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Record of Proceedings

Texarkana Historic District Commission Meeting: Mural, Carport & Fascia Rulings (March 31, 2026)

Board of Directors & Commissions — Tuesday, March 31, 2026
BodyTexarkana, Arkansas
SessionBoard of Directors & Commissions
DateTuesday, March 31, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 45:13

Original source
Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.

Speaker 1

0:00

Commission is called order.

0:02

Agendas are available on the row, so please help us sell.

0:05

We will consider the items if they are listed on the agenda.

0:09

I will read each item and ask the person presenting the request to go forward to the podium.

0:15

Please state your name and address for the reporting secretary.

0:19

Present any information and make any comments you have about your request.

0:24

Be prepared to respond to any questions that members of the historic district commission may have a kid.

0:30

Thank you.

0:31

Item number one is roll call.

Speaker 2

0:36

Michael Hendrix.

0:38

Jeff Brown is absent.

0:40

Jamie Simmons is absent.

0:43

Dave Jones.

0:44

Here.

0:44

Natasha Crab here.

0:46

And Greg Gallagher.

Speaker 1

0:48

Here.

0:49

So there are four members present and two members absent.

0:54

Which constitutes a quorum for business.

Unassigned speaker

1:00

Do

Speaker 1

1:00

any of the commissioners have a conflict of interest with any agenda items?

1:04

And are there any exportary communications to declare?

1:12

Item number two is an adoption of summarized minutes.

1:16

Is there any discussion or are there any corrections that need to be made for the minutes?

1:33

There comes Jamie.

Speaker 2

1:34

We'll note for the record that Jamie Simmons is now present.

Speaker 1

1:42

Okay, so we have five five members.

1:46

One absent.

1:55

We're just looking at the minutes from our request.

2:01

Second.

2:05

All those in favor of the motion, please vote by saying aye.

2:09

All right.

2:10

Aye.

2:12

Ladies and gentlemen, the minutes have been approved as written by uh port of five to five roll four votes.

2:21

Item number one on the agenda.

2:30

Item number one is a certificate of appropriateness request by Darlene Taylor on behalf of Ray Abernathy to paint a mural on the north facing wall of 212 Wood Street, directly across from Hopson's ice house.

Unassigned speaker

2:47

Okay.

Unassigned speaker

2:49

Um that map's probably not going to tell you anything, but this is the wall here.

Unassigned speaker

2:55

Um

Speaker 3

2:58

the wall is really the brick has lost all historical significance when they clustered over it.

3:04

So Darlene is here.

3:13

I'm

Unassigned speaker

3:14

assuming.

Unassigned speaker

3:16

Yeah, I can explain it.

Speaker 3

3:17

Yeah, I'm gonna let

Unassigned speaker

3:18

Darlene explain.

Unassigned speaker

3:24

Good morning, everyone.

Speaker 3

3:26

Good

Speaker 4

3:26

morning.

Unassigned speaker

3:27

Uh I'm trying to make this as small as possible.

Speaker 2

3:33

If you'll start with your name and address.

Speaker 5

3:35

My name is my name is Darling Taylor.

3:38

I live at 3602, Hazel Street, Titicana, Texas, 73.

3:45

75503.

Unassigned speaker

3:47

Sorry.

Speaker 6

4:04

And I am on time.

Speaker 2

4:06

Our clock served.

Unassigned speaker

4:10

I

Speaker 6

4:10

mean just for the record.

Speaker 5

4:26

That's a small business.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Historic Preservation█████████████████████████████████████████████66%
Procedural██████████15%
Arts And Culture██████9%
Engineering And Infrastructure████6%
Community Engagement███4%
Summary of Proceedings

Texarkana Historic District Commission Meeting - March 31, 2026

The Texarkana Historic District Commission convened on March 31, 2026, with members Michael Hendrix, Jamie Simmons (arrived late), Dave Jones, Natasha Crab, and Greg Gallagher present. The Commission considered two Certificate of Appropriateness requests presented by artist Darlene Taylor on behalf of property owners. The meeting included public testimony, a discussion of preservation standards, and an update on the upcoming Historic Preservation Awards.

Consent Calendar

  • The Commission unanimously approved the summarized minutes from the previous meeting.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Tony Nix, a former 25-year resident of a historic Laurel Street home, addressed the Commission. He spoke about the responsibility of property owners as caretakers of historic architecture. Mr. Nix expressed concern about a specific instance where a house in the district was allowed to replace its wooden windows with plastic without appearing before the Commission for approval.

