[00:00:03]
[9:00 AM – Call to Order]
EVERYONE.I'D LIKE TO CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER FOR JUNE THE 20TH, 2020 FOR THE HISTORIC COMPLIANCE TECHNICAL ADVISORY BOARD FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AT 9 0 1.
CAN WE TAKE ROLL CALL PLEASE? DAVIS FLORES.
AND VEDA HERE WE HAVE A QUORUM.
COULD WE HAVE TRANSLATION SERVICES, PLEASE? GOOD MORNING,
ANY OTHER STATEMENTS? WHICH IS THE CHAIRMAN'S STATEMENT? GOOD MORNING EVERYONE, AND AT THIS TIME IF YOU'LL PLEASE SILENCE YOUR PHONES, PLEASE.
THE COMPLIANCE AND TECHNICAL ADVISORY BOARD IS AN ADVISORY BOARD APPOINTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL.
I AM JUANITA VEDA CHAIRWOMAN, AND THE VICE CHAIR IS JASON VASQUEZ.
IT IS THE FUNCTION OF THE BOARD TO ADVISE THE CITY MANAGER IN ALL RELEVANT CITY DEPARTMENTS CONCERNING CERTAIN APPLICATIONS FOR PERMITS FOR PROPERTIES IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT AND LANDMARKS.
IN CONSIDERING WHETHER TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL OR DISAPPROVAL OF AN APPLICATION FOR CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS, THE BOARD SHALL BE GUIDED BY THE, BY THE CITY'S UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE AND DESIGN GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS THAT HAVE BEEN ADOPTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL.
AN APPEAL OF A DECISION BY AN ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICIAL CAN BE FILED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CITY'S UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE.
IF ANYONE WISHES TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OR IN OPPOSITION OF ANY ITEM ON TODAY'S AGENDA, PLEASE SIGN UP ON THE PUBLIC COMMENT SHEET.
IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO SIGN UP.
IF YOU ARE THE OWNER OF OR REPRESENTATIVE FOR A PROJECT ON THE AGENDA, YOU'LL BE CALLED ON AS THE CASE IS CALLED.
CASE REPRESENTATIVES WILL BE GIVEN NO MORE THAN 15 MINUTES TO PRESENT THEIR CASE WITH AN INDIVI WITH AN ADDITIONAL TWO MINUTES TO RESPOND TO PUBLIC COMMENTS.
SPEAKERS FOR THE OPPOSED TO A CASE WILL BE LIMITED TO TWO MINUTES.
EACH SPEAKERS MAY ALSO SIGN UP TO YIELD THEIR TWO MINUTES TO ANOTHER SPEAKER WHO HAS SIGNED UP.
ANYONE WHO IS YIELDING THEIR TIME MUST BE PRESENT AT THE TIME THE SPEAKER IS CALLED UPON.
SPEAKERS WILL BE CALLED UPON IN THE ORDER IN WHICH THEY ARE SIGNED UP FOLLOWING PUBLIC TESTIMONY.
ANY COMMISSIONER MAY CALL UPON ANY SPEAKER TO RESPOND TO FURTHER QUESTIONS.
APPROVAL BY THE BOARD DOES NOT TAKE THE PLACE OF ANY TYPE OF PERMIT.
PERMITS MUST BE OBTAINED FOR ALL WORK.
CERTIFICATES OF APPROPRIATENESS FOR WORK APPROVED BY THE BOARD WILL BE EMAILED TO YOU WITHIN 10 DAYS.
NO WORK OF ANY TYPE IS TO BE STARTED WITHOUT OBTAINING THE, THE APPROPRIATE CITY PERMITS AFTER CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS HAS BEEN ISSUED BY THE OFFICE OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION.
AND AGAIN, AT THIS TIME, IF YOU WOULD PLEASE SILENCE YOUR PHONES.
UM, FIRST WE ARE WELCOMING A NEW COMMISSIONER TODAY, ROMULO SPILLER, REPRESENTING DISTRICT FIVE IS HERE.
UM, AND SO HE'S, UH, ONE OF THE FIRST KIND OF NEW APPOINTEES FOR THIS NEW COUNCIL TERM AND SO WE'LL BE SEEING HIM FOR A WHILE.
UM, NEXT REGARDING THE AGENDA, ITEM FIVE HAS BEEN POSTPONED AND WILL NOT BE HEARD TODAY.
THAT IS AT THE REQUEST OF THE APPLICANT.
UM, FROM THERE WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES FROM MAY 23RD.
DO MY COLLEAGUES NEED ADDITIONAL TIME TO REVIEW? MADAM CHAIR, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE, UM, MEETING AGENDA MINUTES FROM MAY, WHATEVER IT WAS.
THERE IS A MOTION ON THE FLOOR TO APPROVE MINUTES FOR MAY 22ND, 2025.
WE'LL TAKE ROLL CALL VOTE PLEASE.
[00:05:01]
AYE.AT THIS TIME, DO WE HAVE ANY, UM, GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENTS? UM, NO, BUT WE DO HAVE, UM, AN INDIVIDUAL SIGNED UP FOR AN ITEM ON CONSENT.
SO WE HAVE TWO ITEMS, UM, AND THEN THE PERSON FOR ITEM ONE IS RYAN REED.
[CONSENT AGENDA Items are placed on the consent agenda when staff recommends approval or recommends approval with stipulations that the applicant agrees to. Any member of the public desiring to speak on a consent agenda item may sign up and be heard prior to voting on the consent agenda. Commissioners may request to remove any item from the consent agenda and have it placed on the individual consideration agenda. All items on the consent agenda will be considered for approval by one motion adopting the items with staff findings and recommendations.]
TIME WE'RE GONNA ADDRESS THE CONSENT, UH, AGENDA.MR. REED, DO YOU WANT TO COME UP AND PROVIDE YOUR COMMENTS FOR ITEM ONE? SURE.
I LIVE AT 2 42 WEST LINWOOD AVENUE IN MONTE VISTA.
AND I'M SPEAKING TODAY ON BEHALF OF THE MONTE VISTA HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION'S ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE REGARDING THE PROPOSED LANDSCAPE CHANGES AT ONE 12 WEST HOLLYWOOD.
WE HELD A SPECIAL SESSION ON WEDNESDAY, JUNE 11TH TO MEET WITH THE APPLICANT VICTORIA GOFF OF LUSH GREENSCAPE DESIGN.
AND DURING THAT MEETING WE DISCUSSED A NUMBER OF KEY POINTS.
SO FIRST, UM, WE DON'T HAVE ANY CONCERNS WITH THE PLANTINGS PROPOSED BETWEEN THE TOP OF THE BERM AND THE HOUSE.
UM, THE APPLICANT ASSURED US THAT THOSE ARE ALL DROUGHT TOLERANT OR LOW WATER SPECIES, WHICH IS CONSISTENT WITH BOTH SUSTAINABILITY AND PRESERVATION GOALS.
WE DO OPPOSE REMOVAL OF THE ORIGINAL BERM FOR SEVERAL MEAT, UH, REASONS HERE.
UM, THAT BERM IS A PROMINENT AND DEFINING FEATURE OF THE PROPERTY AND CONTRIBUTES TO THE CHARACTER OF THE STREET AS A WHOLE.
IT'S BEEN IN PLACE IN ITS CURRENT FORM FOR OVER A HUNDRED YEARS.
SO REPLACING THAT WITH A TALL STEEL RETAINING WALL SERIES OF RETAINING WALLS, UM, WOULD REPRESENT A PERMANENT AND VISUALLY DISRUPTIVE CHANGE.
ONE THAT WOULD BE DIFFICULT FOR FUTURE OWNERS, UH, TO REVERSE IF THEY EVER WISH TO RESTORE THE ORIGINAL TOPOGRAPHY.
AND, UH, MOST IMPORTANTLY, THIS KIND OF ALTERATION IS SPECIFICALLY PROHIBITED BY THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO'S HISTORIC DESIGN GUIDELINES.
UH, SECTION FIVE SITE ELEMENTS, TOPOGRAPHY, HISTORICAL TOPOGRAPHY STATES AVOID SIGNIFICANTLY ALTERING THE TOPOGRAPHY OF A PROPERTY.
DO NOT ALTER CHARACTER DEFINING FEATURES SUCH AS BERMS OR SLOPE FRONT LAWNS THAT HELP DEFINE THE CHARACTER OF THE PUBLIC RIGHT AWAY.
AND WE ALSO SHARED SOME PRACTICAL CONCERNS SUCH AS IF, UM, THE PLANTINGS THAT ARE PROPOSED, WHICH ESSENTIALLY HIDE THE TIERED RETAINING WALLS, IF THESE AREN'T PROPERLY MAINTAINED BY THIS OWNER OR FUTURE OWNERS, WE'RE GONNA END UP WITH, UH, WITH ESSENTIALLY A A FIVE FOOT TALL TIERED WEATHERED STEEL WALL ON THE SIDEWALK FACING THE PUBLIC, WHICH, UH, WE BELIEVE TO BE AN EYESORE.
UH, I THINK THAT SUMS UP MY POINTS ESSENTIALLY.
ANY QUESTIONS? ANY QUESTIONS? NO, THANK YOU SIR.
OKAY, SO THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENTS.
AND AGAIN, WE HAVE THOSE TWO ITEMS ON CONSENT AND SO COMMISSIONERS CAN PULL ITEMS BASED ON COMMENTS OR IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS, BUT OTHERWISE WE WILL NEED A MOTION ON THOSE.
MADAM CHAIR, I'D LIKE TO PULL AGENDA ITEM ONE, UM, ONE 12 WITH HOLLYWOOD.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANYONE ELSE THAT WANTED TO PULL THE OTHERS.
YEAH, MADAM CHAIR, I'D LIKE TO PULL THE SECOND CONSENT ITEM TWO 19 WEST ELSMERE.
OKAY, SO AT THIS POINT, NO ACTION IS NEEDED ON CONSENT BECAUSE WE'LL BE HEARING EVERYTHING.
[1. Address/Description: 112 W HOLLYWOOD AVE HDRC Case No.: 2025-132 Historic District Name: Monte Vista Neighborhood Assn Name: Monte Vista Historical Applicant: Victoria Gough Request: Terracing work at the existing front yard berm City Council Dist.: 1 ]
EDWARD WILL PULL UP THE, UH, EXHIBITS FOR ITEM NUMBER ONE.UM, AND WE HAVE THE APPLICANT, VICTORIA GOFF, ONLINE COMMISSIONERS.
UM, I GUESS SINCE THIS WAS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, UM, WELL, I, I'LL READ THE REQUEST INTO THE RECORD.
UH, THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS FOR APPROVAL TO PERFORM TERRACING WORK AT THE EXISTING FRONT YARD BERM.
THE PROPOSED TERRACING WORK WILL BEGIN AT THE PROPERTY LINE AT THE RIGHT OF WAY AND EXTEND TO THE SOUTH TOWARD THE TOP OF THE EXISTING BERM.
UH, AND WE ARE RECOMMENDING APPROVAL AS SUBMITTED.
UM, I CAN PULL UP THE EXHIBITS OR FLIP THROUGH THOSE.
AND AS COREY MENTIONED, THE APPLICANT IS HERE ONLINE AND CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE.
I'LL GO AHEAD AND OPEN UP TO MY COLLEAGUE TO THE RIGHT SO WE CAN DISCUSS CONCERNS.
WAS THERE A PRESENTATION THAT THE HOMEOWNER WANTED TO GIVE? WELL, I'LL BE REP, SORRY, GO AHEAD.
OR IF I'M REPRESENTING THE HOMEOWNER I CAN SPEAK, BUT, UM, JUST LET ME KNOW
[00:10:01]
WHEN THAT'S OKAY.UM, THANK YOU RYAN FOR PRESENTING THAT.
UM, I GUESS I HAVE A COUPLE COMMENTS ON THAT, BUT I'LL GO AHEAD AND READ MY PRESENTATION FIRST.
MY NAME IS VICTORIA GOFF WITH LUSH GREENSCAPE DESIGN.
UH, IT'S BEEN A PRIVILEGE TO WORK ON THIS PROJECT IN THE MONTE VISTA HISTORIC DISTRICT WITH HOMEOWNER GWEN STROUD.
AND OUR INTENT HAS BEEN TO DELIVER A DESIGN THAT STRENGTHENS AND AND COMPLIMENTS THE NEIGHBORHOOD HISTORIC CHARACTER.
UM, THIS DESIGN ADDRESSES A STEEP SLOPE THAT'S CURRENTLY LACKING ANY STRUCTURAL SOLUTION TO MANAGE EROSION OR DRAINAGE.
WE'RE PROPOSING A SOFTLY PLANTED SLOPE.
UM, THE NATURAL EXISTING ANGLE OF THE SLOPE WILL BE FULLY PRESERVED, UM, AS THE PLANTED SLOPE WILL BE GENTLY SUPPORTED BY DISCREET LOW PROFILE STEEL EDGING, WHICH IS ABOUT 10 INCHES, UM, FOR EACH THREE STEEL EDGES.
