OCEAN Trey Salinas and Talia Hill—3 Point Partners Eureka development plans for East 12th Street Summary of Feedback 06.24.2019 We are glad that Eureka is ready to work with the community on appropriate development, both within the Urban Renewal Area and further along the street. Our feedback below regards property within the Urban Renewal Area and the Central East Austin Neighborhood Plan—Blocks 1-9 and 11-17. http://www.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=322262 Development priorities: Historic/cultural preservation; walkable, neighborhood-scaled retail and commercial; and compatible structures and uses that comply with current development controls in place. Historic preservation priorities: I.Q. Hurdle House, Bible Believers Church, and Eisenbeiser/Ministry of Challenge building. We are appreciative of recent efforts to stabilize the I. Q. Hurdle House and hopeful that implementation of a long-term plan for restoration/reuse at 1416 East 12th Street will occur within two years. A new roof may be needed to forestall more deterioration of the Eisenbeiser/Ministry of Challenge building, and please keep in mind that planning documents for East 12th Street may provide leeway for dealing with infrastructure challenges specific to that site. There is a great deal of frustration regarding block-lengths of vacant land owned by Eureka that has not been redeveloped in line with the development priorities described above. Eureka has owned one empty block (Block 2) since 2015. Developing long-vacant parcels versus acquiring more property or demolishing existing housing is the least controversial and potentially most productive way to promote positive change along the street. Robust, transparent and responsive engagement of area stakeholders is critical to a collaborative process. Input should be logged, along with the specific source of the input and that individual’s or organization’s relationship to the Urban Renewal Area. Thank you for clarifying that next steps in the engagement piece of the planning process will occur in August/September. It would be helpful for stakeholders to get a sense at that time of the team’s anticipated planning arc, so that individuals and groups know generally what steps to expect and approximately when they may occur. Timelines and deliverables help build faith in a shared outcome—successful, timely implementation. We agree that a neighborhood-by-neighborhood approach to planning for Eureka’s properties is much better than generating a master plan. We suggest that this planning exercise identify priority sites upon which to focus so that steady, concurrent progress along the entire urban renewal stretch is achieved, rather than serially completing one neighborhood plan process, implementing it and …
CAUSE NO. ------ ST ATE OF TEXAS IN THE MUNICIPAL COURT vs CITY OF AUSTIN SODOSOPA SALMON LP IN TRAVIS COUNTY, TEXAS § § § § § AFFIDAVIT FOR WARRANT OF ARREST AND DETENTION The undersigned on oath, makes the following statement: Affiant, Inspector Willis Adams #13067, who after being duly sworn by me, Willis Adams has good reason to believe Inspector 21, 2023, Sodosopa Salmon LP did commit the offense 32, fail to obtain Building and does believe of violating that on or about September City Code, § 25-11- Austin Permit. Municipal Court #65113. statement person working who personally is based upon information for the City of Austin Development such offense: The forgoing credible Compliance, TRAVIS COUNTY, TEXAS, WITHIN THE TERRITORIAL OF AUSTIN. Salmon LP failed to obtain structure. To wit: Being the owner of the property a building by Inspector Services THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED IN JURISDICTION at 1500 E. 12th Street Bldg. B, Sodosopa of the permanent for work conducted in the interior observed OF THE CITY observed Adams, a permit Willis Department-Code located Services Compliance a code complaint Department-Code the property Willis regarding 7, 2020, Inspector at 1500 E. 12th Adams conducted On August 3, 2020, the City of Austin Development received TX. 78702. On August ommercial property structure, with structural damage, and what appeared to and observed a c Inspector inside work occurring in the dumpsters, parking full of debris, with case notes and photographs. Inspector owner. Inspector Adams could not locate the Travis researched mailing property inspections at 1500 E. notice for the property. and found that Sodasopa Salmon LP, with a is the owner of the Austin TX. 78701-2172, any building Records of 1 108 Lavaca St. STE 110-348 his findings to the property Adams Inspector Bldg. B Austin of said location be • Street Bldg. B. Inspector • Street Bldg. B. • Street an inspection address at 1500 E. 12th 12th Adams sent a code violation Adams documented two, twenty foot roll away of the structure. Adams continued Adams observed lot. Inspector Appraisal to conduct permits staged Central follow up Willis Adams observed the Amanda Database Adams conducted repairs On May 23, 2023, Inspector Street Bldg. B. Inspector Adams searched performed. Inspector On May 24, 2023, Inspector violation and providing certified mail green card was returned violation's notification requirements of Adams observed the Adams sent by certified and did not find a build …
From: To: Subject: Date: Eric Standridge Fahnestock, Sam 1500 East 12th street Tuesday, June 4, 2024 9:32:24 PM [You don't often get email from https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification ] . Learn why this is important at External Email - Exercise Caution Hello Sam, My name is Eric and my am a member of the OCEAN, the planning contact team for central east Austin. I drove by this building today and noticed what appears to be active demolition/deconstruction in progress. Upon looking it up it on the city permit search it appears historic was rejected yesterday. I’ll admit I don’t know what that means, but I have been involved in numerous discussion about this building for years, mostly how it’s a demolition by neglect case study. Along with the IQ Hurdle house across the street and the South Gate Lewis house, this intersection has three eligible buildings which is rare in Austin generally. Surely, a 109 year old building identified as worthy of preservation in the east Austin historic survey would at least get a hearing at the landmark commission. Please call me to discuss. Thank you, -eric standridge 512-947-5766 CAUTION: This is an EXTERNAL email. Please use caution when clicking links or opening attachments. If you believe this to be a malicious or phishing email, please report it using the "Report Message" button in Outlook. For any additional questions or concerns, contact CSIRT "cybersecurity@austintexas.gov."
