Cape Coral, FL Historic Preservation: Historic-Cultural Monuments (2026)

Division 7 of the Cape Coral Code, adopted by Ord. 115-90 in 1990, creates the City's historic and cultural preservation framework. 19(a) bars any city agency other than City Council from designating a historic or cultural resource. Subsection (b) lets any person nominate a building, site, or structure, and subsection (c) requires Council to hold a public hearing within 60 days of nomination, with notice posted on the property and mailed to the owner of record at least 15 days beforehand; a majority Council vote decides whether the nomination is accepted.

Subsection (d) ties designation to significance criteria in subsections (e) through (g): historical or cultural significance (association with a distinctive pattern of local, county, state, or national history; connection to a historically important person or event; or eligibility for the National Register of Historic Places), architectural or aesthetic significance (a distinctive style, the work of a master, or outstanding craftsmanship responding to the South Florida environment), and archaeological significance (a site's research value and degree of physical integrity, defined as intact or only slightly to moderately disturbed).

20(a) requires a certificate of review, authorized by City Council, before it can be altered, constructed, relocated, or demolished; subsection (b) exempts ordinary maintenance or repair that does not change the design, material, or outward appearance. 21 governs the certificate application process itself, including a 45-day public hearing requirement.