Mar 04, 2025 Historic Landmark Commission on 03/04/2025 5:30 PM

[00:00:05]

GOOD

[1. CALL TO ORDER – 5:30 PM]

UH, THANK YOU FOR COMING TONIGHT.

TODAY IS TUESDAY, MARCH THE FOURTH, 2025.

UH, WE'LL START THE HISTORICALLY LANDMARK COMMISSION MEETING FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH, UM, AT FIVE 30.

SO, UM, CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER, UH, COMMISSIONERS.

THE SECOND ITEM

[2. CONFLICT OF INTEREST ]

THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO RECOGNIZE IF YOU HAVE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST ON ANY OF THE ACTION ITEMS ON THE AGENDA.

SEEING EVERYBODY SHAKING THEIR HEADS NO.

SO NO ISSUES TONIGHT.

UM, SO I GUESS I'LL JUST DO A LITTLE HOUSE CLEANING.

UM, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S ONLY FOUR OF US HERE.

WE HAVE SOME MEMBERS MISSING TONIGHT.

SO, UM, OFFICER LEE, WE ALL WILL BE VOTING TONIGHT, SO A PASS, UH, IF YOU GET A NEED, AT LEAST A THREE TO ONE VOTE TONIGHT.

SO GET TO PASS THE AGENDA HERE.

ACTION ITEM.

SO, ALRIGHT, UH, NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS ACTION ITEM NUMBER THREE.

THIS IS A PUBLIC COMMENTS.

THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR VISITORS, GUESTS TO ADDRESS THIS TO LANDMARK COMMISSION ON ANY ISSUES.

THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION MAY NOT DISCUSS THE PRESENTATION OR ISSUES THAT YOU MAY BRING UP ACCORDING TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL.

SO, UM, AT THIS TIME, IF ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS THAT'S NOT ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT, THIS IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO COME UP TO THE, UM, UP TO TALK TO US IF YOU'D LIKE TO.

SEEING NO MOVEMENT THERE, WE WILL JUST KEEP ON ROLLING OR WRONG.

NO, UM, BODY MOVEMENT THERE.

SO WE'LL PASS THE PUBLIC COMMENTS.

UH, NEXT

[4. CONSENT AGENDA: All items listed below within the Consent Agenda are considered routine by the Historic Landmark Commission and may be enacted with one motion. There will be no separate discussion of items unless a Commission Member or citizen so requests, in which event the item may be moved to the general order of business and considered in its normal sequence.]

THIS IS A CONSENT AGENDA.

UM, COMMISSIONERS, THIS IS THE, UH, CONSENT AGENDA.

TONIGHT IS THE MEETING MINUTES FROM FEBRUARY THE FOURTH.

UM, THIS OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO, UM, MAKE COMMENTS, STRIKE ANYTHING OR MAKE ANY CHANGES AT THIS TIME.

SO, MR. CHAIRMAN, I'D MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE ACTION ITEM 2 0 2 5 DASH 6 0 6 4.

THE MINUTES OF THE LAST BOARD MEETING ON FEBRUARY 4TH.

ALRIGHT, I HAVE A FIRST AND A SECOND OPPORTUNITY FOR EVERYBODY TO VOTE.

ALRIGHT, THE CONSENT AGENDA PASSES FOUR TO ZERO.

WE'RE GOOD TO GO THERE.

UM,

[5.A. Consider a Historic District Improvement Program Grant Application for 604 S Main (Samuel McGee)]

THIS IS A CONSIDERATION FOR AN IMPROVEMENT GRANT APPLICATION FOR 6 0 4 SOUTH MAIN STREET.

GOOD EVENING.

GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.

THANK YOU MR. CHAIR FOR PRESENTING OUR REGULAR, OUR FIRST REGULAR AGENDA ITEM.

AND SO THE FIRST ITEM ON OUR REGULAR AGENDA IS FOR THE PROPERTY LOCATED AT 6 0 4 SOUTH MAINE, AND THE APPLICANT IS MR. SAM MCGEE.

UH, THE REQUEST IS FOR THE APPROVAL OF WINDOW UPDATES AND TIED TO THAT IS A HISTORIC DISTRICT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM GRANT APPLICATION FOR THOSE PROPOSED WINDOW UPDATES.

AND SO THE PROPERTY AT THE CENTER OF OUR REQUEST IS LOCATED HERE IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT.

UM, IT IS A CONSIDERED A HIGHLY CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURE TO THE HISTORIC DISTRICT.

IT WAS BUILT CIRCA 1910 AS A RESIDENCE IN A FOLK VICTORIAN ARCHITECTURAL STYLE.

AND IT ALSO HAS SOME INFLUENCES, UM, GERMAN TEXAS VERNACULAR FORM INFLUENCES, UM, THAT YOU CAN SEE WITH THE SIDE GABLE ROOF.

THAT IS, UM, ON THE EXISTING STRUCTURE.

UH, IT IS CURRENTLY A COMMERCIAL USE AND, UM, IT FEATURES A ONE STORY CLAPBOARD FACADE WITH PAINTED POSTS AND CORBELS.

UM, AND WHAT WE ALSO SEE HERE ON THIS EXISTING, UM, STRUCTURE PICTURE IS THAT THERE ARE SOME EXISTING ALUMINUM ENCASED WINDOWS THAT ARE NOT ORIGINAL TO THE BUILDING.

AND BASED ON, UM, INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO US, UH, WE THINK IT, THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN INSTALLED CIRCA 1970.

AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, IN LIGHT OF THESE, UM, WINDOWS BEING, YOU KNOW, NOT ORIGINAL AND THEN ALSO NOT BEING ENERGY EFFICIENT, UH, WINDOWS THE, UH, APPLICANT MR. SAM MCGEE AND I SHOULD MENTION THAT MR. BEN, ADAM IS REPRESENTING MR. MCGEE THIS EVENING.

AND SO HE'LL HAVE HIS OPPORTUNITY TO COME UP AND ADDRESS THE COMMISSIONERS AS WELL

[00:05:01]

BUT, UM, MR. MCGEE IS PROPOSING TO REPLACE THOSE EXISTING WINDOWS, UH, THAT WE SAW IN THE PRIOR SLIDE WITH, UH, ENERGY EFFICIENT WHITE CASEMENT WINDOWS, UM, IN ONE OF TWO STYLES.

SO THE FIRST OPTION, OPTION A, THAT YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN HERE IS WHAT WE WOULD CONSIDER A HISTORICALLY APPROPRIATE FIXED STYLE.

UM, AND THOSE CAN BE FOUND IN OUR TEXAS.

OUR, UM, HISTORIC DISTRICT GUIDELINES.

I INCLUDED A LITTLE, UH, SNAPSHOT OF ONE OF THE SKETCHES IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT GUIDELINES.

YOU SEE THOSE TYPES OF WINDOWS TYPICALLY IN TEXAS, GERMAN VERNACULAR BUILDINGS.

AND KNOW WE, WE KNOW THAT, UM, THIS PARTICULAR BUILDING DOES HAVE THOSE INFLUENCES.

UM, THIS OPTION OVER HERE WOULD BE, UH, REPLACING SEVEN EXISTING WINDOWS FOR AN ESTIMATED COST OF $11,946.

SO, UH, GIVE OR TAKE A COUPLE OF DOLLARS.

AND SO THAT'S THE FIRST OPTION.

THE OPTION B.

SECOND OPTION IS TO REPLACE THOSE EXISTING WINDOWS WITH, UH, A DIFFERENT, SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT STYLE.

UM, SO THESE WOULD BE CALLED TWO OVER TWO STYLE.

AND THOSE, UH, TYPICALLY ARE SEEN IN TEXAS GERMAN SUNDAY HOUSE STYLE BUILDINGS, ALTHOUGH, YOU KNOW, BEN CAN SPEAK TO THIS, THERE'S, I'M SURE HE'LL PROVIDE OTHER EXAMPLES OF WHERE WE SEE THIS IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT.

