27-75 ORDINANCE NO. 27-75.
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
DELRAY BEACH, FLORIDA, ESTABLISHING A COMMUNITY
APPEARANCE BOARD; PRESCRIBING ORGANIZATION, MEMBERS,
TERMS, APPOINTMENTS; SPECIFYING POWERS, DUTIES AND
CRITERIA OF THE BOARD; ESTABLISHING MEETINGS, RECORDS,
APPROVAL OF PLANS AND RECO~iENDATIONS FOR TRANSMITTAL
TO CITY COUNCIL A~ND DECISIONS; DECLARING CERTAIN ACTS
TO BE IN VIOLATION OF THIS ORDiNA~NCE; P~aESCRIBING
PENALTIES FOR THE VIOLATION OF THE PROVISIONS OF THIS
ORDINA~CE; REPEALING ALL ORDINANCES OR PARTS OF ORDI-
NANCES IN CONFLICT HEREWITH; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
WHEREAS, the City Council and citizens of Delray Beach are desirous
of creating an improved quality of life in the community that can be
derived from beautiful surroundings; and,
WHEREAS, the health, safety, aesthetic attractiveness and general
welfare of the community can be achieved through the cooperation of
community leaders, architects, planners, Realtors, builders and all .
citizens; and,
WHEREAS, beautiful and well-planned communities result through
deliberate community leadership and positive action guided by a board
empowered by its enabling ordinance to merge environment and development
into an integrated whole; and,
WHEREAS, the Community Appearance Board Study Committee was author-
ized by City Council to study and prepare the organization of the Community
Appearance Board; and,
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Delray Beach, Florida, con-
curs in recommendations by said Study Committee; and,
WHEREAS, the City Administration is in agreement with the recommenda-
tions proposed,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
DELRAY BEACH, FLORIDA, AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Creation, Members, Terms, Appointments.
A Community Appearance Board is hereby created:
(a) The Board shall be composed of five (5) members, appointed
by the City Council for terms of two (2) years, except
that the members of this first Board to serve shall be
appointed so that t.hree (3) members shall serve two (2)
year terms, and two (2) members shall serve one (1) year
.terms. Their successors shall be appointed to two (2)
year terms.
(b) Two (2) alternate members shall be appointed by the City
Council for terms of one (1) year. In the absence or
disability of a regular member, an alternate member shall
be called to sit, and act in his place by the Chairman of
the Board.
Section 2. Organization: Qualifications of members.
The Community Appearance Board shall elect a Chairman and Vice-
Chairman to preside at its meetings and such other officers as
the Board may deem necessary. The Board shall formulate its
rules and regulations for the conduct of its business. The
~.embers of the Board shall have the following qualifications:
A member of the Community Appearance Board shall either
be a resident of the City of Delray Beach and/or shall
have his principal place of business in Delray Beach.
(b) Two of the regular members of the Board shall be regis-
tered architects.
(c) One member of the Board shall be a landscape architect or
a person with expertise in landscaping or horticulture.
(d) Whenever feasible, one of the two (2) alternate members
shall be a registered architect.
Section 3. Powers and Duties; Plans and Speoifications.
(a) The Community Appearance Board, as a prerequisite to its
recommendation of approval or approval with conditions,
may require such changes in said plans and specifications
as in its judgment may be requisite and appropriate to
the maintenance of a high standard of architecture, beauty
and harmony as established by the standards adopted by the
City Council for the guidance of the Board.
(b) The Community Appearance Board shall review and make
recommendations as to every application for a permit to
erect a building, structure or sign or to materially alter
an elevation of any existing building or structure or sign
in the City of Delray Beach, excluding separate single
family dwellings, but including group single dwellings.
Every application shall be accompanied by two sets of
detailed plans and if plans submitted do not furnish suffi-
cient information adequately to show the scope of the
planned construction for which a permit has been requested,
then there shall be furnished, in addition to the two sets
of detailed plans, one set of detailed specifications for
such proposed work; both the plans and specifications shall
be prepared by a registered architect or registered engi~
neer, qualified under the laws of the State of Florida to
prepare such plans and specifications. The Community
Appearance Board shall not give a favorable recommendation
to the appliqation for a permit until the plans (and
specifications when required) including landscape plans,
have been provided as herein set forth and approved by the
Board.
The Community Appearance Board shall function as a recom-
mending body only. The Board shall make recommendations
to the City Council which the City Council will review
in accordance with the criteria established in this ordi-
nance and any supplemental crite_ria made applicable hereto.
The City Council, after such review, shall make the final
determination whether to approve the application for a
permit, approve with conditions, or disapprove, provided,
however, no application for a permit shall be considered
by the City Council for final action until the applicant
has processed his application through the Community
Appearance Board.
Section 4. Criteria.
The Community Appearance Board may recommend approval, approval
with conditions, or disapproval of the issuance of a building
'permit in any matter subject to its jurisdiction after consi-
de. ration of whether the following are complied with:
The plan for the proposed structure or project is in con-
formity with good taste, goo~ design, and in general,
contributes to the image of the City of Delray Beach, as
a place of beauty, spaciousness, harmony, taste, fitness,
Ord. No. 27-75.
broad vistas and high quality.
