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Ocala board approves porch and window changes at 721 NE 2nd St., requires traditional picket railing on front
Summary
The Ocala Historic Preservation Board approved COA 25-0045 for 721 NE 2nd Street — permitting an expanded composite deck and two door-to-window conversions — but required replacing the proposed wave-pattern PVC front railing with traditional pickets; staff had recommended approval despite nonhistoric materials.
The Ocala Historic Preservation Board on Jan. 21 approved a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA 25-0045) allowing an expanded composite (Trex) deck and the conversion of two door openings back to double-hung windows at 721 Northeast 2nd Street, but the board required the street-facing railing’s contemporary wave pattern be replaced with a traditional picket design.
Charlene Whitehead, economic development project coordinator, told the board staff had reviewed the application against city COA criteria and the Secretary of the Interior standards for rehabilitation and recommended approval. Whitehead said the property, built in 1918 and located in the Tuscawilla Historic District, had previously received COAs for reroofing and window and door replacement as part of a larger renovation to return the building from three units to a single-family dwelling.
Whitehead said the application proposed removing the existing deck, constructing a larger composite (Trex) deck, installing PVC railings with a wave-pattern on the street-facing facade and traditional picket railings along the side and rear, and converting two door openings back to double-hung windows. Staff’s analysis, she said, found the expanded footprint and non-historic materials were “not to the extent where it is diminishing the historical value of the property.”
Board members questioned whether staff had previously recommended PVC railings and expressed concern about the wave-pattern railing’s contemporary appearance. One board member said, “The PVC is very reflective. It’s dangerous to motors us at night,” arguing the material and pattern were out of character for the district. Multiple members said a uniform picket railing would better preserve the house’s historic look.
Steven Dawson, the applicant who said he will soon move to Ocala, told the board the wave pattern is an upscale PVC product and said he was willing to accept the board’s decision. “We’re excited to get this home back to its glory,” Dawson said.
A board member moved to approve the COA with the exception that the front wave-pattern railing be replaced by a traditional picket design that would continue around the house; the motion carried by voice vote. Staff confirmed the board’s approval and offered the applicant well wishes as the project proceeds.
The approval preserves the proposed decking changes and the door-to-window conversions while limiting the contemporary decorative element on the street-facing facade. The board did not record a roll-call tally in the transcript; the approval was announced as carried by voice vote.
Next steps for the applicant include complying with the COA conditions and any required city permitting for the deck construction and window replacements.
