[9:00 AM – Call to Order]
[00:00:03]
I'D LIKE TO CALL TO ORDER THE HISTORIC AND DESIGN REVIEW COMMISSION COMPLIANCE AND TECHNICAL ADVISORY BOARD FOR FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21ST, 2025.
CAN I HAVE A ROLL CALL PLEASE? DAVIS GARCIA.
THE COMPLIANCE AND TECHNICAL ADVISORY BOARD IS AN ADVISORY BOARD APPOINTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL.
I'M JASON VASES, VASQUEZ ACTING CHAIR AND JUANDA IS THE CHAIR.
IT IS A THE FUNCTION OF THE BOARD TO ADVISE THE CITY MANAGER IN ALL RELEVANT CITY DEPARTMENTS CONCERNING HERIN APPLICATIONS FOR PERMITS FOR PROPERTIES IN HISTORIC DISTRICTS AND LANDMARKS.
IN CONSIDERING WHETHER TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL OR DISAPPROVAL OF AN APPLICATION FOR A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS, THE BOARD SHALL BE GUIDED 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 UNI CITY'S UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE.
IF ANYONE PRESENT WISHES TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OR IN OPPOSITION TO ANY ITEM ON TODAY'S AGENDA, PLEASE SIGN UP ON THE PUBLIC COMMENTS SHEET.
IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY, IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO SIGN UP.
IF YOU ARE THE OWNER OF 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 ADDITIONAL TWO MINUTES TO RESPOND TO PUBLIC COMMENTS.
SPEAKERS FOR OR 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'RE 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 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 APPROPRIATE CITY PERMITS.
AFTER A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS HAS BEEN ISSUED BY THE OFFICE OF HISTORIC PRESERVATIONS.
AT THIS TIME, PLEASE SILENCE YOUR CELL PHONES.
[ Approval of minutes for the CTAB meeting of October 17, 2025.]
WE HAVE ACTION ON ITEM, UH, THE FIRST ITEM, WHICH IS MEETING MINUTES FROM OCTOBER 17TH.CAN I, UM, HAVE A MOTION FOR THE AGENDA FROM THE LAST MEETING? I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THE LAST MEETING.
CAN I HAVE A ROLL CALL PLEASE? GARCIA? YES.
UM, WE HAVE OUR CASES PULLED UP ON THE SCREEN HERE.
UM, JUST A QUICK NOTE THAT ITEMS NUMBER SEVEN AND NINE HAVE BOTH BEEN WITHDRAWN AND WILL NOT BE HEARD TODAY.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THOSE ITEMS. UM,
[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.]
SO AT THIS POINT WE CAN BRING OUR ATTENTION TO ITEMS ONE THROUGH FIVE, WHICH IS OUR CONSENT AGENDA.UM, WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF VOICEMAILS FOR ITEMS ON CONSENT.
SO WE'LL START WITH NUMBER TWO.
UH, CHAIR PERSON FOR THE HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD REVIEW COMMITTEE OF DIGNITY HILL.
CALLING IN ON CASE NUMBER 2025 DASH 2 9 3 8 24 NORTH PINE.
WE DO NOT AGREE WITH STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION BASED ON THE NOTES IN SECTION A OF THE FINDINGS, IT IS DEEMED THAT THE ORIGINAL ROOF WAS PROBABLY A WOOD SHAKE SHINGLE ROOF.
AND BY 1931 THE STRUCTURE FEATURES A STANDING SEAM METAL ROOF, WHICH IS MORE THAN LIKELY THE EXISTING METAL ROOF WE SEE TODAY.
FOR THIS REASON, THE APPLICANT SHOULD REPLACE THE METAL ROOF WITH ANOTHER STANDING SCENE, METAL ROOF,
[00:05:01]
NOT AN ASPHALT SHINGLE ROOF SINCE THE HOUSE NEVER HAD AN ASPHALT SHINGLE ROOF TO BEGIN WITH.HELLO, THIS IS LULU FRANCOISE, CHAIRPERSON OF THE DIGNITY WOOD HILL HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD REVIEW COMMITTEE CALLING IN ON CASE NUMBER 2 6 9 9 22 NOLAN STREET.
EVEN THOUGH THE APPLICANT DID CONSTRUCT THE GATE PROPERLY, WE DO HAVE ONE QUESTION.
ARE THE GATE BOARD SUPPOSED TO BE HORIZONTAL RATHER THAN VERTICAL? THAT'S THE QUESTION THAT WE HAD.
IN ADDITION, THIS IS THE SAME HOUSE THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE HAD THE DOORS REPLACED AND THE COLUMNS CHANGED SO THAT THE ROCK AT THE BOTTOM OF THE COLUMNS WAS REMOVED TO MEET HISTORIC GUIDELINES BASED ON THE PICTURES PROVIDED THIS NEVER HAPPENED.
WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES FOR DEVELOPERS OR OWNERS WHO DO NOT FOLLOW THROUGH WITH REQUIRED CHANGES TO THEIR DESIGN? THANK YOU.
I'LL NOTE THERE'S A LETTER IN YOUR PACKETS FOR THAT ITEM AS WELL.
I THINK IT SAYS THE SAME THING, BUT THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENTS FOR CONSENT ITEMS. GREAT, THANK YOU.
ARE THERE ANY COMMISSIONERS WISHING TO PULL ANY OF THE AGENDA ITEMS ON THE CONSENT SIDE? I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, PULL ITEMS TWO AND FIVE PLEASE.
ANY ADDITIONAL? OKAY, THANK YOU.
IS THERE A MOTION FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS FOR APPROVAL? I MOVE THAT WE ACCEPT THE CONSENT ITEMS. NUMBER ONE, THREE AND FOUR AS LISTED SECOND.
CAN I HAVE A ROLL CALL PLEASE? DAVIS ABSTAIN GARCIA.
IF YOUR ADDRESS IS 3 3 2 ADAMS STREET, 6 1 9 BARB STREET, 1900 WEST SATCH AVENUE, YOUR CASE HAS BEEN APPROVED AND YOU DO NOT NEED TO, UH, STAY FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE HEARING.
MEMBER OF STAFF WILL BE IN TOUCH WITH YOU AND YOUR CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS WILL BE MAILED TO YOU WITHIN 10 DAYS.
UM, LOOKS LIKE WE'LL GO TO 8 24 NORTH NORTH PINE AGENDA.
AGENDA ITEM, UM, TWO IS THE APPLICANT FOR THIS ITEM HERE.
SIR, IF YOU WANNA COME UP TO THE PODIUM AND INTRODUCE YOURSELF.
MY NAME IS HERNANDEZ, OWNER AND GC OF THE PROPERTY.
YOU WANNA STATE YOUR CASE? YEAH, UH, YOU DON'T HAVE TO HOLD IT, JUST ONE.
YEAH, JUST TRYING TO CHANGE THE, THE CLEARLY OXIDIZED METAL ROOF INTO A ASPHALT SHINGLE, MUCH LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE ON THE BLOCK.
UH, I DID HEAR THE COMMENT THAT WAS, UH, SENT OVER TO Y'ALL ABOUT SOME WOOD SHAKES ON THE ROOF ORIGINALLY, YOU CAN SEE A LITTLE BIT OF WHERE THE WOOD SHAKE WAS.
UH, BUT WE'RE JUST TRYING TO MAKE, BRING IT BACK UP TO, TO BE A NICE, NICE BUILDING.
MUCH LIKE THE ONE IN FRONT OF US THAT HAS, I THINK IN THE ONX BLOCK, ONYX BLACK ASPHALT SHINGLE.
WE'RE PRETTY MUCH JUST TRYING TO MATCH THAT, THAT SAME STYLE.
NO, NO SLOPES, NO NOTHING, NOTHING CRAZY LIKE THAT.
WE'RE JUST TRYING TO GET IT BACK TO, TO A GOOD SHAPE.
UM, IS THERE ANY COMMISSIONERS ON MY LEFT WHO HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS? OKAY.
HELLO? I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
UH, THE FIRST ONE BEING YOU SAY THAT THE, THE MAJORITY OF THE HOUSES ON THE STREET HAVE ASPHALT SHINGLE ROOFS, RIGHT? YES MA'AM.
AND, UM, DO YOU KNOW IF THEY ORIGINALLY HAD WOOD SHAKE AS WELL OR? YEAH, I WOULDN'T KNOW MA'AM.
I, I KNOW FOR EXAMPLE, THE ONE TO MY LEFT HAS A METAL, BUT I COULDN'T TELL IF THERE WAS ANY, UH, WOOD SHAKES AT ONE POINT.
I BELIEVE THE ONE IN THE FRONT, IT'S A, IT'S A BEAUTIFUL HOUSE, THE ONE IN THE FRONT.
SO I KIND OF KEEP UP WITH IT EVERY NOW AND THEN.
[00:10:01]
SAW A WOOD SHAKE SHINGLE ON IT, BUT I HONESTLY COULDN'T SPEAK TO THE FACT OF WHETHER IT DID OR NOT.AND THEN MY NEXT QUESTION WOULD BE, UM, WHY YOU WOULD GO WITH THE CHOICE OF ASPHALT SHINGLE ROOF VERSUS REPLACING THE UH, THE METAL ROOF? UH, THE WAY THAT I HAD SUBMITTED SOME BRAND DRAIN OVER FOR THE HOUSE TO BE FINISHED, I JUST THINK IT'S GONNA BE A BETTER LOOK OF, OF HOW WE'RE GONNA FINISH AS SINCE IT'S GOT LIKE A ALABASTER WHITE LOOK WITH SOME IRON ORE, UH, TRIMS, SOME, AN ONYX BLACK ASPHALT SHINGLE I THINK WILL LOOK BEST.
I KNOW A METAL ROOF MIGHT LAST LONGER, BUT THE WAY, UH, THAT WE INSTALL OUR ASPHALT SHINGLES, I MEAN, WE'RE NOT GOING TO MAKE IT LOOK BAD.
IT'S GONNA LOOK A LOT BETTER IS.
AND UM, IF I COULD ALSO ASK WHY ONYX BLACK VERSUS SOMETHING MORE IN KEEPING WITH THE COLOR THAT'S THERE NOW? YOU MEAN MORE LIKE A GRAYISH TONE OR WHITE? WHITE? I HONESTLY HADN'T EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT IT.
I THINK COLOR BLACK, IT'S JUST MORE IN STYLE, UH, FOR OUR, FOR OUR TIMES.
BUT HONESTLY I HAVEN'T GIVEN A THOUGHT TO A WHITE, YEAH, WHITE SHINGLE.
SO THE SHINGLES ON THE ROOFS, UH, ON THE STREET ARE ALSO A DARK COLOR.
THEY'RE THE DARK COLORS OR YOUR UH, DARK GRAY.
IS WERE YOU ABLE TO OBSERVE, UM, OTHER HOMES IN THE SURROUNDING AREA THAT, THAT ALSO HAD, I GUESS, THE ASPHALT SHINGLE IN, IN VARIOUS COLORS? OR WHAT WAS THE MAJORITY OF COLORS? WHAT I'LL JUST, I'LL SAY THIS, UM, OUR POLICY FOR ROOFING MATERIALS IS BASED ON WHAT'S APPROPRIATE FOR THE STYLE OF HOUSE, NOT NECESSARILY WHAT IT HAD ORIGINALLY.
UM, SO MOST OF THESE HOUSES THAT WERE KIND OF TURN OF THE CENTURY, VICTORIANS FOR SURE ALL HAD SHAKE ROOFS ORIGINALLY, UM, OVER TIME, UM, JUST BECAUSE OF THE MAINTENANCE INVOLVED WITH THAT.
UM, MATERIALS HAVE BEEN REPLACED VERY, IT'S VERY COMMON THAT THEY WOULD ADD STANDING SEAM OR, UH, SOLDERED SEAM, UH, ROOFS OVER DIRECTLY OVER THE WOOD SHAKE AS IT WAS IN THIS SITUATION.
UM, OTHER TIMES IT WOULD'VE BEEN ASPHALT OR SOME SORT OF, UM, COMPOSITE PRODUCT UNTIL MODERN DAY COMPOSITION SHINGLES WERE AVAILABLE.
SO, UM, OUR, YOU KNOW, STAFF'S ONLY FINDING HERE IS THAT A SHINGLE ROOF IS APPROPRIATE FOR THE STYLE.
UM, WE DON'T GET INTO THE COLOR, UM, WITH OUR GUIDELINES.
UM, AND IT, IT'S REALLY NOT ABOUT MATCHING OTHER HOUSES NEARBY EITHER.
IT'S REALLY ABOUT WHAT'S APPROPRIATE FOR THE STYLE OF THE HOUSE.
ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? UM, DISCUSSION? IF NOT, CAN I ASK FOR A MOTION PLEASE? I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE, UH, ACCEPT THE STAFF FINDINGS AND THE STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS ON THIS SECOND.
CAN I HAVE A ROLL CALL PLEASE? DAVIS? AYE.
PLEASE WORK WITH STAFF ON THE NEXT STEPS.
UM, ITEM NUMBER 5 9 2 2 NOLAN STREET.
UM, MR. CHAIR, DID YOU WANT ME TO READ THE HOLE INTO THE RECORD? PLEASE GO AHEAD.
CTA CASE NUMBER 2025 DASH 2 69, UH, 9 22 NOLAN STREET.
THE APPLICANT'S REQUESTING A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS FOR APPROVAL TO CONSTRUCT A SIDE CARPORT WITH A DRIVEWAY GATE.
STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL OF THE REQUEST BASED ON FINDINGS A THROUGH D WITH THE FOLLOWING STIPULATIONS, ONE THAT THE APPLICANT MEET ALL SETBACK STANDARDS IS REQUIRED BY CITY ZONING AND OBTAIN A VARIANCE FROM THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT IF APPLICABLE.
THE PROPERTY OWNER DREW WAR, UH, WARWICK IS HERE IN PERSON.
AND, UM, STAFF'S ALSO AVAILABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS BASED ON, UH, COMMISSIONER QUESTIONS AND THE QUESTIONS LISTED IN THE LETTER.
