SUBJECT
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Public Hearing and consideration of a motion regarding the recently completed exterior alterations of the front façade, which includes the new construction of a balcony (upper level) and the addition of the new glass windows and door openings (upper and lower levels) on west 15.42 feet of Lot 7 and east 25.58 feet of Lot 8, Block 35, Western Division, located at 1108 Iturbide Street. This property is within the Old Mercado Historic District).
HD-011-2026
District VIII
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BACKGROUND
Initiated by: Freedom Property Assets LLC., Owner; Raul Ramses Trevino, Applicant/Representative.
Previous Action:
- On March 18, 1999, the Historic District Landmark Board approved two canopy signs - one sign on the awning fabric and a suspended canopy sign. (Order Number 294).
- On April 20, 2000, the owner of the property requested to reface the signage on the property. The owner proposed to paint the message on the cloth awning and to paint the wood double-faced sign suspended from the canopy.
- On August 14, 2025, the Historic District Landmark Board denied the proposed request to alter the exterior front façade of the building. No additional direction, conditions, or alternative scope of work were provided by the Board at that time. The proposed scope of work included:
- Construction of a new balcony on the upper level;
- Addition of glass window and door openings on the upper and lower levels of the façade;
- Demolition of existing walls to accommodate the proposed openings; and
- Significant alteration of the building’s front façade.
Citations and Violations:
- On Friday, June 20, 2025, Zoning Enforcement visited the site and discovered a newly constructed balcony without a permit and without the approval from the Historical Board. The Zoning Enforcement Officer issued a stop-work order and issued a citation.
Proposed Scope of Work:
Despite the issuance of the Stop-Work Order and the subsequent denial by the Historic District Landmark Board, the applicant continued work on the building. The work was performed without the required building permits and without Historic District Landmark Board approval. The applicant is now requesting approval for the same or substantially similar scope of work that was previously denied by the Board. The proposed work has been completed, and the applicant is seeking Historic District Landmark Board approval for the completed alterations.
Scope of work includes the following:
- The new construction of a balcony located on the upper level.
- The addition of glass window and door openings on the upper and lower level of the façade.
- Demolition of existing walls to accommodate new openings.
- Significant alteration of the front façade
Building Type: As per the 1996 Historic Urban Design Assessment Report:
- “This building is a long, narrow, single story masonry building built in the Mexican Commercial Style. The building framed on each side by two pilasters. The building originally had a storefront with an indented entrance. A canopy above the storefront was suspended by rods. A band of clerestory windows came above the canopy. The entablature showed no elaborate frieze and it is crowned by a very simple cornice.”
Site: The property is an H-CBD (Historic Central Business District) zoning district.
Letters sent to the surrounding property owners: 31
For: 0
Against: 0
Granting or Denying an Application:
- As per the Laredo Land Development Code, Section 24.1.2.2(2), the Historic District Landmark Board shall utilize the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation and Illustrated Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings; and the City of Laredo, Texas, Historic Urban Design Guidelines
Secretary of the Interior’s Standards:
1. A property will be used as it was historically or be given a new use that requires minimal change to its distinctive materials, features, spaces and spatial relationships.
2. The historic character of a property will be retained and preserved. The removal of distinctive materials or alteration of features, spaces and spatial relationships that characterize a property will be avoided.
3. Each property will be recognized as a physical record of its time, place and use. Changes that create a false sense of historical development, such as adding conjectural features or elements from other historic properties, will not be undertaken.
4. Changes to a property that have acquired historic significance in their own right will be retained and preserved.
5. Distinctive materials, features, finishes, and construction techniques or examples of craftsmanship that characterize a property will be preserved.
6. Deteriorated historic features will be repaired rather than replaced. Where the severity of deterioration requires replacement of a distinctive feature, the new feature will match the old in design, color, texture and, where possible, materials. Replacement of missing features will be substantiated by documentary and physical evidence.
7. Chemical or physical treatments, if appropriate, will be undertaken using the gentlest means possible. Treatments that cause damage to historic materials will not be used.
8. Archeological resources will be protected and preserved in place. If such resources must be disturbed, mitigation measures will be undertaken.
9. New additions, exterior alterations, or related new construction will not destroy historic materials, features, and spatial relationships that characterize the property. The new work will be differentiated from the old and will be compatible with the historic materials, features, size, scale and proportion, and massing to protect the integrity of the property and its environment.
