HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION JULY 27, 2020 DEMOLITION AND RELOCATION PERMITS HDP-2020-0233 5512 SHOALWOOD AVE. D.3 - 1 PROPOSAL Relocate a ca. 1939 house. ARCHITECTURE One-story stone veneer residence with cross-gabled, composition shingle roof featuring shallow Minimal Traditional-style eaves, 6:6 wood windows, and a Tudor Revival-style arched entryway with peaked gable. RESEARCH The house at 5512 Shoalwood Avenue was built in 1939. Its first residents were renowned Texas landscape architect Charles Coatsworth Pinkney and his wife Evelyn. Pinkney, newly arrived in Austin from an apprenticeship under Olmstead Brothers in Boston, began his own firm that year. Pinkney designed the landscapes for Rosewood and Chalmers Courts, the Delwood Duplex and Allandale subdivisions, the French Legation and other high-profile historic sites in Austin including schools, trails, military and medical facilities, and private residences. 1945 City Council meeting minutes also list Pinkney as a City planning engineer consulting on the proposed interstate highway construction. Pinkney’s clients included the Texas Historical Commission, Bergstrom AFB, IBM, the Texas State Hospital, and dozens of Austin’s most prominent families; over a thousand projects have been catalogued at the Austin History Center. Of these, at least ninety date to within Pinkney’s residence at 5512 Shoalwood Avenue. (Around three hundred entries remain undated.) In 1948, the Pinkneys sold the house to Alice Stevens, a former schoolteacher employed as a bookkeeper at the State Liquor Control Board. Pinkney lived in the home until 1961, according to Statesman classified ads. STAFF COMMENTS Designation Criteria—Historic Landmark 1) The building is more than 50 years old. 2) The building appears to retain high integrity. 3) Properties must meet two historic designation criteria for landmark designation (LDC §25-2- 352). The property may demonstrate significance according to City Code: a) Architecture. The building is constructed with Tudor Revival and Minimal Traditional stylistic influences. Stone-veneer houses from this period represent a rapidly disappearing regional building type. b) Historical association. The building is associated with landscape architect Charles Coatsworth Pinkney. c) Archaeology. The house was not evaluated for its potential to yield significant data concerning the human history or prehistory of the region. d) Community value. The house does not possess a unique location, physical characteristic, or significant feature that contributes to the character, image, or cultural identity of the city, the neighborhood, or a demographic group. e) Landscape feature. The property is not a significant natural or designed landscape with artistic, aesthetic, cultural, or historical value to …
Friday, July 24, 2020 at 8:44:03 AM Central Daylight Time Subject: Date: From: To: AEachments: AusGn HLC leJer re 5512 Shoalwood.pdf, InspecGon Report - 5512 Shoalwood - 07222020.pdf Fw: 5512 Shoalwood Ave Friday, July 24, 2020 at 8:39:32 AM Central Daylight Time Sadowsky, Steve Contreras, Kalan Steve Sadowsky Historic PreservaGon Officer City of AusGn, Texas 974-6454 From: Mark Canada Sent: Thursday, July 23, 2020 5:46 PM To: GaudeJe, Angela <Angela.GaudeJe@ausGntexas.gov>; Sadowsky, Steve <Steve.Sadowsky@ausGntexas.gov> Subject: 5512 Shoalwood Ave *** External Email - Exercise Caution *** Dear Angela & Steve, I am reaching out to you today to provide insight into the future of my property. I strongly encourage you to review my two aJachments in advance of my hearing. As you know, my property is not going to be demolished, but instead relocated. And not just relocated, but fully restored by the new owners. The future owner's story is compelling and I applaud their vision for the house. I believe you will feel the same aaer reading their leJer addressed to you. The house, as it sits, is in great need of rehabilitaGon. I've aJached a review from Green Earth Engineering (structural engineer) regarding the current state of the dwelling. It's in very bad shape structurally. The enGre 1100 sq a house is racking to the south, the foundaGon is haphazardly cobbled together from unpermiJed and /or non-compliant foundaGon work, and the roof structural framing is completely inadequate by today's standards. When you walk into the house, the floor is rolling +/- 4 " and the walls are out of plumb by over 2" in some places with only an 8" ceiling. To put it bluntly, it's a hot mess. I truly believe that Dawson and Leanne Clark are the best of all possible candidates for this property. Not only do they plan to fully restore and live in the structure, but they also plan to create a stone coJage garden around the property. I think Mr. Pinkney will be proud to see the end result of all their love and hard work. -- Respecmully, Mark Canada CAUTION: This email was received at the City of AusGn, from an EXTERNAL source. Please use cauGon when clicking links or opening aJachments. If you believe this to be a malicious and/or phishing email, please forward this email to CSIRT@ausGntexas.gov. Page 1 of 2