YOU GONNA COME UP TO THE PODIUM AND INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND STATE YOUR CASE.
UH, MORNING LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
GOOD MORNING LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
UM, THIS IS ACTUALLY RETROACTIVE, UH, IF YOU CAN SEE, UM, I LIVE AT 9 2 2 NOLAN STREET.
UH, I'VE BEEN THERE FOR THREE, ALMOST THREE YEARS NOW.
UH, SO IT'S FOR A CARPORT AND A GATE.
[00:15:01]
THE ONE THAT'S WHAT I'M SEEKING FOR APPROVAL.THE ONE COMMENT I DO HAVE ON THE VOICEMAIL, UH, THOSE TWO THINGS THAT THE PERSON WAS TALKING ABOUT OUTTA COMPLIANCE, THAT WAS NOT ME.
THAT WAS THE PERSON WHO OWNED THE HOUSE BEFORE ME.
AND THE, THEY'RE BOTH IN COMPLIANCE NOW.
SO IT WAS STONE TO REMOVE FROM THE PILLARS.
YOU CAN SEE IN THE GOOGLE MAPS PICTURES, BUT IT DOESN'T EXIST THERE ANYMORE.
AND THEN THE CITY HAD ME REPLACED.
IT WASN'T THE DOORS THAT HAD TO BE REPLACED, THE WINDOWS HAD TO BE REPLACED.
IT WAS, THEY WERE LISTED AS FROSTED WINDOWS, WHICH IS FACTUALLY INCORRECT.
THEY WERE, UH, FLUMER GLASS WINDOWS, BUT I PAID TO GET THOSE REMOVED AND REPLACED.
SO THE DOORS ARE STILL THERE, BUT I OUTTA MY OWN POCKET.
WHEN I BOUGHT THIS HOUSE, I WAS FOUND IN VIOLATION FOR THE HOUSE I BOUGHT.
SO I ACTUALLY, THOSE ARE BOTH REMEDIED ALREADY.
SO, UH, HERE FOR ANY QUESTIONS, UH, THE GATE IS FOR BASICALLY, UH, TWO REASONS, PROTECT OR THE CARPORT AND GATE, UH, SUN PROTECTION AS WELL AS HAIL PROTECTION.
AND THEN THE GATE IS, UH, NOLAN STREET IS A VERY BUSY THOROUGHFARE.
UM, AND IT'S BASICALLY, I DON'T HAVE A GARAGE.
UH, AND MY, I DON'T HAVE A GATE TO MY YARD.
AND I, MANY TIMES AT NIGHT, I'M GONE A LOT, BUT MANY TIMES AT NIGHT, PEOPLE WALK INTO MY YARD.
UH, JUST LAST MONTH SOMEONE WAS LOOKING THROUGH MY WINDOWS.
I HAVE A RING CAMERA, THEY LOOK LOOKING THROUGH MY WINDOWS AT NIGHT.
PEOPLE HAVE TRIED TO OPEN MY DOOR TO MY CAR AT NIGHT.
UM, SO THAT IS THE, THE PREDICATION FOR THAT.
AND COMMISSIONERS, I'LL JUST NOTE THAT THE GATE IS FROM A PREVIOUS HCRC ACTION.
IT'S REALLY JUST THE CARPORT THAT NEEDS ACTION TODAY.
ANY QUESTIONS FROM COLLEAGUES ON MY LEFT, ON MY RIGHT? NO.
SO THE, I GUESS MY QUESTION FOR STAFF IS ABOUT THE, THE GATE, UM, IT WAS APPROVED BY HDRC AS HORIZONTAL VERSUS THE VERTICAL.
UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT THE DESIGN OF THE GATE WAS, UH, SUPPLIED AT THAT TIME.
IT WAS A QUESTION ABOUT LOCATION.
AND SO THERE WAS A STIPULATION THAT IT BE MOVED AS PROPOSED FROM THE, UH, SIDEWALK BACK TO THE, UM, CORNER HERE OF THE HOUSE.
AND THE GUIDELINES DON'T SPECIFY DESIGN OF FENCING IN THAT DETAIL.
THE FENCE, MY FENCE POSTERS ARE HOR THE FENCE PLANKS ARE HORIZONTAL.
THAT MIGHT BE THE, THE COMMENT FROM THERE.
AND WHAT IS THE, SO I'M NOT, UH, FULLY UNDERSTANDING WHAT THEIR, THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION WAS MENTIONING ABOUT THE ROCK AT THE BOTTOM OF THE COLUMNS.
CAN YOU SO WALK ME THROUGH THAT OR IT'S, I, I, I, WELL, I, I I CAN ANSWER.
SO, UM, THIS, UH, THIS PROPERTY WAS ORIGINALLY OR PREVIOUSLY OWNED BY A, A CONTRACTOR.
AND SO THERE WAS A BUNCH OF WORK THAT WAS DONE WITHOUT APPROVAL, UM, IN BETWEEN 2020 TO 2022.
UM, SO MR. WARWICK, HE PURCHASED THE PROPERTY IN, UH, I BELIEVE LATE 2022 OR IN 20 20, 20 23.
UM, I WAS HIS CASE MANAGER FOR A NUMBER OF OTHER REQUESTS, AND AT THAT TIME, HE WORKED WITH STAFF TO CORRECT PREVIOUS VIOLATIONS.
SO, UM, AS FAR AS STAFF IS CONCERNED, THE ONLY, UM, REMAINING VIOLATION ON SITE IS THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE SIDECAR PORT, UM, AS IT STANDS NOW.
SO ANY OTHER WORK THAT WAS DONE AS, AS HE MENTIONED TOO, WITH THE, UH, FROSTED GLASS IN THE DOOR, THE, ALL OF THAT HAS BEEN REMEDI REMEDIED.
IF YOU DON'T SEE IT, I CAN SHOW YOU IF YOU'RE CURIOUS.
THANK YOU FOR ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS.
I JUST WANTED TO ASK THOSE ON BEHALF OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION? UM, MAYBE STAFF CAN ANSWER THIS.
UM, BECAUSE IT'S NOT IN THE PACKET, UH, HOW THE CARPORT IS IN VIOLATION.
IT WAS JUST, UM, THE, THE WORK WAS DONE WITHOUT A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS.
SO, UM, THE, THE WAY THAT OUR RECOMMENDATIONS ARE WRITTEN TO OUR, UM, PUBLIC BOARDS IS, IS THAT THE, WE REFERENCE THE WORK AS IF IT HASN'T HAPPENED.
SO THE CARPORT AS CONSTRUCTED HERE, UM, WAS DONE WITHOUT A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS, BUT THE APPLICANT'S HERE TODAY TO REQUEST APPROVAL FOR IT AS AS CONSTRUCTED.
SO JUST BACK, NOT BACKDATING IT, BUT, BUT GOING BACK AND CORRECTING, NOT HAVING THE COA? THAT'S CORRECT.
[00:20:01]
ANOTHER QUESTION FOR STAFF, UM, YOU FIND THIS CARPORT TO BE IN COMPLIANCE.SO STAFF IS RECOMMENDING APPROVAL OF THIS CARPORT AS CONSTRUCTED WITH THE STIPULATION THAT, UM, THE APPLICANT WORK WITH THE, UM, DEVELOPMENT SERVICES STAFF TO OBTAIN A PERMIT.
UM, TYPICALLY THAT DOES REQUIRE A VARIANCE FROM THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT, GIVEN THAT THIS APPEARS TO BE ON THE, ON THE PROPERTY LINE.
SO ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? IF NOT, UH, DISCUSSION OR WE CAN MOVE TO A MOTION, PLEASE.
I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ACCEPT STAFF RECOMMENDATION.
CAN I HAVE A ROLL CALL PLEASE? DAVIS.
PLEASE WORK WITH STAFF ON NEXT STEPS.
[INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION]
ITEMS. SO NEXT ITEM ON, ON THE AGENDA IS EIGHT, UH, C TAB CASE NUMBER 2025 DASH 3 1 3 FOR 8 2 6 DAWSON STREET.THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS FOR APPROVAL TO INSTALL A NEW FRONT YARD, CONCRETE DRIVEWAY, APPROXIMATELY 20 FEET LONG AND 14 FEET WIDE.
AND SECOND, INSTALL A CONCRETE WALKWAY FROM THE DRIVEWAY TO THE WALKWAY AT THE FRONT OF THE PRIMARY STRUCTURE.
STAFF DOES NOT RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE REQUEST TO INSTALL A CONCRETE DRIVEWAY APPROXIMATELY 14 FEET IN WIDTH BASED ON THE FINDINGS, STAFF RECOMMENDS THE NEW DRIVEWAY BE 10 FEET IN WIDTH.
ITEM TWO, STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL OF THE REQUEST TO INSTALL A CONCRETE WALKWAY FROM THE DRIVEWAY TO THE CENTRAL WALKWAY AT THE FRONT ENTRANCE TO THE PRIMARY STRUCTURE.
BASED ON THE FINDINGS, THE APPLICANTS ARE HERE VIRTUALLY.
AND SO, UM, UH, JOSE OR DANIEL, IF YOU'D LIKE TO UNMUTE YOURSELVES, YOU'LL HAVE 15 MINUTES TO PRESENT YOUR REQUEST TO THE BOARD.
AND WE DO HAVE ONE VOICEMAIL FOR THIS ITEM THAT WE'LL LISTEN TO AFTER THE APPLICANT'S PRESENTATION.
JOSE, I THINK YOU'RE SPEAKING, BUT WE CAN'T HEAR YOU.
YOU MIGHT NEED TO CHANGE YOUR, UM, AUDIO SOURCE.
ACTUALLY, I THINK IT'S ON OUR END.
HE IS COMING IN THROUGH THE WEBEX, JUST NOT THROUGH THE ROOM.
UM, CAN YOU ADVISE US OF WHAT WE NEED TO CHANGE ON THE SETTINGS? HELLO? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU.
HELLO? HI, THIS IS JOSE ROMERO.
UH, I'VE GOT MY FATHER-IN-LAW DANIEL'S THROUGH HERE.
YOU WANNA STATE YOUR CASE, SIR, OR FOR, UM, CONTINUING, UH, STATE YOUR CASE? YES.
THERE WAS A PREVIOUS, UH, DRIVEWAY BELOW ON, ON, ON THE, ON THE, YOU KNOW, ON THE, ON THE GROUND, BUT IT WAS FULL OF DIRT.
WE STARTED, UH, KIND OF LIKE WITH A, WITH WITH A SHOVEL CLEANING IT UP.
UH, THAT OBVIOUSLY IT IS 14, THAT, THAT'S A REPAIRED PAD.
[00:25:01]
THE, THESE ARE THE ONLY TWO NEW ONES.UM, BUT THE ACTUAL DRIVEWAY WAS, THAT WAS ALL REPAIRED UNDERNEATH BELOW.
I MEAN, IT, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT HAD THE, UH, IT HAD PART OF IT.
SO WE BASICALLY POURED SOME ON TOP SO THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DRIVE OUR CAR IN THE, THE, UH, GATE RAIL WAS THERE.
I, I DIDN'T TAKE A PICTURE OF IT, BUT WE REMOVED IT.
WE LEFT IT THERE THAT WAY IT WHERE THE GATE WERE OPEN, OPEN AND CLOSE.
IS THAT ALL, UM, YOU WANTED TO MENTION ABOUT YOUR CASE, SIR? YES.
WE, WOULD YOU SAY THAT AGAIN? WHATEVER YOU GUYS WOULD LIKE.
SIR, YOU'RE CUTTING OUT JUST A, A BIT.
UH, WOULD YOU MIND REPEATING THAT? I'M SAYING THAT WE WANT TO BE CONFINED, SO WHATEVER TO DO, WE CAN 10 FOOT BY WHATEVER IT IS.
UH, LET ME ASK MY COLLEAGUES IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS AND UM, WE'LL MOVE, WE'LL CARRY ON.
ANY QUESTIONS FROM COLLEAGUES ON MY LEFT? YEAH, I JUST HAVE ONE, UH, GO AHEAD.
UH, SIR, ARE YOU SAYING THAT THE, THE PAD THAT YOU POURED IS ON TOP OF AN EXISTING PAD? THAT THE ORIGINAL DRIVEWAY WAS 14 FEET? YES, IT WAS PARTIAL.
UH, BUT WHEN WE STARTED CLEANING IT UP, REMOVING UP DIRT, IT WAS PARTIAL.
IT WAS JUST ONES WHERE THE TIRE TIRES WOULD DRIVE OLD.
HE JUST SAID THERE WAS SOME CONCRETE, THERE WAS SOME CONCRETE ON THERE, BUT IT'S FULL OF DIRT.
ANYTHING FURTHER? AND COMMISSIONERS, JUST A REMINDER, MY APOLOGIES FOR THE INTERRUPTION.
UH, WE DO HAVE A VOICEMAIL FOR THIS ITEM AS WELL.
YOU WANNA GO AHEAD AND PLAY THAT? SURE THING.
HELLO, THIS IS LULU FRANCOIS CHAIRWOMAN OF THE DIGNITY HILL HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD REVIEW COMMITTEE CALLING IN ON CASE NUMBER 3 13 8 26 DAWSON STREET.
WE AGREE WITH STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION NOT TO APPROVE THIS REQUEST.
THE DRIVEWAY MUST BE REDUCED TO THE STANDARD 10 FEET IN WIDTH AS IS OUTLINED IN THE HISTORIC GUIDELINES.
IN ADDITION, THE SIDEWALK LEADING FROM THE DRIVEWAY TO THE FRONT YARD WALKWAY MUST BE ONE SOLID POROUS CEMENT, NOT 33 BY 36 INCH CONCRETE PADS.
WE ALSO HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS THAT WE WOULD LIKE CONFIRMATION ON.
THERE'S A NEW CEMENT STEP RIGHT UNDER THE DOOR THAT SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN ADDED TO THE PORCH.
