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[Landmark Commission on June 16, 2025.]
JUNE 16TH. ON THE TIME IS 4:00, AND WE WILL START OUR MEETING OFF WITH ATTENDANCE.COMMISSIONER ALLEN, VICE CHAIRPERSON. BOUCHER.
PRESENT. COMMISSIONER CHASTAIN PRESENT. CHAIRPERSON.
CLICK. PRESENT. COMMISSIONER. FITZ. PRESENT. COMMISSIONER.
LANGDALE. PRESENT. COMMISSIONER. SMITH. COMMISSIONER.
STETZEL-THOMPSON. PRESENT. COMMISSIONER THIERRY.
PRESENT. EX-OFFICIO COUNCIL MEMBER SHARON LEWIS.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. DO WE NEED THE COMMISSIONERS? HAVE ANY CONFLICTS OF INTEREST WITH ANY OF OUR CASES TODAY? NO. OKAY. WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.
DID ANYONE HAVE ANY ADDITIONS OR CHANGES FROM OUR MINUTES ON JUNE 2ND? OKAY, WE'LL ACCEPT THOSE AS PRESENTED. PUBLIC COMMENT IS THERE ANYONE THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE COMMISSION ON ANY NON-AGENDA ITEMS? NO. SWEET. WE'LL MOVE ON TO NEW BUSINESS AND ASSOCIATED PUBLIC HEARINGS.
THANK YOU. SO, AS STATED, THIS IS 2218 AVENUE O, APPEAL STAFF DETERMINATION, 23 PUBLIC NOTICES SENT.
TO REGULATE IT INCLUDES REGULATING NEW CONSTRUCTION.
THAT'S THE CASE THIS TIME. SO THE APPLICANT IS PROPOSING CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW SINGLE FAMILY HOUSE.
THE SUBJECT ADDRESS. DUE TO THE SMALL SIZE OF THE LOT, THE APPLICANT PROPOSES TO BUILD A STRUCTURE CLOSER TO THE STREET THAN NORMALLY PERMITTED BASED ON THE SURROUNDING STRUCTURES, AND IS OUTLINED ON PAGE 2626 OF THE SAN JACINTO NCD STANDARDS, WHICH ARE INCLUDED IN EXHIBIT B OF THE STAFF REPORT.
THE APPLICANT'S COMPLETE SUBMITTAL IS INCLUDED AS EXHIBIT A.
SO BASED ON THE STATED CRITERIA, WHICH HAS TO DO WITH THE PROXIMITY OF OTHER RELEVANT STRUCTURES ON THE SAME BLOCK, STAFF FOUND THE PROPOSED FRONT SETBACK DOES NOT CONFORM TO THE SAN JACINTO NEIGHBORHOOD CONSERVATION PLAN.
THE ALLOWABLE RANGE OF FRONT SETBACKS FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION ON THE BLOCK FACE, BASED ON THE ABOVE, IS BETWEEN 20.2FT AND 24.75FT, AND THE APPLICANT'S PROPOSED FRONT SETBACK IS ONE FOOT SEVEN INCHES.
ONCE AGAIN, ANALYSIS OF THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOOD IS PROVIDED IN EXHIBIT A.
PLEASE NOTE THE APPLICANT'S JUSTIFICATION IN THE STAFF REPORT IN THE PROCEDURE FOR APPEALS.
AND WE HAVE SOME PHOTOS HERE. SO WE HAVE THE SUBJECT PROPERTY HERE.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT IT'S NOT A COMPLETE [INAUDIBLE] SURVEY LOT.
IT'S PROBABLY A HALF OF ONE OR MAYBE LESS THAN A HALF OF ONE.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. HERE WE HAVE THE APPLICANT SUBMITTAL WHICH IS INCLUDED IN EXHIBIT A SHOWING THE BUILDINGS THAT THE EXISTING BUILDINGS THAT ESTABLISH THAT SETBACK. YOU CAN SEE THEY ARE A FAIR DISTANCE BACK FROM THE PROPERTY LINES.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. HERE ARE THE PROPERTIES TO THE EAST.
TO THE SOUTH. AND THEN LOOKING EAST DOWN THE SAME SIDE OF THE STREET.
THANK YOU, DANIEL. DO ANY OF THE COMMISSIONERS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR STAFF? YEAH.
ON THE FIRST PICTURE OF THE MAP OF A PROBABLY A DUMB QUESTION, BUT WAS IT PART OF IT? READ WHERE THE LOT IS VERSUS ORANGE. DOES THAT SIGNIFY SOMETHING? YEAH. THE HIGHLIGHTED BUILDINGS ARE THE ONES THAT ESTABLISH THAT SETBACK, GENERALLY SPEAKING.
