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New program would help old homes

A task force wants the county to offer incentives to bolster historic preservation.

By TERRI BRYCE REEVES, Times Correspondent
Published December 16, 2007

The two-bedroom, one-bathroom, which 21-year-old college student Gabby McGee bought for a foreclosure price of $129,000, needs tons of work: new wiring, some plumbing upgrades - and it has no central air or kitchen. There is evidence of termite damage, too.
	[Terri Bryce Reeves | Times]

ADVERTISEMENT [Terri Bryce Reeves | Times] Gabby McGee's home features hardwood pine floors, built-in cabinets, wavy glass windows and original glass doorknobs.

OLDSMAR - Gabby McGee had already looked at dozens of homes on the market, when a 1918 "airplane bungalow" taxied into her heart.

The Craftsman-style charmer, nestled in an area of older homes in Oldsmar, gets its name from the rows of windows that wrap around the second story making it look like an airplane, a low-pitched gabled roof and oversized eaves with exposed rafters.

"I knew it needed lots of work, but I fell in love with its character," said McGee, who plans to close on the property Friday. That character includes original hardwood pine floors, built-in cabinets, wavy glass windows and original glass doorknobs.

But the two-bedroom, one-bathroom, which she bought for a foreclosure price of $129,000, also needs tons of work: new wiring, some plumbing upgrades - and it has no central air or kitchen. There is evidence of termite damage, too.

McGee, a 21-year-old college student working for an insurance firm, has been searching high and low for grants or low-interest loans to fix up her home - appraised at $230,000 - but with no luck.

She hopes a proposed new program could help.

In 2005, prompted by the threatened demolition of the Belleview Biltmore Resort & Spa, the Pinellas County Commission created a 12-member historic preservation task force. The goal: to make recommendations for a countywide ordinance that would change the process of development review and encourage preservation of historic structures.

The task force plans to present its recommendations during a County Commission meeting in February. Financial incentives and technical assistance for homeowners and others interested in preservation are included.

In the meantime, County Commissioner Karen Seel, the chairwoman of the task force, has been encouraging municipalities to get on board and adopt their own local historic preservation programs.

This month, she appeared at an Oldsmar City Council meeting, touting the advantages of preservation and offering support.

"If you decide (to participate) we'll be here for you," she said.

One key aspect of the proposed ordinance: The county would establish a local ad valorem tax incentive, similar to the tax increment financing offered to developers in community redevelopment districts.

For example, a home valued at $100,000 that received $100,000 worth of improvements would be taxed only at the $100,000 value for 10 years "to encourage that fixing up, that historic preservation of that property," Seel said.

But the city would have to create an ordinance giving a similar tax break, she said.

St. Petersburg , which already has a preservation ordinance on the books, had 33 properties apply for the financial incentive.

"Altogether, they had $527,000 less in ad valorem taxes, but it created $8-million in construction to update those facilities," she said. "It really made a dramatic difference in St. Petersburg."

Criteria states that structures may be at least 50 years old, be historically significant, or embody a certain architectural style. Major themes like tourism, agriculture, coastal living, or the Florida real estate boom can also have historical value.

The county would provide educational programs and serve as a clearinghouse for information on grants and loans so that people like McGee could more easily find help. And, they would maintain a historic registry to include not only buildings and homes, but bridges, cemeteries and historic sites. A recent survey indicated Pinellas had 31 historic bridges and eight historic cemeteries.

Later, Mayor Jim Ronecker said he welcomed the creation of a historic preservation program in Oldsmar.

"It's a wonderful thing and I plan to bring it up during council comments at the next meeting," he said.

That pleases McGee, who said her goal is to help create a historic downtown area in Oldsmar.

"It creates pride in your home, raises your property values, and is really good for the city," she said.

Terri Bryce Reeves can be reached at treeves@tampabay.rr.com.

[Last modified December 15, 2007, 21:06:00]