILY FROM PRESERVATION HOUSTON TO SPEAK ON THE SIDE.
UM, UH, IF THERE ARE NOT ANY QUESTIONS FROM COMMISSIONERS, I'M GONNA OPEN UP TO, UM, UH, A PUBLIC HEARING.
AND, UH, EMILY, WOULD YOU LIKE TO, UM, ADDRESS THE COMMISSION AND, YEAH, I'M HERE.
SPEAK ON THIS, ON THIS MATTER.
I JUST, UH, THIS IS EMILY
UM, I JUST WANTED TO EXPRESS OUR SUPPORT FOR THE NOMINATION.
UM, WE FEEL IT'S WORTHY OF PROTECTED LANDMARK DESIGNATION.
UM, I ALSO WANTED TO RECOGNIZE MISS, UH, DELLA ROBINSON, WHO INITIATED THE PROTECTED LANDMARK PROCESS, UM, BEFORE HER UNFORTUNATE PASSING IT LAST FALL, UM, AND KAHAL IN WASHINGTON, WHO HAS, UH, WHO'S, UH, CHOSEN TO SEE IT THROUGH NOW.
UM, SO THANK YOU AND I CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE THEM.
I'M NOT HEARING ANY QUESTIONS.
I'M GONNA JUST, UH, SEE IF THERE'S ANY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, UM, WHO'D LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS MATTER.
IF, IF SO, PLEASE ANNOUNCE YOURSELF AT THIS TIME.
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NOT HEARING, I'M GOING TO, I'M GONNA CLOSE THE, THE, THE PUBLIC HEARING AT THIS TIME AND COMMISSION MEMBERS.IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSIONS OR IS THERE A MOTION? I MOTION SECOND.
ARE THERE ANY OPPOSED? SHE READ MY MIND.
ARE THERE, ARE THERE ANY OPPOSED? ARE THERE ANY ABSTENTIONS? THAT MOTION PASSES.
MOVING ON TO ITEM C, UH, A PUBLIC HEARING IN CONSIDERATION OF IMPOSSIBLE ACTION ON A LANDMARK DESIGNATION APPLICATION FOR THE THOMPSON BROWN HOUSE.
2 1 5 EAST 30TH STREET, HOUSTON, TEXAS 7 7 0 1 8.
I'M JUST NOTICING THE TOP OF MY REPORT ACTUALLY SAYS PROTECTED LANDMARK, BUT YOU ARE CORRECT.
IT IS FOR A LANDMARK NOMINATION, AND THIS IS FOR TWO 15 EAST 30TH STREET.
IN, IN, IN INDEPENDENCE HEIGHTS, THE THOMPSON.
I'M GONNA TAKE A LITTLE EXCERPT OUT OF THIS REPORT.
IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT STRUCTURE, PLEASE.
THE THOMPSON BROWN HOUSE AT TWO 15 EAST 30TH STREET WAS BUILT IN THE LATE 1920 AND REPRESENTS THE HISTORIC ARCHITECTURE AND CONSTRUCTION BUILT BY BROTHERS RICHARD AND ARCHIE THOMPSON SETTLED BY AFRICAN AMERICANS AS EARLY AS 1910.
THE INDEPENDENCE HEIGHTS INCORPORATED BECAME THE FIRST BLACK MUNICIPALITY IN TEXAS FROM 1915 TO 1929.
ETHEL THOMPSON, THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THE THOMPSON BROWN HOUSE, WAS THE SISTER OF RICHARD AND ARCHIE THOMPSON, SIGNIFICANT CARPENTERS AND BUILDERS OF THE COMMUNITY.
TODAY, THE HOME REMAINS OWNED BY RICHARD THOMPSON'S GRANDDAUGHTER, DEBORAH BROWN, WHO COULDN'T BE WITH US TODAY.
UH, SHE ISN'T WELL TODAY, SHE COULDN'T MAKE IT.
THE THOMPSON FAMILY, WHICH SETTLED ON EAST 30TH STREET IN 1915, HAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE INDEPENDENCE HEIGHTS COMMUNITY FOR OVER A HUNDRED YEARS.
THE THOMPSON BROWN HOUSE IS ONE THOU IS A 100, A 1,140 SQUARE FOOT, SINGLE STORY HIP ROOF BUNGALOW.
IT'S CURRENTLY ONE OF THE LAST REMAINING STRUCTURES AND EXAMPLES OF THE HISTORIC HOMES CONSTRUCTED IN INDEPENDENCE HEIGHTS BY COMMUNITY BUILDERS RICHARD AND ARCHIE THOMPSON.
THOM, THE THOMPSON BROTHERS, ALONG WITH THEIR FATHER HENRY THOMPSON, WERE CARPENTERS AND BUILDERS IN INDEPENDENCE HEIGHTS FROM 1915 TO THE 1950S AS A DESIGNATED STRUCTURE WITHIN A NATIONAL REGISTER HISTORIC DISTRICT.
THIS HOME MEETS CRITERIA 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, AND EIGHT FOR LANDMARK AND PROTECTED LANDMARK DESIGNATION.
THE INDEPENDENCE HEIGHTS IS A NATIONAL REGISTERED HISTORIC DISTRICT, YET NEARLY 30% OF ALL CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURES TO THIS DESIGNATED DISTRICT HAVE BEEN DEMOLISHED IN THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS DUE TO DEVELOPMENT AND THE IMPACT OF GENTRIFICATION, IF DESIGNATED.
THE THOMPSON BROWN HOUSE WILL BECOME THE THIRD CITY OF HOUSTON LANDMARK IN THE HISTORIC INDEPENDENCE HEIGHTS, HELPING TO PRESERVE THE COMMUNITY'S HISTORY AND CULTURAL HERITAGE.
A LITTLE FURTHER HISTORY, IN 1928, ETHEL AND CHARLES WHITE PURCHASED TWO LOTS IN THE HISTORICALLY AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY OF INDEPENDENCE HEIGHTS.
HOWEVER, THE STORY AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS HOME BEGAN IN 1915 WHEN ETHEL'S PARENTS, HENRY AND ELLEN THOMPSON BUILT THEIR HOME ON THE LOT JUST NEXT DOOR AND RAISED THEIR FAMILY.
HENRY THOMPSON WAS BORN IN TEXAS AROUND 1849 DURING ENSLAVEMENT.
IN 1870, HENRY WAS LIVING IN LYNCHBURG, TEXAS, WORKING AT THE SAWMILL.
THE CITY OF LYNCHBURG FOUNDED ON THE FERRY SERVICE, STARTED BY NATHANIEL LYNCH DURING THE 1830S, WAS EXPERIENCING SOME PROSPERITY DURING THE 1870S WITH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THIS SAWMILL.
IN 1873, HENRY MARRIED ELLEN PRESTON AND THE COUPLE WELCOMED THEIR FIRST CHILD IN 18.
BY 1882, AFTER A HURRICANE AND A FEW MAJOR STORMS, THE SAWMILL WAS DESTROYED AND LEFT THE CITY OF LYNCHBURG UNDER GREAT DAMAGE.
DURING THIS TIME, THE THOMPSONS PURCHASED A FARM IN CHANNELVIEW TO RAISE THEIR CHILDREN.
MARGARET, BORN IN 1882, CLARA BORN IN 1883.
RICHARD BORN IN 1895, AND ARCHIE BORN IN 1897.
BY 1915, THE THOMPSON FAMILY HAD MOVED TO INDEPENDENCE HEIGHTS, WHERE HENRY WAS WORKING AS A CARPENTER.
ALONGSIDE HIS TWO SONS, RICHARD AND ARCHIE, THE FATHER SONS BEGAN BUILDING HOMES IN THE COMMUNITY.
THE THOMPSON FAMILY BECAME FOUNDING MEMBERS OF THE GREATER NEW HOPE BAPTIST CHURCH.
AND IN 1919, RICHARD AND ARCHIE CONSTRUCTED THE FIRST CHURCH BUILDING ON NORTH MAIN STREET.
HIS WIFE ELLEN, REMAINED LIVING IN THEIR HOME AT TWO 17 EAST 30TH STREET WITH ETHEL AND HER NEW HUSBAND, CHARLIE WHITE.
[00:25:01]
OF THE THOMPSON'S CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN HAD MOVED OUT AND PURCHASED HOMES OF THEIR OWN IN THE INDEPENDENCE HEIGHTS COMMUNITY.COMPLETE THAT STORY ON, ON YOUR OWN.
IIII JUST WANNA BE RESPECTFUL OF THE COMMISSION'S TIME AND JUMP DOWN A LITTLE BIT.
ETHEL AND CHARLES WHITE PURCHASED LAND NEXT DOOR TO HENRY AND ELLEN'S HOME IN 1928 FROM THE WHITE LAND COMPANY, ETHEL'S BROTHERS, RICHARD AND ARCHIE BUILT THE WHITE'S FIRST HOME AT TWO 15 EAST 30TH STREET.
WHEN ELLEN PASSED AWAY IN 1942, RICHARD AND HIS FAMILY MOVED IN HER HOME AND BECAME NEIGHBORS TO ETHEL AND CHARLES RICHARD THOMPSON'S DAUGHTER.
DEBORAH BROWN GREW UP IN HER GRANDMOTHER'S HOME NEXT DOOR TO HER AUNT ETHEL.
AFTER ETHEL AND CHARLES PASSED AWAY, DEBORAH MOVED INTO THEIR HOME WITH HER FAMILY.
THERE SHE RAISED HER CHILDREN.
AND TODAY, OVER A HUNDRED YEARS AFTER THE THOMPSON'S HELPED ESTABLISHED AND BUILD THE COMMUNITY, THE THOMPSON FAMILY, DESCENDANTS REMAIN ESTABLISHED MEMBERS OF THE INDEPENDENCE HEIGHTS AND THE GREATER NEW HOPE BAPTIST CHURCH.
MANY OF THE HOUSES IN INDEPENDENCE HEIGHTS REFLECT TYPICAL MIDDLE CLASS HOUSING PATTERNS OF THE 19TH OF THE 20TH CENTURY.
TRADITIONAL HOUSE FORMS INCLUDE THE SHOTGUN HIP ROOF AND, AND GABLE FRONT.
THE L PLAN, THE MODIFIED L PLAN, THE PYRAMIDAL ROOFED STRUCTURES AND THE CENTER PATCHES, STRUCTURES, RESIDENCES IN THE COMMUNITY ARE LARGELY ONE STORY.
WOOD FRAME BUILDINGS LESS THAN A THOUSAND SQUARE FEET.
THE MAJOR, MAJOR HOUSE FORM, HOWEVER, IS THE SIDE GABLE OR FRONT GD BUNGALOW.
THE LARGE NUMBER OF BUNGALOWS IS DISTINCT FROM NEIGHBORHOODS OF THIRD, FOURTH, AND FIFTH WARDS THAT ARE CONTEMPORARY DEVELOPMENTS IN HOUSTON.
THE THOMPSON BROWN HOUSE IS AN 1,140 SQUARE FOOT, SINGLE STORY WOOD FRAME, DWELLING WITH A HIP ROOF AND A FRONT PORCH.
IT INCLUDES A LIVING ROOM, DINING ROOM, KITCHEN, BATHROOM, AND THREE BEDROOMS. ALL ORIGINAL WOOD FLOORING, WINDOWS, DOORS, BRICK, CHIMNEY, AND PORCH COMPONENTS ARE INTACT.
ALTHOUGH VINYL TILE WAS PUT IN WITHIN THE LAST FIVE YEARS OVER THE WOOD FLOORING IN THE KITCHEN AND BATH, THE ONLY ALTERATION MADE TO THE HOME WAS THE CONVERSION OF THE CHIMNEY TO A GAS BURNING, UH, CHIM, UH, FIREPLACE INSTEAD OF A WOOD BURNING FIREPLACE.
THE EXTERIOR OF THE HOME WAS PAINTED WHITE, AS WAS THE ORIGINAL, AS WAS THE ORIGINAL COLOR WITHIN THE PAST FIVE YEARS.
THE FENCE LOT INCLUDES A LARGE MAGNOLIA TREE IN THE FRONT YARD AND LARGE PECAN TREE IN THE BACKYARD, BOTH PLANTED BY THE THOMPSON FAMILY IN THE 1930S.
WE RECOMMEND THAT THIS COMMISSION, UH, RECOMMEND THIS PROPERTY FOR A LANDMARK STATUS IN CITY OF HOUSTON.
THAT'S QUITE A STORY, AND JUST THE FAMILY AND, AND ALL OF THEIR, UM, UH, WHERE, WHERE THEY WERE AND AND, AND HOW INDUSTRIOUS THEY WERE AND SO FORTH, AND HOW WE HAVE THIS NEIGHBORHOOD, WHAT'S LEFT OF IT, UH, TO THANK FOR THEM BECAUSE OF THEM, UH, COMMISSION MEMBERS.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PRESENTATION? UH, I, I DO COMMISSIONER.
UH, ROMAN, IF YOU CAN PUT BACK THE MAP, UH, OF THE INDEPENDENT HEIGHTS.
I'M, I WAS JUST, UH, OUT OF CURIOSITY, THE, THE, UH, AREA WHERE MS. OSLAND WAS TALKING ABOUT THAT IS GONNA BE PART OF THE CONSERVATION DISTRICT.
IS, IS THIS THE OUTLINE OF IT AS WELL, OR IS IT SMALLER SLASH OR BIGGER? I CAN ANSWER.
DO YOU KNOW? THE CURRENT DISCUSSIONS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD WOULD INCLUDE ALL OF THIS AREA, BUT THE CURRENT DISCUSSIONS INCLUDE MUCH MORE.
THIS IS ONLY A PART OF THE TROOP OF WHAT'S CONSIDERED INDEPENDENCE HEIGHTS TODAY.
IT GOES, UH, THE SOUTHERN BORDER YOU SEE THERE, THAT SORT OF DIAGONAL LINE REPRESENTS THE FRONTAGE ROAD TO SIX 10 NORTH LOOP.
BUT IN THE EYES OF THE COMMUNITY TODAY, THE NEIGHBORHOOD EXTENDS UP TO CROSS TIMBERS AND THEN TO THE EAST TO I 45, AND I THINK TO THE WEST TO, I WANNA SAY YALE.
AND THE CURRENT DISCUSSIONS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD ARE TO BRING FORTH, UH, IF, IF THE SUPPORT CAN BE GATHERED, UH, UH, POSSIBLY MORE THAN ONE DISTRICT.
UH, BUT SO, BUT RIGHT NOW, THE WHOLE ORDER, WE'RE NOT DISCUSSING THE AGENDA ITEM.
MR. CHAIR, THIS, THE, I DISCUSSING THE CONSERVATION DISTRICT POSSIBILITIES IS PREMATURE.
THE ORDINANCE HAS NOT BEEN TO COUNCIL YET, AND WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S GONNA END UP LOOKING LIKE.
SO, SO I ASK YOU TO FOCUS ON THE HOUSE.
WELL, I'D, I'D LIKE TO ON THE AGENDA TO SAY, UH, KUDOS TO, TO, UH, MS. BLACK, I DON'T KNOW IF SHE'S A FAMILY MEMBER OR NOT, BUT FOR PULLING THE, THE, UM, NOMINATION TOGETHER.
THIS IS WONDERFUL AND I WHOLEHEARTEDLY SUPPORT IT.
WITH THAT, I'M GONNA OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS ITEM AND SEE IF THERE'S ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT ARE EITHER IN THE ROOM OR ATTENDING VIRTUALLY THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM.
[00:30:02]
HI.CAN YOU ANNOUNCE YOURSELF FOR, FOR THE COMMISSION? YES.
I LIVE IN THE INDEPENDENCE HEIGHTS SUPER NEIGHBORHOOD IN A HOUSE, UH, SIMILAR TO THIS ONE.
NOT NEAR AS NICE ACTUALLY, BUT, YOU KNOW, I AM VERY MUCH IN FAVOR OF PRESERVING THESE STYLES OF HOUSES, AND PARTICULARLY THE, THE RICH HISTORY THAT'S ATTACHED TO THIS ONE AS, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S INCREDIBLE TO, TO DOCUMENT THE HISTORY OF THE PEOPLE WHO BUILT THESE HOMES, UM, AND THE, AND THE, AND THE HISTORY OF INDEPENDENCE HEIGHTS.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE ATTENDING THIS MEETING VIRTUALLY, UH, THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? I'M ON THE TELEPHONE.
PLEASE, PLEASE ANNOUNCE YOURSELF TO THE COMMISSION AND SPEAK.
I'M HONORED TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK ON BEHALF, UH, THE THOMPSON BROWN HOUSE.
I RESIDE AT ONE 14 EAST 31ST AND A HALF STREET HERE IN HOUSTON, TEXAS.
MY HOME HAS ALSO BEEN DESIGNATED IN THE HISTORICAL DISTRICT.
UH, I GREW UP WITH THE THOMPSON BROWN FAMILY, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THEY HAVE REALLY, REALLY, REALLY WANTED TO HAVE RECOGNITION OF THAT HOUSE WITH THE GENTRIFICATION THAT'S COMING THROUGH.
WE PRETTY MUCH ARE JUST KIND OF LIKE PUSHED OUT, BUT WE DO WANT, WE WORK HARD AND WE ARE REMAINING IN OUR PROPERTIES THAT OUR PARENTS WORK SO HARD FOR, ESPECIALLY THOSE ON THE PLANTATION.
SO I WOULD APPEAL TO THE COMMITTEE TO PASS THIS SO THAT THAT HOME OF THE THOMPSON BROWN CAN BECOME A HISTORICAL MARKER.
ARE THERE ADDITIONAL MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? UH, A QUESTION.
I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND THEN COMMISSIONER COUCH, PLEASE.
WAS THERE ANY TALK ABOUT MAKING THIS A PROTECTED LANDMARK INSTEAD OF A REGULAR ONE SO THAT IT'S ACTUALLY PREVENTED FROM BEING DEMOLISHED? IT WAS, IT IS A, IT IS PROTECTED ROMAN, I DON'T KNOW WHERE IT GOT OFF ON THE AGENDA, BUT, UH, DEBORAH BROWN DOES WANT THIS TO BE A PROTECTED LANDMARK.
SO I GUESS LEGAL QUESTION, I MEAN, ON THE AGENDA I HAVE, I THINK COMMISSIONER DE, I, I CAN, UH, COMMISSIONER DUBOSE, I, I, I KIND OF CONFERRED THE ANSWER TO THE, TO LET ME TRY TO ADDRESS BOTH.
UH, COMMISSIONER COUCH, I DISCUSSED THAT WITH HER, THE OWNER AND, AND, UM, COMMISSIONER DUBOSE.
AND, AND HER FINAL DECISION WAS THAT IT SHOULD ONLY BE A LANDMARK AT THIS TIME, UNLESS THERE'S SOME NEW NEWS.
UH, WITHIN ABOUT A, ABOUT A MONTH AGO, WE WERE, UH, WHEN SHE CONVEYED THAT TO ME, AND SHE UNDERSTOOD THE TWO, THE DISTINCTION.
MAY I MAY INTERJECT ON THAT ONE? CAN I INTERJECT ON THE, THE LAST STATEMENT THAT WAS MADE? YES, DR. NORMAN, THIS IS DR.
I THINK THAT THAT NEEDS TO BE REVISITED BECAUSE SHE BROUGHT THE PAPERWORK TO ME AND SHE WAS CONFUSED ON WHAT THE PROTECTIVE LANDMARK WAS AND THE LANDMARK.
