Historic Preservation Appeals Board Meeting - August 25, 2025
Historic Preservation Appeals Board Meeting - August 25, 2025
The Historic Preservation Appeals Board (HPAB) of Houston met on Monday, August 25, 2025, at 9:01 AM at the Houston City Hall Annex. The board considered two appeals from decisions of the Houston Archaeological and Historical Commission (HAHC) regarding properties in the Norhill Historic District. The board granted an appeal for window replacement and overturned a certificate of remediation (COR) for a demolition, remanding the case to HAHC.
Consent Calendar
- Prior meeting minutes were approved unanimously.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public comments were made during the designated period.
Discussion Items
-
Item 2: Appeal of HAHC denial of a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) for window replacement at 1108 East 16th Street
- Staff presented the property as a 1,474 sq ft contributing bungalow built circa 1928. The applicant, John May, proposed replacing 12 original windows with double-hung primed pine wood windows by Sierra Pacific. The HAHC denied the application on July 17, 2025.
- John May testified that the existing windows are deteriorating and pose safety risks, and that the Norhill Neighborhood Association approved the wood windows. Staff clarified that an automated email from Roman did not constitute approval. Virginia Kelsey, VP of Norhill, stated the association supports wood windows that match the historic character.
- Board members voted unanimously (4-0) to grant the appeal and overturn the HAHC decision.
-
Item 3: Appeal of HAHC denial of COA for demolition and issuance of a COR at 1138 Fugate Street
- Staff reported that the property, a once-contributing home built circa 1925, collapsed during renovation. The city ordered demolition for public safety. The HAHC denied the COA, issued a COR, revoked the previous COA, and required compliance with the illegal demolition provision (Section 33-203).
- Appellant Keith Rhymes (attorney for VET Renovation) argued that the demolition was not illegal because the city ordered it and issued a permit. He requested a COA without conditions. Contractor Kevin Simmons testified that the collapse was due to excessive roof weight, not negligence, and that they followed city guidance. Norhill's Virginia Kelsey countered that the owner disposed of historic materials and made false statements, and that the new proposed design is out of scale.
- Board discussion focused on whether Section 33-203 applied. Chair Edminster proposed overturning the COR and remanding to HAHC for a new COA. The motion passed 3-1 (Edminster, Hellier, Bartell in favor; Viera Bland opposed).
Key Outcomes
- Item 2: The board voted unanimously to grant the appeal, overturning the HAHC's denial of the COA for window replacement.
- Item 3: The board voted 3-1 to overturn the HAHC's issuance of a COR for illegal demolition and remand the project to HAHC for further consideration of a new COA for the property.
- Member comments noted concerns about new Norhill design guidelines; staff confirmed they are in development and not yet enforced.
Meeting Transcript
Good morning. It is 9 01 a.m. on Monday, August 25th, 2025. I am J.D. Bartell, Chair of the Historic Preservation Appeals Board, and I'm calling this meeting to order. This board meeting is taking place at the Houston City Hall Annex at 900 Bagby. Although there is no longer virtual participation option Houston Television, HTV offers viewing options via their social media and web page. Board members, please unmute yourself and respond by repeating your name and saying present when I call your name. Truman Edminster present. Rob Hellier. Hell, you're present. Libby Vieira Bland. Viera Bland present. And direct Deputy Director Robert Williamson. Williamson present. Thank you. We have a quorum. As chair would like to comment on how this meeting is to be conducted. All speakers are asked to fill out a speaker request form, turn it in to the front desk, and each speaker will be heard in person when I call on you. Historic Preservation Office staff will open with a brief introduction to the appeal that is before the board. The appellant or the representative will be next and will be given a reasonable time to make their presentation. The appellant may have time for rebuttal if desired. Finally, board members may have questions or spee for the speakers, which will not count against their time allotted for speaking. May I call for the director's report. Commission members and the public, welcome. I'm Robert Williamson, Secretary of this Commission and Deputy Director of the Houston Planning and Development Department. I do not have any comments for the Director's Report this morning. So in closing, if you have questions, you can call the Houston Office of Preservation Hotline at 832 393 6556. Or visit our website at Houston Planning.com. This can concludes the director's report. Thank you. The prior meeting minutes were posted with this agenda. May I have a motion and a second to accept these minutes. Administer second. All those in favor? Aye. Aye. Aye. Passed unanimously. And the next item on the agenda. And we had a request to move, it was item three, Kim. Yes, we we I had originally requested item three be moved up. I don't think that after speaking with uh Mr. Rhymes counsel for that applicant. I don't know that it will be extensively long. That was my concern. I think the board can take the items in whichever order they prefer. Okay. So with that consideration, um we'll continue with item two, consideration of and possible action on an appeal of the decision of the Houston Archaeological and Historical Commission on July 17th, 2025, denying a certificate of appropriateness, a COA for window replacement at 1108 East 16th Street in the Norhill Historic District. I submit item two at 1108 East 16th Street in the Nor Hill Historic District for your consideration.
openpublica.com