UM, THIS EDGING IS MODEST IN HEIGHT AND IT PROVIDES STABILITY WHILE HELPING MANAGE STORM WATER OVER TIME.
CASCADING NATIVE AND ADAPTED PLANTINGS WILL SOFTEN AND VISUALLY CONCEAL THE EDGING, SO THE SLOPE PRESENTS AS A NATURAL GARDEN HILLSIDE, NOT AS A HARDSCAPE FEATURE OR RETAINING WALL.
UM, AND JUST TO BE CLEAR, UM, IT'LL ONLY BE PARALLEL THROUGH THE HOUSE AND THE STREET.
IT'S NOT GONNA CUT BACK ON THE SIDES.
IT'LL JUST KIND OF TIE AND FEATHER INTO, INTO GREED.
SO WE WANNA AVOID ANY KIND OF LARGE, UH, WALL ON THE SIDES.
UM, AND THEN ALSO IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, HISTORIC DESIGN GUIDELINES FOR SITE ELEMENTS, UH, SECTION FIVE TOPOGRAPHY, PAGE TWO.
UM, IT STATES NEW SITE ELEMENTS SUCH AS EDGING AND PLANTING ARE ENCOURAGED TO WORK WITH RATHER THAN CHANGE CHARACTER DEFINING TOPOGRAPHY, WHICH IS DESIGNED TO ACHIEVE BY STABILIZING THE EXISTING SLOPE WITHOUT, UM, ALTERING ITS NATURAL FORM IN, IN ANGLE WHICH WE WANNA PRESERVE.
UM, THIS DESIGN PROVIDES A STABLE, LOW IMPACT SOLUTION TO A CHALLENGING SITE CONDITION WHILE PRESERVING THE SLOPE'S NATURAL FORM AND CONTRIBUTING TO THE ONGOING CHARACTER AND SUSTAINABILITY OF THE MONTE VISTA NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, AND JUST TO BE CLEAR, IT'S NOT GONNA BE LIKE A PERPENDICULAR 90 DEGREE TERRACE THING.
WE WANNA KEEP THAT ANGLE OF THE NATURAL SLOPE AND THEN ADD A 10 INCH RETAINING SLOPE, PIN INCH RETAINING.
I APPRECIATE YOUR PRESENTATION.
I'LL NOW OPEN UP FOR QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS AND I'LL START TO MY RIGHT.
I DON'T SEE YOUR NAME ON THE SCREEN AGAIN, BUT, UM, SO THE, THE LITTLE RETAINING WALLS THAT I SEE IN THE IMAGE RIGHT NOW, THOSE LOOK TO BE MORE THAN 10 INCHES.
UM, YOU SAID THEY'RE 10 INCHES? YES.
SO THAT WOULD EQUAL 30 INCHES, WHICH IS 2.5 DIVIDED BY 12.
YEAH, 2.5 FEET IN TOTAL OF STEEL EDGING.
AND THEN THE REST OF THAT, UH, IT'S 36 INCHES FROM THE SIDEWALK TO THE TOP OF THE SLOPE.
SO THE REMAINING SIX INCHES WOULD BE MADE UP FROM THE ANGLE OF THE SLOPE IN BETWEEN.
SO WITH THE NATURAL BERM THAT'S THERE, YOU COULDN'T DO THIS WITHOUT THE, UH, DRASTIC CHANGES THAT YOU'RE PROPOSING.
UM, I COULDN'T DO WHAT, YOU COULDN'T DO THIS, UH, LAYERED APPROACH WITH THE, WITHOUT THE DRASTIC CHANGES THAT YOU'RE PROPOSING.
UM, WE COULD, BUT REALLY THE MAIN REASON FOR THE STEEL EDGING WAS, UM, TO ENHANCE SOME STRUCTURAL SUPPORT AND SLOW DOWN, UM, RAIN RUNOFF AND, UH, PROMOTE INFILTRATION.
IT JUST HELPS SLOW THE WATER DOWN A LITTLE BIT.
UM, SO THAT WAS KIND OF OUR, UM, INTENT BEHIND THAT.
I THINK ONCE YOU GET THE PLANTINGS IN, THAT'LL SLOW THE EROSION.
UM, AND OF COURSE AS THEY MATURE, THAT WOULD ALSO SLOW THE EROSION.
UM, THESE HOMES IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, OR I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT, UM, IN MONTE VISTA, OTHER HISTORIC DISTRICTS ALL HAVE THE BERMS AND THAT IS A, A CHARACTER DEFINING FEATURE AND, UM,
[00:15:02]
I DON'T THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE.YEAH, WE, WE DON'T WANT TO TAKE THE BURM AWAY.
WE JUST WANTED TO ADD SOME STEEL EDGING.
UM, BUT UH, I UNDERSTAND THAT COMMENT, SO THANK YOU.
BUT YEAH, FROM THE PICTURES THOUGH, IT, I, IT'S ALL GONE, SO I'M NOT SURE WHAT YOU WANNA CALL THAT, BUT THANK YOU.
DO WE HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS FROM TO MY RIGHT? UM, MY QUESTION INVOLVES WHY IT WAS THAT THE REMOVAL OF THE BERM OCCURRED WITHOUT A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS TO BEGIN WITH.
UM, IT WAS NOT IN OUR UNDERSTANDING THAT WE NEEDED TO GO, UM, GET PERMING OR, OR THE CITY, THE CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS.
UM, WE DIDN'T REALIZE FOR, UM, INSTALLING SOME STEEL EDGING, UM, THAT WE'D HAVE TO, UM, GET THAT.
DO I HAVE ANY COMMENTS ONLINE? NONE FROM ME HEARING THEM FROM MY LINE.
ANY COMMENTS FROM MY COLLEAGUES FOR THE LEFT? THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR.
UM, EDWARD, CAN YOU, IT IT'S, UM, CAN YOU HELP US UNDERSTAND YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON THE RE STAFF RECOMMENDATION? BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY BERMS ARE GONNA KEEP COMING UP IN MONTE VISTA.
THEY'VE COME UP BEFORE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE ARGUMENT IN FAVOR AND SOUNDS LIKE THE ARGUMENT IN FAVOR AND OPPOSED ARE BOTH QUOTING THE SAME LANGUAGE.
AND SO I'M JUST CURIOUS HOW YOUR THOUGHT PROCESS WAS WITH THIS AND WHETHER OR NOT THIS IS A DRAMATIC CHANGE TO THE EXISTING TOPOGRAPHY OR NOT.
HOW DID YOU GUYS DETERMINE YOUR RECOMMENDATION? YEAH, NO, I MEAN, THERE'S NO HIDING THAT IT'S REMOVING THE EXISTING BERM.
UM, BUT, UM, THE WAY THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS AS STAFF, UM, SO WHETHER IT'S FOR EROSION OR, UH, PLANTS AREN'T ABLE TO GROW THERE OR IT JUST TURNS TO DIRT ONCE IT GETS HOT DURING THE SUMMER, UM, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WILL APPROACH THIS WITH A SHEAR RETAINING WALL OR THEY'LL APPROACH IT WITH A, AN, UH, A SOLUTION THAT'S COVERED IN, IN ROCK OR GRAVEL, UM, THAT DOESN'T PROVIDE A SLOPED LANDSCAPED ELEMENT.
UH, SO FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE, WE'RE LOOKING AT IT AS, UM, YOU KNOW, HISTORICALLY THERE'S A BERM THAT HAS GRASS PLANTED ON IT THAT'S ROUNDED AND SLOPED.
UM, THE APPLICANT'S PROPOSING, UM, A SIMILAR ELEMENT THAT IS SLOPED, UM, OR ANGLED THAT HAS PLANTINGS ON IT, UM, THAT STILL PRESENTS, UM, THE LANDSCAPING IN THE, THE HISTORIC LOCATION OF WHERE THE BER WOULD BE.
UH, SO THAT'S THE WAY WE'RE LOOKING AT IT.
UH, IT STILL GENERALLY PRESERVES THE IDEA, UM, OR THE GENERAL, UH, CONCEPT OF A BER BEING THERE OR SLOPED LANDSCAPING, UH, BUT THE HISTORIC BERMS NOT THERE.
SO THAT, THAT WAS SIMPLY OUR, OUR THOUGHT PROCESS WITH THAT.
UH, WE THOUGHT THAT IT WAS, UH, GENERALLY, UH, A, A UNIQUE SOLUTION TO, UM, REMOVING THE BERM, BUT THEN HAVING A LANDSCAPED ELEMENT IN THAT LOCATION.
AND, UH, MA'AM, UH, ONLINE, DID YOU, UH, HAVE YOU HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH, I MAY HAVE MISSED THIS EARLIER, BUT WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION'S ARCHITECTURAL CONTROL COMMITTEE PRIOR TO THIS OR, OR HAVE GIVEN THAT YOU DIDN'T KNOW YOU HAD TO GET THIS APPROVAL, WAS THAT NOT PART OF YOUR PROCESS? UM, NO, IT WAS, IT IS KIND, IT KIND OF UNFOLDED RIGHT AFTER WE, UM, GOT THE ACTION TO STOP AND THEN THAT'S WHEN I WAS PUT IN TOUCH WITH EDWARD AND THEN, UM, HE RECOMMENDED TO SPEAK TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND SO I GOT IN TOUCH WITH BRIAN AND SENT IN THE DOCUMENTS OR EMAILING.
UM, AND THEN WE GOT ON A LITTLE INTERIM VIDEO CALL, UM, WHEN THEY HAD THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING FOR MONTE VISTA.
UM, AND, UM, HE SHARED PRETTY MUCH, UH, THE NEIGHBORHOOD'S THOUGHTS AND, UM, WE KIND OF WENT FROM THERE.
UM, I KNOW IT WAS A, A LITTLE BACKWARDS, BUT WE, WE JUST DIDN'T KNOW THAT WE NEEDED TO GET, UM, THE COA FOR THE, FOR THE FIRM.
UM, BUT WE WANTED TO MAKE, TAKE THE RIGHT STEPS IN ORDER TO GET IT THE RIGHT WAY.
AND SO IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS, DO YOU FEEL, I MEAN, IS THERE A MIDDLE GROUND HERE OR SOME KIND OF, UM, OPPORTUNITY TO ADJUST THE DESIGN HERE TO MAYBE, UH, ACCOMMODATE SOME OF THOSE DIFFERING OPINIONS? YEAH, DEFINITELY DON'T WANNA HAVE ANY TALL OBSCURE WALLS THAT DETRACT FROM THE HOUSE.
[00:20:01]
THE HOUSE TO BE, YOU KNOW, THE FOCAL POINT, NOT LIKE YOUR MAIN THING IS TO LOOK AT THESE STEEL EDGES.UM, I DON'T, MAYBE THEY DON'T NEED TO BE AS TALL AS WE'RE PROPOSING AND WE KEEP, UM, MORE OF THAT ORIGINAL SLOPE ANGLE.
UM, AND MAYBE WE DON'T NEED THREE, MAYBE IT COULD BE ONE IN THE MIDDLE JUST TO HELP WITH EROSION HELP KIND OF PROVIDE SOME STRUCTURAL STABILITY.
UM, THAT WOULD BE MY PROPOSITION TO MEETING IN THE MIDDLE.
ANY MORE COMMENTS TO MY LEFT? EDWARD, CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT THE, THE NATIVE, UM, VEGETATION? WHAT, WHAT'S THE GUIDELINES FOR THAT? BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND THE SLOPE AND THE BERM, I UNDERSTAND THAT, HOWEVER, WITH THE, WITH THE NATURAL OR NATIVE, ISN'T THAT SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD ENDORSE OR SUPPORT? YES.
WHAT ARE THE GUIDELINES? WE WOULD, WE, WOULD, WE, WOULD WE RECOMMEND CONSISTENTLY AND APPROVE CONSISTENTLY APPLICANTS, UH, INSTALLING DROUGHT TO TOLERANT AND NATIVE LANDSCAPE ELEMENTS, UH, THROUGHOUT THE FRONT YARD? SO, UM, I DON'T, UM, I DON'T, I DON'T WANNA SPEAK FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, BUT UM, FROM, IF THE APPLICANT CAME IN AND SAID, WE'RE GONNA MAINTAIN THE BERM, THE HISTORIC BERM, BUT WE WANT TO PLANT NATIVE PLANTS AND DROUGHT TOLERANT PLANTS THERE, UM, THEN WE, WE WOULDN'T HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THAT.
I DON'T THINK WE WOULD REQUIRE SOMEBODY TO MAINTAIN GRASS AS LONG AS THERE'S NATIVE GROUND COVER.
UM, SO MAYBE THAT'S, THAT THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION.
SO WHAT, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WHAT, WHAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION IS ADDRESSING IS THE BERM, RIGHT? THE HEIGHT, WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO BE HISTORICAL, HOWEVER, SOME OF THE AREAS THAT WE'RE KIND OF CONCERNED NOW IS THE EROSION, WHICH I THINK IT'S WORSE.
