Frequently Asked Questions

• A Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) is a document issued by the Historic Preservation Planners, which states that the proposed work is appropriate for the historic district and meets the regulations of the United States Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guidelines and the Historic Architectural Guidelines.

Section 102-152 of the Land Development Regulations states, “A Certificate of Appropriateness is required for the construction of any new structure, building, fence, deck or sign or the painting, repainting, repair, alteration, remodeling, landscaping or demolition of the exterior of any existing building, structure, fence, deck, sign, landscape, or lot.” Page 1 of the Historic Architectural Guidelines states that, “All exterior work must have HARC approval whether or not a building permit is required. If a building permit is required, the applicant shall obtain HARC approval prior to the issuance of the permit.”

The Guidelines also state that HARC approval must be secured on:

• Repairs to buildings
• Any painting and associated removal of existing paint
• Restoration or rehabilitation of buildings
• Additions to existing buildings
• New construction
• Fences, either new or replaced
• Alterations to streets, sidewalks, or street furnishings
• Installation of signs, awnings, benches or lighting
• Construction of swimming pools and/or decks
• Placement of temporary facilities such as vendor stands
• Miscellaneous structures (i.e. towers, etc.)
• Improvements of a right-of-way, public and private
• Exposed utilities
• Historic interior public spaces
• Interiors or all property individually listed on the National Register

The Historic Architectural Guidelines state, “If replacement is necessary, similar metal shingles must be used, not inappropriate materials such as V-crimp metal.” The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guidelines both state, “Where the severity of deterioration requires replacement of a distinctive feature, the new feature will match the old in design, color, texture and, where possible, materials.”

Historic building means any building or structure which, in whole or in any structural part, was built 50 or more years prior to the current date, and which is located in the historic zoning districts of the city or has been designated as a historic building and/or structure, (Section 102-1).

When staff refers to something being "historic," that means it was constructed 50 or more years prior to the current date.

Large projects, or projects that do not comply with the Guidelines and Ordinances, may need to be scheduled for a HARC Agenda. Large projects include:

• Additions
• Certain demolitions
• Elevation of existing buildings
• New construction

Historic Preservation Staff has a survey that contains which structures are contributing and which structures are noncontributing.

Contributing buildings mean structures that "contribute" to the historic and architectural character of the Historic District and that fall within the period of significance. These are considered more significant historically and architecturally and should be rehabilitated following the specific guidelines for contributing structures. The regulations for alterations and additions to contributing buildings are firmer than those for noncontributing buildings.

Noncontributing buildings were deemed “noncontributing” to the historic and architectural character of the Historic District at the time they were surveyed, but some noncontributing buildings may now be considered historic. The regulations for alterations and additions to noncontributing buildings are more flexible than those for contributing buildings; however, regulations for historic, noncontributing structures may be considered more carefully.

Yes, although HARC requires that the equipment not cause damage to the historic fabric and that the panels be as non-publicly visible as possible. Please see page 28 of the Historic Architectural Guidelines for more information on solar collectors.

Yes. A Certificate of Appropriateness is required for any exterior change to a property located in the Historic District, even if it is not publicly visible. Page 1 of the Historic Architectural Guidelines states that, “All exterior work must have HARC approval whether or not a building permit is required.”

Possibly. First, staff will need to assess the windows you want to replace, in order to determine if they are historic. If so, historic windows must be repaired unless extremely deteriorated. If the windows are not historic, they can be replaced with new windows using a material appropriate to the period of the structure. Learn more on page 29-30 of the Historic Architectural Guidelines.

Yes. HARC understands the importance of raising historic and significant structures out of the floodplain, but there are certain restrictions on how much you can elevate your structure. It is important to retain the pedestrian quality of the historic district as well as retain the historic house’s proportions and architectural character. As such, it is inappropriate to elevate a structure in order to park a car underneath, as well as elevating a contributing or historic building or structure in order to build a new addition underneath.

Elevating a structure will require review by the Historic Architectural Review Commission.

Possibly. The answer depends on the specific height, location, mass and scale of the proposed addition. Please refer to pages 37a-37k of the Historic Architectural Guidelines for more information on additions.

Alterations to the interior of historic public places such as banks, hotel lobbies, auditoriums, theaters and public offices; the interior of any property that has been individually listed in the National Register of Historic Places; or the interior of any property that was a location of a historical event, are subject to HARC review.

Yes, the City of Key West was added to Florida’s Certified Local Government (CLG) Program in 1991. The CLG Program was enacted as part of the National Historic Preservation Act Amendments of 1980. The program links three levels of government - federal, state and local - into a preservation partnership for the identification, evaluation and protection of historic properties. Designation as a certified local government, either as a municipality or a county, makes historic preservation a public policy through passage of a historic preservation ordinance. The ordinance establishes a historic preservation board to develop and oversee the functions of its historic preservation program.

Since its inception in 1986, Florida’s Certified Local Government Program has assisted in the survey, designation and preservation of thousands of historic and cultural resources and it has helped to increase public awareness of historic preservation. Participation in the program is also an important consideration in the local planning process, as governments in Florida are required to address historic preservation in comprehensive planning decisions. By identifying historic resources in a local government’s comprehensive plan, proposed development projects will be reviewed for consistency with preservation goals and strategies.

Through the Florida Division of Historical Resources’ (FDHR) Small Matching Grants program, CLGs in good standing are eligible to compete for pass-through subgrants funded by the Historic Preservation Fund grant that the FDHR receives annually from the National Park Service. The federal CLG subgrants may be for survey, planning and National Register nomination projects. In addition, Small Matching Grant match funding requirements are waived for all grants awarded to CLGs in good standing, whether state or federally funded.

Additional Information

•  Learn more about CLGs on the Department of State’s Certified Local Governments page.
• View the agreement between the City of Key West and the State of Florida (PDF)
•  View the Florida Certified Local Government Guidelines (PDF)

Repointing, also known as replacing mortar and pointing, is common maintenance needed for masonry buildings and structures. Properly done, repointing restores the visual and physical integrity of the masonry. Improperly done, repointing not only detracts from the appearance of the building, but may also cause physical damage to the masonry units themselves

When repointing is needed, the City will require an architect or engineer to prepare a report that includes a mortar analysis and a brick strength analysis. The new mortar should match the original mortar in strength, color, appearance, texture, and materials. The profile of the mortar joint is also important and will need to be replicated.

 Please refer to Preservation Brief 2: Repointing Mortar Joints in Historic Masonry  Buildings for more information.