WAS THIS APPROVED? SINCE WE DON'T HAVE ANY PICTURES OF THE FRONT SIDEWALK LEADING TO THE PORCH, WAS THAT REPLACED? AND IF IT WAS, IS IT ONE SOLID POUR OF CONCRETE OR IS IT ALSO CONCRETE PADS IN ADDITION, HOW TALL IS THE FENCE AND THE GATE? NORMALLY GATES MUST BE EVEN WITH THE FRONT FACADE OF THE HOUSE AND NOT AT THE FRONT OF THE PROPERLY LINE, WAS THE FENCE APPROVED TO INCLUDE THE LOCATION AND THE HEIGHT? THANK YOU.
UM, AGAIN, WAS THERE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS AFTER THAT? AM I RIGHT? NO, I MAKE A QUESTION.
UM, I I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT WHY, UH, SIR, DID YOU, UH, MAKE THE DRIVEWAY, UH, THAT ADDITIONAL 14 FEET VERSUS IT JUST BEING THE STANDARD 10 FEET? UH, I, I, I JUST, THIS, IF YOU LOOK AT THE GATE, UH, IT, IT HAS THE PIECE RAIL THAT GOES ALL THE WAY TO THE
UM, AND SO I WANT TO BE ABLE I TO NOT GET HIT WHEN WE OPEN THE GATE.
THE ONE KIND OF LIKE THE, THE, I WANNA SAY BE MORE HERE TO DRIVE INTO THE DRIVEWAY, WHETHER BEING, GETTING HIT BY, YOU KNOW, WITH THE GATE OR THIS IS A SMALL 10 FEET CENTER.
IS IT A, SORRY, YOU WERE CUTTING OUT A LOT.
UM, IS IT BECAUSE YOU WANTED THE SWING? IS IT A SWING GATE AND THEN, OR DOES IT IT IS NOT A SWING
[00:30:01]
GATE.RIGHT? IT ROLLS ALONG THE BACK OF THE FENCE THAT IS EXISTING? YES.
I GUESS THERE'S NO REAL BIG PURPOSE SO THE PARKS CAN FIT BETTER, THAT'S ALL.
UM, AND THEN THERE WERE SOME QUESTIONS FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD ABOUT THE FRONT FENCE.
I KNOW THAT IS NOT UP FOR DISCUSSION RIGHT NOW, BUT, UM, WAS THAT SOMETHING Y'ALL INSTALLED? IT'S BEEN LIKE THAT.
UM, OKAY, WE'RE JUST HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE DRIVEWAY AND THE SIDEWALK LEADING TO FROM THE DRIVEWAY CHAIR.
I JUST WAS GOING TO ECHO THAT.
UM, I KNOW THAT THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE DISCUSSING, BUT I JUST WOULD ENCOURAGE THE APPLICANT TO GET WITH THE, UM, HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF THEIR, OF THEIR GROUP.
UM, BECAUSE CLEARLY THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY HAS SEVERAL QUESTIONS AND, UM, WE WOULDN'T WANT THEM TO HAVE TO COME BACK TO ANOTHER MEETING LIKE THIS.
SO, UM, I WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE THE APPLICANT TO TALK TO THEIR SOCI, THEIR, THEIR, UM, HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
YOU MEANT, UH, IS IT IN REGARDS TO THE FA YOU MEANT THE NEIGHBORHOOD, RIGHT? YEAH.
UH, SHE WAS MENTIONING, UH, OR REQUESTING THAT YOU WORK WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THE DIGNITY HILL ASSOCIATION.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU.
IF NOT, I'M READY FOR A MOTION, PLEASE.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION, UH, THAT WE SUPPORT, THAT WE SUPPORT STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION NOT, UM, TO APPROVE THE REQUEST OF THE CONCRETE SIDEWALK.
UM, WELL, THE RECOMMENDATION TO CUT IT BACK TO 10 FEET, THAT WE DO SUPPORT THAT, AND THAT WE ALSO SUPPORT THE RECOMMENDATION, UH, TO INSTALL A CONCRETE WALKWAY, UM, FROM THE DRIVEWAY TO THE CENTRAL WALKWAY AT THE FRONT ENTRANCE, UH, TO THE PRIMARY STRUCTURE BASED ON THE FINDINGS.
CAN EVERY ROLL CALL PLEASE, DAVIS? AYE.
UM, SIR, PLEASE WORK WITH STAFF ON NEXT STEPS.
ITEM NUMBER EIGHT, FOR, UH, UH, CTAP CASE 2025 DASH 3 0 6.
FOR 3 23 CALLAHAN AVENUE, THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS FOR APPROVAL TO REPLACE 13 HISTORIC WOOD WINDOWS ON THE PRIMARY STRUCTURE WITH CLAD WOOD P RESERVE WINDOW.
PRODUCT STAFF DOES NOT RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF WINDOW REPLACEMENT.
EXISTING WINDOWS SHOULD BE REPAIRED AND RETROFITTED CONSISTENT WITH THE GUIDELINES.
THE APPLICANT'S ED AND LINDA LEAF ARE HERE IN PERSON, UH, ED AND LINDA, IF YOU'D LIKE TO APPROACH THE PODIUM, YOU'LL HAVE 15 MINUTES TO PRESENT YOUR REQUEST AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THE COMMISSIONERS MAY HAVE.
AND PLEASE STATE YOUR NAMES AND YOUR CASE.
HI, I'M LINDA KOHE AND EDWARD LEAF.
YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT YOUR REQUEST, SIR? YEAH, WE, WE, WE UNDERSTAND WHY IT'S NOT BEING APPROVED TO REPLACE THE WINDOWS.
OUR CONCERN IS WE, WE JUST WANTED TO SHARE OUR CONCERNS ABOUT THE EFFICIENCY AND YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH, HOW MUCH, UH, ENERGY WE LOSE OUT OF THOSE WINDOWS.
AND OUR WONDERING RING IF THE WINDOWS CAN BE MADE TO LOOK EXACTLY THE SAME AS THEY AS THE HISTORIC WINDOWS, THEN NOT REALLY SURE ABOUT WHY WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT IT, IT LOOKS THE SAME.
THEN WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT? AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT, UM, THERE'S A PREFERENCE IN THE REGULATIONS FOR KEEPING ALL OLD MATERIALS.
UM, BUT WE ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S NO, UH, ACCOMMODATION OR CONCERN IN THE REGULATIONS FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY.
UM, AND THESE WINDOWS WERE PROBABLY GREAT IN 1900 WHEN THEY WERE BUILT, BUT I'M SURE THAT IF THOSE BUILDERS WERE BUILDING TODAY,
[00:35:01]
THEY WOULD NOT PUT A SINGLE PANE OF GLASS IN THERE.AND IT'S ALSO, UH, MY CONCERN, I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT, UM, OUR EFFECT ON CLIMATE CHANGE.
AND THE CURRENT SAN ANTONIO BUILDING REGULATIONS FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION SPECIFY THAT WINDOWS HAVE TO HAVE A U VALUE OF 0.4 OR LESS.
AND IT'S ESTIMATED THAT WINDOWS OF THIS SIDE HAVE A U VALUE OF ABOUT FIVE AND A HALF.
SO THEY'RE NOT ONLY JUST SLIGHTLY INEFFICIENT, THEY'RE WILDLY INEFFICIENT.
AND SO, UH, WE'RE ALSO STARTING A DIALOGUE WITH THE CITY COUNCIL 'CAUSE WE UNDERSTAND THEY NEED TO, UH, MAKE ANY SORT OF CHANGES TO THESE RE, YOU KNOW, RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, BUT WE AT LEAST WANTED TO GET ON THE RECORD SAYING THAT IT IS A CONCERN OF OURS AND WE'RE NOT TRYING TO CHANGE HOW THE HOUSE LOOKS.
WE LOVE THAT WE BOUGHT THE HOUSE BECAUSE WE LOVE THE WAY IT LOOKS, BUT WE ALSO WANT TO MAKE IT THE BEST HOUSE POSSIBLE.
IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS FROM MY COLLEAGUES ON THE LEFT? YEAH, I JUST HAVE ONE MAYBE FOR STAFF.
THERE'S A LETTER IN THERE THAT SAYS, UH, THE CONDITION OF THE WINDOWS.
IS THAT, HAVE YOU GUYS BEEN ABLE TO LOOK AT THE WINDOWS? OR, I CAN ANSWER THAT.
SO I DID A SITE VISIT ON THIS PROPERTY AND ASSESSED EVERY WINDOW, BOTH THE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE CONDITION OF THE, UH, OF THE WINDOWS.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, BASED ON OUR GUIDELINES, YOU KNOW, WE DETERMINED THAT THESE WINDOWS ARE IN EXCELLENT SHAPE.
YOU KNOW, THE, THEY, THEY COULD USE A LITTLE BIT OF REFRAMING OR A LITTLE BIT OF RESTORATION WORK TO MAKE THEM OPEN AND SEALED BETTER FOR SURE.
BUT, UM, OVERALL THE, THE CONDITION OF THE WINDOWS BASED ON OUR GUIDELINES AND OUR ASSESSMENT IS IN EXCELLENT AND VERY, UM, AND REPAIRABLE SHAPE.
AND THEN I JUST HAVE ONE QUESTION FOR THE APPLICANTS.
THE WINDOWS THAT YOU GUYS ARE PROPOSING, YOU KIND OF ARE SAYING LOOK EXACTLY THE SAME AS THESE WINDOWS, BUT THEY'RE BETTER EFFICIENCY.
AND I WAS JUST CURIOUS IF THERE WERE OTHER EXISTING PHOTOS OF THOSE, BECAUSE I SEE LIKE IN THE SCHEMATICS, BUT YOU CAN'T REALLY, LIKE, THERE'S NOT ENOUGH DETAIL TO SEE HOW THEY COMPARE.
ARE YOU ASKING THE PROPOSED REPLACEMENTS? UM, NO, BECAUSE THEY DON'T EXIST YET.
THEY'RE GOING TO BE CUSTOM MADE.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE IDEA IS THAT, UM, ANYTHING WE COULD HAVE FOUND THAT IS, UH, OFF THE SHELF WOULDN'T COME CLOSE TO MATCHING THE LINES OF THE CURRENT WINDOWS.
SO THAT'S WHY WE WENT WITH A COMPANY THAT CAN CUSTOM BUILD THE WINDOWS TO THOSE SPECIFICATIONS.
AND SO DOES THAT INCLUDE LIKE ALL THE TRIM AND LIKE THE, LIKE THEY WOULD CUT THE WOOD TO REPLACE THE SAME PIECES AND IT WOULD BE LIKE A REPLICA, BUT EFFICIENT? I BELIEVE THAT THEY SAID THE OUTSIDE, UM, YOU, YOU SAW THE THING, THE APPLICATION, UM, THE OUTSIDE PART WOULD BE REPLACED, BUT THE INSIDE PART WOULD REMAIN THE SAME.
IT WOULD BE TAKEN FROM THE OUTSIDE.
SO, UM, THE OTHER THING IS, IS I KNOW THAT WINDOWS OF THIS AGE ARE, ARE VALUED.
UH, WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COMPANY TAKES THEM OUT AS GENTLY AS POSSIBLE AND BE WILLING TO DONATE THEM OR
IF THEY WOULD BE FITTING FOR SOME OTHER PROJECT.
WE'RE NOT GONNA JUST THROW 'EM IN THE DUMP IF, IF WE DON'T HAVE TO.
ANY FURTHER FROM COMMISSIONER DAVIS? I, I JUST HAVE A DISCUSSION POINT AND I IN KIND OF LINE, LET ME MAKE SURE THAT SHE WAS DONE FIRST.
YEAH, IN LINE WHAT SHE SAID, I THINK BEFORE I WERE TO APPROVE THAT I WOULD NEED TO SEE SOME KIND OF ILLUSTRATION OR SAMPLE OF WHAT THE REPLACEMENT WINDOW WOULD BE.
DIDN'T THEY SEND US PICTURES THAT THEY RENDERED? THEY RENDERED SOME PICTURES.
I DIDN'T SEE THE ACTUAL APPLICATION.
'CAUSE THEY SAID THEY'VE WORKED WITH YOU GUYS BEFORE AND KNOW LIKE THE REQUIREMENTS.
SO I BELIEVE THEY HAD THE SOMETHING SUBMITTED.
SO COMMISSIONERS, WHAT YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN IS, IS WHAT THE APPLICANT SUBMITTED.
ARE THOSE, ARE THEY FULLY WOOD OR WHAT ARE THEY? YEAH, THEY'RE WOOD.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR MY COLLEAGUE ON THE RIGHT? OH, GO AHEAD.
UH, FULLER COMMISSIONER FCI, I I WANT TO, UH, MAKE A, A COMMENT AND A QUESTION.
UM, FIRST I AM, I'M THRILLED THAT YOU'RE HERE TO, TO MAKE THIS, UH, THIS POINT AND TO ADVOCATE BECAUSE
[00:40:01]
ADAPTATION IS BECOMING EV INCREASINGLY MORE OF A CHALLENGE FOR ALL OF US, WHETHER IT'S HEAT OR NINE INCH RAINFALLS OR, OR DROUGHT OR SOME COMBINATION.UM, AND IT'S A STRUGGLE, I THINK, IN, IN THE PRESERVATION COMMUNITY TO, TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE BALANCE THESE IMPORTANT VALUES.
I REMEMBER OVER 20 YEARS AGO WHEN I WAS IN PRESERVATION GRAD SCHOOL, THE FIRST LEAD GUIDELINES WERE COMING OUT AND, AND WE WERE, THERE WAS A LOT OF CONSTERNATION IN THE PRESERVATION FIELD THAT, UM, WE TOO CAN BE PRO-CON CONSERVATION AND, AND ENERGY EFFICIENT.
