Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Demolition topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
HARB approves demolition of 1971 house at 71 Valencia Street with one‑year permit condition
Summary
The board approved a certificate of demolition for a non‑contributing 1971 house at 71 Valencia Street, citing structural problems and flood history; approval was conditioned on obtaining a building permit within one year.
The Historic Architectural Review Board voted to approve a full demolition of the one‑story, 1971 house at 71 Valencia Street, finding the building is not a contributing resource to the historic district and that staff’s packet supported demolition based on structural issues.
Staff reported the house is recorded in the Florida Master Site File but is outside the district’s period of significance, and that a detached accessory dwelling at 71½ Valencia would remain. The applicants, David Cox and Josephine McElroy, said they had only rudimentary replacement sketches because they wanted to secure HARB clearance before completing full architectural plans.
Board members questioned whether replacement design should respect the massing and scale of surrounding blocks; several urged the applicants to produce a replacement consistent with neighborhood context. A motion to approve the demolition included a condition that a building permit be pulled within one year, with administrative extension options discussed.
A board member also asked whether materials could be salvaged; staff said the brick was a thin veneer and not readily salvageable. The board voted to approve the demolition with the stated permit condition.
Next steps: applicants must obtain sufficient design documentation to secure a building permit within one year or seek an administrative extension; staff advised the applicants to coordinate early with HARB staff on replacement design and permit timing.
