One month ago PARD responded to our restoration proposal. While essentially agreeing with our plan, they noted that they were unable to contribute any funds. As a result they required that we have all the money needed to complete the project, in the bank, before any work could begin.

Our position is that we want to begin the long delayed rehabilitation with the $300,000 we have available today. The remainder will be much easier to raise with PARD and City approval, and donations will increase once people see actual work being done. Consequently we have requested PARD modify their condition regarding full funding. In the meantime the house still looks like this..... 

PARD did ask the Bond Election Advisory Task Force for $4 million to implement their "Preferred Alternative" for Norwood Park that included restoration of the house. This request was deleted as the committee trims items for the November bond election. So, our proposal is the only one on the table that will save this structure from demolition by neglect. Our proposal is also the only capital improvement project that relies mostly on donations of money, time and materials and not exclusively on scarce taxpayer dollars.

The task ahead is to encourage city officials to agree to our proposal and figure out how the city can contribute to this public private partnership.

The Norwood Park Foundation is ready, willing and able to begin work now and make the house look like it once did 90 years ago. 

Your comments, questions, and advice are welcome. email us at restorenorwood@yahoo.com 

If you agree that it's time for change to begin, feel free to contact our public officials.

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On March 2 the Board of Directors of the Norwood Park Foundation submitted a privately funded restoration/operation/maintenance proposal to PARD to save the house from demolition by neglect. PARD staff informed us they will have a response by March 26.

In the meantime we have scheduled meetings with council members to keep them in the loop and solicit their support for this public/non-profit partnership.

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For almost four years volunteers with the Norwood Posse have promoted restoration of the historic house on Lady Bird Lake. The time has now come for the Posse to disband and re-group as the Norwood Park Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non profit corporation. Required papers were filed with the Texas Secretary of State on 2-15-12.

While most of our work has been below the radar, every once in a while the media does a story. Here is an example from the 2-16-12 edition of the Austin American Statesman. Had we been writing the story, it would have been more comprehensive.....but any story keeps this project in public awareness.

http://www.statesman.com/news/local/plan-calls-for-restoring-house-shrinking-...  

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With music such a big part of the Austin scene, it’s no surprise that it is also part of the Norwood House history.

 Joe Austell Small bought the Norwood House in 1961 and was the last private owner ((till the early 80's). He used the house as the headquarters for his western magazine publishing company. One of the magazines he published was called "True West"........it's still published today out of Cave Creek, Arizona.

In the mid 60's Johnny Cash decided to make an album called "The True West". He met Joe Small while on a tour stop here and spent some time at Norwood. Cash writes about that in the liner notes of his album. 

 http://www.stevenmenke.com/TrueWest1.htm

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If you don't know how city bureaucracy works, it's puzzling that the Norwood Posse official offer (July, 2011) to our cash starved Parks Dept., to privately finance the rehabilitation of the Norwood House, has not been welcomed with open arms.

Nonetheless, after almost four years of lobbying, and now with Parks Board approval, we are involved in negotiations designed to permit us to begin hands on work. Once started, it will take a lot less than four years........conservatively, one year, to transform  that house into a rentable event center, also available for community use. And that is just the beginning of the PARD planned full development of the Norwood Park into a real gem of a park, at a gateway to Austin......with access to Lady Bird Lake.

As part of the lead-up to hand work beginning, we have assembled a team of professionals who will help us reach the goal. One of these is Heimsath Architects, longtime restoration architects in Austin. They have an interesting blog for anyone interested in architecture, including preservation....in which they happen to be experts.

To see an example of their blog about the Norwood House, click this:

http://blog.heimsath.com/blog-0/bid/72442/Historic-Preservation-Myths-Part-Three

As this moves slowly forward, you're invited to offer whatever help you can

just drop a line to:

restorenorwood@yahoo.com

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The Norwood Posse saddled up more than 3 1/2 years ago with a vision and a mission..... to bring back the exterior look of the house and open up the inside to make it into a multi-purpose event center.

This pre 1958 photo shows what it once looked like at this time of year.

Ollie & Calie Norwood called it Norcliff. Word has it, that back in the twenties, not every house had a numerical address. Homes were known by the names chosen by their owners. 

Like every home, this one has a unique history....if interested go to the website www.restorenorwood.org

Today, members of the Norwood Posse are thankful that its survival has been officially assured. We have crafted a volunteer/pro-bono/discounted fee based plan, led by professionals in all areas needed, and have begun negotiations with Parks & Recreation Department staff on how, and when, we can begin hands on work. A new year wish is for those talks to proceed quickly, as we are financially prepared, right now, to begin the long overdue rehabilitation.

One day soon, this photo will be re-taken, with a brand new/old house as the focal point. It will be the anchor of the redeveloped Norwood Park, as envisaged by community members, a consultant, and PARD staff. With access to Lady Bird Lake, and located at a gateway point to Austin, it will become  a beautiful, useful, and financially self-sufficient house (event rental), and well known and loved, destination park. 

As the new year approaches, so does our new identity as a 501(c)3.....Norwood Park Foundation

May this time, that brings another year to an end, be one of meaning and inspiration.

