The Historic Preservation Board voted to approve a certificate of appropriateness for major alterations at 301 Southwest 2nd Street, adopting Option 3 (a full picket fence) after hearing from the applicant, staff and members of the public.

Tricia (staff) told the board the item, case UDPHP25009, had been deferred from the prior meeting and that the applicant submitted new information and a waiver of the 180-day review period under Florida statutes. Tricia presented historical photos and three fence options showing variations of grid and picket treatments and noted the fence sits in the same location as the existing assembly.

The applicant, Angel Candelaria, said they had submitted prior approvals and reported an email they described as a scam: "We got a scam email from the historic board saying that if we pay these $3,900 in fees, that the board was gonna approve," which staff said they would review. A public speaker raised a nearby safety concern, saying "there was a shooting down there just a few nights ago," and linked that to the business's security needs while also urging visibility of the historic building.

Board members debated trade-offs between security and historic visibility, discussing measurements, fence heights (roughly 3 feet, 8 inches to the rail), and design details. Several members said the grid-top metal looked "prison like," and preferred a more uniform iron or full-picket solution. Multiple members said the recommended Option 3 provided a reasonable balance and noted final approval remains contingent on building and zoning review for height and other code requirements.

A board member moved to approve the certificate of appropriateness for major alterations for case UDPHP25009 (301 Southwest 2nd Street), citing Option 3 as the selected design; the motion was seconded and the chair called the vote. The chair announced, "The motion carries."

The board and staff also discussed scheduling and noted the UDPHP25009 matter may reappear on a future agenda if the applicant requests additional time to provide drawings. Staff reminded members that code enforcement is the typical remedy if approved conditions are not met; enforcement can include notice, fines and further administrative actions.

The board adjourned the item with approval conditioned on required building and zoning approvals and any necessary permit reviews.