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Neighborhood Report

Historic status up for debate

It's Hampton Terrace residents' turn to weigh in on their neighborhood's designation.

By MICHAEL CANNING
Published September 8, 2006

Just how historic is Hampton Terrace?

City and federal officials have weighed in. Now residents of the Old Seminole Heights enclave will have a chance to voice their opinions at a meeting from 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at the Seminole Garden Center, 5810 N Central Ave.

The topic will center on whether Hampton Terrace should be designated as a local historic district. The area was designated a National Register Historic District in 1999, and the city's Historic Preservation Commission started the local designation process two years ago.

"The meeting's purpose is for gaining consensus to go forward," said Greg Barnhill, chairman of Old Seminole Heights Neighborhood Association's Hampton Terrace Local Historic District Committee. Residents also will learn what local historic designation means.

"A lot of people tend to think that this is taking away their rights with their house, and that's not really the case," he said.

Like the federal designation, local historic designation would recognize the historic significance of Hampton Terrace and protect the area's historic fabric with a review process.

The city's Architectural Review Commission would have to approve significant changes to building and home exteriors in the district, as well as designs for new structures.

"It allows you to change your doors, windows, add on to your house," Barnhill said. "But there would be guidelines that we as neighbors would write that dictate major structural changes to houses. It's retaining the value that we have as a historic asset in the city."

The city's Historic Preservation Commission also would have a hand in writing such guidelines.

In the past several months, commission manager Dennis Fernandez said he and his staff have been photographing and documenting every structure in Hampton Terrace. They also have inventoried features such as granite curbs, alleys and brick streets.

Ultimately, the City Council would vote on the designation. But before then, Fernandez said, several meetings between residents and the preservation commission will take place to gauge support and shape designation guidelines.

In all, the process would take another one or two years.

So far, the designation seems to have widespread support, Fernandez said.

"The information I'm getting back is that the concept is getting well-received right now," he said. "My staff members said they were surprised at how much support for it they were hearing."

GAUGING SUPPORT

Hampton Terrace covers about 30 blocks east of Interstate 275 bound by Hillsborough Avenue on the south, Nebraska Avenue on the west, Hanna Avenue on the north and 15th Street on the east. For information about Tuesday's meeting, call Greg Barnhill at (813) 239-2070.

[Last modified September 6, 2006, 10:14:50]