BROWNSVILLE — The city of Brownsville Planning and Zoning Commission made a landmark decision this past week, deciding to demolish the infamous building often referred to as the “Rubio House.”
The planning and zoning commission voted 6-1, reversing the denial of the demolition permit that was voted upon by the Historic Preservation and Design Review Board on Dec. 18.
Located on 805 E. Tyler St. the building is one of most notorious in Brownsville. It was the site where three children were beheaded by John Allen Rubio in 2003, with assistance from his common-law wife Angela Camacho. Rubio is on death row awaiting execution, while Camacho is serving a life sentence for her participation in the murders.
At the meeting, the planning and zoning committee denied any requests made by the Historic Preservation and Design Review Board, which asked for a 60 day extension. If granted the extended time, the Historic Preservation and Design Review Board had hoped to find potential re-uses for the building with the assistance of a subcommittee.
“I would rather put life into a building where life was taken away,” Renee Sanchez said. As a member of Historic Preservation and Design Review Board, she mentioned that they had hoped to do something positive with the structure, stating that option was not properly voiced to City Commission members when they had moved to demolish the building on Dec. 8.
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