IS THAT CORRECT? UM, I I MAYBE RYAN COULD, COULD TALK DIRECTLY TO WHAT THE
'CAUSE I MEAN, I'M LOOKING AT IT, I MEAN THERE, AND WE'RE IN WITHIN GUIDELINES AND WE'RE MAKING MODIFICATIONS TO BE ABLE TO RETAIN EVEN THE VALUE OF THE HOUSE.
SO I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE BERM, JUST SO THE, EVEN THOSE IN GUIDELINES, THE BERM.
SO THROUGHOUT MONTE VISTA, UM, BERMS OCCUR HISTOR HISTORICALLY ON SOME BLOCKS.
UM, THE ELEVATION OF THE HOUSE IS FOUR OR FIVE FEET HIGHER THAN THE ELEVATION AT STREET LEVEL.
AND SO THERE'S A HISTORIC BERM THAT'S IN PLACE.
UM, OVER TIME THOSE HAVE BEGUN TO ERODE.
AND SO SOME PEOPLE'S APPROACH TO TACKLE THAT EROSION IS TO COMPLETELY REMOVE THEM AND INSTALL A RETAINING WALL.
UM, SOME PEOPLE'S APPROACH IS AN APPROACH SIMILAR TO THIS, UH, SOME PEOPLE'S APPROACHES.
UH, MAYBE WE CAN INSTALL GRAVEL AND STEEL EDGING TO TRY TO MAINTAIN SOME OF THE EROSION.
UH, SO THE INSTALLATION OF THE DROUGHT TOLERANT PLANTS IS CONSISTENT WITH THE GUIDELINES.
UM, AND THEN, UH, BACK TO, UM, COMMISSIONER FLORES'S COMMENT, UM, ABOUT THE MAINTAINING OF THE BERM OR THE REMOVAL OF THE BERM.
WE AS STAFF FIND THAT THE, THE GUIDELINES DO SAY TO MAINTAIN BERMS AND HISTORIC LANDSCAPES.
UH, WE AS STAFF FIND THAT THIS TERRACING ELEMENT DOES IN A WAY MAINTAIN THE BERM, UH, BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S MAINTAINING A SLOPED TRANSITION FROM GRADE AT THE SIDEWALK OR STREET LEVEL UP TO THE GRADE WHERE THE HOUSE IS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, EDWARD? IS THERE ANY OTHER, UH, HOMES ON THAT BLOCK THAT DO HAVE RETAINING WALLS? UM, I CAN'T SPEAK OFF THE TOP OF MY MIND.
I'D NEED TO PULL UP GOOGLE EARTH AND I CAN DO THAT IF YOU WANT ME TO.
BECAUSE, UM, I DON'T RECALL OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD SEEING ANY, I DON'T, I KNOW THERE IS, UM, A HOUSE MAYBE LIKE FIVE, FIVE HOUSES DOWN TO THE, IF YOU GO TO THE RIGHT, UM, AND IF YOU GO MAYBE A BLOCK OR TWO ON THE LEFT, THERE'S A STONE RETAINING WALL.
YOU KEEP GOING DOWN THE STREET.
IT, IT'S A NEW CONSTRUCTION, UM, GOING IN RIGHT NOW.
I HAVE SOME PSYCH PHOTOS OF IT.
UM, MADAM CHAIR, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION.
I DO HAVE ONE QUESTION FOR YOU.
UH, IS YOUR NAME GWEN? IS THAT CORRECT? UH, THE HOMEOWNER IS GWEN AND I'M REPRESENTING HER.
UH, AND I'M, MY NAME'S VICTORIA.
I THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
THE OTHER THING TOO IS, UM, ON THE VEGETATION RIGHT, I'M SURE YOU DID THE RESEARCH AND AS FAR AS THE, THE STRUCTURE
[00:25:01]
ON THE CONCRETE, THOSE ARE ALL WITHIN RE UM, STANDARDS, IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S WITHIN GUIDELINES, EVERYTHING AND WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THAT PART, RIGHT? RIGHT.WE, THERE IS NO SPECIFIC LIST OF PLANTS THAT CAN ONLY BE PLANTED.
SO WE DON'T, WE DON'T REGULATE THE PLANTS.
OBVIOUSLY NATIVE AND ZURICH SPECIES ARE ENCOURAGED.
MADAM CHAIR, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO DENY, UH, THIS APPLICATION WITH THE REQUIREMENT THAT FURTHER WORK, UM, BE DONE OF COURSE WITH STAFF AND IN WORKING WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
COULD UH, STAFF CLARIFICATION, UH, IS THE INTENT OF THE DENIAL FOR THE APPLICANT TO RECONSTRUCT THE HISTORIC BERM? YES, THERE IS, UM, THERE'S A MOTION ON THE FLOOR FOR DENY STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION.
AND A SECOND, I'LL TAKE A ROLL CALL.
I WILL FOLLOW UP WITH YOU VIA EMAIL, UM, AND WE CAN SET UP A MEETING, UM, TO DISCUSS NEXT STEPS OR, UM, HOW TO ADDRESS ANY OF THE COMMENTS MADE TODAY.
[2. Address/Description: 219 W ELSMERE PLACE HDRC Case No.: 2025-140 Historic District Name: Monte Vista Neighborhood Assn Name: Monte Vista Historical Applicant: Dennis Oliver Request: Landscape modifications and retaining wall installation City Council Dist.: 1 ]
SO ITEM TWO YOU'LL REMEMBER IS RETURNING FROM THE PREVIOUS, UH, HEARING.I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE THE APPLICANT PRESENT, UH, BUT WE'RE HAPPY TO ANSWER YOU ANY QUESTIONS? YEAH, MADAM CHAIR, I, I JUST PULLED IT BECAUSE I WANTED TO SEE IF ANYTHING CHANGED IN THE RECOMMENDATION.
I COULDN'T REMEMBER FROM LAST TIME, UH, OR IF THE A I KNOW THE APPLICANT MET WITH, UM, THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND MAYBE YOU GUYS AS WELL TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY KIND OF MIDDLE GROUND THERE, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW IF THIS RECOMMENDATION IS THE SAME, BRINGS BACK THE SAME RECOMMENDATION OR SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUESTION.
SO THE APPLICANT DID MEET WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP IN RYAN REED.
UM, THEY, THEY HAD A SPECIAL SESSION TO DISCUSS THIS.
UH, AS YOU KNOW, THE APPLICANT WAS OUT OF COUNTRY.
UH, SO THEY RETURNED VERY BRIEFLY, HAD THE MEETING AND THEN NOW THEY'RE ON A, ON ANOTHER TRIP.
BUT, UH, THE APPLICANT DID COME TO AN AGREEMENT WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP, UM, TO REDUCE THE TOTAL AREA OF THE STONE COVERAGE AS WELL AS INCREASE THE, UH, THE COVERAGE OF THE, AS ASIATIC JASMINE AND REDUCED THE, UH, RETAINING WALL AT THE FRONT, UM, BY ONE LAYER, WHICH IS ABOUT FOUR INCHES LESS THAN WHAT IT WAS BEFORE.
UH, SO STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION IS STILL BASED ON THE PREVIOUS, UM, LANDSCAPE DESIGN.
UH, WE DID NOT RECEIVE THIS NEW UPDATE UNTIL, UM, RIGHT AROUND POSTING OF THE AGENDA.
SO WE MADE SURE TO INCLUDE OUR STIPULATIONS AS THE STIPULATIONS AGREED UPON BY THE APPLICANT AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP.
AND THEN, UM, SO THIS, THIS, UH, MIRRORS OR REFLECTS WHAT WAS AGREED UPON THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION AND THE APPLICANT.
AND THEN THIS IS JUST NITPICKY, BUT ON ITEM TWO WHERE IT SAYS REDUCE THE FOOTPRINT OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN STONE, THAT JUST, IT ASSUMES THAT IT'S TO MEET GUIDELINES, THE PERCENTAGE.
DO WE HAVE TO STATE A PERCENT? WELL, IT'S A NEED TO FEEDBACK FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
YOU KNOW, OUR PREVIOUS RECOMMENDATION WAS THAT IT ALREADY MET GUIDELINES, IT ALREADY MET, BUT NOW IT'S SORT OF A COMPROMISE PROPOSAL WHERE THEY'RE REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF THE COVERAGE.
YEAH, NO REDUCING THE FOOTPRINT.
I JUST DIDN'T KNOW IF YOU HAD TO SAY A PERCENTAGE TO MIRROR THE OR IT JUST ASSUMES THAT IT'S TO MEET IT ALREADY MET 50% IT ALREADY MET.
DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR CLARIFICATIONS? SCENE? NONE.
SO THIS IS THE SAME SONG, SECOND VERSE, UH, WITH THE RETAINING WALL ISSUE.
UH, RYAN, WHAT WAS, DO YOU HAVE DO? YEP.
SO DID, WERE YOU ABLE TO MEET WITH THE APPLICANT ABOUT THIS? YES.
YES, WE MET WITH WHAT THE APPLICANT DENNIS OLIVER.
UM, IN PERSON AT OUR SPECIAL SESSION LAST WEDNESDAY, UHHUH
[00:30:01]
DID SAY THAT THEY HAD DESIGNED IT THEMSELVES AND WEREN'T A HUNDRED PERCENT HAPPY WITHOUT TURNED OUT AND WERE WILLING TO LOWER IT.UM, WE SUGGESTED A CURB HEIGHT OF ONE, UM, ONE STONE HEIGHT, POTENTIALLY TWO.
SO I THINK TWO IS WHAT THEY'RE GONNA START OFF WITH.
UM, AS YOU RECALL, WE HAD ISSUE WITH THE STONE AS WELL.
THE, UM, COMPROMISE WE CAME TO WAS THAT IT WOULD BE IN A RING AROUND THE BASE OF THOSE TREES, BUT THE MAJORITY OF THE FRONT LAWN WOULD BE COVERED WITH LIVING GROUND COLOR COVER THE, UH, A JASMINE, WHICH THEY HAD ALREADY PLANTED IN CERTAIN AREAS AND SEEMED TO BE GROWING FAIRLY WELL.
SO I THINK ULTIMATELY NO RETAINING WALL WOULD BE IDEAL
BUT, BUT, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, AFTER MEETING WITH THE APPLICANT, UM, WE FELT THAT THIS WAS A COMPROMISE THAT WE COULD LIVE WITH AND I SO THE NEIGHBORHOOD WOULD LIKE TO OF COURSE SEE NO WALL.
UM, AND THEN THE AMOUNT OF THE ASIATIC JASMINE, THAT WOULD BE INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED? YES.
SO THE MAJORITY OF THE FRONT LAWN, I DON'T KNOW THAT WHAT IS SHOWN HERE IS, IS A HUNDRED PERCENT TO SCALE.
MAYBE IT IS, UM, IT LOOKS LIKE THE SAME PICTURES FROM LAST PAGE, SO IT DOESN'T, YEAH.
UM, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS THE DISTANCE FROM THE BASE OF THE TREE? UM, THAT THEY WANNA PUT THE ROCK, UH, THE DISTANCE FROM THE TREE TO THE OUTER.
UM, THE IDEA WAS FOUR FEET, SO FOUR FEET.
YOU CAN KIND OF VISUALIZE THAT ON THIS.
UH, I GUESS I CAN, 'CAUSE I, I KNOW THE SCALE OF THE HOME, UM, BUT YOU CAN SORT OF SEE AN OUTLINE, A CIRCULAR OUTLINE AROUND THAT TREE NOW, WHICH IS, I BELIEVE IS WHERE THEY PROBABLY HAD A A, A RING, A LANDSCAPING RING PREVIOUSLY BEFORE THEY TOOK IT UP.
SO IT WOULD BE ESSENTIALLY, UM, THAT RING THAT WOULD HAVE THIS STONE, WHICH, UM, AGAIN, WOULD NOT BE MY FIRST CHOICE FOR, UM, ANYTHING IN THE FRONT YARD.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE CAN'T WELL YOU'RE TALKING TO THE ANTI BERM GUY, SO YES,
THAT'S, THOSE ARE MY QUESTIONS.
WHAT WAS YOUR NAME AGAIN? RYAN REED.
BUT Y'ALL HAD A SPECIAL MEETING ON WEDNESDAY AND ALL OF THIS WAS DISCUSSED AND AGREED UPON? WE DID, WE DID, WE MET WITH BOTH PPLICANT AND Y COMPROMISED.
YES, WE DID AGREE ON THIS COMPROMISE.
UH, AND AS FAR AS I CAN TELL, THAT CHANGES PROPOSED TODAY, UM MM-HMM
BY THE OHP DO MEET ALL THE UM, UH, COMPROMISES THAT WE DISCUSSED DURING OUR MEETING.
AGAIN, FURTHER CHANGES WOULD BE IDEAL, BUT WE CAN LIVE WITH THIS.
AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, THAT THE, THE HISTORIC SOCIETY AGREED TO.
THE MONTE VISTA HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION, OUR ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE, UM, HAD THE SPECIAL MEETING.
SO IT WAS OUR, OUR TYPICAL, UH, COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I SIR, I'D LIKE TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION PLEASE.
MADAM CHAIR, I MOVE THAT, UH, WE APPROVE HGRC CASE NUMBER 2025 DASH 1 42 19 WEST EL SME, UM, TO INCLUDE STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION AND STIPULATIONS.