To Whom It May Concern: I have been asked to provide information regarding the proposed relocation of the house currently located at 5512 Shoalwood in Austin. My wife and I own HighPointe Estate Wedding Venue, which is located between Georgetown and Liberty Hill, just 40 minutes north of central Austin. It is our hope that you will approve the relocation of the Shoalwood cottage, as we intend to use the home as our personal residence at our venue property. We purchased 42 acres of land on the North San Gabriel River in early 2018 and have developed what we consider to be Austin’s Newest Premier Wedding and Event Venue. We have built a 15,000 square foot event center on the property and began hosting events in January 2020. The tagline for our business is “Thoughtfully Designed – Artfully Created.” We approach every aspect of the development of our business thoughtfully and artfully. From architectural design, to interior design, to landscape design, to event design, a thoughtful and artful approach is key to our efforts. We commit the same to our beloved Shoalwood Cottage. I’m including photos of our newly completed Great Hall facility here. My commitment to historic properties stems from my first career after college in the mid-1980s, when I served as a Main Street Program Director in Mineral Wells, Texas. As you may know, the Main Street Program is a national effort to honor historic preservation of America’s downtowns, while balancing the adaptive reuse of historic properties for a current and relevant modern use. We have completely embraced this philosophy with our efforts to relocate properties that are in danger of demolition to a valuable new life on our venue property. You see, this attempt to relocate a home from Austin to our property is not our first. In May 2018, we relocated a home from Willow Street in East Austin to our property to be used as our Office/Sales Center and a small secondary venue space. We are very proud of the adaptive reuse that’s been accomplished through the relocation and restoration of our East Austin house, which we call The Moonlight Bungalow, since it was relocated from a neighborhood lit by one of Austin’s historic Moonlight Towers. Here is a photo of the home at its prior location in East Austin, shabby, tired and in need of new life. And this is a recent photo of …
H ISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION JU LY 27, 2020 D E MOLITION AND RELOCATION PERMITS H DP-2020-0258 2501 SOL WILSON AVENUE D.4 - 1 PR OPOSAL Demolish a ca. 1921 house. A R CHITECTURE One-story, rectangular-plan, front-gabled frame bungalow with a partial-width, front-gabled, independent porch on plain wood posts; side gablet halfway down the north elevation of the house; original fenestration appears to be 4:4 and in a single and double configuration, but many windows have been replaced with modern units. R E SEARCH The house appears to have been built around 1921 for Sol I. and Mabel Wilson, who lived here until the late 1940s, when they moved to Los Angeles, California. Sol I. Wilson w as born in Cedar Creek, Bastrop County, Texas in 1889 and worked at various automobile dealerships in downtown Austin during the course of his career. He married Mabel Love in Travis County in 1910, and lived on the eastern outskirts of Austin. This house, believed to have been built around 1921, and still featuring a 4:4 window in front that was more common at that time, was originally listed as being on an Austin rural route, then at 1167 Bedford Avenue (the house actually faces Bedford Avenue today), at 1167 Sol Wilson Avenue, and finally, with its current address of 2501 Sol Wilson Avenue. City directories show that Sol I. Wilson was employed as a chauffeur and as a porter at auto dealerships in Austin once he and Mabel gave up farming for paid occupations. Interestingly, the census reports show the couple’s children as attending Anderson High School and Kealing Junior High School; it was unusual to have the name of the school noted in the census report, but one might speculate that the education of their children was important enough to Sol and Mabel Wilson to mention that to the census taker, who noted it in the report. However, very little other information is available about the life of Sol I. Wilson. There were no articles mentioning him in the Austin newspapers, no City Council minutes referencing why this street was named for him (which would have been a very unusual occurrence in segregated Austin), and he had no obituary in the Austin newspapers (although Mabel Wilson’s 1964 passing was noted in the paper). It could be that he was the owner of the land across which this street traversed, but it at …
Charles McKinney, a neighbor of 2501 Sol Wilson Avenue, opposes the demolition of the property. Comments shared over the phone with Angela Gaudette on 7/22/2020.
