Restore Jacksonville 2012

[Metro Jacksonville]

Restore Jacksonville 2012



The City of Jacksonville has an immense number of older buildings that are over 50 years old.  Our locally designated historic districts and landmarks include over 8,000 properties.  Additional historic neighborhoods such as Arlington, San Marco, Ortega, Murray Hill, Durkeeville, and East Jacksonville increase the number of structures by an exponential amount.  These buildings have unique features that give these areas of the City special character, but also require an appreciation, understanding and skill set by contractors and other building professionals. While much of the costs associated with new construction work today go directly to materials and products produced outside the city, historic preservation and rehabilitation projects generally center on specialized repair work and the retention of historic fabric, which means more dollars going to hire local workers and less construction debris going to our landfills.  

Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2012-apr-restore-jacksonville-2012-

[mtraininjax]

Lisa Sheppard & Joel McEachin

Are the 2 reasons I would not attend. They are fanatical with regard to the horse-hockey laws for certificates of appropriateness. I live in the historic district and rebuilt one property with a COA and two without. Needless to say the one with the COA was a complete and total wear you down, do it our way, no matter if the contractor has a better way to make the house longer, piss poor attitude. You cannot work with the Preservation group, so you go around them.

Lisa is so fanatical, that if you have a 6 over 6 window, you have to have the SAME windows as the period in the historic district, no matter the fact that you can get 6 over 6 options in all sorts of varieties, for less money, and windows are not inexpensive, nope, must be the same as what you tore out.

Needless to say, people go around COAs as the rediculousness of the City Hall Planning is on full display, daily!

[Dog Walker]

Lisa Sheppard & Joel McEachin

Are the 2 reasons I would not attend. They are fanatical with regard to the horse-hockey laws for certificates of appropriateness. I live in the historic district and rebuilt one property with a COA and two without. Needless to say the one with the COA was a complete and total wear you down, do it our way, no matter if the contractor has a better way to make the house longer, piss poor attitude. You cannot work with the Preservation group, so you go around them.

Lisa is so fanatical, that if you have a 6 over 6 window, you have to have the SAME windows as the period in the historic district, no matter the fact that you can get 6 over 6 options in all sorts of varieties, for less money, and windows are not inexpensive, nope, must be the same as what you tore out.

Needless to say, people go around COAs as the rediculousness of the City Hall Planning is on full display, daily!

And it is people with this attitude towards historic buildings that makes the Historic Preservation Commission and the COA process so necessary.  Thank you Lisa and Joel for doing your job.

[tufsu1]

Thank you Lisa and Joel for doing your job.

+1000

[cline]

Lisa Sheppard & Joel McEachin

Are the 2 reasons I would not attend. They are fanatical with regard to the horse-hockey laws for certificates of appropriateness. I live in the historic district and rebuilt one property with a COA and two without. Needless to say the one with the COA was a complete and total wear you down, do it our way, no matter if the contractor has a better way to make the house longer, piss poor attitude. You cannot work with the Preservation group, so you go around them.

Lisa is so fanatical, that if you have a 6 over 6 window, you have to have the SAME windows as the period in the historic district, no matter the fact that you can get 6 over 6 options in all sorts of varieties, for less money, and windows are not inexpensive, nope, must be the same as what you tore out.

Needless to say, people go around COAs as the rediculousness of the City Hall Planning is on full display, daily!

I hear there are some good deals to be had over in the Fleming Island area as well as NW St. Johns County.  Maybe you should check it out.  Probably even have new energy efficient windows.

[Tacachale]

Lisa Sheppard & Joel McEachin

Are the 2 reasons I would not attend. They are fanatical with regard to the horse-hockey laws for certificates of appropriateness. I live in the historic district and rebuilt one property with a COA and two without. Needless to say the one with the COA was a complete and total wear you down, do it our way, no matter if the contractor has a better way to make the house longer, piss poor attitude. You cannot work with the Preservation group, so you go around them.

Lisa is so fanatical, that if you have a 6 over 6 window, you have to have the SAME windows as the period in the historic district, no matter the fact that you can get 6 over 6 options in all sorts of varieties, for less money, and windows are not inexpensive, nope, must be the same as what you tore out.

Needless to say, people go around COAs as the rediculousness of the City Hall Planning is on full display, daily!

I hear there are some good deals to be had over in the Fleming Island area as well as NW St. Johns County.  Maybe you should check it out.  Probably even have new energy efficient windows.

LOL! Seriously, if you don't like historic preservation, buying in a historic district may not your best bet.

[Jumpinjack]

I hope that no one will let their grudges keep them away from a great conference perfectly timed for Jacksonville. By the way did you notice that this isn't about historic homes only but about restoring old buildings and homes in Jacksonville. And there's plenty of them all over Jacksonville that deserve preservation instead of demolition.