Wolf Sittler

almost always available at restorenorwood@yahoo.com

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Three and a half years after lobbying for restoration of the Norwood house, we are one step closer:

http://www.kvue.com/news/Austin-Parks-Department-moves-ahead-on-plans-to-renovate-Norwood-House-and-Dog-Park-131673488.html

City of Austin Parks and Recreation  (PARD) staff are poised to negotiate with us to create a public/non-profit partnership to make restoration happen. In view of that, Norwood Posse members are in the process of filing for 501(c)3 status and we will be re-branded as the Norwood Park Foundation.

Even in good times PARD has been underfunded, and that's why we will be counting on donations of time, material and money to underwrite this project. Thanks to a generous offer of a combination gift/loan by a local couple, we can begin the work as soon as agreements are in place. This will be a complex, challenging process, and we will be looking to our community for the support that will bring the house back to life at minimal cost to taxpayers.

For information, suggestions and offers of support contact us at: restorenorwood@yahoo.com

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As you probably know, our parks department is perpetually underfunded.....one of the reasons the Norwood House is in its present condition. With no PARD funding currently available to do anything at the site, the Norwood Posse continues to promote the creation of a public/private partnership ( we currently have a commitment of $300,000 to jumpstart the process). We are proposing to restore, operate and maintain the house using primarily private funds. Protective action to prevent further deterioration of the structure is recommended and needed ASAP. This includes, new roof covering, more secure fence and security lighting. The remainder of the site redevelopment would begin later, if voters approve a future bond issue that includes the other Norwood Park upgrades agreed to, and approved by, PARD.

Hopefully, in the not too distant future, the house will once again look like it did in the above photo. The inside of the house is to be reconfigured to meet the needs of an event center available for public rental ( and perhaps some other uses). The design of the rest of the Norwood Park is seen to be driven by the scale and character of this once excellent example of an Arts & Crafts bungalow.

If our proposal is accepted by the City of Austin, the Norwood Posse will dismount and rebrand for the next phase of this adventure. The plan is to form a 501 (c)(3) that will be called the Norwood Park Foundation. The objective is to use all available resources, including volunteers (as appropriate), grants, donations of services, money, and materials to accomplish the objective in a cost effective and timely manner. Many citizens have offered to help with this project, and it is our intent to call upon civic minded taxpayers to help transform this property into a beautiful and useful addition to our public park system.

T

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On July 19, Norwood Posse members presented a preliminary house restoration proposal to senior PARD staff. We focused just on the house and immediate grounds. Our estimated cost of $600,000 may be a bit low, but does not include donations of time, money, services, and materials. Our proposal is privately funded and work could commence with a combination $300,000 loan/gift from a private investor. If approval is received, additional sources of funding (grants, donations, etc.) would be pursued.The basic idea is to restore/reconstruct the house, maintain and operate it at no cost to PARD. Revenue generated by its use as an event center is projected to yield, after expenses, more than $100,000 annually for park upgrades.

Li Tong of Heimsath Architects created this "fly around" rendering of a reconstructed house: 

On July 20, CasaBella hosted the third community input meeting and presented their six options for redevelopment of the entire park.      http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/parks/norwoodtract.htm    These options show estimated costs and revenue. Two of them include a restored house and the remainder feature new structures where the house now is. Since no public funds are available now to implement any option, these would be sought via a 2012 bond election. The options with new structures could only be considered if historic zoning is removed from the house. In view of the fact that the Historic Landmark Commission, the Planning Commission and the City Council all approved this zoning, it seems that removing it would be a challenge without precedent.

You are invited to submit your comments and questions to restorenorwood@yahoo.com

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This video, less than a minute, serves as an introduction to this post.

Experts frequently disagree about the same thing. It's all about how you look at it. In the case of the Norwood House, such different ways of looking at the same thing are highlighted. The preservation specialist with the consultants studying the Norwood property, recommended demolition. She noted that only 40% of the house was salvageable (experts disagree on this too) and said it was "fiscally irresponsible" to fix it. Her opinion was just about the money. Nothing about the merits of the original architecture. Nothing about the part Ollie Norwood played in early 19th century Austin history. And nothing about the Norwood Posse plan for a low cost restoration. 

No matter! The Norwood Posse sees that 40% as a lot more than 0%. Enough of the original structure is intact,, according to our experts, that restoration/reconstruction can begin as soon as the city gives the green light....no waiting for a November 2012 bond election when voters might approve funds. On July 19 we will present a comprehensive proposal to senior PARD staff, to fix the house. This plan does not rely on public funds, as a private investor has offered to underwrite the major portion of the cost. With active support from PARD and the City of Austin, donations of money, time, services and materials will accelerate. The goal is to return the house to its original, exterior appearance. The interior will be re-designed to suit whatever end use is agreed upon. Since PARD has no money to restore, operate or maintain the re-done house, it will need to be financially self-sufficient. A recontructed Norwood house will not only fit the character of the neighborhood and begin the transformation of that gateway property into a destination site, it will impact the re-development of the entire property. We have plenty of existing new structures highlighting modern design. It would serve Austin's character well to have a few more visible examples of our cultural heritage. 

