HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Comments CITY OF COLLEGE STATION
Planning&Development Services
1101 Texas Avenue South,P.O. Box 9960
College Station,Texas 77842
Phone 979.764.3570 / Fax 979.764.3496
MEMORANDUM
DATE: September 18, 2008
TO: Nancy McCoy, AIA
Principal, Quimby McCoy Preservation Architecture, LLP
FROM: Molly Hitchcock, AICP
Planning Administrator, City of College Station
SUBJECT: Comments re: draft report
In regards to the City of College Station Historic Resources Windshield Survey of
the Eastgate and Southside Neighborhoods, the most substantial comments City
staff has are those in relation to Chapter VI. Summary and Future Work that we
discussed in person during your last visit on August 7, 2008, including:
1. Please provide a memo describing criteria that can be used to help the City
determine how to prioritize the pursuit of specific historic districts.
2. Please discuss the importance of the integrity of the district and the district's
boundaries (to discourage a one-property-at-a-time piecemeal approach).
3. Please acknowledge the importance of developing a comprehensive
preservation plan to support the prioritization and processes of historic district
rezoning (we need such a plan in place to curtail "spot zoning" arguments).
Two items need to be corrected throughout the report:
4. "Southside" should be "South Side".
5. Reference to the "Holick" subdivision should be "Holik" (actually, the name of
the original plat is "Holik's Restricted Home Sites").
Going through the report, we have noted a number of smaller housekeeping items:
6. Pg. i
The City's contract number for this project is 07-89.
7. Pg. ii, "Abstract", last sentence
This describes Southside, not Eastgate.
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8. Pg. 11, 4th paragraph of"The Growth of the College"
We're not sure what a "Hollywood Shack" is, nor could we easily look it up.
This should it be defined.
A 9. Pg. 19, the paragraph before "Southside"
"...and larger scale medical, commercial, and residential developments have
moved east across Highway 6, especially along extensions to University Drive
and Harvey Road." I would say these developments have moved more south
in recent years. Maybe we should discuss what you were trying to describe.
10. Pg. 19, the 2nd paragraph of"Southside"
"These included Southeast College Park (1945)...a world-renowned practice."
This sentence reads strangely.
/ 11. Pg. 20, the 4th paragraph of"Southside"
For my clarification—the property along Park Place east of the Oakwood
Subdivision was largely owned by African Americans? I know the Holick's
covenants and restrictions prohibited African Americans. Are you perhaps
talking about Park Place across Anderson St. or Park Place west towards
Westpark?
12. Pg. 20, the 6th paragraph of"Southside", 1st sentence
"With the introduction of formal co-education...moved south rapidly." It seems
like some hard dates for these events or a time period would be beneficial.
13. Pg. 20, last paragraph of"Southside", 1st sentence
"Residential growth...also expanded." There are verb disagreements in this
sentence.
14. Pg. 21, 4th paragraph of"Conclusion"
We're not sure what the "Aspirations" study was.
15. Pg. 21, 5th paragraph of"Conclusion"
It should be clarified that the "Vision 2020" study was undertaken by Texas
A&M University.
16. Pg. 23, "Introduction", 6th sentence
"This simple grid-pattern or "gridiron" plat that is probably..." "that" should be
deleted.
17. Pg. 25, 3rd paragraph of"Eastgate", 1St sentence
"The portion of the Eastgate survey area south of Lincoln Avenue is filled
characterized by..." "filled" should be deleted.
18. Pg. 29, Figure 7
It appears both pictures are from Eastgate. If Picture A is a shotgun, this was
described on the previous page as being in Eastgate. Picture B is 1000
Munson, as presented in the Appendix.
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N‹ 19. Pg. 31, "Victorian Period", next to last sentence
There was one Folk Victorian style house in Eastgate?
20. Pg. 31, "Victorian Period"
The blank line should be deleted.
21. Pg. 33, "Prairie School and Foursquare", 1st sentence
"The Prairie School style and the American foursquare plan was made
developed by a group..." "made" should be deleted.
22. Pg. 43, "Minimal Ranch"
The blank line should be deleted.
23. Pg. 48, "Populist Modern"
The blank line should be deleted.
24. Pg. 48, "Populist Modern"
It does not say how many Populist Modern structures were found in Eastgate.
25. Pg. 49, Figure 19, picture b
This house is in Eastgate.
26. Pg. 51, "High-style Modern"
The blank line should be deleted.
27. Pg. 51, "High-style Modern", next to last sentence
"...with a concentration of in The Knoll subdivision." "of" should be deleted.
28. Pg. 53, "Commercial and Institutional Buildings"
The blank line should be deleted.
29. Pg. 56, "One-part Commercial Block", last sentence
"one-park" should be "one-part".
\,(30. Pg. 64, last paragraph of"Southside", last sentence
"...to be a potential historic district." should be "..to be potential historic
districts."
31. Pg. 64, "College Park", 1st sentence
"...under the direction of the Dr. F.B. Clark and..." Should this be "...under the
direction of Dr. F.B. Clark and..."?
32. Pg. 65, "Westpark"
"Welborn" should be "Wellborn".
33. Pg. 67, "South Knoll"
The sentence "Originally the plat was square...Boswell Street on the south." is
very odd—can this be reworded for clarity?
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34. Pg. 67, "South Knoll", next sentence
"The houses in South Knoll are cohesive collection..." should be "are a
cohesive collection".
35. Pg. 69, paragraph after Table 3, last sentence
This needs to be reworded.
36. Pg. 70, 2nd paragraph of"Future Work", last sentence
The quotes should be closed.
Lastly, please be aware that the Eastgate photo on the disk of 503 Gilchrist is
corrupted. Until the report has been updated, it would be helpful if you would email
a copy of the picture to me (if the file you have works).
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