I GUESS IS YOUR COMMISSIONER ALLOW SPEAKER TO, TO SPEAK AS A QUESTION? I MAKE A MOTION TO ALLOW THE SPEAKER TO, TO ANSWER THE QUESTION, AND IT WAS A SECOND.
OKAY, DR. NORMAN, CAN YOU, CAN YOU CONTINUE? YES, I, I, I'M ADAMANT, UM, THAT SHE WAS CONFUSED BECAUSE SHE, SHE DID NOT KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE PROTECTIVE LANDMARK AND THE LANDMARK.
AND I COULD NOT REALLY, I, I WAS CLUELESS.
I COULDN'T TELL HER, BUT I THINK THAT THAT SHOULD BE PUT ON HOLD AS FAR AS THE DECISION, BECAUSE I KNOW HER PERSONALLY, ALL MY LIFE, I'M SIX, SIX YEARS OLD, THAT SHE INDEED WANTS US TO BE A PROTECTIVE LANDMARK, NEVER TO BE TORN DOWN.
SHE WASN'T ABLE TO MAKE IT TO THE MEETING.
UM, I MEAN, WE, I GUESS WE HAVE TWO CHOICES.
WE CAN VOTE ON THIS AND IT CAN BE CHANGED FROM A LANDMARK TO EFFECTIVE LANDMARK IN THE FUTURE.
OR WE COULD PUT IT, WE CAN DEFER.
UH, I'M NOT SURE WHAT, UH, ROMAN, IF YOU HAVE A RECOMMENDATION, UH, HAVE YOU, YOU SPOKE WITH HER AND, UM, I'M GONNA DEFER TO LEGAL.
UH, WE DO ADD THE NOTIFICA JUST TO COMMENT THAT WE DID DO A NOTIFICATION, YOU KNOW, MAIL OUTTA THE 200 FIT AREA.
[00:35:01]
CONFIRMED, UM, CONVERSATION THAT I THOUGHT THE WAY I UNDERSTOOD IT WAS LANDMARK.UH, OF COURSE I'D BE HAPPY TO CHANGE IT, BUT THAT, THAT'S IN MY MIND.
I THOUGHT I HAD THAT PRETTY CLEAR CHAIR.
MAY I, COMMISSIONER CURRY QUESTION FOR YOU, RON.
WHICH OF THE TWO OPTIONS THAT CHAIR EK JUST MENTIONED, UH, ASSUMING THE THIRD OPTION ISN'T TO, UH, VOTE DIFFERENTLY THAN IT'S BEEN PRESENTED TO US, UH, WHICH WOULD BE THE, UH, MOST EXPEDITIOUS IN TERMS OF, UH, UH, GET GETTING IT, UH, UH, LANDMARKED OR, OR PROTECTED LANDMARK IN TERMS OF PROCESS? I'M LIKE, I DON'T, I THINK IT'S A, I THINK IT'S A PROCESS PROCEDURAL QUESTION RATHER THAN A LEGAL QUESTION.
WELL, IT'S, IT'S A LEGAL QUESTION.
IT DEALS WITH HOW IT'S POSTED ON THE AGENDA, AND YOU NO, NO, THAT'S CLEAR.
WE, AND YOU CAN'T CHANGE WHAT'S POSTED ON THE AGENDA.
WE CAN'T MAKE IT MORE STRINGENT.
WE COULD REVERSE IT IF WE HAD POSTED IT AS PROTECTED LANDMARK.
SOMEONE CHANGED YOUR MIND, MIND.
BUT IF WE DEFER IT NOW, CHOOSE NOT TO VOTE ON IT, THEN I, I, I WOULD ACTUALLY SUGGEST THAT YOU DON'T DEFER IT, BECAUSE THAT IS ESSENTIALLY TABLING IT IN ITS EXACT SAME FORM YES.
TO COME BACK TO YOUR NEXT AGENDA.
UM, YOU COULD TAKE NO ACTION ON THIS, AND IT COULD BE REPOSTED FOR A PROTECTED LANDMARK STATUS FOR YOUR NEXT MEETING.
AND, AND THAT, AND THAT WOULD BE THE MOST EXPEDITIOUS WAY TO GET IT, UH, WHERE PRESUMABLY IT, UH, IT WANTS TO BE, AND I THINK IT'S THE MOST LEGALLY CORRECT.
MR. JACKSON, DO YOU HAVE A, I I I WILL ADD, I KNOW YOUR NEXT MEETING IS NOT, REGULAR.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF WE COULD ADD THIS TO AS A SPECIAL ITEM TO YOUR, UM, ETHICS TRAINING, UM, AND PROCEDURAL TRAINING IN APRIL.
BUT THAT WE, WE CAN WORK WITH STAFF IF WE CAN DO NOTICE, UM, AND MEET NOTICE, UH, POSTING REQUIREMENTS.
IS THERE, MR. OBJECTION FOR, FOR PROCESS SAKE, ROMAN, IS THERE, UM, IF A PROPERTY IS DESIGNATED A LANDMARK AND IT COMES BACK TO US FOR DESIGNATION AS PROTECTED LANDMARK, IT'S THE EXACT SAME PROCESS.
I MEAN, I'M WONDERING IF WE GO AHEAD AND APPROVE IT AS A LANDMARK TODAY, AND AT OUR MAY MEETING, WE COULD APPROVE IT AS A PROTECTED LANDMARK.
VICE CHAIR, THAT'S WHAT I, I WAS ACTUALLY THINKING THAT, I MEAN, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO THE DOCTOR ON I, THE FORM THAT I PUT BEFORE HER AND, AND I, WE DISCUSSED IT QUIETLY AND TOGETHER, LANDMARK AND PROTECTED LANDMARK.
AND OF COURSE, THAT AS WE KNOW, THAT PROTECTED LANDMARK FOR NOW AND FOREVER, UNLESS THERE'S A STORM OR SOMETHING, TAKES DOWN A BUILDING, THAT IT WOULDN'T BE DEMOLISHED.
SHE HANDED IT BACK TO ME AND DECIDED I THOUGHT SHE WANTED A LANDMARK.
SHE HAD CHECKED LANDMARK AND, AND SIGNED THE DOCUMENT, WHICH HAD NOT BEEN SIGNED, WHICH IS SITTING ON MY DESK RIGHT NOW, UH, BY MY PHONE THERE.
SO WE CAN, IF YOU DID APPROVE IT THIS WAY NOW AS YOU'RE SUGGESTING, AND THEN IF WE CAN DEFINITELY GO BACK TO HER AND, AND IF, IF IN FACT IT WAS MEANT TO BE A PROTECTED LANDMARK, WE COULD DO IT AGAIN.
I THINK SHE JUST CHECKS THE BOX, COMES BACK ON THE AGENDA AND WE COULD VOTE ON IT AGAIN.
AND I JUST WANNA STATE, I MEAN, I'VE SEEN REGULAR LANDMARKS THAT HAVE COME BEFORE THE COMMISSION AND THEN LATER COME BACK AND BECOME PROTECTED.
AND THE OTHER THING IS, TYPICALLY IT TAKES SOME TIME BEFORE, IF WE MAKE A RECOMMENDATION OF APPROVAL, IT TAKES SOME TIME TO GO BEFORE CITY COUNCIL FOR THAT TO BE ACTUALLY BE RATIFIED AND, AND TO BECOME A LANDMARK.
SO WE HAVE A, WE HAVE SOME TIME IF, IF WE WERE TO VOTE, UH, IN SUPPORT OF THIS AS A LANDMARK, AND THEN WE COULD ENTERTAIN THE CHANGE AND STILL PROBABLY GET THERE BEFORE CITY COUNCIL BRINGS US UP FOR CONSIDERATION.
WE, WE COULD JUST HOLD OFF GETTING IT TO CITY COUNCIL UNTIL YOU TOOK THE SECOND ACTION IF A SECOND ACTION HAPPENS.
AND COMMISSIONER DEVO DEVOS DID, WERE YOU TRYING TO SAY SOMETHING JUST NOW? SURE.
SO I MOVED THAT WE ACCEPT STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE THE, UH, THOMPSON BROWN HOUSE, UH, AS A PROTECTED LANDMARK.
IT'S A LANDMARK IN THE, I'M SORRY.
I, I DO HAVE A QUESTION FOR LEGAL.
UH, IF, IF WHEN WE VOTE FOR LANDMARK RIGHT NOW AND GET IT APPROVED, OKAY.
THE PROTECTED LANDMARK, MUST IT COME BACK TO US? CAN IT NOT BE DONE, UH, ADMINISTRATIVELY, I MEAN, THAT'S COME BACK TO US IN MY, MY YEARS ON THE COMMISSION.
WELCOME TO CHAPTER TWO 11 OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE.
YOU HAVE TO MAKE THE RECOMMENDATION BEFORE IT GOES TO CITY COUNCIL.
AND, AND TODAY WE'RE JUST VOTING ON THE RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL.
WE'RE NOT ACTUALLY, WE'RE NOT VOTING ON WHETHER THIS BECOMES A LANDMARK.
UM, BUT I WAS, I WAS TRYING TO CONFIRM WHO WAS THE SECOND, BECAUSE I HEARD A SECOND VIRTUALLY DR.
[00:40:01]
SORRY, DR. NORMAN, ONLY MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION CAN VOTE.SO, UM, BUT WE, BUT WE DO, OKAY.
WE WE'RE VERY, UM, VERY HAPPY THAT THERE ARE STRONG SUPPORTERS OF BOTH THIS APPLICATION AND ALSO OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO MORE APPLICATIONS FROM, FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD AS WELL.
SO COMMISSIONER COG WOULD SECOND.
ARE THERE ANY OPPOSED, ANY ABSTENTIONS TILL THAT MOTION PASSES? AND WE LOOK FORWARD IF THERE'S A CHANCE TO MAKE THIS PROTECTED LANDMARK TO HEAR BACK FROM YOU ALL VERY SOON.
WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON, UH, TO THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM, WHICH IS ITEM D, CONSIDERATION OF IMPOSSIBLE ACTION ON CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS, APPLICATIONS FOR CONSENT AGENDA.
ROMAN, WILL YOU PRESENT? SURE.
SO STAFF RECOMMENDS THAT THE FOLLOWING ITEMS, UH, BE CONSIDERED TOGETHER AND, UH, THAT YOU TAKE STAFF'S RECOMMENDATIONS ON THEM.
UH, I DON'T HAVE A RECOMMENDATION AGENDA B, BEAR WITH ME.
LEMME CONSULT WITH STAFF REAL QUICK.
UM, JUST FORGOT TO WRITE MY OWN CONSENT.
SO THE ITEMS THAT WE'RE ASKING TO BE CONSIDERED TOGETHER IN ONE GROUP AND WITH OUR RECOMMENDATIONS ARE ITEM D 1 28 0 5 FLORENCE STREET, NEW CONSTRUCTION, WOODLAND HEIGHTS, AND ITS APPROVAL WITH CONDITIONS.
ITEM D 2 25, SORRY, 75 0 2 GLEN HEATH STREET, ALTERATION WINDOWS IN GLENBROOK VALLEY.
THAT'S AN ITEM YOU DID DEFER IN THE PAST.
WE'VE NOT HEARD FROM THE APPLICANT.
WE HAVE NO NEW PROPOSAL TO BRING.
IF WE DON'T ACT ON IT TODAY, THEIR, THEIR ORIGINAL PROPOSAL WOULD BE AUTOMATICALLY APPROVED.
UNION STREET IS A, A ROOF, AN OLD SIX WARD ON THE HERMAN LOCK HOUSE FOR APPROVAL.
ITEM D 4 8 20 ARLINGTON STREET ALTERATION ROOF IN HOUSTON HEIGHTS SOUTH FOR APPROVAL.
ITEM D 5 1 1 1 0 WEST GRAY STREET, A SIGN AT THE QUALITY LAUNDRY BUILDING FOR APPROVAL.
ITEM D 6 35 22, WHITE OAK DRIVE, ALTERATION SIGN IN HOUSTON HEIGHTS SOUTH FOR APPROVAL.
AND ITEM D 7 19 71 WEST GRAY STREET ALTERATION, SIGNED FOR APPROVAL ON THE RIVER OAKS THEATER AND SHOPPING CENTER LANDMARK.
AND WE ASK THAT ITEMS EIGHT AND NINE BE TAKEN INDIVIDUALLY AND, UH, TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
COMMISSION MEMBERS, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT CONSENT AGENDA? ARE THERE ANY ITEMS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE CONSIDERED INDIVIDUALLY? I HAVE A QUESTION ON ITEM TWO.
SO WHAT I HEARD YOU SAY IS, AFTER OUR LAST DEFERRAL, THE OWNERS HAVE NOT COMMUNICATED AT ALL WITH STAFF DENIAL.
WE HAD DEFERRED IT LAST MONTH OR THE MONTH BEFORE.
WINDBROOK WINDOWS IN GLENBROOK VALLEY.
I'M JUST GETTING SOME CLARITY 'CAUSE I WAS GONNA PULL IT.
BUT IF, IF WE DON'T HAVE ANY CONVERSATION WITH THEM AND WE'RE JUST GOING STRAIGHT DENIAL, THEN I'M GONNA LEAVE IT ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
I HAVE NO NEW INFORMATION TO PROVIDE FOR YOU ON THAT.
I I'D LIKE TO PULL THE D FIVE AND D SEVEN PLEASE.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER ITEMS? UH, YEAH, WOULD LIKE TO PULL, UH, D THREE.
SO CURRENTLY, UM, WHAT REMAINS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA ARE ITEMS D ONE, D TWO, D FOUR, AND D SIX.
UM, AT THIS TIME I'LL OPEN A PUBLIC HEARING AND JUST ASK IF ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC, UH, IS, IS SIGNED UP, EITHER, EITHER IN THE ROOM OR VIRTUALLY TO SPEAK ON ONE OF THESE ITEMS. PLEASE ANNOUNCE YOURSELF AND LET US KNOW IF YOU WOULD LIKE THIS ITEM TO BE DISCUSSED INDIVIDUALLY.
BUT PLEASE KNOW IF YOU ARE HERE IN SUPPORT OF ONE OF THESE ITEMS, UM, IS ABOUT TO BE VOTED ON AND LIKELY APPROVED.
SO I GUESS, IS THERE ANYONE THAT'S IN OPPOSITION TO ITEMS D ONE, D TWO, D FOUR OR D SIX
[00:45:01]
WOULD LIKE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, NOT HEARING.I'M GONNA CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT AND, UH, ASK IF THERE'S A RECOMMENDATION.
COULD, COULD I MAKE JUST A, A CLARIFICATION THAT THIS, THE VOTE FOR APPROVAL IS APPROVAL OF THE STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION? IT'S APPROVAL.
IT'S APPROVAL OF STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION, AND IT'S AN APPROVAL OF THESE, OF THESE ITEMS, UM, IN ONE VOTE, CORRECT.
APPROVAL OF STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION? YES.
AND, AND THE APPROVAL OF THESE, OF THE ITEMS AND, AND, AND THE, AND THE, NOT, NOT D TWO? YES.
THE MOTION SHOULD BE TO APPROVE STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS ON ITEMS 1, 2, 4, AND SIX.
DO YOU JUST MAKE THAT MOTION? I, I THINK IT WAS A POINT OF CLARIFICATION.
THAT MOTION, I'LL MAKE THE MOTION THAT WE ACCEPT STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION.
ARE THERE ANY OPPOSED? ARE THERE ANY ABSTENTIONS? OKAY, THAT MOTION PASSES.
UH, CHAIR, JUST A POINT OF ORDER.
I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THE COMMISSION TO TAKE THE ITEMS SLIGHTLY OUTTA ORDER SO THAT I MIGHT BE DISMISSED A LITTLE EARLY.
COULD WE TAKE ITEM NINE JUST OUT OF ORDER? 'CAUSE ITEM NINE IS THE POINT I PRESENTING.
AND THEN THE STAFF CAN PRESENT THE REST SECOND SO I CAN OKAY.
I'M NOT SURE IF WE TO VOTE ON THAT, BUT I, I ALSO GIVE MY RECOMMENDATION TO, TO DO THAT.
SO ROMAN, COULD YOU PLEASE PROCEED WITH ITEM NINE ON THE AGENDA? 5 0 7 EAST FIFTH STREET OPENING FOR ME.
ITEM D NINE IS, UH, AN ADDITION AT 5 0 7 EAST FIFTH STREET AND HEIGHT SOUTH
IT'S A CONTRIBUTING BUNGALOW CIRCA 1915, UH, ON THE EASTERN EDGE OF THE DISTRICT, THE PROPOSAL IS A REAR EDITION THAT IS A 1,312 SQUARE FOOT TWO STORY EDITION.
SOME POINTS ABOUT IT ARE THAT THEY'RE ASKING TO MOVE THE ORIGINAL HOUSE 88 INCHES, A LITTLE MORE THAN SEVEN FEET TO THE WEST.
AND THEN THE ADDITION IS TO BE INSET AT BOTH ORIGINAL REAR CORNERS.
IT IS A, AS YOU SEE IN THEIR PACKET, OR WE'LL SEE HERE IN A MINUTE, THAT THE REAR EDITION IS ARTICULATED, INCLUDING EXPOSED ROOF RAFTER TAILS.
IT'S, UM, INSET AND RECESSED ONE OVER ONE WINDOWS.
THE FIRST STORY OF THE REAR EDITION HAS A SMALL MUDROOM, BUT IS OTHERWISE OPEN SPACE.
THE TOTAL CONDITION SQUARE FOOTAGE OF THE PROJECT AS PROPOSED WOULD BE 2,300 SQUARE FEET, WHICH IS AT THE LIMIT OF THE FLORIDA AREA RATIO, BUT IT ALSO HAS AN APPROXIMATELY 900 SQUARE FOOT OPEN SPACE UNDER THE REAR EDITION, THE PROPOSED EDITION, UH, THAT'S COVERED THERE.
SO NOW WE'RE RECOMMENDING DEFERRAL ON THIS ITEM.
AND A LITTLE BACKGROUND ON THAT IS THAT, UH, THE APPLICANT, I DID ASK FOR A PRE-APPLICATION DESIGN REVIEW ABOUT A MONTH AGO, OR EVEN A LITTLE MORE, I BELIEVE.
AND IT, I, WE JUST DIDN'T GET TO IT.
IT WAS REALLY ASSIGNED TO ME AND I DIDN'T GET TO IT.
SO, UM, THAT'S, I WANNA LET YOU KNOW THAT'S PART OF THE REASON YOU'RE ASKING A DEFERRAL HERE.
SO THEY'RE MEETING WITH YOU NOW.
YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T USED TO HAVE PRE-APPLICATION DESIGN REVIEWS AND NOW WE DO, BUT THIS ONE DIDN'T GET THERE.
WE'RE GONNA RECOMMEND, I MEAN, AS IT WOULD STAND AS PROPOSED, WE WOULD RECOMMEND DENIAL ON CRITERIA ONE AND 10, AS WELL AS SOME ISSUES WITH THE MEASURABLE STANDARDS.
SO, UM, ONE BEING THAT THE MASSING AS PROPOSED IS OUTTA CHARACTER WITH THE PRODUCT PRO, UH, WITH THE CHARACTER OF THE PROPERTY.
AND ITEM 10, THAT THE MASSING IS OUTTA SCALE, UH, IN THE, IN WITH THE CHARACTER OF THE PROPERTY.
THAT BEING SAID, UM, IF WE COULD GO TO JUST PAGE THREE OF THE STAFF REPORT, UM, ON THE FAR SIDE OF IT, I WANT TO GO THROUGH THESE CAREFULLY.
