OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Houston Archaeological and Historical Commission Meeting – May 21, 2026

Committees and Commissions — Thursday, May 21, 2026
BodyHouston, Texas
SessionCommittees and Commissions
DateThursday, May 21, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 3:28:41
Transcript — Verbatim
0:14

It's now 239.

0:17

Uh PM Thursday, May 21st, 2026.

0:21

Today's meeting of the Houston Archaeological and Historical Commission, HAHC is called to order.

0:28

I am Commission Chair David Buchek to verify we have a quorum.

0:32

I will call the roll.

0:34

The Chair is present.

0:36

Commissioner Jones is absent today.

0:42

Present.

0:44

Commissioner Blakely.

0:46

Present.

0:47

Commissioner Ascabar.

0:49

Present.

0:50

Commissioner Hill.

0:52

Present.

0:53

Commissioner Cosgrove.

0:55

Commissioner Seidel.

0:56

Present.

0:57

Commissioner Mark Smith.

0:59

Present.

1:00

Commissioner Browning.

1:02

Present.

1:03

Commissioner Broadbeck.

1:04

Present.

1:05

Commissioner Garcia.

1:07

Present.

1:07

Commissioner Davis.

1:09

And also Deputy Director Robert Williamson.

1:12

Present.

1:13

Thank you, Commissioners.

1:14

We have a quorum.

1:18

I will start with the Chair's report.

1:20

And I will review the speaker rules.

1:23

We apologize for the late start.

1:25

We have a very large agenda today.

1:39

This meeting can be viewed on HTV, although virtual participation options are not available.

1:46

These meetings do start a few minutes after the scheduled time just to allow the HTV broadcast to go live.

1:54

Speakers, if you wish to address the Commission on an item, please fill out one of the speaker forms at the front door and turn it in to the staff member nearest the front door.

2:04

These speaker rules are posted on the agenda and are at my discretion at this meeting.

2:10

Applicants will open and speak for three minutes.

2:16

Please return to your seat after you address the commission.

2:21

Note that you also may uh be asked or recognized by myself or commission member if there are additional questions that a member has.

2:30

After the applicant has spoken, other public speakers may speak uh one time, up to two minutes when I recognize you to speak.

2:42

Um also please note for individual consideration of certificates of appropriateness after staff's initial presentation.

2:51

I will open the public hearing.

2:53

Uh Commission members, please hold your questions for staff until after the public deliberations have occurred and um and we do that just to keep to keep the meeting rolling forward and staying on time.

3:06

And with that, we will move on.

3:09

Um I do not have a mayor's liaison report, so we'll move on to the director's report.

3:16

Uh Robert.

3:17

Great.

3:17

Thank you, Chair Buchak, and good afternoon, commissioners and members of the public.

3:22

I'm Robert Williamson, acting secretary of this commission and deputy director of the Houston Planning Department.

3:28

For my report today, I have two announcements.

3:30

First, the Norrill design guidelines are not being brought to this commission this month for review as reported last month.

3:37

Staff is still revising the final draft and it will be brought in for review next month.

3:42

Second, I want to I want to announce that the chair has requested that we schedule an HAHC workshop in the coming weeks to discuss possible rules and procedures for the commission with the goal of improving the operation of the commission.

3:56

This work session will be the framework for developing rules and procedures that will be considered by the commission in the coming weeks.

4:03

Finally, it's been a busy spring.

4:05

Since our April 2026 meeting, we received three requests for pre-application design reviews and 46 new COA applications.

4:14

This brings our year-to-date pre-application design reviews to twenty-four, and year-to-date COAs submitted to 163.

4:22

We've also administratively approved 17 COAs during the cycle, bringing our year-to-date total to 48.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Historic Preservation█████████████████████████████████████████████89%
Procedural████8%
Community Engagement█2%
Housing and Community Development█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Houston Archaeological and Historical Commission Meeting – May 21, 2026

The Houston Archaeological and Historical Commission (HAHC) convened on Thursday, May 21, 2026 at 2:39 PM. Chair David Buchek presided with a quorum present (11 commissioners, one absent). The meeting featured a large agenda, including a landmark designation, a consent calendar of 29 certificate of appropriateness (COA) applications, individual consideration of several COAs, and a deferred item concerning an unlawful demolition in the Starkweather Historic District. Staff reported a busy spring: 24 pre-application design reviews year-to-date and 163 COAs submitted, with 17 administratively approved since the last meeting.

