Historic and Design Review Commission Meeting – May 6, 2026
Historic and Design Review Commission Meeting – May 6, 2026
The Historic and Design Review Commission (HDRC) met on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, at 3:03 PM. Chairman Jay Maurice Gibbs presided. All ten commissioners were present, establishing a quorum. Announcements included Preservation Month events (May 9 wood window workshop, May 16 picnic and movie, May 21 citizen historian course and trivia night) and a Riverwalk strategic plan public meeting on May 9 at 10 AM at the central library.
Consent Calendar
- Items 1 through 9 on the consent agenda were approved with staff stipulations, less items 3 (1611 Broadway) and 7 (deconstruction of a barn) which were pulled for separate discussion.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public comments were made.
Discussion Items
- Item 3 – 1611 Broadway (Applicant: Lorena Gomez Farrias): The applicant sought approval for two small utility/restroom buildings on a prominent corner lot in the Rio 2 district. Commissioners raised concerns about the siting of utilitarian buildings on Broadway and Newell, lack of landscaping, heat sink potential, and the building's long-term compatibility. The applicant noted utility constraints (CPS pole and sewer locations) and the owner's desire for permanent structures to support seasonal activities. A motion to approve with staff stipulations failed on a split vote. A substitute motion to approve with additional conditions – relocation of building one to the west side of the site (along the alley) and increased perimeter landscaping including trees – passed 8–2. The matter was continued to the May 20 meeting.
- Item 7 – Deconstruction at a property (Applicant: George Ramirez): The applicant requested a certificate of appropriateness to fully deconstruct a failing barn, citing a $128,000 reconstruction cost and structural rot. Commissioners discussed the historic preservation plan and the owner's prior salvage efforts. A motion to approve with staff stipulations passed unanimously.
- Item 10 – 731 North Palmetto (Applicants: Octavia Montes, Alex Schmartzman): The applicant proposed two two-story single-family homes on a vacant lot in the Dignity Hill Historic District. Staff identified 12 stipulations. Updated plans were presented addressing setbacks, building width, massing, porches, fenestration, and parking. Commissioners expressed concerns about height, scale, and massing relative to adjacent one-story homes. A motion to refer the item to a Design Review Committee (DRC) meeting the following week passed unanimously.
Key Outcomes
- Item 3: Continued to May 20, 2026, with conditions: relocation of building one to the west property line (alley side) and additional perimeter landscaping/trees.
- Item 7: Approved with staff stipulations.
- Item 10: Referred to a DRC for further refinement of design, particularly scale, massing, and fenestration.
- The meeting adjourned at 4:17 PM.
Meeting Transcript
Good afternoon, everyone. Time is now three three oh three on uh Wednesday May 6th 2026. Like to call to order this is third design review commission meeting. May I have a roll call, please. Here. Velasquez. Here. Galloway. Here. Mazouka? Here. Givada. Here. Group. Here. Holland. Here. Fetzer. Here. And Gibbs. Here. We have a quorum. Thank you. May I have translation services, please? See alguien necesita los servicios de traductional espanhol. Thank you. The Historic and Design Review Commission is an advisory board appointed by the City Council. I am Jay Maurice Gibbs chairman and the vice chair is Jeffrey Fetzer. It is the function of the commission to advise the city manager and all relevant city departments concerning all applications for permits for properties and in story districts for landmarks on city property and the river improvement overlay and for demolitions. And considering whether to recommend approval or disapproval of an application for a certificate of appropriateness, the commission shall be guided by the city's unified development code and design guidelines and standards that have been adopted by City Council. An appeal of a decision by an administrative official can be filed in accordance with the city's unified development code. If anyone wishes to speak in favor or in opposition to any item on today's agenda, please sign up on the public comment sheet. It is not necessary to sign up if you are the owner of or representative for an a project on today's agenda. You will be called on as the case is called. Case representatives will be given no more than 15 minutes to present their case with an additional two minutes to respond to public comments. Speakers for or opposed to a case will be limited to two minutes each. Speakers may also sign up to yield their time. There's two minutes to another speaker who has signed up. Anyone who is yielding their time must be present at the time the speaker is called upon. Speakers will be called upon in the order in which they are signed up. Following public testimony, any commissioner may call upon any speaker to respond to further questions. Approval of the commission does not take the place of any type of permit. Permits must be attained for all work. Certificates of appropriateness for work approved by the commission will be emailed to you within 10 days. No work of any type is to be started without obtaining the appropriate city permits after a certificate of appropriateness has been issued by the Office of Historic Preservation. At this time, please silence your cell phones. Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you for being here. Um we have a few quick announcements. Um this is Preservation Month, so we have a large number of um free and low-cost events uh about all about preservation in San Antonio.
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