An application to demolish a fourplex in Old West Austin proposed for historic zoning has given rise to a wider look at how the city handles such cases. Austin City Council voted at its Nov. 3 meeting to postpone initiating historic zoning at the property, 1618 Palma Plaza. The city's Historic Landmark Commission voted 6-0 on Sept. 26 to initiate historic zoning at the property. Evidence shows it is a "contributing structure" in the Old West Austin National Register Historic District, according to city documents. However, there are 11 members of the commission—with one vacancy—and city code states two-thirds of the commission must approve the historic zoning change if the property owner protests it. The owner of the property is listed as 1618 Palma Plaza LLC on Travis Central Appraisal District's website. Tom Terkel, principal of FourT Realty, represents the property owner and spoke in opposition to the historic designation and asked council to vote the measure down. Terkel said the architecture of the structure, which was built in the 1920s and renovated in 1980, has some Spanish colonial features but is not consistent. "The problem with this building is it has no discernible architectural style," he said. "… This is not a historically significant building." Mayor Pro Tem Kathie Tovo said there are many reasons the case needs to be evaluated again by the full commission for historic landmark significance, including architectural criteria and historical associations. Council is slated to vote on a resolution addressing the broader issue of historic designation gridlock at its regular meeting Nov. 10.