County asks panel to rethink status of historic house
By JANET ZINK
Published June 11, 2003
TAMPA - The Hillsborough County Commission thinks the historic Galvin House in Brandon deserves another chance.
Saying the Historic Resources Review Board may have acted improperly when it decided in May not to give the home landmark status, commissioners on Tuesday asked the board to take another look at options for the structure.
The house, built more than 100 years ago, is on land First Baptist Church of Brandon bought in July. The church plans to turn the site into a parking lot or put up buildings for its congregation.
In response to community concerns about losing a historically significant building, the church has talked with several people about moving the house to another location. But a group of Brandon preservationists wants the home to stay where it has always been.
Before purchasing the land, representatives from the church and the previous property owner told the Historic Resources Review Board they did not want the home given landmark status. Doing so would kill the deal, they said.
Commissioner Kathy Castor, who made the motion to send the issue back to the review board, said she was troubled the county's staff told the board that moving the house was the only option available, since the property owners didn't want the house protected.
But the county did have another option. The historic preservation ordinance allows the review board to give landmark status over a property owner's objections. But since the ordinance was passed in 1992, the board has never done that, said County Attorney Jim Porter.
The commission approved Castor's motion, with Jan Platt and Pat Frank backing it, Tom Scott and Jim Norman opposing it, and Ronda Storms, who is a member of the church, abstaining. Commissioner Ken Hagan was absent.
Referring the matter back to the board doesn't protect the house, Porter said. As the property's owner, the church has the right to demolish or relocate it.
Church representatives said they are still conferring with people who have offered to move the house.
"It's never been our intention to demolish the house. It's been to preserve it," said church administrator Myles Dowdy. But, he added, "It's not going to be preserved on that location."