BUT THE, THE WAY THE ORIGINAL LEAD GUIDELINES WERE WRITTEN, THERE WAS VERY LITTLE VALUE GIVEN TO, UM, YOU KNOW, EMBODIED ENERGY AND PRESERVATION AND, AND, AND OTHER ASPECTS OF IT.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S AN EVOLVING CONVERSATION THAT CLEARLY HAS A LONG WAY STILL TO GO
UM, AND I THINK ADVOCATES LIKE YOURSELVES ARE HELPING TO MOVE THAT DOWN THE ROAD IN THE LITERAL BRICKS AND MORTAR AND GLASS, UM, HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
SO I HOPE YOU YOU CONTINUE THIS AND I'M, I'M WONDERING TOO, UM, YOU, YOU MIGHT, UH, HAVE SOME LUCK TALKING ABOUT THE CONSERVATION SOCIETY AND I'M WONDERING MAYBE THEY COULD SET UP A SERIES OF TOURS ON HOW, UH, YOU KNOW, UM, ADAPTATION FOR HOT SUMMERS HAS BEEN THE CASE FOR OVER 300 YEARS BECAUSE AIR CONDITIONING'S RELATIVELY NEW HERE AND YET PEOPLE HAVE BEEN LIVING HERE A LONG TIME.
SO WHETHER IT'S THE THICK DRAPES ON THE WINDOWS IN THE SUMMER OR THE REST, IT WOULD BE AN INTERESTING WAY FOR THEM TO ENGAGE ON SOME OF THIS AND, AND, UH, FIND HOUSES LIKE YOURS THAT WERE PRE BUILT PRE AIR CONDITIONING ON, ON, ON HOW PEOPLE SURVIVED THE SUMMERS HERE.
UM, UH, ONE FINAL THING, I DON'T KNOW IF, IF YOU'VE TALKED TO THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY, BECAUSE I BELIEVE THEY'VE BEEN IN CONVERSATIONS WITH OHB TWO.
NO, THIS IS OUR FIRST, UH, ENGAGEMENT
I DID WANNA POINT OUT THE PHOTO THAT'S BEING SHOWN NOW.
THE PREVIOUS OWNERS IN AN EFFORT TO DEAL WITH THE HEAT INSTALLED THE COLLAPSIBLE SHUTTERS ON THE INSIDE, AND THEY COMPLETELY CLOSE.
AND YOU DO NEED TO USE THOSE IN THE SUMMER WHEN THE SUN'S COMING IN.
AND EVEN THEN THEY, THEY, THEY HELP A LOT, BUT THEY DON'T MITIGATE ALL THE LOSS.
AND JUST, JUST, UH, SO YOU KNOW, OUT OF THE, IS IT 11 OR 13 WINDOWS? 13 OUT OF THOSE, ONLY ONE WILL OPEN RIGHT NOW.
ANY FURTHER? UM, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT.
I REALLY FIND IT, UM, COMMENDABLE THAT YOU'RE INTERESTED IN, UM, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT SUSTAINABILITY AS AN ISSUE IN TERMS OF, UM, HEAT LOSS OR COOL COOLING LOSS, WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE, UM, AND HOW THAT CAN IMPACT, UH, THE ENVIRONMENT.
UM, I DO THINK HOWEVER, THAT, GIVEN WHAT WAS STATED ABOUT THE, UM, KIND OF CONDITION OF YOUR WINDOWS, THAT IT WOULD BE REALLY UNFORTUNATE AT THIS POINT IF YOU WERE TO HAVE, IF YOU WERE TO REMOVE THEM.
UH, BUT I ALSO UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERNS AND I GUESS I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU OR MAYBE JUST A SUGGESTION.
AND THAT IS THAT, UM, SEVERAL YEARS AGO, A FRIEND OF MINE WHO LIVES IN BAJA, KING WILLIAM, UM, SHOWED ME THESE INSERTS THAT THEY PUT IN THE WINDOWS, UM, BEHIND THE EXISTING WINDOW.
AND THAT WAS FOR INCREASED ENERGY EFFICIENCY BECAUSE IT BASICALLY, I GUESS IN A WAY WORKED AS A STORM SHUTTER, BUT YOU COULDN'T SEE IT FROM THE OUTSIDE.
AND, UM, IT HELPED A LOT WITH THE ISSUES THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
AND THE ONE CONCERN IS THAT, YOU KNOW, YEAH, IT IS PRETTY MUCH A PANEL THAT GOES IN BEHIND, SO YOU CAN'T OPEN THE WINDOWS, BUT YOU JUST SAID THEY DON'T OPEN.
SO I DON'T FEEL BAD ABOUT MAKING THIS RECOMMENDATION AS A POTENTIAL THING THAT YOU MIGHT WANNA LOOK INTO AS WELL.
UM, THE OTHER PART ABOUT THE NOT OPENING IS EAGER EGRESS CONCERNS, BUT REPAIRING THEM WOULD, WOULD ADDRESS THAT.
SO THAT'S WHY WE DIDN'T BRING THAT UP.
BUT HAVING, I, I'VE YET TO SEE, I'VE SEEN SEVERAL EXAMPLES OF WHAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING, AND THEY SEVERELY IMPACT THE VIEW FROM THE INSIDE OUT, WHICH IS
YOU KNOW, WE, WE LIKE OUR VIEWS, WE LIKE THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND, AND WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO LOOK OUT ON, AT OUR GARDEN OR WHATEVER.
SO THAT, THAT'S WHAT WE MAY END UP HAVING TO DO.
BUT, UM, EITHER WAY, YOU KNOW, IT WOULDN'T BE IDEAL.
I'VE JUST GOTTA SAY, YOU'VE GOT A BEAUTIFUL HOUSE AND, UH, BEAUTIFUL GARDENS AND, UM, BEAUTIFUL WINDOWS,
THOSE ARE THE, THE SOUL OF THE HOME.
[00:45:01]
MUCH AS YOU LOVE THE HOME, UH, THE WINDOWS ARE A INTEGRAL PART OF THAT HOME.AND, UH, I'VE GOTTA ADVOCATE FOR RESTORATION AND PRESERVATION OF THOSE WINDOWS.
THOSE WINDOWS ARE ALMOST LIKE AN ARTIFACT YOU'D FIND IN A MUSEUM.
AND, UM, YOU JUST GOTTA PRESERVE THEM AS WELL AS YOU CAN.
THERE ARE EXPERTS OUT THERE THAT DO, UH, MAKE THEM MORE EFFICIENT.
THERE ARE FOLKS OUT THERE, UM, WHO WILL HELP YOU DOWN, SHAVE IT DOWN TO THE ORIGINAL WOOD THAT WILL MAKE IT MORE EFFICIENT.
UH, THERE'S A PROFESSIONAL RIGHT THERE IN, IN THE ROOM, UH, THAT DOES A LOT OF WINDOW WORK IN AROUND SAN ANTONIO.
I JUST GOTTA ADVOCATE FOR THAT.
AND, UM, I WILL NOT BE SUPPORTING YOUR REQUEST.
BUT, UH, JUST WANTED TO SAY, UH, IT'S BEAUTIFUL AND I COMMEND YOU FOR WANTING TO PRESERVE THE STYLE, BUT, UM, YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S IT.
AND THANK YOU FOR COMING BEFORE THE COMMISSION.
UH, LOTS OF PEOPLE JUST START TEARING OUT WINDOWS AND, UH, DOING THINGS THEY'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO, AND YOU'RE DOING THE RIGHT THING.
AND, UM, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING UP THE ISSUE ABOUT THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY THAT IS A CONCERN, BUT THAT ALSO CAN BE ADDRESSED THROUGH RESTORATION.
UM, SO PLEASE WORK WITH THE, ONE OF OUR LOCAL EXPERTS ON RESTORATION.
UM, BUT BESIDES THAT, IS THERE ANYTHING FURTHER FROM COMMENT WISE? YEAH, I, I DO JUST HAVE KIND OF LIKE A GENERAL OVERALL COMMENT.
'CAUSE I THINK, AT LEAST FOR ME, THIS IS REALLY A CASE OF FIRST IMPRESSION WHERE SOMEONE HAS WALKED IN AND SAID, WE CAN A HUNDRED PERCENT REPLICATE THE LOOK OF THESE WINDOWS AND INCREASE EFFICIENCY.
BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE MOST OF THE TIME IT'S WINDOWS COMING OUT AND IT'S JUST, UM, LIKE STOCK WINDOWS GOING BACK IN OR WINDOW, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE VINYL OR THEY'RE, WHATEVER THEY ARE.
AND SO WHEN I READ LIKE THE STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE ORIGINAL WOOD WINDOW REPLACEMENT, RIGHT? WE'RE NOT REALLY TALKING ABOUT REPAIR.
WE'RE KIND OF TALKING ABOUT LIKE, UM, UH, LIKE, UH, BETTERING I THINK IN A WAY, UM, FOR EVERYONE IF WE'RE STILL, SO I LOOKS WISE, RIGHT? IS IT THE LOOK OF THE GLASS? LIKE IS IT THE, I MEAN, IF THEY CAN REPLICATE THE WINDOW, HOW WOULD ANYONE KNOW? THAT WAS KIND OF OUR THINKING.
LIKE THE IMPORTANT PART IS PRESERVING THE LOOK OF THE HOUSE.
WELL, AND I'LL, I'LL SAY IT'S ALSO PRESERVING THE COMPONENTS, WHICH YOU SAID YOU DO LIKE TO, TO DECONSTRUCT AND MAKE SURE THEY'RE USABLE FOR SOMETHING ELSE.
AND I DON'T KNOW, IT SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR THOSE WINDOWS FOR REPLACEMENT IF THEY ARE AN EXCELLENT CONDITION.
UM, BUT WHAT IS IT SPECIFICALLY IF IT'S NOT REPAIR, IT'S JUST LIKE A PROHIBITION ON REMOVING.
I JUST WANNA REMIND YOU, WE DO HAVE A, IN A IN-PERSON SPEAKER FOR THIS ITEM, SO I DON'T WANNA GET INTO A MOTION BEFORE WE HEAR FROM THEM.
UM, SO YES, TO LIKE THE UNTRAINED EYE, IT'S GONNA LOOK VERY SIMILAR.
UM, THE MAIN DIFFERENCE IS THAT THESE WINDOWS ARE ESSENTIALLY BUILT INTO THE HOUSE.
THERE'S A TOP SASH AND A BOTTOM SASH THAT ARE HELD TOGETHER BY A WINDOW JAM WITHIN THE FRAME, UM, WITH A REPLACEMENT WINDOW.
IT'S ONE, UH, PRODUCT THAT, UM, IS INSERTED AND IT'S ON A TRACK SYSTEM.
AND SO YOU CAN SEE THAT TRACK AND THAT'S LIKE A LITTLE BIT OF A DISTINGUISHABLE, UH, UH, FEATURE THAT YOU CAN, HELPS YOU SPOT A REPLACEMENT WINDOW.
UM, BUT WE ARE ALSO JUST PER THE GUIDELINES, WE ALWAYS, UH, EMPHASIZE RETENTION AND REPAIR OF ORIGINAL MATERIALS WHEN POSSIBLE BEFORE WE LOOK INTO ANY REPLACEMENT.
THAT'S THE SAME FOR SIDING, THAT'S THE SAME FOR, UM, PORCH FEATURES AND COLUMNS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO WE ALWAYS LOOK AT REPAIR VERSUS REPLACE.
UM, I DO WANT TO SAY THAT ENERGY EFFICIENCY IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE ABSOLUTELY, UM, OUR POLICY SUPPORTS.
UM, BUT WE'RE LOOKING AT DIFFERENT THINGS HERE.
SO THERE'S, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT REDUCING YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT IN YOUR HOME, YOU HAVE THE OPERATIONAL LOAD OF YOUR HEATING AND COOLING, BUT THEN YOU ALSO HAVE THE EMBODIED CARBON, LIKE, UH, COMMISSIONER FULLERTON MENTIONED, UM, THE EMBODIED ENERGY.
EVERYTHING THAT GOES INTO HARVESTING THE MATERIALS AND MAKING PRODUCTS THAT GO INTO YOUR HOME.
WHERE DO THEY COME FROM? WHAT COUNTRY, WHAT PLACE IN THE WORLD? HOW DID THEY GET HERE? HOW LONG DO THEY LAST? DO YOU HAVE TO REPLACE THEM AGAIN AFTER A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME? UM, AND I DON'T WANNA SAY ANYTHING DISPARAGING ABOUT THIS PRODUCT BECAUSE IT IS A HIGH END PRODUCT.
YOU'RE GONNA SPEND A LOT OF MONEY IF THIS IS APPROVED.
UM, BUT THE, THE WOOD QUALITY IS JUST NOT THE SAME.
AND SO WE HAVE SEEN IN OTHER CASES, AND I'M NOT SAYING THIS IS GONNA HAPPEN HERE, BUT WITH A WOOD REPLACEMENT
[00:50:01]
PRODUCT THAT HAS SIMPLY NOT LASTED MORE THAN 10 YEARS BEFORE WOOD ROT AND OTHER MAINTENANCE ISSUES COME INTO PLAY, YOU DO HAVE TO PAINT THESE PRETTY REGULARLY.IT'S NOT A, IT'S NOT A, A MAINTENANCE FREE PRODUCT.
THANK YOU, COREY, FOR THAT ADDITIONAL MR. CHAIR.
CAN I ADD ONE MORE THING? GO AHEAD.
UM, I READ THAT THERE ARE CITIES IN CHINA,
AND, UM, AS A, AS A THOUGHT EXPERIMENT, IMAGINE IF SOME OTHER PLACE IN THE WORLD BUILT, UM, AN EXACT REPLICA OF THE LAVACCA HISTORIC DISTRICT, UM, TO SAY, THIS IS, THIS IS SAN ANTONIO AND, YOU KNOW, PICK YOUR PLACE TO JUST DROP IT RIGHT ON END.
BUT WITH, YOU KNOW, THE IMPROVEMENTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE, UH, TECHNOLOGY AND DOUBLE OR TRIPLE SASH WINDOWS AND, AND THESE THINGS, UM, AND, AND DOUBLE AND TRIPLE, UH, PANE WINDOWS.
WHAT WOULD THE DIFFERENCE BE BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, LAVACCA ONE AND LAVACCA TWO? UM, AND WHAT IS IT ABOUT OURS THAT MAKES IT UNIQUE AND SPECIAL TO THIS PLACE? AND I THINK PART OF IT IS THE MATERIALS AND, AND AS WE JUST HEARD, UM, THESE MATERIALS, UM, ARE SPECIAL TO A PARTICULAR PLACE AND EVEN A PARTICULAR TIME.
