C.5.0 - 1806 W 6th St — original pdf

Approved Minutes

HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION PERMITS IN NATIONAL REGISTER HISTORIC DISTRICTS DECEMBER 17, 2021 HR-2021-193614 WEST LINE NATIONAL REGISTER HISTORIC DISTRICT 1808 W. 6TH STREET C.5 – 1 1) Demolish existing contributing buildings on this parcel. The Historic Landmark Commission previously released these PROPOSAL Construct eight condominium units. PROJECT SPECIFICATIONS demolitions: • Minutes from December 17, 2018 (Item C.8) • Minutes from January 28, 2019 (Item C.5) • Staff report for 1806 W. 6th St. • Staff report for 1808 W. 6th St. 2) Construct eight condominium units in separate buildings. The buildings will be 2- to 3 ½-stories in height, with taller buildings closer to W. 6th St. and lower buildings by the neighboring 1-story house on Theresa Ave. The proposed buildings have a variety of siding materials, including brick, stone, plaster, and horizontal and vertical fiber-cement siding. Flat-roofed elements are paired with hipped or gabled metal roofs. DESIGN STANDARDS The City of Austin’s Historic Design Standards (March 2021) are based on the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation and are used to evaluate projects in National Register districts. The following standards apply to the proposed project: Residential new construction 1. Location 2. Orientation 3. Scale, massing, and height 4. Proportions This site is unusual within the context of the West Line Historic District, as it sits at the westernmost edge adjacent to the MoPac Expressway, with a flyover looming overhead. It is located at the end of W. 6th St. at Theresa Ave. The site is higher at the rear and slopes downward toward the intersection. To the east are three substantial 2-story houses from the 1920s that contribute to the district. To the north is a contributing 1-story bungalow dating to ca. 1925. The design standards indicate that new construction should be located with similar setbacks and orientation to neighboring houses, should maintain the rhythm of contributing buildings on the street, and should have an overall height, massing, and proportions similar to neighboring houses. Four of the eight proposed buildings front onto W. 6th St. or Theresa Ave., while the remainder are interior to the site. Some of the buildings are oriented to the street, while others face an interior driveway through the site. The units are spaced closely together in a way that does not mimic the rhythm of contributing buildings in this block. While there is an effort to step down towards the 1-story house on Theresa, the buildings nevertheless will be taller than their neighbors. Given their height and small footprints, their proportions are far more vertical than neighboring properties. The proposed construction does not meet these standards. 5. Design and style 6. Roofs 7. Exterior walls 8. Windows and doors The design standards indicate that no particular style is required; the overall effect of design and material choices should be compatible with neighboring historic properties. The proposed buildings have a contemporary design, with a variety of roof forms, exterior materials, and fenestration. The gabled roofs on some units relate to the roof forms of neighboring historic C.5 – 2 properties. Material choices such as horizontal siding, brick, and stone borrow from surrounding properties, though masonry or stucco is used as an accent for skirting or porch piers rather than an overall siding material on the historic houses. Windows on the new construction include some 1:1 sash of similar size and proportions to neighboring historic houses; larger windows have divisions that maintain similar proportions. 9. Porches Standard 9.2 indicates that new construction should include porches that reflect and continue the rhythm, size, proportions, and placement of those on contributing buildings. While the stoops on the proposed new construction are relatively understated, some neighboring houses have modest stoops rather than partial- or full-width porches. 11. Attached garages and carports Standard 11.1 indicates that new attached garages should only be built at the front of a property if it matches the predominant garage location and orientation within the block. Houses within this area were built with detached garages at the rear of the property. Most of the proposed units have garages that face onto the interior drive, but the garage of Building C will face W. 6th St. Summary The project does not meet the applicable standards, primarily due to the scale and proportions of the proposed construction. However, it is located at the edge of the district, adjacent to a major highway. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Comment on and release new construction plans. LOCATION MAP C.5 – 3