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Cedar Key Home Added to Town's Historic Register

CEDAR KEY — The proposed addition of a house to the local historic register was approved at a city commission meeting here on Tuesday night.

The proposal for the house, located at 12531 Live Oak St., passed with a unanimous vote. Frank Offerle and his wife own the house.

After meeting the criteria for historic listing under the local register, the final step in the process was the review by the city commissioners, city clerk Nicole Gill said.

Offerle bought the home in 2014 at an auction, and does not want to see the property go to a developer. He has known several families that have lived in the home and remains good friends with some.

“They’re glad that we’re doing this, they did not want to see the property developed either,” Offerle said.

His plans are to preserve and restore the building, but he has other goals for the future.

“I want to have the whole piece of property declared as a conservation area eventually,” Offerle said.

Since the house has been added to the historic register, Offerle will be able to proceed with renovations. His renovation was paused due to FEMA regulations. Offerle was unable to spend more than 50 percent of the house’s value on renovation due to its condition. However, due to the house being marked historic, he can continue with the restoration.

Levy County's property appraiser values the building at about $35,000, though the land is valued at $194,000. It was built in 1930.

After seeing the documents indicating the history of the house, “it was an easy decision,” according to George Sresovich, a member of the Cedar Key Historical Architectural Review Board.

The review board does not make decisions based on personal opinion—it makes a recommendation based on the documents indicating the history of the house. The board looks to the state’s standards to review the historical qualifications of buildings.

Sresovich, also a member of the Cedar Key Historical Society, thinks that the historical preservation keeps the town authentic— truly like a little fishing town.

“The history of Cedar Key is something that needs to be preserved,” Offerle said.

Sydney is a reporter for WUFT News who may be contacted by calling 352-392-6397 or emailing news @wuft.org
Leah Marshall is a reporter for WUFT News and can be reached at 352-392-6397 or leah.marshall@ufl.edu.