WE HAVE A MOTION TO ACCEPT, UH, STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION AND APPROVAL WITH STIPULATIONS.
AND A SECOND I'LL TAKE A ROLL CALL.
[INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION]
GOOD MORNING EVERYONE.UH, WANT DASH 1 42 FOR 6 2 7 EAST GUNTHER STREET.
UM, THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS FOR APPROVAL TO INSTALL A 12 FOOT WIDE
[00:35:01]
BY 20 FOOT LONG CONCRETE DRIVEWAY IN FRONT OF THE PRIMARY STRUCTURE ON THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF THE PROPERTY.STAFF DOES NOT RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THIS REQUEST BASED ON FINDINGS.
STAFF RECOMMENDS THAT THE APPLICANT UTILIZE THE EXISTING ALLEY ACCESS DRIVEWAY AT THE REAR OF THE PROPERTY.
AND THERE IS A LETTER FROM THE KING WILLIAM ASSOCIATION IN THE LETTERS FOLDER FOR THIS ITEM.
THE APPLICANT HERE? NO APPLICANT.
THE APPLICANT'S NOT PRESENT OR A REPRESENTATIVE? I DON'T BELIEVE SO, NO.
CAN WE PROCEED OR DO, CAN WE DELAY IT? YOU CAN.
UM, IF YOU'RE COMFORTABLE WITH, UH, THE RECOMMENDATIONS OR HAVE QUESTIONS FOR STAFF, WE CAN ANSWER THOSE.
UM, IF YOU'RE NOT COMFORTABLE TAKING ACTION WITHOUT THE APPLICANT, THEN A POSTPONEMENT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE.
I'D LIKE TO ASK MY COLLEAGUES.
IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS? CLARIFICATIONS? GO AHEAD.
UH, STAFF, I JUST HAVE A QUESTION.
YOU'RE RECOMMENDING THAT THE APPLICANT UTILIZE EXISTING ALLEY ACCESS DRIVEWAY, UM, AND THAT WOULDN'T BE PROBLEMATIC FOR THEM IN ANY WAY? AGAIN, THAT'S OTHER THAN, YOU KNOW, IT'S AN ALLEY ACCESS AND IT'S PROBABLY TIGHT.
THAT'S PROBABLY BEST ADDRESSED BY THE APPLICANT.
WHATEVER THEIR EXPERIENCE OR PROBLEM THEY'RE TRYING TO SOLVE IS.
BUT THAT IS OUR UNDERSTANDING IS THEY'RE SIMPLY LOOKING FOR AN ADDITIONAL OPTION FOR PARKING.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS MADAM CHAIR? I HAD A QUICK QUESTION FOR STAFF TOO.
JUST, I'M LOOKING AT THE AERIAL PHOTO, UH, AND THAT THE ALLEY'S ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE PHOTO, CORRECT? SO THAT WOULD BE, BUT IS THERE A, EXCEPT THAT'S A SEPARATE, UM, LIVING QUARTERS LIKE AN A DU BACK THERE I GUESS WITH A PARKING SPOT AND A PAD THERE? CORRECT.
IS THERE A FENCE SEPARATING THE TWO? IT LOOKS LIKE THERE IS, BUT I CAN'T REALLY.
THERE THERE IS AND I THINK THAT IS THE ISSUE.
THEY'VE GOT SORT OF A SEPARATE LIVING QUARTERS AND SO THEY'RE WANTING PARKING FOR BOTH THE FRONT AND THE BACK PROPERTIES.
BUT YOU KNOW, THAT'S SORT OF ANECDOTAL AND I DON'T WANT TO REPRESENT THAT ON BEHALF OF THE APPLICANT.
ANY COMMENTS FROM ONLINE? NONE FROM ME.
UH, I, WE JUST, UM, OFFERED THAT, I BELIEVE IT WAS LAST MONTH WE HAD, UH, OTHER CASES, UH, WHEN WE'VE, WE'VE HAD TO DEAL WITH QUESTIONS ABOUT EXPANDING PARKING IN THE FRONT YARD AS WELL AS HOW TO ADDRESS DRIVEWAYS, UH, WITH FRONT VERSUS BACK ACCESS.
AND WHILE I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT AUTOMOBILES ARE GETTING LARGER AND LARGER IT SEEMS, I'M NOT SURE THAT THAT SHOULD BE A DEFINING CHARACTERISTIC FOR WHETHER OR NOT WE ALLOW PARKING IN FRONT YARDS.
I GUESS MY CONCERN IS THE FACT THAT THEY TOOK ONE LOT AND MADE IT INTO TWO.
SO IT, I'D LIKE TO ENTERTAIN A, A MOTION PLEASE.
MADAM CHAIR, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION, UH, TO GO WITH STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS.
DO I HAVE A SECOND, SECOND MOTION ON THE FLOOR TO ACCEPT, UH, STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION WITH A SECOND? I'LL TAKE A ROLL CALL VOTE PLEASE.
IT'S UH, NUMBER FOUR ON THE AGENDA.
THIS IS CASE NUMBER 2025 DASH 49 FOR 2 5 1 BRAY BOULEVARD.
THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING A CERTIFICATE APPROPRIATENESS FOR APPROVAL TO MODIFY THE EXISTING FRONT LANDSCAPE WITH THE INSTALLATION OF PLANTS AND GRASS.
INSTALL A STUCCO RETAINING WALL AS SUBMITTED IN THE UPDATED DRAWINGS SPANNING THE SOUTH PROPERTY LINE AND NOT EXCEEDING THREE HEIGHT AT ANY POINT.
INSTALL NEW CONCRETE STEPS WITH A STUCCO RETAINING WALL TO THE RIGHT OF THE CENTRAL WALKWAY.
INSTALL POUR IN PLACE CONCRETE STEP PADS BETWEEN THE LEFT SIDE OF THE PROPERTY AND CENTRAL FRONT WALKWAY.
INSTALLING NON-CONTINUOUS FRONT WALKWAY COMPOSED OF POUR IN PLACE.
CONCRETE STEP PADS WITH SHADOW STONE GRAVEL IN BETWEEN THE PADS.
[00:40:01]
RECOMMENDS APPROVAL OF ITEMS ONE THROUGH FOUR BASED ON THE FINDINGS WITH THE FOLLOWING STIPULATIONS THAT THE STUCCO RETAINING WALL ALONG THE SOUTH PROPERTY LINE MATCH THE HEIGHT SPECIFIED ON THE SITE.PLAN NOT TO EXCEED THREE FEET AT ANY POINT.
STAFF DOES NOT RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER FIVE BASED ON THE FINDINGS, STAFF RECOMMENDS THE EXISTING SOLID FRONT WALKWAY BE RETAINED OR REPAIRED IN KIND.
THE APPLICANTS ARE HERE IN PERSON.
SO IF YOU'D LIKE TO, UM, COME, UH, THE APPLICANTS, UM, DAMIEN AND RAYMOND IF YOU'D LIKE TO COME UP TO THE PODIUM.
AND THEN THERE ARE LETTERS IN THE LETTERS FOLDER AS WELL AS A FEW ITEMS IN THE LATE FOLDER.
I'M RAYMOND DELION AND MY PARTNER'S DAMIEN GONZALEZ.
AND WE BOUGHT 2 5 1 BRAHAM IN 2020, UM, AND NEEDED A LOT OF WORK AND WE'VE SLOWLY AND SURELY BEEN DOING THAT AND BRINGING BACK TO WHAT IT SHOULD BE.
UM, WE'RE VERY HAPPY THAT FOUR OF THE ITEMS GOT APPROVED AND THE FIFTH ITEM.
WE'VE BEEN IN WONDERFUL CONTACT WITH ADRIAN AND HE'S OUTSTANDING IN HELPING DAMIEN AND I UNDERSTAND THIS PROCESS.
THE MAIN REASON WE WANT TO BREAK UP WHAT WE CALL, UM, A RUNWAY 'CAUSE IT DOES LOOK LIKE A RUNWAY.
THE CURRENT CONCRETE SLAB, WHICH HAS BEEN THERE PROBABLY 20 YEARS AT THE MOST, UH, IS DRAINAGE.
UM, IF YOU LOOK, IF YOU'RE FACING OUR HOUSE AND YOU LOOK AT OUR HOUSE FROM THE RIGHT TO THE LEFT, THERE'S A FIVE FOOT DROP.
SO EVERY TIME IT RAINS ALL OF THE SOIL AND ROCK, GO STRAIGHT DOWN TO THE TWO NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE, GO TO THE SIDEWALK AND ON THE STREET AND ACTUALLY END UP ON BROADWAY IN BRAHAM AFTER ANY RAIN.
IF YOU WERE TO DRIVE BY THERE YOU WOULD SEE TONS OF DIRT, ROCKS AND DEBRIS, WHICH WE THINK IS ORIGINATING FROM OUR HOUSE BECAUSE TO THE RIGHT OF US IS JUST A FLAT LOT.
THE ELEVATION STARTS RIGHT WHERE OUR DRIVEWAY IS AND IT DROPS FIVE FEET.
SO WHAT OUR GOAL IS, IS TO NOT HAVE, AND YOU'LL SEE AND WHEN IT DOES RAIN, YOU'LL SEE ON OUR, ON OUR WALKWAY, IT'S JUST COMPLETE BROWN DIRT.
OUR GOAL IS ACCORDING TO OUR LANDSCAPERS, TO HAVE CONCRETE PADS PUT IN PLACE SO THAT THE PERMEABILITY WILL BE A LOT BETTER FOR THAT AREA.
UM, HE'S TELLING US THAT THERE ARE NO MORE THAN EIGHT INCHES, THERE'S SIX TO EIGHT INCHES.
THE, THE DIVIDE BETWEEN THE CONCRETE PADS.
SO IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE ASKING FOR A FOOT OR ANYTHING THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD KIND OF OBSTRUCT WHAT THE HOUSE, UH, SHOULD LOOK LIKE.
UH, SO WE'RE IN, UH, WEST FORT.
THE TWO HISTORIC STREETS ARE ARMY AND BRAHAM.
BUT WE SUBMITTED PICTURES 'CAUSE THERE ARE FOUR STREETS THAT MAKE UP WEST FORT.
THERE'S POST ARMY, BRAHAM AND CUNNINGHAM.
UM, I SUBMITTED A PICTURE OF THREE 16 BRAHAM, WHICH KIND OF SHOWED A DIFFERENT TYPE OF WALKWAY THAT'S NOT A STRAIGHT CONCRETE SLAB.
UM, I UNDERSTAND THAT WAS DONE ACCORDING TO GOOGLE MAPS.
IT KIND OF SEEMS LIKE IT WAS IN PLACE IN 2011, BUT IN TALKING TO THE BOARD OF, UH, WESTPORT, IT'S THE WESTPORT, UH, ADVISORY BOARD.
UM, THEY SAID THAT IT, OUR DESIGN FITS THE FOOTPRINT OF THE AREA.
I ALSO SUBMITTED A PICTURE OF TWO TWO, UH, 2 0 5 CUNNINGHAM.
AGAIN, THAT'S NOT PART OF THE HISTORIC DISTRICT, BUT IT IS PART OF THE FOOTPRINT OF THE HISTORIC DISTRICT AND IT'S EXACTLY WHAT, SIMILAR TO WHAT WE WANT TO DO TO OUR HOUSE.
UM, AGAIN, THE BREAK ON THE SIDEWALK WOULD BE SIX TO EIGHT INCHES AT THE MOST AND DRIVING BY TODAY.
WE ALSO SAW A HOUSE ON 2 3 1 POST, WHICH IS PRETTY MUCH A VERSION OF WHAT WE WANT TO DO AS WELL.
I DID NOT SUBMIT A PICTURE OF THAT AND, BUT IF THAT'S, IF HE CAN PULL IT UP, THAT'D BE GREAT.
UM, THE FIFTH RECOMMENDATION WAS TALKING ABOUT RETAINING OR REPAIRING THE WALKWAY.
UM, WE DON'T WANT TO RETAIN IT, WHICH IS WHY WE'RE HERE AND IT DOESN'T NEED REPAIR.
IT'S A SOLID PIECE OF CONCRETE THAT HAS NO BRAKES.
WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS RECONFIGURE IT.
AND THE REASON WE'RE DOING THAT AGAIN, IS PERMEABILITY AND THE DRAINAGE ISSUES.
UM, WE HAVE OVERWHELMING SUPPORT FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THE WEST PORT ALLIANCE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
THE BOARD MEMBERS SUBMITTED LETTERS WITH THEIR APPROVAL AND JOE BRAVO, WHO'S THE PRESIDENT OF THE WEST FORT ALLIANCE ASSOCIATION, ALSO WROTE A LETTER OF SUBMITTING APPROVAL AND WE WOULD RESPECT, RESPECTFULLY ASK THAT IT GET APPROVED.
SORRY, I HAVE A PICTURE OF IT THOUGH.
THEY DON'T HAVE A CURRENT ONE.
