The City of Petersburg adopted a Historic Zoning Ordinance in 1973 to protect the architectural and cultural heritage of the City. The Historic Zoning Ordinance is administered by the Architectural Review Board, which is composed of seven persons with a knowledge of and interest in the preservation of the historic character of the City. The members are appointed by the City Council for three year terms.

The Historic Zoning Ordinance requires that a Certificate of Appropriateness be issued by the Board before the erection, construction, alteration or restoration of the EXTERIOR of any building or other man made structure located in any of the seven historic districts.

• Signs
• Walls or Fences
• Parking lots
• Additions to buildings
• Demolition
• New buildings

• Changes to windows and doors
• Changes to roofing material or pitch
• Changes in paint colors
• Renovations of storefronts
• Changes to siding or exterior cladding
• Changes to porches and entrances

Applications for approval by the Architectural Review Board (ARB) must be filed with the Petersburg Department of Planning & Community Development in City Hall. There are no application fees. The ARB meets on the second Wednesday of every month in City Hall.

The ARB has adopted both the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation and Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings and local Design Review Guidelines. These guidelines are designed to ensure that alterations and new construction will be compatible with the buildings already in the historic areas.