City of Laredo, Texas Historic District / Landmark Board, 15 Jan 2021

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From YouTube: Historic Landmark\District Board Meeting 011421

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Historic Landmark\District Board Meeting 011421

A

Is everything set up for the meeting online.

A

Okay, so I'll call the meeting uh to order it. It's 5 30 will open the meeting of january 14th. The historic district landmark board.

A

Can we have roll call.

B

C

uh Vanessa guerra for the for your plan for your I'm sorry, historic staff, um roll call is the.

C

Rebecca do we wait to hear.

B

Yes, we should get a audio confirmation, mr polvo, that your mind is your mic is muted.

B

We're having trouble hearing you, but we do confirm you're here.

C

Okay, uh justin allen hudsnercher here robert gonzalez, I'm maria lena morales.

C

She's not here right, um christina.

C

C

Stanley, green.

A

D

Sorry, I think it was muted. uh Can you hear me now which you can okay out here.

C

And uh michelle romani.

E

C

uh For the record, we do have a quorum.

E

uh Madam chair, I move to excuse uh roberto gonzalez and marilyn morales for uh absence for business work-related issue.

A

Do we need uh a motion, or is that just for the record, we've always done a motion motion. Okay, do we have a second.

F

A

All in favor aye.

G

A

Aye opposed the same sign. Okay. The motion passes uh item uh three on the agenda: approval of the minutes of the regular meeting of december 10. they're in the packet. Has everyone had a chance to review the minutes?

A

Yes, I have do we have a motion. I move.

E

To approve the minutes for uh our last meeting october, the 10th december, the 10th december, the 10th, I'm sorry, yeah.

A

All in flavor all in flavor, oh I'm.

F

A

F

A

All in favor now hi hi hi uh paul same sign, so the motion carries the next item on the agenda. Is citizen uh comments? Do we have anyone sign up for comments.

B

Miss fonseca we'll need a about a minute for us to keep this slide up. There is a lag in the broadcast, that's public for the public people to call. We did not get any comment cards, but someone may decide to call in if I can use this time as just an opportunity to remind the members and and staff as well. If we're not speaking, if we can mute ourselves that way, it really preserves the audio.

B

You may not be able to hear it on your end, but having it open can can affect the noise quality for everybody else. So, just general reminder, if you do forget, I might mute you not trying to be rude just trying to keep the audio well preserved for the public.

B

And if we do have anybody call in, we will alert you.

A

I'll wait for you to let us know when we can proceed with the meeting.

B

You're good to proceed.

A

Okay item five uh public hearing and consideration of the following item: five: a public hearing and consideration of a motion to consider facade improvements at 1112 grant street in the san agustin de la redo, historic district case number.

A

Hd-003-2021, do we have a motion to open the public hearing.

E

Chair, I move to open public hearing 5a.

D

A

All in favor aye aye all right same sign, so the motion carries uh the public hearing is open. Do we have a presentation.

B

Yes, we do and vanessa that would be a good time to get the applicant on the phone for later. The applicant is louis litzki and alberto guzman is guzman is the representative.

B

As you mentioned, this is 1112 grand street. The applicant's proposing to remodel the south facade and those exterior improvements require board approval. We mailed out 35 letters. We received zero, four and zero against as.

E

You can see.

B

The three historic districts two grant street is located in the san augustin de la reno, historic district.

B

Here's an aerial view of the property.

B

And here are some images that the property owner provided of the storefront.

B

This is this: is the south facade the facade they're proposing the improvements on here is the proposed site plan and I've highlighted the area of interest here. This is the only area that will be affected.

B

The top elevation is showing the the building, as is with the metal panels that are going to be removed, they're going to remove those metal panels, they're going to fix any repair that needs to be done to the wood framework, put out some osb board and then on that osb board, they're going to use a stucco finish and they'll keep it to the same dimensions real closely that it is two now- and this is the proposed color palette of options that they are happy with any of these options, and you can approve all of those or some select ones.

B

If you choose to it's just what they wanted to work with. Staff recommends approval and here's the proposed emotion when you're ready for it and also when you're ready to open public comment.

B

We'll put this up for the public to call in, but right now we do have the applicant on the line. If you have any questions for the app.

A

I have a question on the lower area below the canopy. If that's gonna remain, as is, uh uh I don't know if the doors open out, sometimes when you renovate an older building, you end up having to repair and update uh source and hardware in order to meet current codes for fire exits and.

F

A

Been a situation, that's come to the board in the past, so the.

B

Proposal is just to renovate the area highlighted just the parapet now. This does not relinquish them for any requirements of building code. If there is some requirement for them to update I'm not aware of any, then that would still apply this. We are just considering the historic approval of what they're proposing and that's the highlighted area.

