Tampa ARC continues review of Seminole Heights ADU after commissioners say site and parking details are missing

The City of Tampa Architectural Review Commission on Monday continued the public hearing on an application to add an accessory dwelling unit and change site access at 504 East Giddens Avenue in the Seminole Heights Historic District, citing incomplete site plans and unanswered engineering details.

Historic Preservation planner Elaine Lund presented staff’s review and said the application “was consistent with the Seminole Heights design guidelines and the Secretary of the Interior standards for rehabilitation” only after specific conditions are met, including revisions to wall sections and the removal or replacement of vinyl and plywood exterior materials.

Applicant Thomas Miller, speaking as the owner’s agent for Marvin Hunt, described a proposed 896-square-foot, one-bedroom ADU to be built behind the existing circa-1925 bungalow. Miller said the project would use a 9-by-36-foot single-car parking pad behind a rolling gate, convert an existing concrete front pad back to historic material and relocate a vacated east–west alley line to incorporate additional backyard area. Miller said the ADU was intended for a family member and that the owner is willing to replace the existing PVC fence with wood if required.

Commissioners pressed for missing technical materials — a full site plan showing the ribbon drive and driveway materials, site grading and stormwater calculations, a clear wall section and details for stairs, railings and soffits. One commissioner noted that vinyl fencing is not permitted in the Seminole Heights Historic District and that staff did not find a certificate of appropriateness for the existing fence. Staff reminded the commission that a three-foot rear building setback is required by zoning and that the vacated alley was completed in 2023.

With no members of the public speaking for or against the project, a motion to continue the item to the October 6 public hearing passed by voice vote. Chair Ted Kimpton announced the continuation after the commission amended the motion to require that staff be satisfied with corrections before the matter returns to a public hearing. The commission recorded the motion as unanimous.

The commission and staff flagged the items they expect before the next hearing: a complete, scaled site plan showing the ribbon drive and parking layout; corrected wall sections and material callouts to remove vinyl or plywood cladding; a revised fence proposal; stormwater/pervious-impervious calculations; and clearer drawings showing steps, railings and soffit details.

If those materials are submitted and accepted by staff before the rescheduled hearing, ARC staff indicated that administrative review could handle many of the remaining details. Otherwise, the case will return to the Commission for a full public hearing on October 6.