UM, AND SO AGAIN, REPLACING ALL SEVEN WINDOWS.

AND, UM, THIS SECOND OPTION IS A LITTLE BIT MORE EXPENSIVE THAN THE FIRST.

SO THE ESTIMATED COST FOR THIS ONE IS 13,000, UH, A LITTLE BIT OVER $13,000.

SO, UM, WE SHOULD GET TO JUST A BREAKDOWN OF THE GRANT APPLICATION ANALYSIS AND SCORE, UM, JUST TO, UM, YOU KNOW, EXPLAIN HOW WE EVALUATE THESE TYPES OF GRANT PROGRAMS THAT THE CITY OFFERS FOR OUR HISTORIC DISTRICT PROPERTIES.

UM, IF A STRUCTURE IS CONTRIBUTING AND IT IS A HIGHLY CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURE LIKE THIS ONE, IT GETS A FULL 10 OUT OF 10 POSSIBLE POINTS, UM, FOR THE TYPE OF IMPROVEMENT THAT'S PROPOSED HERE FOR, UM, IMPROVEMENTS TO AN EXISTING BUILDING FACADE.

WE ALSO GET A 10 OUT OF POSSIBLE 10 POINTS.

AND THEN FOR THE ESTIMATED PROJECT BUDGET OF ZERO TO UH, 14,999, WE GET A, UH, POSSIBLE FOUR POINTS OUT OF 10.

SO TOTAL SCORE FOR THIS APPLICATION IS 24 POINTS, WHICH IS, UH, MORE THAN ENOUGH FOR THE GRANT TO BE CONSIDERED.

SO YOU NEED A MINIMUM OF 20 POINTS FOR THE GRANT TO BE CONSIDERED BY THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION IN ADDITION TO THOSE SCORING CRITERIA THAT WE LOOKED AT JUST NOW.

UM, ANOTHER THING THAT THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION NEEDS TO CONSIDER WHEN REVIEWING THE GRANT APPLICATION AND THE PROPOSED WORK THAT'S TIED TO IT IS HISTORICAL APPROPRIATENESS.

UM, SO, YOU KNOW, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT REINFORCES THE HISTORIC BUILDING OR DOES IT TAKE AWAY FROM IT? UM, IS THAT APPROPRIATE? AND OF COURSE, BEN, ADAM CAN SPEAK TO THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE, BUT STAFF IS CONSIDERING, YES, THIS IS, THESE EITHER OPTION COULD BE CONSIDERED HISTORICALLY APPROPRIATE.

UH, THE OTHER THING IS TO CONSIDER WHETHER OR NOT THE PROPOSED UPDATES ARE COMPATIBLE WITH THE EXISTING ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN OF THE STRUCTURE.

AND, UM, IN THIS CASE, STAFF DOES CONSIDER THAT IT IS COMPATIBLE BECAUSE, UM, THE APPLICANT IS NOT PROPOSING TO ENLARGE THE WINDOWS OR, YOU KNOW, INFLICT ANY STRUCTURAL, UH, CHANGES TO ACCOMMODATE NEW WINDOWS.

LIKE SOMETHING LIKE FLOOR TO CEILING WINDOWS THAT WOULD NOT BE APPROPRIATE.

SO THEY'RE STAYING WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE EXISTING STYLE, UM, AND ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNS.

SO WE CONSIDER IT'S APPROPRIATE.

UH, THE OTHER THING IS CONSIDERING STREET SCAPE OBJECTIVES AND OVERALL ENHANCEMENT OF THE HISTORIC DISTRICT.

SO, YOU KNOW, WOULD THIS MODIFICATION, UM, IF APPROVED, ENHANCE THE STREET SCAPE OF MAIN STREET AND, YOU KNOW, ADD VALUE TO IT POTENTIALLY, AND THEN ALSO ENHANCE OUR EXISTING HISTORIC DISTRICT.

UM, YOU KNOW, DOES IT ADD VALUE, UM, WITH A WELL-MAINTAINED APPEARANCE? WE THINK SO.

SO WE CONSIDER STAFF CONSIDERS THAT THE APPLICATION MEETS ALL OF THESE CRITERIA, UM, JUST TO SPEAK TO THE PROPOSED BUDGET AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE, UM, MAXIMUM REIMBURSEMENT MATCH WOULD BE FOR THIS PARTICULAR GRANT APPLICATION.

[00:10:02]

BUT STAFF, UM, IN THIS CASE IS RECOMMENDING, UH, APPROVAL OF THE FULL REQUESTED AMOUNT OF 5,000.

AND, UM, WE ALSO CONSIDERED THAT THE APP APPLICATION MEETS, UH, OUR HISTORIC DISTRICT GUIDELINES AND OUR COMPREHENSIVE MASTER PLAN GOALS, UM, ALONG WITH OUR UDC HISTORIC DISTRICT GUIDELINES.

UM, AND SO WE ARE RECOMMENDING, UH, THAT THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION APPROVE THE PROPOSED WINDOW UPDATES.

AND I WILL SEED, UM, THE FLOOR BACK TO THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION AND OF COURSE, MR. BEN ADAM TO KIND OF HEAR HIS THOUGHTS ON WHICH OPTION, UH, WOULD BE CONSIDERED THE BEST OPTION.

AND THEN, UM, YOU KNOW, RECOMMENDING THAT THE HLC ALSO APPROVE THE APPLICATION IN THE REQUESTED AMOUNT FOR $5,000.

AND SO WITH THAT, I WILL SEED MY TIME BACK TO THE COMMISSION.

ALRIGHT, MR. ADAMS, WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME UP? STATE YOUR NAME AND MY NAME IS BEN ADAM.

UM, I'M AN ARCHITECT HERE IN BERNIE AND I LIVE AT ONE 15 JAMES STREET.

ALRIGHT.

MY OFFICE IS IN THE SAME PLACE.

UM, I WOULD LIKE ONE CLARIFICATION, AND IT'S NOT HER, IT'S NOT SARAH'S FAULT, IT'S OUR FAULT.

IT, THE, THE, UH, AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WAS SUBMITTED IS FOR THE WINDOWS ONLY.

THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE LABOR AND INSTALLATION.

UM, SO HE WILL BE SPENDING SOME MORE MONEY THAN THAT, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT'S NOT AN INSTALLED PRICE.

UH, AND SPEAKING TO THE TWO TYPES, UM, THERE ARE, THERE'S, THERE'S PRECEDENCE FOR BOTH WITHOUT A DOUBT.

EVERY SINGLE WINDOW THAT'S CURRENTLY IN THE STRUCTURE IS NOT ORIGINAL.

UH, THERE'S VINYL ALUMINUM, THERE'S SIX OVER SIX, THERE'S FOUR OVER ONE.

THERE'S FIXED GLASS, THERE'S THE TWO OVER TWO, BUT IT'S ALL HORIZONTAL AND, AND OUT OF A REALLY NICE ANODIZED ALUMINUM, IF YOU LIKE, THOSE KIND OF WINDOWS, EVERYTHING THAT'S CURRENTLY IN THE BUILDING IS SINGLE PANE.

AND SO HE'S GOTTA DO THE WINDOWS ANYWAYS.

HE HAD PREVIOUSLY SUBMITTED FOR A, UM, A GRANT, BUT HE DID IT POST WORK WITHOUT KNOWING THAT THAT'S THE WAY THIS WORKED.

UM, SO NOW HE'S TRYING TO GET AHEAD OF IT A LITTLE BIT.

UM, HE, DID Y'ALL HAVE ALREADY SEEN HIS, UH, PROJECT IN FRONT OF YOU A COUPLE TIMES? ONE TIME IT WAS FOR REPAINTING, UM, AND THE OTHER TIME WAS FOR REPLACING A FRONT DOOR OR SOME OTHER THINGS.

