OKAY. I WANT TO WELCOME EVERYBODY TO THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE LANDMARK COMMISSION. [Landmark Commission on March 6, 2023.] [00:00:05] TODAY IS MONDAY, MARCH 6TH, YEAR 2023, AND THE TIME IS 4:00. CAN WE START WITH A ROLL CALL, PLEASE? COMMISSIONER ALBERSTADT. PRESENT. COMMISSIONER BAKER. PRESENT. COMMISSIONER BOURGEOIS. PRESENT. COMMISSIONER CLICK. PRESENT. COMMISSIONER FLINT-BUDDE. PRESENT. COMMISSIONER JOHNSON IS ABSENT. COMMISSIONER PATTERSON. PRESENT. COMMISSIONER STETZEL-THOMPSON. PRESENT. COMMISSIONER SWANSON. PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER COLLINS. PRESENT. OKAY. CHAIRWOMAN. MA'AM. COMMENT TERRY JOHNSON AND HIS WIFE ATTEND AN EVENT. THEY ACTUALLY HELP ORGANIZE AN EVENT IN COLORADO FOR SOME CANCER CHILDREN CANCER STRICKEN CHILDREN. THE SUNSHINE KIDS. AND THAT'S WHERE HE'S. THAT'S WHERE HE'S BEEN THIS TIME. THEY DO THIS EVERY YEAR. AND IT'S A TREMENDOUS EVENT. AND SO I JUST WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW HE'S NOT JUST SHIRKING HIS DUTY. HE IS HARDWORKING IN THE SNOW UP THERE. I KNEW THE FOUNDER OF THE SUNSHINE KIDS. SUNSHINE KIDS. THANK YOU. I COULDN'T REMEMBER THE NAME OF IT. GREAT ORGANIZATION. OKAY. DOES ANYBODY HAVE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST WITH ANY OF OUR CASES? NO. OKAY. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES. HAS EVERYBODY HAD A CHANCE TO READ THROUGH THE MINUTES? ARE THERE ANY CORRECTIONS CHANGES THAT NEED TO BE MADE? NO, NO, JULIE, NONE? NO. OKAY. THE MINUTES ARE APPROVED AS PRESENTED. ALL RIGHT. SO NEXT, WE ARE GOING TO GO FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? NO PUBLIC COMMENT RECEIVED. NO PUBLIC COMMENT RECEIVED. OKAY. SO NOW WE'RE GOING TO GO ON TO NEW BUSINESS AND ASSOCIATED PUBLIC HEARINGS. THE FIRST CASE IS 23LC-003. IT'S A LICENSE TO USE. I BELIEVE THIS IS A RENEWING AN EXISTING LICENSE TO USE PERMIT. CORRECT. JUST RENEWING IT? THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY. SO YEAH, THIS IS AT ADJACENT TO 2102 MECHANIC AND THIS IS A LICENSE USED FOR CONSTRUCTION FENCING. THERE WERE 22 PUBLIC NOTICES SENT, SIX RETURNED. ALL SIX OF THOSE IN FAVOR. AND LANDMARK COMMISSION DOESN'T SEE JUST A TON OF THESE. BUT TYPICALLY, IF A CONSTRUCTION PROJECT EXCEEDS ITS TEMPORARY LICENSE TO USE ALLOTMENT, IT COMES TO PLANNING COMMISSION FOR THEIR DETERMINATION. AND WHEN IT'S IN A HISTORIC DISTRICT OR A LANDMARK, IT WILL COME TO LANDMARK COMMISSION FIRST TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO THEM. SO THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TODAY. AND YOU'LL SEE A COUPLE MORE ACTION IN THE NEAR FUTURE. SO THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING A LICENSE TO USE A CITY OF RIGHT AWAY TO RETAIN CONSTRUCTION FENCING IN THE RIGHT OF WAY ASSOCIATED WITH ONGOING RENOVATIONS TO THE BUILDING, A TEMPORARY LICENSE TO USE AT THE PROPERTY. THE COTTON EXCHANGE BUILDING IS EXPIRED BECAUSE NO ADDITIONAL EXTENSIONS CAN BE ISSUED AT THE STAFF LEVEL PLANNING COMMISSION REVIEW IS REQUIRED AND OF COURSE LANDMARK COMMISSION WILL BE MAKING A RECOMMENDATION TO THEM. THE CONSTRUCTION, FENCING