| Although Sarasota's historic
resources often seem "young in comparison to those in other
communities, the first European settlers arrived here before the
Civil War. Structures still remain in Sarasota which date from
the late 1800's, although most of our documented historic
resources are from the Florida Land Boom of the 1920's.
Recently, attention has been directed to Sarasota's post-World
War II modern architectural movement, referred to as the
Sarasota School of Architecture. To learn more about Sarasota
County's historical resources, contact the History Center. Benefits for
homeowners to become designated
Historic designation entitles an
owner to a variety of programs to encourage the preservation of
significant historical resources. These range from incentives to
promote sensitive historical rehabilitation by offering some
relief from building and zoning codes, and an ad-valorem tax
exemption for qualifying improvements to historic structures.
More information on these programs is available from the
Sarasota County History Center. The director of the History
Center is also authorized to install an official plaque to
identify designated historical resources.
How to
identify a home's historic designation potential
- Generally, structures need
to be at least fifty years old for historic designation
- They must possess historical
integrity, i.e. the ability to relay their historical
significance through their physical appearance
- Resources must be associated
with a significant historical events or figures, or
associated with a defined historical context
- They need to embody the
distinctive characteristics of an architectural style or
method of construction
- Or be able to yield
information important in history or pre-history
How do
you designate a historic resource?
A site, building, structure, object, or even a district can be historically designated on the local or national levels.
- The federal listing of
historic buildings is called the National Register of
Historic Places.
- Application for the National
Register are available online at www.nps.gov, or by calling
the Florida Department of State, Division of Historical
Resources at 800-847-7278.
- In Sarasota County, historic
designations are conferred by the city of Sarasota, city of
Venice, or Sarasota County.
- Each program has its own
historic preservation board with advisory powers to its city
or county commission.
- Eligibility for these
various registers is based on geographic location.
- The good news is that all of
the programs use the same criteria for evaluating historical
significance.
Does historic
designation limit future alterations to the property?
Here are a couple of
examples:
- An addition was completed on a historically designed
property on the Siesta Key waterfront. The construction
value of this large addition was $65,000. The result was an
increased assessment on the improvement of $72,000. At the
current millage rate of 3.93, this property owner would save
$283 annually with the tax exemption.
- A historic structure on Cocoanut Avenue in downtown Sarasota
underwent a major rehabilitation after a fire. The
construction value of the remodeling was $88,000. And
resulted in an increased assessment on the improvement of
$79,000. This property owner would save $310 annually with
the tax exemption.
How does a
homeowner apply for the tax exemption?
Applications are available
from the Sarasota County History Center.Historic Preservation and
Designation - What do Sarasota, Charleston, Boston, and Savanna
have in common?
All four, and hundreds more communities like them, have historic
preservation programs designed to identify and protect their
unique heritages. Protecting the historical resources of a
community enhances overall property values and facilitates
resale opportunities. Historic resources are homes, commercial
buildings, farm buildings, bridges, public fountains, walls and
markers, to name a few.
A few benefits to historic designation include:
- Preservation programs within historic districts often
increase the value of individual homes.
- Historic districts have distinct identities that add to
their value as a place.
- Historic designation can have a tax exemption benefit
for historic properties.
Designation, Tax Exemption for
Historic Property
The Tax Exemption Ordinance:
Sarasota County's tax exemption regulation, Article V of chapter
66 of the Sarasota County Code, allows property owners to apply
for an exemption on the increase in the assessed value
attributed to qualifying improvements to historically designated
properties.
The exemption applies to county ad valorem taxes for a period up
to ten years.
The tax exemption ordinance provides several benefits
- Exemption from county ad valorem taxes
- Free design assistance from Historic Preservation Board
Transferability between owners for a period of up to ten
years eligible improvements to real property include:
- building additions
- window replacement
- site improvements
- removal of historically incompatible materials
The application is developed in concert with county
preservation staff.
Final design review and approval is conducted by the
county Historic Preservation Board in accordance with
established guidelines for historic rehabilitations.
The final decision to grant or deny the exemption
lies with the Sarasota Board of County Commissioners. |