SO HE'S VERY MUCH INTERESTED IN KEEPING IT AS HISTORICAL AS POSSIBLE.

UM, AND THEREFORE WE'RE, WE BROUGHT YOU TWO OPTIONS SO THAT IF YOU HAD A PREFERENCE, THEY ARE ABSOLUTELY FINE WITH BOTH.

UH, THERE ARE SOME STAFF MEMBERS THAT LIKE A LITTLE BIT MORE CONTEMPORARY LOOK OF A RETAIL WINDOW, WHICH IS THE ALL GLASS, UM, THAT'S WITHOUT DIVIDED MU MUTTONS.

AND THEN THE, UH, THE VERSION WHERE IT'S A TWO OVER TWO, A LITTLE BIT MORE TRADITIONAL FOR RESIDENTIAL EVEN THOUGH IT'S BEING USED FOR COMMERCIAL SPACE.

BUT THEY ARE OKAY WITH BOTH.

I DO NOT BELIEVE IT WOULD AFFECT YOUR, YOUR, YOUR INPUT IN TERMS OF MONEY IN EITHER CASE.

UM, THAT IS TO SAY THAT AT A 1 0 1 RATIO HE COULD, HE COULD THEORETICALLY MEET THE $5,000 GRANT EITHER WAY.

AND IF I THROW IN LABOR EVEN MORE SO, SO IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER AND HE'S NOT GONNA QUIBBLE OVER $2,000.

SO IF YOU PREFER ONE VERSION OVER ANOTHER, WE'RE MORE THAN GLAD TO SUPPORT THAT.

UM, TRYING TO THINK OF WHAT ELSE.

UM, I GUESS THAT'S PROBABLY IT.

UM, FOR, AS IT RELATES TO THE, TO THE WINDOWS DESIGNS.

SO IF YOU GOT SOME SPECIFIC QUESTIONS, IN ALL CASES THEY ARE A CASEMENT WINDOW, UM, SO THAT THEY CAN USE 'EM FOR EGRESS IN CASE OF FIRE.

THAT IS THE WHOLE WINDOW OPENS UP MORE, MUCH MORE LIKE A DOOR RATHER THAN A TRADITIONAL SINGLE HUNG OR DOUBLE HUNG WINDOW.

MM-HMM .

SO.

OKAY.

ANYBODY, ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS APPLICANT? ANYBODY WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THEIR PREFERENCE? I GUESS I DON'T HAVE ANY, UM, YOU KNOW, OPINION NECESSARILY ON EITHER OF THE PREFERENCES.

I THINK THEY BOTH MEET THE GUIDELINES, UH, BUT WE ASK FOR APPLICANTS AND THINGS LIKE THIS, SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I ALSO DON'T THINK OUR OPINION ON EITHER WINDOW HAS ANY BEARING NECESSARILY ON THE GRANT APPROVAL DOLLAR AMOUNT.

SO I THINK I WOULD SUPPORT EITHER WINDOW.

OKAY.

ALL RIGHT.

SO IT DID NOTICE HE'S REPLACING ALL WINDOWS, BUT ONE OF THEM, IS THAT CORRECT? THERE ARE, UM, THERE'S ONE WINDOW THAT WAS REPLACED NOT TOO LONG AGO.

UM, IT WAS A WHITE VINYL WINDOW.

IT'S THE SAME STYLE.

I MEAN IT'S JUST A, IT'S JUST A, A FIXED WINDOW.

UM, IT'S IN A BATHROOM.

UM, UH, IT, IT DOESN'T, I MEAN HE COULD GET A PRICE FOR IT, IT IF IT, IF WE WERE CHANGING THE COLOR TRIM OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

BUT IN THIS CASE HE'S TRYING TO DO THE

[00:15:01]

SO IT'S, IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER, MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE TO HIM.

UM, AND IT'S ONE ON THE BACKSIDE OF THE BUILDING, SO IT'S THE LEAST LIKELY TO BE SEEN FROM STREEP.

OKAY.

UH, SO, ALRIGHT.

I, I LIKE, UH, COMMISSIONER BATEMAN'S IDEA.

IS THAT POSSIBLE? CAN WE MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE BOTH AND LEAVE IT UP TO THEM? MAYBE THERE'S A, A SUPPLY ISSUE OR SOMETHING? UM, YEAH, WE CAN DO THAT.

LIKE, IS THAT YEP, JUST LEAVE IT.

WE CAN, YOU CAN YOU SO MOVE THE PROVE IT THE $5,000? YEAH.

YOU CAN MAKE A MOTION JUST THE AMOUNT AND THEY BOTH CLASSIFY AND IT'S KIND OF UP TO THEM.

OKAY.

YEP.

SO YEAH.

SO IT MAKES IT EASIER FOR Y'ALL TO DO THAT.

YEAH.

AND I JUST FOR MY OWN EDUCATION REMEMBERING, HAVE WE HAD LIKE I KNOW, I DON'T THINK I RECALL HAVING, UM, A GRANT APPROVAL IN FRONT OF US UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES SINCE WE CHANGED, UH, FOR LIKE FOR WINDOWS OR JUST FOR JUST THE GRANT PROCESS.

I KNOW WHEN SAM MCGEE FIRST CAME IN AND TALKED ABOUT THIS, TO YOUR POINT, IT WAS YOU, YOU KNOW, PUT THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE TYPE OF THING.

UM, AND WE ASKED HIM TO GO BACK AND THE CONVERSATION AT THE TIME WAS, I THINK THE COMMUNITY HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO A BETTER JOB AT EDUCATING ON HOW TO APPLY FOR GRANTS MM-HMM UM, SO ON ONE HAND I THINK SAM MIGHT BE THE CHAMPION THERE TO TO LEAD THAT CAUSE AND EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY.

BUT I DON'T RECALL US ON THE HLC HAVING AN APPLICANT RECENTLY, AT LEAST TO MY RECOLLECTION, UM, AND ONLY BRING IT UP BECAUSE I'M NOT FAMILIAR ENOUGH, I DON'T THINK WITH THE CITY'S REQUIREMENTS ON THAT SCORING SYSTEM AND THAT, THAT AS PART OF THE EDUCATION OF HOW YOU APPLY FOR THE GRANT, UM, IT WAS THREE CRITERIA.

THEY GOT 10 OUTTA 10 ON THE FIRST 10 OUTTA 10 OUTTA THE SECOND 20 WAS THE REQUIREMENT TO MEET THE THRESHOLD.

SO THE THIRD ONE WAS REALLY IRRELEVANT, BUT THEY GOT FOUR OUTTA 10 THERE, WHICH WAS GREAT.

BUT, UM, SO THE TWO THINGS WERE, CAN YOU PULL THAT SLIDE UP AGAIN? THE FIRST AND THE SECOND ONE.

IS IT THIS THAT YOU WANTED TO SEE? NO, THE THREE THINGS THAT WERE CRITERIA REQUIREMENT CRITERIA, SORRY, I THINK I, I OVERSHOT IT RIGHT THERE.

OH, THIS OVER HERE.

ONE MORE BACK.

I'M SORRY.

THERE YOU GO.

UM, WE GOT IT FROM, YEAH, SO, YOU KNOW, CONTRIBUTING TO HISTORIC DISTRICT, IT'S, I MEAN THAT'S OBVIOUS.

10 OUTTA 10 AND THEN ANY APPLICANT GOING FORWARD IS WHY I'M BRINGING THIS CONVERSATION UP.

UM, AND THEN THAT THE IMPROVEMENTS ARE EXISTING BUILDING FACADE.

SO IF YOU MEET THOSE TWO HURDLES, YOU AUTOMATICALLY QUALIFY TO GET THE GRANT.

IS THAT MY UNDERSTANDING? IF YOU'RE A GRANT APPLICANT, NO, IT'S NOT AUTOMATIC.

