The Ozona Village Improvement Society's long-planned restoration of its hurricane-damaged Village Hall has cleared its last regulatory hurdles, with the nonprofit now moving into the permit application phase.
At OVIS's Monday, Aug. 24 meeting at Ozona Brewing Company, Vice President Todd Guarino confirmed that the Pinellas County Historic Preservation Board approved the project's Certificate of Appropriateness and the Board of Adjustment granted the necessary variances. President Brian Smith told the 15 members present that he received an email directing the organization to proceed with permit filings.
Smith said the pace of construction transmittals will depend on available funding, with the state allocation covering current work. He will monitor a federal storm-damage funding program that could supplement the project budget.
The project will move the 1900 hall eastward on its Bay Street property, away from a drainage ditch, and elevate it four feet to reduce future flooding. The work must preserve the building's historic appearance. Above All Structures is the general contractor, with historic preservationist Paul Palmer and engineer Dustin Rood on the team.
Hurricane Helene flooded the hall with more than three feet of water in September 2024, destroying flooring, the electrical system, all furnishings and historically significant contents including the historic Bailey piano. The damage came just two months after OVIS had completed a county-grant-funded renovation that included new paint and replacement floors.
The hall, built in 1900 with volunteer labor and donated materials, is described as one of the oldest structures in continuous community ownership in Pinellas County. The county designated it a historic local landmark in 2015, and it received Florida Heritage Site recognition in 2017.
Funding for the restoration centers on a $389,500 state legislative earmark sponsored by state Sen. Ed Hooper and state Rep. Adam Anderson. Smith said additional money may come from the Pinellas County MSTU Community Program, which allows grants up to $25,000 per year, and from federal storm-damage funds the county has received.
The regulatory path is now clear.
When Guarino first presented the scope of work at the Sept. 29, 2025 OVIS meeting, he acknowledged, "This was going to take some time to get through this process." Eleven months later, the organization is filing permits.
Smith said he will work with Treasurer Jim Wiesner and Guarino to add a project-update section to the OVIS website. The organization's treasury stood at $30,373.69 as of the Aug. 24 meeting. Historic items removed from the hall during storm cleanup are being stored in cooperation with the Palm Harbor Museum.
Coming up in Ozona:
- Community Potluck: Monday, Dec. 7, at Ozona Brewing Company
- Holiday Golf Cart Parade: Sunday, Dec. 13 (county permit, event insurance and Pinellas County Sheriff traffic management authorized)
