Punta Gorda preservation board presses city to tighten structural-engineer report standards after storms

The Historic Preservation Advisory Board of Punta Gorda urged city staff on Oct. 5 to tighten the city’s requirements for structural-engineer reports used in demolition and certificate-of-appropriateness reviews, saying many submitted reports are inadequate for deciding whether a contributing historic structure can be demolished or repaired.

Board members said the reports they receive are often short letters or assessments that do not address the building’s overall structural soundness. "We have to have a structural engineer’s report. If you do not give us a structural engineer’s report, we cannot even entertain a property owner coming to us for a demo recommendation," board member Lucille Ponti said. "For a year, we’re getting reports that are really not structural-engineer reports."

The board pointed to a Florida law that establishes a voluntary certification program for structural-engineering specialists but does not force engineers to hold that certification. Zoning official Rachel Berry told the board staff could update the application template to list the specific items the board needs in a structural-engineer report — photos, step-by-step findings and explicit statements about overall soundness — and bring that change back to the board. "We can just update the template for the application and say structural-engineer report including a, b, c, d, e," Berry said.

Board members said updating the application template and requiring clearer report contents would be faster than rewriting land-development regulations, a process staff estimated could take 12–18 months. The building official explained that most engineers submitting reports are licensed professional engineers (PEs), frequently civil engineers, and that the city’s enforcement options are limited because a PE’s signed report carries professional liability. Hank Floyd, urban design manager, confirmed that the city receives many of these reports through planning staff and that the building department and planning can coordinate vetting procedures.

Board members asked staff to add a checklist of required report elements and to ensure the person signing the report is a licensed engineer. Several members requested that the template include a resume or statement of relevant structural experience; staff and the city attorney will review whether and how the city may require additional certification or documentation. The board set a follow-up agenda item so members can reach consensus on the checklist language at their next meeting.

Why this matters: Punta Gorda has many contributing historic homes that suffered flood and wind damage after recent storms. The board said unclear or inconsistent reports delay decisions on demolition permits and hinder the board’s ability to recommend preservation options or alternatives such as moving a structure.

Board members and staff also discussed on-the-ground follow-up: city staff said they had begun a canvass about three months earlier to contact damaged property owners and encourage permit filings; building staff estimated about 20% of affected historic properties had applied for permits. The building official noted that in cases where structures are plainly destroyed, the board and city have occasionally agreed demolition is appropriate.

Board next steps: staff will draft a template checklist of required structural-report elements and circulate it to the board and the city attorney for legal review. Rachel Berry agreed to place an agenda item at the next HPAB meeting to finalize the checklist. No formal ordinance change or vote occurred at the Oct. 5 meeting.

Ending: The board framed the change as procedural: members said they do not seek to substitute their judgment for licensed engineers but to receive consistent, usable reports that let the board and staff perform timely, legally defensible reviews.