A. Establishment: There is hereby established a historic preservation commission which shall consist of five (5) members.
B. Membership; Officers; Quorum; Meetings:
1. Members shall be appointed on the basis of demonstrated interest and/or professional expertise and experience in the areas of archaeology, architecture, architectural history, art, art history, building construction, engineering, finance, historical and architectural preservation, history, landscape architecture, law, planning, real estate, or urban design.
2. A planning division staff member shall serve as a liaison to the historic preservation commission as a non-voting, ex officio member.
3. The village president shall appoint, subject to the approval of the village board, the members of the historic preservation commission for terms of three (3) years. Initial members shall serve staggered terms of three (3) appointed for three (3) years terms, and two (2) for two (2) year terms.
4. The village president, with the advice and consent of the board of trustees, shall appoint the chairperson, vice-chairperson, and such officers as determined to be appropriate.
5. Officers shall serve for terms of one (1) year, commencing May 1 and ending April 30 of the following year, and shall be eligible for re-appointment.
6. A quorum shall consist of a majority of the members. All recommendations to the village board shall be made by a majority of those members present at any meeting where a quorum exists.
7. Meetings shall be held at regularly scheduled times and at the call of the chairperson, as necessary.
8. Minutes of the proceedings of each meeting shall be made and kept as required by law.
9. Attendance will be taken and included in the minutes which will be made available to the village board.
10. Any member of the historic preservation commission who fails to attend three (3) consecutive meetings or who fails to attend one half (1/2) of all meetings held within any twelve (12) month period may be replaced as recommended by the village president and approved by the board of trustees.
11. The historic preservation commission shall provide an annual written report of its activities to the village president and board of trustees by June 1 of each year.
12. All meetings shall conform to the requirements of the “open meetings act.’
13. Members shall serve with compensation as established by the village board.
14. Commission members shall recuse themselves from any official involvement, including any deliberation or voting as to any property which they own or have any ownership interest in, that is the subject of historic landmark nomination or designation, historic district nomination or designation, a certificate of appropriateness, a certificate of economic hardship, or any subdivision, planned unit development, or zoning review process as set forth in this title.
C. Powers And Duties Of The Historic Preservation Commission: The historic preservation commission shall have the following powers and duties:
1. To adopt its own procedural regulations;
2. To conduct an ongoing survey to identify such buildings, structures, sites, objects, or historic districts within the planning jurisdiction of the village as well as other properties as they are annexed into the village that are historically or architecturally significant in that they exemplify and/or reflect the cultural, social, economic, political, or architectural history of the nation, state, or village;
3. To allow for the review and comment from Lake County, Illinois regarding any actions pertaining to the annexation of property designated as a county landmark into the village of Antioch;
4. To investigate, hold public hearings, and recommend to the village board the adoption of ordinances designating certain buildings, structures, or sites as having special historic, community, scenic, architectural, or archaeological value as historic landmarks;
5. To investigate, hold public hearings, and recommend to the Village Board the adoption of ordinances designating certain Antioch areas as having special historic, community, scenic, architectural, or archeological value as historic districts;
6. To maintain a register of all property and structures which have been designated under this title, including all information required for such designation;
7. To inform and educate the citizens of Antioch concerning the historic and architectural heritage of the village;
8. To advise and assist owners of landmarks and property or structures within historic districts on physical and financial aspects of preservation, renovation, rehabilitation, and re-use, and on procedures for inclusion on the national register of historic places;
9. To advise and assist owners of historically significant properties or within certified historic districts to receive certification for repairs and alterations so that the owner will qualify for state property tax or federal tax credit programs;
10. To recommend certification of designated historic landmarks and districts, with the approval of the village board, to the Illinois historic preservation agency;
11. To nominate landmarks and historic districts, with the approval of the village board, to the national register of historic places;
12. To develop criteria, with the approval of the village board, for the alteration, construction, or removal of landmarks and property and structures within historic districts;
13. To hold public hearings and to review applications for certificates of appropriateness for new construction within historic districts and for additions to, alterations, removal, or demolition of buildings or structures within historic districts or designated landmarks and to consider applications for certificates of appropriateness for such actions and recommend approval, approval with conditions, or denial to the village board for proposed "major work;"
14. To hold public hearings and to review applications for certificates of appropriateness for additions to, alterations, removal, or demolition of buildings or structures within historic districts or designated landmarks and to consider applications for certificates of appropriateness for such actions and approve, approve with conditions, or deny proposed "minor work;"
15. To consider applications for certificates of economic hardship and recommend approval, approval with conditions, or denial to the village board;
16. To develop criteria for the redevelopment of historically significant sites or properties;
17. To review proposed zoning amendments, applications for special uses, or applications for zoning variances which affect designated historic landmarks, districts, or property adjacent thereto. The planning division shall send applications for special use or zoning variances to the commission for comment prior to the date of the hearing by the plan commission or the village board;
18. To testify before appropriate boards and commissions on any matters affecting historically or architecturally significant property, structures, or areas;
19. To administer on behalf of the village, upon designation by the board of trustees, any property or full or partial interest in real property, including a conservation right as that term is used in chapter 765 of the Illinois Compiled Statutes section 120, paragraph 1, which the village may have or accept as a gift or otherwise;
20. To recommend application for, acceptance of, and administration of such gifts, grants and money as may be appropriate for the purposes of this title to the board of trustees;
21. To develop a preservation component for the comprehensive plan for the village and to recommend it to the plan commission;
22. To periodically review the village zoning ordinance as it relates to historic preservation and to recommend amendments/updates to the plan commission;
23. To confer recognition upon the owners of landmarks upon buildings, structures, sites, or objects within historic districts by means of certificates, plaques, markers, and the like; and
24. To undertake any other action or activity necessary and appropriate to the implementation of its powers and duties or to the implementation of the purpose of this title not inconsistent with this code. (Ord. 19-12-43, 1-13-2020)