Preservation board to meet monthly beginning October; staff warns Senate Bill 180 limits local code changes until 2027

The Historic and Architectural Preservation Board voted Aug. 28 to hold one regular meeting per month on the second Thursday, beginning in October 2025, and to allow special meetings as needed. The motion passed by voice vote after a second; members said the change responds to frequent cancellations and staff workload.

Roger Clark, Planning and Zoning Director, briefed the board on a state law development and project updates. Clark said Senate Bill 180 — legislation the board has discussed previously in the context of post‑hurricane recovery and land‑use rules — was recently extended by the governor and, as a result, local governments cannot adopt code or comprehensive‑plan language that is more prohibitive or burdensome than current law until at least Oct. 1, 2027. Clark said the extension affects any proposed increases in local standards that would add new burdens on applicants and that the city’s ability to change certain review processes is limited while the statute is in effect.

Clark also updated the board on several local projects: the Henneman Building has site development plan approval valid for two years (through mid‑2026) while the architectural approval is valid for one year and would need to return to the board if unchanged; the Circus property has activity but pending planning commission site approvals; and the beach pavilion designation has been approved by City Council and a plaque awaits mounting once public-works infrastructure is ready. Members said the monthly schedule should reduce cancellations and staff workload, and they emphasized that special meetings can be scheduled to accommodate applicants who need a faster review.

The board instructed staff to begin the new meeting cadence in October and to keep the board informed about SB 180 developments and any schedule impacts to pending applications.