B

Mr pulver, I'm sorry we're not able to hear you for some reason.

B

You could type your question if you're having trouble we'll be audio.

E

uh Madam chair, I have a question on the color palette. Is this uh taken from the secretary of the interior from what they recommend, or is this something that the applicant has uh has submitted to us for review.

E

I don't know if y'all heard me.

A

Yes, I'm not familiar as to whether this came uh or where the source of this these colors are.

E

Would you enlighten us on the source of these colors and that these are uh part of the secretary of the interior guidelines.

B

Who's that question directed to mr money.

E

I direct it to you and uh going to repeat the question. The.

B

Secretary of interior's guidelines did not include a paint palette, and this was selected by the applicant.

E

Because in the past we used to get pallets that were included in the in the guidelines.

A

I think it was a local guidelines, uh not the federal, but it should be in keeping with um the existing building, and so I would ask: was there any any exploration done as to what's behind the uh metal panels? Is it just a wood framing? Is there no uh existing?

A

You know stucco or brick that might indicate uh what this facade might have looked like in the past.

B

Question for the applicant vanessa: do you have the applicant on the line.

C

uh Mr simon, I have mr litzki on the line for some reason I cannot get through to mr guzman.

B

Okay, if you can put mr liske on speaker phone and then the board can ask the any questions they have.

C

Just one moment, mr liske, we're gonna, put you on speakerphone, okay,.

C

Okay, mr let's get you there. Yes, I am, uh did you have a question for him.

A

Yes, let me start this is teresa fonseca with the historic board. Thank you for attending our meeting.

A

Our question was whether there's been any exploration behind the metal panel, an existing metal panel, that's going to be demolished to evaluate, if there's any historic uh material behind there, any brick or a plaster that would help identify what the prior facade.

H

Yeah we hold that building for many many many years. I don't not believe a. I think mr guzman was the architect, that's handling the project. I don't.

H

And I'm not there, so I'm not seeing it. But in my conversations with him what my understanding is that there is nothing historical in there and what we're really taking is only the.

H

It's not, I don't think we're touching the structure that is attached to the building, but rather the aluminum that is covering the overhang.

E

Correct I'm sure I have a question uh repeat on the on the color, mr litzki. So then uh the architect was the one who who came up with the color palette and not you.

H

Yes, ma'am, I told them that that that I would trust any color that is uh fooled by the historical society, and that is in line with you know the colorations that we have in the building.

E

Okay, all right and uh miss gabriel. We can't wait to go right.

C

Let me try him again on my on my regular phone.

H

For the number that I have nine five, six six, three five, seven 7684.

C

And and that's the number that I keep dialing, but every time I try to dial it just it does, it doesn't seem to go through vanessa.

B

We called we called mr guzman before so. There must be some reason why it's not able to accomplish.

E

Sending him a text through somebody's phone and tell him that.

G

E

H

Should I should I try or because I'm on my cell, let's get.

B

uh Mr, let's keep we're good.

H

I'm gonna try it right now, please hold on okay, one.

H

C

I'm dialing him on my personal phone, hopefully he'll answer, even though he probably won't recognize.

B

That you please meet yourself trying.

B

Vanessa, you need to unbeat.

C

Yourself, mr guzman, I think he, if I think we have him here.

H

I am on the phone okay.

C

Can you all hear him? Yes,.

E

The color palette- yes, uh mr guzman, uh this is michelle, reminding you vice chair of the historic district landmark board uh on your.

D

E

Palette was this something that that y'all came up with, or did you go through the uh local guide, the local guidelines.

D

uh I came here to hear you: okay,.

E

Okay on the color palette was this something that you came up with, or did you go through the local guidelines?

E

I don't want to yell at the committee.

E

I don't want to sound like I'm yelling at people.

I

I I don't think it would be yelling you're coming through a real low one. Can you.

E

C

That mr guzman.

E

Okay uh on the on the color palette that you chose for the uh for for the uh the work that you're proposing did you uh was this something that you came up with? Or did you look at the local guidelines.

D

D

Like uh he wants to know, if he can approve any of those cards for for the.

E

Okay, because the.

D

E

The owner yeah, the owner, just told us that uh that you were the one who who presented those colors. So I'm confused.

G

This is cristina I, as far as the color uh palette goes and my past experience from what I remember, of the reason why we were trying to update our guidelines is because we don't have a set color palette. We've always gone with what the I believe.

G

It's the national trust for historic preservation, has a set uh color palette that they put in through home depot lowe's and sherman williams, and we've kind of had that as a basis of the color schemes that we've used in the past- and I I revert this uh comment back to uh board members that have been here in the past and have helped to write uh previous uh guidelines or uh revisions like uh mrs sepulveda, but as far as the color scheme goes in my opinion, if we can um verify that what I'm saying is correct because, uh as I recall, we have never had a color palette, and that was part of the discussion of why we needed to go back and and and really work on those guidelines.

