The powers of the Historic Resources Commission shall be to:
(A) Undertake an inventory of properties of historical, architectural, archaeological, and/or cultural significance.
(B) Recommend to the City Council districts or areas to be designated in the ordinance as historic districts within the city and its extraterritorial zoning jurisdiction.
(C) Recommend to the City Council that designation of any district or area as a historic district or part thereof be revoked or removed for just cause.
(D) Recommend to the City Council individual structures, buildings, sites, areas or objects to be designated by ordinance as historic landmarks.
(E) Recommend to City Council that designation of any building, structure, site, area or object as a historic property be revoked or removed.
(F) Conduct an educational program with respect to historic properties and districts within its jurisdiction.
(G) Publish information about, or otherwise inform the owners of property within the historic district or of designated historic landmarks, of any matters pertinent to its duties, organization, procedures, responsibilities, functions or requirements.
(H) Cooperate with the state, federal and local governments in pursuance of the purposes of this section. The City Council, or the Commission when authorized by the City Council, may contract with the State of North Carolina or the United States of America, or any agency of either, or with any other organization, provided the terms are not inconsistent with state or federal law, for services or funds.
(I) Recommend to the City Council and the State of North Carolina structures, sites, objects or districts worthy of national, state or local recognition.
(J) Communicate with other boards or commissions or agencies of the city or other governmental units to offer or request assistance, aid, guidance, or advice concerning matters under its purview or of mutual interest.
(K) Follow quasi-judicial procedures in determining appeals of certificates of appropriateness as outlined in § 21.011,
(L) Consider and act upon applications for certificates of appropriateness in accordance with division (F) of § 92.109(B). All applications for certificates of appropriateness shall be reviewed and acted upon within a reasonable time, not to exceed 180 days from the date the application for a certificate of appropriateness is filed, as defined by the regulation or the commission's rules of procedure.
(M) Act as, establish or designate a group, body or committee to give advice to property owners concerning the treatment of the historical and visual characteristics of their properties, such as fenestration, architectural and landscape features. The group shall act in a strictly advisory capacity to property owners, and shall abstain from offering recommendations outside of advertised meetings of the Commission prior to the Commission's decision on any application(s) for a certificate of appropriateness for proposed work on the property.
(N) Establish standards under which the city staff may approve applications for certificates of appropriateness for minor modifications of historic properties or building structures or sites in a historic district on behalf of the Commission, provided no application shall be denied by the staff without first being considered by the Commission.
(O) Undertake programs of information, research, or analysis relating to any matters under its purview.
(P) Report violations of this section or of related ordinances, such as the zoning ordinance and the building code, to the Building Inspector or other authorized city staff for their investigation and enforcement as needed.
(Q) Take steps during the period of postponement of demolition of any historic property to ascertain what the City Council can or may do to preserve such properties, including consultation with private civic groups, interested private citizens and other public boards or agencies, including investigation of potential acquisition by the city when the preservation of a given historic property is clearly in the interest of the general welfare of the community, and such property is of certain historic, architectural and archaeological significance.
(R) Assist city staff in obtaining the services of private consultants to aid in carrying out programs of research or analysis.
(S) Exercise such other powers and perform such other duties as are required elsewhere by this section, the General Statutes of North Carolina or by the City of Albemarle.
(Ord. 18-30, passed 9-4-18; Am. Ord. 21-26, passed 7-12-21; Am. Ord. 24-03, passed 1-8-23)