Consent Calendar

  • The consent calendar initially listed items B1 through B29. Commissioners requested to pull several items for individual discussion: B1, B2 (1512 Arlington St), B4, B5 (1810 Courtland St), B6 (611 Omar St), B7, B8 (805 Courtland St), B10 (1118 Tulane St), B11, B12 (202 East 31st St and 202 East 31½ St – later deferred), B13, B14 (4601 Oak Ridge St), B15 (1131 Dunbar St), B17 (1012 Key St), B24 (1127 Le Green St). The remaining items on the consent calendar were approved in one motion: B16, B18, B19, B22, B23, B25, B26, B27, B28, B29. Items B11, B12, B20, B22, B23 were also deferred by staff or applicant. The consent calendar motion carried unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Item A – Landmark Designation (1021 Main St): Amanda Coleman of Ryan Historic Advisors expressed ownership's full support for the landmark designation. Melanie Cadell, co-author of the National Register nomination, spoke on the building's architectural significance. Brooks Howell of Gensler described plans to convert the 600,000 sq ft tower into 553 apartments (460 market-rate, 93 short-term hotel-style units operated by Roost), which would increase downtown residential units by 5%. The project was praised for preserving the original lobby and green marble core.
  • Items B11/B12 – Unlawful Demolition (202 East 31½ St): Dr. Sabrina Norman, an original homeowner in Starkweather, testified that the house was demolished illegally despite being in the historic district. She demanded no construction until the city explains the transgression and that future development adhere strictly to preservation guidelines. Tanya Wells, executive director of the Independence Heights Redevelopment Council, formally objected to any redevelopment following the unlawful demolition, citing failure of oversight and transparency. She urged that any replacement home be built in the image of the original structure.
  • Several other applicants and owners spoke in support of their projects during individual consideration.

Discussion Items

  • Item A – Landmark Designation for First City National Bank (1021 Main St): Staff presented the 1961 corporate modern skyscraper designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill with an exoskeleton (geometric masonry structural grid) – the first SOM building in downtown Houston. The property meets criteria 1, 4, 5, and 6 for landmark designation. The National Register nomination was accepted on January 20, 2026. The applicant clarified that only the lot with the tower, hyphen, and non-historic garage are being considered. The commission voted unanimously to recommend landmark designation to City Council.
  • Items B1/B2 – 1512 Arlington St (Heights East): Alteration/addition (restore front porch, two-story rear addition) and new garage apartment. Commissioner Davis questioned FAR calculations and Sanborn map dates. Staff confirmed the project met design guidelines and FAR. Approved with conditions that the eves be lowered if needed per guidelines and siding match historic exposure. Motion passed (majority).
  • Items B3 – 1806 State St (Old Sixth Ward): Alteration/addition including roof change and vinyl siding removal. Owner Santiago Parra testified to neighborhood support. Approved unanimously.
  • Items B4/B5 – 1810 Courtland St (Heights East): Two-story addition and garage apartment. Commissioner Davis identified an eve height discrepancy (23 ft vs. max 22 ft for side setback <7 ft). Staff clarified the eight-foot setback allows 23 ft. Commissioner Cosgrove questioned the six-inch siding reveal vs. typical four-inch. A motion to defer due to late 3D rendering was not seconded. The commission approved with conditions: siding to match historic exposure (four-inch) and eve heights confirmed as compliant. Motion passed (majority).
  • Items B7/B8 – 805 Courtland St (Heights South): Two-story addition and garage apartment with breezeway. Commissioner Davis noted casement windows (inset and recessed?) and a balcony visible from sidewalk. Chair Buchek defended the contemporary design as recessive. Siding reveal discussion: original house has varying exposures (bottom 7¼", top ~4"). Owner Lathan Henderson confirmed intent to expose original siding. Approved with condition that siding on addition match historic exposure. Motion passed.
  • Items B9 – 1011 Fugate St (Norhill): One-story addition and garage remodel. Approved unanimously.
  • Items B10 – 1118 Tulane St (Heights): Two-story addition and removal of stone veneer from house. Staff argued the stone was not original (based on Sanborn map analysis showing a change in the 1940s-61) and was causing structural damage. Commissioner Ginger Burney (historical consultant) opined the stone likely was added later. Commissioner Broadbeck moved to defer to clarify builder's plans for the stone and complete drawings with missing notes and window trim details. Seconded. Motion carried (majority opposed? Actually the motion to defer carried with only one opposed).
  • Items B11/B12 – 202 East 31st and 31½ St (Starkweather): Staff reported the house was demolished unlawfully (no COA) due to a missing historic hold in the city's permitting system – one of three properties in the district that were never flagged. The owners now seek a COA for new construction. Staff deferred the application because no demolition COA exists. Legal counsel outlined options: (1) approve a COA for demolition if criteria met, (2) issue a COR for reconstruction of what was demolished, or (3) enforce the two-year moratorium on permits following an illegal demolition. Public comments strongly opposed new construction. The commission voted to defer, with staff to advise the applicant to submit a demolition COA. The matter will return next month.
  • Items B13/B14 – 4601 Oak Ridge St (Norhill): Garage demolition and new construction, plus interior remodel and second-floor addition. Commissioner Broadbeck noted missing plans (no roof, window, or door schedules). Staff explained the vinyl windows match existing non-original windows. A motion to defer failed (4 opposed, 5 in favor? Actually 4 opposed, so motion carried to defer? The transcript states "all in favor of the vote to defer. Aye. And all opposed. Opposed. Yes. So is there three opposed or four? Opposed. So that's four opposed. And how many were four? The the motion one, two, three, four, five. Okay, so it's deferred." - unclear count but motion to defer passed). Deferred.
  • Items B15 – 1131 Dunbar St (Norhill): Two-story rear addition with wood siding, approval. Approved unanimously.
  • Items B17 – 1012 Key St (Norhill): Two-story rear addition with clerestory windows. Owner Brian Davis explained the design to maximize backyard space. Norhill Neighborhood Association approved. Commissioner Blakely expressed concern about compatibility. Motion to approve staff recommendation passed (one opposed).
  • Items B21 – 1515 Rutland St (Heights West): Detached ADU (office) in front of existing garage. Staff noted the project required commission approval because the existing garage exceeds 900 sq ft (total square footage of first and second floors). Approved unanimously.
  • Items B22 – 1231 Arlington St (Heights): Approved as part of consent? Actually it was on consent list but later noted as deferred by applicant. The record shows B22 was deferred.
  • Items B24 – 1127 Le Green St (Norhill): Roof replacement, removal of glass block, addition of front porch. Information updated; approved unanimously.

