RFCA - 214 Lotus
Department: Office of Historic Preservation
Department Head: Shanon Shea Miller
Council district impacted: District 1
Subject:
Resolution to initiate landmark designation for 214 Lotus
Summary:
This resolution requests direction from City Council to move forward with historic landmark designation for the property at 214 Lotus. On September 4, 2019, the Historic and Design Review Commission (HDRC) agreed with the finding of historic significance and supported the designation of the property as a local landmark.
Background Information:
On June 10, 2019, a demolition application was submitted to the Office of Historic Preservation (OHP) by contractor Orlando Sanchez on behalf of the property owner of the structure at 214 Lotus, located in the Lavaca neighborhood of District 1. On July 12, 2019, the applicant was notified that the structure was eligible for local landmark designation. The Demolition & Designation Committee (DDC) held a site visit on July 24, 2019. The request for a finding of historic significance was heard by the HDRC on August 21, 2019. The Commission referred the case back to the DDC for an additional site visit, which was held on August 28, 2019. The case was heard again at HDRC on September 4, 2019.
214 Lotus is a single‐story Queen Anne residence built in 1909 for (and likely by) Adolph J Wernette. It is located in the Lavaca neighborhood of District 1. Hector Ubaldo is the current owner. The structure meets criteria 5, 8, and 13, meeting the eligibility requirements for local landmark designation outlined in the UDC.
On September 4, 2019, the HDRC agreed with the finding of historic significance, recommended approval, and requested a resolution from the City Council to initiate the designation process. The property owner does not support designation.
Issue:
214 Lotus meets the criteria and is eligible for landmark designation. If Council approves a resolution to proceed with landmark designation, OHP would apply for a change in zoning to include a historic landmark overly for the properties. The change in zoning requires approval from both the Zoning Commission and City Council. If approved by Council, the properties would become local historic landmarks. Rehabilitation work would qualify for local tax incentives, and all future proposals for the properties would require HDRC review.
Alternatives:
Landmark designation would help protect and preserve this structure. If Council does not approve a resolution to proceed with landmark designation, the designation process would come to an end and the HDRC’s recommendation would not be required for any demolition requests. New construction on the property would not require review by the HDRC.
Fiscal Impact:
The Office of Historic Preservation requests a waiver of the required zoning fees in an amount of $842.70 that would otherwise be paid to the City’s Development Services Fund. Should council not approve the resolution, this amount would be paid to the Development Services Fund by the City’s General Fund.
Recommendation:
The property is eligible for historic designation. The HDRC recommends that City Council initiate the historic designation process.