Residents in Winter Park are advocating for stronger protections for the city’s historic homes, including three designed by renowned architect James Gamble Rogers that are at risk of demolition. Public comment at the Winter Park City Commission meeting was filled with passionate pleas to preserve the city’s historic homes. “The demolition of this home, meaning the one on Virginia Drive, hits me where it really hurts,” one speaker said. Another resident expressed concern about the potential loss of the Gamble Rogers homes.”How can three beautiful Gamble Rogers homes even be considered for demolition?” They asked. Betsy Owens, executive director of Friends of Casa Feliz, a historic home museum and advocacy group, spoke about the significance of Rogers’ work. “I would say there are fewer than 25 really special, significant James Gamble Rogers homes left that have not been demolished or altered badly,” Owens said. Owens, who is also Gamble Rogers’ granddaughter, explained that two of the homes have demolition permits, while a third is being prepared for sale. “It’s not on the city’s historic register, which is a voluntary register, so there are many, many historic resources in the city that are not protected,” Owens said. Some residents on Wednesday night raised concerns about the potential drawbacks of historic designation. One woman shared her experience with insuring a home on the historic register. “We were denied coverage over and over with the wording in the underwriting due to historic preservation. Not historic neighborhood or historic district, but the single designation of a historic home,” she said. No decisions were made during the meeting, but the commission agreed to add the issue to the agenda for their next meeting, where they will vote on whether to send the matter to the historic preservation board. “If the commission would agree to put it on the next agenda for a vote? Okay, unanimously passes,” Mayor Sheila DeCiccio said. The city does have an incentive program to try to get owners to put their homes on the historic registry. But some folks WESH 2 talked to said the incentives aren’t enough to motivate people. Incentives were one of the things the mayor said they would discuss at the next meeting on May 27.Residents hope these efforts will help preserve Winter Park’s architectural legacy. “Somehow we must find a way to save these homes before there is only one left standing,” one speaker said.
WINTER PARK, Fla. —
Residents in Winter Park are advocating for stronger protections for the city’s historic homes, including three designed by renowned architect James Gamble Rogers that are at risk of demolition.
Public comment at the Winter Park City Commission meeting was filled with passionate pleas to preserve the city’s historic homes.
“The demolition of this home, meaning the one on Virginia Drive, hits me where it really hurts,” one speaker said.
Another resident expressed concern about the potential loss of the Gamble Rogers homes.
“How can three beautiful Gamble Rogers homes even be considered for demolition?” They asked.
Betsy Owens, executive director of Friends of Casa Feliz, a historic home museum and advocacy group, spoke about the significance of Rogers’ work.
“I would say there are fewer than 25 really special, significant James Gamble Rogers homes left that have not been demolished or altered badly,” Owens said.
Owens, who is also Gamble Rogers’ granddaughter, explained that two of the homes have demolition permits, while a third is being prepared for sale.
“It’s not on the city’s historic register, which is a voluntary register, so there are many, many historic resources in the city that are not protected,” Owens said.
Some residents on Wednesday night raised concerns about the potential drawbacks of historic designation.
One woman shared her experience with insuring a home on the historic register.
“We were denied coverage over and over with the wording in the underwriting due to historic preservation. Not historic neighborhood or historic district, but the single designation of a historic home,” she said.
No decisions were made during the meeting, but the commission agreed to add the issue to the agenda for their next meeting, where they will vote on whether to send the matter to the historic preservation board.
“If the commission would agree to put it on the next agenda for a vote? Okay, unanimously passes,” Mayor Sheila DeCiccio said.
The city does have an incentive program to try to get owners to put their homes on the historic registry. But some folks WESH 2 talked to said the incentives aren’t enough to motivate people.
Incentives were one of the things the mayor said they would discuss at the next meeting on May 27.
Residents hope these efforts will help preserve Winter Park’s architectural legacy.
“Somehow we must find a way to save these homes before there is only one left standing,” one speaker said.