I'M, YEAH, IT'S THREE MAXIMUM LOT COVERAGE.
SO THE PROPERTY'S 5,000 SQUARE FEET, THAT MEANS IT
[00:50:01]
CAN HAVE 42% LOT COVERAGE, WHICH WOULD BE 2100 SQUARE FEET.AND IT IS UNDER THAT, EVEN IF YOU INCLUDES THE, INCLUDE THAT OPEN AREA BELOW, IT'LL BE AT 2036.
THE SIDE SETBACKS AS PROPOSED IN THIS CURRENT DRAWING, IT ACTUALLY WOULDN'T MEET AS YOU SEE IT, IT'S GOT A FIVE FOOT SETBACK ON THE EAST AND A FIVE FOOT SETBACK ON A WEST.
BUT IT'S A TWO STORY ADDITION.
SO THEREFORE IT REQUIRES THE 15 FOOT CUMULATIVE SETBACK INSTEAD.
AND, AND SO NOW THE, THE ARCHITECT IS HERE AND HE BELIEVES HE COULD SOLVE THAT EASILY BY PUSHING OVER ONE SIDE OF IT, FIVE FEET, THE MAXIMUM FLORIDA AREA RATIO, UM, THE PROPOSED SQUARE FOOTAGE OF 2300 MEETS THAT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THIS COMMISSION HAS LOOKED AT A NUMBER OF PROJECTS OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS WHERE SOMEONE HAS BUILT CONDITION SPACE OVER IN KIND OF AN OPEN PORCH AREA.
AND WE HAD THE RECOMMENDATION THAT IF IT'S SUBSTANTIVE CONDITION SPACE UP THERE, WE SHOULD BE COUNTING THE SQUARE FOOTAGE BELOW IT, BECAUSE THE INTENT OF THE ORDINANCE IS TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE MASSING OF THE ADDITIONS.
SO IF YOU ADDED THE 960 SQUARE FOOT, WE WOULD BE AT 3,260 SQUARE FEET, AND THEREFORE 17% OVER THE FAR.
SO IT WOULD NOT MEET THAT SIDEWALL LENGTH AND INSET.
IT WOULD MEET EVE HEIGHT, IT WOULD MEET THOUGH THERE'S A LITTLE INACCURACY IN THE DRAWING.
AND THEN THE BUILDING WALL PLATE, IT WOULD MEET THE SECOND STORE.
THE SECOND FLOOR WALL PLATE IS SEVEN FOOT SIX INCHES.
NOW A LITTLE ABOUT THE CONTEXT AREA.
IF WE COULD GO FORWARD A COUPLE OF PAGES.
I I THINK THAT ONE OF THE THINGS I ALWAYS TRY TO JUST SPEAK BALANCED IN A BALANCED FASHION ABOUT THE PROJECT.
I THINK THIS IS A UNIQUE SITE AND THAT, UH, IN THE CONTEXT AREA THAT WE DON'T NORMALLY, UH, WANT TO TALK ABOUT NON CONSTRUING BUILDINGS.
BUT ON THAT FIRST PAGE OF THE CONTEXT AREA ON SIX 12, YOU, YOU'RE, YOU HAVE A NEW CONTEMPORARY STRUCTURE ACROSS THE STREET AND THAT PICTURE.
AND THEN THE NEXT PAGE, YOU DO HAVE A CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURE IMMEDIATELY ACROSS THE ALLEY.
SO YOU'RE NOW LOOKING WESTWARD, WESTWARD IN BOTH OF THOSE IMAGES OF THE SAME PROPERTY ACROSS THE ALLEY FROM THE PROPOSED PROJECT.
BUT IT DOES HAVE A SEPARATE DETACHED GARAGE APARTMENT.
BUT YOU NOTICE THAT KIND OF MASSING THAT IS A LITTLE BIT LONG THERE.
UM, AND THEN ON THE NEXT PAGE, UM, THE TOP IMAGE IS THE FRONT OF THAT SAME HOUSE I JUST SPOKE ABOUT.
YOU GET A SENSE OF THAT TWO STORY EDITION ON THE REAR, BUT THE NEXT PHOTO DOWN BELOW IS IMMEDIATELY, UM, ADJACENT TO THE PROPERTY TO THE WEST.
SO OBVIOUSLY A NON-CONTRIBUTING BUILDING BUILT PRIOR TO THE CON TO THE HISTORIC DISTRICT, QUITE LARGE, UH, MASSING THERE.
AND THEN THE NEXT PHOTOGRAPH ON NINE OF 12, UH, AT THE TOP NOW WE'RE LOOKING, UM, NORTHWARD FROM EAST FIFTH.
AND YOU SEE A LITTLE STRUCTURE TO THE RIGHT IN THE BACKYARD.
AND THEN, UH, BEYOND THAT IS WHERE THAT, BEHIND THAT TO YOUR RIGHT IS WHERE THIS ADDITION WOULD BE.
SO THAT'S SPEAKING TO THE VISIBILITY OF THE ADDITION.
AND JUST FOR SOME STRAIGHT CONTRIBUTING RESOURCES, THE BOTTOM IMAGE THERE AT, UM, 4 41 AND 4 43 COLUMBIA ARE CONTRIBUTING PROPERTIES ACROSS THIS TO THE STREET TO THE SOUTH.
IN NEXT PHOTOGRAPH ARE SOME INVENTORY, PHOTOGRAPHS ON PAGE 10 OF 12, UM, FROM 2010 NOTE IN 2010, THE BOTTOM IMAGE, THE COMPLETELY UNDEVELOPED ALLEYWAY, WHICH IS HOW QUICKLY THINGS HAVE CHANGED IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, COMPLETELY.
IT'S AMAZING WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT HOW THESE NEIGHBORHOODS HAVE TRANSFORMED OVER THE LAST 10 TO 20 YEARS.
THE NEXT PHOTOGRAPH WE GIVE YOU THE SANDBORN AND, UH, THIS IS THE HOME, IT'S THERE INDICATED ON THAT SANDBORN MAP AS WELL, UH, A GOOGLE IMAGE.
THIS HOME IS LARGELY AS IT WAS.
IF WE COULD GO NOW TO THE PROPOSAL, WHICH WOULD BE A COUPLE OF PAGES FORWARD.
UM, THERE IS A RENDERING IF WE COULD STOP THERE AT THAT RENDERING.
UM, JASON, ONE PAGE BACK ON THE LOWER PART, UH, YOU GET A SENSE OF THIS BUNGALOW WITH THE ADDITION TO THE REAR.
THE ARCHITECT AND I HAVE DISCUSSED A LOT.
AND, UM, HE HAS HAD OTHER PLANS, THREE OTHER TWO OR THREE OTHER ITERATIONS OF THIS.
IT'S JUST MOST RECENT ITERATION THAT HE'S ASKED TO, TO, TO MOVE IT OVER AS MAYBE A WAY TO, TO, UH, UH, DO IT IN A DIFFERENT WAY.
UH, THERE'S A, A CURRENT SITE PLAN.
NEXT PAGE, UH, SOME CONTEXT, UH, PHOTOGRAPHS.
THERE'S SOME STRUCTURES ON THE ALLEY ACROSS
[00:55:01]
THE STREET, UH, ACROSS THE ALLEYWAY.UM, AND, UH, THAT'S THE GARAGE ON THE TOP THAT'S CURRENTLY AT THE BACK OF THE LOT, WHICH WOULD BE DEMOLISHED, NON-CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURE.
THE, UM, PROPOSED SITE PLAN IS ON YOUR LEFT IN THIS IMAGE, UH, YOU SEE THE ORIGINAL CORNERS OF THE STRUCTURE.
THERE'S A HYPHEN, IF YOU WILL, AND THEN THAT AREA THERE, THERE ON THE LEFT.
UH, THE APPLICANT IS SHOWING THAT OPEN PORCH IS A PORCH AREA THERE.
UH, ROOM, COULD YOU BACK UP FOR A SECOND? BECAUSE PART OF THE DISCUSSIONS THAT'S BEEN IN THIS COMMISSION IS THAT NEGATIVE SPACE DOESN'T NECESSARILY DEFINE A PORCH.
A PORCH IS, WOULD BE, UH, UH, AN AN AREA THAT WOULD BE SIMILAR TO PORCHES WITHIN THE AREA OF CONTEXT IN THE GIVEN NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO THE DEPTH AND LENGTH OF A PORCH TO BE A PORCH WOULD BE SOMETHING SIMILAR TO WHAT WAS BUILT IN THAT AREA.
AND JUST BECAUSE SOMETHING'S COVERED DOESN'T MAKE IT A PORCH.
THAT'S BEEN THE, THE CONVERSATIONS ON THE COMMISSION WITH, WITH REGARD TO HAVING, UH, SECOND FLOOR VOLUME ABOVE THOSE NEGATIVE SPACES.
AND I'M PULLING UP THE HEIGHTS DESIGN GUIDELINES BECAUSE THE, THE, THE ARCHITECT AND I DISCUSSED IT A LOT.
UM, AND IF WE GO, YOU KNOW, LOOK, I WANNA GET TO PAGE SIX DASH 13 OF THE HEIGHTS DESIGN GUIDE TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE QUOTE ABOUT, UH, PORCHES.
JUST A COUPLE OF POINTS JUST IN REFERENCE TO WHAT YOU BROUGHT UP.
THERE'S A SECTION CALLED PORCHES, THE HEIGHT SIGN GUIDES.
AND IT SAYS A NEW PORCH MAY BE ADDED IN A LOCATION WHERE IT IS NOT AFFECTING THE INTEGRITY OF THE HISTORIC BUILDING, SUCH AS THE REAR OF THE BUILDING OR TOWARD THE REAR ON A SIDEWALL.
A NEW PORCH BY ITSELF IS NOT CONSIDERED AN ADDITION UNLESS IT IS ENCLOSED WITH WINDOWS AND WALLS.
A NEW PORCH CAN ALSO BE INCLUDED AS PART OF A LARGER ADDITION, PARTICULARLY WHEN THE PORCH HELPS TO REDUCE THE PERCEIVED MASS AND SCALE OF THE ADDITION.
AND FINALLY, I, UM, DESIGN A NEW PORCH TO BE COMPATIBLE WITH THE EXISTING BUILDING.
KEEP THE SCALE PROPORTION AND CHARACTER OF THE NEW PORCH COMPATIBLE WITH THE HISTORIC STRUCTURE.
NEW INTERPRETATIONS OF TRADITIONAL DESIGNS ARE APPROPRIATE.
FOR EXAMPLE, A NEW PORCH ON A CRAFTSMAN BUNGALOW MIGHT INCORPORATE FULL HEIGHT SQUARE TAPERED PORCH COLUMNS.
BUT I JUST WANTED TO THERE, THE WORD PORCH IS IN THE DESIGN ISLANDS ABOUT 200 TIMES, I THINK, BUT THAT PART OF IT SEEMS TO BE ON POINT.
SO IF WE'LL GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE SECOND FLOOR PLAN THERE.
UH, IT'S GOT, UH, THREE BEDROOMS, AND THEN ON THE RIGHT THERE'S ACTUALLY A LITTLE PORCH.
IT'S INSET ON THE SECOND FLOOR.
SO ON THE RIGHT, UH, THERE'S A LITTLE UNCONDITIONED PORCH THERE.
UH, THERE'S A, IF WE WANT TO, I'M SURE WHERE WE WANT TO GO WITH LOOKING AT THIS UPPER LEFT IS THE FRONT ELEVATION, UPPER RIGHT IS EXISTING ELEVATION.
AND BELOW IS THE, UH, EXISTING AT THE VERY BOTTOM OF THE EAST ELEVATION AND THE PROPOSED EAST ELEVATION.
LET'S SEE, WE'VE GOT, THE UPPER LEFT IS THE REAR ELEVATION, AND THE UPPER RIGHT IS A EXISTING REAR ELEVATION.
AND THE ONE IN THE MIDDLE IS THE EXISTING WEST ELEVATION.
AND BELOW THAT THE PROPOSED WEST ELEVATION.
SO, UM, I'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS AND I WANNA COMMENT THAT THE ARCHITECT IS HERE AND WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT.
OKAY, MR. JACKSON? WELL, I WAS GONNA ASK IF THE, IF THE APPLICANT IS OKAY WITH DEFERRAL.
WELL, THE REASON WE WENT THERE WITH THAT IS THAT HE DIDN'T GET A GOOD DESIGN REVIEW HAR IN AND UHHUH.
UM, I THINK THE APPLICANT RECOGNIZES A FEW THINGS THAT MIGHT BE AN ISSUE, BUT THE A THESE, THE OWNERS OF THE PROPERTY DID WANT THE PROJECT TO MOVE FORWARD.
THEY'RE READY TO, TO OCCUPY THIS HOUSE FURTHER.
THEY ALREADY LIVE IN IT, BUT THEY WANNA DO THIS.
I'M NOT, I'M ANSWERING THAT CAREFULLY TO SAY MY OTHER RECOMMENDATION WOULD'VE BEEN DENIAL.
IF, IF THE OPTION IS DENIAL, ARE THEY OKAY WITH DEFERRAL? YES.
WELL, MAYBE I'LL DEFER TO HIM.
I'LL ASK THE QUESTION IN A MINUTE.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OF, UH, ROMAN FROM COMMISSION? HAVE A QUESTION.
COMMISSIONER MCNEIL ROMAN, UH, PART OF MY CHALLENGE IN IN THIS IS, IS, UM, I HEAR THAT IT
[01:00:01]
MEETS ALL THE MEASURABLE STANDARDS, THE PLATE HEIGHT, THE RIDGE HEIGHT, RIGHT? AND THEN, BUT, BUT IT'S GETTING DEFERRED OR DENIED ON MASSING.AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE MEASURABLE STANDARD IS ON MASSING.
TO ME IT'S A VERY SUBJECTIVE TERM.
AND, AND IF THEY'RE MEETING ALL THE MEASURABLE STANDARDS, HOW DO I DEFINE MASSING? ESPECIALLY WHEN I LOOK AROUND THE CONTEXT AREA.
I, I HEAR THERE'S A NON-CONTRIBUTING HOUSE NEXT DOOR, BUT THE SIZE OF THE NON-CONTRIBUTING HOUSE IS MASSIVE.
THIS HOUSE IS SURROUNDED BY MASSIVE HOUSES.
AND SO I I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW YOU AND STAFF DECIDE TO POTENTIALLY DENY THIS PROJECT ON MASSING.
'CAUSE I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DEFINE MASSING.
SURE, COMMISSIONER, I THINK THAT'S YOU, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A VERY, VERY CRITICAL PART ABOUT IT.
THE, BUT THE CRITERIA, THE 11 CRITERIA, YOU KNOW, PRIOR TO THE ADOPTION OF THE HEIGHTS DESIGN GUIDELINES AND THE MEASURABLE STANDARDS THEREIN, YOU HAVE TO PUT A PROFESSIONAL LIE ON CRITERIA NUMBER, YOU KNOW, WHAT WAS IT? TWO.
AND WHEREVER I, IF WE CAN GO BACK TO THE CRITERIA PAGE IS SECOND OR THIRD PAGE.
AND IT IS OUR, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR PROFESSIONAL OPINION THAT THE MASSING WOULDN'T MEET THE CRITERIA.
UM, AND, AND THOSE WOULD BE THE, THE, THOSE TWO ITEMS. IT IS SUBJECTIVE AND IT GOES BEFORE THIS COMMISSION TO BE DECIDED UPON.
UM, IT'S INTERESTING TO ME BECAUSE I'VE NEVER HAD MEASURABLE STANDARDS IN ANY OF MY REVIEW WHERE I'VE ONLY HAD THE SUBJECTIVE LOOKING AT DOES THIS DIMINISH THE CHARACTER OR THE QUALITY OF THAT, OR THE CHARACTER OF THE DISTRICT OR OF THE BUILDING.
THIS CASE THOUGH, I THINK THE CON THE, THE, THE, UH, CONTEXT AREA AS YOU POINT OUT IS VERY IMPORTANT.
AND I THINK IT DOES COME INTO PLAY IN THE BEGINNING OF THE, HE DESIGN EYELINES.
IT HAS A STATEMENT THAT EACH PROJECT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED ON ITS OWN AND IN ITS OWN PLACE.
UM, AND THIS IS A NUMBERED STREET RUNNING EAST WEST.
SO THE WAY THE CONTEXT FITS TO THE SIDE IS DIFFERENT THAN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BLOCK ON COLUMBIA GOING NORTH SOUTH.
SO IT, IT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHY I WOULD BRING IT THIS WAY.
SO I, I MEAN, I WOULD LOOK AT THIS HOUSE DIFFERENTLY IF IT WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF A BLOCK ON ALL ONE STORY BUNGALOWS OR, UH, HOUSES THAT HAVE VERY, YOU KNOW, GENTLE ADDITIONS BECAUSE THE MASSING MIGHT BE OUTTA PLACE ON THAT BLOCK FACE, BUT ON THIS BLOCK FACE IT DOESN'T, IT SEEMS DIMINUTIVE COMPARED TO EVERYTHING ELSE AROUND IT.
SO I'M JUST, I WAS JUST TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, GET A SENSE OF HOW YOU CONSIDERED MASSING MR. COSGROVE, IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION.
I THOUGHT YOU SAID THAT IT DID NOT MEET THE SETBACKS FOR THE MEASURABLE STANDARDS AND IN, IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE THAT THERE WAS, WE, UH, UM, ALTHOUGH THE, THE ARCHITECT SAID HE COULD REVISE TO MEET THE CUMULATIVE SIDE SETBACK IS I BELIEVE THE ONLY ONE, UM, THAT, LET ME, LET ME, I DON'T WANT TO FOR SURE THAT ONE, BUT I WANT TO, BUT JUST TO BE CLEAR, IT DOES NOT CURRENTLY MEET THE MEASURABLE STANDARDS AND WE CANNOT TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION ANYTHING THAT THE ARCHITECT BRINGS FORWARD TODAY.
WELL, YOU COULD DO A CONDITIONAL APPROVAL.
I MEAN, THAT IS, BUT WE REALLY AREN'T SUPPOSED TO BE REVIEWING PLANS THAT HE SUBMITS TODAY DURING THE COURSE OF THE DISCUSSION.
AND I WOULD SAY ABOUT MASSING TO ME HAS ALWAYS BEEN THAT THE ADDITION SHOULD BE SUBSERVIENT TO THE ORIGINAL STRUCTURE.
AND I LOOK AT THIS AND I SEE ALL ADDITION AND I FEEL THE ORIGINAL HOUSE IS LOST.
AND THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN HOW I HAVE MET PERSONALLY MEASURED MASSING.
IT'S NOT SO MUCH ABOUT SIZE AS HOW DOES WE'RE TASKED WITH PRESERVING THAT ORIGINAL HOUSE.
AND SO THAT'S HOW I LOOK AT IT.
UM, AND, AND I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO REITERATE YOUR POINT.
UH, ALSO THAT, UH, THE, THE CONDITION SPACE ON TOP OF A CARPORT LOOKING THING AT THE BACK HAS COME BEFORE THIS COMMISSION, I THINK A FEW TIMES, ESPECIALLY IN THE HEIGHTS AND HAS BEEN LOOKED UNFAVORABLY, UH, AS PART OF THE, UH, VOTE PROCESS.
AND I THINK YOU ALSO MENTIONED THAT IF WE INCLUDE THAT, UH, THE CONDITION SPACE WITH THAT CARPORT, IT DOES NOT ALSO MEET THE FARM.