I'LL NOW OPEN UP TO, UM, ONLINE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
AND WE DO HAVE A, A PICTURE THAT
[00:45:01]
THE APPLICANT IS BRINGING OF THAT LAST PROPERTY HE MENTIONED JUST BECAUSE THE, THE ONE ON GOOGLE MAPS IS OUTDATED.YEAH, LET ME GET IT REAL QUICK.
AND THAT HOME, ACTUALLY A FRIEND OF OURS LIVES THERE.
UM, THERE IS, IT'S A FLAT YARD.
THERE IS NO HEIGHT VARIATION OR A FIVE FOOT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ONE SIDE OR THE OTHER.
AND THE, AND SPEAKING TO MR. BRAVO, WHAT HE WAS SAYING WAS THAT I DON'T, I NOT SURE IF THEY WENT IN FRONT OF THE BOARD FOR THAT OR NOT, BUT THAT HE FELT THAT IT, THAT MET THE, UH, DESIGN OR THE, THE WHOLE, UH, FEEL OF THE WESTPORT ASSOCIATION NEIGHBORHOOD, I THINK.
UM, COMMISSIONERS THAT ARE ON VIRTUALLY, CAN YOU STILL HEAR US? OKAY, GREAT.
YES, AGAIN, I'LL OPEN UP THE FLOOR TO THE, THAT'S VIRTUAL.
I'M SORRY THOUGH,
I, I DID SUBMIT SOME PICTURES, EXCUSE ME TO INTERRUPT OF THE DIRT AND DRAINAGE AFTER SOME RAINS.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL NEED TO SEE THAT OR NOT.
UM, BUT JUST SO YOU KNOW, DO WE HAVE THEM ADRIAN? SORRY, I DON'T THINK I HAVE THOSE.
JUST TO SORT OF SIMPLIFY THE, THE CONVERSATION HERE, UM, STAFF IS RECOMMENDING THE RE RETAINING WALL AND TERRACE.
UM, THE ONLY STIPULATION IS REGARDING THE WALKWAY BETWEEN THE SIDEWALK AND THE FRONT STEPS.
UM, THAT HISTORICALLY WAS A SOLID CONCRETE PATH AND SO WE ARE RECOMMENDING THAT IT REMAIN SOLID VERSUS THE SEGMENTED KIND OF MODERN PAVERS THAT YOU SEE.
YES, WE, WE DO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IT'S NEW CONCRETE.
PROBABLY BASED ON WHAT WAS THERE BEFORE.
THEY JUST REPAIRED IT WITH NEW CONCRETE.
UM, YOU CAN KIND OF SEE WHERE SOME OF THE DIRT IS, BUT THAT'S NOT A GOOD REPRESENTATION.
AFTER THIS LAST RAIN WE HAD, BUT I WAS IN TRIAL, I WASN'T ABLE TO TAKE ANY PICTURES.
ALL RIGHT, SIR, GIMME JUST A MOMENT.
DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS TO MY RIGHT? YES, I HAVE A QUESTION.
UM, CAN YOU BRING UP THE SITE PLAN PLEASE? SO I'M HAVING A LITTLE DIFFICULTY UNDERSTANDING THE RETAINING WALLS.
UM, ARE THEY HAPPENING AS IT STEPS DOWN THE PROPERTY? THIS RETAINING WALL IS NOT AT THE FRONT OF THE PROPERTY, IS THAT CORRECT? IT'S AT THE, AT THE FRONT OF THE PROPERTY.
SO IF I LOOK AT THIS SECTION, UM, STARTING, SO THE, THE STEPS THAT WOULD BE MADE IS OKAY, THAT'S WHERE THE RETAINING WALL IS.
SO THAT'S TO STOP ALL THAT DIRT FROM COMING FROM THE GUARD.
SO THE WALL WOULD KEEP ALL THAT.
AND IS THERE ALSO THEN A RETAINING WALL ALONG BOTH BOUNDARIES? WE DON'T HAVE A, A WALL SIDE BOUNDARIES ON THE, ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE HOUSE.
NO, 'CAUSE THAT'S THE DRIVEWAY SIDE BECAUSE UM, AND THEN ON THE LEFT SIDE THERE IS A, A WALL THAT HAS BAMBOO FROM THE OTHER PROPERTY OWNER.
AND WHAT WE'RE DOING IS JUST LANDSCAPING IT, LIKE PUTTING TREES AND PLANTS.
YOU CAN SEE LIKE ALL THAT BAMBOO THERE.
BUT IN THE, AND THERE'S A ROCK WALL THERE NOW.
I THINK IT'S THE, THE OTHER PROPERTY OWNER.
SO AS YOU STEP THE LAND DOWN, I GUESS MY QUESTION, SO THIS RETAINING WALL IS AT THE FRONT, IT STEPS DOWN, RIGHT? YES.
SO HOW DOES THAT HELP DURING RUNOFF PERIODS FOR THE, FOR YOUR DIRT AND ROCKS AND WHATEVER, NOT TO JUST GET CAUGHT AT THE WEST END OF YOUR PROPERTY? BECAUSE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT WATER GOING ACROSS IT NOT SLIDING DOWN.
SO HOW DOES THIS KIND OF STEPPING
[00:50:01]
HELP WITH KEEPING THAT FROM JUST MOVING WEST? IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE GRASS IS LOWER THAN THE WALL AND EVEN THOUGH THE WALL IS THREE FEET, SO THAT, THAT'S KIND OF BLOCKING IT AND KEEPING IT FROM GOING TO THE STREET.HE WAS OUT THERE SEVERAL TIMES AND CAME UP WITH THIS DESIGN BASED ON THAT.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS TOMORROW? RIGHT MADAM CHAIR? GO AHEAD, SIR.
JUST TO CLARIFY IN THE PICTURE I'M LOOKING AT THE ONE, UH, THAT'S STRAIGHT AHEAD, NOT THE SITE PLAN.
THAT ONE YOU'RE SAYING THE WATER'S COMING FROM THE DRIVEWAY TO THE, THE OTHER SIDE? YEAH.
WELL, SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE DRIVEWAY, THE RIGHT SIDE, THERE'S A WALL THERE ALREADY.
SO WHEN IT RAINS THAT COMES, IT STARTS FROM THERE AND THEN IT JUST GOES ALL FROM THE DRIVEWAY ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE LEFT.
AND IS IT A ROCK DRIVEWAY OR WHAT, WHAT THE, THE DRIVEWAY WAS THERE WHEN WE BOUGHT IT AND I, I GUESS IT'S, UM, JUST, YEAH, EVENTUALLY WE'D LIKE TO DO SOMETHING WITH IT.
BUT THAT'S, THAT'S NOT IN THE BUDGET RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND THEN YOU'RE HAVING ISSUES, ISSUES WITH THE, I GUESS THE EROSION FROM THE RAIN? YES.
I I THOUGHT WE SUBMITTED THEM.
DAMIEN MAY HAVE THEM ON HIS PHONE IF I CAN.
AND THAT, THOSE WERE NOT AFTER THIS LAST REALLY CRAZY RAIN.
IT WAS ONE OF THE DAYS THAT WE HAD SOME RAIN, BUT I THINK THIS YEAR'S BEEN A LITTLE BIT ATYPICAL WITH THE RAIN
WHAT ABOUT DURING REGULAR TIMES WHEN IT'S NOT SO CRAZY WITH THE RAIN? DO YOU HAVE ISSUES WITH THE EROSION? SO IF YOU'RE WALKING DOWN YES, THERE WILL BE EROSION.
AND UM, THERE WAS A LETTER SUBMITTED BY, UH, A LADY THAT LIVES TWO HOUSES DOWN TALKING ABOUT THE EROSION PROBLEM.
ALSO, THE, I THINK THREE OF THE BOARD MEMBERS WROTE LETTERS THAT CAN KIND OF, BUT THAT'S, YEAH, THAT'S MINOR COMPARED TO THE LAST ONE.
BUT THE WHOLE SIDEWALK, ALL THAT IS JUST DIRT THAT GOES.
SO WE HAVE A LOT OF YOUNG MOTHERS WITH BABY STROLLERS AND ALL THAT, THAT ACTUALLY HAVE TO GO ON THE STREET BECAUSE THERE'S LITTLE PEBBLES AND ROCKS EVERYWHERE.
UHHUH,
DO Y'ALL NOT JUST PUT A, HAVE Y'ALL JUST TRIED THE STEEL EDGING THAT, THAT COULD GET APPROVED ADMINISTRATIVELY? IT'S NOT VERY PRETTY THOUGH.
OH, YOU CAN GET IT IN GREEN OR BROWN OR SOMETHING
UM, I ACTUALLY, THE WAS NOT EVEN AN, UH, MENTIONED TO US BY THE LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT.
I DON'T, AND I DON'T THINK THE EDGINGS GONNA HELP THAT.
BUT HE'S THE ONE THAT WAS OUT THERE.
WELL I THINK, YOU KNOW, FROM, UH, THE LAST TWO CASES HOW I FEEL ABOUT THIS.
SO
AND, AND I DID SEND PICTURES SO I, I FEEL LIKE WE'RE NOT OVERSTEPPING WHAT'S ALREADY IN THAT DISTRICT.
GENTLEMEN, DO WE HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS? NO, MA'AM.
OKAY, I'LL OPEN IT TO MY LEFT IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS.
UH, MADAM CHAIR, A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
UM, ONE WOULD BE, UH, GIVEN THE, UM, PROPOSED, UH, SCHEMATIC, IT LOOKS LIKE THE, UM, THE RETAINING WALLS THAT ARE GOING TO BE, UH, TO THE SIDE PARALLEL OF THE, OF THE SIDEWALK, UM, THE ONE ON THE RIGHT ON THE WEST SIDE WOULD, WOULD PROBABLY REDUCE OR REALLY STOP ALMOST ALL OF THE FLOW FROM THE WEST, I THINK.
UM, AND, AND THAT'S WHAT WE WERE TOLD.
I JUST DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO CONVEY THAT
UM, UH, SO ASIDE FROM ANY WATER, THE POOLS BEHIND THAT RETAINING WALL, UH, DURING A MAJOR EVENT, UM, THAT SHOULD HELP A LOT WITH, WITH, WITH SOME OF THE, THE SURFACE FLOW.
UM, MY, MY CONCERN I GUESS IS OUR DESIGN GUIDELINES ON, ON SIDEWALKS, UM, ARE NOT SUPER DETAILED.
AND, UH, ONCE WE START ALLOWING EXISTING SIDEWALKS TO BE TORN UP, UM, IT'S SORT OF, I'M, I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE, HOW WE JUSTIFY OURSELVES IN THE FUTURE HERE, YOU KNOW, IS THE, IS THE SIX INCH GAP ACCEPTABLE? IS AN EIGHT INCH, IS A 12 INCH IS A FOOT AND A HALF INCH? AND THEN DOES THE, THE FILL MATERIAL MATTER WHETHER IT'S SILVER PONY FOOT OR GRAVEL OR GRASS AS WE SAW ON THE PHOTOGRAPH? YES.
AND I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY, WHEN YOU'RE SAY SIDEWALK, YOU MEAN THE WALKWAY TO THE HOUSE? 'CAUSE THEY'RE NOT TEARING UP THE, THE SIDEWALK.
[00:55:01]
OKAY.AND I'M JUST WONDERING IF ANYONE ELSE HAS THOUGHTS ON HOW WE, AND, AND WE WERE TOLD THAT BASICALLY THAT'S THE ONLY WAY TO RECTIFY THAT IS TO ADD MORE PERMEABILITY IN, WHICH HAS BEEN A, A SEVERAL OTHER LOTS AND DEVELOP PROPOSED DEVELOPMENTS IN THE WESTPORT AREA HAVE COME BEFORE THIS ISSUE.
AND THE BIGGEST THING WAS PERMEABILITY BECAUSE OF THE WAY THAT THE SLOPE IS.
AND SO THAT'S, AND IN SOME OF THE LETTERS THAT THE BOARD SENT, THEY MENTIONED PERMEABILITY QUITE A BIT AND WE'RE HOPEFULLY, UH, HOPING THAT Y'ALL WOULD AGREE WITH THAT.
I, I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE, UM, YOUR ATTENTION TO THOSE DETAILS AND, AND PERMEABILITY AND ESPECIALLY SINCE AS WE'RE SEEING WE'RE HAVING EVEN MORE INTENSE PRECIPITATION EVENTS.
AT, AT THE SAME TIME I THINK THAT THE WEST SIDE OF THE RETAINING WALL IS GOING TO, UM, BLOCK A LOT OF THE FLOW, UM, AND ALMOST ACT AS A, AS A DAM OF SORTS.
BUT, BUT THE, THE FLOW DOES START FROM WHERE THE TOP GREEN, IT, IT STARTS LIKE THIS.
IT'S NOT JUST TOWARDS WHERE IT WOULD BE BLOCKED BY THAT.
SO I THINK THAT'S WHERE THE SIDEWALK IS, WHERE IT MEETS THE STAIRS IS WHY THEY'RE WANTING THE BREAKUP IN IT.
BECAUSE IT, IT EVEN RIGHT THERE THE WATER POOLS AND THEN IT GOES STRAIGHT DOWN.