Annual Internal Review This report covers the time period of 7/1/2019 to 6/30/2020 Historic Landmark Commission ____________________________________ The Board/Commission mission statement (per the City Code) is: Pursuant to Section 2-1-147(B) of the Code of the City of Austin, the Historic Landmark Commission: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Shall prepare and periodically revise an inventory of the structures and areas that may be eligible for designation as historic landmarks. Shall prepare, review, and propose amendments to the Historic Landmark Preservation Plan. Shall review requests to establish or remove a historic designation and make recommendations on the requests to the Land Use Commission, as determined in accordance with Section 25-1-46 of the Code of the City of Austin. Shall provide information and counseling to owners of structures that are designated as historic structures. May initiate zoning or rezoning of property to establish or remove a historic designation. May recommend amendments to the Code of the City of Austin relating to historic preservation. May recommend that the City acquire property if the Commission finds that acquisition by the City is the only means by which to preserve the property. May advise the Council on matters relating to historic preservation. For an object that is not permanently affixed to land, may recommend that Council confer special historic designation, and Shall perform other duties as prescribed by the Code of the City of Austin or other ordinance. Annual Review and Work Plan – Historic Landmark Commission Year 2019-2020 Page 2 1. Describe the board’s actions supporting their mission during the previous calendar year. Address all elements of the board’s mission statement as provided in the relevant sections of the City Code. 1. The Commission references several surveys in their evaluation of historical significance for properties subject to applications for demolition and relocation permits city-wide, and building permits within National Register and locally-designated historic districts. The surveys used by the Commission include the East Austin Survey (1980), the Comprehensive Cultural Resources Survey (1984), the Clarksville Survey (2000), the 11th and 12th Street East Austin Survey (2001), the Chestnut Neighborhood Survey (2001), and the multi-volume East Austin Historic Resources Survey, completed in 2016, among others. Survey efforts are continuing in several areas of the city with the availability of HOT funding for these projects, including a survey of the northeast Austin neighborhoods of Cherrywood, Wilshire Wood, and Delwood, as well as north-central …
Catty-corner midway across intersection Photo Catty-corner intersection from outside lane heading East on 15th Assuming far lane on Lavaca Street before intersection Photo - At Intersection on Lavaca Street From Westbound on 15th at intersection Photo - Westbound on 15th Street at intersection
2607 MCCALLUM DRIVE OLD WEST AUSTIN Historical Landmark Commission Meeting July 27, 2020 Presented by Permit Partners PER LDC 25- 2-352 NON CONTRIBUTING FACTORS • ARCHITECTURE - The house was built in 1941 and although is does meet the criteria for being over 50 years old, the house is unacceptable conditions per the most recent inspection report. Most notably the house foundation is cracked and needs severe repair and infested with termites. The house does not display high artistic value in representing ethnic or folk art, architecture, or construction; nor represents a rare example of an architectural style in the • HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS - There does not appear to be any historical associations with the house nor significant associations with persons, groups, institutions, businesses, or events of historic importance which contributed significantly to the history of the city, state, or nation, nor represents a significant portrayal of the cultural practices or the way of life of a definable group of people in a historic time. • ARCHEOLOGY - The property was not evaluated for its potential to yield significant data concerning human history or prehistory of the region • COMMUNITY VALUE - The house does not possess a unique community location, physical characteristic property has a unique location, physical characteristic, or significant feature that contributes to the character, image, or cultural identity of the city, a neighborhood, or a particular group. • LANDSCAPE FEATURES - The property does not have significant natural or designed landscape with any value to City of Austin. INSPECTION REPORT INSPECTION REPORT INSPECTION REPORT INSPECTION REPORT INSPECTION REPORT INSPECTION REPORT
