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01/21/1997HISTORIC PRESERVATION BOARD CITY OF CLEARWATER January 21, 1997 Present: David C. Berry Chair Margaret Kiehl Vice-Chair Ric Ortega Board Member Jean Stuart Board Member Cookie Gilreath Board Member Don McCarty Senior Planner, Central Permitting Brenda Moses Board Reporter The meeting was called to order by Chair Berry at 2:00 p.m. at the Plumb House, 1350 South Greenwood Avenue, Clearwater. In order to provide continuity for research, the items will be listed in agenda order although not necessarily discussed in that order. 1. Approval of December 17, 1996 Minutes Member Cookie Gilreath moved to approve the minutes of December 17, 1996 as submitted in writing to each member. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously. 2. Discussion of Historic Preservation Matters Contracts are being reviewed for the Historical Preservation Grant survey. It is anticipated the survey will begin in March or April of 1997 and take approximately 6 months to complete. City Hall is closed for renovations until approximately mid-March. All board meetings are scheduled in other locations. Some meetings are being held at the Harborview Center, the Chamber of Commerce building and the Adler Room at the Main Library. No meetings are being televised at this time. The old Chamber of Commerce building was slated for demolition, however no decisions have been made. Discussion continues throughout the City regarding the site for a new library. Suggestions have included building a new library on the current property, building it closer to the Harborview Center, and utilizing the property on the corner of Missouri and Cleveland. It was noted that the property on Missouri and Cleveland is being viewed as a major development site for long range downtown redevelopment plans. The property consists of 14 acres and extends along Missouri Avenue almost to Court Street. Should the right type of development be developed, it could serve as a gateway to the downtown area. The Mandalay streetscaping project on Clearwater Beach is in its final preliminary design phase. The project includes installation of underground utilities, coordinated streetscape furniture and new street lights and signals from Pier 60 Drive north to Baymont Avenue. A second public town hall meeting is scheduled for February 12, 1997 at the Memorial Civic Center auditorium on Clearwater Beach at 7:00 p.m. Discussion ensued regarding the property on Court Street to Chestnut Street which is owned by Mr. Fred Thomas. The property is over an acre and extends from the train station westward, including what was formerly known as the Badcock Furniture building. Mr. Thomas has been before the DRB (Design Review Board) to discuss plans for that property. Plans included renovations to the Badcock Furniture building by tearing down the north 25 feet, taking it back to its original building line, and constructing exterior columns with a pitched roof to simulate some of the proportion and scale at the train station. Mr. Thomas also plans to perform construction of this type on the other building on the Chestnut Street side to integrate the same theme throughout the complex. The DRB gave approval for the plans for the building only. Landscaping issues need to be addressed. The Police Department has moved into their new building. The old building is vacant and furniture and equipment is being removed. Asbestos removal in the old building will be done and demolition should take place within the next 30 days. A new 500 space parking garage is planned for that property. City vehicles will be parked in the new garage. It has not been determined whether only City employees will utilize the garage. Senior Planner, Central Permitting, Don McCarty, noted that according to the new City ordinance, any new parking garages in the designated district areas, such as downtown or the beaches, the first floor must have at least 50% in occupied uses such as restaurants or offices. The purpose is to create a pleasant architectural detail and deter an unpleasant or overwhelming view of cars from the street. It was noted the area of Court Street where Burning Bridges, Sybil’s, Iron Gate and the Parthenon Restaurant reside have done very well and compliment the downtown area. The new owner of Burning Bridges has placed green benches and landscaping outside the business, greatly improving the property. No plans have been developed for North Fort Harrison in the old Clearwater Bay neighborhood north of Drew Street. Plans may evolve from the Historical Grant Survey. A South Fort Harrison plan study has been completed. It was suggested that the City design some type of “gateway markers” to be placed near the downtown area to better define the character of the area. One member who recently visited the Miami and Miami Beach areas discussed some of the interesting changes being made. He noted the South Beach area renovated a building site near the street, saving the facade of each building, while maintaining stores at street edges. A parking lot was built behind the complex out of view of the street. A metal grid was placed around the entire structure and vines were grown around the perimeter of the building, creating a very interesting and attractive design. 3. Discussion of Worthwhile Historic Projects At the last meeting discussion took place regarding properties that should be recognized for their outstanding restoration or remodeling efforts that are consistent with the historic buildings in the downtown area. Members are encouraged to nominate any properties they feel warrant a letter of commendation. A member who visited the Turner house stated that the addition of the commercial shop in the front was very poorly done. Sometimes when elements incorporated into such buildings are so far from what was originally in place, it appears it is not possible to restore them to their original condition. However, there have been instances where such buildings have been moved to other locations and restored to close to their original condition. It was suggested members visit the area from Turner Street up to the 100 block of Fort Harrison Avenue to familiarize themselves with the various restoration projects in that area. Discussion ensued regarding the Atrium building on Fort Harrison Avenue at the juncture of North Myrtle Avenue. The new owner had planned to utilize the property for HUD subsidized housing, but money is not available for the project. Because of site limitations, it will be difficult to develop a suitable use for that property that would be economically viable. It was noted that the property formerly known as the “Ice House” on Drew Street may eventually become an attractive property. The new owner came before the DRB to share his plans for the property, however, the renovations will not be implemented in the near future. Questions arose regarding the proposed new Winn Dixie store at the northeast corner of Cleveland Street and Myrtle Avenue. This project has been before the DRB and received rave reviews. The property would be owned by Neighborhood Housing Services and Winn Dixie has agreed to sign a 20-year lease. Information regarding the proposed Memorial Causeway Bridge will be shared with this Board as soon as any further information is received. The Pinellas Trail extension is scheduled for construction sometime this spring. Mr. McCarty will check on the status of this project and update Board members at the next meeting. The Land Development Code rewrite is ongoing. Ramifications of this rewrite and how it impacts proposals coming before the City is being discussed. It was noted this is a mammoth undertaking. The meeting adjourned at 3:10 p.m. The next meeting of the Historic Preservation Board is scheduled for February 18, 1997 at 1:00 p.m. at the Historic Plumb House, 1350 South Greenwood Avenue, Clearwater.