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09/16/1997HISTORIC PRESERVATION BOARD CITY OF CLEARWATER September 16, 1997 Present: David Berry Chair Cookie Gilreath Member Ric Ortega Member (arrived 1:42 p.m.) Jean Stuart Member Don McCarty Senior Planner, Central Permitting Lou Hilton Senior Planner, Central Permitting Brenda Moses Board Reporter Absent: Margaret Kiehl Member The meeting was called to order by Chair Berry at 1:05 p.m. at the historic 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. Election of Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson Members thanked Chair Berry for his efforts on the Board. Member Stuart moved to nominate Margie Kiehl for Chair. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously. Member Gilreath moved to nominate Jean Stuart as Vice-Chair. Member Stuart withdrew her interest in being nominated for Vice-Chair. Member Stuart moved to nominate Ric Ortega for Vice-Chair. Member Gilreath withdrew her nomination of Jean Stuart for Vice-Chair. Member Gilreath seconded the nomination of Ric Ortega as Vice-Chair of the Board. Motion carried. 2. Approval of May 28 Meeting Minutes Member Stuart moved to approve the minutes of May 28, 1997, as submitted in writing to each member. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously. 3. Discussion of Historic Preservation Matters The recognition program was discussed at the last meeting. The rework and adaptive re-use of some properties, and various categories for recognition will be further discussed at a future meeting. It was suggested that tours be scheduled of some of the properties along Turner Street. An evaluation form will be developed for use in the recognition process. 4. Discussion of Historic Preservation Grant/Buildings Survey Central Permitting Senior Planner Lou Hilton updated Members on the status of the Historic Preservation Grant/Buildings Survey. Archeological Consultants, Incorporated was the company chosen to perform the survey and statistics compilation work for the City’s central district and Old Clearwater Bay neighborhood. They are located in Sarasota, Florida with a branch office in Largo, Florida. The survey has been completed and master file sheet are being prepared. A $15,000 grant was obtained from the State, and a portion of the City’s $15,000 matching funds will be in-kind services. All the Florida Master Site File forms should be completed within the next 6 weeks. The forms require glossy black and white photographs, UTM (Universal Transverse Mercader) grids, and minutes, seconds and degrees of building locations to determine the precise location of each building. The actual field work took approximately 3 months. The preliminary findings show that the Old Clearwater Bay neighborhood does not have many historic structures, except for those fronting Alternate 19. The remainder of the homes were built in the 1940’s and 1950’s. The original Sandborn maps show the footprint of each and every building going back to the 1920’s. The next stage is receipt of the preliminary draft from the consultant which will include all the buildings surveyed, and all the data, as well as a written summary with recommendations on what can be done to the buildings. Possible improvements include removing exterior facade treatments and chemically removing paint. By uncovering the brick and other original features, the original character of a building may be restored to some degree. New building guidelines may be established with regard to historic preservation with the assistance of the DRB (Design Review Board). It was remarked that it would be nice to establish a historic district in the City that would portray the City’s historic ambiance of years past. It was noted that some minor door, window and pavement treatments could be incorporated into some of the properties. The survey will denote those properties or buildings that are salvageable or restorable. Some may not be worth saving. Mr. Hilton offered to share the preliminary report with Historic Preservation, DRB and Planning and Zoning Board Members. He noted the final report is due in December. Some grant moneys may be available to apply to designated buildings, or to assist owners to improve or bring back the original character of their properties. Discussion ensued regarding vacant and deteriorating properties. It was noted that the City’s Economic Development Department is addressing the idea of putting together a financial assistance program for restoration and renovation of properties in the downtown area. There is a tentative redevelopment plan of the downtown area, which went through the process of obtaining public input, County approval, and CRA (Community Redevelopment Association) approval. The plan is basically a conceptual plan which requires refinement. Mr. McCarty will share all available information with Members. Discussion ensued regarding the historic Icehouse. Many years ago, the Icehouse was used to supply blocks of ice for residential iceboxes. Plans were submitted to the DRB which received rave reviews. However, when the DRB attempted to pinpoint the owner’s timing of the project, he became evasive and noncommittal. The net result is that the project has not progressed other than the owner’s performance of basic maintenance work to avoid structural deficiencies and Code violations. The Design Committee, a group which was affiliated with the Downtown Development Board, had met with the owner and an architect, offering ideas of what could be done in the interim to improve the property. It was remarked that the owner plans to utilize the Icehouse as an art exhibit hall and gallery, as well as his primary residence. The renovations would resemble a European historic period, and would be an adaptation rather than a building restoration. It was remarked that the train depot owned by Mr. Thomas has been greatly improved compared to its previous condition. It was noted that Mr. Thomas did not choose to attempt to restore or replace the roof in the material and design of what it was originally. He did no restoration of the wood work on the exterior of the building, and has instead covered it with aluminum fascias. Signage and neon that may be commercially pleasing will not reflect the history of the railroad. Discussion ensued regarding the recommendations of the DRB in relation to Mr. Thomas’ renovations, and the City’s Enabling Ordinance. Member Stuart moved to recommend that City staff members proceed with investigating the ability to identify and designate historical places. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously. This motion will serve as a zoning recommendation for a historical overlay district. Other business will include a discussion of current Clearwater projects and an update of the Pinellas Trail The City Manager is in the process of visiting with all City legislative and advisory boards to review their function and overall make-up. It was remarked that Mr. Roberto is very interested in design and beautification efforts throughout the City. He feels that addressing traffic, parking, redevelopment, streetscaping, the beach area, and architectural design as a whole is necessary. Many elements must be considered before rushing forward with any one element. A Beach Steering Committee has been formed to address the issues of the community for long range planning purposes. Consequently, the Mandalay Streetscape Project and the Design Guidelines are moving at a slower pace in order to study the issues in a larger vein. Discussion ensued regarding traffic flow patterns, signage, and access to the existing Memorial Causeway Bridge when construction of the new bridge begins. The meeting adjourned at 2:50 p.m.