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Historic board approves demolition of termite-damaged house at 109 Avenue D
Summary
The Fort Pierce Historic Preservation and Emergency Board voted to approve Certificate of Appropriateness PZCOA2025-00024, allowing demolition of a structurally unsafe, termite-damaged two-story house at 109 Avenue D; the owner plans two new single-family homes and must return with construction plans.
The Fort Pierce Historic Preservation and Emergency Board on Aug. 25 approved a certificate of appropriateness allowing demolition of a two-story wooden-frame house at 109 Avenue D (PZCOA2025-00024), citing extensive termite and structural damage and a staff finding that renovation would not retain the building’s historic character.
Dennis Gilmore, the city’s historic preservation planner, told the board the parcel (Parcel ID 2403-705-01007-0007) contains a roughly 0.2-acre lot and a 2-story gable‑roof house built in the 1920s that staff found unsafe and heavily deteriorated. "The building is heavily damaged by termites and left to deteriorate for an extended period of time," Gilmore said, summarizing the staff report and recommending approval of the demolition.
The recommendation rested on the board’s demolition criteria. Gilmore said staff found the property met most demolition criteria, with the exception that it is not among the last remaining examples of its kind in the city or region. He said the applicant provided conceptual redevelopment plans showing two new two‑story single‑family homes with detached garages; those building plans were described as conceptual only and will return to the board for design review.
Applicant Mark Hutchins, owner of Avenue D Investments LLC, told the board he had attempted to sell the property three times and buyers withdrew after seeing the condition of the house. Reading from materials submitted with the application, Hutchins said a structural evaluation by Florida‑licensed architect Lance Vogel concluded that renovation would require replacement of most of the structure, including a complete new foundation system, and that "a renovation of this existing structure would no longer retain the historic character of the building." Hutchins said the cost of rehabilitation made demolition the only viable option.
Board members asked whether asbestos testing had been done. Board member Shabir asked, "Has this building been checked for asbestos?" The applicant replied that an asbestos inspection had not been provided to the board but that he had contacted the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and understood single‑family residences are treated differently from commercial properties; he said he would file with EPA and follow recommended removal procedures.
During the hearing board members and staff clarified that the current vote covered only the certificate of appropriateness for demolition and not approval of the proposed new structures. Chair Karen Davis and the board cautioned that any future building proposals would be reviewed under the board’s architectural standards and must return for approval.
After deliberation a motion to approve PZCOA2025-00024 (demolition of the structure at 109 Avenue D) was made and seconded. The board recorded the motion as passed; the clerk called for the affirmative responses and the chair announced, "Motion passed." The board directed that rebuild plans come back for review.
The approval allows the owner to proceed with demolition subject to any building‑department and environmental requirements; the applicant must return to the board with the detailed redevelopment plans for design review and a subsequent certificate of appropriateness for the new construction.
