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HAHC moves to deny COA and issue COR for 911 Cortland after unpermitted work; conditions include window and siding changes
Summary
The commission voted to deny a certificate of appropriateness for work done without a permit at 911 Cortland and to issue a Certificate of Rehabilitation (COR) with conditions including replacement of recently installed windows, staff approval of the front door, preferred siding materials and a limited portico depth.
The Houston Archaeological and Historical Commission voted to deny a certificate of appropriateness (COA) and to issue a Certificate of Rehabilitation (COR) with conditions for work performed without a COA at 911 Cortland Street.
Staff member Terrence Jackson told the commission the house is a noncontributing circa-1920 cottage on an unusually small 3,300-square-foot lot in the Houston Heights South Historic District. Jackson said the applicant had already removed and replaced windows and enclosed a screened porch without first obtaining a COA and required permits. Staff recommended denial of the COA and issuance of a COR for the unpermitted work, with conditions: new windows must be removed and replaced with appropriate windows; the front door must be approved by staff before purchase or installation; the applicant’s Option 1 with lap siding is the preferred design/materials; and any front portico must be limited to a 3-foot depth from the face of the wall.
Applicant Ricardo Ocampo told the commission he and his family purchased the house in February and said they had relied on contractor advice; he asked the commission for leeway. Ocampo described family circumstances (caregiving for a grandparent) as background for the interior work and asked whether some flexibility on window treatment could be allowed. Staff and commissioners noted that replacing windows is a permit-requiring event under city code and that bedrooms and living spaces must have code-compliant egress windows.
Commission discussion focused on how best to remedy the unpermitted work and what material and porch conditions would restore compatibility. Commissioner Curry moved to accept staff’s recommendation (deny COA and issue COR with listed conditions); after discussion and a subsequent roll-call vote, the commission adopted staff’s recommendation. The motion passed.
The COR conditions require the removal and replacement of the new windows with appropriate, staff-approved units, approval of the front door by staff prior to purchase or installation, use of the Option 1 lap-siding approach preferred by staff, and a front-portico depth limited to three feet. Staff also noted the applicant supplied revised drawings late in the process; the recommendation was not based on those revisions alone but reflected staff’s review.