Discussion Item: Certificate of Appropriateness for a Mural at 212 Wood Street

  • Artist Darlene Taylor presented a proposal for a large-scale historical mural on the north-facing wall of 212 Wood Street, owned by Ray Abernathy. The wall is 103 feet long and 22 feet high.
  • Ms. Taylor stated the brick surface has lost its historical integrity due to a previous plaster coating. The proposed mural is designed as a visual walk through Texarkana's history from 1873 to the present day, featuring the evolution of buildings, businesses, and community life. The artwork will transition from black and white through sepia tones into full color, culminating with a scene of the courthouse and the state line.
  • Ms. Taylor stated that she has completed 473 murals, with 164 located in Texarkana, and she requested the Commission's trust as the design will be developed in detail during the painting process rather than provided as a traditional full-color rendering.

Discussion Item: Certificate of Appropriateness for a Property at 22nd and Beach Street

  • Ms. Taylor also presented requests from the owner of a rental house at the corner of 22nd and Beach Street in the historic district.
  • Carport Construction: The applicant requested approval to construct a free-standing wooden carport on the side of the house. The design would match the existing roof line and wood shingles of the house. The Commission discussed the setback requirement and referred the exact requirement to the city permit department. Commissioner Jamie Simmons spoke positively from personal experience about the usefulness of carports on historic properties.
  • Wood Fascia Repair vs. Covering: The applicant requested approval to cover the existing wood fascia, soffit, and trim on the front of the house with vinyl or aluminum siding, citing ongoing maintenance issues and rot. The Commission extensively debated this request. Commissioners referenced the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation, which advise repairing original wood materials rather than covering them with non-historic substitutes. They raised concerns that covering the wood fascia would diminish the historic character of the building and set a negative precedent for the district. The Commission strongly recommended repairing the rotted wood and painting it to match the house's historic appearance.

Key Outcomes

  • Mural Approved: The Commission voted unanimously to approve the Certificate of Appropriateness for the historical mural at 212 Wood Street.
  • Carport Approved: The Commission voted unanimously to approve the construction of the wooden carport, specifying a design option that closely matched the historic house's character.
  • Fascia Covering Denied: The Commission voted unanimously to deny the request to cover the wood fascia with vinyl/aluminum siding. The applicant was directed to repair and paint the existing wooden elements to preserve the historic character of the property.
  • Note on Voting Tally: The initial roll call attendance listed Jeff Brown as absent, but the recorded vote for all three main agenda items included his vote, resulting in a consistent 6-0 tally across all the motions.
  • Staff Comments & Announcements: Staff noted there is still one vacancy on the Commission and asked members to suggest candidates. The annual Historic Preservation Awards ceremony will be held on Wednesday, May 27, at 6:00 PM in the auditorium in recognition of National Preservation Month. Nominations for the awards must be submitted by May 11. Sponsors for the event include Natasha Crab's real estate company and other local sponsors.

Meeting Transcript

Commission is called order. Agendas are available on the row, so please help us sell. We will consider the items if they are listed on the agenda. I will read each item and ask the person presenting the request to go forward to the podium. Please state your name and address for the reporting secretary. Present any information and make any comments you have about your request. Be prepared to respond to any questions that members of the historic district commission may have a kid. Thank you. Item number one is roll call. Michael Hendrix. Jeff Brown is absent. Jamie Simmons is absent. Dave Jones. Here. Natasha Crab here. And Greg Gallagher. Here. So there are four members present and two members absent. Which constitutes a quorum for business. Do any of the commissioners have a conflict of interest with any agenda items? And are there any exportary communications to declare? Item number two is an adoption of summarized minutes. Is there any discussion or are there any corrections that need to be made for the minutes? There comes Jamie. We'll note for the record that Jamie Simmons is now present. Okay, so we have five five members. One absent. We're just looking at the minutes from our request. Second. All those in favor of the motion, please vote by saying aye. All right. Aye. Ladies and gentlemen, the minutes have been approved as written by uh port of five to five roll four votes. Item number one on the agenda. Item number one is a certificate of appropriateness request by Darlene Taylor on behalf of Ray Abernathy to paint a mural on the north facing wall of 212 Wood Street, directly across from Hopson's ice house. Okay. Um that map's probably not going to tell you anything, but this is the wall here. Um the wall is really the brick has lost all historical significance when they clustered over it. So Darlene is here. I'm assuming. Yeah, I can explain it. Yeah, I'm gonna let Darlene explain. Good morning, everyone. Good morning. Uh I'm trying to make this as small as possible.

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