Comprehensive Plan
2019-2040
Historic Preservation
GOAL 1
PRESERVE, PROTECT, ENHANCE AND SUPPORT HISTORIC RESOURCES AND PROPERTIES AND PALEONTOLOGICAL RESOURCES WITHIN ALACHUA COUNTY.
OBJECTIVE 1.1
Consolidate County efforts aimed at protection of historic resources and properties.
Policy 1.1.1 Alachua County shall establish a Historic Resources Preservation Plan that addresses comprehensively responsible stewardship of historic resources and properties. The plan shall be implemented through appropriate land development regulations.
Policy 1.1.2 The Historic Resources Preservation Plan shall include, at a minimum:
(a) Identification of a lead agency to manage the plan.
(b) Mechanism for coordination of the Alachua County Historical Commission, Departments of Growth Management, Environmental Protection, and Public Works for the preservation of historic resources and properties.
(c) Consideration by Alachua County to become a Certified Local Government for Historic Preservation.
(d) Mechanism for pursuing state and federal grants and other funding.
(e) Establishment of a methodology to qualify a historic resource or property as significant based on National Register of Historic Places and/or local criteria.
(f) Maintain an inventory of historic resources and properties.
(g) Creation of a Historic Preservation Ordinance to provide regulatory protection of historic resources and properties, including prohibition and enforcement regarding vandalism, and avoidance, minimization, and mitigation of development impacts.
Policy 1.1.3 All applications for development approval shall include a site-specific identification and analysis of historic resources and properties. The analysis shall include identification and mapping of each resource present on, or adjacent to, the development site, analysis of the impact of the proposed development on the resource(s), and discussion of proposed measures to avoid, minimize and/or mitigate impacts on the resource(s). The site analysis shall be reviewed by the County during the Development Review Process, for compliance with the Comprehensive Plan and applicable County regulations.
Policy 1.1.4 The County shall coordinate with adjacent local governments, the State, and the Federal Government to preserve and protect historic resources and properties of local, regional and national significance.
Policy 1.1.5 All County capital improvement projects shall be reviewed to determine what impact, if any, the project will have on historic resources and properties. Adverse impacts shall be avoided, minimized, and/or appropriately mitigated prior to construction.
Policy 1.1.6 Alachua County shall participate with the Florida Department of Transportation and the Metropolitan Transportation Planning Organization to protect historic resources and properties during right-of-way acquisition, construction, operation, and maintenance of the roadway system in Alachua County.
OBJECTIVE 2.1
Conserve and extend the useful life of historic resources and properties through the identification, protection and/or rehabilitation of properties significant on a national, regional, or local level consistent with preserving their historic or archaeological character and value. Strategies for preservation of historic resources and properties shall include:
· Incentives for maintenance, restoration and rehabilitation, and stabilization.
· Incentives for productive and adaptive reuse.
· Incentives for private ownership and responsible stewardship.
· Opportunity for acquisition/conservation by governmental entities, private interests, or not-for-profit organizations.
· Establishment of historic and/or archaeological districts.
Policy 2.1.1 Alachua County shall maintain and update, on an annual basis, an inventory of historic resources and properties listed, eligible, or potentially eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places, or listed, eligible, or potentially eligible for listing in regional or local registers.
Policy 2.1.2 By 2002, Alachua County shall contact owners of historic resources and properties eligible or potentially eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places to encourage nomination of such properties to the National Register and to offer assistance in the preparation of applications to the State Historic Preservation Officer and the Review Board for inclusion in the National Register.
Policy 2.1.3 Historic Districts shall, where appropriate, be established by the Board of County Commissioners through a public hearing process. Land development regulations including the establishment of overlay zoning for Historic Preservation shall be established to preserve and protect these areas from the encroachment of incompatible land uses. Complimentary environmental, natural, and other features may be used as factors for determining the boundaries of potential historical or archaeological districts of national, regional or local significance.
Policy 2.1.4 The County shall provide assistance to individuals, organizations, and other entities to preserve, restore, or establish historic landmarks. County funds may be spent for the acquisition or preservation, restoration, or establishment of landmarks where archeological, architectural or historic merit has been adequately established.
Policy 2.1.5 The preservation, restoration, or rehabilitation of historic structures shall be encouraged. The demolition of a historic structure or a structure that is integrally related to a historic structure shall be prohibited without allowing an opportunity for the acquisition of fee or less-than-fee interest in the property by a governmental unit, an organization, or by any other entity committed to the preservation, restoration, or rehabilitation of the structure(s).
