YBOR CITY - Plans were approved last year for the conversion of the former Oliva cigar factory to a 60-room hotel. But the structure, one of only two original wooden cigar factories left in Tampa, sits dormant.

The reason? In August, the Barrio Latino Commission nixed plans for two 12-car parking carousels at the three-story hotel.

Architect William Dobson is frustrated that his renderings for Oliva developer Steve Yturriaga are gathering dust.

But Dobson has found an understanding ear. Last week, the city's Historic Preservation Commission began updating the Ybor City Design Guidelines, a 22-year-old document used by the Barrio Latino in reviewing exterior design changes as well as new and add-on construction projects in the historic district.

The guidelines - created to preserve the historic fabric and maintain architectural integrity - will be upgraded to standards, historic preservation manager Dennis Fernandez said.

That means they would be enforceable and would cover industrial, residential and commercial property.

Fernandez listened to Dobson's plea to the commission and agreed afterward that the standards need to reflect the present day.

Replicating what exists in Ybor City may be the "path of least resistance" for architects and developers, he said, but it's not always exciting.

Dobson, who lives in the historic district and works for RBK Architects in Ybor City, said he prefers modernistic buildings. He's bothered that Ybor City is beginning to resemble a Walt Disney World interpretation of itself.

"The new buildings look so much like the old buildings that 10 years from now, no one will be able to tell the difference," he said. "We aren't planning any structures that speak to their times."

Design details and building materials are mostly a reflection of Ybor City's past, he said.

"There are so many more opportunities that aren't being explored," Dobson said.

As an example, he points to one of his recent projects.

The small building at 1503 N. 19th St. has commercial space downstairs and a residence upstairs. It was patterned after a nearby structure at 22nd Street and Fifth Avenue, although Dobson hoped to add updated flourishes, mainly smaller side windows. Plus, he wasn't keen on being limited to wood siding.

But the Barrio Latino wanted the new building to look like the old one, he said.

"It's a wonderful structure with a third-floor balcony, and the client is happy," he said. "But I just wish other options were available.

"It's not very challenging for an architect."

Gus Paras, president-elect of the Tampa Bay chapter of the American Institute of Architects, said Ybor City doesn't need more cookie-cutter projects.

"The trick is to allow flexibility while adhering to historic principles," Paras said.

But developers view modern expressions negatively because they're afraid they can't get through the Barrio Latino process, he said.

Yturriaga, of Ybor Realty, said the 45-foot-tall hotel may never happen.

The Barrio Latino rejected the 43-foot-tall garage because as an accessory structure it was almost as high as the hotel. Accessories, historically, have been limited to small structures such as sheds and outhouses.

"The Barrio had a ridiculous view," Yturriaga said. "We are in an urban environment. We need parking."

He wants the agency to be more flexible.

"This building may sit vacant for the next 100 years because of their actions," Yturriaga said.

Dobson said the 1890s factory, 2008 N. 19th St., surrounded by a rusty wire fence, could have become a lively hotel with bar, lobby and patio, complementing the neighboring Hilton Garden Inn.

"The community needs to come into the 21st century," he said.

Whether Ybor City remains a snapshot of its past or becomes evolutionary in its approach to construction and remodeling must be decided, said Fernandez, who wants to hear more from the community.

A public hearing will be scheduled for June before the Ybor City design revisions go to the Barrio Latino and then the city council for review. The final standards should be finished by the end of the summer.

Reporter Janis D. Froelich can be reached at (813) 835-2104 or jfroelich@tampatrib.com.