HISTORY
On February 1, 2023, at the request of Commissioner Kristen Rosen Gonzalez, the City Commission referred the subject discussion, pursuant to item C7 W, to the Land Use and Sustainability Committee (LUSC).

BACKGROUND
Attached is the Commission memorandum and draft resolution provided to the City Commission on February 1, 2023. The City Commission referred the item for discussion to the LUSC with direction to staff to provide information relative to the history and architectural characteristics of the building.

Designation Process
The process of historic designation is delineated in Sections 118-591 through 118-593 in Subpart B of the Land Development Regulations of the City Code (Chapter 118, Article X, Division 4). An outline of this process is delineated below.

Step One: Requests for designation of an individual historic site or district may be made to the Historic Preservation Board by motion of the board, the City Manager, by resolution of the Planning Board or City Commission, by any property owner in respect to his own property, by a majority of property owners of record within a proposed district, by resolution of the county historic preservation board, or by resolution of any organization whose purpose is to promote the preservation of historic sites.

Step Two: The Planning Department prepares a preliminary evaluation report with recommendations for consideration by the Historic Preservation Board.

Step Three: After considering the department's recommendation, a majority vote of the Historic Preservation Board shall be necessary to direct the Planning Department to prepare a designation report.

The City Commission is notified of the Board's decision and the initial boundaries proposed for designation. Within 60 days of the vote of the Board to direct the Planning Department to prepare a designation report, the City Commission may, by a five-sevenths vote, deny or modify the proposed request for designation, as well as establish specific timeframes for the completion of the designation report.

Step Four: The designation report is presented to the Historic Preservation Board at a public hearing. If the Historic Preservation Board determines that the proposed site or district satisfies the requirements for designation as set forth in the Land Development Regulations of the City Code, the Historic Preservation Board transmits a recommendation in favor of designation to the Planning Board and City Commission.

Step Five: The Planning Board will hold a public hearing on the proposed designation and shall consider the proposed historic designation as an amendment to the Land Development Regulations of the City Code and, transmit its recommendation to the City Commission.

Step Six: The City Commission may adopt an amendment to the Land Development Regulations of the City Code which thereby designates the Historic Preservation Site or Historic District after (1) public hearing for a parcel of land less than ten (10) contiguous acres or after (2) public hearings for a parcel of land which is more than ten (10) contiguous acres.

Sec. 118-592. - Criteria for designation.
(a) The historic preservation board shall have the authority to recommend that properties be designated as historic buildings, historic structures, historic improvements, historic landscape features, historic interiors (architecturally significant public portions only), historic sites, or historic districts if they are significant in the historical, architectural, cultural, aesthetic or archeological heritage of the city, the county, state or nation. Such properties shall possess an integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling or association and meet at least one of the following criteria:

(1) Association with events that have made a significant contribution to the history of the city, the county, state or nation.

(2) Association with the lives of persons significant in the city's past history.

(3) Embody the distinctive characteristics of a historical period, architectural or design style or method of construction.

(4) Possess high artistic values.

(5) Represent the work of a master, serve as an outstanding or representative work of a master designer, architect or builder who contributed to our historical, aesthetic or architectural heritage.

(6) Have yielded or are likely to yield information important in pre-history or history.

(7) Be listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

(8) Consist of a geographically definable area that possesses a significant concentration of sites, buildings or structures united by historically significant past events or aesthetically by plan or physical development, whose components may lack individual distinction.

(b) A building, structure (including the public portions of the interior), improvement or landscape feature may be designated historic even if it has been altered if the alteration is reversible and the most significant architectural elements are intact and repairable.

(c) The historic preservation board shall consider if the historic buildings, historic structures, historic improvements, historic landscape features, historic interiors (architecturally significant public portions only), historic sites, or historic districts comply with the sea level rise and resiliency review criteria in Chapter 133, Article II, as applicable, pursuant to Section 118-592.

ANALYSIS

The Lido Spa Hotel, also known as the Standard Hotel, is located in the northwest quadrant of Belle Isle. The property consists of four platted lots and contains a hotel, spa, pool and amenity deck, and indoor and outdoor restaurants. The Lido Spa Hotel has a modified U-shape plan, with a 1-story east wing, a 2-story west wing and a 3-story portion parallel to Island Avenue connecting both wings.

According to City Building Department records, the east and west wings were constructed in 1953 as two separate buildings and were designed by architect Norman Giller. From 1953 until 1960, the property was known as the Monterrey Motel. The property later became known as the Lido Spa Hotel when, in 1960, a Building Permit was issued for the demolition of the front portion of the eastern 1-story building and the construction of a new 3-story addition connecting the east and west buildings. The 3-story addition was designed by architect A. Herbert Mathes.

While no original plans have been located, examination of aerial photographs from 1959 and 1965, attached to this memo, appear to confirm the chronological development of the site. An initial inspection of the property indicates that the exterior facades and configuration of the building appear to be generally consistent with its appearance since the construction of the 1960s addition. The existing building contains features characteristic of the Post War Modern style of architecture including exterior walkways and second floor catwalks accessing guest rooms, low-slung horizontal massing punctuated by decorative vertical elements, overhanging roof eaves, neon signage, decorative mosaic tile cladding, and a garden style courtyard plan.

Based upon past visits to the property, and review of the documents and information provided herein, it appears the property may satisfy one or more of the criteria for historic designation. However, a more thorough analysis and evaluation, including extensive research, would be required to determine whether the site would be eligible for designation. Such a formal evaluation, pursuant to the process and criteria outlined in the background section of this memo, would only take place if staff is directed to initiate the designation process.