AND THE RIGHT OF WAY IS INSTALLED ALONG THE 21ST STREET, ROUGHLY PARALLEL TO THE PROPERTY'S EAST PROPERTY LINE AND ALONG MECHANIC, ROUGHLY PARALLEL TO THE SOUTH PROPERTY LINE. SO BASICALLY ON TWO SIDES OF THE BUILDING, AS YOU'LL SEE IN THE PHOTOS, IT'S BASED ON THE SCOPE OF WORK, WHICH PRIMARILY CONSISTS OF FAÇADE IMPROVEMENTS AND I BELIEVE SOME CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS STAGING. A LOT OF TIMES THESE BUILDINGS DOWNTOWN HAVE NO ROOM ON THEIR PREMISES FOR THAT STUFF. AND SO THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING THAT THE CONSTRUCTION, FENCING AND SCAFFOLDING REMAIN LONG ENOUGH FOR THE PROJECT TO BE COMPLETED, WHICH THE APPLICANT ESTIMATES WILL BE AROUND JUNE 14TH OF THIS YEAR. SO ONCE AGAIN, YOU KNOW, PLANNING COMMISSION WILL MAKE A DETERMINATION AT THEIR MEETING TOMORROW, MARCH 7TH. STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL OF THE CASE WITH SPECIFIC CONDITIONS ONE THROUGH THREE AND STANDARD CONDITIONS, FIVE THROUGH TEN. AND WE DO HAVE SOME PHOTOS HERE. SO HERE WE CAN SEE THE KIND OF THE CONSTRUCTION FENCING LOOKING NORTH UP 21ST STREET AND THEN LOOKING EAST ALONG THE FRONT OF THE BUILDING ALONG MECHANIC. AND IT DOES WRAP AROUND A LITTLE BIT TO THE SIDE, BUT THAT'S GOING TO BE PRIVATE PROPERTY AT A POINT. IT'S MOSTLY IN THE RIGHT OF WAY. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. AND HERE WE HAVE THE PROPERTIES TO THE EAST, TO THE WEST AND TO THE SOUTH. AND THIS CONCLUDES STAFF'S REPORT. OKAY. DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR STAFF ABOUT THIS? NO. OKAY. I'M GOING TO OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING AND ASK IF IS IT MELISSA KAWANO? THE APPLICANT. A REPRESENTATIVE OF THIS IS PRESENT. NO. OKAY. IS THERE ANYBODY IN THE AUDIENCE THAT WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THIS PROJECT? NO. OKAY. I'M GOING TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND BRING IT BACK TO THE COMMISSION TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION ON CASE [00:05:02] 23LC-003. DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO RECOMMEND A MOTION THAT WE RECOMMEND? OKAY. NANCY HAS MADE A MOTION. SHARON HAS MADE A SECOND MOTION. DO WE HAVE ANY CONVERSATION? ANY COMMENTS? NOT, NANCY. SORRY. GETTING [INAUDIBLE]. ALL RIGHT. OKAY. COMMENTS OR DISCUSSION? NO. OKAY. WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THIS TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION. ALL READY TO TAKE A VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR. RAISE YOUR HAND. RIGHT. IT'S UNANIMOUS. OKAY. MOVING ON. WE'RE GOING TO GO TO CASE 23 LC-003. THIS IS CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS FOUR. CORRECT. THIS IS 1210 BROADWAY AVENUE J. THERE WERE EIGHT PUBLIC NOTICES SENT. NONE OF THOSE RETURNED. THIS REQUEST IS FOR A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS FOR MODIFICATIONS TO THE STRUCTURE, INCLUDING WINDOW REPLACEMENT WITH FRENCH DOORS. PLEASE NOTE THE ZONING AND LAND USE INFORMATION ON PAGE TWO OF YOUR STAFF REPORT, AS WELL AS THE HISTORICAL AND ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE. BACKGROUND