05.a - 705 West Lynn St - OWANA Letter — original pdf

Backup

Steering Committee Members: Steve Amos, Chair Renae Alsobrook, Mark Ashby, Evelyn Fujimoto, Adrienne Goldsberry, Paula Hern, Nick Mehl, William Osborn, Charlie Rice, Paul Shattuck, Shawn Shillington, Erika Tatum, Meghan Yancy February 3, 2025 RE: 705 West Lynn - PR-2024-159632; GF-2024-161879 Dear Chair Heimsath and HLC Commissioners, Old West Austin Neighborhood Association, OWANA, supports retaining contributing structures in our historic district and integrating existing building forms into the overall project for new development. In the case of 705 West Lynn, preserving the façade and front rooms of the existing house and adding on to the structure would have a significant impact toward that goal. The applicant met with the OWANA zoning committee and we suggested these two options for maximizing the square footage for two living units: 1. Add a second floor to a garage structure. 2. Remove a portion or all of the heritage tree on the lot to allow for a second unit. This particular case is one that is to decide on keeping a heritage tree or a contributing structure. OWANA will support the position of keeping the contributing structure. We hope that HLC can also recommend keeping the structure. We are aware that the city tree ordinance regarding heritage trees is very strict, it seems to us in this case that if both OWANA and the HLC supports this position there is the possibility of the city arborist accepting this solution. The potential Owner in today’s meeting said that he could keep the first 15 ft of the house and make the project work if the heritage tree in the back of the lot could be removed. The tree is so close to the rear structure that it might be damaged during construction. It could be the case that some mitigation is require to offset this lost. The United States Department of the Interior National Park Service Report “NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES REGISTRATION FORM” lists 705 West Lynn as a representative property to illustrate “the broad patterns of development, diverse range of resources, and salient features of the dominant types and styles present in the district. They have been selected on the basis of their geographic distribution, relationship to similar properties, and degree of integrity.” Listed as a contributing structure, 705 West Lynn is a Center-passage, Side Gable Classical Revival style, and individually eligible for National Register listing. Please consider our position in your decision process as we welcome new development while struggling to maintain the essence of our neighborhood. Sincerely, Steve Amos OWANA Chair