10. New additions and adjacent or related new construction will be undertaken in such a manner that, if removed in the future, the essential form and integrity of the historic property and its environment would be unimpaired.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
recommendation
*THE PURPOSE OF THIS APPLICATION REVIEW BEFORE THE HISTORIC DISTRICT/LANDMARK BOARD IS FOR HISTORIC COMPLIANCE ONLY. APPROVAL DOES NOT GUARANTEE APPROVAL OF A CONSTRUCTION PERMIT, OR ANY OTHER TYPE OF PERMIT THAT MIGHT BE REQUIRED FOR THIS PROJECT.
Planning Staff supports the front façade exterior alterations of the glass window and door openings and stucco finish, for the following reasons:
1. Compatibility of Front Façade Alterations
The City of Laredo Historic Urban Design Guidelines recommend that alterations to historic buildings be compatible with the building’s scale, materials, proportions, and architectural character.
Staff supports the completed front façade alterations, including the glass window and door openings and stucco finish, as the alterations maintain the overall form and appearance of the building. The changes provide updated exterior elements while maintaining the established scale and composition of the front façade. The alterations also do not introduce a new architectural feature that significantly impacts the historic setting or changes the overall relationship of the building to the surrounding streetscape.
2. Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation - Standards 9 and 10
Standard 9 - New Exterior Alterations: New additions and exterior alterations should be compatible with the historic property and should not destroy historic materials, features, or spatial relationships that characterize the property.
Standard 10 - New Additions: New additions should be constructed in a manner that preserves the essential form and integrity of the historic property and its environment.
The completed front façade alterations are considered compatible with the overall form and character of the building and do not substantially alter its essential form or relationship to the surrounding historic setting. The glass window and door openings and stucco finish provide a clear distinction between the existing building and the newer exterior alterations while maintaining the overall visual presence of the structure.
Based on the above, Staff supports the completed front façade alterations of the glass window and door openings and stucco finish.
Planning Staff does not support the upper-level balcony, for the following reasons:
1. Introduction of a New Architectural Feature
The City of Laredo Historic Urban Design Guidelines recommend that architectural features that were not historically present on a building should not be introduced unless supported by photographic or physical evidence.
Staff does not support the upper-level balcony because there is no documentation indicating that the building historically had a balcony. Additionally, there are no similar balcony features within the immediate vicinity. The introduction of the balcony would create a new and visually prominent element on the primary façade that could alter the building’s original façade composition, scale, and visual character. The addition could also establish a new architectural feature within the surrounding historic setting that is not consistent with the existing character of the area.
2. Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation - Standards 3, 9, and 10
Standard 3 - Historic Development: Changes that create a false sense of historical development should not be undertaken.
Standard 9 - New Exterior Alterations: New additions and exterior alterations should be compatible with the historic property and should not destroy historic materials, features, or spatial relationships that characterize the property.
Standard 10 - New Additions: New additions should be constructed in a manner that preserves the essential form and integrity of the historic property and its environment.
The balcony would introduce a new architectural element that is not supported by historical documentation and is not characteristic of the surrounding historic context. Its location and projection from the primary façade could draw visual attention away from the existing architectural features and alter the established relationship between the building and the streetscape.
Based on the above, Staff does not support the upper-level balcony due to the lack of historical documentation, its absence from the surrounding historic context, its potential impact on the façade composition, and its potential visual impact on the historic character of the building and setting.
Staff General Comments:
1. Any improvements which are approved by the Historic District Landmark Board shall also comply with all Building Code requirements and other regulations as provided in the Laredo Land Development Code.
2. Approval by the Historic District Landmark Board does not guarantee approval of a building permit or any other permit which may be required.
3. It is recommended that all existed improvements utilize the following resources as a guide:
- The Secretary of the Interiors' Standards for Rehabilitation and Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings
- City of Laredo Historic Urban Design Guidelines
- City of Laredo Historic Preservation Plan
4. No other improvements, changes to the building, site or new construction on the property shall be permitted without prior review and approval by staff and/or Historic District Landmark Board, to meet compliance.
5. As per the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation and Illustrated Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings, all proposed scope of work should be physically and visually compatible to the original materials and features of the historical structure.
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