The proposal now being crafted will be an example of how to make the best use of available resources. The latest green building techniques and products will be utilized in this sustainable demonstration project. If you want more information contact me at  restorenorwood@yahoo.com. If you support our effort to use private money to repair this forgotten piece of public property, let PARD Director Sara Hensley know.....     Sara.Hensley@ci.austin.tx.us

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At the June 27 meeting of the Historic Landmark Commission, Casabella Architects recommended demolition of the Norwood House. HLC members expressed reservations about that, but took no action. I was given three minutes to present the Norwood Posse position. I noted that our consultants documented that restoration was viable, and that that we now have private funding available to fix the problem created by public servants. The CasaBella study will present three options for redevlopment of the Norwood Park on July 20. At this time there are no public funds available to implement any of those, soon to be seen, options. We are shovel ready, at no cost to taxpayers, to reconstruct the house. Our view is that this is a perfect time for a public/private partnership to implement the resolution of support for restoration passed by the Austin City Council on March 25, 2010.

>> http://www.kvue.com/news/local/Consultant-recommends-demolition-for-historic-Norwood-House-124686669.html

Norwood Park Condition Assessment and Feasibility Report Community Input Meeting

The Austin Parks and Recreation Department cordially invites the public to the third community information and input meeting on the proposed Condition Assessment and Feasibility Report for the Norwood Park house and grounds. The meeting will be held on Wednesday, July 20, 2011, 6:00-8:00 pm, at the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center, 600 River Road. 

This meeting will review public input from the first two public meetings and present conceptual plans for Park improvement alternatives. The planning process has an estimated 8 month duration which will culminate with a set of recommendations and cost estimates for facility restoration and/or redevelopment.  

Questions regarding the Norwood Park Condition Assessment and Feasibility Report may be emailed to the project manager atNorwoodfeasibility@ci.austin.tx.us or visit the website at http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/parks/norwoodtract.htm

For more information, comments, questions or offers of help contact me: 

Wolf Sittler

restorenorwood@yahoo.com

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Monday evening, June 27, members of the City of Austin Historic Landmark Commission received their first briefing by the consultants (CasaBella Architects) hired to complete the Norwood feasibility study. CasaBella team member, and historic preservation specialist from Houston, Anna Mod, presented her analysis of the house and recommended demolition. In her opinion the house no longer meets the criteria for historic designation, and is in such degraded condition that the cost of restoration would be prohibitive. HLC members quizzed her on her analysis and were skeptical of her conclusion.

Jim Christianson, former Chairman of the HLC, and the person responsible for motivating SRCC members to create the Norwood Posse, arranged for me to address the HLC for 3 minutes. I presented our case for restoration and cited documentation in support of that objective. HLC members appeared supportive of our proposal. Jim followed up with some critical comments about how city negligence allowed the house to deteriorate.

After the meeting we had an opportunity to speak briefly with Jaime Beaman, CasaBella principal. He, too, noted the high cost of restoration as a huge impediment to restoration. He had a hard time imagining the possibilities of using volunteers and donations to get the job done. That is a natural result of a career built on a traditional, for-profit, business model.

The evening concluded with a short discussion with Colleen Theriot, the newest member of the Posse. We first met on Sunday when she indicated a strong interest in the project, and an ability to provide financial help. She affirmed that she, along with her husband Brad, were prepared to jumpstart the restoration with a substantial financial investment. In addition to this couple, a local builder has recently expressed a similar interest in helping move this project forward.While details need refinement, these developments enables us to craft a realistic proposal to make change happen soon..

The consultants, city staff, and community members, can dream all day about options for the property. But without public funds available to translate those dreams, nothing can happen for a long time. Time is the enemy of the house, and there appears to be little chance that any public funds would be available till a bond election in November 2012. Even then, there is no guarantee of funding, as voters are concerned about closing pools for kids, laid off teachers, inadequate staffing for 911 call centers, shrinking PARD & library budgets, etc.

A public/private partnership is the most practical, and available, remedy, for this long festering problem. Our plan is to work on the details of such a partnership and lobby for approval by the community, the consultants, PARD, HLC and City Council. Today, thanks to the vision and support of Colleen, Brad, and others, we are at the beginning of a new era.

If you have the interest/time to watch the consultants’ presentation to the HLC, commissioners questions, and my response, go to item II-2 @

http://austintx.swagit.com/player.php?refid=06272011-190

Wolf Sittler

 restorenorwood@yahoo.com

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Casabella Architects and PARD host the second community input meeting about Norwood Park this Tuesday, 6-8pm, at the Mexican American Cultural Center. The consultants have been directed to consider demolition of the historically zoned house as an option. There is no question that the house is restorable.....it's all about the cost. The Norwood Posse is promoting a not-for-profit restoration using volunteers, grants and donations of services and materials. This is an opportunity to show that a capital improvement project can be done at a very affordable price.....but it will require not doing business as usual.

In case you missed this piece on KEYE-TV done by Whitney Milam last year.....here it is:

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