IT'S UM, WHAT IT IS IS THAT YOU ARE ABLE TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THE GRANT.

SO BY NO MEANS UNDERSTOOD IF, IF IT, IF THE HLC WERE TO SAY WE DON'T WANT TO APPROVE THIS GRANT, IT CLEARS THE APPLICATION PROCESS.

YOU'RE COMPLETELY, AND, AND YOUR POWER IS TO REFUSE AN APPLICATION.

BUT IT'S JUST THAT THIS IS ACTUALLY GETTING THE APPLICANT IN THE DOOR IN THE EVENT THAT THERE WAS, YOU KNOW, A VERY COMPETITIVE ROUND OF GRANT APPLICATIONS, YOU KNOW, ALL COMING TO THE HLC AT THE SAME TIME.

OKAY.

YOU KNOW, HOW DO THESE STACK UP AGAINST ONE ANOTHER? YOU KNOW, WE'VE ONLY HAD ONE SO YEAH.

SO WE'RE IN GOOD SHAPE.

MAKES SENSE FOR THIS YEAR.

OKAY.

THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT.

FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR.

YEAH, BECAUSE THIS FISCAL YEAR THINGS, WE'LL HAVE ONE OTHER, SO YEAH, WE DON'T GET TOO MANY, BUT HOPEFULLY MORE.

YEAH, HOPEFULLY GET MORE, I MEAN OBVIOUSLY IN THE PACKET WE WILL DO GOING OVER A FEW MORE OF THIS AND RESTRUCTURING SOME OF THE HISTORIC LANDMARK GRANT OR CHANGING THE NAME, BUT YEAH, WE'LL GO THROUGH THAT HERE.

YEAH, GOOD LATER.

BUT YEAH, GOOD QUESTION THOUGH.

GOOD, GOOD POINTS.

YEAH, I MEAN WE COULD ALWAYS MAIN STREET.

YEAH, I MEAN ANYWHERE JUST IN THE CITY OF BERNIE WE'LL TALK ABOUT LATER ON COULD USE, YOU KNOW, WE THE CITY WILL APPLY FOR THE GRANTS TALK THAT APPLY FOR THE GRANTS AND HOPEFULLY UTILIZING THIS, BUT WE GO BACK HERE A LITTLE BIT.

SO.

AND UH, JUST ONE THING I WANTED TO MENTION IS, YOU KNOW, AS PART OF OUR GRANT REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM, UM, PROCESS, FRANKIE AND I ARE GONNA GO OUT THERE ONCE THEY'VE COMPLETED THE WORK TO MAKE SURE THAT THE WORK WAS COMPLETED AS APPROVED BY THE HLC.

AND SO ALL THAT I REQUEST IS WHEN UM, YOU KNOW, IF AND WHEN YOU APPROVE THE GRANT REQUEST, THAT YOU STIPULATE THAT IT BE EITHER OPTION A OR OPTION B, YOU KNOW, SO THAT THEY DON'T ALL OF A SUDDEN COME BACK WITH A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT DESIGN THAT WAS NEVER APPROVED FOR US.

BECAUSE IF IT'S SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THEN WE CANNOT REIMBURSE THEM FOR THE WORK COMPLETED.

SO JUST SOMETHING, SOMETHING TO NOTE THAT.

SO LET ME UNDERSTAND THAT.

SO THEN READING THIS PARTICULAR MOTION, WE CAN'T SAY WE APPROVE BOTH WINDOWS AND THE APPLICANT CAN CHOOSE BETWEEN THE TWO.

YOU COULD SAY MAYBE JUST OPTION A OR OPTION B.

YEAH.

AS PRESENTED OPTION A OR OPTION B.

YEAH.

YEAH.

THEY'RE JUST GONNA GO BACK AND OUT AND CHECK TO MAKE SURE IT'S EITHER ONE OF THOSE OPTIONS, NOTHING DIFFERENT, SO.

OKAY.

ALRIGHT.

THANK YOU.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION.

UH, I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM 2 0 2 5 DASH 0 8 4.

CONSIDER A HISTORIC DISTRICT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM GRANT FOR APPLICATION FOR

[00:20:01]

ALRIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

I HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR.

UH, DO I HAVE A SECOND? ALL RIGHT, I HAVE A SECOND.

IT'S OPPORTUNITY FOR EVERYBODY TO VOTE ON THIS HISTORIC LANDMARK, UM, IMPROVEMENT GRANT.

ALRIGHT, UH, PASSES FORWARD TO ZERO.

MR. ADAMS. THANK THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

WE APPRECIATE IT AS GOOD JOB.

YES, WE APPRECIATE IT AS WELL.

IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO SEE YOU AND HAPPY FOR YOU .

I, I KNOW MR. MCGEE WILL BE HAPPY AND UM, AND I BE GLAD TO GET THAT TAKEN CARE OF AND I'M GLAD THAT HE GETS TO CHOOSE WHICH ONE HE WANTS TO GO WITH OR Y'ALL DO DO.

SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

YEAH, APPRECIATE IT.

ALRIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

ALRIGHT, MOVE

[5.B. Reconsider a request for a certificate of appropriateness for a new sign (The Native Blends - Eric Wendt)]

THIS IS 2 0 2 5 DASH EIGHT SIX.

THIS IS A RECONSIDERATION FOR REQUEST FOR A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS FOR A NEW SIGN THAT NATIVE BLEND.

THANK YOU MR. CHAIR.

SO YES, THE SECOND ITEM ON OUR REGULAR AGENDA IS A RECONSIDERATION FOR A NEW BUSINESS SIGN LOCATED AT 1 0 4 EAST HOAC.

SO PROPERTY IS LOCATED WITHIN OUR HISTORIC DISTRICT AND, UM, THE NEW BUSINESS IS THE NATIVE BLENDS, WHICH BASED ON MY UNDERSTANDING OFFERS COFFEE, SMOOTHIES, SHAKES, ET CETERA, TO ITS PATRONS.

AND WE ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE THE BUSINESS OWNER MR. WENT WITH US THIS EVENING.

AND SO JUST TO REFRESH THE COMMISSIONER'S MEMORIES, THIS REQUESTED COME BEFORE THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION ON FEBRUARY 4TH, 2025.

UM, AND IT WAS CONSIDERED, UH, AS A PART OF THE OTHER, UM, MULTI-TENANT BUSINESS SIGN ALONG MAIN STREET.

BUT, UM, THE FOCUS TODAY IS ON THIS, UM, CANOPY SIGN THAT IS AT THE STOREFRONT OF THE BUILDING, UH, THE BUILDING WHERE THE BUSINESS IS HOUSED.

AND SO, UH, WE DO SEE HERE JUST, YOU KNOW, BRIEFLY RECALLING THE DETAILS OF THE ARCHITECTURAL STYLE BECAUSE THE GOAL IS ALWAYS TO MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER SIGNAGE IS APPROVED BY THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION IS COMPLIMENTING, UM, THE EXISTING STRUCTURE, UM, FACADE.

AND SO WE SEE HERE, UM, UNDERNEATH THIS SHED STYLE MALE ROOF, WE DO SEE THESE WOOD POSTS, UM, THAT ARE STAINED A BROWN COLOR.

UM, AND UM, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK SHOULD BE CONSIDERED WHEN, UH, EVALUATING HOW DOES THE PROPOSED NEW BUSINESS SIGN TIE IN WITH THE FACADE OF THIS BUILDING.

AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE DID PRESENT THIS INFORMATION TO THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION, UH, LAST TIME, JUST THE OVERALL DIMENSIONS AND, UM, DESIGN OF THE SIGN.

AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'RE ALL FAMILIAR WITH, UM, THE PROPOSED COLOR SCHEME AND SHAPE AND THE FONT AND ALL, HOW ALL THOSE, UH, ARE APPROPRIATE FOR OUR HISTORIC DISTRICT GUIDELINES.

