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<\/p>\nORLANDO, Fla. \u2014 The City of Orlando is moving forward with a proposal designed to attract new investment to downtown by easing development restrictions within the downtown historic district.<\/p>\n
In a vote Monday, all but one city commissioner supported the measure, which the majority of city leaders say could help revitalize an area that has struggled for years with vacant storefronts, blight, and underused properties.<\/p>\n
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City of Orlando discusses historic preservation A debate is brewing over current development procedures in historic areas of Orlando. <\/p>\n
Supporters argue the changes would streamline the development process and make it easier for property owners and developers to invest in downtown Orlando.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve got to kind of get a pendulum, you know, a balance here between economic development and historic context,\u201d said Craig Usler, president of Ustler Development, during public comment.<\/p>\n
What would change?<\/p>\n
Currently, developers seeking to make exterior changes to buildings within the downtown historic district must obtain a Certificate of Appropriateness from Orlando\u2019s Historic Preservation Board.<\/p>\n
Developers have argued that process can delay projects and create additional hurdles for redevelopment efforts.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
City of Orlando discusses historic preservation A debate is brewing over current development procedures in historic areas of Orlando. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt makes it very difficult to expand and realize your development rights in the middle of the downtown,\u201d City of Orlando Planning Director Jason Burton told commissioners. \u201cBecause you\u2019ll meet with the staff, they\u2019ll say, well, if I can see the expansion from across the street, that\u2019s not appropriate to the mass scale materials.\u201d<\/p>\n
Under the proposal, that requirement would be suspended for three years. Instead, projects would be reviewed by the city\u2019s Appearance Review Board, which focuses primarily on design and aesthetics rather than historic preservation.<\/p>\n
Preservation advocates push back<\/p>\n
The proposal is drawing criticism from preservation advocates and several members of the Historic Preservation Board, who said they were blind sighted by the plan and were not included in discussions before it was brought forward.<\/p>\n
Board members warned that removing preservation oversight could put historic buildings at risk.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am shocked. Shocked,\u201d said Historic Preservation Board member David Marten. \u201cWe were ignored, passed over. This is not the way to do good government. Good government\u2019s where we work together as a partner,\u201d Marten added.<\/p>\n
\u201cA city without old buildings is like a person without a memory\u2026please do not be the reason that Orlando forgets who it is,\u201d said resident Scott Seidler.<\/p>\n
We asked David Barilla, executive director of the Downtown Development Board about critics saying the city is prioritizing development over Orlando\u2019s history.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think this is about having a balanced approach. We want to make sure that we\u2019re able to have buildings in downtown that are activated. And our historic buildings are best maintained when they are activated. And unfortunately right now, we see kind of what some of the conditions have arisen to where we don\u2019t have the amount of vibrancy, the amount storefronts,\u201d Barilla responded.<\/p>\n
The proposal is scheduled to return to the Orlando City Council on June 22 for a second reading and final vote.<\/p>\n
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