(b) The proposed structure or project is in its exterior
design and appearance of quality such as not to cause the
nature of the local environment or evolving environment
to materially depreciate in appearance and value.
(c) The proposed structure or project is in harmony with the
proposed developments in the general area, with the com-
prehensive plan for the City of Delray Beach, and with
the criteria set forth in "Supplemental Criteria and
Procedural Rules of the Community Appearance Board", as
may from time to time be amended or revised. Any recom-
mendation of the Board must comply with such supplemental
criteria and procedural rules of the Community Appearance
Board, which supplemental critera and rules must be con-
sistent with the criteria set forth in this section. The
supplemental criteria and rules of the Board may be amended
from time to time by ordinance regularly adopted upon
action initiated by the City Council.
(d) The proposed structure is in conformity~with the standards
of this code and other applicable ordinances insofar as
the location and appearance of the buildings and struc-
tures are involved. If the above criteria are met, the
application shall be recommended for approval. Conditions
may be applied when the proposed building or structure
does not comply with the above criteria and shall be such
as to bring said structure or project into conformity.
If any application is recommended for disapproval', the
Community Appearance Board shall detail in its findings
the criterion or criteria that are not met. The action
taken by the Board shall be recorded in writing, signed
by the Chairman, and a copy thereof made available to the
applicant on request.
Section 5. Meetings, Records, Recommendations for Approval of Plans,
Transmittal to City Council and Decision.
(a) The Community Appearance Board shall have regularly
scheduled meetings which shall be not less frequently than
twice a month. Additional meetings may be held at the
call of the Chairman as may be required in order to con-
sider without delay. All
pending
applications
unnecessary
meetings shall be open to the public and the order of
business and procedure to be followed shall be as pre-
scribed within the rules and regulations to be adopted by
the Community Appearance Board; a majority of the Board
shall constitute a quorum and the affirmative vote of the
majority cf the Board shall be necessary for any action(s)
thereof. The City Manage£ is hereby authorized and em-
powered to appoint a secretary for the Board. A record of
the proceedings of the Board shall be kept showing its
action on each question considered. Such record shall be
filed in the office of the secretary of the Community
Appearance Board of the City and shall be open for public
inspection.
(b) Failure of the Board to make a recommendation within fif-
teen (15) days of sufficient plans and specifications being
filed with the Board shall constitute a recommendation for
approval bf such plans and specifications by the Board.
(c) The recommendation of the' Community Appearance Board shall
be forwarded to the City Council. upon receipt of ~
recommendation, the City Council shall review the applica-
tion, but if within sixty (60) days, the City Council has
not acted upon the recommendation, the application for a
permit shall be deemed denied.
Ord. No. 27-75.
Section 6. The requirements of this ordinance are in addition to
any other requirement of the Code of Ordinances of the City of
Delray Beach, such as the Zoning Code, the Building Code, etc.
A recommendation for approval by the Community Appearance
Board of a given set of plans and specifications does not
necessarily constitute evidence of applicant's compliance with
other requirements of the Code of the City of Delray Beach.
Section 7. Violations.
(a) It shall constitute a violation of this ordinance should
any owner, agent or person having charge of or occupying
any lot or premises covered by the provisions of this
ordinance refuse or neglect, for a period of fifteen (15)
days after receiving notice from the City of any viola-
tions hereof, fail to cure such violation without further
notice.
(b) In case of such violation, as stated above, the City may
then cause the work of removal, replacement and/or cutting
to be done and the cost of such work shall forthwith be
paid by such owner, agent or other person.
(c) Upon failure of the owner, agent or other person to
promptly pay the cost of such work, the City Clerk shall
cause an affidavit to be placed upon the public records
of Palm Beach County describing the work done and the
amount of cost incurred by the City of Delray Beach.
.-. Such affidavit shall constitute a claim of lien against
· the property, foreclosable in the manner of mortgages,
, together with the costs of the action and all reasonable
attorneys' fees incurred by the City.
Any notices required by this ordinance may be mailed to
the owner of record as shown on the tax roll df Palm Beach
County or may be posted upon the premises by affixing in
any conspicuous place on any structure located on such
premises or may be given by leaving a copy of such notice
with any person of legal age occupying or having charge
of the premises.
Section 8. Penalty.
Any person, firm or corporation who violates, disobeys, omits,
neglects or refuses to comply with, or who resists the enforce-
ment of any of the provisions of this ordinance shall be fined
twenty-five (25) dollars. Each day a violation exists shall
constitute a separate offense.
Section 9. All ordinances, resolutions or parts thereof in conflict
herewith are hereby repealed.
Section 10. If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase or
portion of this ordinance is for any reason held invalid or
unconstitutional by any court of competent jurisdiction, such
portion shall be deemed a separate, distinct and independent
provision and shall not affect the validity of the remaining
portion thereof.
PASSED AND ADOPTED in regular session on second and final reading on
this 28th day of July , 1975.
Firs~ Reading June 23, 1975
Second Reading_ruly 28. 1975
Ord. No. 27-75.