[miaht82]

RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends denial of the request as submitted. A high rise building perched on top of two, small,
vernacular commercial structures overpowers the historic integrity of the smaller buildings. The landmark
buildings were not designed to be the "base" of a high rise. The character of San Antonio's unique downtown is in
part due to the juxtaposition of small and large buildings. The small buildings reinforce the pedestrian scale of the
block and allow for light and air at the street and river level.
The City of San Antonio Historic Preservation and Design Section of the Unified Development Code restricts
building height to no more than a 50% variation in the scale of buildings in the adjacent block face (35-609 (b)(1)).
"Where a historic resource is intended to be used as any part of a development, the developer shall consider the
context of the resource's original site and the importance of the setting in the new development. In some instances,
a resource will occupy the full site and limit development opportunities to rehabilitation, renovation or restoration
for adaptive reuse."

Are they serious??? with the Drury right across the street and the new Marriott right there?? really? at the price it cost for land, they really expect someone to stay at 2 floors there?