The City of Delaware has a vibrant, historic downtown which has long been the cultural center of the City. In an effort to preserve this integral piece of the City's infrastructure and culture, City Council established a Downtown Historic District in the 1990s and adopted Architectural Standards to ensure that the historic downtown buildings are protected. The Historic District is outlined below in red.

The Historic District has different regulations than the rest of the city when it comes to fixtures, design, paint colors, signs, and more, and any property in the Historic District is required to comply with the Architectural Standards for the Downtown Historic District as outlined in Chapter 1190 the Zoning Code. Any exterior alterations to a building within this boundary require approval by the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC), a board of citizen representatives who are committed to ensuring that Delaware’s history is preserved and respected. All alterations require what is called a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) in addition to the standard building or zoning permits required by code. While some of these alterations – like paint, signs, and roofs – are often approved administratively, larger projects like full renovations or façade updates generally require an applicant to appear before the HPC in order to receive their COA.

You must apply for your COA before you begin work on your sign, paint, roof, or other exterior alteration – otherwise, you might incur a penalty fee or be found in non-compliance with our code, resulting in Code Enforcement action.