UM, YOU KNOW, IF, IF YOU LOOK AT THEM AS ARTIFACTS OR AS ARCHEOLOGISTS IN A HUNDRED, 200 YEARS OR MORE, YOU KNOW, THEY'LL SAY, WELL, BASED ON THE GROWTH RINGS IN THE WOOD HERE, YOU KNOW, IN THE RAFTERS, UH, OR IN THE WINDOWS, THIS APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN BROUGHT IN BY RAIL, WHICH HAD ONLY BEEN IN SAN ANTONIO FOR 30 YEARS.
UM, THAT'S THE ONLY REASON THEY COULD BUILD THIS HERE.
AND, UH, IT CAME FROM MISSISSIPPI AS OPPOSED TO WOOD TODAY, WHICH MIGHT COME FROM CANADA OR SOMEWHERE ELSE.
AND IT'S NOT THAT, UM, THERE'S ANYTHING WRONG WITH CANADIAN WOOD PER SE.
I'M JUST SAYING THAT IT TELLS A SPECIFIC STORY ABOUT THAT POINT IN TIME AND, AND WE'RE HELPING TO BE STEWARDS OF THAT AS WE PROTECT THESE MATERIALS AS MUCH AS WE CAN TO REPAIR AND REPLACE ONLY WHEN, WHEN, WHEN NECESSARY.
THAT WOULD BE MY, MY ARGUMENT.
I I WOULD JUST LIKE TO ADD A COMMENT BUILDING ON BOTH, UM, WHAT STAFF SAID AND WHAT YOU SAID.
AND THAT IS THAT, UM, IN A HISTORIC DISTRICT THAT IS AS OLD AS THIS ONE AND YOUR HOUSE AS OLD AS IT IS, ONE OF THE REASONS THAT, UM, IT'S REQUESTED THAT THE WINDOWS BE REPAIRED INSTEAD OF REPLACED IS THAT, UM, THE TYPE OF WOOD THAT YOUR WINDOWS ARE MADE OF CURRENTLY, UH, YOU CAN'T GET THE QUALITY OF THAT WOOD ANYMORE.
THAT'S CALLED OLD GROWTH, RIGHT? SO THOSE TREES LIVED FOR A LONG TIME GOING THROUGH THE CYCLES OF GROWTH IN A WAY THAT NO MATTER HOW EXPENSIVE YOUR WINDOWS ARE, NOW, THOSE TREES DO NOT, THEY GO THROUGH A MUCH SHORTER LIFECYCLE AND THEY'RE USUALLY RAISED ON TREE FARMS WHERE IT'S LIKE THEY'RE EATING LIKE AT A BUFFET EVERY DAY.
SO THE CELL CELLULAR ON THE CELLULAR LEVEL OF THE WOOD, UM, THE CELLS ARE MUCH LARGER BECAUSE THEY'RE IN CONSTANT MOISTURE, THEY'RE CONSTANTLY EATING.
SO THE STRENGTH IS NOT THE SAME WHEN, UM, YOU HAVE A TREE THAT GOES THROUGH WHAT'S CALLED, UM, SPRINGWOOD AND SUMMER WOOD, WOOD CYCLES WHERE IT'S ACTUALLY, UM, KIND OF HARDENED AND THEN IT GROWS, AND THEN THE CELLS ARE SMALLER IN THE SUMMER BECAUSE THERE'S LESS MOISTURE.
AND ALL OF THAT GIVES YOU THE QUALITY OF THE WOOD OF YOUR WINDOWS NOW, WHICH IS ALSO ONE REASON THAT HISTORIC DISTRICTS WANT YOU TO SAVE THOSE WINDOWS AND JUST REPAIR THEM.
AND THERE ARE DRAWBACKS TO THAT.
UM, BUT BY THE SAME TOKEN, I, I'M, I'M FAMILIAR WITH THE PELLA PRODUCT AND I KNOW IT'S EXCELLENT, BUT I ALSO KNOW THAT IT'S NOT THE SAME QUALITY OF WOOD.
AND THAT WOULD BE MY CONCERN IS THAT IN 10, 15 YEARS YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN WHERE THESE, UH, THESE WINDOWS HAVE LASTED, WHAT, A HUNDRED YEARS? MM-HMM
UM, ONE, I'VE HAD P WINDOWS AND I SAW THEM RECENTLY, AND THAT'S COMING UP ON 40 YEARS AND THEY'RE STILL FINE.
SO IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THAT THEY'RE GONNA LAST 10 YEARS.
I'VE NEVER EVER SEEN THAT HAPPEN.
UH, BUT TWO, I AGREE THE WOOD IS FAR SUPERIOR, THE OLD GROWTH WOOD.
UM, BUT IT COULD MAKE THE EXACT SAME ARGUMENT THAT THE GLASS IS FAR INFERIOR, THE GLASS MAKING 125 YEARS
[00:55:01]
AGO, JUST SIMPLY, THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY TO MAKE GLASS THE KIND OF QUALITY THAT IS TODAY.SO IT'S KIND OF A
SO THAT'S PROBABLY, THE OLD GLASS IS BEAUTIFUL.
AND WE COULD GO ON AND ON AND ON ABOUT THE PLUSES MINUS DISAGREE ON MINUSES OF THIS WAVY GLASS.
UH, LIKE WE COULD TALK ABOUT THE GLASS IN IT IF IT WERE THE ORIGINAL WAVY GLASS.
IS, IS YOURS THE ORIGINAL WAVY? CAN YOU TELL ONLY ABOUT A THIRD OR SO? YEAH, YEAH.
THERE'S SEVERAL THAT YOU CAN SEE THE COLORS, YOU WOULDN'T WANNA THROW THAT AWAY.
IT'S NOT ALL ORIGINAL GLASS, BUT YOU WANNA RESTORE THOSE BEAUTIFUL THINGS.
BUT LET'S GO TO OUR IN-PERSON SPEAKER, PLEASE.
COMMISSIONERS, WE HAVE ONE, UH, SPEAKER THAT'S SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
UM, IF YOU'D LIKE TO APPROACH THE PODIUM, YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES TO, TO SPEAK.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME, UH, FOR THE RECORD ONCE YOU GET UP HERE.
UH, I AM A HISTORIC WINDOW PRESERVATIONIST RESTORE.
FIRST OF ALL, I WOULD LIKE TO APPLAUD THE APPLICANTS FOR COMING IN PERSON TODAY TO MAKE THEIR CASE AND NOT JUST TEAR OUT THEIR BEAUTIFUL OLD WINDOWS.
I, I APPRECIATE THAT VERY MUCH.
I ALSO UNDERSTAND THEIR DESIRE FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY, AND I AM HAPPY TO SPEAK ON THAT AND CORRECT SOME MISCONCEPTIONS THAT MOST OF THE AMERICAN PUBLIC HAS ON THIS ISSUE.
UH, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK THE COMMISSIONERS, PARTICULARLY COMMISSIONER GARCIA, FOR HER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT MAKES OLD WOOD WINDOWS SO GREAT, INCLUDING THE QUALITY OF OLD HARDWOOD THAT CANNOT BE BEATEN WITH ANY MODERN PRODUCT HANDS DOWN.
UM, IT IS TRUE THAT THE APPLICANT'S WINDOWS HAVE LASTED A HUNDRED AND TWENTY, A HUNDRED TWENTY FIVE YEARS.
THEY'LL LAST ANOTHER A HUNDRED YEARS WITH PROPER CARE AND MAINTENANCE.
UM, THE GLASS IS BEAUTIFUL AND, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO CORRECT SOME IN SOME MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT OLD GLASS IS NOT AS GOOD AS NEW GLASS.
WHAT MAKES, UH, THE THE TRIPLE PANE, DOUBLE PANE WINDOWS OF TODAY, WHY THOSE ARE HAWKED AS BEING ENERGY EFFICIENT IS SIMPLY THAT THERE IS AIR BETWEEN THEM.
UH, THE PROBLEM IS THE SEALS ON THESE MULTI PANE WINDOWS, THE SEALS ON THIS, THESE DOUBLE PANE WINDOWS, THE SEALS DON'T LAST.
MOST EXPENSIVE WINDOWS DO HAVE SEALS THAT WILL LAST FOR SOME TIME, PERHAPS A FEW DECADES, BUT THE SEALS WILL EVENTUALLY FAIL AND THE THE WINDOWS WILL FOG UP.
AIR IS ALLOWED IN, AND THEN THE WINDOWS HAVE TO BE REPLACED.
GENERALLY, THE WINDOWS HAVE TO BE JUST COMPLETELY TAKEN OUT AND THE WHOLE UNIT HAS TO BE THROWN OUT, AND THAT GOES INTO THE LANDFILL.
IF THE APPLICANTS ARE CONCERNED, AS WE ALL SHOULD BE ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY, IT IS IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT MODERN WINDOWS ARE MADE WITH A LOT OF PETROLEUM PRODUCTS AND NEW WOOD THAT DOES NOT LAST, WHICH IS WHY IT OFTEN HAS TO BE CLAD IN ANOTHER PRODUCT.
UH, THE PRO THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS IS VERY HARMFUL, WHEREAS RESTORING AN OLD WOOD WINDOW GENERATES A MINIMUM OF WASTE, PREVENTS THESE WINDOWS FROM GOING INTO THE LANDFILL, AND IT ALSO USES LOCAL LABOR.
I MYSELF, AM A GRADUATE OF SAN ANTONIO'S LIVING HERITAGE TRADE ACADEMY, AS ARE SEVERAL WINDOW RESTORERS IN TOWN.
EMPLOYING US TO REPAIR OR RESTORE WINDOWS, KEEPS THAT MONEY IN THE LOCAL ECONOMY AND GENERATES SO MUCH LESS WASTE.
AS TO THE SUBJECT OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY, I AM A MEMBER OF THE WINDOW STANDARDS COLLECTIVE, THE WINDOW PRESERVATION STANDARDS COLLABORATIVE, EXCUSE ME, AS WELL AS THE WINDOW PRESERVATION ALLIANCE.
BOTH OUR NATIONAL TRADE GROUPS, THE WPSE HAS CONDUCTED STUDIES FOR THE LAST 15 YEARS ON ENERGY EFFICIENCY WITH OLD WOOD WINDOWS, AND HAS PROVEN THAT IT IS POSSIBLE TO ACHIEVE THE SAME ENERGY EFFICIENCY AS MODERN WINDOWS AND EVEN SURPASS IT WHEN AN OLD HISTORIC WINDOW, A WOOD WINDOW IS PAIRED WITH WEATHER STRIPPING PRODUCTS OR STORM WINDOWS, WHETHER THOSE ARE INTERIOR OR EXTERIOR, THEY PERFORM BETTER AND THEY WILL LAST SO MUCH LONGER.
IF YOU INVEST IN GOOD PRODUCTS AND THE GOOD LABOR TO PUT THEM IN, IT IS POSSIBLE TO ACHIEVE ENERGY EFFICIENCY.
IN A HOT PLACE LIKE SAN ANTONIO, UH, WE WINDOW RESTORES ARE HAPPY TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT THEY SIMPLY MAY NOT BE AWARE OF THE OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO THEM.
THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME SPEAK ON THIS SUBJECT.
AND MA'AM, WHILE YOU'RE UP HERE, UH, IS
[01:00:01]
THERE ANY KIND OF FORUM, LIKE MY COLLEAGUE MENTIONED, THAT Y'ALL HOST ON A WHATEVER BASIS, UH, THAT DOES EDUCATE PUBLIC, BECAUSE THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS SORELY MISSING.IT APPEARS FROM ALL THE CASES THAT WE'VE HAD, UM, TO HELP EDUCATE OUR PUBLIC MM-HMM
WELL, OFFICE OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION WHEN THEY HOST EVENTS SUCH AS THE HOME REPAIR FAIR AS THEY HOSTED LAST MAY.
UH, WE WINDOW RESTORES DO DEMONSTRATIONS AND SHOW HOMEOWNERS OR ANYONE INTERESTED HOW TO PERFORM REPAIRS, BUT WE'RE ALSO AVAILABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.
WE DON'T HAVE A SPECIFIC, UM, YEAH.
PERHAPS THAT IS SOMETHING WE COULD DO BECAUSE I LOVE SPEAKING ABOUT OLD WIND WINDOWS AND EDUCATING PEOPLE ON WHAT MAKES THEM SO GREAT.
UM, I DO WRITE AN ARTICLE FOR MY NEIGHBORHOOD NEWSLETTER, THE MONTICELLO PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, TRYING TO EDUCATE OUR HOMEOWNERS THERE ON HOW TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR WINDOWS AND WHY THEY SHOULD KEEP THEM.
BUT I AGREE, MORE INFORMATION NEEDS TO BE OUT THERE BECAUSE THE WINDOW REPLACEMENT COMPANIES HAVE VERY LARGE ADVERTISING REVENUES AND THEY ARE ABLE TO DROWN US OUT AND UNFORTUNATELY CONVINCE HOMEOWNERS THAT, OH, ARE YOUR WINDOWS MORE THAN FIVE YEARS OLD? IT'S TIME TO REPLACE THEM.
UNFORTUNATELY, THAT CREATES A DEBT CYCLE FOR HOMEOWNERS BECAUSE ON AVERAGE, MOST PEOPLE CAN'T AFFORD THE TOP OF THE LINE REPLACEMENT WINDOWS.
SO THEY ARE BUYING THE, THE LOWER END ONES THAT GO INTO THE LANDFILL EVERY 10 TO 15 YEARS.
AND NOT ONLY IS THAT A TRAGEDY FOR PETROLEUM WASTE GOING INTO OUR LANDFILLS, IT'S A TRAGEDY FOR THE HOMEOWNERS WHO ARE TRAPPED IN A DEBT CYCLE OF REPLACING THESE WINDOWS.
FURTHERMORE, EVERY TIME A HISTORIC WINDOW IS REMOVED, IT DAMAGES THE FRAME.
