San Antonio Compliance and Technical Advisory Board Meeting - October 23, 2026

The Compliance and Technical Advisory Board met on October 23, 2026, with Chair Juanita Sepulveda presiding and Vice Chair Jason Vasquez present. After roll call established a quorum, the board approved prior meeting minutes, acted on a consent agenda, and considered certificate of appropriateness (COA) requests. One agenda item was postponed at the applicant's request. The meeting adjourned at 10:23 a.m.

Consent Calendar

• The board approved the September 18, 2026, meeting minutes by unanimous roll call.
• The board approved the consent agenda unanimously. The approved properties were 732 East Gunther Street and 730 East Woodlawn Avenue. No public comments were received for these items, and certificates of appropriateness will be emailed within 10 days.
• Item 6 was postponed at the applicant's request and was not heard.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Bianca Maldonado, president of the Monticello Park Neighborhood Association, spoke in opposition to the retaining wall request at 222 Mary Louise. She said the home was a contributing Atlee B. Ayres home, called the front berm a character-defining feature, cited nearby walls that were built before the historic district or were not approved, and asked the board to be consistent with prior denials.
• The applicant representative for 824 North Pine spoke in favor of the proposed front gate, citing safety concerns and nearby examples. A DHA letter on 824 Pine agreed with staff's recommendation.
• Additional case-specific applicant testimony is summarized in the discussion items below.

Discussion Items

• 1331 Fulton Avenue (CTAP 2026-288): The applicants, longtime homeowners who are caregivers for their adult son, requested a COA to replace 13 historic wood windows and 3 metal windows with vinyl. They cited an estimate of about $16,000 for vinyl double-pane windows versus about $50,000 for wood double-pane windows, a $34,000 difference, and said maintenance, lead-paint exposure, and health concerns made replacement necessary. Staff reported that a site visit found the wood windows repairable, with less than 50% deterioration, and recommended repair and retention plus weatherization and retrofit options. The board voted unanimously to approve staff recommendations, denying the vinyl replacement and directing the applicants to work with the Office of Historical Preservation on further solutions. Staff also noted the applicants could pursue administrative approval for replacement of the three metal windows.
• 919 North Pine (CTAP 2026-279): The applicant requested approval to replace shingle roofs on three rear accessory structures with standing-seam metal roofs. Staff recommended approval with a standard-installation stipulation and an OHP inspection before work begins. The applicant disagreed with the ridge condition but accepted the process. The board voted unanimously to approve staff recommendations. This item was initially deferred until the applicant could connect by phone and was heard after the next item.
• 824 North Pine: The applicant requested a 4-foot-tall front-yard iron fence with a pedestrian gate and an operable vehicular gate at the sidewalk. Staff recommended approval with the vehicular gate located fully behind the front facade wall plane at the rear of the front porch. The applicant's representative said the gate was needed for safety and privacy and cited similar gates in the neighborhood. The board approved the staff recommendation with the stipulation, with the motion referencing consistency with the neighborhood.
• 222 Mary Louise (CTAP 2026-284): The applicant, a landscape architect, requested a COA for an approximately 18-inch-tall front-yard retaining wall with a stucco finish and red brick cap. Staff did not recommend approval and recommended maintaining the historic berm with low-growing plants. The applicant described the wall as an aesthetic and formal landscape feature and said if denied he would plant grass. After public testimony opposing the wall, the board voted to approve staff recommendations, denying the request.
• Privacy fence screening request (Gary Ames): The applicant requested a COA to add two feet of horizontal wood-slat screening on top of an existing 6-foot-tall wood privacy fence. He said the property has about 150 linear feet of fencing and he sought screening for only 48 feet, or about 32%, making the fence no more than 8 feet tall, to protect family privacy from a neighboring two-story view. Staff did not recommend approval and recommended retaining the existing rear fence configuration. The board voted to approve staff recommendations, denying the request, with Davis and Sepulveda voting against. The chair urged the applicant to work with staff on alternative solutions.

Key Outcomes

• The board denied the vinyl window replacement at 1331 Fulton Avenue and approved staff's repair-and-retain recommendation, while allowing potential administrative review for the three metal windows.
• The board approved the metal roof replacement at 919 North Pine with the stipulated standard installation and inspection requirements.
• The board approved the 824 North Pine front fence with a stipulation that the vehicular gate be placed behind the front facade wall plane at the rear of the front porch.
• The board denied the 222 Mary Louise front retaining wall request.
• The board denied the privacy fence screening increase and referred the applicant to OHP staff for next steps.