AM I RIGHT? BECAUSE I THINK YOU MENTIONED SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
THAT'S, AND THAT CALLS INTO QUESTION AND, AND THE ARCHITECT'S GONNA TALK ABOUT THAT, BUT HE FEELS THAT THE LANGUAGE AND THE GUIDELINES APPEARS TO, UH, APPEARS TO SAY THAT THIS SPACE COULD BE, UH, SHOULD BE THAT THE, THAT THE MEASURABLE STANDARDS THAT WHAT IT STATES ABOUT FAR IS THAT PORCHES SHOULD BE EX OPEN, AIR PORCHES SHOULD BE EXCLUDED FROM THE P FAR.
AND I THINK THAT THAT IS, UH, AT A POINT THAT'S POSSIBLY NOT CLEAR ENOUGH YET IN OUR GUIDELINES.
I MEAN, MAYBE I THINK THAT'S WHERE THERE'S SOME
[01:05:01]
INTERPRETATION.BUT I THINK, BUT FOR SURE, WE, WE HEARD YOU WHEN YOU SAID, HEY, COUNT, WE WANNA HEAR WHAT THE SQUARE FOOTAGE IS, WHICH MAKES SENSE.
'CAUSE THE INTENT OF THE ORDINANCE YES.
SO THAT'S WHY WE PUT IT BACK IN AND I GIVE YOU THAT NUMBER THAT IS, IT WOULD BE THEN 3,260 SQUARE FOOT, WHICH, UM, IT INCLUDED WOULD BE 63% OR OVER THE FAR BY 17, 17%.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE AS A COMMISSION, ACT CONSISTENTLY WITH PAST RECORDS OF HOW WE HAVE QUOTE UNQUOTE, DENIED CERTAIN DESIGNS, AND SUDDENLY WE ARE, YOU KNOW, LIKE BECOMING WILLY-NILLY.
AND I THINK IN THE PAST VOTES, AND I THINK DISAPP APPOINT COMMISSIONER COUCH BROAD, IS THAT A PORCH IS SOMETHING THAT LOOKS LIKE A PORCH.
AND IF IT'S A VERY ADVENTUROUS OPEN SPACE, THAT'S LOOKS LIKE A CARPORT.
BUT IT'S, IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S THERE, THERE ARE NO PORCHES IN THE CONTEXT AREA THAT SIZE AND ADVENTUROUSNESS.
I MEAN, I THINK, UH, THAT THAT'S THE PART THAT'S NOT ENVISIONED IN, UM, IN THIS CONCEPT.
NOW, IF THAT PORCH DIDN'T HAVE A SECOND FLOOR MASS ON IT, THEN IT MIGHT NOT BE AN ISSUE BEING AT THE REAR OF THE PROPERTY.
BUT THE, THE ISSUE IS THE, IT'S THE SIZE, I THINK IS THE, THE CONVERSATION THAT THIS COMMISSION HAS HAD IN THE PAST.
AND I THINK THE COMMISSION HAS BEEN WILLING TO CONSIDER SPACE IS THAT OUR APPROPRIATE FOR A PORCH.
UM, BUT WHEN THEY ARE A WHOLESALE VERY S YOU KNOW, LARGE TAKING OF SPACE THAT PUMPS UP THE OVERALL MASSING, THAT'S WHERE WE'VE GOT INTO THIS CONVERSATION IN THE PAST.
I WANNA MAKE ONE COMMENT TO COMMISSIONER YAPS.
UH, YOU DIDN'T ASK THIS QUESTION.
THERE'S ONE CASE WHERE, AND UNFORTUNATELY WAS IN JUNE OF 21, I THINK WE WERE IN THE OFFICE STILL REACTING TO COVID AND BEING IN, AND THERE IS A, AND THE A THE ARCHITECT WILL BRING IT UP.
IT'S A, AND ODDLY HE'S WORKING ON A PROJECT WHERE HE TOOK IT OVER AND IT, IT INVOLVES IN A, A C OF A.
AND THE PROJECT WAS ESSENTIALLY A CARPORT WITH CONDITION SPACE OVER IT.
IT WAS ON OUR CONSENT AGENDA IN JUNE.
AND MY APOLOGIES THAT IT, IT, IT SAT THERE AND, AND IT PASSED.
SO WE DID PULL SIX OR EIGHT ITEMS ON THAT AGENDA, BUT THAT ONE ITEM DID GO THROUGH.
WE DON'T HAVE TO, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT OBLIGATED BECAUSE THAT HAPPENED ONE TIME TO DO ANYTHING.
I'M JUST LETTING YOU KNOW THAT WE'VE BEEN PRETTY, AND THEN AFTER THAT, THE THREE OR FOUR ITEMS WE'VE DONE, WE'VE BEEN VERY CONSISTENT ON, ON THEM.
I, I HAVE A QUESTION ALSO ABOUT MOVING THE HOUSE.
'CAUSE IN THE PAST WE'VE BEEN RESISTANT TO LETTING PEOPLE DO THAT, AND SEVEN FEET IS A LOT.
SO IS THAT, AND THE GUIDELINES, CAN YOU REMIND ME IF THERE'S ANYTHING ABOUT THAT? BECAUSE I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE, THE WAY THEY HAD THE HOUSES ON THE SITE AS PART OF THE HISTORICAL INTEGRITY OF THE DISTRICT.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT LIKE LOCATIONS FOR GARAGES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, I'LL, MAYBE I CAN, IF YOU LET ME WORK ON THAT AND HEAR FROM THEM, COMMISSIONER.
WE, WE HAVEN'T TYPICALLY BEEN, UH, LOOKED FAVORABLY UPON RELOCATION AND IN HIS FIRST PLAN THAT CAME FORWARD, IT WASN'T ACTUALLY.
SO, UH, BUT IF YOU GIMME SOME TIME, I, I COULD PULL IT UP, BUT I KNOW THAT WE'D GENTLY WANT TO LOOK AT THAT AND THE GUIDELINES CERTAINLY HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY ABOUT IT.
I JUST DON'T HAVE IN FRONT OF ME.
COMMISSIONER MCNEILL P PIGGYBACK ON COMMISSIONER COUCH.
IS THERE A CONSISTENT BLOCK FACE ON THAT? MOVING THE HOUSE BACK THEN AFFECTS, BUT IT'S MOVING IT SIDE TO THE SIDE.
SO THE, SO THE DISTANCE TO THE STREET REMAINS THE SAME? YES.
WELL, AT THIS TIME, I'M GONNA OPEN THIS UP TO A PUBLIC, UM, THE PUBLIC HEARING.
AND I KNOW THE APPLICANT IS HERE AND WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK.
AND SO I'D LIKE TO HAVE HIM JOIN THE MEETING AND PLEASE ANNOUNCE YOURSELF AND, AND ADDRESS THE COMMISSION.
GOOD AFTERNOON, COMMISSIONERS.
I AM THE DESIGNER ON THIS PROPERTY.
UM, AND Y'ALL BROUGHT UP EXACTLY THE POINTS THAT I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT, WHICH IS ONE COMMISSIONER BUTCH.
IT'S THE DEFINITION OF THE PORCH.
I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S THE PART THAT'S VERY AMBIGUOUS.
UM, AND THE FAR, UH, THE GUIDELINES SPECIFICALLY STATES THAT EXCLUDE OPEN PORCH OR SCREENED IN PORCHES.
UM, ROMAN MENTIONED TO THAT OTHER PROJECT THAT DID PASS.
UM, AND I'M BUILDING THAT PROJECT.
I DIDN'T DESIGN IT, BUT I'M BUILDING IT.
UM, SO IT'S, AS A DESIGNER, IT'S HARD TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO PROCEED WHEN A CLIENT COMES AND ASKS FOR, FOR, FOR ITEMS LIKE THIS.
UM, PARTLY IS THERE CONSISTENCY? IS THERE NOT CONSISTENCY IS THERE THAT CLAUSE IN THE BEGINNING OF THE DOCUMENT, IT SAYS, DEPENDING ON THE PROPERTY OR THE LOCATION OF THE PROPERTY,
[01:10:01]
NOT EVERYTHING APPLIES TO THE SAME.NOT ALL ITEMS THAT PASS FOR ONE LOT ARE THE SAME FOR THE OTHER LOTS.
UM, SO THAT'S ONE OF THE ISSUES.
THE OTHER IS PRECISELY ALSO WHAT COMMISSIONER MCNEIL MENTIONED WAS THAT, UM, THE CONTEXT AREA WHERE THIS HOUSE IS, EVERYTHING IS TWO STORY STRUCTURES RIGHT AROUND IT.
IT'S THE ONLY ONE STORY STRUCTURE IN THE MIDDLE.
SO THERE'S NOT THE CONSISTENT BLOCK FACE.
UM, SO I THINK IT, THE WAY THE ADDITION IS DESIGNED, IT DOES KIND OF FIT INTO THE CONTEXT OF WHAT'S THERE.
ONE IS, ONE IS, UH, CONTRIBUTING, ONE'S NON-CONTRIBUTING.
UM, ON THE NORTH, THE HOUSE THAT BUTTS UP TO THE NORTH IS ALSO TWO STORIES.
SO IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A BIG, IT'S A LARGE BUILT UP SITE WITH ONE SINGULAR HOUSE IN THE MIDDLE.
SO THAT WAS DEALING WITH THE PORCH AND THE HOW DO WE DEAL WITH WHAT IS A PORCH, UM, DEALING WITH THE MASSING.
I THINK THE MASSING WAS THE HARDEST.
NOW ALSO, I DID JUST A COUPLE HOURS BEFORE THIS MEETING, I GOT SOME CLARITY ON ONE PART OF THE GUIDELINES THAT I WAS REALLY VAGUE OR, OR NOT REALLY UNDERSTANDING, WHICH IS THE COMM CU CUMULATIVE SIDE SETBACKS.
UM, IN TALKING TO ROMAN EARLIER TODAY, I REALIZED THAT I DID NOT COMPLY WITH THE MEASURABLE STANDARDS.
AND I THINK THERE'S A FAIRLY SIMPLE SOLUTION.
UM, BUT BESIDES THAT, EVERYTHING ELSE ON THE MEASURABLE STANDARD SIDES, I THINK WAS, UH, WASN'T IN FOLLOWING THE GUIDELINES.
UM, BUT IT'S THIS ISSUE ABOUT THE PORCH.
AND, AND IF IT'S A QUESTION ABOUT THE ADDITION BEING, UM, SECONDARY TO THE HOUSE, TO THE ORIGINAL STRUCTURE, ANYTIME A TWO STORY BUILDING OR A TWO STORY ADDITION IS BEHIND A ONE STORY HOUSE, IT'S GONNA BE BIGGER THAN THE HOUSE.
IT'S GONNA FEEL BIGGER THAN THE HOUSE.
UM, SO IF WE DON'T GET APPROVAL RIGHT NOW, WHICH THE CLIENTS OBVIOUSLY WOULD PREFER THAT WE DO GET APPROVAL, UM, I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S THE PATH FORWARD TO REDESIGN SO THAT IT DOESN'T COME BACK AND STILL FEEL BIG.
WE ARE AGAIN, MEETING ALL THE STANDARDS EXCEPT THAT ONE THAT I CAN ADJUST.
BUT THAT'S KIND OF WHERE I AM WITH THIS.
ANY QUESTION? YEAH, I, I GUESS I'D LIKE TO HEAR A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THAT.
'CAUSE UH, AND THE STANDARDS ARE NOT MY, MY STRONG SUIT, BUT I MEAN, IF, AS, AS ROMAN IS SUGGESTING, IF THAT SECOND STORY OVER THE OPEN SPACE, THE PORT COSHER, IT'S NOT A PORCH.
UM, IF THAT IS FACTORED IN, YOU'RE NOT MEETING THE MEASURABLE STANDARDS.
SO I THINK TO YOUR QUESTION OF BETTER UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE MASSING IS, I I THINK THAT'S A, A PART OF IT.
UM, SHAVING THAT PART OFF, THAT 906 FEET THAT GETS YOU BACK UNDER THE MEASURABLE STANDARDS WOULD ADDRESS THE MASSING ISSUE FROM AN APPEARANCE OR, YOU KNOW, FROM THE, FROM THE AESTHETICS OF IT.
BUT IF YOU, IF, AND, AND IT GOES BACK TO THE QUESTION OF WHAT IS A PORCH? IT'S CALLED A PORCH.
SO IF IT'S CALLED A PORCH, THEN IT SAYS THE STANDARDS DO SAY THAT THOSE, THE SQUARE FOOTAGE OF A PORCH IS EXCLUDED.
I'M NOT, I'M NOT ARGUING THE PORCH WITH YOU, BUT YOU, YOU ASKED THE, THE QUESTION I, I'D LIKE TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE, THE CONCERNS OR THE ISSUE WITH MASSING.
AND, AND I, I THINK MY RESPONSE IS, UM, IF, IF, IF YOU'RE LOOKING TO ADDRESS THE MASSING, THAT 906 SQUARE FEET THAT IS, IS ARGUABLE WHETHER IT'S, IT'S, YOU KNOW, CONTRIBUTES TO THE, TO THE MEASURABLE STANDARDS OR NOT.
I MEAN, WHETHER IT'S UP HERE OR DOWN HERE, THAT'S WHAT'S THROWING YOU OVER THOSE MEASURABLE STANDARDS.
UM, AND, AND THAT UP HERE HAS A SIGNIFICANT APPEARANCE ON THE OVERALL MASSING OF THE STRUCTURE.
AND I'LL JUST TO CLARIFY, UH, WHEN THE ORDINANCE WAS CREATED, THE LANGUAGE THAT YOU HAVE THAT YOU'RE READING, IT WAS BASED ON MASSING STUDIES THAT THE PUBLIC LOOKED AT OF, OF, OF OCCUPIABLE SPACE.
AND TWO STORY, UM, SPACES PUT BEHIND ONE STORY, UH, HOMES, FOR INSTANCE.
AND, AND A CONCESSION WAS MADE TO TACK ON PORCHES TO THE SIDES OF THOSE THAT WOULD NOT COUNT AGAINST THE FAR.
AND WHERE WE GOT INTO INTENSE CONVERSATIONS AT THIS COMMISSION IS WHEN, UM, I THINK THERE ARE CASES WHERE WE'VE ALLOWED PORCHES UNDERNEATH, BUT THEY WERE NOT A, A A A, A HUGE, UM, UH, ADVENTUROUS, I'LL CALL IT ADVENTUROUS, JUST BECAUSE, UH, PART OF THE ORDINANCE THAT WE'RE STILL UNDER IN TERMS OF THE, THE CRITERIA IS THAT THE MASSING OF THE ADDITION AND EVEN THE MASSING OF THE
[01:15:01]
PORCH WOULD HAVE SOME SIMILARITY TO PORCHES THAT WERE IN BUILT BEING BUILT IN THAT CONTEXT OF THAT PARTICULAR NEIGHBORHOOD.SO IN THAT REGARD, WHAT WE, WHAT WE HAVE LOOKED AT IS HOW BIG WERE THE PORCHES IN THE CONTEXT AREA ON THE CONTRIBUTING PROPERTIES THAT WERE STORING, WHETHER THEY WERE WRAPAROUND OR WHETHER THEY WERE ON ONE SIDE.
HOW DEEP WERE THEY? UM, THE COMMISSION REALLY DOESN'T HAVE AN ISSUE, I DON'T THINK, WITH PORCHES THAT LOOK A LOT LIKE THE PORCHES THAT WERE DEVELOPED THERE OVER TIME, WITHIN THE PERIOD OF SIGNIFICANCE.
IT'S, IT, IT'S, IT'S JUST THESE CONVERSATIONS HAPPEN WHEN WE GET INTO THESE REALLY LARGE, UH, SPACES, WHICH THE RESULT OF THIS IS THAT IT PUMPS UP THE VOLUME MASSING OF THE OVERALL FORM.
AND THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THE PUBLIC EVER LOOKED AT WHEN THEY APPROVED OF THESE, OF THE FAR ITSELF.
SO IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST PART OF A, AND THIS WAS A NUANCED CON COMMUNICATION BACK AND FORTH, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE THE CONVERSATION COMES.
THAT, THAT THE DEFINITION OF PORCH IS ONLY ONE PART OF WHAT WE LOOK AT.
THERE'S, WE STILL HAVE THE CRITERIA THAT WE ALSO HAVE TO MEET.
AND, AND SO THAT, THAT'S PART OF THIS DISCUSSION.
BUT AGAIN, IT'LL BE UP TO COMMISSION MEMBERS, UM, IN TERMS OF WHAT THEY WANT TO DO.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR THE APPLICANT? MY COMMENT IS THAT I THINK, UH, MAYBE GIVEN A CHANCE TO HAVE, UH, THE PROJECT ARCHITECT AND, AND NOW DEDICATED SOME TIME, UH, BY THE PRESERVATION OFFICER, AND IT'S TIME, MAYBE THIS, WE WOULDN'T EVEN NEED TO COME TO THIS, UH, UH, IMPASSE IF THAT'S THE CASE.
I MEAN, THE FACT THAT I HEAR ON THE BACKGROUND IS THAT Y'ALL NEVER HAD A CHANCE TO WORK TOGETHER.
AND, AND THAT'S WHY ALL OF A SUDDEN SOMETHING STICKY IS COMING UP HERE IN ON THIS COMMISSION WHEN I WOULD MAYBE SUGGEST THAT, UH, TAKE THAT TIME AS A DEFERRAL TIME AND THEN WORK WITH, UH, PRESERVATION STAFF AND THEN, UH, MAYBE THIS WILL NOT BE A NON-ISSUE NEXT TIME YOU COME BACK.
THAT'S, THAT'S MY, UH, SUGGESTION.
NO, AND I, I, I THINK THAT THAT IS THE RIGHT PATH FORWARD.
I JUST, I, AS A DESIGNER BEING PAID BY CLIENTS, I ALSO NEED TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND WHAT IS THE CORRECT PATH FORWARD SO THAT WE DON'T PROPOSE SOMETHING EVEN WORKING WITH ROMAN, UM, THAT, UH, THAT WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS AGAIN.
UM, AND I THINK THE QUESTION ULTIMATELY IS THE PORCH AND THE SIZE OF THE PORCH.
UM, BECAUSE YES, IF YOU REDUCE THE PORCH, THEN YOU HAVE MORE, YOU REDUCE THE MASS IF, IF IT DOESN'T COUNT AGAINST YOUR SQUARE FOOTAGE.
UM, I MEAN I, YEAH, IT JUST, IT, IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING NOBODY LIKES TO HEAR, BUT I MEAN, WHEN YOU BUY IN A HISTORIC DISTRICT, YOU DON'T GET TO HAVE ALL THE SPACE THAT YOU WANT.
UM, AND SO I THINK WE WANT TO TRY AND WORK WITH YOU AND STAFF WANTS TO TRY AND WORK WITH YOU AND THE OWNERS TO, TO HIT THAT, THAT PERFECT BALANCE, UH, TO, YOU KNOW, TO GIVE YOUR CLIENTS THE SPACE, UM, AND TO ALLOW THEM TO CONTINUE TO, TO STEWARD THIS HISTORIC HOME.
I THINK THE ISSUE IS LESS, DOES THE PORCH COUNT AND MORE THE KIND OF, UM, AMBIGUOUS MASSING QUESTION.
I MEAN, I THINK IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A MASSING QUESTION.
UM, AND AGAIN, CONTEXT IS BIG AROUND IT.