SO IT'S DAMAGING THE BUILDING ENVELOPE.
AND EVEN A CUSTOM FIT WINDOW IS NOT GOING TO BE THE SAME AS AN ORIGINAL HISTORIC WINDOW, BUT WITH EVERY REPLACEMENT THAT'S EVERY 10 TO 15 YEARS, THAT BUILDING ENVELOPE IS ERODED A LITTLE BIT MORE EVERY TIME AND EVENTUALLY GET TO THE POINT WHERE IT'S, IT'S, IT'S COMPLETELY CHANGED THE BUILDING.
THEY CAN BE KEPT AND REPAIRED, AND WE DO THAT AND MADE OPENABLE AND ABSOLUTELY MAKE THEM OPENABLE AND BEAUTIFUL AND FUNCTIONAL.
UM, THE, WE CAN MAKE IT SO THAT THEY LOOK BEAUTIFUL WHEN YOU LOOK THROUGH THEM, YOUR VIEW IS NOT OBSCURED.
MOST HOMEOWNERS JUST AREN'T AWARE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR, UH, ADVOCACY AND TIME.
UH, IS THERE ANY FURTHER COMMENT? IF NOT, I'LL TAKE A MOTION.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO, UH, SUPPORT STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION, WHICH STATES THAT THEY DO NOT RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF WINDOW REPLACEMENT AND THAT THE EXISTING WINDOWS SHOULD BE REPAIRED AND RETROFITTED CONSISTENT WITH THE GUIDELINES.
CAN I HAVE A ROLL CALL PLEASE? DAVIS? AYE.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR WORKING WITH US ON THIS AND FOR MAKE IT INTO A, MAKING IT INTO A LITTLE EDUCATION, UH, LESSON TOO.
UH, PLEASE WORK WITH PROFESSIONALS LIKE THE ONE THAT SPOKE, UM, THE LIST.
SO AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
NEXT CASE, ITEM NUMBER 10 ON THE COMPLIANCE AND TECHNICAL ADVISORY BOARD AGENDA CASE NUMBER 2 0 2 5 DASH 2 42.
THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS TO REPLACE 31 HISTORIC ONE OVER ONE WOODEN WINDOWS WITH AN ALUMINUM CLAD DOUBLE HUNG WINDOW.
PRODUCT STAFF DOES NOT RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF WINDOW REPLACEMENT.
EXISTING WINDOWS SHOULD BE REPAIRED AND RETROFITTED CONSISTENT WITH THE GUIDELINES.
THE APPLICANT MAY PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION DURING THE REPAIR PROCESS TO DEMONSTRATE THE FEASIBILITY OF RETAINING ORIGINAL MATERIALS IN KIND.
REPLACEMENT MAY BE CONSIDERED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE APPROVAL ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS BASED ON THE SITE VISIT, WINDOWS 25, NUMBER 25 35 AND 36 MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR AN IN-KIND FULLY WOOD REPLACEMENT UPON VERIFICATION BY STAFF.
WE DO HAVE, UM, AN IN-PERSON SPEAKER AND WE HAVE, UM,
[01:05:01]
FELIX PENA WHO IS, UM, ONLINE WITH US.UH, FELIX, YOU ARE ON 15 MINUTES TO PRESENT YOUR REQUEST.
UH, I AM THE HOMEOWNER AT FOUR AND, UM, I'M DOING RENOVATIONS AT THE MOMENT.
I INTEND TO KEEP THE INTEGRITY AND, UM, EVERY SINGLE LOOK ABOUT IT EXACTLY THE SAME.
UH, NOTHING WILL CHANGE, EVEN THE EXACT SAME COLOR WILL STAY THE SAME.
UM, MY APPLICATION IS FOR ANDERSON WINDOWS, UH, SERIES, BUT I THINK THERE'S A INCORRECT BOOK HERE WHERE YOU'RE INDICATING THAT THEY ARE ALUMINUM WINDOWS AND IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE INTERIOR COMPONENT IS WOOD AND THE EXTERIOR IS WRAPPED WITH FIBER GLOVES.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THEY IF THOSE TWO DIFFER, BUT, UM, IF THAT'S QUESTIONABLE THERE.
AND, BUT THE STRUCTURE HAS A TOTAL OF 40 WINDOWS AND, UM, THERE'S AN OUTDOOR PATIO IN THE FRONT, UM, WITH THE OVAL SHAPE OPENINGS.
THAT PATIO WAS CLOSED IN WITH, UH, BLOCKED GLASS AND A ALUMINUM WINDOWS, PERHAPS SOMETIME 1970S OR SO.
UH, MY INTENTIONS ARE TO OPEN THAT PATIO BACK UP, AND I DO HAVE, UH, I GUESS I HAVE PERMISSION TO REMOVE THOSE.
SO THOSE FOUR WINDOWS, UH, NOT BEING ASKED TO BE REPLACED, THERE'S A WINDOW NUMBER SIX SIX, WHICH IS, UH, MOBILE SHAPE, ALSO FACING THE FRONT.
UM, THAT IS A VERY UNIQUE WINDOW.
AND I HAVE, UM, COMMUNICATED WITH ANDERSON WINDOWS THAT IT WOULD BE VERY COSTLY TO REPLICATE THAT WINDOW WITH THE SAME TYPE OF, UH,
AND SO THAT WINDOW, I'M OKAY WITH RESTORING.
UM, EVEN THOUGH THE PIECE TO RE TO RESTORE THAT WINDOW IS MUCH MORE THAN THE ESTIMATED $30,000, UM, UH, GIVEN BY ANDERSON WINDOWS.
UM, THE REMAINDER OF THE ENTIRE WINDOWS FOR IMP
THERE'S GOING TO BE NO DIFFERENT.
THEY'RE GONNA BE PAINTED THE EXACT SAME COLOR.
UM, ANYONE IN DRIVING THE, ANYONE DRIVING INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD IN COAT, INCLUDING PROBABLY A TOUR BUSES, IF YOU, IF YOU WANT TO SAY YOU'RE GONNA SEE EXACTLY WHAT'S THERE.
THE STRUCTURE WAS BUILT TILL 1915.
AND, UH, I AM IN DISAGREEMENT WITH THE, WITH THE COMMITTEE AND ALSO WITH, UH, MY CASE MANAGER.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE HIGH TECH PAYING PROPERTY OWNERS AND WE SHOULD NOT BE SUBJECTED TO COVID-19 15.
UM, REGARDING, UH, ENERGY EFFICIENCY.
I WAS THERE LAST WINTER AND I CAUGHT A MAJOR FLU BECAUSE THE NEEDLES DO ABSOLUTELY NOTHING FOR, FOR THE WEATHER.
THIS LADY THAT SPOKE BEFORE ME, SHE SPOKE REALLY WELL AND SHE HAS GOOD INTENTIONS, BUT I'M, BUT I'M WILLING TO BET THAT PERHAPS SHE, AND SOME OF YOU DON'T LIVE IN OUR DISTRICT HERE.
AND IT'S KIND OF UNFAIR FOR YOU GUYS TO BE SUBJECTING US TO THESE, UH, REGULATIONS, WHICH WERE WRITTEN MANY YEARS AGO.
MY NEIGHBORS ARE WAITING TO SEE WHAT THE OUTCOME WOULD BE OF THIS UNIT TODAY.
'CAUSE THEY TOO WANNA REPLACE THEIR WINDOWS BECAUSE THEY TOO ARE SUBJECTED TO THE WEATHER.
AND, YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS CAN'T BE SUBJECTIVE, ALLOWING SOME NEIGHBORS TO DO SOME THINGS AND OTHER NEIGHBORS NOT.
MY FRONT NEIGHBOR HAS VINYL WINDOWS.
I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT HAPPENED, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, I COME FROM A, UM, I POLITICAL FAMILY.
MY GREAT UNCLE WAS HENRY B. GONZALEZ, WHO LIVED A COUPLE OF DOORS OVER MY COUSINS.
ALSO GONZALEZ LIVED DOWN THE STREET IN THE 300 BLOCK.
UH, UH, TONY GONZALEZ IS THE, THE CONGRESSMAN DISTRICT 23 AT THE MOMENT HERE IN SAN ANTONIO.
AND, UM, ANOTHER RELATIVE HENRY IN THE PAST WAS ALSO A HIGH POLITICAL FIGURE.
[01:10:01]
IF I HAD THEM BEHIND YOU TODAY, WE WOULD PROBABLY HELP TO CHANGE THE REGULATIONS THAT YOU GUYS ARE HAVING TO ABIDE AND MAKE ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE.YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO PROGRESS INTO THE FUTURE.
WHY ARE YOU MAKING US LIVE IN 1915? THIS IS RIDICULOUS, ESPECIALLY IF I'M WILLING TO KEEP THE INTEGRITY AND THE LOOK OF THE HOUSE EXACTLY THE WAY IT IS TODAY.
AND SO I'M PROPOSING, I'M ACTUALLY ASKING YOU GUYS TO GIVE IT SOME SERIOUS THOUGHT.
AND, UH, I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU GUYS SAY THESE WINDOWS LAST A HUNDRED YEARS.
IN FACT, IN MY CASE, MY WINDOWS ARE 115 YEARS OLD AND THEY'RE NOT SERVING THEIR PURPOSE.
UH, I UNDERSTAND THIS LADY SAYS THEY CAN, THEY CAN BE GOOD FOR ANOTHER A HUNDRED YEARS.
THERE'S NO TELLING THAT'S SUBJECTIVE.
I MEAN, SHE'S SAYING THESE WINDOWS CAN LAST 100 YEARS, BUT WE DON'T KNOW THAT.
UM, SO I HAVE A TOTAL OF 32 WINDOWS LIGHTS WITH THE SESSION ON NUMBER SIX ON THAT 30 WINDOWS.
UM, THE ESTIMATE THAT SEE FROM ANDERSON WINDOWS IS A TOTAL OF 58,569.
UM, AND THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE ANY MISCELLANEOUS EXPENSES.
AND, UH, WHAT I HAVE DONE AT, IN MY OWN LIBERTY IS, UH, BECAUSE I KNOW YOU GUYS WOULD PROBABLY QUESTION ME ON THIS, IS I, I HAVE, UM, RECEIVED THREE ESTIMATES FROM THREE CONTRACTORS FROM YOUR REHABBER LIST, UH, THE LOWEST ONE.
AND TO REPLACE ALL OF THE WINDOWS THAT I I NEED TO REPLACE IS, UH, ABOUT $60,000.
UM, WHICH IS VERY SIMILAR IN PRICE TO THE ANDERSON WINDOWS.
THE SECOND ESTIMATE IS, UM, $71,000, AND THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE ANY HIDDEN COSTS.
AND THE LAST ESTIMATE IS $85,000.
AND THAT ALSO DOESN'T INCLUDE ANY ADDITIONAL HIDDEN COSTS.
SO YOU GUYS ARE FORCING ME TO, TO, UM, ABIDE BY RESTORING WINDOWS THAT WOULD COST ME A LOT MORE.
THEN I WOULD HAVE TO PAY ANDERSON WINDOWS AND BE HAPPY.
THAT'S ALL I'M ASKING YOU GUYS.
THIS IS, THIS IS NOT, UH, UH, A BIG ASK.
UM, I'M AN ATTORNEY, BUT I DON'T PRACTICE LAW.
I'M A REAL ESTATE BROKER BY TRADE AND I'VE DEALT WITH A LOT OF HISTORICAL PROPERTIES.
UM, I LIVE IN LOS ANGELES, BUT I'M A SAN ANTONIO NATIVE.
UM, THE HISTORICAL PROPERTIES HERE IN LOS ANGELES ARE, UM, PROTECTED IF, IF THERE'S A LOAN ARCHITECT INVOLVED OR THAT DESIGNED A HOME IN THE PAST OR THERE'S A WELL-KNOWN CELEBRITY AND, UM, I KNOW SAN ANTONIO'S MUCH DIFFERENT THAN LOS ANGELES, BUT HERE IN BEVERLY HILLS WE TAKE HOMES THAT ARE, UH, AS OLD AS MY HOME, 1915, AND THEY GET TORN DOWN.
UM, YOU GUYS, MY GRANDFATHER AND WAS INVOLVED WITH BUILDING HEMISPHERE PLAZA AND, UM, THE CITY TOOK THE LIBERTY OF
SO IF YOU CAN SUBJECTIVELY SAY, LET'S TEAR DOWN HEMISPHERE PLAZA, BUT WE CAN'T TOUCH MONTE VISTA, UH, THAT THAT MAKES NO SENSE.
UM, I THINK THAT, UH, THE GUIDELINES NEED TO CHANGE AND, UM, I'M GOING TO ASK THAT YOU GUYS TAKE THIS AND EVERYTHING I'VE SAID INTO CONSIDERATION AND ALLOW ME TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE ANDERSON WINDOWS.
IS THAT ALL YOU HAVE? WELL, I MAY HAVE SOME FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS, BUT GO AHEAD.
UH, WE HAVE AN IN-PERSON SPEAKER.
MY NAME IS ROBIN FOSTER AND I LIVE IN SAN ANTONIO AND I RESTORE HISTORIC WOOD WINDOWS.
SAN ANTONIO IS A LEADER NATIONWIDE IN PRESERVING HISTORIC WOOD WINDOWS.
I'M A MEMBER OF TWO NATIONAL TRADE ORGANIZATIONS FOR HISTORIC WINDOW PRESERVATION.
I'M A MEMBER OF THE WINDOW PRESERVATION ALLIANCE, AS WELL AS THE WINDOW STANDARDS PRESERVATION COLLECTIVE.
WE KNOW THAT OLD HISTORIC WOOD WINDOWS ARE A MUCH BETTER PRODUCT THAN ANYTHING THAT IS MADE TODAY.
[01:15:01]
APPLICANT IS CORRECT.THESE WINDOWS HAVE LASTED A HUNDRED YEARS.
I CAN'T GUARANTEE THAT THEY WILL LAST ANOTHER A HUNDRED YEARS, BUT EXPERIENCE HAS SHOWN THAT IF THEY ARE MAINTAINED AND RESTORED, THEY WILL LAST ANOTHER A HUNDRED YEARS.
