HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION OPERATIONS COMMITTEE Monday, July 22nd, 2024 – 11:00 AM Permitting and Development Center Conference Room 1203 6310 Wilhelmina Delco Dr Austin, TX 78752 Some members of the committee may be participating by videoconference Public comment will be allowed in-person or remotely via telephone. Speakers may only register to speak on an item once either in-person or remotely and will be allowed up to three minutes to provide their comments. Registration no later than noon the day before the meeting is required for remote participation by telephone. To register to speak remotely, email preservation@austintexas.gov or call Sam Fahnestock at (512) 974-3393. COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Witt Featherston Kevin Koch Carl Larosche AGENDA CALL TO ORDER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL The first ten (10) speakers who register to speak no later than noon the day before the meeting will be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. BRIEFINGS Historic Sign Guidelines Review of current guidelines. 1. 2. 3. ADJOURNMENT Demolition By Neglect Review Code Enforcement’s presentation and discuss better practices and potential policy change suggestions. Demolition Versus Relocation Permit Processes How to streamline a transition from a demolition to a relocation. The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the American with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Meeting locations are planned with wheelchair access. If requiring Sign Language Interpreters or alternative formats, please give notice at least 2 days (48 hours) before the meeting date. Please call the Historic Preservation Office at 512-974-3393 for additional information; TTY users route through Relay Texas at 711. For more information on the Historic Landmark Commission, please contact Sam Fahnestock, Planner II, at 512-974-3393; Kalan Contreras, Historic Preservation Officer, at 512-974-2727.
Protection and Enforcement BRIEF #8 FOR PRESERVATION PLAN WORKING GROUP | APRIL 2022 Historic review Exterior changes to historic landmarks and districts Work that exceeds approvals Work beyond the scope of an approved permit Work without a permit Demolition by neglect Failure to maintain a resource See the Heritage in Austin brief for more information. 1 This brief explores how cities work with property owners to safeguard historic resources, as well as measures that can be taken when things go awry. Demolition by neglect Failure to maintain a resource Vacant buildings Long-term vacant and unoccupied buildings Current practices in Austin Requirements for historic buildings • Get a permit for work as required by code • Maintain historic buildings to established standards. In Austin, these are nearly the same as minimum maintenance requirements for all buildings) Penalties for violations Civil offense /Class C misdemeanor • Fines not to exceed $1,000 per day • • If a building is demolished as a public safety hazard after 2+ demolition by neglect notices, no permits will be considered on that property for 3 years from the date of demolition 2 Historic inspections Some city preservation programs conduct inspections to make sure historic buildings are being maintained, identify work to landmarks and in districts without permits, and check eligibility for preservation incentives. However, most only do complaint-based inspections due to limited staff capacity. Historic inspections conducted based on... Complaints Incentives Permitting Project stage type Periodic Unknown/ not found x x x x x x x x x x x x x x * These comparable cities have dedicated inspections and enforcement staff as part of the historic preservation team. Washington, DC does as well. Atlanta Austin Brownsville Dallas Denver Fort Worth * Galveston Nashville * New York Phoenix San Antonio San Francisco * * Seattle 3 Penalties for violations Some cities charge daily penalties for violations; others cap total penalties at a certain amount. Two comparable cities, New York and Phoenix, appear to charge fees based on whether the violation is a repeat offense or the property owner a repeat offender. $50-5k A recent survey on preservation enforcement from the Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans received responses from 34 cities. This question asked how cities set specific fines for work without historic approval. $2k $2k L A T O T - S E I T L A N E P n o i t …
