Houston Heights Appeals Board reviews 825 Columbia addition proposal amidst zoning concerns

The Houston Historic Preservation Appeals Board convened on May 19, 2025, to discuss a significant case involving a property at 825 Columbia Street in the Houston Heights South Historic District. The meeting focused on an appeal regarding a proposed addition to a historic residence.

Staff member Kara Quigley presented the case, detailing that the property features a 3,267 square foot Queen Anne style home built around 1910, along with a non-contributing garage. The applicant sought to add a 250 square foot expansion to the second floor of the residence, which would extend over a new unconditioned rear patio. However, Quigley noted that the proposed addition did not comply with the district's measurable standards, as the property had already reached the maximum allowable square footage for its lot size.

During the pre-application review, staff advised the applicant that the addition would not receive a recommendation for approval due to these restrictions, although the rear porch was deemed acceptable. The property had previously received a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) for a non-historic addition in 2015, which allowed it to exceed the current floor area ratio limits.

The applicant formally submitted a COA application for both the addition and the porch, but the Historic Commission (HHC) ultimately recommended only partial approval for the porch. Following this decision, the applicant appealed, supported by four letters from neighbors expressing no objections to the addition. The appeal highlighted that the proposed changes would be minimally visible from the street and would not alter the original structure significantly.

Despite the support from neighbors, the staff indicated that the appeal faced challenges, as two of the eleven approval criteria were not met due to the proposed addition exceeding the established standards. The board members were invited to ask questions following the presentation, indicating that further discussion on the matter would continue in future meetings.

This case underscores the ongoing tension between preserving historic character and accommodating modern needs within Houston's historic districts. The outcome of the appeal will be closely watched by both the applicant and the community.