Venice Historic Preservation Board Meeting Summary – May 22, 2025
Venice Historic Preservation Board Meeting – May 22, 2025
The Historic and Architectural Preservation Board (HAPB) met on May 22, 2025, at 9:00 AM in Council Chambers. With four members present (a quorum), the board approved minutes, discussed two new Legacy Award nominations, voted to initiate a text amendment for Chapter 87 Section 7, and raised concerns about window replacement standards, roof tile repairs, and historic property updates.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Minutes: The minutes from the April 24, 2025 meeting were approved unanimously (motion by Jean Trammell, second by John Watkins).
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public comment cards were submitted; no audience participation occurred.
Discussion Items
- 2025 Legacy Award Nominations: Historical Resources Manager Harry Klinkhamer presented two late nominations – Ralph Twitchell and Earl Midlam – adding to a prior nomination. The board discussed whether to extend the nomination period further. Member John Watkins noted the nominees were strong and preferred a full board vote at the next meeting. Klinkhamer clarified the process: each board member would receive ranking sheets from the City Clerk, submit rankings, and the results would be compiled for the next meeting.
- Chapter 87 Section 7 Changes: Senior Planner Nicole Tremblay reviewed the proposed strikethrough/underline version, which shifts decision authority on certificates of appropriateness from the Historical Resources Manager to the HAPB for properties on the local register. Other changes include allowing the board to seek expertise for National Register nominations and broadening the definition of register-eligible styles. A board member raised the issue of exempting non-historic styles from full review; Tremblay suggested a procedural interpretation via consultation with the chair or HRM rather than a code change. The board agreed this approach addressed their intent.
- Window Replacement Guidelines: Board member Barrick observed that many impact window replacements in the district lack historically accurate muntin placement, reducing visual authenticity. He proposed developing more specific guidance on muntin style and location. Members supported further study into available products before code changes.
- Roof Tile Repairs: Barrick noted numerous structures in the district with unrepaired broken roof tiles, potentially causing aesthetic and functional issues (UV damage to underlayment). Tremblay cited existing code requiring maintenance of historic roofing, enforceable through city code enforcement. No formal action was taken.
- Historic Resources Survey Grants: Klinkhamer updated the board on a state grant for surveying Seaboard and Edgewood (ranked 32 of 76; funding likely but pending final budget). A new grant application for FY27 was submitted for Golden Beach and Gulf Shores.
- Lord Heigel House Lease: Klinkhamer reported that the city leased the property to a business operator who plans adaptive reuse. The lessees are preservation-minded and were informed that any exterior changes must go through the HAPB (if code changes pass) or HRM. A ribbon cutting for the Old Betsy Museum building is set for June 5, 2025, at 9 AM.
- Local Register Forum: Chair Bebe noted a successful public forum held last week with about 40 attendees, co-hosted with staff and the Sarasota Historic Alliance. The event aimed to educate citizens on the benefits and implications of local register listing.
- National Preservation Month Proclamation: The board acknowledged a city proclamation honoring Preservation Month.
Key Outcomes
- Legacy Award Process: The board voted unanimously (4-0) to close nominations for the 2025 award and proceed with ranking the three applicants (Ralph Twitchell, Earl Midlam, and the prior nominee). Staff will distribute ranking sheets via the City Clerk; results will be discussed at the next meeting.
- Chapter 87 Text Amendment: The board voted unanimously to initiate an LDR text amendment process for the proposed changes to Chapter 88 Section 7, as presented in the strikethrough/underline version. The amendment will be forwarded to the Planning Commission and then to City Council for adoption.
- No Action on Windows or Roof Tiles: The board discussed but took no formal vote on window guidance or roof tile enforcement; staff will research options and report back.
Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at approximately 10:30 AM.
Meeting Transcript
All right, uh seeing that it's nine o'clock, nine oh three, we'll go ahead and open the meeting of the Historic and Architectural Preservation Board, May twenty second, twenty twenty-five. Could we have a roll call attendance? Chair Bebe. Here. Uh Miss Trammell, present. Ms. Derryberry, Mr. Stecketty, Mr. Watkins, and Mr. Barrick. Mr. Bartanian has resigned from the board. Okay. Um just out of uh clarification, we have four board members present. I believe that's a quorum. If it can't be as we've still met quartz. Okay. Just want to just verify that. We'll go ahead and look at the uh approval of the minutes from April twenty-fourth, twenty twenty-five. You have those before you. If there's any revisions or adjustments to that, please note. Otherwise, I will accept. I move to approve the minutes on April twenty-fourth. Is there a second? All right. Jean uh Jean moves to approve, and John will second. All in favor? Aye. All opposed. None. All right. Move uh the minutes are approved. Any general audience participation today? No, we do not. No speaker cards. Thank you. All right, we'll go ahead and move into new business. Um review of the possible nominations for the twenty twenty-five legacy award. And we have uh staff member Harry Klinghammer, our historic resource manager. Uh good morning for the record, Harry Clinkhammer, Historical Resources Manager. Um I just handed to you all two late nominations that came in for the legacy ward um after the agenda was posted. So I've handed out copies to all of you in the city clerk's office so that uh you all have a copy and we have a copy on file uh for the record. So last we met the uh board here decided to open up hard open up for more nominations, and also to um request some possible candidates uh that uh would be looked into by the historical resources manager. Uh since that time, um I have received, as you've uh been handed to out, uh two additional nominations for the legacy award. Um and I put together a list uh which primarily consists of names that were recommended to me, although I had not received a nomination form, just merely a name rec recognition or recommendation. Uh several came from this board. Uh one came from uh a citizen, so I use those to help compile that recommendation list uh that you also have before you. So at this point, um staff is looking to the board to see what direction they want to move in uh with the new nominations that we have, um, and then also to I guess addressing the revised nomination and comments uh from the original nominee. So whether or not we want to move forward with any of those, or if you want more information on any of the uh names on the list, uh we can definitely work on filling that out. But uh at this point, staff is just looking to see what direction this ward wants to go in, or if the board wants to go ahead and make a decision.
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