Travis Heights-Fairview Park Historic District

We are grateful for all the guidance and encouragement Caroline gave to our historic preservation efforts, and for her activism serving on Austin’s Historic Landmark Commission, as well as her work in preservation at the Texas Historical Commission. She will be greatly missed.😢

Last night Austin’s preservation community lost one of its most remarkable advocates.

Caroline Wright was a leading Preservation Austin volunteer and a longtime chair of our Advocacy Committee. She represented District 9 on the Historic Landmark Commission from 2020 to 2023, and as team lead for the Texas Historical Commission’s state tax credit program, she supported countless preservation projects and communities statewide.

Caroline inspired others through her expertise, humor, integrity, sheer grit and force of will for the good. She was a true believer in historic preservation and her life’s work impacted historic places large and small. Here in Austin, she was a leading advocate for saving the McFarland House from demolition ten years ago, in 2014. Today, Preservation Austin is rehabilitating this beloved landmark to serve as our long-needed home base for preservation efforts citywide. This is just one example of how Caroline’s work will leave its mark for generations to come.

This loss is personal for us here at Preservation Austin. Caroline was a beloved friend and partner to so many in our community, and far too young to leave this world. Please take a moment today to honor Caroline’s memory and thank her for leaving such an incredible legacy for the rest of us to follow.

Seeking a Preservation job to advance diversity, equity and inclusion in our city? The city is hiring….

Temporary - Community Engagement Specialist - Historic Preservation (Planning Dept.) Education and/or Equivalent Experience:Graduation from a four (4) year college or university with major coursework in Public Relations, Communications, Public Administration, Political Science, or a closely related field plus three (3) years of experience involving the development and coordination o...

Preservationists hold out hope for Norwood House restoration project - Austin Monitor After a number of setbacks, preservationists are once again eyeing a decadeslong project to return a historic 1920s bungalow overlooking Lady Bird Lake to its former splendor. The Norwood House, which sits on public parkland bordering Interstate 35 and Riverside…

Travis Heights "gingerbread house" on track for historic landmark status - Austin Monitor Travis Heights preservationists had cause for celebration last week, as a proposal to landmark an iconic neighborhood home broke up the typical routine of demolition and disappointment. The case to rezone the property at 2101 Travis Heights Blvd., known among…

Check out this Discussion Panel next week…

House Relocation, Deconstruction, and Material Reuse Panel — Events House Relocation, Deconstruction, and Material Reuse Panel Wednesday, June 28 | 6-8pm  AIA Austin, 801 W 12th Street Registration cost: $25 AIA CE Credit approved (2 LU/HSW)

Demolition, new construction and remodel permits to be considered at the next Historic Landmark Commission meeting May 3, 6 pm, City Council Chambers.

Get your tickets!

Sign up before Monday, 5pm.

Weatherizing for Historic Homes — Events Weatherizing for Historic Homes Tuesday, March 7, 2023 | 6-8 pm via Zoom $15 for Preservation Austin Members/ $20 for Non-Members Become a member of Preservation Austin today!

https://www.kvue.com/article/money/economy/boomtown-2040/travis-heights-fourplex-demolition/269-ee62df43-5bd5-41e1-812e-dc8dce49b239

Travis Heights residents try to save historic fourplex, aesthetic of neighborhood Residents in the Travis Heights neighborhood say over the past two years they have watched homes they consider historic be demolished and replace with modern builds.

Report: ADU expansion, tax relief among city's options to promote preservation - Austin Monitor Preservation advocates want the city to simplify the process for building accessory dwelling units, and use an ombudsman position to help navigate city processes as some of the steps needed to save existing housing stock while helping to address affordability.…

A new year but the demolitions keep coming.
On the consent Agenda for this week's Historic Landmark Commission meeting:
1804 Brackenridge HR-2022-165753 Item No. 12
409 E. Monroe HR-2022-172625 Item No. 13

Backup materials here: https://www.austintexas.gov/cityclerk/boards_commissions/meetings/31_1.htm

Public comment will be allowed in person or remotely via telephone. Speakers may only register to speak on an item once either in-person or remotely and will be allowed up to three minutes to provide their comments. Registration no later than noon the day before the meeting (That's Tuesday noon) is required for remote participation by telephone. To register to speak remotely, email [email protected] or call Amber Allen at (512) 974-3393.
To speak in person, you must sign up by 6 p.m. at the meeting place, on the night of the meeting.
NOTE: This meeting will be held at 6310 Wilhelmina Delco Dr. in the Permitting and Development Conference Room 1401, and not the City Council Chambers.