SO I THINK THERE'S SOME, THERE'S SOME ROOM I THINK FOR, NOT FOR NECESSARILY BIG, BUT A TWO STORY EDITION I THINK IS JUSTIFIED AND IS ON THE SITE.
I, I THINK THE TWO STORY EDITION IS FINE.
WE APPROVE THOSE ALL THE TIME.
I, I THINK THAT THE, THE COMMISSION'S HAVING A STRUGGLE TO RECONCILE THE GIGANTIC PORCH WITH THE DESIGN.
'CAUSE THE PORCH IS SO LARGE MM-HMM
IT'S, IT'S LIKE BIGGER THAN A REGULAR LIVING ROOM, FAMILY ROOM THING.
SO I, I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY WHAT NEEDS TO BE REDUCED IN SIZE.
AND BEN, GOING BACK TO, OH, COMMISSIONER BEN, GOING BACK TO YOUR COMMENT ABOUT MOVING THE HOUSE, THE ONLY REASON THAT WE FELT, OR I FELT MOVING THE HOUSE OVER ONE, 'CAUSE IT, BASED ON THE GUIDELINES, THERE, THERE IS THAT OPTION TO MOVE A HOUSE IF YOU MEET CERTAIN CRITERIA.
UM, BUT IT WAS ALSO TOUCHING ON THE POINT THAT THE GUIDELINES MENTIONED IN ORDER TO KEEP, UM, MAINTAIN THE ADDITION LESS VISIBLE FROM THE STREET, THAT THE ADDITION BE IN LINE WITH THE, WITH THE EXISTING WALL OF THE HOUSE.
SO THE THOUGHT WAS IF THE ADDITION'S HERE, BUT YOU MOVE THE HOUSE, THEN YOU MAINTAIN THAT LINE.
SO THAT WAS THE REASON WHY WE DECIDED TO MOVE THE HOUSE INSTEAD OF SHIFTING THE ADDITION, BECAUSE THE ADDITION IS ALMOST
[01:20:01]
FULL WIDTH WITHIN, WITHIN THE SETBACKS.BUT I THINK THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE ANOTHER ISSUE THAT WE WANNA MAKE SURE IF WE CAN MOVE THE HOUSE OR IF WE CAN'T MOVE IT, THAT WE HAVE THAT AS A, AS A UNDERSTANDING BEFORE WE WE PROPOSE SOMETHING NEW OR REVISION.
AND WE PROBABLY WILL FOLLOW UP THE ROMAN ABOUT ON THAT QUESTION.
UM, WHEN WE, ONCE WE CLOSE PUBLIC DISCUSSION, MACNEAL THE TWO, THE TWO ITEMS THAT ARE POINTED OUT ARE MASSING.
SO I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE'S A MOVING THE HOUSE ISSUE.
I, UH, UH, I, I CERTAINLY WANT YOU TO BUILD, I DON'T WANT YOU TO COME BACK BEFORE COMMISSION AND, AND OUR NEXT MEETING AND THEN PRESENT US WITH SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T GET APPROVAL.
AND BASED ON WHAT I HEAR, UM, IT IS, YES, THE CONTEXT AREA IS LARGE, BUT IF YOU REDUCE THE, LIKE MAYBE ACTUALLY MADE A CARPORT OUT OF THE CARPORT AREA, AND THEN THE REST OF THAT WAS PORCH AND DEAL WITH THE SIZE OF THE SECOND STORY RIGHT ABOVE, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT YOU'RE MOVING THE BUILDING IS GONNA BE AN ISSUE WITH, 'CAUSE IT'S NOT AMASSING ISSUE MAYBE.
BUT, BUT AGAIN, TO COMMISSIONER YAPP CON, UM, UM, CONCEPT OF WORKING WITH ROMAN, BRINGING IT BACK FOR THE COMMISSION, HAVING THE SETBACKS ACCURATE, THEN WE CAN REVIEW THE PLANS AS AN ACCURATE WHOLE AND THEN HOPEFULLY GIVE YOU APPROVAL SO YOU CAN GET GOING.
AND JUST DESIGN WISE, THERE'S THINGS THAT WE'VE SEEN ON THESE ADDITIONS WHERE INSTEAD OF A GABLE ROOF TO DO A HIP ROOF TO MAKE THE LOOK VISUALLY SMALLER AND, YOU KNOW, NOT NECESSARILY HAVE A BIG OVERHANG ON THE ROOF, HAVE A SMALLER ONE, THINGS LIKE THAT TO MAKE IT.
AND, AND THE COLUMNS IN THE BACK MAYBE JUST HAVE THEM BE POSTS OR SOMETHING INSTEAD OF ARTICULATED WITH THE BRICK AND THE WOOD SECTION ON TOP.
JUST, JUST TO KIND OF MAKE IT LOOK LESS LIKE IT'S TRYING TO, TO LOOK HISTORIC, BUT JUST TRYING TO LOOK LIKE AN ADDITION THAT WAS BUILT IN 2023 INSTEAD OF SOMETHING THAT'S BUILT IN 1923.
OR I EVEN WONDER, I'LL SLAP MY WRIST OF THIS IS, IS DESIGNING, BUT THE, THE SECOND STORY BALCONY, I MEAN IT FROM MY, FROM MY OBSERVATION, IF THAT WERE EXPOSED AND NOT PART OF THE MASS OF THAT SECOND STORY, THAT WOULD HELP MINIMIZE MM-HMM
YOU KNOW, IF THE CLIENTS WOULD BE OPEN TO SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
I'M GONNA ASK IF THERE'S ANY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT ARE ATTENDING VIRTUALLY THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM.
THIS IS, UH, KEVIN SIMMONS, THE, UH, HOMEOWNER.
CAN YOU SAY YOUR NAMES ONE MORE TIME? YOU WERE LITTLE, UM, FAINT WHEN YOU FIRST ANNOUNCED YOURSELF.
UH, SORRY ABOUT THAT, KEVIN AND TAB SIMMONS.
YOU CAN PLEASE ADDRESS THE COMMISSION.
I JUST WANTED TO CLEAR SOMETHING UP.
I KNOW WE'RE HUNG UP ON THE PORCH AREA, BUT WE'VE EXHAUSTED THE GUIDELINES.
WE'VE LOOKED AT THE GUIDELINES ON HOW TO EXPAND THIS HOUSE.
I'VE BEEN IN THIS HOUSE 12 YEARS.
UM, I AM GETTING MARRIED IN A COUPLE MONTHS AND I'M INHERITING TWO YOUNG KIDS.
SO WITH THE GUIDELINES, WE ARE LOOKING AT, UH, UH, ADDING A GARAGE APARTMENTS, AND I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH PUTTING TWO YOUNG BOYS IN A GARAGE APARTMENT.
SO THE ONLY THING WE COULD COME UP WITH IS WHAT BERNARDO DESIGNED.
AND THAT PORCH AREA IS PORCH SLASH PARKING AREA.
SO IT'S NOT A, UH, 900 SQUARE FOOT PORCH.
IT IS PARTIAL CARPORT, PARTIAL PORCH.
AND THE REASON WE DECIDED TO GO TWO STORY WAS BECAUSE IT FITS IN WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AS WAS STATED EARLIER, WE ARE THE ONLY SINGLE STORY BUNGALOW ON THE BLOCK.
THAT'S WHY WE CAME UP WITH THE DESIGN THAT WE DID TO TRY TO FIT IN WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, AS FAR AS MOVING THE HOUSE, I AM, I'M NOT A BIG FAN OF MOVING THE HOUSE.
UM, BUT WITH THE GUIDELINES, WITHOUT EXPANDING OUT ON BOTH SIDES OF THE HOUSE, READING THE GUIDELINES, IT WAS, THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE CAME UP WITH THAT WE MAY HAVE TO MOVE THE HOUSE OVER.
AND, UM, THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
[01:25:01]
I, I, WE WILL FOLLOW UP WITH A QUESTION WITH ROMAN ABOUT MOVING OR NOT TO MOVE IN REGARDING TO THE GUIDELINES, BUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR, YOUR WORDS.ARE THERE ANY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT'D LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? OKAY, IF THERE'S NOT, I'M GONNA CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
AND, UM, I GUESS ONE, ONE QUESTION WHICH HAS BEEN RAISED IS THE REASON THEY'RE SUGGESTING MOVING THE HOUSE WAS THEIR INTERPRETATION OF THE GUIDE OF THE GUIDELINES TO BLOCK THE MASS OF THE ADDITION BEHIND.
UM, I MEAN, THE, THE BUILDING BEHIND IS WIDER THAN THE HOUSE IN FRONT.
WHETHER, WHETHER IT MOVES OR DOESN'T MOVE, IT'S, IT'S AN, SO I DON'T, I'M NOT SURE WHAT POSITION OF STAFF HAS, I MEAN, THAT'S THE ONLY TIMES WE'VE REALLY MOVED HOUSES.
IF THEY WERE REALLY CLOSE TO SIDE SETBACK AND DIDN'T MEET THE MINIMUM FIRE PROTECTION REQUIREMENTS FOR THE CITY THAT WE, I KNOW THAT WE ALLOWED MOVEMENT CHAIR CHU THE, THE GUIDELINES THAT WERE JUST UP MENTIONED COMPELLING CIRCUMSTANCES AS A CONDITION FOR MOVING A HOUSE.
I DON'T THE INTERNET, DON'T THINK ANY OF US HAVE SEEN OR HEARD OF COMPELLING CIRCUMSTANCES THAT WOULD SORT OF IMPROVE THE STRATEGY HERE.
YEAH, IT JUST TO, TO, TO CHAIR CUR, UH, COMMISSIONER CURRY'S POINT, WE BROUGHT 'EM UP HERE, BUT IN THE GUIDELINES THERE IS A MENTION, UH, IT SAYS HERE AT THE BOTTOM, THIS CRITERIA APPLIES TO EITHER MOVING THE STRUCTURE TO A DIFFERENT LOCATION ON THE SAME LOT OR MOVING IT TO A DIFFERENT LOT.
AND IT, AND JUST TO GO THROUGH 'EM A IS THE STRUCTURE CAN BE RE RELOCATED WITHOUT SIGNIFICANTLY DIMINISHING THE INTEGRITY OF IT.
UH, THE STRUCTURE CAN BE MOVED WITHOUT SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO IT IS B, C THE STRUCTURE WILL BE LOCATED TO AN AREA THAT'S COMPATIBLE WITH AND RETAINS THE DISTINGUISHING QUALITIES AND HISTORICAL ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER OF THE CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURE.
D THERE ARE COMPELLING CIRCUMSTANCES JUSTIFYING THE RELOCATION OF THE STRUCTURE AND D THE FRONT AND SIDE SETBACKS OF THE STRUCTURE IN ITS NEW LOCATION WILL BE COMPATIBLE WITH THE FRONT AND SIDE SETBACKS OF EXISTING CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURES IN THE CONTEXT AREA.
I JUST WANNA SHARE THAT WITH YOU ON, THAT'S WHAT WE'VE GOT IN THE, IN THE GUIDELINES.
ANY ONE OF THE CRITERIA IN ORDER TO MOVE AT THE TOP, IN ORDER TO MOVE A CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURE WITHIN THE SAME DISTRICT, THE APPLICANT MUST MEET ALL OF THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA.
ARE THE OTHER QUESTIONS FOR ROMAN CHAIR? I'M SORRY I DIDN'T ADDRESS WHAT MY THOUGHTS WERE ON THE RELOCATION.
THE ORIGINAL PROJECT, THE OWNER, HE, THE OWNER ITSELF AS HE JUST EXPRESSED, WAS NOT SO BIG ABOUT MOVING IT OVER.
WELL, WE, HE'S THE GUY I WOULD THINK WE TRY TO KEEP IT WHERE IT IS.
HE ALSO, PARTICULARLY, HIS REASON HE TOLD ME WAS THAT THE, THE BRICK COLUMNS OUT FRONT, HE WASN'T PARTICULARLY LOOKING FORWARD TO RE RE UH, RECONFIGURING OR HAVING TO DEAL WITH, UH, THAT, UM, THOSE OLD BRICK COLUMNS THAT USUALLY THEY'RE TILTING HERE AND THERE.
I CAN'T, I DON'T RECALL THAT THESE ARE TILTING TOO BADLY.
NO, THESE ARE NOT TILTING BADLY.
AND UH, THAT MEANS THEY COULD BE LIKE THAT TO THOSE KIDS HE'S TALKING ABOUT.
UH, FOR THE MOVE FOR, THIS IS ALL ABOUT THE MOVE.
THE FIRST THING WAS, UH, MY, UH, THE MOVE THAT I HAD, UH, HAD PIERS THAT WERE, UH, SCRATCH FRONT PI, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT WERE NOT JUST SIMPLE CINDER BLOCKS.
AND WHEN I MOVE, OBVIOUSLY THOSE THINGS CAN'T BE MOVED.
AND IT WAS HAD TO BE, IT WAS MOVED BECAUSE OF THE, WITHIN THE LOT.
AND, UH, AND THE COMMISSION AT THAT TIME SAID THAT THAT WOULD MEAN THAT WAS A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE BECAUSE THAT HOUSE CAME WITH, UH, WHAT THEY CALL SCRATCH FACE PIER.
UH, SECOND THING WAS I LOST THE GRANDFATHERING.
THAT THING WAS JUST TWO, TWO PIERS.
AND WHEN I MOVE, I NEED TO MEET THE NEW CODE, WHICH WAS THEN SET THE THING HIGHER UP.
AND ON THOSE TWO CRITERIA, THE MY MOVE WAS REJECTED.
SO I WANT TO BRING THIS AS A EXAMPLE TO, I THINK THIS HOUSE, THE WAY I SAW IT, IS VERY LOW TO THE GROUND RIGHT NOW.
AND IF THE PERSON NEED TO MOVE IT, STRUCTURAL, NOT THIS COMMISSION, BUT STRUCTURAL WHAT IMPOSED THAT, NOW YOU HAVE TO HAVE AT LEAST TWO FEET OFF THE GROUND KIND OF, KIND OF A SITUATION THAT CHANGES THE, YOUR ENTIRE, THE DESIGNATION OR YOUR ENTIRE EVE HEIGHT AND ALL THAT KIND OF GOOD STUFF.
ANYWAY, THAT WAS JUST AN EXPERIENCE I WANTED TO BRING FORWARD.
NO OTHER QUESTIONS? IS THERE A MOTION? I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO DEFER THIS.
IS THERE A SECOND? JONES WILL SECOND.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION BEFORE THE VOTE?
[01:30:01]
THE VOTE IS TO ACCEPT STAFF RECOMMENDATION FOR DEFERRAL TO DEFER THE ITEM FOR DEFERRAL.ALL IN FAVOR OF THAT MOTION? AYE.
ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTIONS? OKAY, THAT MOTION PASSES.
COMMISSIONER COSGROVE AND COMMISSIONER JONES.
OKAY, I BELIEVE NOW WE'RE GONNA BE GOING TO ITEM D 3 22 17 UNION STREET.
I, GOOD AFTERNOON CHAIR PERSON AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION.
THIS IS STAFF PERSON TAYLOR VALLEY.
UM, I SUBMIT D THREE AT 2217 UNION STREET AND OLD SIX WARD, WHICH IS THE HERMAN LOCK HOUSE LANDMARK.
THE APPLICANT PROPOSES TO REPLACE NON-ORIGINAL, NON-ORIGINAL DETERIORATING EXISTING METAL ROOF WITH ASPHALT SHINGLE.
THE STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL, UM, CHAIR AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION.
I'M AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS AND THIS CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
OKAY, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER MEMBERS.
MR. CHAIR, I PULL THIS THING, SO, OKAY, PLEASE.
SO I JUST HAVE A VERY SIMPLE QUESTION.
TYPICALLY, I SEE A LOT OF ASPHALT SHINGLES BEING REPLACED, UH, WITH STANDING SEAM.
AND THIS IS THE OPPOSITE WAY AROUND.
MY QUESTION IS ACTUALLY OF INTEREST.
HOW OLD IS THIS ROOF? UM, I'M ACTUALLY NOT.
DO YOU KNOW? I'M NOT SURE HOW OLD IT IS.
I JUST KNOW THAT HE SAID IT WAS, UM, POORLY MADE.
IT IS NON-ORIGINAL AND SO IT HAD BEEN LEAKING AND CAUSING DAMAGE TO HIS HOUSE.
SO THAT'S WHY HE'S REVERSING AND GOING TO SHINGLE.
YEAH, ME PERHAPS COMMISSIONER STAAVA MAY KNOW MORE ABOUT THIS.
HE KNOWS A LOT ABOUT HOMES IN THE SIXTH WARD.
IT'S, IT'S JUST THAT IT'S STRANGE.
I'VE NEVER SEEN A STANDING SEAM ROOF BE COME BEFORE THIS COMMISSION AND SAY, CHANGE IT BACK TO A SHINGLE ROOF.
AND, AND I WANNA KNOW WHETHER, IF THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY TRUE, THEN I MAY WANT TO THINK TWICE IN THE FUTURE WHEN SOMEBODY WANTS TO CHANGE A ROOF AND REMOVE HISTORIC, YOU KNOW, RAFTERS OR, UH, WOOD JUST TO CREATE THE, THE NEW STANDING SHINGLES.
AND COMMISSIONER SAVIN WANTS TO LIKE, TO ADD SOMETHING? PLEASE, PLEASE.
AND IT, THAT ROOF HAS BEEN THERE SINCE I MOVED THERE BACK IN 19, UH, FROZEN 1993.
AND SO IT, IT HAS BEEN THERE SINCE, SINCE THAT TIME.
UM, AND IF I CAN QUICKLY ADD, THEY DID MENTION THAT THERE'S, UM, ASPHALT SHINGLE UNDER IT AS WELL, SO THAT'S HOW WE KNOW IT'S NOT ORIGINAL.
HE SAID IT'S NOW DAMAGED DUE TO THE LEAKING.
SO IT HAS MULTIPLE ROOFS AS WELL.
SO, UM, OKAY, IF THERE ARE NO OTHER QUESTIONS, I'M GONNA OPEN THIS UP FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS ITEM.
WAS THERE ANY ITEM, UH, ATTENDING? I'LL SAY ASK VIRTUALLY SINCE THERE'S NO ONE LEFT IN THE ROOM, UM, TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM FROM THE PUBLIC.
I'M GONNA CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING COMMISSION MEMBERS.
IS THERE A RECOMMENDATION, UH, YA MOVES TO APPROVE, UH, TO, UH, ACCEPT STAFF RECOMMENDATION? THANK YOU.
IS THERE A SECOND GRO SECONDS? BOTH.
UH, ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTIONS? THAT MOTION PASSES.
NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS ITEM D 5 1 1 1 10 WEST GRAY STREET.
THIS IS STAFF PERSON JASON LILIENTHAL.
I SUBMIT ITEM D FIVE AT 1 1 1 0 WEST GRAY STREET FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
APPLICANT PROPOSES TO INSTALL THREE SIGNS MEASURING THREE FEET, SIX INCHES BY 14, FOUR FEET BY 16 FEET, AND FOUR FEET BY FOUR FEET BY 14 FEET.
SIGNS A AND B2B LED ILLUMINATED REVERSE CHANNEL LETTERING AS SHOWN ON THE SITE PLAN SIGN C LOCATED ON REAR OF BUILDING TO BE GOLD, INTERIOR SIGN AND NON ILLUMINATED PAIN.
STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL CHAIR MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION.
THIS CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
I'M AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
[01:35:01]
YOU.UH, COMMISSION MEMBERS ARE, IS THERE A QUESTION FOR STAFF ON THIS ITEM? I DON'T SEE THE SIGNS ON MY, MY THING, MY REPORT.
