About the Castle Hill Historic District
Welcome to the Castle Hill Local Historic District website.
First, what is a local historic district?
A Local Historic District is a type of zoning overlay that is designated for a geographically — or thematically-defined area — containing a significant concentration of buildings, structures, or objects united by their history and/or architecture. Local Historic Districts are intended to retain the special character of a specific area or neighborhood by keeping the structures and other attributes as cohesive as possible. The city of Austin created the LHD ordinance in 2005 with the goal of preserving the city’s dwindling stock of historic homes and to boost public awareness of the special character of Austin. Currently, there is one LHD in Austin created under the 2005 ordinance: Harthan Street LHD (zoned LHD in 2008).
Blanco Street LHD…
About a year ago, residents of Blanco Street began an effort to apply for a zoning overlay to protect the special character of their street. As more of the neighbors learned about the initiative, they asked to be included in the effort. We sought to ascertain just how many residents favored the idea of creating a local historic district. The response was overwhelming.
As a result, residents in the neighborhood have been working over the past couple of months to extend the boundaries of the Blanco Street LHD to include Baylor Street and the intersecting streets of West 7th, 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th.
From “Blanco Street” to “Castle Hill Historic District”…
With input from many residents, we opted to change the name of the local historic district from “Blanco Street” to the “Castle Hill Historic District” in honor of the Castle, at 1111 West 11th. The Castle was one of the original buildings in our neighborhood.
What does a “local historic district” mean for your property?
Essentially, an LHD will provide protections and help us manage development within the district. It establishes design guidelines for new buildings and for rehabilitation of existing buildings. These design standards only apply to the street-facing exterior of the buildings, and they are developed by the residents of the district, so as to ensure flexibility.
The goal here is not to harangue residents with burdensome rules for fixing or renovating their homes, but rather to ensure that the cohesiveness and the character of these century old homes will remain protected. So many residents purchase homes in this neighborhood precisely because of its character and history. We seek only to retain those features and ensure that the development process is fair to both residents and newcomers.
For more information about the Castle Hill Local Historic District, please see our Frequently-Asked-Questions.
Additionally, we’ve posted the application materials on this website under “Castle Hill LHD Details.”
Please be aware that while this application has been submitted to the City of Austin, we will have opportunities for residents to weigh in on the design standards. An initial meeting will be held soon, and we will be sure to send you information about it as soon as we have a confirmed date.
For more information please email: admin@castlehilllocalhistoricdistrict.com.