This section is to promote historic districts for the educational, cultural, economic and general welfare of the public through the preservation, protection and regulation of buildings, sites, monuments, structures, and areas of historic interest or importance within the city; to safeguard the heritage of the city by preserving and regulating historic sites which reflect elements of its cultural, social, economic, political and architectural history; to preserve and enhance the environmental quality of neighborhoods; to strengthen the city's economic base by the stimulation of the tourist industry; to establish and improve property values; to foster economic development; and to manage growth.

The local register is hereby established as a means of identifying and classifying various trees, landmarks, buildings, structures and districts as historic. These shall be referred to as sites.

A site may be placed on the local register if it:

1.

Has significant character, interest or value, as part of the development, heritage or cultural characteristics of the city, state or nation; or is associated with the life of a person significant in the past; or

2.

Is the site of a historic event with a significant effect upon society; or

3.

Exemplifies the cultural, political, economic, social or historic heritage of the community; or

4.

Portrays the environment in an era of history characterized by distinctive architectural style; or

5.

Embodies those distinguishing characteristics of an architectural-type or engineering specimen; or

6.

Contains elements of design, detail, materials or craftsmanship which represent a significant innovation; or

7.

Is a part of or related to a distinctive area that should be developed or preserved according to a plan based on a historic or architectural motif; or

8.

Represents an established and familiar visual feature of the city due to its unique location or singular physical characteristic; or

9.

Has yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important in pre-history or history.

1.

Nomination to the local register, or request for amendment or removal, may be by:

a.

The city commission; or

b.

The historic preservation board; or

c.

The owner.

2.

The historic preservation board may promulgate an application form to require such proof of ownership, photographs and other information as may be relevant in consideration of the application;

3.

The historic preservation board may conduct a hearing at which the applicant and members of the public may be heard. On the basis of the hearing, the historic preservation board shall make a specific recommendation to the city commission to approve, approve with amendments, or deny the application for nomination, amendment or removal to/from the local register;

4.

Before making a decision on the nomination, the city commission shall review the historic preservation board recommendation and conduct a formal public hearing.

No permit for the alteration, reconstruction, relocation or demolition of a site shall be issued during the pendency of consideration of the site for nomination to the local register, except to permit the alteration, reconstruction, relocation or demolition under such terms and conditions as they would be permitted if the structure were already placed on the local register.

Structures and buildings will be divided into two classes:

1.

Contributing—Those structures and buildings identified in the Archer Local Register.

2.

Non-Contributing—Those structures and buildings, within the historic district not listed in the Archer Local Register.

1.

No building, structure, appurtenance, improvement or landscape feature within the City, which has been designated a historic site, will be erected, altered, restored, renovated, excavated, relocated or demolished until a certificate of appropriateness regarding any exterior architectural features, landscape features, or site improvements has been approved in accordance with the requirements of this section.

2.

A certificate of appropriateness shall be required for the erection, alteration, restoration, renovation, excavation, relocation, or demolition of any building, structure or appurtenance in any historic district established by the city under the procedure specified in this section in a historic district.

3.

A certificate of appropriateness shall be required for any material change in existing walls, fences, sidewalks, or construction of new walls, fences or sidewalks.

The purpose of establishing guidelines in the review of an application for certificate of appropriateness is not only to preserve the old buildings and structures themselves, but to preserve the antiquity of the entire historic district. It is not the intent to limit new construction to any one period or architectural style, but to preserve the integrity of historic buildings and to insure harmony of any new work constructed in the vicinity. Harmony or incompatibility should be evaluated in terms of the appropriateness of materials, scale, size, height, placement, and use of new buildings or structures in relationship to existing buildings and structures and to the setting thereof. To that end, the following criteria are hereby established:

1.

Criteria for renovation/new construction. In considering a certificate of appropriateness related to renovation or new construction, The United States Secretary of Interior's Standards for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings and the following criteria shall be applied:

a.

Height—is the height visually/historically compatible with adjacent buildings?

b.

Proportion of facade—is the proportion of the width to the height of the front elevation compatible with buildings and places to which it is visually/historically related?

c.

Proportion of openings within facility—is the relationship of the width of the windows, etc., in a building compatible with buildings and places to which it is visually/historically related?

d.

Rhythm of solids to voids in front facades—is the rhythm of solids to voids compatible with buildings and places to which it is visually/historically related?

e.

