Melbourne Historic and Architectural Review Board HARB2026-0044: Green Gables House Porch Addition Removal on October 21

On Wednesday, October 21, 2026, the City of Melbourne Historic and Architectural Review Board will consider application HARB2026-0044 for the Green Gables House at 1501 S. Harbor City Boulevard. The property is in the Downtown Community Redevelopment Area. The applicant seeks approval to remove the southwest portion of the existing porch. The work includes the second floor sewing room and bathroom additions that sit above the original front porch. City staff recommends that the Board find the application consistent with the Downtown Architectural Guidelines. The meeting starts at 6:00 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chamber, 900 E. Strawbridge Avenue.

The Green Gables Porch Request and the Staff Report

The staff memo comes from Redevelopment Planner Carmin V. Domingue and is dated October 16, 2026. It states that the proposed demolition will keep both the Wells' bedrooms and the turret.

The memo lists the parts of the house to be removed. They are the roof over the bathroom and sitting room, deteriorated walls and flooring, the existing roof and pillar west of the octagon, the crumbling concrete porch floor west of the octagon, and the associated foundations.

The applicant intends to document all dimensions. According to the memo, this record is meant to help a future restoration of the porch to its original configuration when funding becomes available. The packet does not include drawings, photos, a cost estimate, or a timeline for that restoration.

Staff lists one guideline to consider. It states that an overall unified architectural character and image should be created by the use of common elements such as consistent forms, colors, materials, and details. Staff lists a building permit as an additional approval required.

Green Gables is also known as the W.T. Wells House. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 18, 2016. The nomination describes a two story wood frame Queen Anne style house that began as a Frame Vernacular dwelling. Later additions changed its style. The largest was a tower and a porch at the southeast corner, which the nomination calls the octagon. A bathroom was added on the second floor between the two south facing bedrooms. The front porch was later redesigned and expanded to the west elevation, and its wood deck was replaced with concrete. The nomination calls the house one of the few remaining buildings from pre-1900 Melbourne.

The Legal Framework for Architectural Review in the Downtown CRA

The city's web page for the Board describes it as a quasi-judicial board with seven regular members and two alternates. It recommends local historic designations. It also considers material changes in the exterior appearance of existing buildings on non-residential property in the city's redevelopment districts. The city's Downtown CRA page states that exterior changes to commercial buildings and signage in the CRA require prior approval from the Board.

The Board applies the Downtown Melbourne and Olde Eau Gallie District Architectural Guidelines. The guidelines state that they apply to commercial buildings. Their introduction says older buildings should keep or regain as much of their original architectural features and details as possible. The section on walls calls for restoring unique original detail and removing inappropriate architectural additions where appropriate. The staff report for HARB2026-0044 cites only the general guideline on unified character.

A separate process covers locally designated historic properties. The city's Historic Preservation page states that those properties must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation. Exterior changes to them need a Certificate of Appropriateness before a building permit is issued. The page lists the locally designated resources by address. The Green Gables address is not on that list. The staff report reviews the porch work under the Downtown Architectural Guidelines.

What the Agenda Means for Property Owners in the Redevelopment Districts

For owners of non-residential property in the two redevelopment districts, the agenda shows how a request can return after a negative finding. On September 16, 2026, the Board found application HARB2026-0034 by Guess What LLC not consistent with the Eau Gallie CRA District Architectural Guidelines. The request is for a one story indoor recreation building at 1458 Cypress Avenue in the Eau Gallie CRA. The motion passed unanimously and stated that the applicant may reapply in the future.

Staff had raised concerns about metal building panels as the main wall material and about the exterior lighting. The guidelines prohibit corrugated metal panels as a finish material on visible elevations. Exceptions for architectural metal panels that change the look of a building may be considered. The guidelines also call for ornamental or decorative lights mounted with brackets.

The revised plans add stucco along the lower four feet of the north, east, and south elevations. They replace the wall pack fixtures with goose-neck fixtures. The building would still have metal wall panels and a metal roof. Staff now recommends that the Board find the application consistent with the Eau Gallie Architectural Guidelines. Building permits are required.

For residents and others who follow these cases, the agenda includes a notice under Section 286.0105, Florida Statutes. It states that a person who decides to appeal a decision of the Board will need a record of the proceedings. That person may need a verbatim record that includes the testimony and evidence on which the appeal is based.

The October 21 Meeting and Public Comment

Green Gables is item 10 under New Architectural Review Business. Guess What LLC is item 6 under Old Architectural Review Business. The agenda also lists a mural at 333 Sheridan Road, an after-the-fact chickee hut at 1002 E. New Haven Avenue, and signs at 912 E. New Haven Avenue and 1540 Highland Avenue. The agenda notes that more than one City Council member may attend and take part in discussions.

The Board's web page states that it meets on the third Wednesday of each month at 6 p.m. in the Council Chamber at City Hall. At the September 16 meeting, the minutes show that the chair opened the floor for public comment on each application before the Board voted.

Staff recommends that the Board find application HARB2026-0044 consistent with the Downtown Architectural Guidelines. The meeting is Wednesday, October 21 at 6:00 p.m. at City Hall Council Chamber, 900 E. Strawbridge Avenue, Melbourne.