(A) The Commission, in determining whether to recommend for designation, and the City Council, in determining whether to approve designation of particular sites, structures or improvements as historic landmarks, shall consider the following criteria:
Historical And/or Cultural Importance | |
(1) | Significance as an example of the architectural, cultural, economic, historic or social development or heritage of the city, the state or the United States. "Significance" means the relative importance of the property when viewed in the property's architectural, cultural, economic, historic or social context. |
(2) | Location as a site of a historic event, with a significant effect on the city, the state or the United States. "Significant" means the relative importance of the effect of the event on the city, the state or the United States. |
(3) | Identification with a person or persons who significantly contributed to the architectural, cultural, economic, historic or social heritage, or other aspect of the city, the state or the United States |
(4) | Existence in the National Register of Historic Places |
(5) | Embodiment of those distinguishing characteristics of significant architectural type, or style, or engineering specimen. "Significant" means the relative importance of the architectural type, or style, or engineering specimen. |
(6) | Identification as the work of a builder, designer, architect, craftsperson, engineer or landscape architect who individual work is significant in the development of the city, the state or the United States. "Significant" means the relative importance of the builder, designer, architect, craftsperson. engineer or landscape architect. |
(7) | Contains design elements, detail, material or craftsmanship that make the property or building structurally or architecturally innovative, rare or unique |
(8) | Representation of an architectural, cultural, economic, historic or social theme, style or period, expressed in distinctive areas, districts, places, buildings or structures that may or may not be contiguous |
(B) Principles for evaluating the historical and/or cultural importance of proposed historic landmarks by the Commission. The Commission, in evaluating all properties for designation as historic landmarks pursuant to any of the criteria above, should apply and be guided by the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and Guidelines for Archeology and Historic Preservation, effective September 29, 1983 and revised from time to time thereafter, which are prepared under the authority of sections 101(f), (g), and (h), and section 110 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, including, but not limited to, the following principles:
(1) Evaluation requires adequately developed historic contexts, including sufficient information about the appearance, condition and associative values of the property to be evaluated in order to classify it as to property type; compare its features or characteristics with those expected for its property type; and define the physical extent of the property and accurately locate the property.
(2) Evaluation must distinguish between facts and analysis, and must include identification and description of pertinent historical contexts; description of the property and its significance in the historical context; and analysis of the integrity of the property relative to that needed to represent the context.
(3) Where the Commission deems it necessary and feasible, Commissioners should consult with other individuals experienced in applying the relevant criteria; for example, the State Historic Preservation Officer.
(4) Evaluation should not be undertaken using documentation that may be out of date. Prior to proceeding with evaluation the current condition of the property should be determined and previous analyses evaluated in light of any new information.
(5) If the Commission determines that it does not have all the information it needs to conduct an adequate evaluation, it may undertake its own research in order to supplement the nomination to the extent necessary. In cases in which needed information is not obtainable, for example, where historical records have been destroyed, the Commission should acknowledge what information was not obtainable and how that missing information may affect the reliability of the evaluation.
(C) Integrity.
(1) In order for the Commission to nominate any site, structure or improvement that meets one or more of the above criteria as a historic landmark, the Commission must additionally determine that it has sufficient integrity of location, design, material and workmanship to make it worthy of preservation or restoration.
(2) "Integrity" means the authenticity of a property's historic identity, evidenced by the survival of physical characteristics that existed during the property's historic period.
(3) The integrity of the property in its current condition, rather than its likely condition after a proposed treatment, should be evaluated. Factors such as structural problems, deterioration, or abandonment should be considered in the evaluation only if they have affected the integrity of the significant features or characteristics of the property.
(D) All properties must be designated by ordinance upon the approval of the City Council in order to be deemed local historic landmarks.
(Ord. 06-50, passed 11-28-2006; Ord. 11-19, passed 4-26-2011)