Rhythm of building is the relationship of the buildings or structures to open spaces and adjoining buildings compatible with the buildings and places to which it is visually/historically related?

f.

Rhythm of entrance and/or porch projection—is the relationship of entrances and projections compatible with the buildings and places to which they are visually/historically related?

g.

Relationship of materials, texture and color—is the relationship of materials, texture and color of the facade compatible with the predominate materials used in the buildings to which it is visually/historically related?

h.

Roof shapes—is the roof shape compatible with buildings to which it is visually/historically related?

i.

Walls of continuity—do appurtenances of the building such as walls, fences, landscape masses, etc., form cohesive walls of enclosure along the street to insure compatibility with the buildings and places to which they are visually/historically related?

j.

Scale of building—is the size and mass of the building and structure in relation to open space, windows, door openings, porches, balconies, etc., compatible with the buildings and places to which it is visually/historically related?

k.

Directional expression of front elevation—is the directional character of the building compatible with buildings and places to which it is visually/historically related?

2.

Criteria for relocation. In addition to the guidelines provided in subparagraph 1(a-k) above, relocations shall be guided by the following factors:

a.

What historic character and aesthetic interest does the building, structure or object contribute to its present setting?

b.

Are there definite plans for the area to be vacated and what will be the effect of those plans on the character of the surrounding area?

c.

Can the building, structure or object be moved without significant damage to its physical integrity?

d.

Is the proposed relocation area compatible with the historical and architectural character of the building, structure or object?

3.

Criteria for demolition.

a.

What is the historic or architectural significance of the building, structure or object to be demolished?

b.

What is the importance of the building, structure or object to the ambiance of the district?

c.

How difficult would it be to reproduce such a building, structure or object because of its design, texture, material, detail or unique location?

d.

Is the building structure or object a unique example of its kind in the neighborhood, county or region?

e.

Are there definite plans for reuse of the property if the proposed demolition is carried out, and what effect would those plans have on the surrounding area?

f.

Can reasonable measures be taken to save the building, structure or object from collapse?

g.

Is the building, structure or object capable of earning reasonable economic return on its value?

An application for certificate of appropriateness to renovate or construct new improvements shall be accompanied by full plans and specifications thereof so far as they relate to the proposed appearance, texture of materials and the architectural design of the exterior, including the front, sides, rear, and the roof of such building alteration or addition or of any out-building, party wall, courtyard, fence or other dependency thereof.

A certificate of appropriateness will not be required for general, occasional maintenance of any historic building, structure, or site, or any building or structure within a historic district. General, occasional maintenance will include, but not be limited to, lawn and landscaping care, exterior color change, and minor repairs that restore or maintain the historic site or current character of the building or structure. General, occasional maintenance will not include any of the activities enumerated above for which a certificate of appropriateness is required, nor will it include addition or change of awnings, signs, or material alterations to porches and steps. General, occasional maintenance and repair shall include ordinary maintenance which does not require a building permit.

It shall be a violation of this land development code to permit any improvements to a historic site to suffer deterioration and/or be endangered by lack of ordinary maintenance and repair. It shall be unlawful to permit any improvements in visual proximity of a historical site to suffer deterioration and/or be endangered by lack of ordinary maintenance and repair to such an extent that such improvements detract from the character of the historic site.

For the purposes of remedying emergency conditions determined to be eminently dangerous to life, health, or property, nothing contained herein will prevent the making of any temporary construction, reconstruction, demolition of limited scope and effect, or other repairs to a historic site. Such temporary construction, reconstruction or demolition of limited scope and effect will take place pursuant to permission granted by the zoning administrator, and provided that only such work as is reasonably necessary to correct such conditions may be carried out.

In addition to the general penalty provisions for violation of this land development code, violations of this section shall be specifically enforceable by the city through:

1.

Application to the circuit court for injunctive relief to prevent acts in violation of this section; and

2.

One who shall change the appearance of a historic site without obtaining a required certificate of appropriateness may be required to restore the site to its prior appearance.

Within 30 days of the designation of any historic site or district, the zoning administrator shall cause notification to be placed in the public records of Alachua County, Florida, and such notification shall remain on the public records until the designation of the historic site or district is removed in accordance with the requirements of this land development code. Failure to properly record notification in the public records shall not affect the applicability of this land development code to the property.