Policy 2.1.6 Builders shall be encouraged to preserve historically significant resources or properties on a national, regional or local level for all property they develop. Mechanisms shall be included in the Development Review Process to provide incentives, when appropriate, to encourage retention and protection of such resources.
Policy 2.1.7 Adaptive use of historic structures consistent with preservation of their historic character shall be encouraged. Where possible, variances to building codes and regulations shall be made to facilitate the rehabilitation and maintenance of historic structures. Historic structures originally built for residential use shall be maintained as residential dwellings to the greatest extent possible, but may be adapted to other uses.
Policy 2.1.8 Alachua County shall assist, as appropriate, in the redevelopment and adaptive reuse of historically significant structures through such programs as the Ad Valorem Tax Exemption. This shall include assisting private property owners of historically significant structures in applying for and utilizing state and federal assistance programs as appropriate.
OBJECTIVE 3.1
Evaluate and, where appropriate, conserve, protect, or acquire sites and areas of archaeological significance.
Policy 3.1.1 The County, by 2001, shall initiate a research project to identify and model areas of potential archaeological significance.
Policy 3.1.2 Significant archaeological sites shall be protected from destruction in the absence of appropriate analysis and mitigation.
Policy 3.1.3 The Land Development Regulations and the Development Review Committee shall provide for analysis of resources, and avoidance, minimization, and mitigation (in that order of preference) of adverse impacts when development involves properties that contain, or have reasonable potential to harbor, resources of archaeological significance.
When proposed developments are located in such areas, the County or the applicant shall contact the Florida Department of State Division of Historical Resources for a recommendation on the need to conduct an assessment survey for potentially archaeological resources. When such survey is recommended, the County shall require the same.
Following completion of the archaeological survey project identified in Policy 3.1.1 the Development Review Committee may require an assessment survey and related analyses for developments proposed in identified sensitivity zones without recommendation of the Division of Historical Resources. The Development Review Committee also may require surveys and analyses outside of identified sensitivity zones, but only upon recommendation of the Division of Historical Resources.
Development orders for such areas shall be conditioned, where appropriate, to accomplish the following:
(a) Insure proper archeological investigation prior to construction and where appropriate, avoidance, minimization, and mitigation of impacts; and
(b) Preserve and provide perimeter buffering around outstanding archeological sites. This may include, if necessary, alteration to the originally proposed or approved development plan to accommodate preservation of such sites.
Where archaeological sites are to be preserved, incentives to encourage retention of these areas may be provided.
Policy 3.1.4 When unmarked human remains are discovered during excavation, construction, development or any other circumstances, such discovery must be reported to the State Archaeologist or the County Medical Examiner, as appropriate. Any activities on the site that may disturb the remains shall not be resumed until authorized in writing by such offices. Such requirement is enforced under Florida Statutes, sections 872.02 and 872.05.
OBJECTIVE 4.1
Evaluate and, where appropriate, conserve, protect or acquire sites and areas of paleontological significance.
Policy 4.1.1 The County, by 2001, shall contact the Florida Museum of Natural History for recommendations on areas of known or potential paleontological significance pursuant to FS. 240.516.
Policy 4.1.2 Significant paleontological sites shall be protected from destruction in the absence of appropriate analysis and mitigation.
Policy 4.1.3 The Land Development Regulations and the Development Review Committee shall provide for analysis of resources, and avoidance, minimization, and mitigation (in that order of preference) of adverse impacts when development review involves properties that contain, or have a reasonable potential to harbor, resources of paleontological significance. When proposed developments are located in such areas, the County or the applicant shall contact the Florida Museum of Natural History, as appropriate, for a recommendation on the need to conduct an assessment survey for potentially significant paleontological resources.
Development orders for such areas shall be conditioned, where appropriate, to accomplish the following:
(a) Insure proper paleontological investigation prior to construction and, where appropriate, avoidance, minimization, and mitigation of impacts.
(b) Preserve and provide perimeter buffering around and paleontological sites. This may include, if necessary, alteration to the proposed or originally approved development plan to accommodate preservation of such sites.
Where paleontological sites are to be preserved, incentives to encourage retention of these areas may be provided.
OBJECTIVE 5.1
Alachua County shall promote the use of historic resources for heritage tourism as part of the County’s economic development efforts.
Policy 5.1.1 Agencies and organizations involved in heritage tourism shall coordinate their activities to promote heritage tourism as part of the County’s economic development efforts.
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