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Council removes two storm‑damaged Chastain Street homes from local historic register; state/national listings noted
Summary
Council voted to delist 359 Chastain Street and 111 Chastain Street from the city’s local register of historic places; staff said removal from the local register does not automatically remove a property from state inventories or national registers and that separate processes apply.
PUNTA GORDA, Fla. — The Punta Gorda City Council approved resolutions Wednesday removing two severely storm‑damaged houses, 359 Chastain Street and 111 Chastain Street, from the city’s local register of historic places.
Staff briefed the council on the process and explained that the Florida Master Site File is a state inventory and that delisting at the local level does not automatically remove a property from state or national registries. Rachel Berry of city staff said state and federal offices confirmed the state and the Department of the Interior maintain separate procedures for national register changes and would be notified as appropriate.
For 359 Chastain Street, staff reported that a 2003 survey added the property to the local register as an inventory entry and a 2016 survey listed the property as having potential historic value but as a non‑contributing structure. The Historic Preservation Board reviewed the request and voted unanimously to recommend delisting. After public comment from the property owner’s representative and residents, the council approved the local delisting by a 4–1 vote.
For 111 Chastain Street, staff said the parcel lies within a national historic district and noted that delisting locally would not automatically remove an address that contributes to a national district; removal from national registers requires a separate Department of the Interior process. Staff recommended against delisting 111 because of its inclusion in the national district, but the applicant argued the home was structurally unsound and hazardous. Council discussed the practical condition of the building, FEMA/tax relief concerns and the speed of any additional state or federal review. After discussion the council approved the local delisting resolution for 111 Chastain by recorded vote.
City staff said property owners seeking to have a property removed from the National Register would need to pursue that process separately with the federal agency and that the city would notify state and federal offices of local delisting actions. Councilors emphasized the decisions were limited to the local register and that other protections or inventories could remain in place unless state/federal processes were completed.
