ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – The historic Hattie’s House at the corner of Sayles Boulevard and South 7th Street was approved by Abilene’s Planning and Zoning Committee, Tuesday, to be used as a medical spa- forfeiting its current use as a bed and breakfast and event space.

In Tuesday’s P&Z meeting, Randy Anderson, Assistant Director of Planning & Development Services for the city, recommended approval to change Hattie’s House from an event space to a medical spa, which will be owned by The Beauty Bus – Abilene, only if it uses a “PD-183/H zoning” with a Certificate of Occupancy (CO).

“Upon the issuance of the CO, mentioned before, the property can be used at that point for a medical spa, and the exterior of the home will not be modified to make it look residential in character or diminish the qualities of the home,” Anderson explained.

After a CO is issued, using the property as an even center would be prohibited, plus the exterior of the home would not be allowed to be altered in a way that would diminish its historic character.

The historic Hattie’s House was built in the late 1880s, and was originally owned by Hattie and Henry Sayles, the boulevard’s namesake. It gained historic status in the 1970s and has been zoned as a historic residential single-family house with a conditional use permit (CUP) since 2011. That means it can be operated as it is now, as a bed and breakfast and event space.

The bed and breakfast is cited to be booked up until November, at which point Dr. Sara Trammell may put in an offer to buy the property.

In Dr. Trammell’s Proposed Plan of Operation, she has written, “My goal is to maintain the home and property in its current state. As a current homeowner in the Sayles Corridor, I value the history of this area, and I want to maintain the historic overlay, not altering the outside appearance of the structure. It will serve as my established medical aesthetic practice and day spa.“

Additionally, Dr. Trammell laid out these other plans in the same document (this text has not been altered or edited):

• We function by appointment only Monday- Saturday 9am – 6pm.
• Our general practice has a cosmetic licensure for facial treatments.
• We perform laser treatments and other minimally invasive techniques, such as: laser hair removal, facial laser treatments, and peels. Other non-surgical treatments include injectables, such as Botox and fillers.
• We offer wellness services such as sauna treatments, dietary consultations, vitamin injections.
• We do have a tattoo license for permanent makeup of eyebrows and lips.
• We do not propose to use the residence as a bed and breakfast or event center after all scheduled events are concluded, which will be approximately November 2023.

After P&Z’s July meeting, the commission said it would agree to downzone the request in order to minimize potential impacts on the neighborhood, along with the following (unedited):

• The proposed medical spa is less intensive than the B&B/Event Center (2011 CUP)
• The 2011 CUP can continue to operate indefinitely if the PD request is denied.
• Conditions can be applied to the PD to minimize the impact of use on the neighborhood.
• The B&B/Event Center can be discontinued.
• The applicant agreed with suggested PD conditions.
• PD-183/H would only allow a single business use.

The next step for The Beauty Bus’s second brick and mortar location is to gain approval from the Abilene City Council. At which point, Dr. Trammell may put in a bid to purchase Hattie’s House from its current owners.