So I got to looking more closely at OpenHAB and began to realize that if I could get that working w/ my RPi, it has the potential to meet both my objectives for Phase 1 viewing from website (plus readily available OpenHAB smartphone apps for iPhone and Android) as well as a major step forward into Phase 3 design objectives.

Not only that, but I finally caved on finding a quick solution for a web front-end that both functions and looks good. I did accomplish getting two different web page designs from other projects working or partially working but was never satisfied that they would meet my end-goal design requirements completely.

So... onward w/ OpenHAB. I've installed a fresh copy of Raspbian Jessie (full version 8) on a separate RPi2, and am initially following this guide for installation of OpenHAB: http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/getting-started-openhab-home-automation-raspberry-pi/

Wish me luck!