From: To: Subject: Date: OCEAN Contact Team Fahnestock, Sam Fwd: Please recommend historic zoning for 1500 E 12th Street Tuesday, July 2, 2024 8:21:07 AM You don't often get email from . Learn why this is important External Email - Exercise Caution Thank you for your attention to Item 26. Sincerely, Nate > ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: OCEAN Contact Team < Date: Tue, Jul 2, 2024 at 8:15 AM Subject: Please recommend historic zoning for 1500 E 12th Street To: <BC-Ben.Heimsath@austintexas.gov>, <BC-Witt.Featherston@austintexas.gov>, <bc- juanraymon.rubio@austintexas.gov>, <BC-Raymond.Castillo@austintexas.gov>, <bc- jamie.alvarez@austintexas.gov>, <BC-Trey.McWhorter@austintexas.gov>, <BC- Carl.Larosche@austintexas.gov>, <bc-roxanne.evans@austintexas.gov>, <BC- Tara.Dudley@austintexas.gov>, <BC-Harmony.Grogan@austintexas.gov>, <BC- Kevin.Koch@austintexas.gov> Cc: <sam.fahenstock@austintexas.gov> Dear Chair Heimsath, Vice Chair Featherston and the Historic Landmark Commission: The Organization of Central East Austin Neighborhoods contact team appreciates staff's research and recommendation that 1500 E 12th Street be designated a historic landmark. We encourage you to elevate that assessment to council with your full support. This structure--known in past lives as the Ministry of Challenge, Eisenbeiser Grocery, Club Fifteen Hundred and Fifteen Hundred Beauty and Barber Shops-- has a long and varied history of adaptive reuse and mixed use dating back to the 1890s, and together with the I.Q. Hurdle House (at 1416) and Southgate-Lewis House (at 1501) comprises a historic anchor at the corner of E 12th and Comal Streets. While the Southgate-Lewis House has become the subject of renewed restoration efforts by the longtime owner, the W.H. Passon Historical Society, sadly, the other two properties have deteriorated and languished under the eight-year tenure of a Dallas holding company's entities called Sodosopa Salmon LP and Poisonous Poinsettia LP. As you may know, that company has amassed scores of properties along and nearby E 12th Street, restoring none and building nothing but fences and parking lots. That should not be the future for a high-profile site which, under decades of African American and German immigrant stewardship, provided groceries, libations, personal services, and even rehabilitation and supportive housing. That should not be the future for properties called out in the 2016 East Austin Historic Survey as eligible for landmark status. E 12th Street needs buildings that testify to its past and invite new waves of vitality and community within them; the street has its fill of clearance, vacancy, temporary uses, fences and parking lots. East 12th needs your courage, commitment and sustained attention to prevail and thrive in the face of indifferent actors who mock its legacy with LPs …
From: To: Subject: Date: Eric Standridge Fahnestock, Sam Re: 1500 East 12th street Tuesday, July 2, 2024 4:16:05 PM [You don't often get email from https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentification ] . Learn why this is important at External Email - Exercise Caution Hello Sam, Thank you for the staff recommendation and report on this case. I noticed my correspondence below was included in the back up for the case. Can you please add my public comments from the June 5 meeting shared below. Thank you. -eric Good Evening Commisioners, My name is eric standridge and I have spent over half my life as a resident of Distict 1. Thank you for your service to our city and for the opportunity to speak today. I am here today to make you aware of what is happening to 1500 East 12th street, aka the former Eissenbiser grocery & cafe, east end saloon, club fifteen hundred, beauty and barber shop, palladium club, carol’s record shop and the ministry of challenge aka the rarest of rare building typologies in east austin, a century old neighborhood scale hybrid house/corner store on an intersection that include two other landmarked properties, the Southgate lewis house and the IQ Hurdle house. Recommended eligible, for historical associations and community value in multiple historic resource surveys and cited as a preservation priority by the D1 council member. Is it in rough shape, no doubt, you would be to if you were over a hundred years old and subject to a decade of neglect following all your neighbors being torn down and vacant lots becoming the norm. And yet even today this building still stands. The owner of this obvious historic asset has chosen to begin total demolition without an approved permit. Surely, they and their consultants are familiar with the process, having owned the property for over a decade and subject to numerous code compliance cases, and being the owners of the numerous properties on 12th street including the boarded up and vacant landmark IQ Hurdle house across the street. There have been missing windows, dangling fascia and siding and general despair at this property for all of recent memory. This is a case study for demolition by neglect. How is it that the normal process doesn't apply in East Austin? Can we agree applying for a permit is not the same as getting a permit? Preservation, and adaptive reuse are hard, sure, …
