15.0 - 1703 Alameda Dr — original pdf

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HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION PERMITS IN NATIONAL REGISTER HISTORIC DISTRICTS AUGUST 6, 2025 PR-2025-029950; GF-2025-033059; HR-2025-056344 TRAVIS HEIGHTS-FAIRVIEW PARK HISTORIC DISTRICT 1703 ALAMEDA DRIVE 15.0 – 1 PROPOSAL Demolish a ca. 1939 house and construct a residence. PROJECT SPECIFICATIONS Demolish the existing one-story house, which contributes to the National Register district. Construct a two-story house in generally the same location on the lot. ARCHITECTURE Built in a simple, minimal traditional form, the house at 1703 Alameda Drive is set at grade slightly above the street on a pier-and-beam foundation with a concrete skirt. Due to elevation at the site, the crawlspace is much higher at the front of the house than at the rear, where it sits nearly at-grade. The house is nearly rectangular in plan with a small front porch cutout at one corner, which is accessed from a stair leading to a front walkway. It is clad in horizontal wood siding at all exterior walls, and original screens are present at the four front windows as well as at the side, along with a screen door at the rear of the porch as the primary entryway. Windows are typically paired or arranged in three units, side-by-side. There is minimal overhang from the hipped roof, which is clad in composition shingle. Overall, the house is in intact condition when viewed from the street, with minimal alterations apparent. RESEARCH After construction around 1939, the house was first owned by Hiram & Doris Brown, who worked at local businesses such as Texas Cleaners & Shoe Repair. The Browns owned the property through World War II, and shortly after was sold to Charles & Bertha Kinney. Charles Kinney worked as a salesman and Bertha worked for many years as a clerk at the Internal Revenue Service. For a time, their adult son lived with them while attending the University of Texas. 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 Proposed construction is generally on the same footprint as the existing house and matches setback to other houses on the street. 2. Orientation The proposed residence is oriented towards the street, like the existing house and neighbors on the same street. 3. Scale, massing, and height Generally, the neighbors on the same street have single-story houses or, if there is a second floor, it is setback from the front or visually hidden by a side-gabled roof. There is a setback in this design, which visually breaks up the massing from the first to second floor. The massing features a two-story central mass with a projecting front garage and a side extension on the ground floor, along with a kitchen and living room at the rear. 4. Proportions Proportions of this design are slightly larger than the neighboring houses on the block. This is also due to the lot sitting higher than the road on this side of the street, which may further emphasize the verticality of the new construction. 5. Design and style Design elements are generally simple and do not appear to be emulating a historic style that was never present in the district. Exterior wall cladding materials have been revised to be more appropriate to contributing houses in the area while still not 15.0 – 2 giving the appearance of trying to look original t the neighborhood. 6. Roofs Proposed roof is a hipped construction, similar to what is present at the existing structure. A long projecting slope is proposed above the garage on the ground floor. 7. Exterior walls Mentioned above, there is horizontal wood and shingle siding proposed, which would be appropriate for the district 8. Windows and doors Windows are proposed to be 4- or 6-pane units on all sides. The orientation and arrangement are modern, but generally symmetrical in their pairings, and do not draw attention to themselves in size, layout, or design. Doors appear to also feature similar glazing. 9. Porches A front porch is proposed between the front bedroom extension and the garage. It been revised to be covered with a porch roof clad in the same metal material found elsewhere on the roof. 11. Attached garages and carports An attached garage is proposed at one side, at the terminus of the existing driveway to reuse the curb cut. It is simple in design and projects forward from the main house towards the street. This is not in keeping with other contributing properties in the district generally or this street specifically, although there are examples of driveways located to the side or garages flush with their houses elsewhere on the street. Summary The project meets some of the applicable standards. PROPERTY EVALUATION The property contributes to the Travis Heights-Fairview Park National Register district. Designation Criteria—Historic Landmark 1) The building is more than 50 years old. 2) The building appears to retain high integrity. 3) Properties must meet two criteria for landmark designation (LDC §25-2-352). Staff has evaluated the property and determined that it does not meet two criteria: a. Architecture. The building is a good example of minimal traditional architecture with only minor alterations. b. Historical association. The property does not appear to have significant historical associations. c. Archaeology. The property was not evaluated for its potential to yield significant data concerning the human history or prehistory of the region. d. Community value. The property does not possess a unique location, physical characteristic, or significant feature that contributes to the character, image, or cultural identity of the city, the neighborhood, or a particular demographic group. e. Landscape feature. The property is not a significant natural or designed landscape with artistic, aesthetic, cultural, or historical value to the city. COMMITTEE FEEDBACK Consider a gable roof above the garage to reduce appearance of a single, large roof slope from street. Provide renderings or drawings from a lower angle, similar to a height at eye level from the street, in order to better understand what the most publicly visible portions of the new design will be. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Release the demolition permit upon completion of a City of Austin Documentation Package and comment on plans for new construction.. LOCATION MAP 15.0 – 3 PROPERTY INFORMATION Photos 15.0 – 4 Occupancy History City Directory Research, April 2025 Google Streetview, January 2025 1959 1957 1955 1952 1949 1947 Charles C. and Bertha M. Kinney, owners Charles: Salesman at Austin Hydro-Gas Inc.; Bertha: Clerk at Internal Revenue Service Same as above Same as above Same as above Same as above Same as above, with Charles C. Kinney, Jr.; student at University of Texas 1944-45 Hiram L. and Doris Brown, owners; Manager at Texas Cleaners & Shoe Repairs 1941 1939 1937 Same as above Same owners as above; Salesman at Capital Ice & Cold Storage Co. Address not listed Historical Information 15.0 – 5 The Austin American - Statesman (1973-1980), Evening ed.; Austin, Tex.. 26 Oct 1976: B2. The Austin Statesman (1921-1973); Austin, Tex.. 11 June 1959: B8. 15.0 – 6 The Austin Statesman (1921-1973); Austin, Tex.. 20 June 1951: 10. The Austin American (1914-1973); Austin, Tex.. 17 Apr 1938: 15. Permits 15.0 – 7 Water Tap Permit, April 13, 1938