Board hears AC Freeman and City Hall updates; members push realtor disclosures and outreach

Urban design and planning staff updated the Historic Preservation Advisory Board on two ongoing projects and members proposed new outreach and disclosure steps.

Senior project manager Danielle Burhell reported that AC Freeman interior remediation has started and that staff is "targeting late summer, early fall" for completion. On the City Hall rehabilitation, Burhell said the city issued a purchase order for $359,000 to Parker Mudgett Smith for design of the historic portion, and that the team will price construction as design progresses; a project kickoff walk-through is scheduled for May 7.

In member comments, several board members proposed that the city add a 'for realtors' tab to the Punta Gorda website (modeled on Mount Dora) explaining the CA process and disclosure obligations when a property lies in a historic district. A board member suggested council consideration of an ordinance requiring disclosure by sellers and listing agents and noted for-sale-by-owner transactions would also need to be covered.

Members also discussed appointing a liaison to the Punta Gorda Civic Association and to local history groups to improve outreach and to keep neighborhood stakeholders informed about preservation work and events (the Freeman House cleanup was mentioned as an upcoming volunteer opportunity). The board agreed staff could add website content and that members would continue outreach.

What's next: Staff will investigate adding realtor-facing information to the city website and will coordinate outreach on Freeman House cleanup dates once finalized.