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ARC approves Bayshore house elevation to meet FEMA rules, adds design conditions to preserve character
Summary
The Architectural Review Commission approved raising the contributing house at 829 Bayshore Boulevard to meet FEMA flood elevation requirements, and conditioned the Certificate of Appropriateness on screening HVAC units, reconsidering stair width, adding a chimney band/shadow line to distinguish new work, and adjusting lattice placement under the porch.
The Tampa Architectural Review Commission on April 8 voted to grant a Certificate of Appropriateness for a flood‑elevation and site improvement project at 829 Bayshore Boulevard, approving a plan to raise the contributing 1918 house on new piers to meet FEMA and Florida Building Code requirements while attaching several design conditions to protect streetscape character.
Agent Ralph Schuler told the commission the house took about 18 inches of floodwater during the recent storm and that owners must elevate the building to meet FEMA/V‑zone standards. He said the required design elevation for finished floor would result in a lifted finished‑floor target near 15 feet above sea level and that the team proposed to move the building forward about four feet on the lot to allow code‑compliant front and rear stairs and maintain setbacks. Schuler described a new foundation of auger piles/grade beams, wrapped piers with thin brick, wood lattice skirt (breakaway), and restored porch materials where feasible.
Staff recommended the project as consistent with the Hyde Park design guidelines and Secretary of the Interior standards for rehabilitation and adaptation in flood zones, while noting that the change creates a visible elevated basement area that should be treated carefully with lattice, trim and landscape.
Commissioners asked technical and design questions about porch alignment, stair location and width, lattice placement, HVAC location, and how to mark the junction between existing and new work at the chimney. Several asked the applicant to bring the lattice forward under the porch rather than leaving a deep exposed void; others suggested a wider front stair (up to about eight feet) to restore a stronger entry feel after lifting. Commissioners also recommended adding a clear band or a change in brick coursing at the base of the chimney to create a shadow line that distinguishes new foundation work from existing masonry and to screen mechanical equipment from neighbors’ views.
Commissioner John Prokop moved the motion to approve the project with conditions: add shielding for HVAC units, consider widening the front stair to a more proportional width, increase depth of chimney banding for a shadow line, distinguish new versus existing chimney brickwork, and reconsider lattice placement to match the existing porch footprint at the front. The motion passed unanimously; the applicant agreed to work with staff to implement the conditions.
What happens next: the applicant will submit structural lift and foundation details and work with staff on material samples, chimney banding details and landscape/screening plans for HVAC equipment prior to permit issuance.
Provenance: the Bayshore elevation item was presented beginning with staff at the ARC hearing and concluded with a conditional approval; staff and the agent provided photos, elevation drawings and pier/pile sections.
