San Antonio historic board denies berm terracing, approves several landscape changes and orders paint removal

SAN ANTONIO — The Historic Compliance Technical Advisory Board on Monday considered multiple applications for certificates of appropriateness across the city’s historic districts and took actions on four contested properties, including a denial for terracing that would remove a historic front-yard berm in Monte Vista and an order to remove paint from a contributing brick house in Monticello Park.

The board denied an application to terrace the front-yard berm at 112 West Hollywood in Monte Vista after neighbors and the Monte Vista Historical Association objected, and after staff and the applicant debated whether the proposed low-profile steel edging and terracing would preserve the historic sloped character. The applicant, Victoria Gough of Lush Greenscape Design, told the board the design preserves the natural slope and uses 10-inch steel edging in repeated courses that will be softened by plantings. Ryan Reed, speaking for the Monte Vista Historical Association’s Architectural Review Committee, said the berm is a character-defining feature and opposes removing it. After a roll-call vote the motion to deny the application carried, with the chair voting no and the remainder voting to deny.

Why it matters: Berms and historic topography were central to the debate, with opponents citing the City of San Antonio historic design guidelines (site elements, topography) that discourage altering character-defining slopes. Supporters of the applicant’s design cited erosion control and stormwater management needs.

Other votes at the meeting included:

- 219 West Ellesmere (case 2025-140219): Approved with staff stipulations. The Monte Vista Historical Association met with the applicant and agreed to reduce stone coverage and increase live groundcover (asiatic jasmine); staff’s recommendation of approval with stipulations was accepted by the board over one dissenting vote.

- 627 East Gunther Street (case 2025-142): Staff recommended denial of a proposal to install a 12-by-20-foot concrete driveway in front of the primary structure and suggested the applicant use existing alley access. With no applicant representative present, the board voted to accept staff’s recommendation and deny the front-driveway proposal.

- 251 Bridal Boulevard (case 2025-149): The board approved four landscape items — planting, a stucco retaining wall along the south property line not to exceed 3 feet, new concrete steps with stucco wall at the right of the central walkway, and pour-in-place concrete step pads on the left side — and rejected item 5, a proposal for a noncontinuous front walkway composed of spaced concrete pads with gravel in between. Applicants Raymond De Leon and Damien Gonzales said the segmented pads would improve permeability and limit runoff to neighbors; staff recommended approval of items 1–4 but not the segmented walkway, and the board adopted staff’s recommendation.

- 617 East Gunther Street (case 2025-142?): The board denied a request to replace three existing wood windows with aluminum 1-over-1 units. Staff recommended repairing the first-floor wood window and replacing two small second-floor windows with salvaged or new full-wood windows conforming to guidelines. The applicant’s representative, Jorge Luis Espinosa of Blue Hammer Construction, said the property already has numerous aluminum windows and proposed matching them; staff described the large 2-over-2 rear window as repairable and a character-defining element. The board voted to require repair or in-kind replacement rather than aluminum inserts.

- 609 Donaldson (Monticello Park): The board upheld staff’s finding that painted masonry is not appropriate for this contributing house, and voted to require the owner to remove the paint using appropriate removal methods with staff monitoring of the process. Desiree Ng, the owner, asked for a variance and said several nearby houses have painted brick; neighborhood representatives and the Monticello Park Neighborhood Association urged removal, citing long-term damage to masonry and the district’s character.

Discussion and context: Board members repeatedly returned to two recurring themes — the need to preserve character-defining materials and topography identified in the city’s historic design guidelines, and the practical concerns of erosion and stormwater management raised by applicants. Staff consistently recommended solutions that preserve visible historic character (repair or in-kind replacement, maintaining a continuous front walkway where historically present) while noting flexibility where neighborhoods and applicants reached compromises on non-character-defining details.

What happens next: Where staff stipulated follow-up (for example, paint removal at 609 Donaldson and administrative review of permitted replacements), applicants were directed to work with Office of Historic Preservation staff to implement the board’s conditions. The board also advised applicants to coordinate with neighborhood associations where agreements had been discussed.

Quotes (selected):

- "The berm is a prominent and defining feature of the property...replacing that with a tall steel retaining wall would represent a permanent and visually disruptive change," Ryan Reed, Monte Vista Historical Association Architectural Review Committee.

- "Our intent has been to deliver a design that strengthens and complements the neighborhood historic character...the planted slope will be gently supported by scribe low-profile steel edging," Victoria Gough, Lush Greenscape Design (applicant for 112 West Hollywood).

- "Staff find that the guidelines do say to maintain berms in historic landscapes...this terracing element does in a way maintain the berm because it's maintaining a sloped transition from grade at the sidewalk to the house," Edward (staff representative, Office of Historic Preservation).

- "The design provides a stable low-impact solution to a challenging site condition while preserving the slope's natural form," Raymond De Leon (applicant, 251 Bridal Boulevard).

- "Natural masonry materials are a character-defining feature of Monticello Park...The paint needs to be stripped off," Pam Carpenter, speaking on behalf of the Monticello Park Neighborhood Association.

Ending: The board’s rulings underscore a steady standard: staff and commissioners prefer repairs and in-kind work that retain visible historic materials and topography, while allowing changes only where the board finds those measures preserve the neighborhood’s historic character or where mitigation (staff stipulations, monitoring, neighborhood agreement) is provided.