[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6608534,"mediaKeyId","2939441-93d3460da2a8c91a10fbbe12f93b199c","parentId",2939441,"title","Zoning board grants variances for proposed 88-room hotel at 8819 Stewart Road after FAA-driven site changes","audioSeconds",606,"startMs",322000,"endMs",928000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2939441-93d3460da2a8c91a10fbbe12f93b199c&start=322&end=928","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2939441-93d3460da2a8c91a10fbbe12f93b199c/thumbnail_322000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6608534/Galveston/Galveston-County/Texas/Zoning-board-grants-variances-for-proposed-88-room-hotel-at-8819-Stewart-Road-after-FAA-driven-site-changes","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6608534-048df7a32368c91b2fe686183167d805/orig.mp4?Expires=1771195768&Signature=k16sqOD-aMd3DwKJCnrN6qQuwyh7BaYuDMGf60UeewSuci0q8fVDCZBewDyFo0dmdy3JHhaKNiG8p8lMnNaOd58tQcacIgjtA7FWvwdCHImSTyKLHEYpE0m4UHqyZ9KxFjRBTOHGP6dlgeyEOOx9DBZReSA90dVwsuscREg3NOWu-GHds09~2bLseByVMSfW4-kkgwEh9L3GhEzkG9roHKZLTGvppmCHqkiDB3HoQzWduMoAY2M8UfP3nh8M1XEyMmvJa6cjSqyLlo9P80m5zYNEpTMwiZvUQO5PIlEwS38h-OMVOs7I~yz-EthWFUJX5HgYl9gbZLRq8XEZcpKJfQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Galveston","date","2025-04-09T00:00:00Z","article","GALVESTON, Texas — On April 9, 2025, the Galveston Zoning Board of Adjustment approved two variances for a proposed three-story, 88-room InterContinental Hotel Group (IHG) boutique hotel at 8819 Stewart Road. The board approved eliminating the Height and Density Development Zone (HDDZ) requirement that 30% of the building façade sit at the required build-to line, and later voted to grant relief from the HDDZ wall-plane articulation standards for the building’s Stewart Road frontage.

The variances stemmed from a design change the applicant said was needed to comply with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) safety and approach requirements. “We are project managers on this project,” applicant Himanshu Makwana said, adding that the FAA would only approve a three‑story building if the structure was pushed farther back on the lot. Makwana said that working with the FAA for four months produced “all their blessings” but left the project unable to meet the build-to-line and wall articulation rules without significant redesign.

Why it matters: the HDDZ rules — intended to create active, pedestrian-friendly street frontages — require at least 30% of a building to meet the build-to line and require wall-plane changes of depth every 30 feet (with at least a five-foot shift for a minimum length) to break up long, flat facades. The applicant argued that standard hotel room module widths and franchise design standards for the IHG brand constrained façade articulation options, creating what they described as a practical hardship given FAA constraints.

Details of the requests and board action

- Build-to-line: Staff reported the HDDZ requires at least 30% of the building to be located at the build-to line along the Stewart Road property line. The applicant requested elimination of that requirement (i.e., reducing the required percentage to 0). After discussion, the board approved the variance allowing removal of the 30% build-to-line requirement. The record does not include a roll-call tally for that vote; the commission’s discussion indicates the motion passed with voting members present and at least one alternate participating.

- Wall-plane articulation: The HDDZ requires changes of depth at least every 30 feet; the applicant requested relief to permit longer unbroken wall sections to accommodate franchise-standard room widths (applicant stated many rooms are 12 feet wide). During the hearing, commissioners questioned whether alternate layouts (for example, grouping three 12-foot rooms to create a 36-foot module) would meet articulation requirements and asked the applicant to provide elevations, exact dimensions between articulation points, and examples of similar hotel approvals. The applicant later provided elevation drawings and explained the franchise and a market feasibility study dictated the room mix and dimensions. The applicant characterized the rearward setback required by the FAA as the principal constraint that forced the façade configuration.