LIKE YOU CAN'T STEP ON THE SIDEWALK 'CAUSE THERE'LL BE LIKE THAT MUCH WATER.
ANY MORE QUESTIONS? ANY MORE QUESTIONS TO MY LEFT? OKAY.
ADRIAN, WHEN Y'ALL OH I DID, I ASKED THEM ONLINE.
UM, ADRIAN, WHEN YOU WENT OVER THERE AND Y'ALL LOOKED AT THE, AT THE DRAINAGE AND STUFF, Y'ALL TOOK THE PHOTOS.
I'M SEEING SOME THINGS THAT ON HERE.
THE OTHER THING CONCERN, THE QUESTION THAT I HAVE IS WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT UM, AND I KEEP HEARING AND READING ON THE LETTERS PERMEABILITY, IS THERE ANYWHERE IN THE GUIDELINES THAT WE'RE ABLE TO ACCEPT THAT? OR IS IT SOMETHING THAT WE JUST NORMALLY DON'T DO BECAUSE OF THE HISTORIC SOCIETY? OR WAS IT SOMETHING THAT WAS AGREED WITH WHEN YOU WENT TO THE SOCIETY TO DISCUSS IT? OR IS IT JUST NOT I I'LL ANSWER THAT.
SO YES, THERE IS LANGUAGE IN THE GUIDELINES ABOUT PERMEABILITY, BUT THAT IS IN REGARDS TO LIKE TOTAL COVERAGE OF THE FRONT YARD SPACE WITH HARDSCAPE AS NOT AS SPECIFIC AS TO SIDEWALK DESIGN.
WHAT THE GUIDELINES SAY ABOUT SIDEWAY SIDEWALKS OR WALKWAYS IS THAT NEW WALKWAYS SHOULD, SHOULD FOLLOW THE DEVELOPMENT PATTERN AND SHOULD BE SIMILAR TO HISTORIC ONES.
AND SO WE INTERPRET THAT ALWAYS JUST TO MEAN IF IT'S A SOLID UH, IF WALKWAY, THEN IT WOULD NEED TO REMAIN SOLID.
UM, THE ISSUE IS, UM, IN SOME OF THE HISTORIC DISTRICTS LIKE MONTE VISTA, MONTICELLO PARK THAT ARE MORE SORT OF SUBURBAN AND WERE DEVELOPED LIKE SUBDIVISIONS, THERE IS CONSISTENCY AMONGST THOSE DRIVEWAYS AND WALKWAYS 'CAUSE THAT'S HOW THEY WERE DEVELOPED.
AND SO WE WANNA MAINTAIN THAT.
UM, WESTPORT IS A LITTLE BIT OLDER, KING WILLIAM LAVACCA.
THOSE ARE OLDER DISTRICTS AS WELL WHERE YOU DON'T REALLY SEE, UH, ALWAYS A SOLID CONCRETE WALKWAY.
UM, THAT JUST SORT OF DEPENDS ON WHAT HAPPENED OVER TIME.
UM, BUT HERE WE THINK THAT THERE WAS ONE BEFORE THE CURRENT ONE WAS THERE.
AND SO WE WOULD JUST RECOMMEND MAINTAINING IT CONSISTENT WITH THE GUIDELINES.
AND, AND WE WOULD JUST ADD AGAIN THAT MAINTAINING IT DOESN'T SOLVE THE PROBLEM AND IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE REPAIRED.
I'M SORRY MR. DE LEON, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION THAT YOU PROVIDED AND THE ADDITIONAL PHOTOS AND I ALSO APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT YOU'RE WILLING TO WORK AND I UNDERSTAND YOUR DILEMMA, BUT THIS IS WHY I ASKED FOR THE GUIDELINES AND Y'ALL HAVE DONE PHENOMENAL WORK AND I LOVE THE FACT THAT YOU'VE WORKED WITH THEM AND I'D LIKE FOR YOU TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THEM.
AND SO FOR THAT I APPRECIATE IT.
UM, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? AND, AND WHEN YOU SAY CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THEM, MEANING COME UP WITH A NEW DESIGN OR THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS, YOU KNOW THAT YES, THOUGH IT LOOKS GORGEOUS.
THAT'S WHY I ASKED FOR CLARIFICATION.
YOU'VE ALREADY WORKED WITH THEM AND I'M ASKING YOU AGAIN TO PLEASE GO BACK AND WORK WITH THEM BECAUSE I, I KNOW WHAT IT TAKES TO RESTORE IT, BUT I'M ALSO, YOU, EVEN THOUGH YOU GOT THE SUPPORT FROM THE COMMUNITY, THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT I JUST THINK THAT MAINTAINING THAT HISTORICAL VALUE, WHICH YOU'VE ALREADY DONE, KIND OF STAY CLOSER TO THE GUIDELINES FOR THAT.
AND, AND, UM, I WANT TO BE CLEAR, SO WHEN WE LEAVE HERE, WE CAN DISCUSS THIS CORRECTLY.
THEIR RECOMMENDATION FOR THE WALKWAY IS TO MAINTAIN OR REPAIR.
SO WHEN YOU SAY WORK WITH THEM, ESSENTIALLY YOU'RE SAYING JUST MAINTAIN BECAUSE THAT IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE REPAIRED.
UM, IF THE PAVERS, IF THE PAVER DESIGN IS DENIED, YOU WOULD STILL BE ABLE TO FULLY REPLACE THE WALKWAY WITH A SOLID DESIGN.
SO YOU WOULDN'T HAVE TO KEEP THE ONE THAT'S THERE.
YOU COULD STILL REPLACE IT WITH SOLID CONCRETE.
I'D LIKE TO ENTERTAIN A, UH, MOTION
[01:00:01]
PLEASE.MADAM CHAIR, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO DENY THE APPLICATION.
I DON'T, I DON'T THINK IT'S SO MUCH AS DENIED, BUT IT'S, THERE ARE CERTAIN RECOMMENDATIONS ON THERE, BUT THE, THE PART THAT THE STAFF DOES NOT RECOMMEND THE APPROVAL OF ITEM FIVE, IF YOU'LL TAKE A LOOK.
SORRY, I KNOW THAT THERE'S A MOTION ON THE BOARD.
UH, THAT'S WHAT I WAS GONNA ASK.
I WAS GONNA ASK YOU TO READ THE STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS AGAIN BEFORE THERE WAS A SECOND.
IF YOU COULD DO THAT, I'D APPRECIATE IT.
SO, UM, THE STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL OF ITEMS ONE THROUGH FOUR, BUT STAFF DOES NOT RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF ITEM FIVE.
SO, UM, JUST TO REITERATE, ITEMS ONE THROUGH FOUR, THAT WOULD BE MODIFY THE EXISTING FRONT LANDSCAPE WITH PLANTS AND GRASS.
INSTALL THE STUCCO RETAINING WALL AS SUBMITTED IN THE DRAWINGS, UH, SPANNING THE SOUTH PROPERTY LINE, NOT EXCEEDING THREE FEET AT ANY POINT, INSTALL NEW CONCRETE STEPS WITH A STUCCO RETAINING WALL TO THE RIGHT OF THE CENTRAL WALKWAY AND INSTALL POUR IN PLACE CONCRETE STEP PADS BETWEEN THE LEFT SIDE OF THE PROPERTY AND THE CENTRAL FRONT WALKWAY.
SO THE STAFF IS RECOMMENDING APPROVAL OF THOSE FOUR ITEMS, BUT NOT OF ITEM FIVE.
INSTALLING NON-CONTINUOUS FRONT WALKWAY COMPOSED OF POUR IN PLACE.
CONCRETE STEP ADDS WITH SHADOW STONE GRAVEL IN BETWEEN THE PETS.
I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR, I'D LIKE TO MODIFY, UM, MY MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM ONE AND DENY ITEMS TWO THROUGH FIVE.
THERE'S A MOTION TO ACCEPT ONE AND DENY TWO THROUGH FIVE WITH A SECOND.
AYE, DO LET ME, I KNOW THERE'S A CONCERN.
I I THINK THERE'S A MISUNDERSTANDING.
THE, I JUST WANNA CLARIFY, THE MOTION IS NOT TO APPROVE ONE THROUGH APPROVE ONE, BUT NOT TWO, THREE AND FOUR AND FIVE.
THIS MOTION WOULD DENY THE RETAINING WALL AND GRADING CHANGES.
SPILLER NAY, SETZER NAY, FULLERTON NAY VASQUEZ AYE.
AND SEPULVEDA NAY MOTION FAILS.
OKAY, I'LL GO AHEAD AND ENTERTAIN A NEW MOTION PLEASE.
UH, MADAM CHAIR, I I'LL RECOMMEND UH, APPROVAL OF STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION, WHICH IS TO APPROVE ONE THROUGH FOUR AND DENY NUMBER FIVE FOR, UM, WITH STIPULATIONS FOR CASE NUMBER 2025 DASH 1 49.
DO I HAVE A SECOND I SECOND MOTION ON THE FLOOR TO ACCEPT STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION ONE THROUGH FOUR AND TO DENY AND NOT TO RECOMMEND NUMBER FIVE WITH A SECOND.
GARCIA NAY BRI REGARD NAY SPILLER AYE.
VASQUEZ NAY AND SEPULVEDA? AYE.
MR. DELEON IF YOU'LL GO BACK AND WORK WITH HIM ON THE, THE LAST ONE FOR ME PLEASE AND THANK YOU SO MUCH.
CAN I ASK A QUESTION? SO IF WE DECIDE JUST TO LEAVE IT, I DON'T HAVE TO COME BACK, YOU WOULD, IT WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR ADMINISTRATIVE APPROVAL TO EITHER REPLACE AS IS OR TO LEAVE IT AS IS.
AND SO IF WE WANT TO MAKE IT NOT AS WIDE, WE DO COME BACK, UM, NO, YOU COULD PROBABLY WORK WITH STAFF ON THAT.
I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT SO DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME.
JUST A REMINDER THAT ITEM NUMBER FIVE HAS BEEN POSTPONED.
SO WE'RE MOVING TO ITEM NUMBER SIX.
AGENDA ITEM NUMBER SIX CTA CASE NUMBER 2025
[01:05:01]
DASH 1 3 4 6 17 EAST GUNTHER STREET.UM, THE APPLICANT'S REQUESTING A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS FOR APPROVAL TO REPLACE ONE WOOD WINDOW LOCATED ON THE FIRST FLOOR AND TWO WOOD WINDOWS LOCATED ON THE SECOND FLOOR WITH ALUMINUM.
STAFF DOES NOT RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE REQUEST BASED ON THE FINDINGS.
STAFF RECOMMENDS THAT THE APPLICANT REPAIR THE FIRST FLOOR WOOD WINDOW IN KIND AND REPLACE THE TWO ONE OVER ONE WOOD WINDOWS ON THE SECOND FLOOR WITH THE SALVAGE WOOD WINDOW OR A FULLY OR A NEW FULLY WOOD WINDOW CONFORMING TO GUIDELINES.
THERE IS ONE LETTER IN YOUR INBOX, UM, AND THERE, UH, THE APPLICANT IS HERE IN PERSON.
UM, JORGE, IF YOU CAN COME UP AND WALK THE APPLICANT OR WALK THE COMMISSION THROUGH YOUR, UM, APPLICATION PLEASE.
MY NAME'S JORGE LUIS ESPINOZA.
I'M OWNER OF BLUE HAMMERER CONSTRUCTION AND I REPRESENT THE OWNERS OF THE PROPERTY THAT YOU'RE, UH, 6 1 7 EAST GUNTHER.
UM, SO WE UH, BOUGHT THE PROPERTY IN FEBRUARY AND WE STARTED DOING RENOVATIONS.
WE DID A, UH, GET A LED A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATE FOR, UH, SOME LANDSCAPING, SOME PAINTING THE EXTERIOR.
BUT WHEN WE STARTED, UH, GETTING INTO THERE, THE TWO WINDOWS AT THE TWO BATHROOMS ARE COMPLETELY ROTTED OUT.
THEY'RE, THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO BE SALVAGED.
UM, AND WE NOTICED THAT THE OTHER WINDOWS ON THE WHOLE HOUSE, ENTIRE HOUSE, UM, IN THE PAST HAVE BEEN CHANGED TO WIDE ALUMINUM WINDOWS WAS WHICH WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING TO CHANGE THESE TWO OTHER WINDOWS OR THREE WINDOWS OUT AS WELL.
WE WANT TO MATCH WHAT'S ALREADY THERE.
UM, THE WINDOWS ARE VERY SMALL.
THE ONES AT THE BATHROOM, THERE'S ONE BIGGER ONE ON THE BACKSIDE OF THE HOUSE, WHICH IS NOT EVEN VISIBLE FROM THE STREET OR FROM ALLEYWAY.
I DON'T THINK IT WOULD BE A, UH, SOMETHING THAT ANYBODY WOULD REALLY SEE.
