D.16.b - 416 W. 12th Street - citizen comments — original pdf

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November 14, 2020 City of Austin Historic Landmark Commission Austin, Texas Dear Landmark Commission Members: Mid Tex Mod is the regional chapter of the nonprofit DOCOMOMO US, the American chapter of DOCOMOMO International advocating for modern design worldwide. We are committed to raising awareness of mid-century modern architecture in Central Texas. Our Mid Tex Mod Board of Directors opposes the demolition of the Delta Kappa Gamma building at 416 West 12th Street. The property is listed in the National Register of Historic Places under Criteria A and C, in the areas of education and architecture. The International-style Delta Kappa Gamma Building was designed in 1956 by noted Austin architectural firm, Kuehne Brooks & Barr, and its design respects and compliments the residential scale of the surrounding neighborhood. The building serves as the international headquarters of the Delta Kappa Gamma Society, founded in 1929 to support women in education. The property is recognized as a historically significant resource in the recently completed Old Austin Neighborhood Association Historic Resource Survey of Downtown Austin. The survey was grant funded through the Certified Local Government (CLG) Grant Program of the Texas Historical Commission and a Preservation Austin grant, and supported through the City of Austin’s Historic Preservation Office. The survey received a prestigious 2020 Preservation Merit Award from Preservation Austin. Mid Tex Mod strongly urges you to oppose the demolition of the architecturally and historically significant Delta Kappa Gamma Society International Headquarters Building at 416 West 12th Street. Sincerely, Elizabeth Porterfield, Board President Mid Tex Mod Post Office Box 1282 13 November 2020 Austin, TX 78767 www.originalaustin.org RE: 416 West 12th Street – demolition permit request City of Austin Historic Landmark Commission Austin, Texas Dear Historic Landmark Commission Members: The Old Austin Neighborhood Association (OANA) Board of Directors opposes the demolition of the property at 416 West 12th Street. Within OANA’s boundaries (Lamar to Lavaca; Ladybird Lake to 15th Street), there is a unique neighborhood of old and new buildings. We advocate for the restoration of significant historic properties and support compatible development that helps maintain the historic and residential character of our neighborhood. 416 West 12th Street is included in the West-Downtown-Historic-Survey also known as the Historic Survey of the Old Austin Neighborhood. This survey was funded OANA funded with the support of the Texas Historic Commission and the City of Austin through for a Certified Local Government Grant. 416 West 12th Street is also listed as a historic property in the National Register of Historic Places (NR, 2012). Also, immediately to the east of this property is the Watson (A.O.) House, at 402 West 12th Street, a two-story nineteenth- century Austin Landmark. As a property listed in the National Register of Historic Places 416 West 12th is cited under Criterion A for Education, as well as Criteria C for Architecture. For these reasons OANA respectfully request your disapproval of the demolition permit request. Sincerely, Ted Siff, President Board of Directors Ted Siff, President Perry Lorenz Austin Stowell Blake Tollett, Secretary Ray Canfield, Treasurer Katie Jackson Charles Peveto Michael Portman Chris Riley Diana ZunigaCharles Peveto Austin Stowell  November 13, 2020 Terri Myers, Chair City of Austin Historic Landmark Commission Re: 416 W 12th Street Demolition Permit Dear Ms. Myers, Preservation Austin exists to empower Austinites to shape a more inclusive, resilient, and meaningful community culture through preservation. We write today to express our opposition to the proposed demolition of 416 W 12th Street, the Delta Kappa Gamma Society International Headquarters Building. We ask that the Historic Landmark Commission instead support historic zoning for this significant property in the areas of Architecture and Historical Associations. As the property is already listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this demonstrated significance is supplementary. Historical Associations: The Delta Kappa Gamma Society is a significant organization supporting women in education through scholarships and a fellowship program. The Society was founded in 1929 by a University of Texas professor, Dr. Annie Webb Blanton, to encourage equal opportunities for women in education. Dr. Blanton was the first female State Superintendent of Public Instruction, making her the first woman elected to a Texas state office. By 1960, the Society had chapters in every state. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society played a large role in women’s history as an organization founded by women to support women, at a time when such support was scarcely found elsewhere. Women are typically left out of dominant historical narratives and underrepresented amongst protected heritage sites locally and nationally. We urge that this building be protected as landmark to women’s agency and collective power. Architecture: The 1955 building is an excellent example of postwar modern design by Kuehne, Brooks, and Barr. It features an International Style façade, functionalist floorplan, and a more traditional aesthetic in its finishes. The women of Delta Kappa Gamma sought to accommodate a diverse range of functions that their ever-growing organization demanded. Uninterrupted planes of single materials were a signature of the firm and can also be seen in their work at the American National Bank (now the Starr Building).  This National Register-listed building is recommended for individual landmark status in the recently completed Historic Resources Survey of Downtown Austin. Sponsored by the Old Austin Neighborhood Association, the survey was supported by a Certified Local Government grant received by the City of Austin and a matching grant from our nonprofit. Preservation Austin further supported the community’s hard-fought efforts with a 2020 Preservation Merit Award this fall for their public service. The survey’s purpose is to recommend significant landmarks and potential districts for designation, and to provide the information needed to make educated decisions about demolitions such as this. Significant resources go into these efforts with the understanding that they will make a difference to preservation outcomes moving forward. The city must stand by its historic resource surveys, in good faith, to protect our significant buildings and landmarks. We urge the Historic Landmark Commission to do so here. Austin cannot afford to lose this piece of women’s history or afford to lose another potential local landmark. Thank you for your service, and for all you do to protect Austin’s heritage. Sincerely, Clayton Bullock Gaudette, Angela From: Sent: To: Subject: Sadowsky, Steve Monday, November 16, 2020 7:46 AM Gaudette, Angela Fw: 416 West 12th     Steve Sadowsky  Historic Preservation Officer  City of Austin, Texas  974‐6454    From: City of Austin <noreply@coadigital.onbehalfof.austintexas.gov>  Sent: Friday, November 13, 2020 5:21 PM  To: Sadowsky, Steve <Steve.Sadowsky@austintexas.gov>  Subject: 416 West 12th      This message is from Bob Ward.        November 13, 2020    To: City of Austin, Historic Landmark Commission  Re: 416 West 12th St    Dear Historic Landmark Commission members,    It has come to our attention that the house at 416 West 12th is slated for demolition. The Delta Kappa Gamma Society  International Headquarters was located at this site and the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  Founded in 1929, the Delta Kappa Gamma Society grew from a dozen women in Austin to over 70,000 across the United  States and Canada with an emphasis on supporting women in education through scholarships and other programs.     As Austin continues to grow and lose much of its historic fabric, it is important to preserve some of the few remaining  examples of historic architecture and cultural importance. The Travis County Historical Commission asks that you oppose  the destruction of this property.    Respectfully,      James Robert “Bob” Ward  Chair  Travis County Historical Commission      1