WHENEVER YOU'RE LOOKING AT ESTABLISHING WHAT THAT AVERAGE SETBACK WOULD BE, YOU LOOK AT STRUCTURES BUILT BEFORE, I BELIEVE, 1985 FIVE AND TAKE AN AVERAGE OF THEM.
AND THEN I BELIEVE YOU CAN GO 10% FORWARD OR BACK OF THAT AVERAGE LINE.
THANKS. AND ACTUALLY I MEANT MORE. THE FIRST PICTURE YOU HAD THE RED AND ORANGE.
SO THIS IS THIS IS COMMERCIALLY ZONED PROPERTY.
THEY CAN DO RESIDENTIAL THERE, BUT THE SETBACKS ARE APPLICABLE REGARDLESS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR STAFF? NO, I HAVE ONE.
SO THE COMMERCIAL ZONING IS A SETBACK. DIFFERENT.
YEAH. AND IF IT WEREN'T FOR THE OVERLAY. THE OVERLAY IS GOING TO SPECIFY WHAT HAPPENS.
YEAH. THE COMMERCIAL SETBACK WOULD BE ACTUALLY IN THIS CASE IT WOULD BE ZERO FOOT.
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AND IN TYPICALLY URBAN NEIGHBORHOOD, GENERALLY SPEAKING WOULD BE ZERO FOOT AS WELL.BUT THE NCD STANDARDS DO MAKE AN EXCEPTION. AND IS THAT LOT CONSIDERED COMMERCIAL? IT IS. IT'S A COMMERCIAL ZONED PROPERTY. SO WOULD THAT MAKE IT A ZERO OR IS IT STILL SUBJECT TO THAT SETBACK? THE NCD STANDARDS ARE IN CATHERINE WILL CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT I BELIEVE THE NCD STANDARDS ARE GOING TO APPLY REGARDLESS.
OKAY. BUT IT IS A RESIDENTIAL BUILDING BEING BUILT, NOT A COMMERCIAL.
THAT'S CORRECT. ONCE AGAIN, OUR ZONING IS INCLUSIVE SO THEY CAN DO RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL.
I HAVE A QUESTION. WAS THERE NOT A HALFWAY HOUSE OR IS THERE A HALFWAY HOUSE NEAR AT AROUND OR NEAR THIS PROPERTY? I AM NOT SURE OF THAT. COULD NOT SPEAK TO THAT ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
SO WHERE IS THE BORDER FOR THE NCD? RIGHT HERE.
IS IT CLOSE TO IT AT THE STREET OR. I BELIEVE IT GOES OVER TO THE STREET TO THE WEST, I THINK.
IT'S A CONSERVATION DISTRICT. SO THAT'S WHY IT KIND OF FALLS UNDER OUR JURISDICTION. IS THAT CORRECT? CORRECT. YEAH. THE NCDS FALL UNDER LANDMARK COMMISSION AS WELL.
THERE'S ONE BUILDING THAT'S EXCLUDED WITH A ZERO FOOT SETBACK.
WHAT IS THE EXCLUDED BUILDINGS? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? TYPICALLY THAT WOULD BE BUILT AFTER 1985. I THINK THAT'S THE CUTOFF POINT.
BUT IT'S CERTAIN BUILDINGS ARE NOT CONSIDERED GERMANE TO THE SETBACK CALCULATIONS.
YEAH. AND IN DOING THE CALCULATION, YOU REMOVE THE TWO EXTREMES FROM THE SAMPLING.
SO YOU REMOVE THE FURTHEST BACK AND THE CLOSEST TO.
SO THAT'S WHY THE TWO THAT ARE GREEN ARE LABELED EXCLUDED.
SO YOU TAKE THE AVERAGE. WELL, YOU LOOK AT ALL OF THE SETBACKS ON THE BLOCK.
YOU TAKE THE TWO EXTREMES OUT AND THEN YOU TAKE THE AVERAGE OF THAT.
SO JUST TO BE CLEAR, IT'S JUST THAT ONE SIDE OF THE BLOCK IS THE SAMPLE HOW IT IS.
OKAY. THAT'S CORRECT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR STAFF? NO. OKAY. WE WILL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR CASE 25 LC 027.
IS THE APPLICANT HERE? WOULD YOU LIKE TO? HI.
I'M BRAX EASTERWOOD, REPRESENTING THE PROPERTY OWNER HERE TODAY.
THANK YOU TO THE COMMISSION. THANK YOU TO DANIEL FOR YOUR STAFF REPORT.
THIS IS KIND OF AN INTRO. IT'S JUST A KIND OF A WEIRD CASE, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU.
