Old Town, Georgetown Texas

Here’s a little background on HARC. Feel free to share it and use it in any way that may be helpful.

The UDC Advisory Committee that is tasked with advising city council on the future of HARC met on Wednesday as planned, and because 3 members of the 7-member board were absent decided to continue the hearing this Monday, March 18 at the same time and place: 3:30 pm, in the old library on the corner […]

The Hat Creek application to the Historic and Architectural Review Commission is shown below in the two documents. In the top document, page 8 contains the reference to Guideline 12.11 and essentially blames the topography for NOT orienting the primary entrance of the building toward the street. The counter to this is that the building should […]

Hat Creek will return to council on Tuesday June 26 for the second reading of its special use permit application. Two days later Hat Creek is scheduled to appear at HARC to ask for a special exception and the granting of its Certificate of Design Compliance. We will update this story later this week as […]

Hat Creek has formally requested to postpone the 2nd reading of its application for a special use permit to a later date. It will not happen at the June 12th council meeting. We learned this from staff earlier this afternoon. Hat Creek say that they want to address HARC questions before they move forward to […]

Also coming before Council on Tuesday, January 25th is an amendment designed to establish design guidelines and HARC involvement with regard to residential changes in the Old Town Overlay District. Old Town Overlay District Limitations on Residential Additions and Infill.

Coming for its first hearing with City Council on Tuesday, January 25th is a welcome amendment to the UDC that finally gives HARC the discretion to forbid the demolition of a historic property. Certificate of Design Compliance for Demolitions. Currently any historic structure may be moved or demolished 175 days after the Historic and Architectural […]

By Ross Hunter HARC held a re-hearing today of its denial of CDC last week for the new restaurant on the square. The applicant came back with a compromise, which HARC approved by unanimous vote. HARC is treating this sign as a canopy sign, and is allowing the modified area of 23.33 square feet. The […]

By Ross Hunter Monday’s HARC hearing regarding the proposed sign for a new restaurant on the Square resulted in a denial of a Certificate of Design Compliance for the applicant. However, this is a complicated matter, and raises an area of unsettled law. What happens next I don’t know, but I can guess that I’ll […]

By Ross Hunter There’s a HARC extended meeting happening today, this afternoon at 4:30. That’s about 4 hours from now, I don’t expect people to be able to attend, but if you can come down to show support please do. The meeting is an extension of last Thursday’s meeting. Note that it’s NOT in Council […]

By Peter and Sherry Dana We attended Tuesday’s City Council meeting to support the Georgetown Historic and Architectural Commission. HARC had denied a request for an amendment to the Tamiro Plaza building’s Master Sign Plan. Many speakers asked the Council to affirm HARC’s five to one vote so that HARC would retain its autonomy and […]

City Council Speech by Rick Williamson for delivery on September 22, 2009 I take issue with even the idea of this Council over-turning its own HARC commission’s denial of the Merrill-Lynch sign application, for several reasons. Most notably, for even thinking that boldly reversing HARC’s near-unanimous 5-1 decision without direct evidence of wrongdoing would be […]

Testimony to the City Council regarding the appeal of a HARC decision related to the Tamiro Plaza building, 501 S. Austin Ave. Sept. 22, 2009 By Ellen Davis Mr. Mayor, Members of the City Council: Thank you for the opportunity to speak tonight. I just wanted to say that I was at the HARC meeting […]

Peter Dana of Old Town asks in a graphic presentation, are we sure there’s no compromise in that Merrill Lynch sign design?

In this picture you’re looking at a sign that Merrill Lynch wants to tack up on the Tamiro Plaza’s wall on Austin Avenue, 2.5 feet tall, and lit up at night and weekends – to advertise that it’s closed! Merrill asked HARC – our Historic and Architectural Review Commission – to amend the Master Sign […]

Notice sent by the Heart of Georgetown Neighborhood Association on April 23rd. This is to inform you that Mr. Lee McIntosh’s application to HARC for a Certificate of Design Compliance regarding the Wesleyan redevelopment is being postponed for consideration until the May meeting of HARC. The HARC agenda still shows the proposed removal of the […]

Notice sent by the Heart of Georgetown Neighborhood Association on March 31st. This is to inform you that Mr. Lee McIntosh has withdrawn his application to the Planning and Zoning Commission, and also the City Council, regarding the Wesleyan redevelopment, and if you were planning to attend the P&Z meeting tomorrow, April 1st, this will […]

[Letter to Williamson County Sun, October 11, 2006 – Ross Hunter] I must challenge Councilman Carr’s flawed reasoning underlying his call to abolish HARC. Mr. Carr correctly affirms that HARC is doing its job steadfastly, in a way that has not changed. But when he diagnoses a dysfunction in the applicant-review process, he kills the […]

[Letter to Williamson County Sun, October 4, 2006 – Councilman Carr] Recent interest in the work of the city’s Historical and Architectural Commission (HARC) has possibly painted the commission itself as a problem. To the contrary, the problem lies with Georgetown’s city council, which created HARC. In my opinion, HARC is doing about as well […]