UM, WHAT WE DIDN'T SEE THE LAST TIME AND DIDN'T TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION IS, UM, THAT THIS IS AN EXISTING AND ESTABLISHED BUSINESS AND BRAND.

AND SO, UM, MR. WENT DID WANNA SHARE WITH THE COMMISSIONERS, YOU KNOW, THE EXISTING SIGNAGE THAT IS ON THEIR BRICK AND MORTAR, UH, STORE IN SAN MARCOS.

UM, SO AGAIN, SAME, SAME LOGO AND BRANDING.

UM, THEY ALSO HAVE THAT BRANDING AND LOGO PROMINENTLY FEATURED IN THEIR FACEBOOK, UM, SOCIAL MEDIA AND ALSO THEIR INSTAGRAM.

AND SO THEY ALL HAVE THIS COFFEE AND CREAM LOGO AND BRAND.

AND SO JUST SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND, UM, WHEN RECONSIDERING THE REQUEST THIS EVENING, 'CAUSE IT IS A REQUEST TO RECONSIDER, UM, A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS FOR THIS NEW BUSINESS SIGN.

SO, UM, I DO WANNA GIVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR MR. WENT TO ADDRESS THE COMMISSION, BUT BEFORE I DO JUST WANNA SUMMARIZE STAFF ANALYSIS.

UM, WE CONSIDER THAT THE APPLICATION MEETS, UH, OUR UDC CODE FOR SIGNAGE, UM, IN ADDITION TO RESPECTING HISTORIC DISTRICT REQUIREMENTS AND GUIDELINES, UM, AS PRESENTED BELOW.

AND, UM, WE CONSIDER THAT THAT SIGN PROPOSED SIGNAGE DOES COMPLIMENT THE THE BUILDING FACADE AS WELL.

AND SO I WILL PAUSE HERE, UM, SEED MY TIME BACK TO THE COMMISSION AND PERHAPS ALSO INVITE MR. WENT TO ADDRESS THE COMMISSIONERS.

YEAH.

ALRIGHT, MR. WENT, WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME UP AND STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD AND HI ALL.

I'M ERIC WENT, OWNER OF THE NATIVE BLENDS.

ALRIGHT, THANK YOU.

UM,

[00:25:01]

IT'S, YOU KNOW, AT THE END OF THE DAY IT'S REALLY NOT A BIG DEAL.

I THINK IT'S GONNA LOOK NICE EITHER WAY.

UM, WHETHER IT'S BLACK OR WHITE OR BROWN AND, YOU KNOW, THE WHITE LIGHT BROWN.

UM, I THINK IT'LL BE FINE.

I THINK IT'LL COMPLIMENT THE POST AND UM, IT'LL BE NICE IF WE COULD DO THE BROWN ONE 'CAUSE IT'LL BE CONSISTENT WITH MY ST.

MARCOS LOCATION.

AND I THINK IT JUST FITS THE WHOLE, YOU KNOW, I GUESS I DON'T WANNA USE THE WORD VIBE, BUT THAT WHOLE, UH, PALLET OF THE FRONT BUILDING, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE POST AND WE HAVE PLANT AND WHATNOT.

I THINK IT'LL, I THINK IF WE DO THE BROWN, I THINK IT'LL COMPLIMENT THE, THE BUILDING AND I THINK IT'LL LOOK NICE.

SO FOR SUCH LIKE A SUBJECTIVE THING, I DON'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF OBJECTIVE ARGUMENTS HERE OTHER THAN I THINK IT LOOKS NICE.

.

YEAH.

ALRIGHT.

YOU MIGHT HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE APPLICANT.

I KNOW, UH, LAST MONTH WE DID, UM, HAD THE MONUMENT SIGN, IF YOU REMEMBER IT WAS BLACK AND WHITE 'CAUSE IT WAS COMPLIMENTING THE OTHER MONUMENT SIGN COLORS.

UM, AND I THINK WE DECIDED, I GUESS WE ALL VOTED LAST TIME THAT WE WENT WITH THE BLACK AND WHITE ON THE BUILDING SIGN THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE.

SO BRINGING THIS BACK FORWARD, UM, THE APPLICANT'S WANTS TO KNOW IF WE COULD, WOULD APPROVE, GO BACK TO THE BROWN JUST FOR THE STOREFRONT SIGN OVER THE STORE.

UM, BUT THE MONUMENT SIGN, WE'VE ALREADY VOTED ON THAT, THAT'S ALREADY GONNA STAY THE BLACK AND WHITE TO MATCH THE OTHER SIGNS THAT ARE THERE AND THE MONUMENT SIGN.

YES.

SO FIRST, UM, I'LL SAY THANKS FOR COMING IN.

YEAH, I THINK THAT WAS PART OF THE CONCERN LAST MEETING RIGHT? WAS FOR OUR SIDE OF THE TABLE, CONSISTENCY OF SIGNAGE DID MATTER HAVING BLACK AND WHITE.

UM, SHORT OF TALKING TO THE APPLICANT OF WHAT THE RATIONALE WAS OF HAVING THE CREAM AND THE, THE BROWN RIGHT.

UM, FOR THE PRESENTATION TONIGHT, IT MAKES SENSE.

MM-HMM .

FOR THE MARKETING, UM, YOU KNOW, SAN MARCUS ALREADY HAS A SIGN UP.

I IT'S A POST HUNG UP SIGN, BUT AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE THE COLORS.

UM, SO I THINK THAT DOES MATTER.

AND AGAIN, IT'S NOT THE FRONT FACING SIGN THAT'S, UH, CONSISTENT WITH THE OTHER BLACK AND WHITE SIGNS.

IT'S OFF TO, IT'S THE SIDE STREET SIGN, RIGHT? CORRECT.

YEAH.

THE ONE ON EAST HOAC SAC.

YEP.

HOAC.

ALRIGHT.

ANYBODY ELSE? ANY COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? NO, WE DO APPRECIATE YOU COMING IN.

I DID HAVE SOME QUESTIONS LAST TIME, SO OKAY.

WE KIND OF DIRECTED THAT WAY.

SO HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR.

SO, UH, I THINK MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM, UH, 2 0 2 5 DASH 0 86.

UH, RECONSIDERING A REQUEST, UH, FOR A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS FOR A NEW SIGN.

THE NATIVE BALLOONS, ERIC WENT.

ALRIGHT, WE'VE GOT A FIRST ON THE FLOOR AND A SECOND, UM, AS WELL.

SO OPPORTUNITY FOR EVERYBODY TO VOTE ON THIS RE UM, RECOMMENDATION FOR A SIGN LOCATED AT ON SAC.

ALRIGHT, THAT PASSES IS 40 ZERO, WE'RE GOOD TO GO.

SO THANKS GUYS, WE APPRECIATE YOU COMING BACK IN AND KIND OF EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT, UH, YOUR REASONING FOR THE BROWN AND, UH, WE APPRECIATE IT.

YEAH.

WISH YOU CONTINUED SUCCESS THERE AT THAT LOCATION.

SO THANK YOU.

YEAH, I APPRECIATE Y'ALL LISTENING.

TAKE CARE.

ALRIGHT, THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

ALRIGHT, THAT, UH, CONCLUDES THE ACTION ITEMS. WE DO HAVE AN ACTION

[6.A. Consider Historic District Improvement Program Updates]

IT'S NICE TO SEE THESE PLAQUES COMING BACK AROUND.

WE HAVEN'T SEEN THESE IN A WHILE, RIGHT? AND SO, UM, THANK YOU MR. CHAIR, UH, FOR, UH, PRESENTING THIS NEXT AGENDA ITEM.

UM, IT IS A PROPOSED UPDATE TO OUR HISTORIC DISTRICT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM GRANT.