BUT, UH, BECAUSE EVERYTHING ELSE HAS BEEN DONE ALREADY TO WITH WHITE ALUMINUM WINDOWS, I WANT TO PROPOSE WE COULD, UH, CHANGE THESE OUT AS WELL TO MATCH EXISTING.
AND THEN ALSO SECOND, THESE ARE STILL LACKING RIGHT NOW ON THE PICTURE THAT YOU SEE, THERE'S A SPRING FRAME THAT GOES HANGING ABOVE THAT.
SO YOU REALLY DON'T EVEN SEE THE WINDOWS ONCE THE, THE SPRING'S ON THERE.
SO I WOULD LOVE TO, UM, HAVE YOU, UH, RECONSIDER AND APPROVE THIS FOR US JUST BECAUSE OF THE, IT'S ALREADY ON ALL THE OTHER HOUSE, THE REST OF IT.
I'LL GO AHEAD AND OPEN UP THE FLOOR FOR QUESTIONS AND I'LL START WITH ONLINE PLEASE FIRST.
UM, IS IT BRIAN? UM, SO CAN YOU SHOW US WHERE ON THE HOUSE AGAIN, EACH WINDOW IS LOCATED THAT THEY'RE PROPOSING? SURE.
AND I CAN OFFER SOME CLARITY TOO.
SO AS THE APPLICANT HAD NOTED, UM, THERE, THERE'S ONLY THREE WOOD WINDOWS ON SITE.
UH, ALL THE REST OF THE ONES WERE HAVE BEEN REPLACED OVER TIME WITH ALUMINUM WINDOWS.
UH, THE ONES IN FRONT TOO, FOR THE MOST PART.
SO IF YOU CAN SEE ON THE SCREEN HERE, UHHUH, THERE'S THIS TOP BATHROOM WINDOW THAT'S WOOD, UM, THAT APPEARS TO BE OF HISTORIC AGE.
UM, THE BOTTOM SECTION OF THE WINDOW IS MISSING AND IT'S NOT ELIGIBLE FOR REPAIR.
UM, STAFF IS RECOMMENDING APPROVAL FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE TWO SMALLER BATHROOM WINDOWS IN KIND.
UM, HOWEVER, THE, UM, THE PARTICULAR WINDOW THAT WE HAVE MOST CONCERN FOR IS THIS KITCHEN WINDOW HERE, WHICH IS FACING THE REAR OF THE PROPERTY.
UM, IT'S A TWO OVER TWO, UH, HISTORIC AGE WINDOW THAT APPEARS TO BE THE, UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE ONLY REMAINING WOOD WINDOWS ON SITE.
UM, THE OTHER BATHROOM WINDOW IS FACING THE REAR AS WELL.
AND THE CONDITION YOU OBSERVED? YES.
SO STAFF MADE A SITE VISIT, UM, I BELIEVE IT WAS LAST WEEK.
UM, I HAVE IT IN OUR FINDINGS, BUT UH, WHAT WE DETERMINED WAS IS THAT THE EXISTING WOOD WINDOW HERE, UH, THE TWO OVER TWO, ONE ON THE FIRST FLOOR IS IN REPAIRABLE CONDITION.
UM, THE WOOD APPEARS TO BE IN GOOD CONDITION, UH, WITH SOME MINOR REPAIR AND REPAINTING AND REGLAZING.
UH, HOWEVER, THE TWO SMALLER ONE OVER ONE BATHROOM WINDOWS, UM, THEY'RE MISSING HALF OF THE WINDOWS.
SO THOSE ARE ELIGIBLE FOR ADMINISTRATIVE APPROVAL IN KIND OR FOR IN KIND REPLACEMENT? UM, IT'S JUST THAT THE APPLICANT WE'RE, THE APPLICANT AND STAFF ARE DISAGREEING.
IS, IS THAT THE APPLICANT WOULD LIKE TO INSTALL WITH A ONE OVER ONE ALUMINUM WINDOW, UH, TO MATCH THE OTHER ALUMINUM WINDOWS ON SITE? YES.
THANK YOU FOR THE CLARIFICATION.
DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS?
[01:10:01]
I'LL OPEN IT TO MY LEFT.ANY QUESTIONS? JUST A CLARIFICATION.
SO ALL THE WINDOWS EXCEPT THE SMALL BATHROOM WINDOW THAT WE SEE TOP RIGHT, ARE ALL ALREADY ALUMINUM WINDOWS? IS THAT CORRECT? BRIAN? UM, MINUS, MINUS THIS TWO OVER TWO WINDOW AT THE REAR.
SO IT'S, UM, YEAH, I WAS, I THINK OUT OF MAYBE, UH, OVER 20 WINDOWS.
THE ONLY REMAINING WOOD WINDOWS ARE THE TWO SMALLER, UM, BATHROOM WINDOWS AND THEN THIS REAR FACING WINDOW.
UH, MADAM CHAIR, I, I GUESS I WOULD JUST POINT OUT THAT THE, THE TWO OVER TWO WINDOW IS A REAL GEM OF A WINDOW AND, AND REALLY HELPS, UH, TELL A BIT OF THE STORY OF THE HOUSE AS IT'S EVOLVED OVER TIME.
AND I'M GUESSING THAT THE ONE OVER ONE MAY WELL BE HISTORIC AS WE'RE HEARING, BUT IT'S FROM A, A SLIGHTLY LATER TIME.
SO IN A SENSE, THE WINDOWS HELPED TELL THE STORY OF THE HOUSE OVER TIME AND HOW DIFFERENT CONSTRUCTION STYLES AND MATERIALS AND METHODS HAVE HAVE EVOLVED.
AND SINCE IT'S IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT, I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, UH, CERTAINLY FALLS WITHIN THE DESIGN GUIDELINES.
UM, I UNDERSTAND THE, UH, INTEREST IN, IN TRYING TO STANDARDIZE AND MAKE THEM UNIFORM.
UM, BUT BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF THE HISTORIC DISTRICT, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT THIS ACTUALLY ADDS THAT SPECIAL CHARACTER TO THE HOUSE AND, AND AS AN EXTRA BENEFIT TO IT AND TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS, MORE QUESTIONS? I, I'D JUST LIKE TO STATE THAT THE, THE BACK WINDOW, THE, IT, IT, EVEN THOUGH IT ISN'T A REPAIRABLE CONDITION, IT DOESN'T OPEN, THAT'S ANOTHER ISSUE THAT I FORGOT.
A, UH, IT DOESN'T, I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S WRONG WITH IT.
IT JUST DOESN'T ALLOW IT TO BE OPENED.
SO THAT WAS ANOTHER THING THAT IT CANNOT BE A FIRE ESCAPE OR CAN'T BE USED WHEN YOU'RE COOKING.
IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO OPEN THE WINDOW OR SOMETHING, IT CANNOT BE OPENED.
THINK THAT'S, YOU THINK THAT THE OTHER REASON WHY I WANTED TO PUT, IS IT PAINTED SHUT? UH, NO, I DON'T, IT'S NOT PAINTED SHUT, BUT IT JUST WON'T PICK UP.
I DON'T THINK IT'S EVER BEEN OPENED AND THE, THE WHOLE SIDE IS ROTTED OUT.
THE FRAME IS NOT THE ACTUAL WINDOW, BUT THE FRAME IS ON THE RIGHT SIDE THAT WAS GONNA HAVE TO BE REPAIRED, BUT I THINK BECAUSE OF THAT IT'S NOT ABLE TO BE OPENED.
BRIAN, WHAT DID YOU OBSERVE? SURE.
SO BASED ON OUR SIDE VISIT, AND AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE PHOTO HERE, UM, THE WINDOWS WERE MISSING SASH CORDS.
I ASSUME THAT THE WEIGHTS ARE POTENTIALLY STILL WITHIN THE, UM, WALL BAY, BUT UH, IT APPEARS THAT THE WINDOW HAD BEEN, YOU KNOW, PAINTED OVER TIME THAT POTENTIALLY WITH, UH, SOME MINOR REPAIR AND SOME REINSTALLATION OF THE WEIGHTS THAT IT, IT MAY BECOME REPAIRABLE AGAIN, BUT IT BASELINE IS, IS THAT STAFF'S RECOMMENDING APPRO OR APPROVAL FOR REPAIR RATHER THAN REPLACEMENT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? CONCERNS? THANK YOU, SIR.
ANY OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS, CLARIFICATIONS ONLINE? I'D LIKE TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION, PLEASE.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO SUPPORT STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION TO, UM, DENY APPROVAL OF THE REQUEST BASED ON THE FINDINGS AND FOR THE APPLICANT TO REPAIR THE FIRST FLOOR WOOD WINDOW IN KIND AND REPLACE THE TWO ONE OVER ONE WOOD WINDOWS ON THE SECOND FLOOR WITH A SAGE WOOD WINDOW OR A NEW FULLY WOOD WINDOW CONFIRMING THE GUIDELINES.
CURRENTLY THERE'S A MOTION ON THE FLOOR, UM, TO, TO ACCEPT STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION TO NOT RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE REQUESTS.
THANK YOU, SIR, IF YOU'LL PLEASE GO BACK AND WORK WITH THE STAFF SO WE CAN CONTINUE MOVING FORWARD.
AGENDA ITEM NUMBER SEVEN C TAB CASE NUMBER 2025 DASH 1 3 1 6 0 9 DONALDSON AVENUE.
THE APPLICANT'S REQUESTING A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS FOR APPROVAL TO REPAINT OR TO, I'M SORRY.
THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS FOR APPROVAL TO PAINT THE MASONRY.
EXTERIOR STAFF DOES NOT RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE REQUEST BASED ON THE FINDINGS, STAFF RECOMMENDS THAT THE APPLICANT WORK WITH STAFF TO REMOVE THE PAINT ON SITE USING APPROPRIATE PAINT REMOVAL METHODS.
UH, THERE IS TWO IN-PERSON SPEAKERS.
UH, THE APPLICANT DESIREE ING IS ATTENDING OVER PHONE CALL.
AND DESIREE, I'VE MADE YOU A PANELIST, BUT FOR US TO HEAR YOU, YOU'LL NEED
[01:15:01]
TO UNMUTE.I THINK YOU CAN DO THAT FROM YOUR PHONE USING STAR SIX.
SO I CAN UNMUTE YOU FROM HERE.
YOU'LL HAVE TO DO IT YOURSELF.
AND I THINK STAR SIX ON YOUR KEYPAD IS THE WAY TO DO THAT.
THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TODAY.
I LIVE AT 6 0 9 DONALDSON, WHICH IS LOCATED IN SAN ANTONIO HISTORIC DISTRICT.
I'M HERE TODAY TO RESPECTFULLY APPEAL THE RECENT DENIAL REGARDING THE PAINTED BRICK ON MY HOME.
I UNDERSTAND AND TRULY RESPECT THAT MISSION OF PRESERVING THE HISTORIC INTEGRITY OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
THAT'S PART OF WHAT DREW ME TO THIS COMMUNITY IN THE FIRST PLACE.
HOWEVER, I'D LIKE TO SHARE MY PERSPECTIVE AND REQUEST THAT YOU CONSIDER EITHER REVERSING THE DECISION OR GRANTING A VARIANCE DUE TO WHAT I BELIEVE IS IN CONSISTENCY IN HOW THIS RESTRICTION IS BEING ENFORCED.
I LIKE TO EMPHASIZE THAT THE PAINTING OF THE BRICK WAS DONE THOUGHTFULLY, PROFESSIONALLY, AND IN A WAY THAT I BELIEVE ENHANCES NOT DIMINISHES THE CHARACTER OF THE HOME AND ITS SURROUNDINGS.
THE COLOR IS NEUTRAL, SUBTLE, AND ALIGNS WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD'S AESTHETICS.
MORE IMPORTANTLY, THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER HOMES IN CLOSE PROXIMITY, SOME ON THE SAME BLOCK WITH PAINTED BRICK EXTERIORS.
I'VE DOCUMENTED AT LEAST SIX HOMES WITHIN THE SAME DISTRICT THAT HAVE HAD THEIR BRICK PAINTED AND TO MY KNOWLEDGE HAVE NOT BEEN CITED OR REQUIRED TO REMOVE IT.
I HAVE IT, UM, MATERIALS THAT I CAN PROVIDE PICTURES OF AND ALSO OF THE OTHER HOMES.
I'M NOT ASKING FOR SPECIAL TREATMENT, I'M JUST ASKING TO BE TREATED WITH THE SAME CONSIDERATIONS THAT OTHERS HAVE BEEN AFFORDED.
AT THE TIME THE WORK WAS DONE, I WAS UNAWARE THAT THE PAINTING THE BRICKS, EVEN WITHOUT CHANGING THE STRUCTURE OR DAMAGING HISTORIC FEATURES REQUIRED PRIOR APPROVAL.
THAT WAS AN HONEST MISTAKE AND I TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY.
HAD I KNOWN, I WOULD'VE ABSOLUTELY GONE THROUGH THE PROPER CHANNELS, I ACTED IN GOOD FAITH WITH THE INTENT OF MAINTAINING AND IMPROVING MY HOME, NOT DIMINISHING ITS VALUE OR ITS PLACE IN THE DISTRICT.