G

uh If we can, um you know kind of just uh say: okay, these kind of fall within what we've used in the past and then let the owner go ahead and make his own decision. As uh you know, instead of um putting personal opinion on it, I think that was.

E

Explicit yeah, that's what I was trying to say because I remember in meetings passed, uh the previous uh historic preservation officer would submit a a color or would but guy guide the applicant through a color palette. That's the only reason why I was raising the issue.

B

Miss fonseca, this is from our historic, our local historic guidelines use colors that are compatible with the overall color scheme of the facade and the applicant chose very neutral colors and he's either asking that you allow him to pick or that. If you want to pick one from that, he's happy with that as well, I think that's pretty reasonable.

E

Okay, uh did somebody see the message that the board board member hans nurture typed in.

I

From a case by case from what I read, so you know, if we want to prove it, we can it's really up to us right now. At this point, like miss gabriel said we don't have anything um in our guidelines as further as far as the color. um So if the board approves, we can.

E

Okay, I just was going by on previous uh decisions before before the current planning and zoning administration. So I mean I just wanted to be fair across the board, with everybody.

A

I think we can recommend approving the color scheme and it asked for him to consider historic, colors up uh that are identified by the brand that he's purchasing. As uh mr adial mentioned, sherm williams and the various brands, they always have a palette that they identify as historic colors. So if he wants to go with a third one on that list, that's called sand.

A

He should be able to find from ppg a similar color that is identified as a historic cutter. Okay,.

A

I have another question from mr guzman: if he's still on the line.

B

A

Yes, mr guzman.

B

Go ahead and miss fonseca.

A

Okay, uh just the question I asked earlier is: if there was any exploration as to what's behind the existing metal uh facade, if there is any uh historic fabric, any brick or.

D

A

Okay, I would recommend that if you do encounter any historic material, when you do any of the demolition that you take, that into consideration, for example, if you do find that there is stucco behind it and it has a specific color range, that's either in the same palette or a an alternate planet palette that you would consider that.

D

Okay, just in case we encounter any any colors.

A

Yeah, if it's historic, if it's historic, material, okay.

D

I'll let the.

D

A

Okay, well we'll be making a motion shortly and uh and the planning department will be giving you uh what what is approved at tonight's meeting so uh board members do we have any other questions for the owner or the representative.

E

A

Not to close the public hearing.

E

I move to close the public hearing uh on.

A

Do we have do we have a second? Second, all in favor miss.

B

Fonseca before you close the public meeting, we just need to wait and see if we've had anyone from the public call in.

B

F

B

Need to hang up the phone first.

C

C

B

Okay, it would appear that we have not had anybody call in or no message has pending. So thank you. Okay,.

A

We'll uh vote on closing in the public hearing.

A

All in favor say aye aye, aye aye, so the public hearing is closed. Do we have any discussion or motion for approval of this uh item.

E

uh Madam chair, I move that we approve uh the item uh with the recommendations that you have made to the applicant regarding uh whether or not uh there is something historical behind the facade that you discussed and also regarding. uh I think the issue that you brought up about go uh about the color palette.

A

Okay, do we have a second.

F

A

A second all in favor, aye.

F

A

Opposed same sign, so the motion.

A

Carries the next item on the agenda is the director's comments.

B

Yes, um I want to introduce our new historic preservation officer vanessa guerra. She has been with the department for many years. She has a lot of great experience. She is also going to be overseeing our zoning and our board of adjustment applications, but I would say one of her very important tasks is being the historic preservation officer as there's a lot of work we want to accomplish in the historic district and with the historic district landmark board vanessa. Would you like to introduce yourself at all or say anything your view? Dude.

C

Apologies- I still am I'm talking with mr guzman.

B

That's how dedicated she is. She is working all right vanessa. Thank you. Thank you very much well beyond.

I

That I just wanted to say thank you very much to.

B

Board members, just so, if the public are aware, you don't get paid for this, you are you, you do this as service to the city and your community. We appreciate that very much. We do have some board members who may be leaving in the near future, and we want to thank you very much for your dedicated service over the years. I wish you well, in whatever capacity you continue to serve your community.

B

F

A

Thank you. Thank you. Do we have a motion uh to adjourn the meeting? I move to adjourn.

C

A

Second, all in favor.

G

Aye aye and everybody be very careful. It's a bad time out there.

A

F

Yes, take care.

B

E

Stay safe, okay, so we are adjourned. Okay, we're adjourned.

A