Design Guidelines for the South Lake Morton and the East Lake Morton Neighborhood

The City of Lakeland has established Design Guidelines to encourage the rehabilitation and maintenance of existing historic properties and assist in the development of historic neighborhood standards.

Go to the City of Lakeland's Community Development - Planning Web Site for full details regarding Historic Preservation.

When was the Historic Preservation Board established?

In 1980 the City Commission adopted Ordinance #2203 relating to historic preservation. This ordinance established the Historic Preservation Board, the Design Review Committee, the composition and duties of the Board and other related procedures. In 1997 Ordinance #3841 was adopted and superseded the original ordinance. 

Do I need a building permit to perform work on the exterior of my home?

In most cases, a building permit will be required for work in an historic district. Most work performed on the exterior of structures in historic districts will require building permits. In some cases, such as fences, the work you plan to undertake would not ordinarily require a building permit if the structure were not located in an historic district. This applies to buildings even if they are not considered historically significant.

Do I need a Certificate of Review / Appropriateness to perform work on the interior of my home?

No, not unless it will affect the exterior of your home in some manner. However, a building permit may be required.