Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Historic Preservation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Tampa ARC approves three Hyde Park projects with drainage and design conditions
Summary
The Tampa Architectural Review Commission (ARC) unanimously approved three applications in Hyde Park on Monday, granting variances and certificates of appropriateness while adding conditions requiring clearer flood‑mitigation, drainage plans and refinements to front‑stair and driveway treatments.
The Tampa Architectural Review Commission (ARC) on a single agenda day voted unanimously to approve work on three contributing properties in the Hyde Park Historic District, conditioning each approval to address flood and site concerns raised during the hearings.
Commissioners first considered ARC‑250000240 for 825 Bayshore Boulevard, where concerns centered on unresolved drainage and a proposed circular drive. A commissioner moved to grant a certificate of appropriateness for the plans presented while requiring that site drainage be “significantly improved” so the project will not cause standing water on adjacent properties. The motion—seconded by another commissioner—was amended to ask the applicant to review, with staff, an alternative to the second curb cut; commissioners clarified the amendment does not mandate removal but requires the applicant to explore alternatives. The motion passed unanimously.
Ron Veil, planner with Historic Preservation, introduced ARC‑25‑0000272 for 725 South Brevard Avenue, describing prior variances and four conditions carried over from an earlier preliminary approval. The applicant presented revised flood‑mitigation details, a revised north roofline and additional windows, and a substantially reduced front stair massing. Commissioner questions focused on the north‑elevation detailing and whether flood vents were shown; a motion to grant a certificate of appropriateness included a condition requiring flood vents to be located on the elevations. That motion passed unanimously.
On ARC‑25‑0000318, 820 South Boulevard, owners Ted Slack and Teresa Young and agent Matthew Varn (presenting the technical details) sought two setback variances and a certificate of appropriateness tied to elevating the home to the FEMA design flood elevation (DFE) of 12.0 feet. The variances—formally to allow a front setback encroachment to 12 feet (from 25) to accommodate the additional stair projection and a south side setback reduced from 7 feet to 6 feet with a 2.66‑foot eaves/gutter encroachment—were supported by hardship findings read into the record. Commissioners probed the footprint and the dimension from the lowest stair riser to the front property line, the treatment of foundation vents, and the visibility of mechanical equipment once the house is raised. The commission approved the variances and then the certificate of appropriateness with two explicit conditions: the applicant should consider leaving the existing drip‑cap molding in place while lowering the weatherboard beneath the new siding (a visual datum to indicate the historic wall), and the applicant should reduce the height and massing of the front “welcome” walls so a guardrail can be exposed and designed in consultation with staff. The motions carried unanimously.
What changed: commissioners required additional, verifiable design details (flood vents on elevations for 725 S. Brevard; clarified drainage plans and staff review of alternative driveway options for 825 Bayshore; and materials/datum and reduced welcome‑wall massing for 820 S. Boulevard) as conditions of approval. Where numeric dimensions were unclear in public renderings, commissioners required final elevations and flood‑mitigation details be submitted and approved by staff before permits are finalized.
Why it matters: the three approvals advance property owners’ plans to raise and renovate contributing historic homes while explicitly tying approvals to flood‑mitigation, drainage, and visual‑compatibility measures intended to preserve Hyde Park’s historic character and limit downstream impacts.
Votes at a glance
- ARC‑250000240 (825 Bayshore Boulevard): Motion to grant certificate of appropriateness with conditions to significantly improve site drainage and staff review of an alternative to the second curb cut (mover: Commissioner, second: Commissioner; outcome: approved unanimously).
- ARC‑25‑0000272 (725 South Brevard Avenue): Motion to grant certificate of appropriateness with condition that flood vents be shown on the elevations (mover: Commissioner 5; second: Commissioner 4; outcome: approved unanimously).
- ARC‑25‑0000318 (820 South Boulevard): Two variances granted (front yard encroachment and south side encroachment) and a certificate of appropriateness approved with conditions to consider lowering weatherboard/datum placement and to reduce welcome‑wall massing so guardrails can be exposed and refined with staff (mover: Commissioner 2; second: Commissioner 3; outcome: approved unanimously).
What to expect next: applicants must submit final elevations and drainage/flood‑mitigation documentation for staff review; if transportation or building‑department reviews identify unresolved issues (for example the driveway curb cut), those will govern permit issuance.
Attributions: Ron Veil, planner with Historic Preservation, presented staff findings. Owners and agents who addressed the commission include Ted Slack and Teresa Young (owners, 820 S. Boulevard) and Matthew Varn (agent/general contractor). Several commissioners (unnamed in the public transcript) spoke at length and made the motions and seconds recorded in the minutes.
Contact and documents: the ARC staff report and the applicants’ drawings and photo exhibits were entered into the record at the hearing; the commission asked staff to ensure flood vents, final elevations and drainage plans are included in permit submittals.
