D.3.3 - 5512 Shoalwood_ApplicantLetter.pdf — original pdf

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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 our Moonlight Bungalow as she stands after restoration.  This photo shows the interior condition of the Moonlight Bungalow when she arrived at our site in May 2018. And this is the finished interior product, a beautiful space that has been host to dozens of special events ranging from weddings, to bridal and baby showers, birthday parties and much, much more.  We reach out to thank the membership of the Austin Historic Landmark Commission for its continued commitment to preservation activities in Austin. We adore the cottage on Shoalwood and we welcome the opportunity to relocate her to new location in order that we may preserve and protect her for her next period of significance. Should the pending request be approved, the cottage will be relocated to our 42-acre property on the North San Gabriel River, where she will be situated on the site where a late 1800s pioneer cabin previously sat. When we purchased our property in early 2018, the old pioneer cabin was long collapsed. We immediately cleared the debris from the old cabin and began envisioning a new development of the site, one that would capitalize on the old stone chimney which still stands on the site. With your approval of the relocation, the Shoalwood Cottage will be placed about 20 yards from the old stone chimney. We will develop a beautifully landscaped stone cottage garden between the cottage and the chimney. We envision a setting that will rival any European Cottage Garden. Well, at least as much as we can accomplish such a garden in Central Texas! Collapsed Cabin Site cleared and ready for the Shoalwood Cottage  Our philosophy is…Thoughtfully Designed and Artfully Created. We respectfully request that you approve the request to relocate the Shoalwood Cottage so that we can maintain her history as a beautiful structure, set in a beautiful landscaped setting, providing a beautiful home for a family eager to make their home within her charming walls. Thanks so much for considering our voice in this request. Dawson & Leanne Clark Founders and Owners HighPointe Estate Wedding Venue