Angry Texas couple are suing their city for refusing to demolish a metal balcony over their home that was built by a former mayor with ties to the KKK
- Kristy Money and her husband, Rolf Straubhaar, are suing the city of San Marcos
- The dispute revolves around a letter “Z” on a balcony that has ties to the Ku Klux Klan
- The city’s Historic Preservation Commission unanimously rejected the removal
A central Texas couple is suing the city of San Marcos over a metal balcony with ties to the Ku Klux Klan, saying it “does not reflect their family’s values.”
Her home was once owned by former Mayor Frank Zimmerman, who had a local theater known for hosting KKK Day in the 1920s, and he put his first “Z” on a metal plaque that sits atop the balcony .
Kristy Money and her husband, Rolf Straubhaar, said they knew nothing about the history before buying their home in the Burleson Historic District.
“We were a little heartbroken. We wanted to do our best to be a force for good and instill anti-racism values in our children. “We didn’t want to ignore it,” Money said.
Because of the area they live in, Money had to apply to the city’s Historic Preservation Commission for permission to demolish the “Z.”
Money and her husband, Straubhaar, said they knew nothing about the history before purchasing their home in the Burleson Historic District and wanted to “teach our children anti-racism values.”
Central Texas couple Kristy Money and her husband Rolf Straubhaar are suing the city of San Marcos over a metal balcony with ties to the Ku Klux Klan
Frank Zimmerman, who in the 1920s owned a local theater known for hosting a KKK day, placed a letter Z on a metal plaque at the top of the balcony
The commission unanimously rejected the application at a meeting on May 4 and, according to KSNT, described the lettering as a “characteristic element of the house”.
“That’s the whole point of staying in a historic neighborhood to respect the past,” said one commissioner.
Money said she felt like a “guest” in her own home and hired Chance Weldon, litigator at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, as legal counsel on the matter.
The lawsuit challenges the local ordinance that allows the commission to decide what a historic district homeowner can and cannot do with their property.
“We believe that under both the United States Constitution and the Texas Constitution, if you regulate a person’s property, it must be based on nuisance or harm, or on something actually falling within the general powers of government,” said Weldon.
Her home was once owned by former Mayor Frank Zimmerman, who had a local theater known for hosting KKK Day in the 1920s (pictured: an advertisement for Zimmerman’s Palace Theater and KuKluxKlan Day). The poster shows ‘Hundreds of scenes from Klan activities – in conjunction with large regular pictorial program’)
The lawsuit challenges the local ordinance that allows the commission to decide what a historic district homeowner can and cannot do with their property
According to Weldon, the city must submit a response within the next month. If no agreement is reached, a court will decide.
The City of San Marcos told the outlet that it “cannot comment on the ongoing litigation.”
Money said she wants to do what her family thinks is best for their “forever home.”