Because our neighborhood is both nationally and locally recognized as a Historic District, there are special rules associated with renovations, building new, and design.

All exterior work on a property, including new construction, renovation, fencing, doors, windows, driveways, garages, etc requires an approved Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) application. Springfield is one of three Jacksonville Historic Districts, so if you are considering making alterations to your home or business within the Springfield Historic District – including demolition – a COA is required. Please note that work to a property site in a historic district (such as repair and installation of new sidewalks and driveways) also require an approved COA. If you are interested in researching a COA that may have been filed for a property, you can utilize the Land Use & Zoning Portal follow onto "Inquire Application" and then use the Advanced Search to search by address. 

An approved COA application ensures that the proposed work is consistent with the appropriate design and construction regulations and historic preservation standards. Most work can be approved administratively by the Historic Preservation Section of the Jacksonville Planning and Development Department. Other work, such as street visible additions, new construction, window replacement, demolition and relocation, will require the review and action by the Jacksonville Historic Preservation Commission (HPC). An approved COA is required before a building permit can be issued.

Please call (904) 255-7859 to schedule an appointment with a planner to submit a COA or follow these steps.

Springfield Preservation and Revitalization (SPAR) also has a volunteer advisory Design & Review committee which reviews COA applications and may make recommendations to the city's Historic Preservation Commission. If you would like assistance with the COA process or would like talk about your project prior to submitting a COA, please contact the SPAR Office at [email protected] to schedule an appointment.

The city's Historic Preservation Code Inspector carries out enforcement action on violations and provides inspections to confirm compliance with an approved COA.

To report a violation or request an inspection, please call city of Jacksonville Historic Preservation Office at (904) 255-7859 or report the violation by calling C.A.R.E. at (904) 630-CITY. Please note that as of July 1, 2021, Florida state law (specifically Senate Bill 60) states that a code compliance officer may not initiate a potential violation investigation that stems from an anonymous complaint. 

Direct links to rules and regulations specific to our neighborhood:

Springfield Historic District Design and Construction rules 

Springfield Historic District Fencing rules

Springfield Zoning Overlay rules (scroll to the bottom)

List of Contributing and Non Contributing Structures (circa 1991)

Watch our recorded webinar: Historic Preservation Workshop: COA Process