A. Findings and Purpose
1. Findings
The City Commission hereby finds as follows:
a. Pompano Beach contains districts, areas, sites, buildings, structures, and objects—both private and public—that are reminders of past eras, events, and persons important in local, state, or national history, or that provide significant examples of architectural styles of the past, or that are unique and irreplaceable assets and resources to the city and its neighborhoods, or that provide this and future generations examples of the physical surroundings in which past generations lived;
b. In recognition of these assets and resources, the Pompano Beach Comprehensive Plan contains land use, housing, and coastal zone objectives and policies that illustrates the city's desire to encourage the preservation of important historic resources through requirements in the city's development regulations;
c. The recognition, protection, enhancement, and use of such historic resources is a public purpose essential to furthering the health, safety, morals, and economic, educational, cultural, and general welfare of the public through the enhancement of property values, the stabilization of neighborhoods and areas of the city, the increase of economic benefits to the city and its inhabitants, the promotion of local interest, the enrichment of human life in its educations and cultural dimensions (serving spiritual as well as material needs), and the fostering of civic pride in the beauty and noble accomplishments of the past;
d. Historic preservation activities provide the city numerous economic benefits—including the creation of jobs, maintenance of property values and significant contributions to tax collections of State and local governments, investments of private funds in historic rehabilitation projects and public/private partnerships, and increases in money spent by tourists visiting historic resources;
e. The city has for many years attempted to encourage redevelopment and revitalization of the city's original downtown and other areas of the city, and continues to do so;
f. The city wishes to take advantage of all available state and federal laws and programs that may assist in the development of the city;
g. The federal and state governments have established a program of matching grants-in-aid for projects to preserve for the public benefit properties that are significant in American history and architecture;
h. Federal and state programs provide funds for projects involving the rehabilitation of historic districts, areas, sites, buildings, structures, and objects;
i. The city wishes to retain its designation by the Florida Division of Historic Preservation as a Florida Certified Local Government, to provide the city the opportunity to receive state and federal funds to aid in the survey, evaluation, designation and preservation of historic and archaeological resources;
j. Inherent in the enactment and implementation of these federal and state programs is the policy of the United States and Florida governments that the spirit and direction of the nation and state are founded on and reflected in their historic past; that the historical and cultural foundations of the nation and state should be preserved as a living part of our community life and development to give people a sense of orientation; that in the face of ever-increasing extensions of urban centers, highways, and residential, commercial, and industrial development, the present governmental and nongovernmental programs are inadequate to ensure future generations a genuine opportunity to enjoy the rich heritage of our nation and state; and
k. It is the will of the state legislature, as expressed in the Florida Historic Resources Act (Fla. Stat. Ch. 267), that the state's rich and unique heritage of historic properties is an important legacy to be valued and conserved for present and future generations.
2. Purpose of Local Register of Historic Places
In recognition of the above findings, the Local Register of Historic Places is established as a written record of all designated historic districts, structures, and sites within the city. It is intended to safeguard the city's historic, prehistoric, and cultural heritage by identifying, recognizing, preserving, maintaining, protecting, and enhancing old, historic, and architecturally valuable structures, properties, districts, or neighborhoods that serve as distinctive elements and visual reminders of the cultural, social, economic, political, prehistoric, or architectural history of the city, county, state, or nation. More specifically, the Local Register of Historic Places is intended to:
a. Foster civic pride;
b. Preserve the city's heritage;
c. Preserve the character and desirable historic, architectural, and aesthetic features of the city;
d. Stabilize and enhance the value of properties that are within historic districts or designated as historic structures or sites, as well as the areas surrounding them;
e. Protect and enhance the attractiveness of the city to residents, tourists, and visitors, thereby supporting and stimulating business and industry;
f. Protect and enrich the quality of life for city residents;
g. Foster wider public knowledge and appreciation of structures, properties, districts, or neighborhoods that provide a unique and valuable perspective on the social, cultural, economic traditions and ways of life of past generations;
h. Foster architectural creativity by preserving physical examples of outstanding architectural designs and techniques of the past;
i. Preserve energy embodied in existing buildings through reduced demand for resources for alternative new construction and reduced waste from demolition and new construction; and
j. Encourage new structures and developments that will be harmonious with and complement the character of existing structures, properties, and districts designated in accordance with this section.
B. Local Register of Historic Places
The Local Register of Historic Places is established as a written record of all designated historic districts, structures, and sites within the city. It shall be maintained and kept current by the HPC and the Development Services Director and shall be made available at the office of the Development Services Director for public inspection. The Development Services Director shall regularly provide a copy of the register to the State Historic Preservation Officer for incorporation into the Florida Master Site File.