IT'S A COMMERCIALLY ZONED PROPERTY. WHEN THE NCD WAS DEVELOPED, 23RD STREET IS ALL ZONED COMMERCIALLY. AND THIS PROPERTY, YOU KNOW, EXISTS TO THE EAST OF THAT A LITTLE BIT.
AND SO THE NCD REGULATIONS, I GUESS YOU'D CALL THEM GUIDELINES.
DON'T ADDRESS COMMERCIAL PROPERTY. THIS HAPPENS TO BE A COMMERCIALLY ZONED DISTRICT THAT IS BEING DEVELOPED AS A RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY. AND THE WAY THAT AND I THINK THIS DIAGRAM IS ACTUALLY REALLY GOOD.
AND I DON'T WANT TO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T I DON'T WANT TO STEP ON ANYBODY'S TOES.
BUT JUST LIKE CATHERINE HAD SAID, WHEN YOU WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE NCD GUIDELINES FOR SETBACKS, YOU, YOU THROW OUT THE MOST AND YOU THROW OUT THE LEAST.
SO IN THIS CASE, WE'RE SET WITH THESE 22 AND 23 FOOT SETBACKS.
WE HAVE A LOT THAT IS QUITE A BIT SMALLER THAN THE OTHER LOTS THAT ARE IN THAT DIAGRAM.
AND SO IF WE WERE TO SET THAT BACK TO 20, LET'S JUST SAY 22FT, YOU BASICALLY COULDN'T YOU COULDN'T BUILD THE LOT ESSENTIALLY IS WHAT, WHAT ENDS UP HAPPENING.
AND THEN ONE OF THE COMMISSIONER, ONE OF Y'ALL HAD SAID, NOTING THAT ON THE CORNER OF THAT OF AVENUE O, AND I GUESS THAT'S 22ND. IT'S COMPLETELY BUILT OUT.
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THERE'S NO SETBACK EITHER SIDE. ANY SIDE. SO WE'RE REALLY JUST ASKING FOR.PERMISSION TO BUILD A HOUSE THAT I THINK THAT MORE OR LESS FITS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT IT'S NOT.
BUT IT'S IN A COMMERCIAL AREA, SO IT'S NOT I DON'T THINK IT'S NEGATIVELY IMPACTING ANY OF THE OTHER STRUCTURES ON THAT BLOCK FACE. THEY'RE ALL BASICALLY THEY'RE EITHER COMMERCIAL OR THEY'RE APARTMENT BUILDINGS.
SO I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, BUT WE PUSHED IT BACK AS FAR AS WE COULD.
BUT I KNOW IT'S NOT I KNOW IT DOESN'T MEET, IT DOESN'T, I KNOW IT DOESN'T MEET THE GUIDELINES.
ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE APPLICANT? NONE. OKAY, OKAY. JUST OUT OF CURIOSITY, HOW MUCH ROOM DO YOU HAVE BEHIND? IS THERE ANY SPACE? NO. THAT'S UP TO WHERE WE.
WE CAN MAX IT OUT, BASICALLY. YEAH. SO THAT'S A THREE FOOT SETBACK.
YEAH. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? NO. THANK YOU. OKAY.
THANK YOU ALL. IS THERE ANYONE ELSE HERE TODAY THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? NO. OKAY. WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND ASK FOR A MOTION FROM THE COMMISSION.
I CAN TRY AND MAKE ONE. I MOVE THAT WE REVERSE STAFF'S DETERMINATION DUE TO THIS BLOCK STREET FACE REPRESENTING NOTHING OF WHAT THIS NEIGHBORHOOD STANDS FOR. THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF THE CONSERVATION DISTRICT WAS TO HAVE THE HOUSES AS CLOSE TO THE STREETS AS POSSIBLE TO ENCOURAGE NEIGHBORS AND EVERYTHING WALKING BY TO WAVE.
AND THIS, THIS PARTICULAR BLOCK JUST DOESN'T REPRESENT THAT AT ALL.
AND THE RESIDENCES THAT ARE THERE HAVE PARKING LOTS BETWEEN THE BUILDINGS AND THE STREET.
AND SO I THINK YOU JUST CAN'T APPLY IT HERE AT ALL.
MAYBE AFTER THIS HOUSE IS BUILT, YOU COULD, BUT IT'S JUST NOT THE SAME AS ANY OF THE OTHER DISTRICT.
IT'S NOT WHAT THEY WERE GOING FOR, THAT'S IT.
THAT'S A GOOD IDEA. YEAH, IT WOULD BE, I THINK, HELPFUL FOR YOU TO SAY THAT YOU WILL SUPPORT THE APPLICANT'S PROPOSED SETBACK OF THREE FEET. OKAY. OF ONE FOOT, SEVEN INCHES. I'M SORRY.
