D.11.b - 1400 Drake Avenue - citizen comments — original pdf

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Gaudette, Angela From: Sent: To: Subject: Devkirn Khalsa Sunday, October 25, 2020 10:11 AM PAZ Preservation D.11 1400 Drake Avenue (HDT-2020-0400) *** External Email ‐ Exercise Caution ***    Dear Preservation Board,     My name is Devkirn Khalsa and I live at 221 Park Lane, Austin, Texas 78704. I sent you a response to your letting asking  for neighborhood response to a demolition permit on this property, but it was somehow returned to me.  This is my  letter against that idea.      We are a neighborhood that has been here since the 1920’s. We have just a few houses that are left from that era.  There are some houses that offer nothing to the neighborhood but i believe this house does. It is a lovely house from the  time. There is no reason to tear it down, or take it away and build a modern house, which i am sure would be built on  that spot. If they wanted to make a park there or something that would add to the community, i would consider it. But  unfortunately it is just another idea of how to make more money. I know Mark and i am surprised he is asking to do this.  He owns 8 houses in our neighborhood, directly across from my house. I know they are all rented and creating income,  so i know this is not the motivation, he does not really need more money to add to his estate. I would like to speak up  for this house and for leaving affordable houses with some historic value. I have owned my house since 1994 and if i  were trying to move here today, it would not be affordable. Please do not vote to tear down our neighborhood and  increase the taxes, that at 72 years old, are making it less and less possible every year to live here. I appreciate your  consideration.  Thank you,  Devkirn Khalsa  221 Park Lane  Austin, Texas 78704  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  cybersecurity@austintexas.gov.  1 Gaudette, Angela From: Sent: To: Subject: Shakti Sunday, October 25, 2020 10:11 AM PAZ Preservation D.11 1400 Drake Ave *** External Email ‐ Exercise Caution ***    I am protesting the demolition of 1400 Drake Avenue.  As a 26 year resident at 221 Park Lane corner of Drake I have watched the loss of quality of our historic neighborhood .  With so few of the original wood  frame cottages intact we have seen the destruction of fully live able affordable houses  and rentals replaced by oversized lot line houses for 1‐2 million dollars causing long time residents to not be able to  afford the taxes.  What is the motivation to destroy existing historic houses ?  I strongly object.  Thank you  Shakti Khalsa  221 Park Lane 78704      Shakti  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  cybersecurity@austintexas.gov.  1 Gaudette, Angela From: Sent: To: Cc: Subject: Paula Kothmann Friday, October 23, 2020 2:59 PM PAZ Preservation Paula Kothmann Item D11: 1400 Drake Notice Pub Hearing Demolition *** External Email - Exercise Caution *** Dear Commissioners: This block of Drake Avenue contains several (relatively affordable) rental properties owned by a common owner/trust, it seems. I fear a domino effect if 1400 Drake would be demolished, which would impact the economic diversity of our neighborhood that we cherish. Our committee respectfully asks for postponement in order to discuss potential preservation objectives with the owner. 1. We're trying to identify the best person to speak with the owner about potentially moving the house. 2. I met the tenant of a nearby property on Drake. She works in SoCo. These are the types of affordable 2/1 rentals that we'll be losing. 3. There's also a dilapidated old fourplex on that block, likely very affordable. It would be a hardship for those tenants to find something comparable in price for the area. 4. Weve left flyers for the nearby neighbors to alert them of their opportunities to voice their views about a demolition. Thank you for your consideration, Paula Kothmann 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  cybersecurity@austintexas.gov.   1 Gaudette, Angela From: Sent: To: Cc: Subject: Attachments: Paula Kothmann Friday, October 23, 2020 3:00 PM PAZ Preservation Paula Kothmann Item D11 1400 Drake Milton304PP.pptx *** External Email - Exercise Caution *** 1. It seems that Moore-Tate may be connected with 1400 Drake per public records. I'm not sure why this company continues to get building permits when it has defied many City rules in past projects in 78704. For example, the Board of Adjustments ordered that one of their projects had to be substantially altered after defying their directives. Isn't there some kind of sanction for developers who continually thwart the rules? This company has a history of:  building homes with a forged architectural seal, for which one of its principals was fined by an architects' professional association  defying BoA directives by adding a second story to 304 Milton Street, which brought enormous hardship to the eventual owner in order to get a certificate of occupancy  walling and padlocking their projects so that the City and neighbors could not effectively monitor their progress  aggressively disputing lot