ARC grants certificate for new Seminole Heights house with conditions after neighbor questions

The City of Tampa Architectural Review Commission on July 8 granted a certificate of appropriateness for new construction at 528 North Branch Avenue in the Seminole Heights Historic District, approving the applicant’s plans with conditions that require final material and detailing approvals by staff.

Alan Dobbs, agent for the property owner (identified in the record both as Brandon Passalong and, in later remarks, as Brandon Pastong), presented plans for a modest, Arts-and-Crafts–style single-family house and an L-shaped accessory structure. Dobbs described a 33‑foot‑9‑inch front setback with an encroaching open porch allowed under the district rules, a porte‑cochere sited three feet from the south property line, hand‑split cedar shingles, a standing‑seam metal roof, and a brick veneer over CMU for foundation treatment. He said the accessory building will include folding French doors and “is not a dwelling unit.”

Neighbor Kathy Larson, who lives directly south of the lot, asked whether the accessory building could be rented later and whether adequate parking would be available. “Is that something that can be rented later, like garage apartments and some of the existing homes?” she asked. Dobbs and the owner responded that the accessory structure is not intended as a dwelling and that the project meets city setback and accessory‑unit limits; they also said landscaping and screening would be added to reduce impacts on adjacent yards and bedrooms.

Commissioners pressed the applicant on details that staff flagged as incomplete. Questions and confirmations in the hearing included the proposed 4 3/4‑inch window casing, impact‑rated aluminum‑clad windows with visible trim (not a true flush mount), use of wood siding rather than Hardie in this application, and the need to match full and thin brick samples between columns and foundation piers. Dobbs said casing width is 4 3/4 inches and that the roofing would use a low‑profile standing seam roof. He asked that the board make sample‑approval items a condition of the certificate so staff could sign off on profiles and materials.

The commission approved the application with conditions requiring the applicant to work with staff on rafter and corbel details, door hardware and final roofing manufacturer/spec, and ensure matching brick between full brick columns and thin‑brick foundation veneer; the commission also asked staff and the applicant to consider additional landscaping buffering at the porte‑cochere. Chair Ted Kempton recused himself from this case and left the chambers prior to the vote. Tim Jones moved the approval; Brian Hammond seconded. The motion passed with the remaining commissioners voting in favor.

The commission recorded the approval and directed staff to receive and file submitted documents and exhibits. The conditions require follow‑up with staff before final issuance of a certificate of appropriateness, including verification of specified materials and mockups where appropriate.