(A) The Committee may designate historic resources to the Local Landmark Register as a means of providing recognition of their significance and providing incentives and guidelines for their preservation. The Local Landmark Register is maintained by the Historic Preservation Officer and shall be available to the public.
(B) Historic resources within the corporate boundaries of the City and listed in the National Register, including all National Register-listed historic districts in their entirety may be listed in the Local Landmark Register using the procedures outlined in division (D) below, but need not be documented as outlined in divisions (C)(2) through (C)(4) below. In such cases, the National Register nomination shall serve as the Record of Designation. As historic resources of statewide significance, all National Register properties, including individual properties in recognized National Register historic districts, are subject to the regulations pursuant to state law.
(C) Any building, structure, object, site, or district may be designated to the Local Landmark Register if it meets all of the criteria listed below.
(1) The property is located within the boundaries of the City.
(2) The property is over 50 years of age or of exceptional importance, or in the case of a district, the majority of the properties are over 50 years old or have exceptional significance.
(3) The property possesses sufficient historic integrity, in that there are no major alterations or additions that have obscured or destroyed the significant historic features. Major alterations that may destroy the historic integrity include, but are not limited to, changes in pitch of the main roof, enlargement or enclosure of windows on principal facades, addition of upper stories or the removal of original upper stories, covering the exterior walls with non-historic materials, and moving the resource from its original location to one that is dissimilar to the original, additions which significantly detract from or obscure the form and appearance of the historic resource when viewed from the public right-of-way.
(4) The property has historic significance as demonstrated by meeting at least one of the following criteria:
(a) Association with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history;
(b) Association with the lives or persons significant in our past;
(c) Embody the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction or that represent the work of a master or that possess high artistic values or that represent a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction; and/or
(d) Have yielded or may be likely to yield information important in prehistory or history.
(D) The nomination procedures are as follows:
(1) There is no fee associated with nominating a historic resource to the Local Landmark Register;
(2) The nomination for a Historic Resource to the Local Landmark Register must include a description of the boundaries of the proposed area and the buildings, structures, object, and sites and a statement explaining how the historic resource(s) meet(s) the criteria;
(3) Prior to setting the proposed nomination on the agenda, the Historic Preservation Officer shall inform property owners in writing of the nomination process pursuant to local and state law. To be listed in the Local Landmark Register, the property’s legal owner shall provide a written statement to the City acknowledging that the owner understands the nomination process and the results of such a designation and wishes to have the property listed in the Local Landmark Register;
(4) Upon acceptance of a complete application and receipt of written owner consent, the Historic Preservation Officer shall schedule a public hearing before the Landmark Committee pursuant to applicable state and local laws;
(5) The Committee shall review the documentation and may make a recommendation to approve, deny, or table the application pending further testimony, or to allow the petitioner to provide additional information as requested by the Landmark Committee. The Landmark Committee shall forward written findings to the Planning Commission for approval or denial;
(6) Upon final approval by the Planning Commission shall prepare a record of designation that includes the original nomination materials and any additional materials considered during the nomination process that establishes the eligibility of the Historic Resource for listing in the Local Landmark Register; and
(7) Historic Resources designated as landmarks, excepting archeological sites, shall be noted in the Historic Landmarks Map.
(E) Historic resources listed in the Local Landmark Register receive the following benefits:
(1) All uses and restrictions established by the underlying zoning, existing conditional use permits, and other applicable design standards shall remain in effect unless changed through due process;
(2) City Staff shall consider granting zoning variances and/or conditional use permits in order to encourage the productive use and preservation of landmarks; and
(3) The local County’s Building Inspector shall consider waiving certain code requirements in accordance with the existing state building codes.
(Ord. 638, passed 5-7-2014)