I APOLOGIZE THAT ATTACHMENT WAS LEFT OUT, BUT WE CAN, IF WE GO TO WHERE IT SAYS PROPOSED SITE PLAN, THESE, THESE SIGNS ARE GOING TO BE, AS I LOOKED AT IT, THEY'RE GONNA BE ATTACHED TO THE FACE OF THE WALL FACING MONTROSE AND WEST GRAY STREET AND THEY ARE LARGE, THEY'RE GONNA BE OVER 25 SQUARE FEET.
THAT'S WHY IT'S COMING BEFORE COMMISSION.
THE ONE IN THE REAR IS NOT ILLUMINATED AND IT'LL BE IN THE REAR WHERE THE PARKING LOT IS.
AGAIN, THAT ATTACHMENT IS MY, MY FAULT THAT I DID NOT GET THAT INTO THIS.
I CAN PULL IT QUICKLY FROM PRESERVATION TRACKER.
UH, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR STAFF IS PLEASE, COMMISSIONER MCNEIL.
SO CURRENTLY IT'S A A 24 HOUR, UM, CARE, PRIMARY CARE FACILITY OR URGENT CARE FACILITY.
YES, IT IS SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT CHANGING 24 HOUR URGENT CARE.
IS IT CHANGING? ARE THE TENANTS CHANGING? IS THAT WHY THE SIGNS ARE CHANGING? OR IS IT THE SAME TENANT MAKING NEW SIGNS OR? I BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE TAKING OVER SOME VACANT OFFICE SPACE AND THERE WILL BE BOTH, UH, MEDICAL CARE AND, UH, THIS OTHER BUSINESS MOVING IN.
WHILE WE WAIT TO PUT THE IMAGES UP, I'M GONNA OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING AND JUST IF, SEE IF THERE'S ANYONE VIRTUALLY WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THIS ITEM.
I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE MONITORS, HERE'S THE DRAWINGS, THE QUESTION.
UH, THIS HAS BEEN, THIS BUILDING WAS BEFORE US FAIRLY RECENTLY.
UH, APPLICATION FOR LANDMARK STATUS.
DO YOU RECALL? I DON'T BELIEVE IT CAME BEFORE YOU FOR LANDMARK STATUS, BUT I DO BELIEVE YASMINE ARSLAN DID BRING IT FOR SIGNAGE PUT ON FOR THAT MIDDLE CARE FACILITY BACK IN 2020.
BUT LANDMARK STATUS HAS HAPPENED YEARS AGO.
THE LAST TIME WE VOTED ON IT, IT WAS FOR SIGNS FOR THE URGENT CARE THAT THAT'S WHICH WE, WHICH WE APPROVED.
PARTLY BECAUSE IT WAS BY REGULATION.
AND TO YOUR FORMALITY, TO YOUR COMMISSION AND COMMISSIONERS CURRY ON THE FIRST PAGE.
IT WAS A CITY OF HOUSTON PROTECTED LANDMARK DESIGNATED IN JUNE, 2018.
IT DID COME BEFORE THE COMMISSION.
AND, AND IT IS A PROTECTED LANDMARK.
YOU'RE CONFIRMING THAT IT IS LISTED AS PROTECTED LANDMARK.
UM, CAN, CAN WE GO, THIS IS COMMISSIONER JONES.
CAN WE GO BACK TO THE FIRST IMAGE AGAIN? IS THAT SHOWING THE, THE NEW SIGN IN RELATION TO THE EMERGENCY SIGN? I SEE SOMETHING RED ON THE SIDE OF THE BUILDING.
SO IF YOU LOOK IN THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, YOU'VE GOT THAT BLADE SIGN AND THAT IS STILL THAT EMERGENCY SIGN THERE.
THE, THE LAST TIME I SAW THIS BUILDING, IT APPEARED THAT ITS FUNCTION WAS TO HOLD UP SIGNS.
I'M A LITTLE SURPRISED THERE'S ROOM FOR MORE SIGNS AND THAT'S WHY I'M CURIOUS TO SEE EXACTLY WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED.
YOU ASKED ME ELEVATIONS, COULD YOU SHOW THE OTHER TWO LOCATIONS OR THE SIGNS WILL BE SHOWN THAT CURRENT SHOWING IS WHAT'S GONNA BE ON THE REAR.
THERE'S GONNA BE THE SECOND LOCATION THAT'S BELIEVE FACING MONTROSE.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO SEE A, A CURRENT VIEW OF THE BUILDING? MAYBE? YES.
WE COULD PULL IT UP ON A STREET VIEW SORT OF THING.
[01:40:43]
I I AM SORRY Y'ALL, WE NEED TO CAPTURE COMMENTS FOR THE RECORDING.CAN Y'ALL SPEAK INTO THE MICROPHONES? THERE APPEARS TO BE A FOR LEASE SIGN WHERE THE, UH, VERTICAL SIGN IS PROPOSED RIGHT NOW.
UM, BUT NOTHING ON THE MONTROSE SIDE BUT ON WEST GRAY IT DOESN'T APPEAR THAT THERE IS CERTAINLY, THAT INTERSECTION IS VERY BUSY.
AND THEN THE PART WHERE, WHAT I WOULD CALL THE TOWER, I BELIEVE THAT'S PART OF WHERE ONE OF THE SIGN LOCATIONS WILL BE.
AND THEN TO THE RIGHT WILL BE WHERE YOU'LL HAVE THAT SIGN UP ABOVE THE GLASS WINDOWS RIGHT THERE ON THE ABOVE THE SECOND WINDOW LEFT HAND SIDE.
AND OF COURSE THE THIRD ONE WILL BE LOCATED ON THE REAR WHERE THE PARKING LOT IS.
BUT IS IS, THE TWO STORY IS THAT'S AN ADDITION, ISN'T IT? LIKE, LIKE IT WAS A ONE STORY BUILDING AND THEN THEY BUILT THAT THING ONTO THE BACK OF IT.
SO THEY PUT WHERE THEY'RE PUTTING THE SIGNS IS NOT ON THE, THE HISTORIC PART OF THE BUILDING.
IS THAT CORRECT? I BELIEVE YEAH, BECAUSE THE GIBBS BUILDING WAS JUST THAT ONE STORY.
I MEAN THE, YEAH, WHEN, WHEN I FIRST SAW IT.
ACTUALLY, IF YOU GO, UH, WHAT PAGE IS THIS? PAGE FOUR OF EIGHT? YEAH.
ALSO PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT PAGE FIVE WHERE THERE'S THE HISTORIC PHOTO QUALITY LAUNDRY.
WHY DO YOU ASK US TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT? MAYBE IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF THIS HAD BEEN MARKED WHERE THE ADDITION WAS ON THE SITE PLAN SO WE WOULD KNOW.
'CAUSE IF THESE BUILD THESE SIGNS ARE NOT ON THE HISTORIC PART OF THE BUILDING, I DON'T SEE WHY IT WOULD BE AN ISSUE TO ADD THEM TO THE, TO THE NEW PARTS.
I BELIEVE PART OF THIS THOUGH IS THE ENTIRE STRUCTURE INCLUDING THE ADDITIONS WAS LANDMARKED.
I DON'T THINK THEY CAN LANDMARK NEW CONSTRUCTION.
WELL IF, WELL I DON, I DON'T KNOW WHAT, I THINK THE STORY SECTION WAS ADDED WHEN THEY GOT THIS, AFTER IT GOT LANDMARK.
'CAUSE THERE WAS THAT YOU TORE DOWN THAT.
THERE WAS THE PART WHERE THEY HAD THE BOAT SHOW AND IT WAS A METAL BUILDING AND THEY TORE IT DOWN AND THEY JUST LEFT THE FRONT PART.
AND THEN RECONSTRUCTED THE LITTLE FRONT IS PIECE THING THAT WAS COVERED UP.
THE SIGNS IS ALL, THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S PRECISELY WHAT I'M SAYING.
LIKE I THINK THE SIGNS ARE ONLY ON THE PART THAT WAS BUILT IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS OR WHENEVER THEY BUILT THAT PART.
I DON'T THINK THEY'RE ON THE 1930 SECTION OF THE BUILDING.
MOTION TO ACCEPT STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION, SHOW APPROVAL TO ADD SIGNS TO THE BUILDING.
ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTIONS? ALRIGHT.
WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO ITEM 7 19 71 WEST GRAY STREET.
CHAIRPERSON MEMBERS COMMISSION.
THIS IS STAFF PERSON JASON AL.
I SUBMIT ITEM D SEVEN AT 1 9 7 1 WEST GRAY STREET FOR CONSIDERATION.
THIS IS A LANDMARK FOR OAKS THEATER AND SHOPPING DISTRICT.
THEY'RE PROPOSING TO ADD A SIGN.
THIS IS GONNA BE ON THE SHOPPING AREA, PORTION OF IT.
AND THIS RECEIVED A PREVIOUS COA TO MAKE NEW WINDOW OPENINGS.
AND IT'S GONNA BE A RESTAURANT, IT WILL BE COCO RESTAURANT BAR, BUT ON THE FACE OF THE BUILDING.
AND THESE WILL BE ALL REVERSE LIT CHANNEL LETTERS, BLACK FACES AND BLACK RETURNS.
WHITE LED ILLUMINATED STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL.
I'M AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
THIS CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
[01:45:02]
OKAY, THANK YOU.ANY QUESTIONS FOR STAFF FROM COMMISSIONER CHAIR? I'M THE ONE WHO PULLED THIS IN THAT WANTED TO VERIFY THE EXTENT OF THE PROPOSED SIGNAGE AND IT'S CLEAR TO ME NOW.
NO OTHER QUESTIONS? I'M GOING TO, UM, YOU HAVE A QUESTION? NO.
DON'T, DON'T SAY ANYTHING YET.
IT'S, WE'RE, WE'RE REVIEWING IT INDIVIDUALLY.
SO I'M GONNA OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS ITEM.
IS THERE ANYONE THAT IS, UM, ATTENDING VIRTUALLY THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THIS ITEM? PLEASE NOT YOURSELF, IF SO.
I'M GONNA CLOSE PUBLIC HEARING.
IS THERE ANY COMMISSIONER THAT WOULD BRING A MOTION ON THIS ITEM? COMMISSIONER AUER JACKSON MOVES TO ACCEPT STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION.
OKAY, IS THERE A SECOND? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTIONS? THAT MOTION PASSES.
OUR LAST ITEM ON THE UH, ON THE AGENDA FOR ITEM D IS D 8 815 HARALD STREET.
GOOD AFTERNOON CHAIR PERSON MEMORIES COMMISSION.
THIS IS STAFF PERSON JASON LEVENTHAL.
I SUBMIT ITEM D EIGHT AT 8 1 15 HARALD STREET AND AUDUBON PLACED FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
AS YOU WILL REMEMBER, THIS SITE WAS DEFERRED FROM LAST MONTH'S MEETING.
COMMISSION REQUESTED THAT FULLY DIMENSION SET OF DRAWINGS BE SUBMITTED FOR CONSIDERATION.
IF YOU PLEASE GO TO THE EXISTING SITE PLAN, WE'LL SEE THE UPDATED DRAWINGS YOU'LL SEE ON THESE DRAWINGS.
NOW THAT HAS BEEN PROVIDED THAT THERE ARE PRIOR TO CONSTRUCTION SITE PLANS, FLOOR PLANS AND ELEVATION DRAWINGS.
SO WE GET A BETTER IDEA OF WHAT THE BUILDING WAS BEFORE THE APPLICANT DID CONSTRUCTION WITHOUT PERMIT.
AND THEN WE NOW HAVE THE PROPOSED WHAT IS THERE NOW IN THESE NEW DRAWINGS.
YESIN IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS BEEN IS THAT THE WINDOW LOCATIONS ARE NOW, UH, MORE UH, REPRESENTATIVE OF WHAT WAS THERE AND WHAT WILL BE PROPOSED.
AS WELL AS WE DID ASK THE APPLICANT TO DROP THE NEW RIDGE LINE BY TWO FEET.
SO YOU CAN DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN THE ORIGINAL PYRAMID ROOF AND THE NEW ADDITION.
ALSO TOO, I MADE SURE THAT ALL PROPOSED WINDOWS WILL BE INSET AND RECESSED AND ALL THE SIDING ON THE REAR ADDITION THAT HAS BEEN TAKEN OFF.
AND WITH THAT I WILL SAY THAT STAFF RECOMMENDS DENIAL WITH AN ISSUANCE OF A COR ALLOWING FURTHER REMOVE REMOVAL OF THE SECOND FRONT DOOR AND REPLACING WITH ONE 17 LAPSED SIDING.
THE EXISTING SIDING ON ORIGINAL STRUCTURE IS TO REMAIN ANY REMOVAL OR REPLACEMENT OF ORIGINAL SIDING TO BE APPROVED BY STAFF.
ALL NEW SIDING ON THE ADDITION TO BE SMOOTH CEMENTITIOUS SIDING, ALL PROPOSED WINDOWS WILL BE INSIDE RECESS AS WELL AS TRIM TO MATCH THE ORIGINAL WINDOWS ON THE FIRST FLOOR.
FRONT PORCH CHAIR AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION.
THIS CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
I'M AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
COMMISSION MEMBERS, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR STAFF ON THIS ITEM? SO IF THIS IS COUCH, IF THIS IS A DENIAL, ARE YOU SAYING WHAT THEY'RE SHOWING ON THOSE NEW DRAWINGS? YOU'RE GONNA LET THEM DO THAT? THE, THE ONES AT THE END OF THE REPORT MAY LET THEM DO THAT, BUT THEY WILL HAVE TO BLUR THE RIDGE LINE.
RIGHT NOW AS IT STANDS, THE RIDGE LINE IS CONNECTED AT THE VERY TOP OF THE ORIGINAL PYRAMID ROOF.
THEY WILL HAVE TO ALTER THAT AND DROP IT BY TWO FEET.
BUT THE PLANS REFLECT THE DROPPED RIDGE LINE.
THE PLANS REFLECT THAT THEY'LL HAVE TO DO THIS.
SO THEY'LL GO TO, SO THEY'LL TAKE, SO THEY'VE BUILT IT ALREADY, THEY GOTTA TAKE IT DOWN AND THEN THAT REBUILD IT.
SO I JUST, I WAS A LITTLE CONFUSED 'CAUSE IT'S A DENIAL.
BUT THEN IT SOUNDED LIKE YOU WERE LETTING THEM DO THE STUFF SHOWN ON THESE DRAWINGS AS WELL AS, AS DENYING WHAT THEY'VE ALREADY DONE AS A C FFR.
UM, AT THE REAR UH, ADDITION, THERE'S SUPPOSED TO BE ONE FOOT OF NARROWED UH, PART OF THE SIGHTING.
IS THAT RIGHT? CAN WE HAVE THE SPEAKER IDENTIFY THEMSELVES PLEASE? THIS COMMISSIONER, THIS IS COMMISSIONER STAVES.
OH, IS THAT OKAY? THIS IS THE QUESTIONS FROM COMMISSIONER AVA, SIR.
UM, I THINK THE QUESTIONS ABOUT WHETHER AN INSET, UM, A ONE FOOT INSET IS REQUIRED ON THE ADDITION WAS THE QUESTION
[01:50:01]
AS THERE IS NO REQUIREMENT THAT THERE BE AN INSET SINCE THIS IS AN AUDUBON PLACE, THAT THAT IS A CONDITION THAT THIS COMMISSION CAN PUT UPON THIS.I WILL ADD THAT THIS STILL IS INCOMPLETE.
THE REAR ADDITION HAS NOT BEEN FULLY BUILT TOWARDS THE REAR POINT, POINT OF CLARITY.
I THINK PICKING UP ON COMMISSIONER AVA'S COMMENT IS THERE, WHAT I'M SEEING IS EIGHT FOOT FIVE FEET OF NEW ADDITION ON THE LEFT.
BUT THEN THE 20 FOOT ONE OF ORIGINAL BUILDING WOULD ALL BE ONE 17.
SO EVERYTHING THAT'S ORIGINAL ON THIS HOUSE WOULD BE CLAD AND ONE 17 SIDING.
AND THEN EVERYTHING THAT'S AN ADDITION SHOWN IN ORANGE WOULD BE SMOOTH CEMENTS SIDING.
IS THAT ACCURATE? KIND OF GO TO THAT POINT.
IF WE GO UP THE PAGE A LITTLE BIT TO PAGE 24, THE ORIGINAL ONE 17 HAS BEEN REMOVED AND THIS IS THE DISCUSSION I HAD WHERE THAT ORIGINAL ONE 17 SIGHTING HAS BEEN REMOVED.
THEY'LL HAVE TO PUT IN SMOOTH CEMENTITIOUS.
SO THAT WILL HAVE TO BE DIFFERENTIATED.
AND THAT IS ON BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT ELEVATIONS.
ON THE EXISTING PROPERTY, YEAH.
WELL, CAN'T WE REQUIRE THEM TO GO BACK WITH ONE 17 ON? YOU CAN CERTAINLY THAT IF YOU WANT BETWEEN THE EXISTING AND THE CAN WE PULL UP PAGE? IT'S GREAT, PLEASE.
SO, UM, THIS IS STAFF MEMBER ARSLAN.
CAN I SAY SOMETHING PLEASE? SO USUALLY ANYTHING OUTSIDE THE HEIGHTS, UM, WE DON'T HAVE TO, BUT THAT WAS THE APPROACH.
WE PUT A VERTICAL TRIM BOARD TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN THE OLD AND THE NEW.
WHEREAS IN THE HEIGHTS WE INSET IN THE HEIGHTS THEY HAVE TO INSET.
BUT LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, IN NOR HILL WE'VE, THEY'VE ALWAYS PUT A VERTICAL TRIM BOARD TO DIFFERENTIATE THE OLD AND THE NEW.
AND I'M NOT ASKING FOR AN INSET.
I'M JUST SAYING KEEP ONE 17 ON THE ORIGINAL STRUCTURE WITH A VERTICAL TRIM BOARD.
SAME PLANE THEN SMOOTH CEMENTITIOUS ON THE NEW PORTION, THE NEW ADDITION.
AND I'M AND I'M JUST SAYING THAT YES, THAT THAT HAS, THAT WAS THE APPROACH.
WITH OTHER QUESTIONS, MR. SVA IS OKAY.
WELL I HAVE NO OTHER QUESTIONS.
I'M GONNA OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING THIS ITEM AT THIS TIME, IS THERE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT ARE ATTENDING VIRTUALLY THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THIS ITEM? PLEASE? IF SO, PLEASE ANNOUNCE YOURSELF AND ADDRESS THE COMMISSION.
NOT HEARING ANY, I'M GONNA CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING COMMISSION MEMBERS.
IS THERE A MOTION THAT YOU WOULD BRING, UM, MR. CHAIR? I STILL HAVE A QUESTION FOR.
UH, STAFF, UH, HYPOTHETICALLY FOLLOWING THE, UH, LET'S SAY, UH, COMMISSIONS, UM, VOTE TO GET TAKE STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION.
WHAT ARE, CAN YOU WALK ME THROUGH WHAT IS THE NEXT TWO, THREE STEPS THAT YOU HAVE TO DO AND THE HOMEOWNER HAVE TO DO? THANK YOU.
SO WITH THESE DRAWINGS, HE'LL NOW GO BACK TO PERMITTING, SUBMIT THEM, WE'LL GO THROUGH STRUCTURAL REVIEW.
