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Commission postpones review of multiunit proposal at 705 Brownlee Circle pending ARC review and deed‑restriction clarification
Summary
The commission postponed action on a proposed multiunit residence at 705 Brownlee Circle to allow additional ARC review and to give the applicant and neighborhood time to address concerns including a reported restrictive covenant affecting permitted heights.
The Historic Landmark Commission voted Aug. 6 to postpone consideration of a proposal to replace an existing duplex with a multiunit residence at 705 Brownlee Circle in the West Line National Register District, and encouraged the applicant to present revised drawings to the Architectural Review Committee.
Staff had posted the project for comment on plans because the existing building was listed as noncontributing; staff said the proposal met few applicable National Register district standards and recommended that the commission comment on the plans. Applicant representatives explained the design intent: keep a low profile on the street, shift taller volumes to the rear, and provide accessible living for the owners’ family (including an adult son who requires wheelchair access). The project’s zoning and unit count had evolved during a multi‑year process and the design team said the current four‑unit plan responds to zoning requirements applicable to MF‑3 zoning.
Neighbors and the Old West Austin Neighborhood Association raised concerns about scale and massing and reported a restrictive covenant that, they said, limits Lot 34 (705 Brownlee) to one story; speakers asked for legal clarification about the covenant’s effect before the commission acts. Legal staff told the commission that private deed restrictions are outside HLC jurisdiction, but commissioners agreed clarification would be useful before final action.
Commissioners moved to postpone to allow ARC review and further outreach; the motion carried unanimously. The commission requested the applicant present to ARC next week and provide updated elevations and renderings showing street‑level impacts.
Action: Motion to postpone consideration and invite applicant to ARC for further review; unanimous.