AND SO, UM, JUST WANTED, BEFORE WE GET INTO ANY PROPOSED UPDATES, JUST WANTED TO REFRESH THE COMMISSIONER'S MEMORIES AROUND, YOU KNOW, OUR HISTORIC DISTRICT, UM, WHICH WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1985 CONSISTS OF 166 PROPERTIES SPANNING A LITTLE OVER A MILE, WHICH WE HAVE BRANDED THE HILL COUNTRY MILE QUITE SUCCESSFULLY, I THINK.

UM, THE HISTORIC DISTRICT IMPROVEMENT GRANT PROGRAM CURRENTLY REIMBURSES IMPROVEMENTS TO COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT, UH, ON A SLIDING SCALE UP TO 14,500.

WE JUST HAD AN APPLICATION NOW.

UM, AND SINCE 2012, UM, WE HAVE APPROVED 33 GRANTS TOTALING, UH, APPROXIMATELY $200,000 FOR PROPERTIES WITHIN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT.

SO IT'S KIND OF THE CONTEXT AROUND, UM, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE ARE AND WHERE, WHERE THINGS STAND AS OF RIGHT NOW.

UM, ALSO JUST TO NOTE, HOW DOES THIS GRANT PROGRAM TIE IN WITH GREATER POLICY AND OUR, UH, COMPREHENSIVE MASTER

[00:30:01]

UM, AND THEN ALSO, YOU KNOW, A SUB OBJECTIVE OR SUB GOAL OF THAT, UM, IS THAT OBJECTIVE 6.2, ENHANCING THE APPEARANCE AND CHARACTER OF THE COMMUNITY THROUGH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR ACTIONS.

SO THIS IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT IS PUBLIC AND PRIVATE, UM, SORT OF PARTNERSHIP THESE GRANTS.

SO, UM, WHEN IT COMES TO DISCUSSION OF, YOU KNOW, MAKING ANY PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE GRANT PROGRAM, UM, IF YOU RECALL BACK LAST SUMMER, IT'S BEEN A WHILE, BUT DO MY BEST TO REFRESH OUR MEMORIES AROUND THE DISCUSSION.

UM, THE HLC HAD DISCUSSED POTENTIALLY EXPANDING THE GRANT PROGRAM TO ALSO INCLUDE, UM, PROPERTIES OR, OR LANDMARK PROPERTIES, I SHOULD SAY, LOCATED OUTSIDE OF THE HISTORIC DISTRICT'S BOUNDARIES.

UM, AND SO I DID WANT TO JUST SHARE THIS MAP, UM, THAT SHOWS ONE, THE BOUNDARIES OF THE HISTORIC DISTRICT, BUT THEN ALSO THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF HISTORIC LANDMARKS AND MARKERS THAT WE HAVE WITHIN CITY OF BERNIE LIMITS, UM, JUST SO THAT THE COMMISSIONERS CAN APPRECIATE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE FACT THAT ABOUT 25%, UH, GIVE OR TAKE OF OUR LANDMARKS ARE LOCATED.

AND THESE ARE RECORDED LANDMARKS WITH DIFFERENT KINDS OF MEDALLIONS OR MARKERS.

SO, UM, QUITE A FEW DIFFERENT KINDS.

UM, BUT TO APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE LANDMARK STRUCTURES AND HISTORIC STRUCTURES THAT, UM, ARE WORTHY OF PRESERVATION OUTSIDE OF THE HISTORIC DISTRICT.

UM, OF COURSE, IN ADDITION TO THE ONES THAT WE HAVE WITHIN THE DISTRICT AS WELL.

AND SO, UM, LET'S SEE HERE, ANOTHER, YOU KNOW, FACET OF THIS IS, OKAY, WE HAVE THIS GIVE OR TAKE 30 NUMBER OF, YOU KNOW, 30 RECORDED LANDMARKS OR, UM, STATE MARKERS OR, YOU KNOW, THESE DIFFERENT TYPES OF LANDMARKS.

BUT THE, ALSO THE DISCUSSION HAD CENTERED AROUND SUPPORTING HISTORIC PRESERVATION FOR PROPERTY OWNERS WHO MAY HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY UNDERSERVED IN TERMS OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION INITIATIVES.

AND IN THE, THE SPIRIT OF TRYING TO, UM, SUPPORT PRESERVATION IN HISTORIC, UH, NEIGHBORHOODS THAT MAY BE UNDERGOING RAPID CHANGE BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MUCH GROWTH AND CHANGE HAPPENING IN BERNIE, YOU KNOW, REMODELING TEAR DOWNS, UM, YOU KNOW, PUTTING UP NEW STRUCTURES.

AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WHILE GROWTH CAN BE GOOD, IT'S ALSO WORTH EVALUATING, OKAY, WHICH AREAS ARE THERE POTENTIAL NEW LANDMARKS THAT CAN BE RECORDED SO THAT THAT HISTORY IS JUST NOT LOST WITH ALL OF THIS REDEVELOPMENT INFILL AND, AND CHANGE THAT'S HAPPENING IN THESE HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS.

AND SO THAT WAS KIND OF, UM, ANOTHER FACET TO THE DISCUSSION THAT WE HAD LAST SUMMER.

AND SO, UM, WHAT WE ARE DISCUSSING THIS EVENING IS CONSIDERING AN EMO A PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE HISTORIC DISTRICT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM TO ALSO INCLUDE ELIGIBILITY FOR LANDMARKS THAT ARE LOCATED OUTSIDE OF THE DISTRICT.

AND SO WHAT THAT WOULD POTENTIALLY LOOK LIKE IF WE'RE GETTING INTO THE NITTY GRITTY OF SCORING EVALUATION CRITERIA AND, UM, THAT TYPE OF THING IS, YOU KNOW, JUST MODIFYING, TWEAKING, UM, THE WAY WE EVALUATE A STRUCTURE SO THAT IF, YOU KNOW, IF A STRUCTURE IS A DESIGNATED HISTORIC LANDMARK, WHETHER IT IS A LOCAL LANDMARK, UM, DESIGNATED BY THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION OR A TEXAS RECORDED HISTORICAL LANDMARK OR, UM, YOU KNOW, A STATE MARKER THAT IT ALSO CAN QUALIFY FOR A DESIGNATION, UM, OR A, A SCORE, SORRY, A CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURE OR, UM, HISTORIC LANDMARK, UH, SCORE OF 10 OUT OF A POSSIBLE 10 IN TERMS OF, UM, YOU KNOW, SCORING CRITERIA.

AND THEN ANOTHER CHANGE THAT WE'RE PROPOSING IS, YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY WE WANT THIS TO BE FOR THE PRESERVATION OF EXISTING STRUCTURES.

UM, OUR CURRENT PROGRAM HAS SOME LANGUAGE IN IT THAT WOULD ALLOW, UM, YOU KNOW, NEW BUILDINGS TO POTENTIALLY

[00:35:01]

AND THEN, SO THIS WOULD BE UNDER CRITERIA B, UH, AND THEN ALSO BUILDING ADDITIONS TO QUALIFY FOR GRANTS.

AND SO IT'S NOT NECESSARILY IN THE SPIRIT OF PRESERVATION.

UM, YOU KNOW, STAFF WOULD CONSIDER THAT RATHER, WE WOULD WANT TO PARE DOWN THE TYPES OF IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE BEING PROPOSED SO THAT WE WOULD FOCUS MORE SO ON, UM, YOU KNOW, THOSE EX EXTERIOR BUILDING IMPROVEMENTS.

SO EITHER FACADE OR, YOU KNOW, THE WINDOW, UH, UPDATES THAT WE SAW IN THE EARLIER APPLICATION, ROOF UPDATES, FOUNDATION UPDATES, UM, SO THOSE MAJOR STRUCTURAL UPDATES TO SHORE UP THE EXISTING HISTORIC STRUCTURE.