I'LL BE ENSURING THAT THE DRAWINGS THAT YOU HAVE REVIEWED TODAY WILL BE THE SAME DRAWINGS THAT ARE LOADED UP IN PROJECT DOCKS WITH THE HOUSTON PERMITTING CENTER, MAKING SURE THAT THERE IS NO CHANGES AND THAT THE WINDOW OPENINGS, THE SIDING IS GONNA BE DONE AS IT SHOULD BE.
AND I WILL BE ASKING MAYBE DOING SITE VISITS TO ENSURE THAT TO MIXTURE MCNEIL'S POINT WHERE THE ORIGINAL SIGHTING IS.
MAKE SURE THAT STAYS THERE AND THEN THE SMOOTH CEMENTITIOUS PUT ON WHERE IT'S ALREADY BEEN STRIPPED OFF.
YEAH, BUT I'M GETTING A BIT CONFUSED BECAUSE IF THE RECOMMENDATION IS DENIAL.
SO WHERE IS THE APPROVAL FOR THE APPROVED DRAWINGS? DO WE HAVE IT ALREADY? COR? IT'S A-C-O-R-I WAS CONFUSED TOO.
[01:55:01]
BECAUSE I'M TALKING.BUT THEN I ALSO NEED TO SEE THE COAI THINK WE'VE DONE THIS LIKE IN TWO PARTS BEFORE.
LIKE I, I THINK THERE IS THE THING WHERE YOU SAY THEY DID IT WAS BAD AND THEY GOTTA FIX IT AND THEN THEY CAN GO AHEAD AND DO WHAT WE'RE LETTING THEM DO.
BUT THIS ONE SEEMS LIKE IT'S ALL WRAPPED UP.
WELL I THINK IT'S MADE MORE COMPLICATED 'CAUSE THEY NEVER HAD A C OF A, RIGHT.
LIKE IT NORMALLY PEOPLE EXCEED THEIR C OF A AND THEN THEY, WE DO THE REMEDIATE, YOU KNOW, UHHUH.
BUT IN THIS CASE WE'RE JUST GRANTING THEM PERMISSION TO DO THE PROJECTS AND I ASSUME THEY WON'T BE ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ANY OF THE TAX CREDITS.
I MEAN AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE, WE DO, WELL DIDN'T IT BASICALLY SAVES, SAVES THEM A MONTH FROM COMING BACK HERE.
WE'LL SLAP THEIR WRIST AND THEY HAVE TO TAKE IT OFF AND THEN NEXT MONTH THEY WOULD HAVE TO COME BACK TO US WITH A COA.
IS IT, BUT NO, DOESN'T ACTUALLY SAVE THAT ON THE, I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE CASE.
I THINK IF AS A COR IS ISSUED, UM, THEN THEY CAN PROCEED WITH THE PROJECT AND GET A PERMIT, A REVISED PERMIT BASED ON THAT.
AND YOUR HOLD IS IN, IS IN PLACE UNTIL YOU RELEASE IT.
UNTIL YOU SEE THE REVISED DRAWINGS THROUGH PERMITTING HAVE PICKED UP ALL THE CHANGES AND REQUIRED ITEMS IN THE C OF R WHATEVER THOSE ITEMS THAT THIS COMMISSION DETERMINES ALONG WITH STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION.
AND OF COURSE THIS WHOLE, THE CIRCLE WILL NOT BE RELEASED UNTIL THEY MEET ALL THE REQUIREMENTS FROM STRUCTURAL.
AND TO YOUR POINT, COMMISSIONER YAP, THE ORIGINAL COA WAS AFTER THE FACT HE HAD BEEN CAUGHT DOING CONSTRUCTION WITHOUT A PERMIT.
SO HE SUBMITTED A COA FOR WHAT HE HAD DONE.
AND THAT'S WHEN WE DO DENIAL OF THAT COA IN THIS ISSUANCE OF A COR.
BUT IN ESSENCE, WHEN WE VOTE HERE RIGHT NOW, WE ARE ALSO APPROVING THIS SET OF PLANS.
SO THEREFORE I'M THINKING I'M VOTING ON THIS SET OF PLANS.
MAYBE I DON'T AGREE WITH THIS SET OF PLANS.
WELL THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE TO DISCUSS.
I MEAN THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN THE LAST TWO MEETINGS TALKING ABOUT THE RIDGE LINE, THE SHAPE OF THE ROOF, THE WINDOWS, UM, I MEAN THE, THE CERTIFICATE OF REMEDIATION, THE REMEDIATION FOR THE WORK THAT WAS DONE WITHOUT PERMIT OR WITHOUT A COA IS TO DO IT RIGHT UNDER THESE PLANS.
I MEAN WE CERTAINLY ISSUE THESE ALL THE TIME WITH WINDOWS.
I MEAN PEOPLE WOULD, PEOPLE DO WINDOWS MM-HMM
AND THEY DON'T HAVE A C OF A AND THEN WE DO A COR.
I MEAN, SO IT'S NOT, THIS ISN'T UNCHARTERED HERE.
I I GUESS WHAT'S JUST CONFUSING TO ME IS THERE'S SO MANY THINGS LISTED THERE.
LISTED AND THEN ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S NOT LISTED IS FOLLOWING THE NEW SET OF DRAWINGS.
SO THAT'S WHAT'S THROWING ME OFF.
'CAUSE 'CAUSE IT'S GOT SUCH A LIST OF REQUIREMENTS HERE AND FOLLOWING THE DRAWINGS IS NOT ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS.
WELL I THINK WE NEED TO SEE THAT WHEN WE MAKE THE MOTION, WE NEED TO ADD THE LANGUAGE THAT WE, THAT LANGUAGE PLUS THE CLARIFICATION ON THE CEMENTITIOUS SIDING.
I I JUST, I'M JUST KIND OF SCRATCHING MY HEAD 'CAUSE IT'S HARD FOR ME TO LIKE LOGICALLY UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT THEY'RE SAYING.
MAY I EXPLAIN SOMETHING? PLEASE.
UM, THE APPROACH WITH, WITH WHEN SOMEONE GETS A CFA, THEY GET A DISCOUNT BECAUSE THEY GET, THEY PAY 50% OFF OF PER THEIR PERMIT, WHATEVER IT IS.
SO WE KIND OF SAY, GOOD JOB, YOU GOT A CFA, YOU GET A 50% OFF.
SO WHEN WE GIVE HIM A C OF A, WE'RE LIKE SAYING, YAY, GOOD JOB.
SO THE APPROACH WITH THE COR IS YOU'RE CORRECTING WHATEVER YOU NEED TO CORRECT.
AND THEN HOWEVER YOU SUBMIT IT AND YES, THE LANGUAGE WE, WE CAN WRITE, UH, APPROVE DRAWINGS AS SUBMITTED AND I THINK THAT COMMISSION HAS THE POWER TO DO THAT.
YOU CAN SAY YOU CAN, YOU CAN ADD THAT TO THE LIST OF, UM, CONDITION.
BUT THAT'S THE APPROACH WITH NOT GIVING THEM A C OF A AND IT FALLS UNDER COR AND I MEAN KIM IS THE BOSS HERE.
THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE TOO THAT I'D LIKE TO ADD IS I BELIEVE ON PAGE FOUR WE HAVE A SATELLITE VIDEO, A SATELLITE IMAGE.
AND RIGHT BEHIND THE ORIGINAL PYRAMID SHAPED ROOF IS THERE'S TWO NON HISTORIC REAR ADDITIONS.
AND THAT'S WHERE YOU COULD SEE WHERE THE SIGHTINGS HAVE BEEN RIPPED OFF.
YOU CAN AS A COMMISSION MAKE A ADDITIONAL CONDITION OF AS SUBMITTED DRAWINGS, BUT YOU CAN SAY INSET OR TRIM BOARD, THAT IS SOMETHING ELSE THAT YOU CAN ADD INTO THE, UM, CONDITION FOR APPROVAL.
BUT BY DOING THIS, UM, JUST TO CLARIFY BY, BY WRAPPING ALL OF
[02:00:01]
THESE CONDITIONS INTO THE COR, WE ARE ALLOWING, ASSUMING THEY MEET THOSE CONDITIONS, WE'RE ALLOWING THE APPLICANT TO GET STARTED ON THIS WORK INSTEAD OF JUST SAYING NO COR AND THEN ASKING THEM TO COME BACK TO US WITH A NEW COA AND MONTHS RIGHT DOWN THE ROAD.BUT I MEAN THIS IS A LOT OF OF BOXES TO CHECK OFF.
BUT IF I, IF I COULD ADD, BUT IT LETS THEM MOVE FORWARD, MR. CURRY.
AND, AND BY GET STARTED, JUST TO FURTHER CLARIFY, IN THIS CASE, IT MEANS TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON FOR A PERMIT.
GETTING STARTED IS, IS, AND ESPECIALLY IN THIS CASE, I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT I'M, I'M, IT'S REALLY GRATIFYING TO KNOW THAT PART OF WHAT YOU'RE, UH, SHEPHERDING THROUGH WITH THIS ONE, UH, AND IS, IS TO VERIFY THAT WHAT'S BEEN SUBMITTED AND ULTIMATELY APPROVED FOR PERMIT IS, UH, REFLECTIVE OF WHAT'S BEEN APPROVED HERE.
UH, TO KIND OF WALK YOU STEP BY STEP, WHEN I GET THE NOTIFICATION THAT THEY'RE READY FOR HISTORIC REVIEW, I LOOK AT WHAT THE DRAWINGS WERE APPROVED BY COMMISSION AND I MAKE SURE THAT THOSE ARE THE SAME DRAWINGS IN PROJECT OX, THEN WE STAMP THEM.
IF I DON'T SEE THAT, I WILL NOT STAMP AND I WILL NOT RELEASE THE HOLD OR CONTACT THEM AND SAY YOU NEED TO GET THE CORRECT DRAWINGS AND AS APPROVED BY THE COMMISSION.
GOOD TO KNOW AND I'LL HOLD THEM UP UNTIL THAT IS DONE.
ACCEPT STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION WITH THE CAVEAT THAT THE ORIGINAL HOUSE BE CLAD IN ONE 17 SIDING IN A VERTICAL TRIM BOARD.
SEPARATE THAT FROM THE ADDITION, WHICH WILL BE CLAD IN SMOOTH CEMENTITIOUS SIDING AND THAT THE PROJECT BE DONE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PLANS THAT WE'VE REVIEWED TODAY.
PRESENTED TODAY, PRESENTED TODAY.
NO, NO, I LIKE THAT LANGUAGE BECAUSE THAT IS CLEAR TO ME.
IS THERE A SECOND?
ARE THERE ANY OPPOSED? ARE THE ABSTENTIONS? THIS IS, UH, STAAVA.
UM, NOW MOVING TO ITEM E COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC.
UM, UH, SOMETIME BEFORE THE MEETING STARTED, UM, UH, GLADYS HOUSE, UH, WAS HERE, UH, IN THE CHAMBERS AND, UM, NEEDED TO GET BACK TO WORK, BUT SHE BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION, UM, I THINK THERE'S A POTENTIAL DEMOLITION ISSUE.
AND, AND SO THERE'S A HANDOUT TO, TO HAND OUT.
I'M NOT SURE IF STAFF, IF YOU ALL CAN ADDRESS, ADDRESS SINCE SHE'S NOT HERE.
I'M NOT SURE YOU CAN ADDRESS OR THE INFORMATION THAT SHE'S BRINGING BEFORE US.
THIS IS PUBLIC COMMENT, SO IT'S REALLY JUST TO TAKE COMMENTS.
AND SO I WOULD SAY TO HAND THIS OUT AND REFER IT TO STAFF TO REPORT BACK TO Y'ALL.
SHE WANTED TO BE HERE, BUT SHE HAD TO GET BACK TO WORK.
SO SHE, BECAUSE SHE WOULD BE HERE TELLING US THIS INFORMATION, SO YEAH.
OH, CAN YOU HEAR ME? I'M ON THE PHONE.
CAN YOU ANNOUNCE YOURSELF TO THE COMMISSION? GLADYS HOUSE A FROM FREEMANS TOWN AND I, UH, JUST PRESENTED THE DOCUMENTS TODAY, UH, BEFORE THE BOARD SO THAT YOU ALL MAY BE AWARE OF WHAT'S GOING ON IN FREEMANS TOWN.
UH, IT'S NO SECRET THAT THE PLANNING, UH, DIRECTOR FROM PAST ADMINISTRATIONS ON UP TO NOW HAVE NOT BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE OF FREEMANS TOWN AND OUR EFFORTS TO PRESERVE FREEMANS TOWN.
AND SO THAT IS WHY I PREPARED THE DOCUMENT FOR YOU ALL TO SEE.
I HAVE PICTURES IN ENCLOSED OR ATTACHED.
SO IT IS LIKE I I I'M TAKING FREEMANS TOWN TO YOU ALL TO SEE FOR YOURSELVES THAT, UH, URGENT CORRECTIVE ACTION MUST BE DONE.
AND THE PLANNING DIRECTOR HAS BEEN BLOCKING THE EFFORT TO RESTORE THESE THREE HERITAGE HOUSES AT, UH, ON THE 1400 BLOCK OF ROBIN STREET AND, UM, THE HOUSING IN THE 1500 BLOCK OF VICTOR STREET IN FREETOWN.
'CAUSE AS YOU THUMB THROUGH THE DOCUMENT, YOU WILL SEE, UH, THE PICTURES OF HOW THE ROOFS ARE COLLAPSING.
AND I'VE GONE BEFORE THE MAYOR REPEATEDLY AND HE'S ALWAYS SAID HE'S GOING TO LOOK INTO IT, BUT NOTHING IS EVER DONE.
[02:05:01]
HERE YOU HAVE THE FOURTH WARD REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY.MS. VANESSA SAMPSON, WHO HAS THE MONEY.
SHE SUBMITTED, UH, A BUDGET, A PLAN TO RESTORE THOSE THREE HOUSES AND PLUS DEVELOP SIMILAR ARCHITECTURE, UH, HOUSES IN THAT SAME BLOCK TO FILL IN THE BLOCK WITH AFFORDABLE, UH, HOUSING, HERITAGE HOUSING FOR LOW TO MATTER INCOME FAMILIES.
BUT YET HER PERMIT HAS BEEN, UH, DELAYED BY, UH, MARGARET BROWN, THE PLANNING DIRECTOR.
AND IT'S JUST BEEN BACK AND FORTH, BACK AND FORTH.
AND MARGARET BROWN TOLD ME THAT, UH, NEIL DIKEMAN WAS, UH, GOING TO HAVE THE THREE HOUSES MOVED BACK TO THE 1500 BLOCK OF VICTORY WHERE THEY ORIGINALLY WERE.
AND, UH, THAT WAS ALMOST TWO, UH, UH, TWO MONTHS AGO.
AND I CONTACTED SHERRY HOUSE MOVING SINCE SHE, UH, MS. BROWN SAID THAT'S THE ENTITY THAT WAS GOING TO, UH, MOVE THE HOUSES.
THEY SAID THEY HAVE NO RECORD, NOTHING ON FILE TO MOVE THOSE HOUSES ANYWHERE.
SO IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, TELL US ANYTHING.
WHEN WE GO AND TRY TO GET ANSWERS ABOUT PRESERVING OUR HERITAGE, MY ANCESTRY, AND THIS NEEDS TO STOP MI MS. HAEL, IF I COULD ASK JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, THESE THREE HOUSES THAT YOU'VE SHOWN HERE, UH, ON PAGE THREE, THESE ARE OWNED BY THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
IT WAS, UH, INITIALLY OWNED BY THE FOURTH WATER REDEVELOPMENT.
AUTHORITY THEN, UM, MR. NEIL DIKEMAN ENTERED THE PICTURE.
HE SAID, WELL LOOK, RATHER THAN THE, THE HOUSES, YOU KNOW, BEING, UH, UH, DEMOLISHED ON ITS OWN BY NATURE, I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE MY HISTORIC, UH, ENTITY THAT RESTORES, UH, HISTORIC PROPERTIES.
SO HE BEGAN, UH, RESTORING TWO OF THE REMAINING SEVEN HOUSES IN THE 1500 BLOCK OF VICTOR STREET BECAUSE WITHOUT OUR KNOWLEDGE, THREE OF THE HOUSES, 'CAUSE IT WAS LIKE A ROW OF 10 HOUSES AND THE 1500 BLOCK OF VICTOR STREET, UM, THE CITY HAD A HAND IN MOVING THREE HOUSES OVER TO THE 1400 BLOCK OF ROBIN STREET.
AND WE WERE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, WELL, WOW, WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN? DID IT HAPPEN OVERNIGHT OR WHATEVER? BUT WHEN I WOULD GO TO THE MAYOR AND, AND ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION, THE MAYOR WOULD CLAIM, OH, WELL I DIDN'T KNOW ALL THIS WAS GOING ON, BUT YET, YOU KNOW, EIGHT YEARS I'VE BEEN BACK AND FORTH WITH DOCUMENTATION, UH, BEFORE THE MAYOR.
AND HE WOULD ALWAYS SAY, OKAY, WELL, I'M GOING TO LOOK INTO IT, BUT THIS LAST TIME I'VE, I'VE GONE BEFORE THE MAYOR AND HE TOLD ME, UH, TWO, THREE WEEKS AGO HE WAS GONNA HAVE SOMEONE CONTACT ME IMMEDIATELY.
WELL, ALL I'M BEING TOLD EACH TIME WHEN I REACH OUT BE THE MAYOR OR PLANNING DIRECTOR IS I'M JUST GIVING MISINFORMATION OR JUST TOLD ANYTHING TO JUST EAT UP A CLOCK ON ME WHILE OUR HISTORY, OUR HERITAGE JUST, UH, UH, UH, IT, IT, IT JUST DWINDLES IT, IT'S DESTROYED FOR THIS, UH, GROSS NEGLIGENCE ON THE PART OF THE, THE MAYOR, THE CITY PLANET DEPARTMENT.
AND WHO IS MS. BROWN? MARGARET BROWN TO TELL THE FOURTH FLOOR REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY THAT THEIR BUDGET IS TOO EXPENSIVE TO PUT HOW THOSE HOUSES THERE.
IT'S NOT COMING OUT OF THE CITY'S POCKET.
SO HERE AGAIN IS THE CITY PLANNING DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR TRYING TO BLOCK ANY PRESERVATION EFFORTS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
THE CITY DOESN'T GIVE US ANY MONEY FOR ANYTHING.
NOW THE MAYOR, UM, HELPED HIS HANDPICKED GROUP, THE CONSERVANCY, WHICH WORKS AGAINST US.
BUT WE ARE TRYING TO PRESERVE OUR HERITAGE AND, AND NO MATTER WHERE WE TURN, WE STILL CANNOT GET ANY CORRECTIVE ACTION.
UM, I MAKE A MOTION TO ALLOW THE SPEAKER TO CONTINUE YOU ALL SECOND.
ANY OPPOSED? ANY AGAINST? OKAY, MRS. HOUSE, YOU HAVE A FEW, JUST A BRIEF AMOUNT OF TIME JUST TO, TO WRAP UP YOUR POINT.
AND, UH, I KNOW YOU ALL HAVE A LOT ON YOUR PLATE, YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH.