TO THIS CASE, THE WINDOW MODIFICATIONS SHOWN IN EXHIBIT A OF THE STAFF REPORT WERE DONE WITHOUT A PERMIT OR LANDMARK COMMISSION REVIEW AND A RED TAG WAS ISSUED. THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS IN ORDER TO RETAIN THE MODIFICATIONS MADE TO THE FRONT OF THE HOUSE, INCLUDING REMOVAL OF THE HISTORIC WINDOWS. PHOTOS OF THE HOUSE PRIOR TO THE WORK ARE PROVIDED IN EXHIBIT A, WINDOWS WERE REMOVED ON THE FIRST AND SECOND FLOORS AND THE OPENING ENLARGED. THE APPLICANT PROPOSED TO REPLACE THE WINDOWS WITH FRENCH DOORS. PLEASE NOTE THE DESIGN STANDARDS FOR HISTORIC PROPERTIES ON PAGES TWO, THREE AND FOUR OF YOUR STAFF REPORT. CONFORMANCE WITH THE DESIGN STANDARDS. STAFF FINDS THAT THE REQUEST DOES NOT CONFORM TO THE DESIGN STANDARDS. THE MODIFICATIONS ARE LOCATED IN LOCATION A, PRIMARY FAÇADE IN WHICH PRESERVATION AND REPAIR OF FEATURES IN PLACE IS THE PRIORITY. THE DESIGN STANDARDS SPECIFICALLY STATE THAT ORIGINAL WINDOWS, SIZES, PROPORTIONS AND COMPONENTS SHOULD BE RETAINED. THE DESIGN STANDARDS ALSO STATE THAT ADDITIONAL DOORS SHOULD NOT BE ADDED ON PRIMARY FACADES DUE TO NON CONFORMANCE WITH THE DESIGN STANDARDS. STAFF RECOMMENDS RECOMMENDS THAT THE REQUEST BE DENIED WITH THE SPECIFIC CONDITIONS LISTED ON YOUR REPORT AS ONE AND TWO. NOW WE HAVE SOME PHOTOGRAPHS. CAN YOU GO BACK ONE? THIS IS THE SUBJECT PROPERTY. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. THIS IS A SUBJECT PROPERTY IN 2015 WITHOUT THE WINDOWS BEING BOARDED UP. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. THIS IS WHAT THE APPLICANT IS PROPOSING. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. THIS IS THE PROPERTY TO THE EAST. PROPERTY TO THE SOUTH. PROPERTY TO THE WEST. AND THAT CONCLUDES STAFF REPORT. OKAY. DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR STAFF? I HAVE ONE. UPSTAIRSHEN YOU LOOK AT THE BAY WINDOW, YOU SEE THAT THERE'S A LARGE PIECE OF PLYWOOD OVER THE FRONT WINDOWS. BUT ON EITHER SIDE OF THAT BAY WINDOW ARE LITTLE WINDOWS, AND ONE OF THEM HAS A LITTLE DIAMOND PANES OF GLASS. WERE THOSE ALSO REMOVED OR ARE THEY OR AM I JUST NOT SEEING THEM IN THE PHOTO? DO YOU KNOW? LET'S SEE HERE. IT MIGHT BE A GOOD QUESTION FOR THE APPLICANT. OKAY. I SEE WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. THE APPLICANT OKAY. WE'LL BRING YOU UP IN JUST A SECOND AND LET YOU AND WE GOT QUESTIONS FOR YOU. SO WE'LL COVER IT THEN. THANK YOU. OKAY. ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR STAFF? OKAY. I'M GOING TO OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING AND ASK IF THE PROPERTY OWNER OR REPRESENTATIVE, MR. ALVARADO, PLEASE COME ON UP AND TELL US ABOUT YOUR PROPERTY AND THIS PROJECT. COULD YOU SIGN IN, PLEASE? THERE SHOULD BE A SIGN IN SHEET UP THERE. YEAH. THANKS. WHAT'S THE CASE NUMBER? 