10.0 - 1505 W 13th St — original pdf

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HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION Permits in National Register Historic Districts January 7, 2026 PR-2025-155021 West Line Historic District 1505 West 13th Street 12 – 1 Proposal Construct a two-unit residence. 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 Setbacks generally match surrounding buildings in the district, expecially other multifamily structures. This is true of both the West 13th Street and Elm Street setbacks. 2. Orientation Both units in the building are oriented towards West 13th Street, which is appropriate for the size of the building and similar to surrounding properties. 3. Scale, massing, and height While the majority of the historic district consists of single-family houses, which are typically one-story in height, this portion of the district has several larger apartments buildings which are two or three stories in height. In this context, the scale, massing, and height of the proposed construction fits in well and reads as more compact than several of its neighbors. 4. Proportions Like the section above, the proportions of the proposed duplex are similar to its multi-unit neighbors and will not look out of place given this context. 5. Design and style The design of the proposed duplex is very modern in the way its materials are used, but the materials themselves are appropriate for the district. Use of brick for the majority of the exterior, along with appropriate fenestration patterns, allow the building to be read from the street as residences that open up towards the public rights-of-way. Some corners are proposed to have curved walls, which aren’t common in the district, but they are restrained in their size and do not overwhelm the overall design. 6. Roofs Flat roofs are proposed, which, like sections described above, are appropriate given the nearby two/three story apartment buildings immediately next to the property. If this application were to propose a single-family house with a flat roof, it may read as too modern for the district, but the horizontality of the multi-unit construction makes a flat roof more visually appropriate. 7. Exterior walls Brick is proposed to cover the vast majority of exterior elevations, which is not uncommon in the district’s detached houses, but is typically of multi-family buildings in the neighborhood. 8. Windows and doors Fenestration patterns are correctly scaled and the amount of windows appropriate for residences in the district. Window frame material is modern but simple, and units will not feature simulated divided lites or false historicism. 12 – 2 9. Porches Second floor porches are present, and are in scale with the rest of the building. Like sections described above, these features may not read as appropriate if found on a detached single-family house, but are acceptable at a duplex or apartment building. 11. Attached garages and carports Attached garages are proposed bewteen the two side-by-side units, at the center of the proposed building. To access them, the applicant proposes a 30 foot wide driveway with a curbcut. Though the district does feature many houses with curbcuts at the front of the property, these typically lead around the side and terminate at a detached garage at the rear of the main house. To this end, the design does not meet Standard 11.1. Furthermore, Standard 11.2 calls for garages and carports to be set back from the front wall of the building, which is not done here. It can be argued that the size of the building will serve to minimize the appearance of the garages in their location, but the substantial drveway width is similar to the width of a typical street in the district. Summary The project mostly meets the applicable standards. Staff Recommendation Comment on plans for new construction and release the application. Location Map 12 – 3