Activists wary of re-zoning Badger House lot

BY SETH GREEN • Daily Tribune Staff

MARBLE FALLS - A developer’s request to re-zone a lot containing a historic home at Monday’s City Council meeting prompted a wary response from preservationists in the audience.

The council itself took no action on the request of Charlie Dickey of Renaissance Partners LLC to amend the city’s comprehensive plan for future land use of Block 278 at the intersection of Avenue N and Johnson Street.

He wants the zoning changed from R-2 residential to MU-1 mixed use to accommodate office space. The block, which contains 12 lots, currently houses the historic Badger House.

“Why?” asked Burnet County Historical Society member Caryl Calsyn.

She reminded the council that tourism, as well as business, brings dollars to the area.

Dickey explained Renaissance Partners want to use the house for office space. The company had bought the antique furnishings with the house, Dickey said, though they would probably have to replace a few beds with desks.

“We want to diversify the use of the land while preserving the historical significance of the property,” Dickey told Marble Falls Planning and Zoning commissioners at a meeting earlier this month. The commissioners approved his request to re-zone the block for mixed use.

The council, however, still has to approve Planning and Zoning commission recommendations.

As for the rest of the block, which is currently surrounded by a high hedge, he said Renaissance Partners wanted to work off of the Badger House “as a brand,” and have other small businesses located on the site. Dickey suggested his company might bring in shops, a theater or a wedding chapel.

“I think what we’re doing is trying to change (the look of the area) by action,” Dickey said, adding his company has also purchased several nearby residential properties.

But historical activists remained unconvinced.

Falls on the Colorado Museum Board Member Billy Becker joined Calsyn, pointing out the entire block, not just the house, is a historic site.

“When it was (built), it was by itself,” Becker said.

Council members, meanwhile, expressed concerns that the multiple-use designation would allow too wide a berth for future owners to build cocktail bars or gentlemen’s clubs in what is essentially a residential neighborhood. And though the block’s current zoning would allow for duplexes, council members said they did not want to see those surround the Badger House, either.

Marble Falls co-founder Brandt Badger built the house in 1888, and he lived there until his death in the 1920s, according to Calsyn. The Badger family owned the home until 1943.

Council members took no action on either the rezoning of the block or on amending the city’s comprehensive plan.

In other action, the council:

n Approved the annexation of 45.58 acres into the city limits at the request of applicant Don Sherman and owner Morline Properties LLC.

n Abandoned a small right-of-way along Avenue L.

n Approved the issuance of a $750,000 tax note for public safety and utilities. City financial adviser Ryan Cunningham said the city had already budgeted for the money.

n Approved a $107,000 agreement with Marble Falls Area Emergency Services Inc. for emergency medical services within the city.

n Approved two agreements with HDR Engineering. One covers services to city water and wastewater facilities south of Lake Marble Falls, and the other covers the Waterford Waterline feasibility study.

seth@thepicayune.com

Back to main page

Activists wary of re-zoning
Badger House lot