Tricky stairs and new 18th Street house mulled over by Historic Preservation Board
Boca Grande’s historic preservation was short and sweet this month. Only two projects were on the agenda of the Historic Preservation Board’s August 10th meeting. They were both approved with almost no comment – except praise for the applicants for their efforts to maintain the traditional sensibilities of the community.
The first project to come before the Board was the replacement of an outside stairway at 225 Banyan Street. The stairway is on the south side of the house and is referred to as a “double-winder,” which means it has stairs to the right and left of the centerpoint. This is a short stairway, only four steps on each side. The owner wants to replace it with a single stairway directly in front of the doorway.
The Lee County Department of Community Development’s planning section staff recommended approval of this renovation, saying it appears this may actually return the stairway to its original design. Other structures in the area use the single-center design for similar stairways. The Board, with a quorum of four members present, approved the alteration as requested.
The second project before the Board was a request to allow construction of a new two-story single-family residence at 1861 18th Street, as well as a swimming pool. The property actually consists of three platted lots, but to the south, across 18th Street, is the water treatment plant. To the west, across Railroad Avenue, is the linear park on the former railroad right-of-way. Therefore, the property has only two abutting lots, which are both developed as single-family residences.
The lot in question is currently vacant, and the adjacent property is owned by the same family, the Keller family. This new residence is characterized as a guest house. It is designed to have the ground floor as a garage, foyer and storage space, with the second floor containing living areas, including three bedrooms, two full bathrooms and a central open space for a living room and kitchen. This central space will be open to the outdoors. There is also a balcony along the back. The third bedroom will be part of a projection at the front of the stucture.
More construction details were provided the Board, and the County staff sees the design to be in keeping with the restrictions within the historic district. The Board members were in agreement and approved the request. There were no comments from the public.
Dennis Maloomian, acting chair for the meeting, noted that this project has been presented in a forthright and positive way, including aspects that are not ready for Board approval, but giving insight into the future plans of the landowner. He thanked the owners and designers for their approach to the approval process.
County staff member Courtney Gordon updated the Board on the necessity of having all members complete an ethics training program by November. Arrangements are being made to have such a course available to the members in a timely manner.
Another item reported on by the staff was the development of more detailed rules regarding the use of solar panels in the historic district. The staff is continuing its research on that topic.
Pending requests that are likely to be ready for Board discussion at its next meeting, scheduled for September 14, include one involving a garage addition and one concerning 381Tarpon Ave. A project involving Journey’s End is still waiting for resubmission.
