A Sanford fence can involve ordinary permit review and a separate historic Certificate of Appropriateness. Start with the City’s residential-fence route, then ask whether the property’s location and proposed work trigger historic review. Neither decision replaces the other. Building Division · Current historic-review scope
Build the property-condition matrix
Sanford’s Schedule F, section 5 calls for a survey-based plot plan showing the fence location, gates, any required landscaping buffer, total length, and height and material for each segment. If a survey is unavailable, the applicant may petition the designated official to consider a dimensionally accurate plan. That is a request for consideration, not an automatic survey waiver.
| Condition | Decision or document to obtain |
|---|---|
| Ordinary residential fence | Application, approved layout and issued permit |
| Corner, drainage or visibility condition | City review of the affected fence segment, not just an overall height |
| Historic property or district | City confirmation of the applicable review and a Certificate decision if required |
| Material, height or location revision | Updated approval in each affected review |
Use the matrix to identify which question remains unanswered. Do not infer a corner-lot clearance or historic status from the building’s appearance. The cited fence pages of Schedule F are dated January 25, 2021 and remain linked from the Building page; the City must confirm their application to the project.
Historic districts do not all have identical triggers
The current Historic Preservation page describes exterior-work COA review for Historic Landmarks and the Downtown Commercial, Sanford Avenue and Residential Historic Districts. It separately describes demolition and new-construction COAs in Georgetown Residential. Do not turn the word “historic” into one universal fence-review rule. Ask Planning which classification and scope apply. Current district distinctions
The older linked COA requirements PDF lists Downtown Commercial and Residential districts but does not include the current page’s full district discussion. Use it for the application documents below, not as a complete current district list.
If a COA is required, prepare the fence-specific evidence
The COA requirements list fences and gates among minor staff reviews and call for:
- a site plan with property dimensions and the proposed fence/gate location;
- a dimensioned illustration, sketch, brochure or photograph of the proposed design;
- a materials description and photographs of the affected yard; and
- a photograph showing the building’s entire front, requested for all submissions.
Confirm the actual review classification with the City, especially if the fence is part of a larger project. This list does not promise staff approval or a board hearing date.
Keep both approved designs consistent
The Building Division directs permits and supporting documents to Citizenserve and says paper applications and plans are no longer accepted. Its contact is 407-688-5150. Historic applications also use Citizenserve through the City’s historic-review route.
Before work, compare the location, height and material in the ordinary permit with the COA decision, if one is required. If they differ, ask the City which revised action is needed; do not choose whichever drawing is easier to build.
LSL compared the current City pages, the relevant Schedule F text and native pages, and the COA requirements on September 20, 2026. No private property, survey, permit or historic classification was reviewed. The contribution is a conditional document comparison, not a zoning determination.