WIMBERLEY, Texas — The Planning and Zoning Commission recommended a 60‑day public stay on a demolition request and directed the applicant to submit updated design plans that comply with the city’s 2023 historic district guidelines for a property at 151 Old Kyle Road.

Nathan explained that the one‑story house is a contributing resource in the city’s historic district and that the code requires a public stay period of between 60 and 120 days before demolition so the community can pursue alternatives. The owner, Holden Highlander, who said he purchased the property about two months earlier, told the commission he plans to demolish the deteriorated wood‑frame house and replace it with a single‑story commercial structure that would retain the existing front facade’s look while adding leased spaces and a commercial kitchen.

“We want to put it back looking almost identical to what it has been for the last 75 years, but make it under the modern code,” Highlander said. He said the existing building has foundation failures — 75‑year‑old cedar posts that are rotting and sinking — and that a structural engineer concluded portions of the building cannot be economically brought up to code.

Dante Agilini, the structural reviewer present, told the commission the roof and wall structures require reinforcement and that, after calculating the work needed, a rebuild that replicates the historic appearance could be more practical and safer than piecemeal repair. He also noted the presence of asbestos siding and said an abatement specialist was ready to remove hazardous material if demolition proceeds.

Commission discussion focused on the historic significance test in the guidelines: whether the resource has architectural or historical significance that would justify preservation, and whether demolition would harm the character of the overlay district. Commissioners noted adjacent examples of both preserved and replaced structures and asked the applicant to provide design detail that would break up the massing of the proposed new addition and match historic materials and profiles where feasible.

A motion was offered and passed recommending a 60‑day public stay on the demolition and requiring the applicant to supply updated plans in compliance with the 2023 Historic District Design Guidelines. Staff said it will erect a public notice sign on the site with the stay period and return the item to the commission for a public hearing after the stay concludes.

The commission’s action is a recommendation; city staff said the approved city ordinance and the design guidelines will guide the next steps and any final demolition permit process.