I'M SORRY. OF ONE FOOT AND SEVEN INCHES. I'LL SECOND AGAIN.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION NOW? NO. OKAY, WE'LL GO ON TO A VOTE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE REVERSAL? WHAT WAS THAT? OKAY, RAISE YOUR HAND. ALL THOSE OPPOSED? OKAY.
NEXT WE HAVE ITEM 6BA LICENSE TO USE RECOMMENDATION.
THIS IS 25 LC 20. IT'S ADJACENT TO 2102 MECHANIC.
22 NOTED PUBLIC NOTICES WERE SENT. ZERO RETURNED.
NO OBJECTION FROM CITY DEPARTMENTS OR PRIVATE UTILITIES.
A TEMPORARY LICENSE TO USE THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY FOR CONSTRUCTION.
FENCING ASSOCIATED WITH THE RENOVATIONS OF THIS PROPERTY.
THE COTTON EXCHANGE BUILDING HAS EXPIRED. THE CONSTRUCTION FENCING IN THE RIGHT OF WAY IS INSTALLED ALONG 21ST STREET, ROUGHLY PARALLEL TO THE PROPERTY'S EAST PROPERTY LINE, AND ALONG MECHANIC AVENUE, ROUGHLY PARALLEL TO THE PROPERTY'S SOUTHERN PROPERTY LINE.
THE FENCING ENCROACHES APPROXIMATELY 16FT INTO THE ROCKY RIGHT OF WAY, BLOCKING BOTH SIDEWALKS.
THE PLACEMENT IS BASED ON THE SCOPE OF WORK, WHICH PRIMARILY CONSISTS OF FACADE IMPROVEMENTS AND CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS STAGING, AS THERE IS NO AVAILABLE SPACE ON THE PROPERTY ITSELF.
THE APPLICANT ESTIMATES THAT THE PROJECT WILL BE COMPLETED BY AUGUST 1ST, 2025.
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COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION. SPECIFIC CONDITIONS ONE AND TWO AND THEN STANDARD CONDITIONS THREE THROUGH NINE.AND WE HAVE SOME PICTURES. THIS IS THE SUBJECT PROPERTY.
IT'S THE COTTON EXCHANGE BUILDING. THIS IS A PICTURE OF THE PROPERTY ALONG 21ST STREET AND SHOWS THE ITEMS ON THE RIGHT OF WAY AND SOME SCAFFOLDING. NEXT SLIDE. THIS IS A LONG MECHANIC AND YOU CAN SEE THE CONSTRUCTION FENCING AND SOME ADDITIONAL SCAFFOLDING. NEXT SLIDE. THIS IS ALONG 21ST STREET LOOKING AT THE RIGHT OF WAY.
NEXT SLIDE. THIS IS THE SITE PLAN PROPOSED BY THE APPLICANT.
AND THEN ON THE NEXT SLIDE WE HAVE THE PROPERTIES TO THE NORTH EAST SOUTH AND WEST.
AND THAT CONCLUDES STAFF'S REPORT. THANK YOU.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR STAFF. I HAVE ONE.
IS THERE A REQUIREMENT FOR LIKE A COVER TO BLOCK SEEING INTO THE.
BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE ONE THERE. THEY MAY HAVE IT SOMETIME.
IT'S NOT A REQUIREMENT. IT'S NOT. OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? NO. OKAY. WE'LL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR CASE 25 020.
IS THE APPLICANT HERE? WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME UP AND TELL US ABOUT THE PROJECT? NO. OKAY. I'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC. WELL, IS THERE ANYONE ELSE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON IT? OKAY. CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR CASE 25 LC 020 AND BRING IT BACK FOR A MOTION.
I'LL MOTION TO APPROVE. LICENSE TO USE FOR CASE 25 LC 020 WITH STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS.
SECOND. OKAY. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? NO. OKAY, WE'LL MOVE ON TO OUR VOTE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? THOSE OPPOSED? OKAY. THAT'S THAT.
THAT'S IT. IS THERE ANYTHING THAT ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO ADD TO OUR NEXT MEETING? JULY 7TH, IS HAPPENING. CORRECT. SEVENTH IS HAPPENING. SORRY ABOUT THAT CONFUSION. WE THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO BE ABLE TO CANCEL A MEETING, BUT WE COULDN'T. SO WE WILL HAVE THREE ITEMS ON THAT AGENDA. 3RD JULY SEVENTH. JULY 7TH. AND WE HAVE A CONFIRMED QUORUM.
OKAY. OKAY. OKAY THAT'S IT. THAT'S 4:17, AND THE MEETING IS ADJOURNED.
YEAH, THAT WAS A GOOD ONE.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.