After receiving the additional elevation drawings during the meeting and hearing public comments that the project would bring more family-oriented lodging to the area, the board voted to grant the variance relieving the wall‑plane articulation requirement. The record shows the motion passed; no detailed vote tally was recorded in the transcript.

Applicant and project details

Project manager Himanshu Makwana (who identified himself as “Mac”) told the board the proposed hotel—referred to in the hearing materials as an Attivan Suites property operated under IHG—would be a three‑story wood‑frame hotel with 88 rooms. He said the developer would raise the building pad by approximately six feet and that the first floor would be brick with stucco upper floors and substantial glazing. Makwana said the project team had coordinated with the FAA and that FAA approval required pushing the building back on the lot.

Staff noted there were no objections from city departments or utilities on the submitted materials; public notice was sent and no mailed oppositions were recorded. Commissioners asked for and received a front elevation rendering and floor plan details during the hearing.

Limitations and open questions

- The transcript records differing references to the exact dimension the applicant sought for the wall-plane relief (speakers referred to both a 70‑foot span and a 92‑foot figure at different points). The board asked for and later received elevation drawings during the meeting; the final motion does not include a numeric articulation limit in the meeting record included in the transcript. The precise condition language and any numeric limits the board attached to the approved variance should be confirmed in the final action minutes and the zoning file.

- The applicant repeatedly stated franchise standards for the IHG brand and a market feasibility study determined room widths and mix; the board accepted that as part of the hardship justification. The transcript does not include independent market-study documentation beyond the applicant’s statements; staff had the project plans in the packet and later displayed elevations sent by the applicant.

What happens next

The applicant will proceed to permitting consistent with the variances granted; any required modifications to dimensions or materials that fall within the board’s approved relief must comply with the final approved permit and conditions. The board noted that similar proposals in more prominent commercial corridors might receive closer scrutiny under the HDDZ rules, but members said the Stewart Road location and adjacent built context influenced their decision.

Speakers quoted or summarized in this article are identified in the meeting record as planning staff and the applicant, Himanshu Makwana.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Galveston - Zoning Board of Adjustments - Apr 09, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","On April 9, 2025, the Galveston Zoning Board of Adjustment approved two variances for a proposed three‑story, 88‑room InterContinental Hotel Group boutique hotel at 8819 Stewart Road, granting relief from the HDDZ build‑to‑line requirement and from wall‑plane articulation standards after the applicant said FAA approach constraints required the building be pushed back on the lot.","taxTitle","Galveston , Galveston County, Texas","taxId",5145,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6608529,"Zoning board reverses Landmark Commission ruling, allows vinyl windows and alternative siding on East End house",1001,2889000,3890000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2939441-93d3460da2a8c91a10fbbe12f93b199c&start=2889&end=3890","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2939441-93d3460da2a8c91a10fbbe12f93b199c/thumbnail_2889000.jpg","/articles/6608529/Galveston/Galveston-County/Texas/Zoning-board-reverses-Landmark-Commission-ruling-allows-vinyl-windows-and-alternative-siding-on-East-End-house","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6608529-77af90283c317546382c290cba59af4b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771195768&Signature=NXgrD2LLLlE53JRWGJXNc2oa~c5W~3TR1vzB3zy1kM3dFisdS2n4Ih-fNZCrp9tGNhkl1LCT-n6mgWgiRqUKQpzhRwb4dPYjNnhBrHMGsKlGfaIVvXJmMahCuJ1o-dQ1QL6tucilhNkl~3Or-Rgba~fmhCxg9ijVicxskQkibdUVth1MW2~lbjtTW0BcS9zIShmqteXEWyEINnyIVDa4SD0McpSwgdxeoAgZ9IC3Q8L5vew~aI3R0fUnqWX~o~Qt-SFlz7cxhpcv~NUVXIWYzwe2i2pnlncM~kBra5eHSbVRUePexJc0HWIWXBQ22Y92Gyj0-PtuSUvo3Ve5gmpHVQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","GALVESTON, Texas — On April 9, 2025, the Galveston Zoning Board of Adjustment reversed a Landmark Commission condition that would have required wood windows to replace vinyl‑clad replacement windows installed on the rear façade of a house in the East End historic district.

