Tampa ARC continues review of proposed single‑family home at 2904 N. Elmore Ave.

The City of Tampa Architectural Review Commission on Feb. 12 granted a continuance for the certificate of appropriateness hearing on a proposed new single‑family home at 2904 North Elmore Avenue, moving the matter to the commission's April 1 public hearing to allow the applicant to correct drawing inconsistencies and respond to staff and neighbors' concerns.

The continuance followed staff analysis that the drawings published with the staff report did not match the revised plans shown at the hearing and that several technical details remained unresolved. Dennis Fernandez, Architectural Review and Historic Preservation Manager, told commissioners the site plan issues preventing the project from proceeding had been resolved but that the elevations, wall sections and details about overhangs, foundation finishing, porch depth and window installation still required clarification.

The applicant, Tyler Thibodeaux of Onyx Construction, described the proposal as a narrow, shotgun‑style, two‑story house intended to “fit in with the area,” noting proposed materials such as hardiplank lap siding and dimensional shingles and saying the firm was “open to some metal roofs on some of the overhangs.”

Neighbors urged denial. Rick Fernandez, who lives at 2906 North Elmore Avenue and serves as president of the Tampa Heights Civic Association, said he opposed the application and asked the commission to deny it, citing the parcel's unusual configuration where the historic district meets Interstate 275 and warning the proposal would “damage and weaken the historic structure and tapestry of the neighborhood.” Architect and neighbor Roger Grunca told commissioners he was also opposed and criticized the design's massing, calling the building “so long and so narrow” that it did not match the neighborhood precedents.

Commissioners' questions focused on dimensional and construction details: which setback was used to calculate the front alignment, the depth of the proposed porch (shown at the hearing as 6 feet while staff noted 8 feet is typical for the district), the driveway width and how steps or landings would interact with the parking, the slab‑on‑grade foundation and its exterior finish, the depth and trim of windows to ensure a shadow line, the screening of mechanical equipment, and the choice of vinyl versus wood windows. Parker Sanchez of Onyx Construction explained that some drawings were a mix of generic and project‑specific details and that the team had been trying to correct inconsistencies in the days before the hearing.

After discussion, Commissioner Dan Myers moved to continue ARC‑25‑0000047 to the April 1 public hearing at 5:30 p.m.; Commissioner John Prokop seconded. The motion passed on a voice vote.

The continuance gives the applicant time to provide corrected, fully detailed drawings addressing staff's listed items — including porch depth, wall sections showing overhangs and foundation finish, window trim and installation details, mechanical screening, and clarification of site coverage and setbacks — and to respond to neighborhood concerns about massing and compatibility with the Tampa Heights Historic District.