REPLACEMENT WINDOW COMPANIES CANNOT GUARANTEE THEIR PRODUCTS.
THEY TYPICALLY GO BACK INTO THE LANDFILL EVERY 10 TO 15 YEARS.
SOME OF THE HIGHEST QUALITY WINDOWS CAN LAST LONGER THAN THAT, BUT ULTIMATELY THEY WILL FAIL BECAUSE OF THE SEALS THAT ARE BETWEEN THE PANES OF GLASS.
IT RUINS THE ARCHITECTURAL INTEGRITY OF AN OLD HOUSE LIKE THIS TO REPLACE IT WITH MODERN PRODUCTS, THEY WILL NOT LAST LONG.
WHEN THOSE OLD WINDOWS ARE REMOVED, THE OLD WINDOW FRAMES ARE GOING TO BE DAMAGED.
THESE WINDOWS CAN BE REPAIRED, ALL OF THEM REPAIRED AND RESTORED.
I SHOULD ALSO MENTION THAT, UH, WHERE ENERGY EFFICIENCY IS CONCERNED, 75% OF A HOUSE'S ENERGY LOSS COMES FROM SOURCES OTHER THAN THE WINDOWS.
WINDOWS ONLY ACCOUNT FOR 25% OF BUILDING'S ENERGY LOSS.
AND OF THAT 10% COMES FROM AIR INFILTRATION.
THERE ARE PRODUCTS THAT WILL LAST ANOTHER A HUNDRED YEARS, SUCH AS WEATHER STRIPPING SUCH AS SPRING BRONZE, STORM WINDOWS, INTERIOR OR EXTERIOR.
BUT LIKE A WOOD STORM WINDOW WITH GLASS THAT WILL MAKE A WINDOW AS EFFICIENT AS A MODERN WINDOW.
UM, THESE SHOULD NOT BE REMOVED.
I LOOKED CAREFULLY AT THE PICTURES AS BEST I COULD.
UH, OF THE, OF THE, I BELIEVE THERE'S 40 WINDOWS IN THE HOUSE, 31 ARE BEING REQUESTED TO REPLACE.
OF THE THREE THAT THE OFFICE OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION IDENTIFIED AS BEING BEYOND REPAIR, ACTUALLY IN MY PROFESSIONAL OPINION, THEY CAN BE REPAIRED.
YOU WOULD BE AMAZED WHAT I AND OTHER WINDOW RESTORERS CAN DO.
WE CAN FIX JUST ABOUT ANYTHING.
THAT IS NOT LABOR, THAT IS NOT MATERIALS THAT ARE BEING BOUGHT FROM ANDERSON WINDOWS OR ANOTHER REPLACEMENT WINDOW COMPANY.
SAN ANTONIO HAS INVESTED HEAVILY IN ITS PRESERVATION AND THEY TRAINED A NUMBER OF US IN, IN THE LIVING HERITAGE TRADES ACADEMY TO LEARN TO RESTORE ITS BUILDING STOCK IN THESE OLD WINDOWS.
THERE IS EVERY REASON TO KEEP THEM.
UM, CAN I ALSO MENTION THAT GO AHEAD.
YOU DO HAVE THOSE ESTIMATES IN YOUR LATE, UM, FOLDER THERE FOR YOUR REVIEW.
ANY FROM MY COLLEAGUES ON THE LEFT? GO AHEAD.
I JUST HAVE ONE FOR THE APPLICANT.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU LIVED IN THE HOME? I'M NOT LIVING IN IT.
I HAVE A CARETAKER THERE AT THE MOMENT.
UM, I PURCHASED, I PURCHASED IT, UH, A COUPLE YEARS AGO.
UM, MY INTENTIONS WERE TO MOVE IN THIS PAST OCTOBER, BUT THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF DELAYS WITH, UH, WITH THE WINDOWS BACK AND FORTH WITH ANDERSON BACK AND FORTH WITH OTHER WINDOW COMPANIES, UH, WAITING ON ESTIMATES FROM THESE REHABS AND, UM, DEALING WITH MY OWN GENERAL CONTRACTOR.
BUT THE, THE HOUSE, UH, HAD A LOT OF DEFERRED MAINTENANCE.
THERE'S, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF STUFF THAT I DID IN INSIDE TO CURE THE, UH, HVAC AND THE PLUMBING SYSTEM IS 115 YEARS OLD, HAD SEW LINE ISSUES.
I, I'VE TAKEN CARE OF ALL THAT WITH PERMITS OF COURSE.
BUT, UM, EH, THIS IS GOING TO BE MY FOREVER HOME AND I INTEND TO PASS IT ON TO MY KIDS.
UH, THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA GO ON THE MARKET.
I DO HAVE A REAL ESTATE BACKGROUND, BUT THOSE ARE NOT MY INTENTIONS.
AND, AND I CAN APPRECIATE THE, THE, THE STYLE OF THE, THE STRUCTURE.
IT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, THE SPANISH COLONIAL AND, UM, IT BLENDS VERY WELL INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND IT HAS BEEN FOR 115 YEARS.
BUT, UM, I THINK IT'S RIDICULOUS THAT YOU'RE MAKING ME, OR YOU'RE GIVING ME PERMISSION, REPLACE SOMEONE WHO'S BUT NOT OTHERS.
UM, THAT'S KIND OF LIKE, UH, TAKING A CAR AND BEING ABLE TO ONLY DO THIS REPAIR BUT NOT THIS REPAIR.
AND, AND MY QUESTION WAS LEADING A PERSON THAT HAS TO LIVE IN IT, NOT YOU GUYS.
SO HER BASIC QUESTION WAS WHETHER YOU RESIDE IN THE HOME OR IF YOU'RE IN SAN ANTONIO, AND I'LL LET HER ASK IT HER WAY.
SO, WELL, MY, MY ORIGINAL QUESTION WAS JUST LEADING INTO A SECOND QUESTION, WHICH IS, UM, SO YOU BOUGHT THE HOME RECENTLY.
YOU, YOU'RE, AND, AND I HEARD YOU SAY YOU WERE FROM SAN ANTONIO OR HAD TIED TO SAN ANTONIO.
[01:20:01]
WERE YOU, YOU'RE AWARE, CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT AWARENESS YOU HAD ABOUT BUYING A HOME IN THIS DISTANT DI IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD? YES, MA'AM.I WAS BORN IN SAN ANTONIO AND I MOVED AWAY WHEN I WAS 18 FOR COLLEGE.
AND I'M IN LOS ANGELES AT THE MOMENT.
UM, I'M HEADING INTO RETIREMENT AND I'M, I'M READY TO COME HOME.
UH, I PURCHASED HOME TWO ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO.
AND MY PARENTS, UM, WE HAD FAMILY IN, IN THE AREA, BUT MY PARENTS WERE GOING TO PURCHASE A HOME ON ASH MANY YEARS AGO.
I DON'T THAT, I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED OR WHY WE DIDN'T BUY IT.
UM, I MOVED AWAY AND SO I ALWAYS, UH, WANTED TO OWN MY OWN HOUSE IN, IN MONICA.
AND HERE I AM, BUT NOW I'M SOMEWHAT BEING PRECLUDED FROM DOING WHAT I, OR, AND HOW I WANT TO LIVE IT.
I, I THINK YOU GUYS NEED TO CHANGE, UH, YOUR FRAME OF THOUGHT.
AND, UM, I KNOW YOU HAVE GUIDELINES TO ABIDE BY, BUT THOSE ARE ANCIENT.
THEY NEED TO BE CHANGED AND WE CAN CHANGE THIS.
AND I, I APPRECIATE THAT AND I APPRECIATE YOU COMING HERE TODAY.
I THINK, UM, IT, IT'S GREAT THAT, THAT YOU CAME HERE FIRST, BUT, UM, I JUST WANTED TO GET THE SENSE, AND I APPRECIATE YOU ASKING THAT QUESTION OF, OF WHAT YOUR UNDERSTANDING WAS BUYING IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD SINCE YOU PURCHASED SO RECENTLY AND THESE GUIDELINES WERE IN PLACE.
AND SO I I APPRECIATE YOU ANSWERING THAT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR MY COLLEAGUES ON THE LEFT? GO AHEAD, RANDY.
THANK YOU FOR, UH, SHARING YOUR CONCERNS.
THANK, THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR CONCERNS WITH US TODAY, MR. PENA.
UM, I WANNA KNOW IF YOU'VE, UH, I HOPE YOU'LL HAVE A CHANCE TO REVIEW SOME OF THE ONLINE RESOURCES, UH, THAT THE OFFICE OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND THE CONSERVATION SOCIETY AND OTHER GROUPS HAVE.
UM, I'LL, I'LL JUST POINT YOU TO, UM, THE SAN ANTONIO.GOV WEBSITE, UM, ON THE HISTORIC DISTRICTS.
AND THERE'S ONE DEDICATED TO MONTE VISTA, WHICH DOES POINT OUT THAT, UM, FACING DETERIORATION, UM, ACROSS THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND DEVELOPMENT INTRUSION, THE NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENTS FORMED THE MONTE VISTA HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION IN 1973 TO CONSERV TO PRESERVE THE COMMUNITY.
AND THEY WERE SO WELL ORGANIZED THAT THEY, UM, PUSHED THE, UH, CITY COUNCIL TO DESIGNATE IT AS A LOCAL, UM, HISTORIC DISTRICT IN 1975.
AND THEY'VE BEEN CULTIVATING THAT IDENTITY EVER SINCE.
IN FACT, THEIR, ONE OF THEIR, UH, ELEMENTS, UH, THAT THEY, THEY RAISED UP IS TO BE ABLE TO KEEP THE PHYSICAL IDENTITY OF THIS NEIGHBORHOOD INTACT AND TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC, ESPECIALLY THE YOUTH, ABOUT THE KNOWLEDGE OF THESE INHERITED NEIGHBORHOOD VALUES WHICH CONTRIBUTE TO A WHOLESOME URBAN ENVIRONMENT.
AND THEN IT WAS EVEN ADDED TO THE NATIONAL REGISTER AS HISTORIC DISTRICT IN 1998.
SO THE NEIGHBORHOOD, AS YOU'VE, UH, SEEN ON YOUR VISITS BACK, AS YOU HEARD, I'M SURE GROWING UP, UM, HAS A VERY DISTINCTIVE, UM, PERSONALITY AND CULTURE AND, AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN SO PROUD OF THAT, THAT THEY'VE BEEN, UH, WORKING, UH, AS, AS A NONPROFIT ENTITY AND, UM, BY PUSHING CITY OFFICIALS TO CREATE THESE SPECIFIC GUIDELINES FOR THE SPECIFIC BUILDINGS IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND I APPRECIATE, AS YOU MIGHT HAVE HEARD, YOU KNOW, OUR LAST SPEAKERS WERE INTERESTED IN WINDOWS AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND PRESERVATION IS, YOU KNOW, AN EVOLVING PROCESS.
WE'RE NOT EXPECTING ANYONE TO LIVE IN, YOU KNOW, GLASS MUSEUM BOXES.
UM, AND THE QUESTION IS, HOW DO WE AS, AS, AS A COMMUNITY, UM, WRESTLE WITH IDENTITY, UM, IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, THE, THE CULTURAL HERITAGE THAT HAS BEEN PASSED ON TO YOU, US AND IN YOUR CASE, YOU KNOW, YOUR FAMILY HAS A TREMENDOUS, UH, PRESENCE AND CULTURAL HERITAGE HERE.
AND WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO MAKE IT SAN ANTONIO? AND, YOU KNOW, AND LOS ANGELES HAS THEIR OWN, BUT IT'S, IT'S THE ONE FOR LOS ANGELES AND IT'S WONDERFUL THAT YOU'RE COMING BACK AND THIS BUILDING IS A PART OF THAT, UH, THE MATERIALS IN PARTICULAR.
SO, UM, I I I WOULD ASK, UH, THAT YOU REVIEW SOME OF THE MATERIALS ONLINE, UM, BECAUSE A GREAT DEAL HAS BEEN WRITTEN AND, AND, AND SPOKEN ABOUT MONTE VISTA BECAUSE IT'S SUCH A, A LANDMARK DISTRICT, AND I THINK YOU MIGHT FIND IT VERY HELPFUL AND INTERESTING.
UM, SIR, I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, JUST ALSO MENTION THAT, UM, YOU HAVE ADVOCATED THAT THE COMMISSION SEE IT MAYBE FROM A DIFFERENT ANGLE IN TERMS OF THESE GUIDELINES.
AND I WOULD JUST LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT THESE GUIDELINES WERE PUT IN PLACE BY THE NEIGHBORHOOD ITSELF.
IT WAS A BELIEF AND A DESIRE THAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD IN THE SEVENTIES HAD TO PRESERVE AND TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD WAS GONNA REMAIN INTACT,
[01:25:01]
BOTH ARCHITECTURALLY SPEAKING.UM, AND IN TERMS OF THE BUILT FABRIC, UM, TO SAY THAT WE NEED TO POTENTIALLY REEXAMINE THESE GUIDELINES AND NOT BE SUBJECTIVE, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO LET YOU KNOW THAT IT'S NOT OUR ROLE TO EXAMINE THESE GUIDELINES.
THESE GUIDELINES ARE IN PLACE AND THEY WEREN'T MADE UP BY YOUR NEIGHBORS.
THEY WERE, UH, GUIDELINES THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, VERY CAREFULLY THOUGHT OUT AND PERHAPS THEY SELECTED AND WANNA ENFORCE.
BUT, UH, THESE WERE NOT MADE UP BY PEOPLE WHO WERE UNEDUCATED ABOUT WHAT IT WAS THAT PRESERVATION IS.
IF ANYTHING, I THINK OUR ROLE IS TO BE AS OBJECTIVE AS WE POSSIBLY CAN, AND THAT MIGHT SOMETIMES LOOK AS IF WE'RE NOT, UM, FULLY AWARE OF WHAT YOUR DESIRE IS.