Key Outcomes

  • Landmark Designation: Recommended to City Council for 1021 Main St (First City National Bank). Approved unanimously.
  • Consent Calendar: Approved with 17 items remaining after pulls; motion carried.
  • COA Approvals: Items B1/B2, B3, B4/B5, B7/B8, B9, B15, B17, B21, B24 approved with conditions where noted.
  • COA Deferrals: Items B10 (1118 Tulane St) deferred for additional documentation and stone reuse plan. Items B13/B14 (4601 Oak Ridge St) deferred for complete drawings. Items B11/B12 (202 East 31½ St) deferred pending a demolition COA.
  • April 2026 Minutes: Tabled until June 2026 due to corrections regarding abstention language and vote recording.
  • Director's Report: Announced Norhill Design Guidelines review will be brought next month; a HAHC workshop will be scheduled to discuss rules and procedures.
  • Preservation Officer's Report: Thanked community for survey feedback; highlighted documentary screening of Lewis White Grocery landmark.
  • No further public comment was present; meeting adjourned.

Meeting Transcript

It's now 239. Uh PM Thursday, May 21st, 2026. Today's meeting of the Houston Archaeological and Historical Commission, HAHC is called to order. I am Commission Chair David Buchek to verify we have a quorum. I will call the roll. The Chair is present. Commissioner Jones is absent today. Present. Commissioner Blakely. Present. Commissioner Ascabar. Present. Commissioner Hill. Present. Commissioner Cosgrove. Commissioner Seidel. Present. Commissioner Mark Smith. Present. Commissioner Browning. Present. Commissioner Broadbeck. Present. Commissioner Garcia. Present. Commissioner Davis. And also Deputy Director Robert Williamson. Present. Thank you, Commissioners. We have a quorum. I will start with the Chair's report. And I will review the speaker rules. We apologize for the late start. We have a very large agenda today. This meeting can be viewed on HTV, although virtual participation options are not available. These meetings do start a few minutes after the scheduled time just to allow the HTV broadcast to go live. Speakers, if you wish to address the Commission on an item, please fill out one of the speaker forms at the front door and turn it in to the staff member nearest the front door. These speaker rules are posted on the agenda and are at my discretion at this meeting. Applicants will open and speak for three minutes. Please return to your seat after you address the commission. Note that you also may uh be asked or recognized by myself or commission member if there are additional questions that a member has. After the applicant has spoken, other public speakers may speak uh one time, up to two minutes when I recognize you to speak. Um also please note for individual consideration of certificates of appropriateness after staff's initial presentation. I will open the public hearing. Uh Commission members, please hold your questions for staff until after the public deliberations have occurred and um and we do that just to keep to keep the meeting rolling forward and staying on time. And with that, we will move on. Um I do not have a mayor's liaison report, so we'll move on to the director's report. Uh Robert. Great. Thank you, Chair Buchak, and good afternoon, commissioners and members of the public.

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