Architecture Sarasota president urges Titusville to document and prioritize mid‑century modern buildings

Marty Hilton, president of Architecture Sarasota, told a Titusville Historic Preservation Board workshop that documenting and prioritizing mid‑century modern resources will help communities manage change and respond after storms.

Hilton described his work on a statewide mid‑century modern survey that identified hundreds of architecturally significant properties and explained technical and policy points he said frequently confuse the public, including FEMA’s so‑called 50% rule (the substantial‑improvement threshold) and the limits of National Register listing. "Being on the National Register of Historic Places, if you're a private property owner, affords no protection. Absolutely none," Hilton said, adding that the National Register and local designation serve different functions and that proactive local surveys and design guidelines matter for preservation.

Hilton also outlined practical steps for Titusville: complete a cultural resource survey, file Florida Master Site Forms for eligible properties, and consider community nomination programs like the Sarasota 100 to build local consensus and prioritize targets for preservation, documentation or adaptation. He emphasized documentation tools such as laser scanning and vulnerability assessments to prepare for disaster recovery and adaptive reuse.

Community recognition and local history

Alan Keel, chair of the Historic Preservation Board, presented "recognition without designation" awards to several mid‑century modern properties and owners in Titusville, including residences on Diane Drive and Nelson Place, the Dream Space Coast apartments (2825 S. Washington Ave.) and other apartment buildings on South Washington Avenue. Don Henald, a resident at Dream Space Coast, described the building’s Apollo‑era origins (built 1964 to house engineers working on the Apollo program) and its continued role as a community focal point.

Hilton encouraged Titusville to be proactive in documenting and prioritizing resources so that preservation can be about "managing change," not freezing neighborhoods in time. The board invited the public to provide nominations and said it will seek grant funding to document mid‑century properties.

Ending

The presentation closed with an invitation to join future board meetings and to submit properties for documentation; no formal action was taken beyond the recognitions presented during the workshop.