(A) Establishment. There is established by the city an Architectural Review Committee, consisting of seven persons. The Committee shall be composed of the Zoning Administrator, who shall act as Chairman of the Committee, Mayor, Common Council Member, two citizen members of the City Plan Commission and two other citizens from the general population of the city. The Common Council Member, the two citizen members of the Plan Commission, and the two other citizens shall each serve for a two-year term, or until his/her successor has been appointed. The terms of the initially appointed members shall be staggered with one citizen member of the City Plan Commission and one other citizen member being appointed for an initial term of one year.
(B) Appointment of members. The Common Council Member shall be appointed by the Common Council. The citizen members of the Plan Commission shall be appointed by the Plan Commission. The citizen members from the general population shall be appointed by the Mayor.
(C) Function of Committee. The function of said Committee is to review site plans, construction plans and implement the provisions of this subchapter and review proposed construction under said procedures and the recommendations established herein. All such procedures shall be approved by the Mayor and Common Council of the city prior to being used.
(D) Application review. The Zoning Administrator shall act as the coordinator for the site plan review process and any other required data to be reviewed by the Architectural Review Committee. The Architectural Review Committee may make recommendations with respect to the design, texture, material, color, line, mass dimension or lighting of the building or structure involved. Each member shall review and return the site plan application or other data to the Zoning Administrator along with their written recommendations within five days.
(E) Meetings. The Zoning Administrator at his/her discretion may call meetings of the members of the Architectural Review Committee for the purpose of discussing any application. All meetings of the Architectural Review Committee shall be public meetings and subject to Indiana open door provisions. The Zoning Administrator may request the applicant or its representative to be present. Any other party desiring to be heard in support of or in opposition to the application may be allowed to be present by filing a written request with the Zoning Administrator. Testimony shall be strictly confined to the question of whether the proposed construction, reconstruction, alteration or restoration satisfies or does not satisfy the criteria as set out in this subchapter. The Architectural Review Committee shall hear any oral testimony that the Zoning Administrator desires to present.
(F) Recommendation. Within 14 days after review, the Zoning Administrator or his/her designee shall provide the applicant a copy of the application indicating the recommendations of the Architectural Review Committee. If the applicant desires clarification of any of the noted recommendations, the applicant shall submit a written request detailing same to the Zoning Administrator, otherwise the applicant shall modify the application accordingly and resubmit the required copies of the application, within 90 days, to the Zoning Administrator.
(G) Approval. If the applicant's plans require the approval of a development plan under the city zoning ordinance, the Zoning Administrator shall submit the application to the City Plan Commission for development plan approval at the next scheduled meeting as provided for in the site plan review ordinance.
(Ord. 649, passed 2-10-14)