ARC approves new Hyde Park house at 827 Bayshore Boulevard, 5-1

The City of Tampa Architectural Review Commission voted 5-1 on Sept. 17 to grant a certificate of appropriateness for new construction at 827 Bayshore Boulevard in the Hyde Park Historic District.

Commissioners backed the applicant’s revised design after staff and the project team described changes made in response to five conditions attached to a preliminary approval issued in August. The commission’s decision allows the project to move into permitting; the owner and design team still must obtain any required permits from other city departments and meet building and floodplain requirements.

Ron Viela, planner with historic preservation staff, told commissioners the demolition of the non‑contributing structure was previously approved and that the current application is for a single‑family residence and site work. “This application is consistent for final review with the Hyde Park design guidelines,” Viela said, and staff reported that the applicant had addressed the five conditions noted in the packet.

The applicant presented the house as a coastal‑contemporary vernacular with tiered massing, wood soffits, stone cladding and bronze‑finish storefront systems. The design team said the main living areas will be on elevated floors to meet FEMA/DFE requirements; the proposed design places the lowest design flood elevation (DFE) at 13 feet and the team proposed building to a DFE of 14 feet (one foot above the minimum). The site will include underground retention vaults and the team reported they had met impervious area and retention requirements.

Project presenters said they had worked with the city’s natural resources staff and an arborist to identify and protect several large trees on the lot, and described plans for breakaway walls and flood vents required for construction in the AE flood zone. The team also showed material samples — dark anodized bronze windows and doors, a medium oak garage door, stone cladding and a light base color (Sherwin‑Williams Soji White) — and confirmed the garage and ground‑floor non‑conditioned areas would be concrete slab per FEMA rules.

No members of the public spoke for or against the single‑family certificate of appropriateness when the commission opened the hearing for public comment.

Commission commentary was largely favorable: several commissioners praised the stepped massing and additional glazing on the north elevation that reduces visual bulk along Bayshore. One commissioner said he continued to object to the front parking area, arguing it “takes away from the aesthetic of a Bayshore Boulevard frontage” and raised safety concerns for a curving, blind corner. The applicant said the front space is intended primarily for short‑term deliveries and that the property meets transportation requirements for the proposed curb cut and vehicle movements.

Commissioner Tim Jones moved to grant final approval for the drawings and documents presented for ARCDash25Dash0000343 for 827 Bayshore Boulevard; the motion carried by voice vote, 5 in favor and 1 opposed. The motion was recorded as: mover Tim Jones; second not recorded in the transcript; tally: yes 5, no 1. The commission’s action clears the design for permitting steps subject to standard permitting and inspections.

Why it matters: the property sits on a prominent curve along Bayshore Boulevard in the Hyde Park Historic District and must meet both the district’s design guidelines and federal floodplain building rules. The commission’s approval follows staff findings that the revised plan responds to the earlier conditions and that the proposal meets the Hyde Park design guidelines for new construction.

What’s next: With the certificate of appropriateness approved, the applicant may proceed with building permit applications and the city’s permit review. Staff indicated final exterior material samples and wall section details remain part of the final‑approval record.