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City of Houston Archaeological and Historical Commission met Nov. 7.
Here are the minutes provided by the commission:
Call to Order at 2:32 PM by David Bucek, Chair
| Commissioners | Quorum – Present / Absent |
| David Bucek, Chair | Present |
| Beth Wiedower Jackson, Vice Chair | Absent |
| Shantel Blakely | Present, at 2:37 during Item A |
| John Cosgrove, Acting Chair | Present |
| Steven Curry | Present |
| Tanya Debose | Absent |
| Ashley Jones | Present |
| Ben Koush | Present, left at 3:39 after Item D.2 |
| Stephen McNiel | Present |
| Rhonda Sepulveda | Absent |
| Charles Stava | Present |
| Dominic Yap | Present |
| Nicole Broussard, Acting Secretary | Present |
Legal Department Kim Mickelson • Yolanda Woods
Ex-Officio Members Marta Crinejo, Mayor’s Liaison to HAHC
Ginger Berni, Architectural Archivist, HHRC
Director’s Report, Nicole Broussard, Acting Secretary and Deputy Assistant Director of the Houston Planning and Development Department.
Director’s Report, Nicole Broussard, Secretary and Deputy Assistant Director of the Houston Planning and Development Department … A Public hearing notice for landmarks, protected landmarks and change of designations: Has been forwarded to City Council and a public hearing will be held on Wednesday, November 20, at 9:00 a.m., in the City Hall Council Chambers, located at 901 Bagby. This is on the designation request of five landmarks. The (HAHC) approved the designations last meeting and will now go to City Council.
Chair’s Report, David Bucek – went over HAHC Meeting procedures.
Mayor Liaison’s Report – None
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Commission approved the September 12, 2024, HAHC meeting minutes.
Motion: McNiel Vote: Unanimous
Second: Cosgrove Abstaining: None
A. CONSIDERATION OF AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON THE PROPOSED 2025 HAHC MEETING SCHEDULE.
Motion: McNiel Vote: Unanimous
Second: Stava Abstaining: None
B. PUBLIC HEARING AND CONSIDERATION OF AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON A LANDMARK DESIGNATION APPLICATION FOR GREATER PLEASANT HILL MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH AT 828 W 20TH ST HOUSTON, TX 77008.
Staff recommendation: The Houston Archaeological and Historical Commission recommend forwarding to City Council for a Landmark Designation for approval.
Commission action: Approved per staff recommendation for landmark status with the understanding that this may come back to this commission for further protected landmark status.
Speaker(s): None
Motion: Yap Vote: Unanimous
Second: Cosgrove Abstaining: None
C. CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON THE RECLASSIFICATION OF 3109 MORRISON ST IN THE WOODLAND HEIGHTS HISTORIC DISTRICT
Staff recommendation: Recommended to City Council for Reclassification to non-contributing to contributing.
Commission action: Accepts staff recommendation.
Speaker(s): Nat Smith; applicant, Michael Graucs, Ann Robins, Norman Sequra, Becky Huston, Marian Wright – supportive
Motion: McNiel Vote: Carried
Second: Blakely Opposed: Yap, Stava
D. CONSIDERATION OF AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS APPLICATIONS FOR CONSENT AGENDA:
| # | Address | Application Type | Historic District/PLM/LM | Staff Recommendation |
| 1 | 612 Waverly St. | Alteration – Siding | PLM: Swift & Company Swift Plant | Approval |
| 2 | 802 Commerce St. | New Construction – Commercial Bldg. | Main Street Market Square | No Recommendation |
| 3 | 1541 Tulane St. | Alteration – Windows | Houston Heights West | Withdrawn |
| 4 | 550 Heights Blvd. | Alteration – Sign | Houston Heights South | Approval |
| 5 | 814 Colquitt St. | Alteration – Doors | First Montrose Commons | Approval |
| 6 | 7615 Montglen St. | Alteration – Windows | Glenbrook Valley | Approval |
| 7 | 638 Harvard St. | New Construction – Single Family Residential | Houston Heights South | Approval |
| # | Address | Application Type | Historic District/PLM/LM | Staff Recommendation |
| 8 | 638 Harvard St. | Alteration – Addition | Houston Heights South | Approval |
| 9 | 1120 W Gardner St. | Alteration – Addition | Norhill | Approval |
| 10 | 2007 Shearn St. | Alteration – Windows, Siding | High First Ward | Denial of COA and Issuance of COR for work completed |
| 11 | 2003 Union St. | Alteration – Windows, Doors | Old Sixth Ward | Approval |
| 12 | 1528 Cortlandt St. | Alteration – Addition | Houston Heights East | Approval |
| 13 | 1528 Cortlandt St. | New Construction – Garage | Houston Heights East | Approval |
Commission action: Accepted staff recommendations for approval on Item(s): D. 1, 4, 7, 8, 11, 12, and 13, Certificates of Appropriateness (COA) and Certificates of Remediation (COR).
Speaker(s): None
Motion: Cosgrove Vote: Unanimous
Second: Jones Opposed: None
D.2 802 COMMERCE STREET
Staff recommendation: Approval.