I, I TRULY BELIEVE THE FINISHED RESULT IS IN KEEPING WITH THE SECRETARY OF INTERIOR STANDARDS, PARTICULARLY IN BEING COMPATIBLE, REVERSIBLE, AND RESPECTFUL OF THE HOME SCALE AND STYLE.
I'M HERE TODAY NOT TO CHALLENGE THE RULES, BUT TO RESPECTIVELY ASK FOR FAIRNESS.
GIVEN THE SURROUNDING EXAMPLES AND THE NATURE OF THE WORK, I ASK THE BOARD TO CONSIDER APPROVING THE PAINTED BRICK AS IT STANDS OR GRANTING A VARIANCE.
I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND YOUR SERVICE.
I BELIEVE WE HAVE TWO PUBLIC SPEAKERS, IS THAT CORRECT? UM, JUST ONE PAM CARPENTER.
UM, BUT SHE'LL RECEIVE FOUR MINUTES.
BIANCA MALDONADO IS ALSO HERE AS YIELDED HER TIME.
I'M OFFERING COMMENTS ON BEHALF OF BIANCA MALDONADO, PRESIDENT OF THE MONTICELLO PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION AND THE 10 MEMBER MPNA BOARD OF DIRECTORS POST OFFICE BOX 1 0 0 3 1 5 7 8 2 0 1.
THIS TWO STORY, MONTEREY STYLE HOME WAS ISSUED A STOP WORK ORDER ON MAY 17TH, 2025.
IT'S THE SAME DAY THAT WAS THE HOME, UH, REPAIR FARE AND PRIOR TO THE HOME REPAIR FARE.
EVERY HOME IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD IS GIVEN ONE OF THESE PLACARDS ON THE DOOR THAT SAYS, DO I NEED APPROVAL TO WORK ON MY HISTORIC PROPERTY? UM, I THINK WE SHOULD ADD TO MAYBE, UM, INCLUDE PAINTING AND WINDOWS TO, TO THAT, UM, JUST TO, UM, INFORM, UM, HOMEOWNERS FURTHER IF THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND THIS PLACARD.
UM, SO, UM, THE EXTERIOR PAINTING COMPROMISED ONE OF THE PRIMARY DISTINGUISHING VISUAL AND PHYSICAL FEATURES OF THIS PROPERTY.
THE COATING ELIMINATES THE CONTRASTING BRICK THAT YOU SAW IN THE PHOTOS AROUND THE FRONT DOOR, THE FRONT PICTURE WINDOW, THE BASE OF THE ENTIRE STRUCTURE, THE HEADER AND SEALS OF THE WINDOWS, GENERIC SIZES, THE INHERENT MATERIALITY OF THE NATURAL HISTORIC MASONRY.
UH, OHP AND HT RC FOR YEARS HAVE BEEN VERY CONSISTENT ON DISCOURAGING PAINTED MASONRY MATERIALS.
NATURAL MASONRY MATERIALS ARE A CHARACTER DEFINING FEATURE OF MONTICELLO PARK.
OUR HOUSING STOCK IS TYPIFIED BY AUTHENTIC EARTH AND TONE, CLAY AND STONE MATERIALS THAT DON'T HAVE COATINGS OR FISH FINISHES TO OBSCURE THE AUTHENTIC MATERIAL.
THEY HAVE TAKEN AN INHERENTLY LOW MAINTENANCE MATERIAL AND MADE IT HIGH MAINTENANCE.
UM, WE ARE SEEING THIS AT 2 4, 2 55 MARY LOUISE DRIVE RIGHT NOW TODAY.
THAT IS A HISTORICALLY PAINTED PRIOR TO, UM, THE NEIGHBORHOOD BECOMING HISTORIC AND THEY'RE HAVING A HECK OF A TIME, UM, DEALING WITH
[01:20:01]
THE PAINT.IT'S FLAKING, IT'S GETTING INTO THE NEIGHBOR'S BACKYARDS.
UM, IT MUST BE MAINTAINED OVER TIME.
PAINTING BRICK IS VERY DESTRUCTIVE.
AND THE COMMISSION, UH, THE CHAIR, MS. CHAIR SEPULVEDA, SHE COMMENTED ON PERMEABILITY THE, IN A PREVIOUS CASE AND MASONRY NEEDS TO REMAIN PERMEABLE.
UM, IT'S VERY DAMAGING AND DESTRUCTIVE IN THE LONG TERM TO, UM, THE BUILDING.
IT SHOULD BE REMOVED THROUGH THE PAINT THROUGH THE MOST GENTLE TREATMENTS POSSIBLE.
IT IS POSSIBLE TO REMOVE, UH, WHILE MECHANICAL METHODS WILL DAMAGE THE MASONRY FINISH, SUCH AS SANDBLASTING AND WATER.
UM, IT HAS BEEN ON, IT'S NOT BEEN ON THAT LONG AND SHOULD BE REVERSIBLE USING CHEMICAL TREATMENTS.
THERE ARE SPECIALTY CONSTRUCTION, CHEMICAL MANUFACTURERS SUCH AS PROCO, THAT PROVIDE CUSTOMER FIELD SUPPORT FOR REMOVAL TREATMENTS OF MOST HIGH STRENGTH PAINTS, AS WELL AS THEY OFFER FREE SAMPLES FOR THEIR PRODUCTS TO TEST OUT, SUCH AS FACE SAFE STRIPS, SAFE STRIP EIGHT OR HEAVY DUTY, UH, PAINT REMOVER.
UM, WE HAVE A LOCAL REPRESENTATIVE, UM, ALLOWING THE OWNER NOT TO REMOVE THIS PAINT.
IT'S A BAD PRECEDENT TO OTHERS WHO DID SO WITHOUT APPROVAL FROM THE OFFICE OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION.
IT'S NOT FAIR TO THE OTHER PROPERTIES THAT HAD TO DO SO IN THE PAST, SUCH AS 2 0 0 1 WEST KINGS HIGHWAY.
WE ACKNOWLEDGED THERE ARE SOME PAINTED MASONRY STRUCTURES, AS THE APPLICANT HAD MENTIONED.
UM, BUT THIS TYPE OF ACTIVITY WAS THE REASON THAT THE HISTORIC DISTRICT WAS CREATED TO PRESERVE WHAT HAS NOT BEEN LOST OR COMPROMISED.
SO SOME OF THOSE THAT SHE MENTIONED ARE VIOLATIONS SUCH AS 4 4 3 DONALDSON.
AND, UM, THE INTEGRITY OF THE EXTERIOR MATERIAL AS WELL AS THE CONSISTENCY OF THE FABRIC OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD NEEDS TO BE RESTORED AND UPHELD.
THE PAINT NEEDS TO BE STRIPPED OFF.
6 0 9 DONALDSON IS A CONTRIBUTING PART OF THE COLLECTIVE RESOURCE THAT IS A WELL-PRESERVED HISTORIC DISTRICT.
OWNERS OF THESE HOMES BUY INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD ENTIRELY AND ADHERE TO THE GUIDELINES TO PRESERVE CHARACTER AND INTEGRITY.
MONTICELLO PARK SUPPORTS STAFF'S RECOMMENDATIONS AND WE RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR THE INCLUSION OF A STIPULATION FOR STAFF TO MONITOR PAINT REMOVAL PROCESS.
I WILL NOW OPEN THE FLOOR FROM MY COLLEAGUES TO ASK QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, AND I'LL START TO MY LEFT PLEASE, MADAM CHAIR, I WOULD JUST, UH, MENTION THAT AS, AS WE SEE IN, IN ONE OF THE PHOTOS OF THE FRONT OF THE HOUSE, UM, THIS IS A MULTI-GENERATIONAL, UH, HOUSE THAT'S BEEN IN THE, IN THE FAMILY FOR A WHILE.
AND, UM, KUDOS TO THE FAMILY, UM, FOR BEING PART OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, AT THE SAME TIME, THAT ALSO, UM, LENDS TO THE, UH, PRESUMPTION OF NOTICE.
UM, NOT TO MENTION THE FACT THAT, UH, THERE WERE ALSO THE, THE FLYERS AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES, UM, TO GIVE NOTICE, UM, AND AT, AT THE ANY TRANSITION OF THE HOUSE, UM, AND PROPERTY OWNERSHIP.
UM, THERE ARE OTHER WAYS OF, UH, CONFIRMING THIS INFORMATION.
AND I, I THINK THAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MAKES SOME EXCELLENT POINTS ABOUT, UM, SHOULD WE GRANT A VARIANCE? IT IT DOES SET A VERY, UM, UNFORTUNATE PRECEDENT.
I'LL OPEN UP TO ONLINE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERN.
OH YEAH, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, I WOULD JUST WANNA ECHO WHAT THE, THE LAST COMMISSIONER SAID.
UM, I I, I APPRECIATE THE, THE THOUGHT THAT WENT INTO, UH, THE APPLICANT'S, UM, PRESENTATION AND I'M, I'M VERY GRATEFUL AND THANKFUL FOR WHAT SHE HAD TO SAY, BUT I DO THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE AS A A BODY TRY TO MAINTAIN AS, AS MUCH CONSISTENCY AS AS WE CAN IN OUR DECISIONS.
UM, SO YEAH, I JUST WANNA AGREE WITH MY LAST COLLEAGUE.
I'LL GO AHEAD AND OPEN IT TO MY COLLEAGUES TO THE RIGHT.
MADAM CHAIR, I'D LIKE TO ASK, UH, MS. CARPENTER, WHAT WAS THE METHOD THAT YOU HAD MENTIONED? COULD YOU COME UP TO THE SPEAKER PLEASE? TO THANK YOU.
I REMEMBER THE CASE ON 2001 WEST KINGS HIGHWAY.
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE REMOVAL METHOD THAT WAS SUCCESSFULLY, UM, USED AT THAT PROPERTY? UM, I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH THAT ONE.
I'M, I'M MORE FAMILIAR WITH THE DISCUSSION WE HAD FOR 4 43.
BIANCA, DO YOU COLE FLAG? COLE FLAG, THAT'S RIGHT.
AND WHAT, WHAT DOES IT CONSIST OF OR DO YOU KNOW? I CAN ANSWER THAT.
YOU KNOW WHAT SANDBLASTING IS, RIGHT? SO THAT'S REALLY ABRASIVE COAL SLAG IS AN ALTERNATE TO THE, UH, PARTICLE THAT THEY USE.
SO INSTEAD OF SAND, THEY USE THIS COAL SLAG, WHICH AN IS AN OFF PRODUCT OF I THINK LIKE, I DON'T KNOW, SOMETHING
[01:25:01]
COAL RELATED, RIGHT?UM, BUT IT IS LIKE A SOFTER, NOT QUITE AS, UH, UM, UH, DENSE MATERIAL.
AND SO IT DOESN'T DO AS MUCH DAMAGE.
AND SO WITH THAT ONE, WE TESTED A LOT OF DIFFERENT KIND OF MATERIALS TO, TO DO THAT PAINT REMOVAL AND THAT'S KIND OF THE ONE THAT ENDED UP BE BEING SUCCESSFUL.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? BRIAN, CAN YOU PUT THAT PHOTO BACK UP REAL QUICK? MM-HMM
I WOULD LIKE TO ADD, EXCUSE ME, MA'AM.
SO WE DID ADD, THIS IS THE COMMISSIONER RIGHT NOW.
YOU'LL ANSWER QUESTIONS WHEN YOU'RE ADDRESSED RIGHT NOW.
THE, THE COMMISSIONER HAS THE FLOOR.
I WOULD JUST LIKE TO MAKE THE COMMENT THAT, UM, I THINK IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT FROM A TECHNICAL STANDPOINT IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT, UH, PRESERVATION THAT THE BRICK, YOU KNOW, I CAN'T STRESS ENOUGH THAT WHEN YOU PAINT BRICK, UM, IN THE END IT'S GOING TO CAUSE MAJOR DAMAGE AND THE WHOLE POINT OF PRESERVATION IS TO TRY AND MAKE SURE THAT THE STRUCTURE IS, UH, KEEPS ITS INTEGRITY OVER TIME.
THANK YOU BRIAN, FOR PROVIDING THAT.
UM, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE.
I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS.
I'D LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND ENTERTAIN A, A MOTION MADAM CHAIR.
I'D LIKE TO UH, MAKE A MOTION TO GO WITH STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS TO, UM, NOT RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE REQUEST BASED ON THE FINDINGS AND STAFF RECOMMENDS, UH, THE APPLICANT WORK WITH STAFF TO REMOVE THE PAINT ON SITE APPROPRIATE WITH PAINT REMOVAL METHODS.
AND I'D LIKE TO ADD THE STIPULATION THAT STAFF MONITOR THE PAINT REMOVAL PROCESS.
DO I HAVE A SECOND? UH, SECOND.
MOTION CARRIES MS ING, IF YOU'LL PLEASE REACH BACK OUT TO, UH, TO STAFF AND WORK CLOSE WITH THEM.
WE HAVE NO OTHER AGENDA ITEMS. ALRIGHT, I'LL GO AHEAD AND CALL OUR MEETING TO, TO CLOSE AT 10 29.