HPAB Hearing on Stone Veneer Appeal - July 20, 2026
HPAB Hearing on Stone Veneer Appeal - July 20, 2026
The Houston Preservation Board (HPAB) met on July 20, 2026, to hear an appeal of the Houston Archaeological and Historical Commission's (HAHC) June 18, 2026 decision approving with conditions a Certificate of Appropriateness for a rear addition and siding replacement at 1118 2 Lane Street in the Houston Heights West Historic District. The board unanimously voted to remand the case to the HAHC to consider new structural and financial evidence presented by the property owner.
Consent Calendar
- The prior meeting minutes were approved unanimously by voice vote after a motion by Commissioner Kelman and a second.
Discussion Items
- Appeal of HAHC Decision (Item 2): The property at 1118 2 Lane Street is a circa 1915 Craftsman-style home with a unique stone veneer—the only full stone-veneer house in the Houston Heights Historic District. The applicant, owner Steven Robinson, proposed to remove the stone veneer piece-by-piece, repair the foundation and wall framing, and replace the stone with wood siding. The HAHC had approved the project on June 18, 2026, with the condition that the original stone veneer be retained, repaired, and reinstalled.
- Appellant’s Testimony: Robinson explained that he purchased the home in 2014 but has been unable to proceed with renovations due to financial and structural hurdles. He cited three previous stonemason bids (2015–16) ranging from $47,000 to $78,000, with breakage estimates of 40–50% during removal. He stated that Western Specialty, a national masonry firm, declined the job, and a local company deemed it "pointless" to attempt removal. He presented two engineering reports (2015 and June 2026) from Brad Daughtery, P.E., condemning the foundation as deteriorated and noting the stone weight (estimated 60,000 lbs) is exacerbating settlement. He argued that the cost of stone preservation far exceeds the property’s current improvement value ($21,000 vs. $594,000 land value) and that a siding replica would be more economically feasible and visually appropriate. He acknowledged he had taken no steps to preserve the house since purchase, stating he didn’t want to invest without a clear outcome.
- Board Deliberation: Board members questioned Robinson about maintenance history, previous COA applications, and foundation details. Commissioner Edminster expressed concern that the HAHC had not reviewed the engineering letters or the updated cost estimates. Staff noted that the 2015 engineering report was not included in the June HAHC packet, and additional information had been submitted only recently. The board discussed that the preponderance of new information—including site photos, foundation assessments, and stonemason feedback—warranted a remand to the HAHC for a fresh review.
Key Outcomes
- Motion to Remand: Commissioner Edminster moved to remand the appeal back to the HAHC due to the quantity of new information (engineering reports, stonemason bids, foundation analysis) that was not before the commission in June. Commissioner Kelman seconded. The motion passed unanimously by voice vote (three members present: Edminster, Kelman, chair Bartell).
- Next Steps: The applicant was instructed to submit all new documentation to staff by July 30, 2026, to be included on the August HAHC agenda. The board emphasized that the remand was not a delay tactic but intended to ensure the HAHC could make an informed decision based on complete evidence.
Meeting Transcript
Option Houston Televisivision HTV offers viewing options via their social media and web page. Board members, please unmute yourself and respond by repeating your name, saying present when I call your name. I am JD Bartell, the chair, and I am present. Uh Douglas Elliott is not present. Truman Edminster. Present. Stephen McNeil. Present. Bree Kelman. Present. And Director Robert Williams. Deputy Director Robert Williamson. Present. Thank you. We have a quorum. As chair would like to comment on how this meeting will be conducted. All speakers are asked to fill out the speaker request form, turn it into 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 your presentation. Written comments will also be entered into the record by staff. The appellant may have time for rebuttal if desired. Finally, board members may have questions for speakers, which will not count against the time allotted for speaking. Thank you, Chairbartel. And good morning, Commissioners and members of the public. I'm Robert Williamson, Acting Secretary of this Commission, and Deputy Director of the Houston Planning and Development Department. My report will be very brief today as I have no announcements or comments. So in closing, if you've got questions, you can call the Houston Office of Preservation Hotline at 832-393-6556 or visit our website at HoustonPlanning.com. This concludes my report. Thank you. The prior meeting minutes were posted with this agenda. May I have a motion and a second to accept these minutes if there are no changes. Motion to administer Second Kelman. All those in favor. Aye. Passes unanimously. The next item. It sounded like your microphone went out. Oh, consideration of and possible action on an appeal of the decision of the Houston Archaeological and Historical Commission on June 18th, 2026, approving with conditions a certificate of appropriateness for an addition at 1118 2 Lane Street in the Houston Heights West Historic District. This is Staff Person Terrence Jackson. And today I submit to you item two at 1118 2 lane. The property includes a historic 943 square foot one-story craftsman style single-family residence situated on a 6600 square foot interior lot. Located in the Heights Historic District constructed circa 1915. Thus the applicant would like to request to remove the stone piece piece by piece, repair the foundation and wall framing, then install siding in place to in place of the stone. Staff believes this will place a huge financial strain on the project, and the applicant requested that the HAC consider the stone be placed with be replaced with siding. Staff and senior structural inspector revisited revisited the home on June 5th, 2026. Please see the additional photos in the inspector statement in the staff report. The applicant proposes to construct a 1,770 square foot rear edition. The first floor will have a 732 square foot addition, and the second floor addition will be 1,038 square feet. They plan to maintain all existing windows and doors, partially demolish the rear wall to accommodate for the rear edition, to be constructed with the max ridge height of 26 feet 10 inches, construct the second floor eve height with a 20 feet 7-inch top Eve. Construct the roof with new composition shingles at five with a five and a half uh five over 12 roof pitch.
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