PRESENTER: Presenter
Katie Totman, HPO
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SUBJECT: Title
HLC Case HST23-415: Discuss and consider a Certificate of Alteration to move the structure known as the Braschler House at 240 S Kowald, a RTHL property, to 1370 Churchill, a locally designated historic property.
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DEPARTMENT: Planning & Development Services
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COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: 5
APPLICABLE CITATIONS:
Code of Ordinances, Chapter 66 - Historic Preservation
Sec. 66-57. Alteration certificates for alteration or new construction affecting landmarks or historic districts.
No person shall carry out any exterior alteration, restoration, reconstruction, new construction, removal or relocation of any city designated historic landmark or on any property within a city designated historic district which may affect the appearance and cohesiveness of any historic landmark or any property within a historic district without first obtaining an alteration certification authorizing the change.
Sec. 66-58. Criteria for approval of an alteration certificate.
In considering an application for an alteration certificate, the commission shall be guided by any adopted design guidelines, and where applicable, the following from the secretary of the interior's standards for the rehabilitation of historic buildings. Any adopted design guidelines and secretary of the interior's standards shall be made available to the property owners of historic landmarks or within historic districts.
(1) Every reasonable effort shall be made to adapt the property in a manner which requires minimal alteration of the building, structure, object, or site and its environment.
(2) The distinguishing original qualities or character of a building, structure, object, or site and its environment shall not be destroyed when possible. The removal or alteration of any historic material or distinctive architectural features should be avoided when possible.
(3) All buildings, structures, objects, and sites shall be recognized as products of their own time. Alterations that have no historical basis and which seek to create an earlier appearance shall be discouraged.
(4) Changes which may have taken place in the course of time are evidence of the history and development of a building, structure, object, or site and its environment. These changes may have acquired significance in their own right, and this significance shall be recognized and respected.
(5) Distinctive stylistic features or examples of skilled craftsmanship which characterize a building, structure, object, or site shall be kept where possible.
(6) Deteriorated architectural features shall be repaired rather than replaced, wherever possible. In the event replacement is necessary, the new material shall reflect the material being replaced in composition, design, color, texture, and other visual qualities. Repair or replacement of missing architectural features should be based on accurate duplications of features, substantiated by historical, physical, or pictorial evidence rather than on conjectural designs or the availability of different architectural elements from other buildings or structures.
(7) The surface cleaning of structures shall be undertaken with the gentlest means possible. Sandblasting and other cleaning methods that will damage the historic building materials shall not be undertaken.
(8) Every reasonable effort shall be made to protect and preserve archeological resources affected by, or adjacent to, any project.
(9) Contemporary design for alterations and additions to existing properties shall not be discouraged when such alterations and additions do not destroy significant historical, architectural, or cultural material, and such design is compatible with the size, scale, color, material, and character of the property, neighborhood, or environment.
(10) Wherever possible, new additions or alterations to buildings, structures, objects, or sites shall be done in such a manner that if such additions or alterations were to be removed in the future, the essential form and integrity of the building, structure, object, or site would be unimpaired.
FINDINGS:
a. The applicant is requesting to relocate the historic structure located at 240 S Kowald, a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark (RTHL) to 1370 Churchill, a locally designated historic landmark.
b. RELOCATION - As noted in finding a, the applicant has proposed to relocate the State designated historic structure known as the Braschler house from its location at 240 S Kowald to the property located at 1370 Churchill Drive, a locally designated historic landmark within the city limits of New Braunfels. The house in question is a single story fachwerk structure and was built circa 1854 by Reverend Henry Braschler. The proposed new location for the structure currently has several structures of similar age and method of construction and staff finds the relocation to be appropriate. Additionally, the proposed location for the move is a locally designated historic landmark and will add additional protections to the structure.
Recommendation
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of the Certificate of Alteration based on finding b.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. GIS Location Map - 1370 Churchhill Drive
2. GIS Location Map - 240 S Kowald
3. Context map
4. Project Narrative
5. Combined Pictures