AND THEN ALSO, YOU KNOW, PROVIDING FUNDS FOR A DA COMPLIANCE, UM, ELECTRICAL UP UPGRADES, PLUMBING, FIRE EXIT THINGS JUST FOR, YOU KNOW, BEING UP TO, UM, UP TO CURRENT STANDARDS, UM, IF, IF NEEDED IN CERTAIN CASES.

AND SO THAT WOULD BE ANOTHER PROPOSED CHANGE.

UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WITH THIS, UH, POSSIBLE, UH, REBRAND, YOU COULD SAY, OR RELAUNCH OF THE PROGRAM WOULD COME A NEW NAME.

SO IT WOULD NO LONGER BE THE HISTORIC DISTRICT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.

UH, IT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY CALLED THE, UM, HISTORIC PRESERVATION GRANT PROGRAM TO JUST, YOU KNOW, MAKE THAT FOR ALL OF OUR HISTORIC, UH, STRUCTURES THAT HAVE LANDMARK STATUS WITHIN THE CITY OF BERNIE.

UM, SO IN ADDITION TO, YOU KNOW, THESE PROPOSED MODIFICATIONS OR TWEAKS TO THE GRANT PROGRAM, UM, WE ALSO CONSIDER THAT IT'S WORTH CONSIDERING FOR THE CITY TO RELAUNCH, UM, A HISTORIC FOR LOCAL HISTORIC LANDMARKS.

UM, THIS, THIS MARKER OR MEDALLION, WHICH APPARENTLY I FOUND OUT WAS STARTED BY THE MEMBERS OF THE ORIGINAL HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION.

I DON'T KNOW IF THE COMMISSIONERS HAVE SEEN THIS BEFORE, BUT I DID, WE DID COME ACROSS AN EXISTING SPECIMEN, UM, THAT WAS HERE WITHIN, IN CITY WALLS.

AND SO I HAD PERMISSION TO APPROACH YES, JUST WANTED TO GIVE THE COMMISSIONERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.

UM, IT FEATURES, IT FEATURES BASED ON, UH, GOOD AUTHORITY, UM, THE KOWSKI TOWER, UH, WHICH IS LOCATED FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, UM, ON THE HIGHEST POINT IN, IN BERNIE.

UM, SO KIND OF AN ICONIC TOWER.

UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE DESIGNATED, DURING MY TENURE AT, YOU KNOW, WITH THE CITY, WE'VE DESIGNATED, UH, ONE HISTORIC LANDMARK, UH, LOCAL HISTORIC LANDMARK, UM, WHICH WAS THE, UH, DANIEL AVERY FOOT HOUSE.

SO SEVEN 17 NORTH MAINE.

UM, THAT'S STATELY OLD, UH, RESIDENCE THAT IS ALONG THE NORTHERN PART OF OUR HISTORIC DISTRICT.

AND SO THE CRITERIA THAT THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION, UH, CONSIDERED AS PER RUDC WHEN, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, EVALUATING THAT TYPE OF, UH, MARKER OR, UM, HISTORIC LANDMARK DESIGNATION IS, YOU KNOW, THE AGE OF THE STRUCTURE.

SO THIS IS PER RUDC, UH, AGE OF THE STRUCTURE, UH, AND THEN THE HERITAGE VALUE, WHICH REFLECTS THE HERITAGE OF BERNIE.

SO WHETHER IT HAS HISTORICAL, CULTURAL, ARCHEOLOGICAL OR EDUCATIONAL VALUE.

AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, JUST, JUST SOMETHING TO CONSIDER, UM, STAFF DOES, UH, DOES THINK THAT THE CHANGES, PROPOSED CHANGES ARE CONSISTENT WITH OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND WOULD ALLOW THE CITY TO MORE, UM, PERHAPS MORE EFFECTIVELY PRESERVE, UH, OR SUPPORT THE PRESERVATION OF MORE HISTORIC STRUCTURES, UH, WITHIN CITY OF BERNIE LIMITS.

AND, UM, SO WE CON WE CONSIDER THAT IT IS CONSISTENT WITH OUR COMPREHENSIVE MASTER PLAN AND THEN, UM, OTHER PLANS AND INITIATIVES IN THE CITY AND, UM, THAT IT WOULD MORE EFFECTIVELY FULFILL THE COMPREHENSIVE MASTER PLAN GOAL SIX.

AND SO I DO WANNA PAUSE HERE AND JUST, UM, I GUESS GIVE THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSIONERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO WEIGH IN WITH ANY THOUGHTS OR,

[00:40:01]

AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, IF YOUR RECOLLECTION OF OUR SUMMER DISCUSSIONS WERE, UM, WERE AS I RECALLED THEM AS WELL.

SO I GUESS JUST WANNA, JUST TO REMIND EVERYBODY, I GUESS THE CITY DOES APPROVE THE ANNUAL BUDGET FOR THIS GRANT.

UM, YOU WANNA REMIND US WHAT THAT DOLLAR AMOUNT IS ONCE AGAIN? YES.

SO CURRENTLY IT IS $35,000 PER YEAR THAT THE CITY, UH, OFF YEAR MARKS FOR THIS PARTICULAR GRANT PROGRAM.

WE DID NOT EXHAUST THE FUNDS LAST YEAR.

YEAH.

WE JUST HAD, UM, IT WAS THE DINGER BUILDING APPLICATION.

AND SO YEAH.

SINCE WE'RE GONNA EXPAND THIS AREA TO MORE CITYWIDE, I MEAN, ARE YOU GONNA INCREASE THAT BUDGET? WOULD THE CITY CONSIDER THAT? I MEAN, I GUESS JUST DEPENDS IF WE GET A LOT OF APPLICANTS IN AND MAYBE THE CITY WOULD APPROVE MORE AT A LATER DATE IN THE FISCAL YEAR, POSSIBLY.

SO THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING FOR CITY COUNCIL TO CONSIDER.

YES.

AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANNA SAY ANY MORE THAN THAT 'CAUSE DON'T WANNA GET MYSELF INTO TROUBLE.

UM, BUT I, I THINK IT'D BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT THAT PROBLEM TO CITY COUNCIL, RIGHT? YEAH.

THAT THERE'S ENOUGH INTERESTED BUSINESSES THAT WANT TO APPLY FOR THE GRANT.

WE HAVEN'T EXHAUSTED IT YET.

NO, WE HAVEN'T.

RIGHT.

AND I THINK, IF I REMEMBER THE NUMBER IS 33 APPLICANTS OVER A PERIOD OF TIME IN THE PRESENTATION, SO IT'S NOT LIKE WE'VE HAD A BUNCH.

NO.

UM, I, I DO RECALL THIS CONVERSATION COMING ON THE HEELS OF MR. MCGEE COMING IN HERE AND BEING DENIED.

SO THAT TIMESTAMP DOES HELP ME REFRESH MY MEMORY OF THE CONVERSATION.

MY RECOLLECTION OF THE TIME THOUGH WAS WHY LIMIT THE OPPORTUNITY TO PEOPLE ON THE HISTORICAL MILE LET'S, OR, YOU KNOW, EXPAND IT OUT TO ALL OF BERNIE.

AND THE PRESENTATION I SAW HERE WAS WE'RE ADDING A FEW MORE HISTORICAL LANDMARKS INSIDE THAT ENCOMPASSED PICTURE.

MY QUESTION IS, BERNIE'S ONLY LIKE 11.2 SQUARE MILES TOTAL, WHY NOT LOOK AT THE ENTIRE ENTITY OF BURN AND SAY, IF YOU'RE A HISTORIC LANDMARK BUILDING, YOU'RE INCLUDED? WELL, THAT, THAT'S THE IDEA, IS THAT THAT WHY NOT START THERE IS IS THAT IF WE HAVE BUNCH, BUNCH OF HISTORIC APPLICANTS YEAH.

IF THAT'S THE IDEA IS IF YOU'RE A HISTORIC LANDMARK BUILDING WITHIN THE CITY OF BURN LIMITS, THAT YOU CAN QUALIFY FOR THIS GRANT.