23LC-004. GOT IT RIGHT THIS TIME. LITTLE STAR ON MY DESK. SUCH A PRETTY HOUSE. LOVE THIS HOUSE. [00:10:05] OKAY. SO THE WINDOW, THE SMALL WINDOW IS NOT REMOVED. IT'S ONLY THE. YOU CAN'T SEE IT BECAUSE OF THE ANGLE. YEAH, WE CANNOT SEE IT BECAUSE OF THE ANGLE. AND THAT'S GOING TO REMAIN AS IT IS. THE OTHER ONES WE MODIFY JUST A LITTLE BIT JUST TO FIT STANDARD FRENCH DOORS. YOU KNOW, THE PREVIOUS ONE, IT'S A DIFFERENT DIMENSIONS THAN THE ONE WE CAN ACTUALLY GET TODAY AND THE SIZE IS PRETTY MUCH THE SAME. IT'S JUST IT'S A DOOR INSTEAD OF WINDOW. BUT THE WINDOWS, I MEAN, IT'S A LITTLE BIT WIDER AND HIGHER. I MEAN, NOT THE WINDOW IS SHORTER. THE DOOR IS HIGHER BECAUSE IT GOES TO THE GROUND. OKAY. BUT IT PRETTY MUCH DOESN'T IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT DRAWING THAT I MADE, THAT'S THE FRENCH DOORS AND THE WINDOWS PRETTY MUCH LOOK. WELL, IT DOESN'T LOOK THE SAME. IT LOOKS SIMILAR. AND YOU CAN SEE THE DRAWING OVER THERE, THE WINDOWS ON THE SIDE, THEY LOOK I MEAN, IT'S NOT ENCLOSED ON THE ON THE RED CLOUD, ON THE RED RECTANGULAR THAT I MADE. AND IT'S NOT ON SCOPE OF WORK. IT'S HARD TO TELL. BUT I'M ASSUMING THAT THESE WINDOWS WERE WALK THROUGH WINDOWS, IS THAT CORRECT? UPPER AND LOWER SASHES THAT YOU WALK THROUGH? NO, I DON'T REMEMBER. THEY WERE JUST LONG. AND THOSE ARE GONE IN THE TRASH. SO OKAY. OKAY. OKAY, HOLD ON JUST A SECOND. IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND STAYING UP BECAUSE OTHERS MAY HAVE QUESTIONS. DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR HIM? DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, FOR MR. ALVARADO? NO. OKAY. YOU WANT TO SIGN IN AND TELL US YOUR NAME AND TELL US A LITTLE BIT. WE CAN TALK TO YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS. I'VE NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE, SO. IT'S OKAY. OKAY. OKAY. AND YOU'RE THE PROPERTY OWNER? NO, I'M HIS SISTER. OKAY. AND WHEN WE GOT TO THIS HOUSE AND HE BOUGHT IT AND STUFF, EVERYTHING'S ALL THE SAME INSIDE AND OUT EXCEPT FOR THE THREE WINDOWS. OKAY. BUT EVERYTHING IS THE SAME. AND THE FRENCH DOORS KIND OF LOOK LIKE A WINDOW, YOU KNOW, WITH THERE. RIGHT. SO I KNOW BY RESEARCH THAT THIS HOUSE WAS BURNT DOWN IN 1957. AND IT WAS ACTUALLY BUILT IN 1958. OKAY. TO MY KNOWLEDGE. OKAY. SO HE DID NOT KNOW THAT THIS WAS ACTUALLY ON A HISTORIC SITE. SO I JUST WISH Y'ALL WOULD SAY YES. THAT'S OKAY. I UNDERSTAND. THANK YOU. DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE APPLICANT REPRESENTATIVES? NO. OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. IS THERE ANYBODY IN THE AUDIENCE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO THIS CASE? LAURA, COME AND SIGN IN. LAURA BOURGEOIS, DIRECTOR OF PRESERVATION FOR GALVESTON HISTORICAL FOUNDATION. WE ARE OPPOSED TO THE MODIFICATIONS. NOT ONLY ARE THESE THREE PROMINENT FEATURES IN THE FRONT OF THE HOUSE, ARCHITECTURALLY IT DOES LOOK DIFFERENT A WINDOW VERSUS A DOOR. THEY LOOK LIKE THEY WERE WALK THROUGH WINDOWS, WHICH GIVES YOU ACCESS TO THOSE PORCHES. AND SO WE ARE OPPOSED TO THE MODIFICATION AND AGREE WITH STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION THAT THEY BE PUT BACK. IS THERE SOMETHING RELEVANT YOU WANT TO ADD TO THIS? YES. THOSE THREE WINDOWS NO LONGER EXIST. THAT'S NOT. THAT'S NOT HERE, NOR THERE RIGHT NOW. [LAUGHTER] THANK YOU. QUESTIONS? NO, THANKS, LAURA. APPRECIATE IT. OKAY. I'M GOING TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND BRING IT BACK TO THE