Orange City’s leaders not only are trying to save the aging structures of their town’s past, but they also want to discourage or minimize changes in the appearance of its oldest part.

Without objection, the City Council Jan. 23 passed on first reading an ordinance requiring owners of property within the affected zone to conform to architectural standards that preserve much of the look of the Orange City of yesteryear. The proposed ordinance calls for those owning homes or commercial buildings, and owners of vacant lots looking to build something new, to avoid visible additions or improvements that may look out of place and time in the neighborhood.

“In order to get a building permit, they’re going to have to get a certificate of appropriateness,” City Attorney William Reischmann said.

For example, if the owner of a lot inside Orange City’s historic zone wishes to build a new home, that new home must appear to fit in with the older neighborhood, and not stand out as a modern suburban intrusion into the surroundings.

The ordinance deals with the exterior of structures. A certificate of appropriateness is “written authorization” for construction of new exterior structural changes. The city’s Department of Development Services or the Historic Preservation Board is to be the reviewing and permitting authority. 

If the exterior work is considered “minor,” meaning there is “no change in size or configuration or impacting facades are not visible from the right-of-way,” the city’s Development Services will sign off on the certificate. 

If, however, the department’s review personnel determine the work will “have more than a minor impact,” the Historic Preservation Board will review the request and may require more supporting documents to make a decision for such “major” construction tasks.

The measure establishes “a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) review process that expands the Board and/or staff review of building permits … within the Historic Resource Area.”

A certificate of appropriateness would not be required for routine maintenance, such as painting, or to make repairs to prevent a worsening of damage or “demolition by neglect.” 

As a sidelight, when asked if a TV satellite dish next to or attached to a pre-20th-century home or building would be fitting or appropriate in the historic zone, Historic Preservation Board Chair Tom Eidel said, “I don’t think something like that has ever come up.”

The ordinance and its certification would not apply to work or changes within a structure inside the Historic Area. Also exempt from the proposed new requirements are structures “less than 50 years old.”

“The National District is around Volusia and Graves avenues,” Orange City Development Services Director Becky Mendez said.

However, the city’s Historic Area encompasses approximately 1,115 acres. Planning maps and documents refer to it as the “blue box.”

“Within the blue box is a mixture of residential and commercial zoning classifications,” an official report reads. “The residential land area is roughly 959 acres, with the remaining 156 acres being commercial. There are 2,000 structures located within the boundary, 704 of which are 50 years old or older (146 commercial structures and 558 residential structures). Among the 1,115 acres is the Orange City National Register Historic District (NRHD), established in 2004, which is comprised of roughly 110 acres (+/- 33 blocks).”

Moreover, the pending ordinance addresses the possibility of the demolition of some properties deemed historic. A request for demolition will be reviewed by the Historic Preservation Board.

“The Board may also choose to delay an approval for demolition for a period of not less than 30 days and not more than 180 days,” the ordinance notes. “The length of delay shall be determined based on the relative significance of the structure and the probable time required to arrange a possible alternative to demolition … [including perhaps] recommendation for acquisition of property by public or private bodies or agencies; and exploration of the possibility of moving the structure or building.”

Not least, the ordinance deals with demolition by neglect, meaning the “property owner’s failure to provide ordinary and necessary maintenance and repair of an historic property or resource that result in injury or loss to exterior features, permanent damage, or destruction through abandonment or lack of maintenance.”

“If the [Historic Preservation] board determines that a structure is in the course of being ‘demolition by neglect,’ the owner shall be notified of the conditions of the structure and the items that need repair,” the ordinance continues. “The board may request a meeting with the owner or tenant of the building for the purpose of encouraging positive intervention before code enforcement action becomes necessary.”

“If the owner or tenant fails to take action, the board shall submit a written report to Orange City Code Enforcement, who may institute proceedings under the authority of applicable laws and regulations.”

The second and final reading and public hearing on the new historic-preservation ordinance is set for the Orange City Council’s next regular meeting, scheduled at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 13, in the City Council Chambers, 201 N. Holly Ave. The meeting is open to the public.

On a related note, the council Jan. 23 adopted a resolution formally adding the Town Hall at 205 E. Graves Ave. and Albertus Cottage at 200 E. Rose Ave. to Orange City’s Local Register of Historic Places.