Board designates 826 Ortega Avenue and approves COA with variances for entry and pool

The Coral Gables Historic Preservation Board approved local landmark designation for the house at 826 Ortega Avenue and issued a special certificate of appropriateness (COA) for proposed exterior alterations and site work, including required zoning variances.

Staff documented the 1926 Mediterranean Revival residence (attributed to H. George Fink) and recommended designation based on the property's early date in the Granada section and character‑defining features such as textured stucco, barrel‑tile roofs and a porte‑cochere. The owner had requested an accelerated COA to permit an enlarged covered entry, a pool and deck, and related site work.

Board members discussed early alterations — particularly a significant campaign in the 1940s that enclosed a sleeping porch and altered the front porch — and whether enough original fabric remains for designation. The applicant — homeowner Virginia Vick and architect Roberto Ficke — said structural changes made restoring the original triple‑arch entry impractical without major demolition; Vick said she had originally wanted to restore the three arches but was constrained by the house’s altered structural configuration.

The COA approval included variances: a front‑setback allowance to permit a 5‑foot extension from the current front facade (as dimensioned in the submitted plans), and modified side setbacks for the pool edge (shortened to 3 feet 6 inches where the code requires greater separation) plus a 3‑foot separation from the residence for the pool water edge. The board approved the design and variances on roll call after a discussion about preserving integrity while allowing a practical renovation.

The owner agreed to staff conditions and to refine details (materials, a clarified front‑setback dimension on plan sheets and board of architects review of certain elevations).