COMMISSION AND ENTERTAIN A MOTION. WOULD ANYBODY LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION ON THIS CASE? NANCY. JULIE? JULIE. SORRY. I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE DENY THIS REQUEST DUE TO NON CONFORMING. DUE TO NON CONFORMANCE WITH ALL OF THE DESIGN GUIDELINES. OKAY. OKAY. JANE SECONDS IT DISCUSSION. NO, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THE COMMENT. I CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND YOUR WISHES AND WANTING TO DO THIS. I REALLY DO. BUT OUR MISSION HERE IS TO PROTECT THE HISTORICAL ARCHITECTURE WITHIN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT. [00:15:06] AND THE BROADWAY BEAUTIES ARE DISAPPEARING RIGHT AND LEFT. AND THAT IS CERTAINLY A BROADWAY BEAUTY. SO, OKAY, ONE OTHER THING AS WELL. YES, MA'AM. BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL HOME. NANCY. TO YOUR COMMENT THAT YOU THOUGHT IT WAS BURNED DOWN AND BUILT IN 1957, THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE SOME INCORRECT INFORMATION THAT RESIDES AT THE CITY ARCHIVES, PROBABLY EVEN THE TAX RECORDS SHOW 1957, THAT WOULD BE WHEN IT WAS SIGNIFICANTLY PERHAPS REMODELED OR REBUILT TO REMOVE THE DAMAGE. THIS IS A HISTORIC HOME. IT'S I HAVEN'T RESEARCHED IT. IT'S PROBABLY 1890 SOMETHING, 1880. I'M GOING TO TELL Y'ALL. OKAY. IF I WOULD HAVE KNOWN, I WOULD HAVE NEVER TAKEN OUT THOSE THREE WINDOWS IN THE FRONT. AND THE THING IS THAT WE'VE GONE EVERYWHERE AND I CAN'T FIND THEM. AND I MEAN, THE ONLY THING THAT COULD BE DONE IS TO MAKE THEM. YOU CAN THERE ARE THERE ARE SOME ARCHITECTURAL WAREHOUSES HERE IN TOWN THAT YOU CAN CHECK WITH. THERE'S ALSO SOURCES THAT WILL MAKE THEM FOR YOU. I JUST WANT TO REMIND THE COMMISSION THAT THERE'S AN ACTIVE MOTION AND IT HASN'T BEEN VOTED ON YET. RIGHT. RIGHT. I KNOW THAT. I'M FOLLOWING. I GOT IT. I DO THINK, THOUGH, THAT THOSE FRENCH DOORS WOULD MAKE IT OKAY. WE'VE ALREADY CLOSED THE PUBLIC HEARING. I APPRECIATE IT. OKAY. IF ANYBODY ELSE HAS ANYTHING ELSE TO SAY, WE'LL GO TO A VOTE. ARE WE READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR. RAISE YOUR HAND. OKAY. IT'S UNANIMOUS. OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I WISH WE COULD HAVE HELPED YOU THERE. [INAUDIBLE] OKAY. ALL RIGHT. I DON'T KNOW. DON'T CARE. ALL RIGHT. DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANYTHING THEY WOULD LIKE TO PUT ON THE AGENDA FOR DISCUSSION AT OUR NEXT MEETING? NO. I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE FOLLOWING MEETING, WHEN BOTH YOU AND CATHERINE ARE HERE, THAT WE OKAY. WILL YOU REMIND SARAH, BECAUSE SHE'LL BE LEADING THE NEXT MEETING. I'LL BE OUT OF TOWN AT THE NEXT. WOULDN'T YOU LIKE TO WAIT TILL YOU'RE BACK? RIGHT. SO REMIND SARAH TO PUT IT ON THE AGENDA FOR THE FOLLOWING. THE FIRST WEEK IN APRIL. OKAY. OKAY. WHAT'S THAT? BUT WHAT ON THE AGENDA? WELL, YOU'LL FIND OUT AT THE NEXT MEETING. YOU BETTER BE HERE. [LAUGHTER] YOU'LL FIND OUT AT THE NEXT MEETING. OKAY. IF NOBODY ELSE HAS ANYTHING ELSE TO SAY. NONE. THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED. THANK YOU. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.