From: To: Cc: Subject: Date: Jay Perrett Heimsath, Ben - BC Historic Preservation Office; Ben.Heimsath@austintexas.gov HLC - Item 26 - 1500 E 12th St Wednesday, July 3, 2024 10:46:13 AM Some people who received this message don't often get email from important . Learn why this is External Email - Exercise Caution Chairman Heimsath, I am writing in support of historic zoning for the property located at 1500 E 12th St. This building has tremendous historic significance for the African American and German communities, and is an increasingly rare example of a building that has stood as an important gathering point in our neighborhood for well over a hundred years. As you will note in the report prepared by staff, there is a rich history associated with this building and this location, and it very clearly meets the criteria for landmark status. Please follow the recommendation of staff and the input from neighbors and community members, and ensure that this building is preserved. There are not many chances left to retain such prominent examples of our community's history, and it would be a shame to let another one go. Best, Jay Perrett 404-702-3339 CAUTION: This is an EXTERNAL email. Please use caution when clicking links or opening attachments. If you believe this to be a malicious or phishing email, please report it using the "Report Message" button in Outlook. For any additional questions or concerns, contact CSIRT at "cybersecurity@austintexas.gov".
HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION APPLICATION FOR A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS AUGUST 7, 2024 PR-2024-014961; GF-2024-030567 ROBERTSON/STUART & MAIR 801 LYDIA STREET 9 – 1 PROPOSAL ARCHITECTURE Demolish a ca. 1914 contributing building. DESIGN STANDARDS One-story bungalow with Craftsman influences, partial width inset porch, horizontal wood siding, and decorative cement stairways. The Robertson/Stuart & Mair Design Standards are used to evaluate projects within the historic district. The following standards apply to the proposed project: 1.2.1.1. Do not alter or remove historic features unless they are deteriorated beyond repair. The proposal demolishes the existing building. Summary The project does not meet the applicable standards. PROPERTY EVALUATION The property contributes to the Robertson/Stuart & Mair Historic District. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Deny the demolition request. LOCATION MAP 9 – 2 PROPERTY INFORMATION Photos 9 – 3 9 – 4 Demolition permit application, 2024 Permits 9 – 5 9 – 6
2024-086516 SB 600 Congress - Awning Sign Building ID Address 2024-086522 SB 600 Congress - Wall Sign Directory Note: Duplicate address above door has been removed and will not be part of the final design. Please disregard in all previous renderings. Note: Duplicate address above door has been removed and will not be part of the final design. Please disregard in all previous renderings. EXISTING SIGNAGE IN VICINITY FACE LIT HALO/INDIRECT LIT LARGER SYMBOL = NOTICEABLY LARGER OR BRIGHTER SIGN 600 Congress SIGN PLACEMENT APPROXIMATE DUE TO SPACE LIMITATIONS VIEW OF BUSINESSES DIRECTLY FACING 600 CONGRESS ALL ILLUMINATED Hideout Theatre (exposed neon + face-lit marquee) 7-ELEVEN (externally lit) Royal Blue Grocery (exposed neon) Wild About Music (trough-lit) Joe Koen & Sons Jewelers (exposed neon) Sweet Sensi (halo-lit)
Historic Land Commission 1106 Enfield Road August 7, 2024 Ricca Keepers Demolition Request Subject property is 1106 Enfield Road which we are asking to demolish • Owner Dr. Caryn Carlson has been a Professor of Psychology at the University of Texas for many years • Roof leak/damage, with internal water damage, e.g., paint peeling, mildew and possible mold on walls • Main supporting beam is rotten • A/C not functioning Rear-yard Home was built in 1925 • Fence in backyard has fallen • Sewage line exposed in down backyard • Water leak inside the house with extensive ceiling and beam damage Rear External broken/peeling masonry, very large parts of the external stucco have fallen off the walls Internal walls have extensive cracks Cracks on external concrete/tiles and internal tiles indicating foundation problems Outdated electrical wiring (knob and tube) Galvanized pipes throughout the house Side of House Framing and Structural Concerns Framing and Structural Concerns Framing and Structural Concerns Thank you!
