C.2.b - 1602 Wilshire Blvd - citizen comment — original pdf

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Gaudette, Angela From: Sent: To: Cc: Subject: Attachments: > Jane Ulrich < Sunday, October 25, 2020 7:41 PM PAZ Preservation Thad Swiderski; Neal Kassanoff; Anne Dibble; Scot Friedman; Isaiah Tibbs HR 20-144001 for Monday, Oct. 26, 2020 4-255.pdf; 792-323.pdf Follow Up Flag: Flag Status: Follow up Flagged *** External Email - Exercise Caution *** TO: Angela Gaudette, City of Austin Planning and Zoning Department RE: HR 20-144001 (new build at 1602 Wilshire Blvd., Austin, TX 78722, in the Wilshire Wood National Register Historic District) My name is Jane Ulrich. My husband, Jim Dougherty, and I have lived for 41 years at 4205 Wilshire Pkwy., which is directly behind the property where the new build will be. The back of our house is 20 feet from the fence line and will be about 30 feet from the back of their house and their planned swimming pool and outdoor entertainment area. We have been out of town since Oct. 12 and have just now gotten through all the mail that arrived in our absence, so we were unable to respond in a timely manner (before noon today) to be able to participate in the public hearing. We have several concerns about the new build — some that affect us personally (the close proximity of the new build to our house and backyard) and some that affect us as members of the Wilshire Wood National Historic District, where this house will reside. (We are not currently a local historic district, but our neighborhood association is actively pursuing that designation.) Houses in the Wilshire Wood National Register Historic District typically are low, one-story, ranch- style homes that are mostly stone or brick. Most were built in the 1940s, and the neighborhood — even with improvements and some new builds — has retained its historic charm. With a stucco exterior, this new build — while one story in height — would not be in keeping with the look of other homes in this historic neighborhood. In addition, the stucco exterior is specifically against the deed restrictions for Wilshire Park, which require at least 50 percent stone or brick. (See attached deed restrictions. NOTE: The Fair Housing Act of 1968 renders unenforceable any racially discriminatory language in deed restrictions, advertising or otherwise. But it does not render other language in deed restrictions unenforceable.) Some houses on Wilshire Parkway that abut the 1602 Wilshire Blvd. property have experienced increased flooding issues in their yards and even in their homes over the past decade or so, possibly 1 due to improvements to Patterson Park and construction in the Mueller Development. There is no storm drain along the 1600 block of Wilshire Boulevard; the nearest storm drain is in the 1500 block, where Wilshire Boulevard crosses Boggy Creek. We would ask that the city — and/or the builder and home owner — ensure that flood-management procedures are strictly followed during the build and after. (The location of a pool and entertainment space at the back of the new build also is a concern for us personally, but there probably is nothing we can do about that. The original home at 1602 Wilshire Boulevard was designed to have its “entertainment space” on the south side of the house, where it had privacy and did not affect the privacy of its neighbors at 4201, 4203, and 4205 Wilshire Pkwy. The original home had virtually no backyard, which meant we at 4205 Wilshire Pkwy. were able to enjoy privacy in our backyard. We believe the design of the new build will adversely affect our privacy — as well as the privacy of the new owners — because their pool and outdoor entertainment space will be 10 feet from the fence that separates us. The privacy fence will do little to protect either homeowner’s privacy. Also, I think they will be greatly surprised by the result on their pool of the constant, year-round shedding of cedar elm leaves from the trees in their yard and in their neighbors’ yards, but that is another matter altogether and is not a consideration here.) If it is too late for us to sign up to participate in the online meeting tomorrow, we would appreciate it greatly if you would take our concerns into consideration and share them with the architect and homeowner. Thank you so much. Jane Ulrich and Jim Dougherty 4205 Wilshire Pkwy. Austin, TX 78722 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.   2