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Historic District board debates window‑survey revisions, plans preservation workshop and professional standards
Summary
Staff proposed a triage window survey and a May 16 hands‑on workshop; the board discussed requiring a licensed design professional for window surveys, distinguishing historic vs nonhistoric windows (material vs age), and outreach for Trinity Parsonage repairs.
The Fernandina Beach Historic District Commission spent an extended portion of the meeting discussing proposed revisions to window‑survey procedures and a staff‑led triage approach designed to help property owners prioritize repair versus replacement.
Mia Sadler, the city’s Planner I, described a green/yellow/red triage used in a site visit to Trinity Parsonage and said the approach was intended to help owners with limited funds move projects forward. "This is just, like, a staff level, like, let's try to help you with this project," she told commissioners. The board urged aligning the triage with the existing class‑1 through class‑4 language in the code and adding a clear historic/nonhistoric designation.
Members pressed that any required window survey be prepared or signed by a licensed design professional (architect or engineer) or a specialist with preservation credentials; one commissioner suggested the board could send a member to jointly inspect complex cases in the field. Public commenter Andy Ziolkowski urged exploring restoration techniques and said preservation can be less expensive than wholesale replacement, noting restoration costs can be high but many windows are repairable.
The board confirmed a free window‑preservation workshop on May 16 (limited seating) and asked staff to add guidance on required qualifications for survey preparers, require photos and detailed documentation with survey submissions, and include clearer direction on when replacements are appropriate.