Commission action: Accepted project as proposed.
Speaker(s): Benny Agosto, Jr., Thomas DeFroy; applicant – supportive
Motion: Koush Vote: Unanimous
Second: Yap Abstaining: None
D.5 814 COLQUITT STREET
Staff recommendation: Approval.
Commission action: Accepted staff recommendation, and owner to work with staff for selection of front door.
Speaker(s): Benjamin Kluding, owner, Stephen Longmire – supportive
Motion: McNiel Vote: Unanimous
Second: Cosgrove Abstaining: None
D.6 7615 MONTGLEN STREET
Staff recommendation: Approval.
Commission action: Disagree with staff’s recommendation and allow the applicant to replace windows with energy efficient mill finish aluminum windows.
Speaker(s): Letter from Florine Pope, read by staff member Cara Quigley
Motion: Yap Vote: Unanimous
Second: Curry Abstaining: None
D.9 1120 W GARDNER STREET
Staff recommendation: Approval.
Commission action: Accepts staff recommendation.
Speaker(s): Julia Peacock, Forrest McFarlin; applicant, Virginia Kelsey – opposed, Marion Write, Rod Frego – supportive
Motion: Blakely Vote: Unanimous
Second: McNiel Abstaining: None
D.10 2007 SHEARN STREET
Staff recommendation: Denial of COA and Issuance of COR for work completed Commission action: Accepts staff recommendation.
Speaker(s): None
Motion: Cosgrove Vote: Carried
Second: McNiel Opposed: Yap, Stava
COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC – Marian Wright, asked for clarification on windows and where the HAHC stands, seem to be no guidelines on the window issue in historic neighborhoods.
E. COMMENTS FROM THE HAHC –
Commissioner Jones, two points, commission should take a closer look and resurvey Glenbrook Valley homes. Ask for a sit-down focused meeting on what all could be defined as historic in Glenbrook Valley and looking for the historic nature of Glenbrook Valley and windows.
Chair Bucek, looking to Legal for Deed Restrictions and their committees
Kim Mickelson addressed his concerns on violations of Deed Restriction.
Commissioner McNiel, asked about his roll as a HAHC member and the public, looking to legal to visit a particular property and have a say on the item during the meetings.
Chair Bucke, informed engagement with the public and in visiting a particular property, however with staff and up to two members of the community.
Kim Mickelson, allowed the commission to visit property, advised to encourage the public to come to commission to ask for a member to visit the property and report back to the commission with their review if the site. Emphasized in avoidance of ex-parquet communications with encouraging them to make their care with the HAHC.
Commissioner Yap, need clarification, is it oaky for the applicant, owner, architect, be at the site with the staff and members.
Kim Mickleson, the idea of the Administrated Staff Review, legal will work with staff on the participations of other non-staff members or non-homeowners. No others should attend to sway the decision of the commissioner.
Commissioner McNiel asked to allow the speakers more time, 3 minutes.
Chair Bucke, explained the time with allowing the speaker one more minute after the first bell.
Staff Member Marbet went over the speaker’s minutes and extra time when commissions agrees to allow additional time. 3 minutes for applicants, 2 minutes for public and additional time, 1 minute, when commission allows.
Commissioner McNiel mentioned the window situation with both commissions and historical neighborhoods specifically Glenbrook Valley.
Secretary Nicole mentioned the two commissions to meet for a full discussion on windows and getting on the same page with this topic.
Commissioner Yap asked if the meeting will be about more than just windows.
Others chimed in on scheduling something for everyone to get together.
Commissioner Curry, HOA, info, … Reclassification on property contributing and non-contributing.
Commissioner McNiel, asked about the decision on, Audubon Place, on the last meeting. Legal chimed in and explained the process of the time on the owners’ appeal application.
Commissioner Blakely asked to meet with commissioner members on the Appeals Board. Legal, clarified all commissions are public and everyone can attend including commissioners on other boards.
Chair Bucek, clarified HPAB and HAHC are welcome to sit.
F. HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICER’S REPORT
Roman McAllen, department is working on writing a grant on the Lyons Avenue for a National Register Nomination. Staff continues to work on Administrative Approvals in-house and are moving quicker with three staff members working on them.
Old Sixth Ward, meeting held 28 October, work moving forward with this project. In an upcoming December meeting staff plans on having information i.e. statistics, maps on windows to help the discussion of windows in historic neighborhoods.
Visited New Orleans for the National Trespass Forward Conference and visit China Town in Louisiana. Community is very strong on opening up on landmarks and what they want, mentioned if we listen we will hear what is important in our city.
Monday, Veterans City Holiday, gave background information on past family history and his family name.
G. ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business brought before the Commission, Chair David Bucke adjourned the meeting at 5:35 PM.
https://www.houstontx.gov/planning/Commissions/docs_pdfs/hahc/2024/December%2012/12-12-2024_HAHC_%20AGENDA_FOR_POSTING_Merged_Mi_Jason%20Lilienthal.pdf