FW: Hearing on 2502 Park View Drive, Austin, Texas (HDP-2020-0214) PAZ Preservation <Preservation@austintexas.gov> Sat 7/25/2020 5 38 PM To: Gaudette, Angela <Angela.Gaudette@austintexas.gov> From: Carolyn Croom Sent: Saturday, July 25, 2020 10:38:21 PM (UTC+00:00) Monrovia, Reykjavik To: PAZ Preservation Subject: Hearing on 2502 Park View Drive, Austin, Texas (HDP-2020-0214) *** External Email - Exercise Caution *** To the members of the Historic Landmark Commission: I oppose the demolition of the architecturally and historically significant house at 2502 Park View Drive. Its significance outweighs any financial considerations of the developer. Mid Tex Mod and Preservation Austinʼs letters strongly opposing this demolition are compelling. This outstanding, remarkably-intact midcentury residence with passive cooling strategies and innovative technological design and construction, which is part of the larger Air Conditioned Village project, is very much a part of Austinʼs history and culture. Austinite Ned Cole convinced organizers to locate this significant experiment appropriately in Austin, with our hot climate. The residence is an excellent early work of local architect, Fred Day, who made significant contributions to Austinʼs development. A National Register Historic District designation is underway for the Austin Air- Conditioned Village, and the best example of this project should be preserved. Please vote for the preservation of 2502 Park View Drive. Sincerely, Carolyn Croom 2502 Albata Avenue Austin, Texas 78757 CAUTION: This email was received at the City of Austin, from an EXTERNAL source. Please use caution when clicking links or opening attachments. If you believe this to be a malicious and/or phishing email, please forward this email to CSIRT@austintexas.gov. Fw: 2502 ParkView Dr Gaudette, Angela <Angela.Gaudette@austintexas.gov> Mon 7/27/2020 8 40 AM To: Gaudette, Angela <Angela.Gaudette@austintexas.gov> From: Guy D < Sent: Sunday, July 26, 2020 11:09 PM To: Gaudette, Angela <Angela.Gaudette@austintexas.gov> Subject: Re: 2502 ParkView Dr Hello, > Please consider the following comments for the July 27th hearing regarding potential demolition of 2502 Park View Dr.: I implore the committee to not allow the destruction of this home. The home is a fine example of Mid-Century architecture that makes Allandale so unique. The home also has local, and national, historic relevance as being one of the original homes in Air-Conditioned Village. My grandparents built their home on the same street in 1955. With so many of the homes already torn down and replaced by houses that do not fit the neighborhood, I feel Allandale will continue to lose the charm and appeal it has always had. In …
Gaudette, Angela From: Sent: To: Subject: Kim Barker Monday, July 27, 2020 11:59 AM PAZ Preservation HDP-2020-0258 - Sol Wilson House > *** External Email - Exercise Caution *** Hello, I am a neighbor of this house and wish to both support historic landmark designation and register my position against demolition. Based on the research completed by City staff, it is my understanding this is the Sol Wilson House and perhaps the oldest house in the neighborhood. Both a street and subdivision were named after Sol Wilson. Like the Sol Wilson House, my house is at the intersection of Bedford and Sol Wilson Streets in the Sol Wilson subdivision. The City's research notes that not much is known about Mr. Wilson, but that he was a porter and worked at automobile dealers (and was married with many children). I suspect not much more is typically known about Black residents who lived in Austin during the 1920s and 1930s. Which does not mean that he was not important. This neighborhood is being decimated by demolition and over‐scaled new construction, but my support for designation is not just a vote against that. Mine is a vote to recognize the house of Sol Wilson, a Black homeowner and the subdivision's namesake. Photographs of the house are not a sufficient trade off for properly recognizing Mr. Wilson with landmark designation and prevention of demolition. Thank you, Kim Barker 1170 Bedford Street CAUTION: This email was received at the City of Austin, from an EXTERNAL source. Please use caution when clicking links or opening attachments. If you believe this to be a malicious and/or phishing email, please forward this email to CSIRT@austintexas.gov. 1