UM, HOWEVER, WE DO OUR BEST TO TRY AND MITIGATE, UM, THE KIND OF, LET'S SAY, UH, DECISIONS THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE AND KEEPING WITH THE GUIDELINES THAT IT'S OUR DUTY TO UPHOLD.
SO THAT IS WHERE MAYBE, UH, AT LEAST MY, UM, DESIRE TO KEEP THESE WOOD WINDOWS AND HAVE YOU REPAIR THE ONES THAT NEED TO BE REPAIRED, UH, COME INTO PLAY.
AND I'LL JUST ADD TO, UH, MY COLLEAGUES, UH, COMMENTS, QUESTIONS.
UM, SO AS I, AND I'M SURE YOU LISTENED TO THE CASE BEFORE, UM, AGAIN, THIS NEIGHBORHOOD IS SEEN AS A MUSEUM.
HISTORIC DISTRICTS ARE A MUSEUM.
PART OF THOSE MUSEUMS IS THE ARTIFACTS, WHICH ARE THESE WINDOWS.
OTHER ELEMENTS WITHIN WITH THAT ARE PART OF THESE HOMES INCLUDE THE TILE ROOFS, THE OTHER THINGS THAT MAKE IT UNIQUE TO THE MUSEUM.
AND THIS IS, UM, JUST NOT AN ASK TO, UH, GO INTO THE MUSEUM AND JUST TAKE OUT THE ARTIFACTS AND, UH, MANGLE 'EM.
THIS IS, UH, SOMETHING YOU NEED TO PRESERVE AND PROTECT, LIKE A MUSEUM IS MEANT TO BE, TO PRESERVE THOSE ARTIFACTS.
AND, UM, I'M JUST GONNA SAY, UH, I'LL BE WITH, UH, STAFF'S RECOMMENDATIONS TO NOT ALLOW THE REPLACEMENT BECAUSE THESE WINDOWS, AGAIN, SAME STORY, SECOND VERSE, UH, CAN BE RESTORED AS HORRIBLE AS YOU MAY THINK THEY ARE.
THEY'RE, I, I'M GUESSING, UH, STAFF LOOKED AT ALL OF THEM AND WHAT MAYBE ONE OR TWO, UH, WERE IN, YEAH, THERE WERE FAIR CONDITION.
THERE WERE THREE THAT, YEAH, I WOULD SAY FAIR CONDITION.
THE REMAINDER, CERTAINLY REPAIRABLE.
UM, AND THE, YOU'RE LOOKING AT NOW, HE HAS ALREADY RECEIVED APPROVAL TO OPEN UP THAT FRONT PORCH AGAIN, WHICH WE ABSOLUTELY SUPPORT.
UM, AND, UH, THE TRIANGULAR WINDOW THERE IS NOT PART OF THE REPLACEMENT REQUEST.
SO I'LL, I'LL LEAVE, I'LL END WITH THAT.
UM, JUST THAT THESE ARE REPAIRABLE AND REPLACEMENT IS JUST NOT SOMETHING THAT, UH, THAT HOUSE NEEDS AND IT IS NOT A SUBJECTIVE, UH, UH, APPLICATION THAT WE'RE, WE'RE DOING THIS.
SO, UM, WITH THAT, I'LL ASK FOR A MOTION PLEASE.
I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ACCEPT THE STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS.
I HAD LIKE TO SECOND THAT MOTION.
CAN I HAVE ROLL CALL DAVIS? AYE GARCIA? AYE.
PLEASE WORK WITH STAFF ON NEXT STEPS.
SORRY, MR. CHAIR, THE COMPUTER'S FROZEN.
[01:30:45]
IS IT JUST ADOBE THAT'S FROZEN.HI, WE CAN SEE YOU, UH, WE'RE HAVING A TECHNICAL MOMENT AND THEN WE'LL GET STARTED ON YOUR CASE IN JUST A BIT.
WAIT, UM, CTA CASE NUMBER 2025 DASH 2 89 1 0 2 THORA BOULEVARD.
THE APPLICANT'S REQUESTING A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS FOR APPROVAL TO ONE CONSTRUCTIVE FOUR FOOT TALL METAL MESH FRONT YARD FENCE SET BACK FROM THE PROPERTY LINE, AND TWO, CONSTRUCTIVE FOUR TO SIX FOOT TALL METAL MESH STYLE SIDE YARD FENCE INSULATE INSTALLED PARALLEL TO MCCULLOUGH.
THE ITEM ONE STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL OF THE FRONT YARD FENCE REQUEST BASED ON FINDINGS A THROUGH C WITH THE FOLLOWING STIPULATION, ONE THAT THE FENCE FEATURE A WOOD FRAME DESIGN NOT TO EXCEED FOUR FEET IN HEIGHT.
AND ITEM TWO STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL OF THE REQUEST FOR THE SIDE FENCE INSTALLATION BASED ON FINDINGS AS SUBMITTED.
UM, THE PROPERTY OWNER, ROB, UH, ROB HALVERSON IS HERE, UM, VIRTUALLY.
AND UM, ROB, IF YOU'D LIKE TO WALK THE COMMISSIONERS THROUGH YOUR REQUEST, YOU'LL HAVE UH, 15 MINUTES TO DO SO.
AND REALLY QUICK, WAS THERE ANYONE TO SPEAK FOR OR AGAINST? UM, NO.
SO THERE'S NO LETTERS, VOICEMAILS, OR IN PERSON SPEAKERS AT THIS TIME? THANK YOU.
UM, WE ARE, UH, WE WOULD LIKE TO BUILD A FENCE, UM, FOR PRIVACY AND PROTECTION.
THAT AREA IS A QUITE, UH, A LOT OF TRAFFIC AND SO WE'VE BEEN FINDING THAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN WALKING THROUGH OUR YARDS AND PEOPLE HAVE GLITTERING.
UM, AND SO WE WANNA RESPECT THE COMMUNITY AND MAKE A REALLY ATTRACTIVE LOOKING FENCE.
UM, AND IT'S, IT'S QUITE STRAIGHTFORWARD.
WE WOULD IDEALLY LIKE TO MAKE AN ALL METAL FENCE BECAUSE WE THINK IT WOULD BLEND IN MORE, UH, BLEND IN NICER AND BE, UH, COHERENT AND CO UH, CONTINUOUS AROUND THE PROPERTY.
SO IF YOU GUYS COULD SEE IT, WE WOULD APPRECIATE THAT.
UM, BUT YEAH, WE ARE OPEN TO THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT YOU GUYS PUT FORWARD.
THAT IS PRETTY MUCH IT, BUT, UM, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I, I'D LOVE TO HEAR THEM.
MR. HALON, UH, LET ME GO TO MY COLLEAGUES.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR MY COLLEAGUES ON THE LEFT? I DO, I HAVE ONE FOR STAFF PLEASE.
UM, SO THE APPLICANT SAYS THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST, UM, AN, AN ALL METAL FENCE AND RECOMMENDATION NUMBER ONE SAYS THAT YOU GUYS, THE STAFF IS RECOMMENDING WOOD.
UH, WOULD THE STAFF UM, AGREE TO A METAL FENCE OR SUPPORT A METAL FENCE OR NO? UH, GREAT QUESTION.
UM, SO FOR THE PAST TWO AND A HALF, THREE YEARS, UH, STAFF'S BEEN REALLY CONSISTENT ON FRONT YARD FENCING, UM, HAVING A WOOD PANEL, IF IT'S GONNA HAVE ANY TYPE OF METAL MESH.
UM, THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES, UM, BOTH AT THE HD OR C AND AT THE, AT THE CTAP AT THIS COMMISSION WHERE, UM, THE BOARD HAS GONE AGAINST STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION AND HAS APPROVED A METAL FRAMED, UM, METAL MESH FENCE.
BUT OUR RECOMMENDATION, UH, IS THE, THE, THE WOOD FRAME.
ANY, ANY, ANY ADDITIONAL FROM MY COLLEAGUES ON THE LEFT? NO.
AM I RIGHT? UM, I JUST HAVE A QUESTION AGAIN FOR STAFF.
SO YOU JUST ANSWERED IN REGARD TO THE FRONT FENCE, IS THAT CORRECT THAT YOU'D WANT THAT TO BE WOOD? WHAT ABOUT THE SIDE? THAT'S CORRECT.
[01:35:01]
THE SIDE YARD, UH, STAFF'S RECOMMENDING APPROVAL AS SUBMITTED.UM, AS FAR AS SIDE AND UH, REAR FENCING THAT'S BEHIND THE FRONT WALL PLANE OF THE HISTORIC PROPERTY, UH, OR THE CONTRIBUTING PROPERTY, IT'S, WE'VE CONSISTENTLY APPROVED METAL POST FENCING AND ALTERNATIVE STYLES AND SUCH.
IT'S JUST THE FRONT YARD FENCE THAT WE'RE, UH, RECOMMENDING APPROVAL WITH A WOOD FRAME METAL MESH FENCE.
AND HAS THERE BEEN, UM, I DIDN'T SEE IT IN THE PACKET.
HAS THERE BEEN ANY KIND OF, UH, OH YEAH, I GUESS THERE IS A DRAWING THAT SHOWS WHERE THE FENCE IS GOING.
UM, APPLICANT, UM, HAVE YOU CONSIDERED THAT IDEA THAT MAYBE THE FRONT WOULD BE A WOOD FENCE AND THE SIDE FENCE WOULD BE METAL Y? YES.
UM, THE REASON WE WOULD LIKE AN ALL METAL FENCE IS BECAUSE THE WOODEN FENCES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD HAVE A LOT OF DAMAGE AND THE SUN BEATS THEM UP PRETTY BAD.
AND SO WE WERE ALSO TOLD BECAUSE OF THE SHIFTING SOIL, A METAL FENCE WILL HAVE MORE INTEGRITY AND STAY UP STRAIGHT 'CAUSE WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF LEANING FENCES, A LOT OF COLLAPSING FENCES, AND SO YOU'RE DEALING WITH WEATHER DAMAGE, YOU'RE DEALING WITH SOIL DAMAGE.
AND SO WE JUST THOUGHT THE METAL FENCE REALLY LOOKS REALLY SLIM, LOOKS REALLY SMART, BUT IT ALSO WILL HAVE MORE LONGEVITY.
ALSO, THERE IS A FEW OTHER WIRE AND METAL FENCES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD ALONG WITH WOODEN FENCES AND SO ALL THE METAL FENCES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT ARE EXISTING LOOK, LOOK STRAIGHT.
THEY, THEY JUST, THEY HOLD UP BETTER.
UM, SO I GUESS MY ONLY QUESTION IS FOR STAFF, UH, THE FRONT YARD FENCE WILL NOT EXCEED FOUR FEET IN HEIGHT IS WHAT YOU'RE RECOMMENDING.
AND THEY, THE APPLICANT WANTED TO GO HIGHER THAN THE FOREFOOT? UH, GREAT QUESTION.
NO, THE UM, SO STAFF WILL TYPICALLY ADD A HEIGHT STIPULATION AS A PART OF THE, UM, OVERALL APPROVAL.
UM, GIVEN THAT SOMETIMES THERE IS SOME, UM, CONFUSION ABOUT WHAT DEVELOPMENT SERVICES WILL APPROVE BASED ON A PERMIT WHICH IS FIVE FEET.
SO, UM, THE APPLICANT'S REQUESTING FOUR FEET AND HEIGHT.
WE'RE SUPPORTING FOUR FEET AND HEIGHT AND WE JUST MADE SURE TO REITERATE THAT IN OUR STIPULATION.
AND THEN THE SITE FENCE THAT RUNS ALONG MCCULLOUGH IS CONSIDERED BACK OR BACKYARD FENCING, WHATEVER YOU CALL IT, CORRECT? YES.
SO ANY FENCING THAT'S BEHIND THE FRONT WALL PLANE IS CONSIDERED REAR FENCING.
SO, UM, YOU CAN GET A UP TO A SIX FOOT TALL APPROVAL, UM, BOTH FROM STAFF AND UH, FROM DEVELOPMENT SERVICES IS BASED AS PART OF THE PERMIT REVIEW.
SO SINCE IT'S THE HOUSE IS ON THE CORNER, WOULD THE FRONT YARD BE CONSIDERED WHERE ALL THE BLUE IS ON THIS, UH, ILLUSTRATION IS OR YES AND NO.
SO THE, UM, JUST ANYTHING PAST AND LET ME GET THE MOUSE.
SO ANYTHING PAST THIS FRONT WALL RIGHT HERE IS CONSIDERED FRONT YARD FENCING.
SO IT DOESN'T MATTER WHETHER IT'S UH, PARALLEL TO THE RAIN BOULEVARD OR THIS SMALL LITTLE SECTION HERE THAT IS PARALLEL TO MCCULLOUGH, ANYTHING BEHIND THIS FRONT WALL PLANE HERE AND BACK IS CONSIDERED REAR FENCING.
UM, AND ALSO TO OUR RECOMMENDATION OR THE REQUEST FROM THE APPLICANT IS ANYWHERE FROM FOUR TO SIX FEET IN HEIGHT BECAUSE THEY'VE UH, SELECTED TO CHOOSE MULTIPLE HEIGHTS AT THIS REAR YARD.
I JUST WANTED TO BE SURE ABOUT THE APPLICATION OF THE FOREFOOT FENCING.
IT WOULD BE AGAIN, WHERE THAT SQUARE WENT, RIGHT THERE ALONG MCCULLOUGH, UM, UP TO THE FRONT PLANE OF THE HOUSE OR IN LINE WITH THE FRONT PLANE OF THE HOUSE.
AND THEN ONCE IT GETS TO THE BACK OR ALONG THE HOUSE, THAT'S WHEN IT WOULD GO TO SIX FOOT.
IS THAT THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT, YES.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO SUPPORT, UH, STAFF'S RECOMMENDATIONS.
CAN I HAVE A ROLL CALL PLEASE? DAVIS? AYE GARCIA? AYE REGARD? AYE.
MR. HALVERSON, PLEASE WORK WITH STAFF ON NEXT STEPS.