THAT IS WHY I TOOK THE TIME TO PREPARE THE BRIEF DOCUMENT TO INFORM YOU ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON AND, AND, AND YOU CANNOT BE AWARE OF ALL OF THIS INJUSTICE AS, AS A
[02:10:01]
BODY PRESERVATION AND PLANNING OF WELL, MS. HOUSE, THIS IS COMMISSIONER AUER JACKSON.UM, AND I ADMIT I HAVE NOT BEEN, UH, HAVE NOT KEPT MYSELF, UH, UP ON THE LATEST HAPPENINGS IN FRIEDMAN'S TOWN.
IT'S BEEN SEVERAL YEARS SINCE I'VE, I'VE, UM, YOU KNOW, BEEN INVOLVED IN THE EFFORTS THERE.
BUT, UM, I AM VOLUNTEERING AS AN INDIVIDUAL TO SIT DOWN WITH YOU AND TO LEARN MORE.
I THINK THERE ARE SOME, IF WE CAN IDENTIFY WHO OWNS THESE PROPERTIES, THERE ARE ARE RESOURCES OUT THERE TO, UH, TO ADDRESS THE ROOFS, TO STABILIZE THEM.
AND I'M HAPPY TO TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH YOU.
AND, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH BECAUSE, AND WE REALLY NEED TO MOVE QUICK.
ROOF, AS I STATED EARLIER, IS COLLAPSING.
AND NOW THE FLOOR IN THAT SAME BUILDING IS COLLAPSING WHILE THIS LITTLE HOUSE, IT WAS BEGINNING TO COLLAPSE.
I WELCOME THAT BECAUSE THE LAST TIME THE PLANNING COMMISSION BOARD HELPED US WAS BACK AROUND 2005 OR SO.
UH, WE TRIED TO GET OUR PERMIT, UH, UH, APPROVED FOR ZERO LOT LINE
BUT BILL WHITE WAS MAYOR AT THE TIME AND HE BLOCKED OUR PERMIT REGARDLESS WHEN WE KEPT TRYING TO GET A PERMIT TO BUILD OUR YOUTH CENTER AT 1401 ANDREWS STREET.
SO WE REALLY NEED HELP FROM EVERYONE POSSIBLE WHO HAS AUTHORITY OR POWER TO HELP US GET THINGS DONE IN FRIEDMANS TOWN AND NOT JUST ALLOW THE DEMOLITION.
AND LASTLY, AS I CLOSE, I WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT MISS, WHAT'S HER NAME, UH, YASMINE ON SLOAN OR WHATEVER.
WHEN I WAS THERE EARLIER, UM, I, I WAS JUST TRYING TO FIND OUT, YOU KNOW, WHO OR WHERE I COULD LEAVE MY DOCUMENT, MY HANDOUTS AND ALL THAT CAME OUT OF HER MOUTH.
FREETOWN IS NOT A HISTORIC DISTRICT.
AND IT'S KNOWN AS A, A CULTURAL, HISTORIC DISTRICT TOO.
AND THE FOOTPRINT WILL REMAIN FOREVER.
SO SHE NEEDS TO BE PULLED TO THE SIDE TO LET HER KNOW, LOOK, I DON'T CARE HOW BAD YOUR POLITICS ARE.
WE'RE GONNA, WE, WE'VE, I THINK YOU'VE COME CLOSE TO YOUR TIME.
UM, I'VE GOT YOUR NUMBER AND I'LL REACH OUT TO YOU.
WE CAN CONTINUE THIS CONVERSATION, BUT, UM, OKAY.
WE'RE GONNA, WE'VE, WE'VE GONE OFF THE, THE TOPIC.
OKAY, WE'RE GONNA MOVE TO ITEM F UH, COMMENTS FROM THE HAHC, UH, MR. CHAIR.
I, I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE THE FLOOR, UH, BUT I HAVE TO ASK MS. MS. MICKELSON, HOW DO I TURN OFF MY COMMISSIONER CAP AND TURN ON THE PUBLIC CAP, BECAUSE I WANT TO STAND IN FRONT THERE AND ADDRESS THIS COMMISSION.
YOU SAY WHAT YOU JUST SAID, AND GO STAND IN FRONT OF THE PODIUM, MAIN PODIUM AND SAY YOU'RE SPEAKING AS A PRIVATE CITIZEN.
UH, MY NAME IS DOMINIC YAP, AND I'M A RESIDENT OF FIRST WARD, UH, UH, HOUSTON, PART OF IT, WHICH IS IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT.
UM, JUST TO ADDRESS, UH, TO GIVE YOU A HEADS UP, WE HAVE BEEN HAVING VERY POSITIVE DEVELOPMENTS WITH CONSERVANCY DISTRICTS, AND THEN WE HAVE ONE NEGATIVE ONE THAT YOU JUST HEARD BEFORE.
LET ME BRING UP ANOTHER NEGATIVE ONE.
BEGINNING MARCH, 2023, UH, THE ENCLAVE FOR FIRST WARD, UH, H CAT HAS RAISED OUR LAND VALUE, JUST THE LAND VALUE FROM $50 PER SQUARE FOOT IN 2022.
THIS YEAR, OUR LAND VALUE IS $110 PER SQUARE FOOT.
IN RETROSPECT, OH SIX WARD IS, WAS RAISED FROM $48 TO 55, UH, AND WOODLAND HEIGHTS AND HEIGHTS, THEY ARE $95 A SQUARE FOOT ON HITCH CAT RECORD FIRST WARD.
UH, IT HAS NOW, AND THE ONLY, UH, PROPERTIES THAT ARE HAVING $110 PER SQUARE FOOT WITH LOT VAL LOTS THAT ARE 3000 OR 4,000 OR 5,000 SQUARE FOOT WITH A ONE STORY SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCE, A TWO STORY NEW CONSTRUCTION IS
[02:15:01]
STILL $55 HIGH RISE GOING UP.UH, WE SEE THIS AS A VERY, A DISTURBING DEVELOPMENT BECAUSE THE PEOPLE WITH THE OLD HOUSES THAT ARE IN ON THIS LOTS, TYPICALLY THESE 5,000 SQUARE FOOT LOTS SUDDENLY SAW THEIR TAX BILL WENT FROM 200 OVER 300,000 BECAUSE THE LAND WAS JUST TWO 50 FOR A 5,000 SQUARE FOOT LOT.
NOW IT'S 550,000 FOR A 5,000 SQUARE FOOT LOT.
AND, AND COMMISSIONER COSGROVE, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU ARE AN APPRAISER.
YOU CAN SEE ALL THIS IN, IN, IF YOU LOOK AT THE HEDGE CAT RECORD, THIS IS PUBLIC RECORD AND MORE IS TO COME.
BUT THIS IS WHERE IT MEETS THE CROSSROAD OF PRESERVATION.
WE ARE FORCING RETIREES, OLDER PEOPLE WHO ARE, UH, LIVING VOTE TO EXTEND TIME.
I'LL JUST FINISH THIS POINT BECAUSE THIS IS JUST DEVELOPING.
THERE ARE, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PROPERTIES HERE.
THEY ARE STILL PENDING ON, UH, H CAT, BUT I HAVE ALREADY GOT INUNDATED, UH, BECAUSE THEY KNOW I, I WORK CLOSELY WITH THE CITY AND THEN I'M PART OF THE COMMISSION.
THEY'RE ASKING WHY IS THIS HAPPENING ONLY IN FIRST WARD? AND IF YOU LOOK, NOBODY GOT HIT.
CHUCK'S OLD HOUSE IS STILL $55 PER SQUARE FOOT, HIS LAND VALUE.
AND, UH, THE PE THE, UH, THE PEOPLE IN SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCES FEEL THREATENED THAT THEY ARE BEING FORCED OUT.
AND THEREFORE THE, UH, HISTORIC HOMES WILL ULTIMATELY JUST GO TO, UH, YOU KNOW, BIG BUILDERS, UH, SO ON AND SO FORTH.
THAT IS NOT A VERY GOOD WAY FOR US TO PRESERVE THE FIRST WARD, WHICH IS THE FIRST NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, RECOGNIZED IN HOUSTON.
I KNOW A QUESTION I HAVE WAS, UM, 'CAUSE I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS HAPPENS.
IT, I DUNNO IF IT'S PROXIMITY TO OTHER AREAS THAT ARE GOING UP, BUT, UM, I KNOW THAT WHEN YOU'RE IN HISTORIC DISTRICTS AND YOU APPLY, UH, TO DO WORK THROUGH THE C OF A PROCESS, YOU CAN GET A TAX BREAK ON THE IMPROVEMENTS, NOT THE LAND VALUE, BUT I HAVE SEEN CERTAIN HISTORIC PROPERTIES WITH A HISTORIC LISTING ON THEIR HCAD, UM, UM, UH, STATEMENT FOR THAT SUBJECT PROPERTY.
I DON'T KNOW WHETHER BEING, UH, WHEN YOU HAVE THAT HISTORIC, UM, LABEL ON THE PROPERTY, DOES THAT AFFECT HCA EVALUATION OF THE PROPERTY? UM, THAT'S A QUESTION I HAVE.
I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION BECAUSE, BECAUSE WHEN THAT SHOWS UP, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT DOES THAT, WHAT DOES THAT DESIGNATION MEAN FOR YOUR EVALUATION? SO I CAN ANSWER SOME OF THAT.
IT'S JUST A NOTIFICATION THAT, THAT LOCATED IN A HISTORIC DISTRICT.
IT IS TO MAKE IT MORE TRANSPARENT, REALLY FOR REALTORS TO UNDERSTAND THAT THEY'RE TRAINING HOMES IN A HISTORIC DISTRICT.
UM, ROMAN AND I ARE WORKING ON THIS.
THERE IS A STATE LAW THAT WENT INTO EFFECT, I DON'T REMEMBER THE NUMBER LAST YEAR, LAST YEAR, THAT, UM, ADDRESSES THIS SPECIFICALLY THAT THE TAXING AUTHORITY SHALL CONSIDER THE EFFECT OF A HISTORIC DISTRICT ON A PROPERTY'S VALUE.
SO IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO, TO DO THAT ON THE IMPROVEMENTS, BUT THERE MIGHT BE AN ARGUMENT ON THE LAND, BUT IT'S A LOT OF DATA.
AND SO ROMAN AND I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON IT, BUT IT'S A LITTLE SLOW GOING.
I'M GONNA ADMIT
SO MAY I PRONOUN, UH, UH, PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION TO YOUR QUESTION, COMMISSIONER ABUSE? SURE.
UH, A, THERE'S A HISTORIC HOUSE.
NEXT DOOR IS A THREE STORY TOWNHOUSE.
UH, ONE IS 2,500 SQUARE FOOT LOT, ONE IS 5,000.
ONE IS A JUDGE AT $110 PER SQUARE FEET.
THE OTHER ONE IS STILL $50 PER SQUARE FEET.
ANOTHER EXAMPLE, UH, SO I HAVE MY NEIGHBOR, UH, LIVES IN THE HISTORIC HOUSE AS WELL.
UH, HIS TAX LAST YEAR, OR LAND VALUE WAS TWO 50 AND HIS HOUSE WAS WORTH 150 THIS YEAR.
NOW HIS LAND VALUE HAS GONE UP TO 550, AND THEY, AND THEY HAVE THE VALUE OF THE, THE DWELLING ITSELF TO MAKE UP.
SO THE NUMBER WON'T BE SO HIGH, BUT WHAT THEY ARE DONE, WHAT THEY HAVE DONE IS THAT THEN THEY TAX AT THE CAP, WHATEVER IT IS, THIS POOR GUY HAS NOW BEEN TAXED AT A CAP, BASICALLY.
AND THAT'S, AND I, WHEN WE DON'T KNOW HOW THAT CAN HAPPEN, YOU KNOW, OVER ONE YEAR THE VALUE JUMPED FROM 55 TO 110, WHICH IS, EVEN RIGHT NOW, I FEEL THAT I'M LIVING IN THE RIVER
[02:20:01]
OAKS BECAUSE WE ARE MORE EXPENSIVE THAN WOODLAND HEIGHTS.SO THIS SEEMS LIKE A CONUNDRUM.
I'M LOOKING TO COMMISSIONER COSGROVE.
I MEAN, ON ONE HAND, YES, THIS IS IN, IN INHERENTLY UNFAIR THAT, THAT SOMEONE'S TAX BILL DOUBLES IN ONE YEAR.
IT CERTAINLY IS, IS AN UNDUE BURDEN IN MY OPINION, BUT IT ALSO MAKES THAT LAND MORE EXPENSIVE TO ACQUIRE AND DEMOLISH A HISTORIC STRUCTURE AND MAKE IT, UH, YOU KNOW, A, UH, I GUESS THE FINANCIALS WORK ON PUTTING UP A THREE STORY TOWN HOME.
NO, FOR THAT RECORD, THE HIGHEST LAND VALUE SOLD RIGHT NOW IN FIRST WARD IS $68 PER SQUARE FEET.
A 10,000 SQUARE FOOT VACANT LOT WAS JUST SOLD FOR $68.
BUT H CAT NOW JUST BEGINNING MARCH AT JUDGE EVERYTHING THAT HAS ONE STORY, SINGLE FAMILY HOUSE AT, UH, UH, AT 110.
SO THE, THE POINT IS THAT YOU HAVE TO, I'M, I'M JUST WONDERING IF THAT WAS INTENTIONAL.
YEAH, YOU HAVE TO GO TO HCA AND PROTEST.
I MEAN, EVERYBODY WHO'S GOT THESE NUMBERS HAS TO GO PROTEST, OTHERWISE THE VALUES WOULD STICK.
BUT IF YOU GO WITH A SALES DOCUMENT THAT SAYS 68 BUCKS A SQUARE FOOT IS THE HIGHEST, THEN YOU'LL GET BACK DOWN.
I MEAN, YOU JUST GO IN WITH A SPREADSHEET, YOU'VE PROBABLY PROTESTED MULTIPLE PROPERTIES IN YOUR EXPERIENCE.
GO IN WITH YOUR SPREADSHEET, SHOW ALL THE LAND VALUES, YOU'LL WIN ON AN APPEAL.
BUT I MEAN, THAT, THAT'S WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO AS A PROPERTY OWNER.
YOU HAVE TO WATCH YOUR EVALUATION AND YOU HAVE TO PROTEST.
BUT THE QUESTION FROM COMMISSIONER YAP IS, UH, IT SEEMS TO BE TARGETED ON THIS PARTICULAR HISTORIC DISTRICT.
EXCUSE ME, THE QUESTION FROM CITIZEN YAP.
UM, WELL, HE MOVED OFF THE PODIUM, SO I WAS, I WAS, I WAS TRACKING HIM AS HE WAS MOVING.
UM, I'VE ONLY HAD TWO COMMISSIONER, TWO COMMISSIONER.
UM, BUT THE, THE POINT I, I TOOK FROM, BECAUSE WE, WE DON'T REGULATE THESE THINGS AT THIS COMMISSION, BUT, UM, BUT IF THIS PARTICULAR DISTRICT IS UNDER SOME THREAT BECAUSE OF THESE VALUATIONS, I DUNNO WHETHER STAFF CAN AT LEAST LOOK AT THAT AND SEE IF SOMETHING IS HAPPENING THAT'S IRREGULAR FROM ALL THE OTHER STORE DISTRICTS.
UM, I, I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THAT'S THAT'S POSSIBLE, BUT IT'S, IT'S BEYOND OUR COMMISSION'S ABILITY.
UM, AND, BUT WE CAN AT LEAST TRY TO ASK QUESTIONS AND SEE WHETHER OR NOT WE CAN FIND MORE ANSWERS TO WHY THINGS ARE HAPPENING IN A WHOLESALE FASHION THAT ARE AFFECTING THESE HISTORIC PROPERTIES DIFFERENTLY FROM OTHER HISTORIC PROPERTIES, OR EVEN DIFFERENT TO PROPERTIES ADJACENT TO THESE HISTORIC PROPERTIES IN, IN THE DISTRICT.
WELL, UH, I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT TO YOU AS CITIZEN YAP, BECAUSE THE NEXT TIME I WILL HIGHLIGHT TO YOU IT WILL BE COMMISSIONER YAP AS I GET MORE INFORMATION BECAUSE THE FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE FOR THAT NEIGHBORHOOD WAS DOMINIC YAP.
THEY ALL CAME AND COMPLAINED TO ME.
SO I JUST WANTED TO BRING IT UP TO YOU THAT WE ARE FIRST WARD FOR SOME REASON BEING TARGETED, AND I DON'T KNOW WHY ONLY HISTORIC HOMES ARE BEING TARGETED.
THAT'S, THAT'S THE, THE BOTTOM LINE.
AND IT, UH, A LOT OF OLDER FOLKS ARE THE ONES THAT ARE THE VICTIMS, IF YOU WILL.
THE LAND GOES TO THE, THE BIGGEST BUILDER OUT THERE, AND HE WILL JUST SPLIT IT UP AND BUILD THREE TOWN HOMES AND NOT RESTORE AT ONE HOME.
SO ARE YOU SAYING THAT THESE ARE IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT OR THEY'RE OUTSIDE THE HISTORIC DISTRICT WHERE THEY'RE RAISING THE PROPERTY VALUES AND HERE HE IS WITHIN? THAT'S SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE BROUGHT UP TO ONE OF THE NEWS CHANNELS.
UM, THEY PROBABLY WANT BIGGER HOUSES SO THEY GET MORE MONEY ON THE TAX ROLLS.
THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO, IS ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO BUILD MORE LARGER BUILDINGS THAT COST MORE.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES.
COLIN, I'M BETTING THAT THIS IS SOMEHOW DEVELOPER MO MOTIVATED SOMEBODY GOT A HOLD OF SOMEBODY.
THAT'S WHY THE NEWS MEDIA NEED TO BE ON THIS TO LOOK AT IT TO HELP GET IT REDUCED.
WE'RE KIND OF BEYOND OUR PURVIEW, I THINK AS THIS COMMISSION.
THESE ARE ALL GOOD CONVERSATIONS.
I'D LOVE TO HAVE THEM WITH YOU, BUT I THINK THIS IS BEYOND OUR PURVIEW.
I I WAS GONNA ASK, REMEMBER THAT PUBLIC COMMENT COMMENTS FROM HHC MEMBERS AND COMMENTS FROM THE DIRECTOR ARE ALL DESIGNED TO BE THAT THEY'RE DESIGNED TO BE COMMENTS, NOT DISCUSSION AND DEBATE.
[02:25:01]
WE KNOW IN ADVANCE THAT, YOU KNOW, A TOPIC LIKE THIS THAT WILL BE OF INTEREST, WE CAN ALWAYS HAVE STAFF POSTED ON THE AGENDA SO WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT AND WE CAN CERTAINLY POST THESE KIND OF ITEMS FOR THE WORKSHOP IN APRIL.UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, IDEALLY, BECAUSE IN OTHER WORDS, THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN PEOPLE IN THE PUBLIC WHO WANNA TALK ABOUT THIS TOO.
SO, UM, YEAH, I'M SORRY, I FEEL LIKE DEBBIE DOWNER TODAY, BUT, UM, JUST TRYING TO KEEP YOU GUYS WE'RE YOU'RE FINE.
WE'RE, WE'RE AT THE END OF OUR AGENDA.
UM, ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM THE COMMISSION MEMBERS THEMSELVES? OKAY.
AND SINCE ROMAN IS NOT HERE TO GIVE A PRESERVATION OFFICER'S REPORT, I'M GONNA BRING THIS MEETING TO A CLOSE AND, AND, UH, ANNOUNCE ADJOURNMENT.
BUT THANK YOU ALL FOR A SPIRITED DAY.
AND, UM, UNTIL THE, UNTIL NEXT MEETING, OUR TRAINING MEETING NEXT MONTH.