Gaudette, Angela From: Sent: To: Subject: Gaudette, Angela Monday, July 27, 2020 2:19 PM Gaudette, Angela FW: Case # KDP-2020-0148 From: gavin inverso Sent: Monday, July 27, 2020 2:17 PM To: Gaudette, Angela <Angela.Gaudette@austintexas.gov> Subject: Re: Case # KDP‐2020‐0148 Dear Historic Landmark Commission, I'm writing you regarding the Historic Case #: HDP‐2020‐0258 Address: 2501 Sol Wilson Ave I would like to second the staff's recommendation of postponing the cases until Aug 24th 2020 so that there can be further investigation into the importance of Mr. and Mrs. Wilson in the community. I find it interesting that the street was named after Sol Wilson given the time period. I'd also like to agree that if it is not postponed to recommend rehabilitation or relocations over demolition of the structure. Thank you for your time and consideration. Best, Gavin Inverso 1183 Sol Wilson Ave, Austin, TX 78702 1 Gaudette, Angela From: Sent: To: Cc: Subject: Sarah Searcy Monday, July 27, 2020 2:21 PM Gaudette, Angela gavin inverso Tonight's hearing on 2501 Sol Wilson Ave. *** External Email - Exercise Caution *** Dear Historic Landmark Commission members, I endorse City staff's recommendation that the hearing on the proposed demolition of 2501 Sol Wilson Ave. be postponed to August 24 to allow more time for research on Sol and Mabel Wilson, who were the first residents of that property. I live on Sol Wilson Ave.‐‐my address is 1180 1/2, but I'm actually just a few houses down from 2501. I've always wondered who the street was named after, but Google searches haven't yielded anything. I'm intrigued to learn that the street's namesake lived in the blue house that's currently up for possible demolition. I would really like to learn more about the Wilsons to determine whether their house deserves historic status. Please give City staff more time to research this property and its original owners by postponing this hearing to August 24. Thank you for your consideration. Sarah Searcy 1180 1/2 Sol Wilson Ave. P.S.‐‐Would also love to know why some houses are "1/2," even though they're all single family. CAUTION: This email was received at the City of Austin, from an EXTERNAL source. Please use caution when clicking links or opening attachments. If you believe this to be a malicious and/or phishing email, please forward this email to CSIRT@austintexas.gov. 1 Gaudette, Angela From: Sent: To: Subject: Aaron Cloninger Monday, July 27, 2020 2:43 …
M E M O R A N D U M TO: Historic Landmark Commission FROM: Historic Preservation Office staff DATE: July 24, 2020 Comparison of base zoning and current land use SUBJECT: At the June 22, 2020, meeting of the Historic Landmark Commission, Commissioner Heimsath requested that staff look analytically at historic landmarks in the central core of Austin to determine disconnects between their land use and zoning. Specifically, the commissioner expressed concern that, due to extreme financial pressure, properties not thought to be at risk have been threatened by untenable proposals that do not prioritize their preservation. This analysis would identify the level of risk such that the Commission can prioritize potential solutions. Commissioner Valenzuela also requested analysis for the potential historic landmarks and districts recommended in the 2016 East Austin Historic Survey. As an initial step in fulfilling this request, the attached maps and spreadsheet compile base zoning data from the City of Austin with current use data from the Travis Central Appraisal District for properties with Historic Landmark overlay zoning in central Austin. Staff next intends to create a map that interpolates between the two data sets and highlights those properties with the most significant differences between what is allowed under their base zoning and their current use. Given the large amount of data to analyze, staff seeks feedback on how to narrow this effort by either: 1. Starting solely with certain types of base zoning, such as Central Business District and Downtown Mixed Use, where there is likely to be the biggest disconnect between what could be built under the base zoning and the size and use of existing historic landmarks; or 2. Eliminating residential properties where the zoning and use are compatible, such as Single Family zoning with Family Dwelling use, and performing analysis on the remainder of the properties. Following the successful development of methodology for this comparison for historic landmarks, staff will expand the analysis to address properties recommended for designation in the East Austin survey. Landmark Base ZoningCBD Central Business District (91)CS Commercial Services (34)DMU Downtown Mixed Use (27)GO General Office (25)GR Community Commercial (11)LO Limited Office (19)LR Neighborhood Commercial (5)MF Multifamily Residence (36)NO Neighborhood Office (4)P Public Use (15)SF Single Family Residence (296)TOD Transit-Oriented Development (5) TCAD Improvement Categories forLandmarked PropertiesNo Data (27)1 FAM DWELLING (332)2 FAM DWELLING; TRIPLEX; FOURPLEX (9)APARTMENT 5-25; TOWNHOMES (9)CLUBHOUSE (1)COMMERCIAL SPACE CONDOS (4)FRAT/SORORITY (4)HIRISE CONDO/APT (1)HOTEL-FULL …
