Demolition proposal raises historic preservation questions

The house at 4511 Bay Shore Road has a mold problem, water damage and other issues that have caused the 1928 structure to deteriorate.

An expert examination said some components of the historic Mediterranean Revival home need to be replaced. In total, an estimate pegged the cost to repair the property at $1.26 million.

The owner, John Cuneo, bought the parcel for $2.2 million in May 2017. He bought it with the intention of demolishing the building, leaving the land as open space for now. Cuneo owns more than seven acres of contiguous land in the area.

Cuneo wants to demolish the building because it’s in a state of disrepair, his representatives said. They said it wouldn’t be financially feasible to restore the home to its original state, that the market wouldn’t give Cuneo a return on his investment.

But, because the property is historically designated in the city of Sarasota, he has to get permission to demolish the structure. So far, officials haven’t found the case for demolition compelling. Staff recommended against demolition. So did the city’s Historic Preservation Board — unanimously — at its April 10 meeting.

Cuneo, working with planning consultant Bruce Franklin and the Williams Parker law firm, filed an appeal April 20. If the City Commission decides to hear the appeal, it sets the stage for a conversation about the city’s preservation standards and the rights of property owners to demolish locally designated properties.

City staff, Historic Preservation Board members and the public all questioned the asserted necessity of the demolition. None of them disputed the reports, which said most of the 1928 home was in moderate disrepair and much of the eastern portion of the structure required removal.

But City Planner Cliff Smith said local historic designation is probably the highest standard the city has when it comes to potential demolition. It’s a voluntary process to which a property owner can submit. If the city deems a property historically significant, the designation remains with the property even if it is sold.

“We want to ensure this is the action of last resort for a structure,” Smith said.

The home was designated in 2000. Officials pointed out that Cuneo has expressed interest in purchasing the property since 2010, and his intent was always to demolish the property, according to Tom Fynes, a real estate agent who represented Cuneo.

Fynes said there was serious damage to the home the first time he looked at the property, but officials wondered whether any effort had been put toward rehabilitating the home. Cuneo’s representatives called the historic designation a burden. The city said someone buying a historically designated property should know what they’re getting into.

“In my line of work, it’s not uncommon for someone to spend $1 million to remodel a 3,000-square-foot home,” said Leonardo Lunardi, an architect and Historic Preservation Board chairman. “It’s like if somebody purchased a lot in a deed-restricted community and said, ‘Well, I’m restricted now.’”

Indian Beach-Sapphire Shores residents said the building was an important contributor to the fabric of their neighborhood. The Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation also challenged the city to hold firm.

“The larger issue is whether historic designation means anything,” alliance board member Richard Hershner wrote in an email.

Cuneo’s team is optimistic the City Commission will see the case differently. Attorney Dan Bailey said denying demolition could create a chilling effect for residents considering putting their properties on the local historic register. He said he supports the preservation of quality historic buildings, but said the home at 4511 Bay Shore Road is not significant enough to warrant preservation considering its condition.

“It’s just a question of reasonableness,” Bailey said. “Is $1.2 million reasonable?”