August 2, 2024 RE: 1500 East 12th Street Dear Chair Heimsath, Vice Chair Witt Featherston, and Members of the Historic Landmark Commission, Preservation Austin exists to empower Austinites to shape a more inclusive, resilient, and meaningful community culture through preservation. We write to you today in support of designating 1500 East 12th Street as a City of Austin Historic Landmark for its Architecture, Historic Association, and Community Value. Our support for this case is in alignment with our Underrepresented Heritage Advocacy Priority, which seeks to identify and designate historic sites associated with African Americans, Mexican Americans, Native Americans, the LGBTQIA community, and women. Built between 1889 and 1911, the store at 1500 E. 12th St. traces the diverse heritage of East Austin. The building’s early history reflects the German heritage of Austin and Central Texas – initially constructed by grocer and politician Christian J. Willhem, it was later acquired by Dessau merchants Ernest and Louisa Eisenbeiser, who operated a produce and dry goods store, a saloon, and a restaurant there. In 1950, Black businessman Buford Johnson purchased the building, transforming it into a community hub for East Austin’s African American population during the Jim Crow era. By the mid-1950s, the building housed the Fifteen Hundred Beauty and Barber Shops, as well as Club Fifteen Hundred, a bar and music venue. It later became the home of the Gamma Eta Alpha chapter of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, the oldest fraternity in America to admit Black members. The building is prominently situated at the corner of E. 12th and Comal Streets, directly across from the I.Q. Hurdle and Southgate-Lewis Houses – both landmarks of Austin’s Black heritage – reflecting the greater importance of this intersection to the story of Black East Austin. Preservation Austin wholeheartedly supports the designation of 1500 E. 12th St. as a City of Austin Historic Landmark. We thank you for your consideration of this case and for your service to the City of Austin. Sincerely, Melissa Barry, President
August 6, 2024 Historic Landmark Commission City of Austin 301 W. 2nd Street Austin, TX 78701 Engineer’s Letter of Support for Demolition Permit 1500 E. 12th St. – #2024-064274 PR Dear Historic Landmark Commissioners, As the Professional Engineer, we continue to object to the staff recommendation to initiate Historic Zoning or otherwise require a Documentation Package before releasing the demolition permit. As a Professional Engineer (P.E.) with over 12 years of experience in civil engineering in Austin, I have developed extensive expertise in urban redevelopment, infrastructure planning, walkability improvements, etc. I also want to share that not only am I a Professional Engineer who takes his duties seriously, I’m an Austin resident, born here in the 1980s. Based on the previous commissions meeting repeated statements, I heard no concerns related to public safety or most importantly based on the history of structure. The staff’s short presentation was not the focus of the commission. I heard only denial of any safety issues, emotionally based opinions, and attacks on the landowner. This appeared to be based on a single speaker, who focused solely on concerns about the landowner. It was evident to me as a resident, the Historic Landmark Commission aims to block any development of the owner’s property leaving the City of Austin citizens to forever deal with the hazard at this intersection. After performing additional research and listening to at the last hearing, we even more strongly advise that the building presents too many safety hazards to remain. Furthermore, it is undeniable that far more public benefits would be gained by enabling demolition of this structure to advance without delay. Here are facts to further support this recommendation: 1. As the building sits today, presents an unsafe situation. Various Civil Engineering Infrastructure items built around the structure are non-compliant with modern safety driven setbacks. a. We reached out to Austin Energy, which stated the following: “… it does not meet our current standard clearances. We would not permit a new building to be built in that same location. A new building would have to be set back further from our facilities.” That is a direct quote from an email from Austin Energy’s Power System Managing Engineer. b. The structure’s location related to public right-of-way proves compliant sidewalks and sight distance unfeasible, endangering the safety, health and welfare of the members of the public amongst other conflicts. c. These setbacks exist …