boundaries with multiple adjacent neighbors   removing protected trees If this company is granted a permit, we ask that someone from the City carefully monitor all of their measurements, etc. P   ‐‐     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  cybersecurity@austintexas.gov.   1 Gaudette, Angela From: Sent: To: Subject: Melanie Martinez Friday, October 23, 2020 4:31 PM Heimsath, Ben - BC; Papavasiliou, Alexander - BC; Valenzuela, Sarah - BC; Jacob, Mathew - BC; McWhorter, Trey - BC; Featherston, Witt; Koch, Kevin - BC; Tollett, Blake - BC; Little, Kelly - BC; Bertron, Cara; Gaudette, Angela; Sadowsky, Steve; PAZ Preservation; Myers, Terri - BC D.11, HDP-2020-0400 ; 1400 Drake demolition > *** External Email - Exercise Caution *** Dear Commissioners,    I am a long‐time neighbor in Fairview Park and a volunteer on the SRCC's Preservation Committee, however, I am writing  as an individual and not a representative of any group. I strongly oppose the demolition of the bungalow at 1400 Drake,  which appears to be in reparable condition and is contributing to our National Register District. While not at the level of  landmark status, it is part of the story of our neighborhood, where homes like this were the foundation of our  community.    I did not see any plans for what is intended there in the backup material. Having that information should certainly be  available before a demolition permit is released. When that is then available, preferably before, we hope the owner will  reach out to neighbors for a conversation about possible alternatives to demolition.    If there were any hope of convincing the owner/developer to reconsider demolition, I'm sure that between our  neighborhood preservation committee and the Historic Preservation Office, there might be a way to design a compatible  addition, or even to rehabilitate this existing house and use it as a rental to generate income and take advantage of  historic tax credits for that work.     Please consider postponing this case until there are conversations or plans submitted.   Thank you,    Melanie Martinez  1214 Newning Ave.  Austin TX 78704      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  cybersecurity@austintexas.gov.   1 Gaudette, Angela From: Sent: To: Subject: Sunday, October 25, 2020 7:31 PM PAZ Preservation D 11 1400 Drake *** External Email - Exercise Caution *** Dear Commissioners,  My husband and I, as long time residents of Travis Heights, ask you to vote against the proposed demolition of the  precious bungalow at 1400 Drake.  As you know, Travis Heights is one of Austin's treasured old neighborhoods, and each  time we lose another one of our gems to development it injures the entire city.       We have struggled to obtain a Local Historic District in order to save houses like this.  It is a beautiful example of what  makes our neighborhood so attractive.  Our neighborhood is more than a collection of houses, it is a collection of history  and a vibrant community.     We walk almost daily around our streets, and at this time, more than ever, we need to preserve our unique inner‐city  neighborhoods.  Surely there is a way for the owner to at least keep the facade, so that the fabric of our area stays  intact.     Please help us by denying the demolition request for this property.     Thank you,     Susie Mauldin and Michael McKane  Alameda Dr.  Austin, Texas  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  cybersecurity@austintexas.gov.   1 Gaudette, Angela From: Sent: To: Cc: Subject: > Angela Reed Friday, October 23, 2020 3:37 PM Valenzuela, Sarah - BC; Papavasiliou, Alexander - BC; Jacob, Mathew - BC; Myers, Terri - BC; McWhorter, Trey - BC; Reed, Emily - BC; Little, Kelly - BC; Tollett, Blake - BC; Heimsath, Ben - BC; Koch, Kevin - BC; Featherston, Witt; Wright, Caroline - BC Sadowsky, Steve; PAZ Preservation HDP-2020-0400 Item D.11, 1400 Drake *** External Email - Exercise Caution ***  Re:   Case #: HDP‐2020‐0400  agenda items D.11   1400 DRAKE AVENUE    Dear Commissioners:    I am a resident of Travis Heights and serve on the SRCC's Preservation Committee. Just yesterday we were made aware  of the above‐referenced demolition and I am writing to oppose it. This house appears to be in good condition and is a  pristine example of the bungalows in this neighborhood that make up Travis Heights' character. Newcomers to the  neighborhood who purchase or rent homes here look for this very type of house in Travis Heights because they evoke  Austin's laid back, unpretentious and open character which Travis Heights, in particular, is known for. We as a  neighborhood value these modest homes and hope that the owner will consider its restoration rather than demolition.  Furthermore, demolition of this house will constitute yet another loss to the Travis Heights‐Fairview Park National  Register Historic District, which this neighborhood has fought to establish over the past 15 years, and which we  achieved just this past month.    Thank you for your time and consideration.    Regards,    Angela Reed  Travis Heights resident  SRCC Preservation Committee  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  cybersecurity@austintexas.gov.   1