The speakers are covering some good topics. I'm planning on going on Friday to hear Mr. Rypkema on the economics of restoration and preservation in neighborhoods and commercial. Also, the second speaker on repairing sprawl should be required attendance for planners and consultants.

[Captain Zissou]

I hear there are some good deals to be had over in the Fleming Island area as well as NW St. Johns County.  Maybe you should check it out.  Probably even have new energy efficient windows.

Wowwww.  I think you just proved mtrain's point.  He was trying to say that he restored 3 properties (how many have you restored?), but going through 'the appropriate channels' was more of a hindrance than a resource.  I have heard the same exact thing from a number of people.

I have told this story often, but it bears repeating: My sister lives on Belvedere in Avondale next door to a small brick bungalow that was owned by a lady in her 50s.  The lady was trying to redo her porch, so she removed the old windows that were in place and tried to install windows that would replicate the look of the old windows, but provided better insulation.  RAP said no way and did not allow her to put new ones in.  The lady tried a different window, but received the same reaction from RAP.  This went on for 3 years, all the while, the porch sat there with no windows.  Well, throughout this whole process, the lady was battling cancer. Last year she lost the battle with cancer and has gone home to be with the Lord, but her porch still sits there windowless.

RAP should be a resource to people trying to beautify the neighborhood and preserve its history, not the window police.

[thelakelander]

Btw, Metro Jacksonville will also be speaking at the conference on Saturday, May 5.  Our 50-minute, graphic heavy session will focus on the importance of historic preservation in preserving Jacksonville's local legacy, identity and heritage.  Using one of the Reclaiming Jacksonville sites as a starting point, we'll use that building's architectural characteristics and history as a door into Jacksonville's past, diving into forgotten stories exposing the city's musical heritage, rebuilding efforts after the Great Fire of 1901, role in the women's sufferance movement, and growth into a progressive multicultural urban center.

[Kaiser Soze]

I hear there are some good deals to be had over in the Fleming Island area as well as NW St. Johns County.  Maybe you should check it out.  Probably even have new energy efficient windows.

Wowwww.  I think you just proved mtrain's point.  He was trying to say that he restored 3 properties (how many have you restored?), but going through 'the appropriate channels' was more of a hindrance than a resource.  I have heard the same exact thing from a number of people.

I have told this story often, but it bears repeating: My sister lives on Belvedere in Avondale next door to a small brick bungalow that was owned by a lady in her 50s.  The lady was trying to redo her porch, so she removed the old windows that were in place and tried to install windows that would replicate the look of the old windows, but provided better insulation.  RAP said no way and did not allow her to put new ones in.  The lady tried a different window, but received the same reaction from RAP.  This went on for 3 years, all the while, the porch sat there with no windows.  Well, throughout this whole process, the lady was battling cancer. Last year she lost the battle with cancer and has gone home to be with the Lord, but her porch still sits there windowless.

RAP should be a resource to people trying to beautify the neighborhood and preserve its history, not the window police.

I have literally heard dozens of these stories and lived it myself.  RAP is a joke and simply needs to go away.

[Dog Walker]

What everyone loves about Riverside and Avondale is still here only because RAP started the whole historic preservation movement here in Jacksonville.

RAP has no enforcement powers and is a great resource for anyone trying to rehabilitate and old structure.  Joel and Lisa actually have samples of historically appropriate, modern, insulated windows in their offices.

The lady on Belvedere should have talked to them instead of the window salesmen.

[fsquid]

If RAP has no enforcement power, why didn't the woman just say, "screw you" and install the windows?

[Kaiser Soze]

RAP has no enforcement powers and is a great resource for anyone trying to rehabilitate and old structure.  Joel and Lisa actually have samples of historically appropriate, modern, insulated windows in their offices.

That's not true.  I have called them and asked for ideas and received no help.  Have also appeared before the preservation commission for my house, after notifying RAP of what I planned to do.  Never heard back from RAP but they sure as hell showed up to oppose my application.  Great job working with your constituents.

[Kaiser Soze]

If RAP has no enforcement power, why didn't the woman just say, "screw you" and install the windows?

Because the City does have enforcement powers and can require the owner to remove the windows.

[Tacachale]

Btw, Metro Jacksonville will also be speaking at the conference on Saturday, May 5.  Our 50-minute, graphic heavy session will focus on the importance of historic preservation in preserving Jacksonville's local legacy, identity and heritage.  Using one of the Reclaiming Jacksonville sites as a starting point, we'll use that building's architectural characteristics and history as a door into Jacksonville's past, diving into forgotten stories exposing the city's musical heritage, rebuilding efforts after the Great Fire of 1901, role in the women's sufferance movement, and growth into a progressive multicultural urban center.

Very cool. Should be a good conference.