HARB continues review of Sisters of St. Joseph mother house proposal after members call for smaller massing and more contextual design

The Historic Architecture Review Board continued its review of an application from the Sisters of St. Joseph to build a new mother house and associated site work at 241 St. George Street, saying July 15 the project’s scale and the look of its street-facing facades need more study.

The project team that presented to the board described a new institutional building with a gross footprint of just over 13,000 square feet and a total gross floor area of a little over 35,000 square feet on a 2.41-acre site that “takes up an entire block in Downtown Saint Augustine,” Autumn Martin Nagy of Matthews DCCM told the board during the presentation. The proposed structure would stand about 46 feet tall and include a porte cochere, arcaded loggia, new hardscape and landscaping, and repairs to an existing masonry coquina perimeter wall.

Board members said the scheme shown at the opinion stage emphasizes a long, relatively unarticulated wall on the Cadiz Street frontage and reads as overly vertical and institutional from the sidewalk. “The appearance, at least in the renderings that we see here, is very institutional and not very warm, not very inviting,” Dr. Barbara Wingo, a HARB member, said. HARB member Catherine Duncan added that the north elevation “almost, to me, looks like a motel,” saying the elevations lack the projections, columns and smaller-scale elements that make neighboring buildings feel more pedestrian-scaled.

Why it matters: The HARB’s opinion will accompany the applicant’s variance request to the Planning and Zoning Board. The project site sits inside Archeology Zone 1B (SJ05682) and the St. Augustine Town Plan historic district; staff said extensive archaeological deposits are likely in the proposed disturbance area and the applicant must coordinate closely with the city archaeologist. The design also requires variances from HP-1 zoning limits for height (35-foot limit), front setback ranges calculated as 85–115% of the block average, and a written lot-coverage limit of the lesser of 70% or 7,000 square feet.

Board concerns and staff guidance: Members repeatedly urged the applicant to show the proposed building in context with adjacent houses and view lines from nearby porches and sidewalks, not only in isolated 3-D renderings. HARB asked for alternatives that reduce the perceived mass at the street—examples discussed include stepping the building mass, adding balconies or recesses, differentiating a heavier base and lighter upper floors, and changing fenestration rhythm and materials so the façade reads as layered rather than a continuous flat plane. The board also discussed whether flipping or reorienting parts of the plan to open the garden toward Cadiz Street would better restore the historic garden condition and soften the streetscape.

Zoning and process notes: Staff told the board that the applicant must obtain variance approvals from the Planning and Zoning Board to allow the proposed height (about 46 feet), relief from multiple front setback requirements (the applicant proposed about 54.2 feet on St. George Street where the block-range is about 25.6–34.6 feet), and relief from the 7,000-square-foot lot-coverage threshold the HP-1 rules reference. Staff emphasized that an opinion of appropriateness is preliminary: a formal Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) with full architectural and construction details will be required before a building permit may be issued.

Action: HARB voted to continue the opinion of appropriateness hearing for HP-2025-00522 (241 St. George Street) so the applicant can provide revisions addressing massing, context, and more detailed elevations. The board recorded a motion to continue to the August 21 meeting; the motion was seconded and carried unanimously.

Next steps: The applicant said the project team will review massing options, work with the city archaeologist, and consider whether adjusting the vehicular loop and internal site layout could reduce street-facing massing. The applicant also noted ongoing coordination with the Diocese of St. Augustine on future use of existing campus buildings. HARB and staff recommended returning with context elevations that show sightlines from adjacent houses and revised materials and fenestration that break up the long three-story wall.

The board’s comments at the opinion stage do not represent final approval of the project. The applicant will need HARB approval of a COA and PZB variances before building permits may be issued.