For Immediate Release
Thursday, August 7, 2014
Contact: Brittany Lesser,
850.245.6522
Town of Belleair Receives Certified Local Government Designation
Tallahassee –
Secretary of State Ken Detzner announced today that the Town of Belleair has been designated a Florida Certified Local Government (CLG). The CLG Program is a partnership among local governments, the State of Florida and the National Park Service, which designates CLGs through this national historic preservation program.
“The Town of Belleair has taken an important step in the preservation of its historic resources by seeking designation as a Certified Local Government” said Secretary of State Ken Detzner. “As a Certified Local Government, the town will create a process for the survey, designation, and protection of its historic resources, and will join a network of 64 other Certified Local Governments around Florida which have made historic preservation a public policy priority.”
The CLG program encourages the direct participation of local governments in the identification, evaluation, registration, and preservation of historic properties within their jurisdictions, and promotes the integration of local preservation interests and concerns into local planning and decision-making processes. Local governments that participate in the CLG Program act independently to develop and maintain a successful preservation program.
Incorporated in 1925, the Town of Belleair is located in Pinellas County just north of St. Petersburg. Belleair’s history began with the construction of the Belleview Hotel in 1890. This landmark building, one of the largest wood frame buildings in Florida, was constructed by Henry B. Plant as a resort destination to boost tourist travel on his railroad line serving the west coast of Florida. Following the town’s incorporation, noted city planner John Nolen was commissioned to lay out the community’s streets. The town grew rapidly after World War II, and most of its historic resources date from that time. Concerns over the preservation of the Biltmore Hotel and the community’s other historic buildings encouraged the town to adopt a historic preservation ordinance in 2005, and then to seek designation as a Certified Local Government.
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About the Florida Certified Local Government Program
The CLG was established in 1980, and is administered by the National Park Service and in Florida by the Division of Historical Resources, Florida Department of State. The CLG Program links three levels of government—federal, state and local—into a preservation partnership for the identification, evaluation, and protection of historic and archaeological resources. Florida’s CLGs (towns, cities, and counties) receive expert technical historic preservation assistance to guide them in the preservation efforts from the National Park Service, the Division of Historical Resources, and from Florida’s other CLGs. This designation also gives CLGs access to historic preservation grant assistance available solely to CLGs. In order to become a CLG, a local government must meet several requirements, the most important of which is a commitment to enforcing local and state historic preservation laws, and the establishment of a professionally qualified historic preservation board. Nationally, more than 1,880 local governments participate in the CLG program. In Florida, 65 local governments have been designated as CLG. For more information visit flheritage.com/preservation/clg.
About the Division of Historical Resources
The Division of Historical Resources (DHR) is responsible for preserving and promoting Florida’s historical, archaeological, and folk culture resources. DHR directs historic preservation efforts throughout the state in cooperation with state and federal agencies, local governments, private organizations, and individuals. The director of DHR serves as the State Historic Preservation Officer, acting as the liaison with the national historic preservation program conducted by the National Park Service. Chapter 267, Florida Statutes, directs DHR to develop a statewide historic preservation plan. The Division is comprised of two Bureaus or major program areas: archaeological research and historic preservation. For more information visit
flheritage.com.
