City of Lake Worth Land Development Regulations Sec: 23.5-4
Page 2 of 3
Planning, Zoning & Historic Preservation Division | Department for Community Sustainability
City of Lake Worth Beach | 1900 2
nd
Avenue North | Lake Worth Beach, FL 33461
Certificates of Appropriateness, in general. Approval of changes to designated landmarks or to properties within
designated historic districts is required by way of a certificate of appropriateness (COA or "certificate"). Unless
otherwise provided herein, no person may undertake the following actions affecting a designated or potential
landmark or any property in a designated or potential historic district, or any appurtenance, improvement or
landscape feature thereto, without first obtaining a certificate of appropriateness from the HRPB whether or not
a building permit is otherwise required:
(1) Alteration of an archaeological site or the exterior part of a building or a structure;
(2) New construction;
(3) Demolition; or
(4) Relocation.
1. Subject of certificate; other permits required. New construction and alterations to designated buildings
and structures shall include review of exterior changes on both primary façades (facing a public right-of-way)
and secondary façades (not facing a public right-of-way). Whenever any alteration, new construction,
demolition or relocation is undertaken on a designated landmark or on a property in a designated historic
district without a certificate of appropriateness, the building official or the director for community
sustainability is hereby authorized to issue a stop work order. A certificate of appropriateness shall be in
addition to any other building permits required by law. The issuance of a certificate of appropriateness from
the HRPB shall not relieve the property owner of the duty to comply with other state and local laws and
regulations
Additional guidelines for new construction; visual compatibility. All improvements to buildings, structures and
appurtenances within a designated historic district shall be visually compatible. New buildings should take their
design cues from the surrounding existing structures, using traditional or contemporary design standards and
elements that relate to existing structures that surround them and within the historic district as a whole. Building
design styles, whether contemporary or traditional, should be visually compatible with the existing structures in the
district.
A. In approving or denying applications for certificates of appropriateness for new construction, the city
shall also, at a minimum, consider the following additional guidelines which help to define visual
compatibility:
(1) The height of proposed buildings shall be visually compatible and in harmony with the height of
existing buildings located within the historic district.
(2) The relationship of the width of the building to the height of the front elevation shall be visually
compatible and in harmony with the width and height of the front elevation of existing buildings
located within the district.
(3) The openings of any building within a historic district should be visually compatible and in harmony
with the openings in buildings of a similar architectural style located within the historic district. The
relationship of the width of the windows and doors to the height of the windows and doors in a
building shall be visually compatible with buildings within the district.
(4) The relationship of solids to voids in the front façade of a building or structure shall be visually
compatible and in harmony with the front façades of historic buildings or structures located within
the historic district. A long, unbroken façade in a setting of existing narrow structures can be divided
into smaller bays which will complement the visual setting and the streetscape.
(5) The relationship of a building to open space between it and adjoining buildings shall be visually
compatible and in harmony with the relationship between buildings elsewhere within the district.
(6) The relationship of entrance and porch projections to sidewalks of a building shall be visually
compatible and in harmony with the prevalent architectural styles of entrances and porch
projections on buildings and structures within the district.
(7) The relationship of the materials, texture and color of the façade of a building shall be visually
compatible and in harmony with the predominant materials used in the buildings and structures of
a similar style located within the historic district.