City Comprehensive Plan

Historical and Archaeological Preservation Element

For years, the City of New Smyrna Beach left the management of historic resources to private whim, resulting in an erosion of these resources. However, due to the enactment of stronger, more comprehensive national legislation for historic preservation; implementation of the State’s Comprehensive Planning program; the creation of Certified Local Governments, CLG; and an increasing awareness by concerned citizens and public officials that historic treasures were rapidly becoming an “endangered species”; the City began to take a more realistic approach to the identification and preservation of structures and sites having historic importance.  In addition, federal tax legislation in 1976 and 1981 helped to create a more favorable investment climate for preserving these structures and sites.

The City’s progress in dealing with historic preservation can be measured by the fact that it has:

  1. Prepared a survey of historic resources;
  2. Prepared a Historic Preservation Element to its Comprehensive Plan to evaluate these resources, and to determine which of them should be preserved; 
  3. Designated two (2) National Register Historic Districts encompassing the traditional mainland downtown and surrounding residential neighborhoods and the Old Coronado Beach section of the beachside; 
  4. Adopted a Historic Preservation Ordinance (1986) outlining sound policies for preservation and restoration of the structures and sites selected for such action; and 
  5. Added 15 local landmarks; 
  6. Designated the Turnbull Canal System. 

The two (2) steps remaining are:

  •  To outline locally designated historical districts and add additional landmarks, where appropriate; 
  •  To develop a definitive procedure for nominating potential structures and sites for the National Register of Historic Places and local landmarks review and final selection.

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