Up for demolition tonight…
1804 Brackenridge. Item HR-2022-165753.
Sign up in person by 6 to speak tonight at the Historic Landmark Commission Meeting, 6 pm, City Hall Council Chambers.
Backup: https://services.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=399193

Neighbors on Kenwood, do you have any interest in becoming a Local Historic District? Send us a message if you’d like to talk about it

These Contributing properties within our National Register Historic District will be considered for demolition or remodeling at the Historic Landmark Commission meeting this Wednesday. Here is a link to the Agenda and Backup Information. https://www.austintexas.gov/cityclerk/boards_commissions/meetings/31_1.htm

1315 & 1317 Newning (demolition), 1804 Brackenridge (addition with ADU), 1205 Alta Vista (demolition), 407 E. Monroe (demolition), 2107 Brackenridge (demolition).

To share your opinion with the Historic Commission, attend in person to sign up at City Hall Council Chambers, 301 W. 2nd St, on Wednesday Aug. 3 at 6 p.m. To speak remotely, call (512) 974-3393 or email [email protected] before noon on Tuesday, Aug. 2 (the day before the meeting).
The meeting is broadcast live at https://www.austintexas.gov/watch-atxn-live.

Proposed Changes and Demolitions to Contributing Buildings within the Travis Heights – Fairview Park National Register District at this week's Historic Landmark Commission Meeting (7/6/22 at 6 p.m., city hall).
City Staff: Kalan Contreras, Historic Preservation Office, 512-974-2727
To comment, call or email the board liaison at (512) 974-3393 or [email protected] no later than noon, Tuesday, July 5th. Or sign up to speak at the meeting.

C.1. PR-2021-200516 – 512 E. Monroe St. – Applicant-requested postponement (postponed June 1, 2022) Proposal: Demolish a contributing building and build new construction.
Applicant: Linda Sullivan
Staff Recommendation: Grant the Applicant’s postponement request.
Backup: https://www.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=386769
No new plans presented at this time.

C.2. PR-2022-002404 – 1315 & 1317 Newning Ave. – Consent Agenda (postponed June 1, 2022) Proposal: Demolish two contributing buildings.
Applicant: Jorden Russell & Ricca Keepers
Staff Recommendation: Encourage rehabilitation and adaptive reuse, then relocation over demolition, but release the permit upon completion of a City of Austin Documentation Package.
Backup: https://www.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=386737
No new plans presented at this time.

C.3. HR-2022-026102 – 1205 Alta Vista Ave. – Consent Agenda (postponed June 1, 2022)Proposal: Demolish a contributing multi-family building and build new construction.
Applicant: Christopher Zuniga
Staff Recommendation: Approve the demolition application upon completion of a City of Austin Documentation Package. Comment on and release new construction plans.
Backup: https://www.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=386738
New Plans: https://www.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=382017

C.5. HR-2022-070860 – 407 E. Monroe St. – Consent Agenda
Proposal: Demolish a contributing garage and build new construction.
Applicant: Oam Parkash
Staff Recommendation: Release the demolition permit upon completion of a City of Austin Documentation Package. Comment on new construction plans.
Backup: https://www.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=386740
New Plans: https://www.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=386768

Big Stacy Pool is 85!
Come celebrate her history July 8, 10am-12pm, under the grove of trees just outside the pool.

The City of Austin allows us to create LHDs as small as one block, or even one block street-face. This is a way to achieve protection for areas of high historic integrity within our neighborhood. If you want to do this within our National Register District boundaries, you can use the narrative history and architectural survey that we've already completed for the NRD listing.
Check out our website at www.historictravisheights.org and look for the tab at the top for Local Historic Districts, where you'll find resources from the City of Austin's Preservation Office.

https://www.slideshare.net/PreservationNation/10-steps-to-establish-a-local-historic-district

10 Steps to Establish a Local Historic District These 10 steps will help you establish a historic district in your town or city.

These properties are all up for demolition in our historic district. Please attend next Monday’s Historic Commission meeting to voice your opposition. Your actual presence speaks louder than an email, but also try that! We really need your help! Thank you! (photos in comments)

804 Rutherford, Item C1
512 E. Monroe, Item C2
700 E. Monroe, Item C8
1605 Alameda, Item C9
1803 Kenwood, Item C10
1315 & 1317 Newning, Item C11

Backup info: https://www.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=376656

www.austintexas.gov

We are honored to be awarded a Merit Award from Preservation Austin in recognition of our long journey to become a National Register Historic District! Thanks to you all who helped us throughout these 16 years to get here.

https://youtu.be/q3doqDUaXqk

Travis Heights-Fairview Park National Register District | 2021 Preservation Merit Awards Join us in celebrating our incredible slate of winners for our 2021 Preservation Merit Awards! Follow the link to learn more about this year's winners: https...

A heart-warming glimpse into our South Austin history…
https://www.statesman.com/story/news/history/2021/11/20/think-texas-john-garza-passage-people-endurance-land-austin/8456042002/

'I love life': 93-year-old John Garza on the passage of people, endurance of places in Austin John Garza, 93, recalls many versions of Austin. He grew up in Bouldin and now lives in Travis Heights.