ARC recommends ad valorem tax exemption for restored Hyde Park house at 1704 West Chaton

The Architectural Review Commission recommended approval of the ad valorem tax exemption part 2 for 1704 West Chaton in the Hyde Park Historic District, certifying that the completed rehabilitation adheres to the previously approved part 1 plans and to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation.

Owner/applicant Drew Newman told the commission the project began four years earlier and that the house’s exterior and many interior historic features had been restored: windows were made operable, rafter tails and attic vents were restored, brick columns repointed, original interior trim and picture rails were stripped and restained, historic built-in cabinetry was repaired and matched where leaded-glass doors were stolen, plaster walls and ceilings were restored, the fireplace repointed and cleaned, and heart-of-pine floors were refinished or matched using reclaimed heart-of-pine where new flooring was required. “After 4 years, the house is finally complete, and I’m so excited to share the results with you,” Newman said.

Staff presented photos of before-and-after conditions and confirmed that the work completed matched the part 1 approval. Staff found the part 2 application consistent with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and recommended the tax exemption be granted.

There were no public speakers. Commissioners praised the owner’s work and the project’s quality; one commissioner thanked Newman and his family for undertaking a lengthy, costly restoration. The commission moved to approve the part 2 ad valorem tax exemption application for the property; the motion passed unanimously.

The tax exemption part 2 confirms the completed rehabilitation meets the standards required for the City of Tampa’s historic property ad valorem tax incentive program and allows the owner to proceed with the exemption process as governed by city rules for that program.