C. Procedure for Placement on Local Register of Historic Places
1. Step 1: Pre-Application Meeting
Applicable (See Section 155.2301.).
2. Step 2: Neighborhood Meeting
Optional (See Section 155.2302.).
3. Step 3: Application Submittal and Acceptance
Applicable (See Section 155.2303.), except that the application also shall comply with the following provisions:
a. Authority to Submit Application
An application may be submitted only by the owner(s) of property making up or containing a proposed historic structure, site, or district, or by the Historic Preservation Committee (HPC) or other organization that has as one of its central purposes the promotion of historic preservation objectives, with the consent of the owner(s) of property containing a proposed historic structure or site, or the owners of a majority of properties making up a proposed historic district.
b. Application Contents
The application shall include forms and information as required by the HPC.
c. Significance Report
i. The application also shall include a significance report that:
(A) Describes the historic, archeological, architectural, or cultural significance of the buildings, structures, sites, areas, features, objects, or surroundings proposed to be included in the historic structure, site, or district; and
(B) Recommends design standards and guidelines to apply to the review of applications for a Certificate of Appropriateness.
ii. Where the application proposes placement of a historic district on the Local Register of Historic Places, the significance report also shall include a description of the district's recommended boundaries and shall identify properties within the proposed district as either "contributing" or "noncontributing" to the proposed district's historic, archeological, architectural, or cultural significance. A property is generally considered noncontributing if its principal structure(s) was originally built within the past 50 years (absent a strong justification for its historical or architectural merit) or has been so altered that any integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, ambiance, and/or association has been irretrievably lost.
iii. The required significance report may consist of a report including the required information that was previously prepared by or on behalf of the HPC, or was prepared in conjunction with a previous application of the same land for placement on the Local Register of Historic Places, or was prepared in conjunction with a nomination for listing as a Broward County Archeological or Historical Cultural Resource Site, in the Florida Master Site File, or in the National Register of Historic Places.
4. Step 4: Staff Review and Action
Not Applicable except that on accepting the application, the Development Services Director shall transmit the application and significance report to the HPC.
5. Step 5: Public Hearing Scheduling and Notice
Applicable (See Section 155.2305.).
6. Step 6: Advisory Body Review and Recommendation
Not Applicable.
7. Step 7: Decision-Making Body Review and Decision
Applicable to a decision by the HPC, following a quasi-judicial public hearing on the application and the significance report.
D. Review Standards for Placement on Local Register of Historic Places
The HPC shall approve an application for Placement on the Local Register of Historic Place only after determining that the proposed historic district, structure, or site meets the following standards:
1. Integrity
The proposed historic district, structure, or site shall possess integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, ambiance, and/or association.
2. Special Significance
The proposed historic district, structure, or site shall be of special significance in terms of its historical, archeological, architectural, or cultural importance to the city, county, state, or nation. Special significance is present if the proposed district, structure, or site:
a. Is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of the history of the city, county, state, or nation;
b. Is associated with the lives of persons significant to the history of the city, county, state, or nation;
c. Embodies the distinctive characteristics of an architectural style that is significant for the study of a period, method of construction or use of indigenous materials;
d. Represents the work of a master architect, designer, or builder whose individual work has influenced the development of the city, county, state, or nation;
e. Is recognized for the quality of its architecture and retains sufficient features showing its architectural significance;
f. Is a geographically definable area possessing a significant concentration of well-designed structures or other objects or sites united by past events or by a plan or physical development;
g. Is a geographically definable neighborhood united by culture, architectural styles, or physical development;
h. Has yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history; or
i. Is listed in the National Register of Historic Places or the Florida Master Site File, or as a Broward County Archeological or Historical Cultural Resource Site, or—in the case of a proposed historic district—includes individual properties so listed.
E. Listing on Register of Historic Places
If the application is approved, the Development Services Director shall immediately enter the structure, site, or district on the Local Register of Historic Places, identifying each property containing the structure or site, or within the district, by street address and tax identification number.
F. Effect of Approval
After a structure, site, or district is placed on the Local Register of Historic Places, no new construction, exterior alteration, demolition, relocation of a building or structure, disturbance of an archeological site, or division of a parcel of land into two or more lots shall occur on property containing the structure or site, or within the district, without issuance of a Certificate of Appropriateness in accordance with the review procedures and standards in Section 155.2409, Certificate of Appropriateness.
G. Expiration
Placement of a structure, site, or district on the Local Register of Historic Places shall not expire, but the placement is subject to amendment or revocation in accordance with the procedure set forth in this section.
(Ord. 2012-64, passed 9-11-12; Am. Ord.
2019-110
, passed 9-24-19)