C.4 - 3211 Oakmont Blvd - Applicant letter — original pdf

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DATE: August 21, 2020 TO: Historic Land Committee FROM: Kim & Eric Zipfel, 3211 Oakmont Boulevard Property Owners SUBJECT: Historic Review of 3211 Oakmont Boulevard Dear Historic Land Committee, My name is Kim Zipfel and along with my husband, Eric, we have 3 elementary-aged children who attend Bryker Woods Elementary School. We have been Central Austin residents since we relocated here in 2007 from the Midwest, and since the day we first rented a home on West 43rd Street, we have dreamed of raising our children in the Bryker Woods neighborhood. For years, our children have biked to Bryker Woods Elementary at 3309 Kerbey Lane, crossing 35th Street during morning and afternoon rush hours. In October 2019, we finally got one-step closer to our dream becoming a reality when we purchased the property at 3211 Oakmont Boulevard. I cannot tell you just how happy we are to now be south of 35th Street to eventually avoid the daily stress of getting them to school safely! But there are so many other reasons we are ecstatic to be a part of the Bryker Woods neighborhood: the walkability for our family to the neighborhood businesses we love to support, the love & care the neighbors put into their homes and their neighbors, and the strength and connectedness of the neighborhood association and its members. With that being said, we very much respect the time, energy, and effort the Bryker Woods Neighborhood Association and the Austin Historic Landmark Commission commits to keeping the neighborhood cohesive and the gem of a place where we all want to be. From the beginning of our design discussions with our architect, we have been very clear that we want to maintain a transitional-style home that blends into the neighborhood. For the past 4 months, we have been working diligently to achieve a delicate customized balance that achieves an aesthetic that is homogenous with our neighbors yet still is functional to meet the ever-changing needs of our growing family. Throughout this process, we have continued to take cues from other 2-story homes throughout the neighborhood and we have finally landed where we are today as we seek your Committee’s support to move forward with building our dream home in our dream neighborhood. Warmest regards, Kim Zipfel, on behalf of The Zipfel Family at 3211 Oakmont Boulevard