Gaudette, Angela From: Sent: To: Subject: John A Tate Monday, July 27, 2020 4:09 PM PAZ Preservation Supporting preservation of 2502 Park View Drive (HDP-2020-0214) *** External Email - Exercise Caution *** To the Members of the Historic Landmark Commission: I support preservation of the existing house at 2502 Park View Drive. The staff analysis and letters from Elizabeth Porterfield of Mid Tex Mod and Lori Martin of Preservation Austin agree that the house meets several of the criteria for historic status. The residence is an excellent early work of local architect, Fred Day, who designed a number of other iconic Austin buildings. In addition, a National Register Historic District designation is underway for the Austin Air‐ Conditioned Village, and this is the best existing example of the buildings from that project. Please vote to preserve 2502 Park View Drive. Thank you for your kind attention. John Tate 2502 Albata Avenue Austin, Texas 78757 CAUTION: This email was received at the City of Austin, from an EXTERNAL source. Please use caution when clicking links or opening attachments. If you believe this to be a malicious and/or phishing email, please forward this email to CSIRT@austintexas.gov. 1
MUNICIPAL CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES Monday, July 27, 2020 REGULAR MEETING Monday, July 27, 2020 MUNICIPAL CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION MINUTES The Municipal Civil Service Commission convened in a regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, July 27, 2020 via videoconferencing. Vice-Chair Rogers called the Commission meeting to order at 9:43 a.m. Commissioners in Attendance: Melissa Rogers, Vice-Chair Rebecca Eisenbrey Erika Kane Teresa Peréz-Wiseley Commissioners Absent: Pamela Lancaster, Chair Staff in Attendance: Matthew Chustz, Municipal Civil Service Administrator April Shaw, Municipal Civil Service Coordinator Lisa Rodriguez, Municipal Civil Service Coordinator 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES a. Approve the minutes of the Municipal Civil Service Commission regular meeting of July 13, 2020. The minutes of the July 13, 2020 regular meeting were approved on Vice-Chair Rogers’ motion, Commissioner Peréz-Wiseley’s second, on a vote of 4-0. 3. NEW BUSINESS a. Discussion and possible action regarding nomination and recommendation of Chair of the Commission. Vice-Chair Rogers proposed postponing this item to the next meeting of the Commission. Hearing no objections, the item was postponed. 1 MUNICIPAL CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES Monday, July 27, 2020 b. Discussion and possible action regarding election of a Vice-Chair of the MCS Commission. Vice-Chair Rogers proposed postponing this item to the next meeting of the Commission. Hearing no objections, the item was postponed. c. Discussion regarding MCS Commission Records Management. Discussion was held regarding MCS Commission Records Management. 4. OLD BUSINESS a. Discussion and possible action on the MCS Recommendation to City Council (Recommendation 20191108-04B) regarding the review of granted denial of promotion and discharge appeals, to address the concerns brought forth by Michael Girod during Citizens Communication on February 24, 2020. Discussion was held regarding Recommendation 20191108-04B. The Commission directed their attorney to draft communication and bring to a future Commission meeting. b. Discussion and possible action on future meeting dates, times and locations Discussion was held on future meeting dates, times, and locations. The motion to convene MCS Commission meetings held via videoconferencing at 9:00 a.m. beginning with the August 24, 2020 meeting, was approved on Vice-Chair Rogers’ motion, Commissioner Peréz-Wiseley’s second, on vote of 4-0. 5. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS Public Comment: Christina Ortiz addressed the Commission regarding their decision in the matter of the Discharge of Lindsey Randall from the Austin Public Health Department. Carol Guthrie addressed the Commission regarding possible edits to the Municipal Civil Service Rules related to denial of promotions and asked the Commission …