M E M O R A N D U M TO: Mayor and Council Members THROUGH: Veronica Briseño, Assistant City Manager Stephanie Hayden-Howard, Assistant City Manager FROM: José G. Roig, Development Services Director Richard McHale, Austin Resource Recovery Director DATE: July 16, 2024 SUBJECT: Response to Council Resolution 20231102-024 - Permitting for House Relocation We want to share with you an update on Resolution 20231102-024, relating to the permitting process for house relocation within Austin. The resolution directs the City Manager to develop a strategy to build awareness and minimize barriers in partnership with community stakeholders and groups. increase house relocation, to The Development Services Department (DSD), in partnership with Austin Resource Recovery (ARR), the Planning Department, and key stakeholder groups, has developed recommendations for action. On March 26, 2024, DSD met with stakeholders to discuss solutions, potential challenges, and competing factors to incentivize relocation within Austin. Attendees identified potential solutions that fell into the following themes: streamlining the relocation permitting process, reducing costs, integrating relocation with the HOME Initiative, workforce training and development, and revising the recycling ordinance. Recommendations The Department will continue to analyze the proposed solutions for possible integration. The recommendations, which will be implemented immediately, include creating general public and contractor training on relocation permitting, prioritizing relocation application submittals for faster processing, and developing a fee waiver or voucher to cover relocation permit review costs. Related to this last solution, the funding source would need to be determined by the Council. To ensure a complete and accurate permit review, a new application will be required for each submitted project. Demolitions and relocations have specific requirements for a complete review and, as such, would require new applications when switching between project types. The DSD application intake teams have greatly improved their processing time for new submittals, and the permit fees for these two project types are identical. To ensure auditing and reporting integrity, fees cannot be transferred between projects. Page 1 of 2 DSD will seek to build awareness of the relocation process as a viable alternative to demolition in the Austin community and create training for the general public and contractors. DSD will also work to: Improve the clarification and promotion of the relocation permitting process by updating its website about the process and other community resources required for house relocation and related services. The updated website is expected to be completed by Fall 2024. Disseminate …
Equity-Based Preservation Plan Relevant Recommendations from Draft Plan, July 2024 Note: Recommenda(cid:415)on numbers may change in final plan. Historic sign guidelines 13. Develop an addendum for landscape management to the City of Aus(cid:415)n Historic Design Standards. 34. Improve historic designation and historic review processes to be more clear, streamlined, and transparent. Work with community members, including people with a range of experience levels navigating local historic processes, to improve processes for and communication around historic designation and historic review. Leverage resources and expertise from the Equity Office and Office of Innovation. 35. Develop accessible materials about historic preservation, community heritage, incentives, archaeology, and City historic designation and review processes. Ensure that the Historic Preservation Office website, applications, and outreach materials are clear and accessible to people without formal preservation training. Provide resources in multiple languages and publicize the City’s commitment to offer interpretation at community meetings. 90. Stop requiring review of changes to privately owned properties in National Register districts. Follow state and national best practices and strategically use limited staff time by treating National Register district properties like other 45+ year-old buildings in terms of code-required review for landmark eligibility. Encourage property owners in National Register districts to consult with staff and neighborhood associations on project compatibility and to create locally designated historic districts. Establish a staff-level advisory review process for City- owned properties listed in the National Register. Demoli(cid:415)on by neglect 98. Improve enforcement processes to be clearer and more accessible. Work with community members, contractors, other building professionals, and City departments and commissions to improve and clarify enforcement processes. Proactively provide clear, easily accessible information about how demolition by neglect and permit violations are enforced and remedied. 102. Augment penalty fees with non-financial penalties that more effectively deter violations. Clearly communicate potential penalties to property owners and contractors. Consider substantial penalties such as prohibiting building permits for 3-5 years where unpermitted demolition of a historic building has occurred. Focus on building partnerships with property owners and contractors rather than exacting penalties. 103. Increase penalties for repeat violators. Increase penalties for informed, intentional violators. In cases where property owners do not have resources to maintain their buildings, leverage the economic hardship provision and provide financial and technical resources to help avoid repeat violations. 104. Better enforce violations. Work with Development Services Department, Austin Code, and Law Department staff to ensure that enforcement processes are followed in a timely …
