​In issuing Certificates of Appropriateness, the Lee County Historic Preservation Ordinance requires a review of the proposed project. In alterations to contributing properties, this review is for compliance with the US Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation. For non-contributing properties, including new construction on vacant sites, this review is for compliance with the Guidelines for New Construction and Remodeling of Non-Contributing Buildings.

• A Special Certificate of Appropriateness (SCA) is issued for any alteration, demolition, relocation, reconstruction, excavation or new construction that would result in a change to the original appearance of the resource. An SCA is issued after a public hearing before the Historic Preservation Board. Download a Special Certificate of Appropriateness application.

• Typical Process for a Special Certificate of Appropriateness

• Please note that requests for like-for-like/in-kind replacement and ordinary maintenance or repair of historic structures or designated historic resources are now reviewed as part of the building permit process.

 
NOTE:  For a project requiring an SCA, applicants are encouraged to contact the Zoning Section to request a pre-application conference while the project is still in a conceptual stage. Because historic resources often do not conform to many current regulations, the pre-application conference provides an opportunity for an application to discuss the problems associated with a particular project and explore creative approaches to those problems. Staff familiar with historic preservation, zoning, development standards and codes are available for consultation during the pre-application conference.