The appeal was filed by homeowners Robert Fakney and Donna Baker, who told the board they purchased the deteriorated four‑unit property adjacent to their full‑time residence at 1717 Post Office and are converting it back to a single‑family house. The owners said much of the rear‑facing work — replacement windows, smooth Hardie (fiber‑cement) siding and relocating a side door to the rear—was undertaken after interior alterations and in part to stabilize a structurally compromised rear wall.

Why it matters: the Landmark Commission issues Certificates of Appropriateness when exterior work affects designated historic properties or properties in historic districts. Staff had recommended replacing the cement (Hardie) siding with wood and replacing vinyl‑clad windows in existing openings with wooden windows closely matching originals, except when those windows were necessary to reflect interior floor‑plan changes. At its February 3 meeting, the Landmark Commission approved the Hardie siding on the rear facade but required replacement of several vinyl windows with wood (recorded as condition 1B). Fakney and Baker appealed that condition to the Zoning Board of Adjustment.

Hearing highlights and board decision

Robert Fakney described buying a neighboring, deteriorated four‑unit building and said the owners first contacted Landmark staff and were told to proceed with building permits. Subsequent inspections led to a stop‑work order, he said. Fakney told commissioners his team had removed nonoriginal additions and that the rear façade now reflected new openings tied to interior reconfiguration; he argued the Landmark staff guidance allowing replacement windows where interior changes occurred applied in his case. “We love the East End,” Fakney said, and described their effort as restoring the property and improving the neighborhood.

Two neighbors, Tom Green and Doug Coop, spoke in support, telling commissioners they had inspected the property and believed the house retained its original appearance from the street.

After brief discussion, a zoning commissioner moved to reverse the Landmark Commission’s determination with respect to the windows, saying the rear windows at issue were new openings related to interior plan changes and therefore fall under the exception staff described. The motion to reverse passed.

What the reversal means

The board’s reversal removes the Landmark Commission’s requirement that the specified vinyl‑clad windows on the rear façade be replaced with wooden windows; the Landmark Commission had already approved smooth Hardie siding on the rear as an alternative material. The zoning board’s decision applies only to the subject property and does not change policy for other properties in the historic district.

Limitations and record items

- The hearing record identifies the appellants’ residence as 1717 Post Office and describes the appealed property as the adjacent twin house, but the transcript does not record a separate, explicit street address for the subject parcel in the hearing text. The official case file and the zoning/landmark files should be consulted for the precise property address and the final written order.

- Staff reported 24 public notices were mailed; seven responses were returned (four in favor of the appeal and three opposed). The transcript contains staff’s summary of Landmark actions and conditions and the text of the motion used by the Zoning Board of Adjustment when reversing the Landmark Commission’s ruling.

Next steps

The board’s decision resolves the contested window replacement condition for this property. Any remaining Landmark or building‑permit conditions (including completion deadlines and construction details) will be enforced through the city’s permitting process and the Landmark/Planning Division’s follow‑up.

Speakers quoted or summarized in this article are those who appeared in the public hearing transcript: applicant‑appellants Robert Fakney and Donna Baker, planning staff, and two supporting neighbors.","The Galveston Zoning Board of Adjustment on April 9, 2025, reversed a Landmark Commission condition requiring replacement of vinyl‑clad windows with wood on the rear façade of a house in the East End historic district, finding the new openings reflected interior floor‑plan changes.","actionData","errors"]

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Zoning board grants variances for proposed 88-room hotel at 8819 Stewart Road after FAA-driven site changes

Zoning board reverses Landmark Commission ruling, allows vinyl windows and alternative siding on East End house