OKAY.

AND NOT JUST THE ONES THAT ARE INDICATED ON THIS MAP PER SE? NO, NO.

OKAY.

SO THIS WAS JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF, YOU KNOW, THE NEED, WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE.

BUT, YOU KNOW, GREAT, I, YOU KNOW, STAFF HAS IDENTIFIED OTHER, OTHER STRUCTURES THAT ARE HISTORIC STRUCTURES THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, IN THE FLATS AND HAVE SIGNIFICANT HISTORY TIED TO THEM, UM, THAT CURRENTLY HAVE NO HISTORIC LANDMARK DESIGNATION AT ANY LEVEL.

AND, YOU KNOW, I DO REMEMBER US TALKING ABOUT THAT PARTICULAR AREA, WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY A HISTORIC AREA, UM, UNDERGOING RAPID GROWTH CHANGE, REDEVELOPMENT, AND, YOU KNOW, JUST, JUST THAT, UH, CONSIDERATION OF, WELL, HOW DO WE HELP, HOW DO WE POTENTIALLY HELP EXISTING HOMEOWNERS THAT ARE, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, IN, IN, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT NEIGHBORHOOD, OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS, BERNIE IS OLD , THERE ARE A LOT OF OLD, YOU KNOW, OLD BUILDINGS, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, ARE, ARE MAYBE WAITING TO BE DESIGNATED AS HISTORIC LANDMARKS.

AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT ANYBODY CAN, CAN DO.

ANYBODY CAN COME AND SUBMIT AN APPLICATION TO THE CITY OF BERNIE FOR A LOCAL HISTORIC LANDMARK DESIGNATION.

OF COURSE, THERE ARE OTHER LEVELS OF LANDMARK DESIGNATION.

UM, WE HAVE SEVERAL IN OUR HISTORIC DISTRICT THAT ARE NATIONAL REGISTER AND TEXAS RECORDED, YOU KNOW, LANDMARKS.

SO, UM, THE COURTHOUSE IS AN EXAMPLE.

UM, THE DINGER BUILDING IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE.

UM, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE, UM, WHICH OTHER ONE KIND IN? YES, THANK YOU.

THE KIND IN, I WAS HAVING A BLANK MEMORY LAPSE THAT ONE ALSO.

UM, AND THOSE ARE LIKE, YOU KNOW, UH, A LOT MORE STRINGENT WHEN IT COMES TO EVALUATING THE ARCHITECTURAL INTEGRITY OF A BUILDING.

WHEREAS FOR, FOR OUR EVALUATION, THE WAY OUR CODE IS WRITTEN, WE DON'T NECESSARILY, UM, STIPULATE THE ARCHITECTURAL VALUE AS, AS, UM, INTEGRITY FOR LANDMARK DESIGNATION BECAUSE WE COULD CONSIDER PERHAPS, YOU KNOW, THAT A SITE HAS HISTORIC VALUE.

UM, THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY TIED TO, UM, THE STRUCTURE, BUT IT'S THE SITE ITSELF.

YOU KNOW.

BUT MY POINT IS, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS LOCAL LANDMARK DESIGNATION IS SOMETHING THAT'S WORTH, UM, I THINK SPEAKING ABOUT MORE IN THE COMMUNITY AND JUST ENCOURAGING LOCAL

[00:45:01]

AND THAT THEN IF THEY CAN QUALIFY FOR THIS, UH, GRANT, UM, OR, YOU KNOW, DESIGNATION, UM, WHICH OBVIOUSLY HAS TO GO THROUGH THE PROPER CHANNELS.

WE DON'T JUST LIKE, YOU KNOW, START STAMPING EACH AND EVERY HISTORIC LANDMARK DESIGNATION, UH, APPLICATION AS APPROVED.

RIGHT? WE, WE WENT THROUGH HISTORIC LANDMARK REVIEW LAST TIME, THEN IT WENT TO THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION, THEN IT WENT TO CITY COUNCIL.

AND SO THERE WAS A PROCESS TO ENSURE THAT THIS IS ACTUALLY WORTHY OF LANDMARK DESIGNATION AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.

AND SO, BUT IF, IF WE COULD HAVE ADDITIONAL PROPERTIES THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, GRANTED THIS AT LEAST THE LOCAL DESIGNATION, PERHAPS THEY WOULD PURSUE OTHER HIGHER LEVEL DESIGNATIONS.

UM, IF THEY'RE INTERESTED TO DO THAT, THEN THEY COULD POTENTIALLY APPLY FOR A GRANT AND QUALIFY FOR A GRANT.

THE THEREBY EXPANDING, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY THE REACH OF THE PROGRAM AND THE OPPORTUNITY FOR A BUSINESS OR A HOMEOWNER TO EXPAND BEYOND WHAT WE'RE PRESENTING HERE TONIGHT IS GREAT AND WORTHY OF CONVERSATION LATER.

WHAT I SEE HERE ARE TWO THINGS, RIGHT? ONE IS THE DESIGNATION OF THE HISTORIC LANDMARK, WHICH I THINK IS INCREDIBLE.

IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN TO TOWNS WHERE THEY PUT THOSE KIND OF THINGS UP, IT CAUSES PEOPLE TO SAY, WHAT'S THAT? RIGHT? AND TALK ABOUT IT.

SO I THINK THAT'S INCREDIBLE THAT THOUGH IS WHAT'S A REQUIREMENT OF WHAT STARTED THIS CONVERSATION, RIGHT? WHICH IS THE GRANT PROCESS, RIGHT? IN ORDER TO GET APPLY FOR THE HISTORIC GRANT PROCESS, IT, YOU MEET THIS CRITERIA, IT SCORES YOU MORE POINTS, RIGHT? AND THAT ONE OF THE THREE STEPS, I THINK THE MORE PEOPLE THAT CAN PARTICIPATE IN BERNIE, THE BETTER.

RIGHT? AND SO I AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT.

IT'S ALL THE CITY OF BERNIE THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS, APPLY FOR A HISTORIC LANDMARK DESIGNATION, WHICH THERE IN TURN ALLOWS YOU TO TAKE THE NEXT STEPS TO APPLY FOR A GRANT, WHICH WE DON'T ALREADY EXHAUST.

SO GETTING MORE PEOPLE TO DO THAT WOULD BE GREAT.

I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT IF WE HAD THE PROBLEM WHERE WE HAD SO MANY PEOPLE THAT THAT SCORECARD THAT WE USE, WHICH I THINK IS PRETTY FAVORABLE TO THE APPLICANT AS IT EXISTS, MIGHT NEED TO BE LOOKED AT AGAIN, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY PEOPLE APPLYING THAT WE SAY WE'VE GOTTA REALLY LOOK AT HOW WE SCORE THE PEOPLE THAT QUALIFY AND THEN ULTIMATELY GET THE 35,000 OR WHATEVER THE NUMBER ENDS UP BEING.

UM, BUT WE DON'T HAVE THAT PROBLEM YET, RIGHT? , WE HAVE A PROBLEM WITH TRYING TO GET THESE DESIGNATIONS AND GET PEOPLE TO SAY, HEY, I WANNA PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM.

I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IT EXISTED.

SO I, I SUPPORTED A HUNDRED PERCENT.

I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I CLEARLY UNDERSTAND WHAT'S, WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE, MULTIPLE THINGS.

MM-HMM .

YEAH.

YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS OVER HERE? I AGREE WITH THAT.

THAT WAS JUST NO, THAT WAS JUST WELL PUT.

I AGREE WITH THAT.

YEAH.

AND I GUESS TOO, I MEAN, JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY APPLICANTS CAN APPLY FOR THE HISTORIC LANDMARK GR THE FOUND THE LANDMARK, BUT THEY CAN ALSO, ANYBODY CAN ALSO APPLY FOR THE GRANT FOR IMPROVEMENTS.