(A) Purpose. The intent of this designation is to recognize a town or village as historically important. No parallels exist between this designation and any other historic preservation program. No historic district commissions will be created nor precluded from being created as a result of applying this designation, and no property owners’ rights within the designated area will be affected in any way as a result of this designation. Alterations, conversions, or demolition procedures and regulations are in no way affected by the inclusion of land within this designation.
(B) Designation procedure.
(1) Nominations in writing may be made by a municipality, the Carroll County Historical Society, the Planning Commission, the Carroll County HPC, a local citizen group, or heritage committee.
(2) In submitting a nomination, the applicant shall delineate a boundary for the designation which follows distinguishable physical land features (e.g., roads, fence lines, hedge rows, streams, property lines, easements, or other landmarks).
(3) The Planning Commission staff will prepare a report following a field investigation and study upon the receipt of a nomination and present the report to the Planning Commission for its consideration.
(4) Prior to making a determination and recommendation the Planning Commission shall consider the following:
(a) The number and location of identifiable historic structures and properties and their architectural significance;
(b) Any and all information and documentation that has been provided by the County HPC together with the Planning Commission assessments as to the nomination's historic importance and its recommendation on the nomination; and
(c) The location of the proposed boundary and its placement with respect to existing historical structures.
(5) In making recommendations to the BZA regarding the location of any boundary for an area being considered for a Village of Historic Importance designation, only that area which the Planning Commission deems to be reasonably and rationally related to the historic structures and properties which form the historic area shall be included.
(6) The Planning Commission may recommend approval, approval with modifications, or disapproval of a nomination to the BZA.
(7) Upon receipt of the Planning Commission's recommendation, the BZA will hold a public hearing on the nomination, together with the report and recommendation of the Planning Commission. All property owners within or contiguous to the boundary of any area under consideration will be notified by first class mail of the date and time of public hearing by the applicant for the Village of Historic Importance designation on forms provided by the county.
(8) The BZA, following public hearing and review, will render a decision as to whether to designate a Village of Historic Importance and make a final determination on the location of the boundaries which form the designation. Any approved designation shall be adopted as an amendment to the Master Plan, and the boundary of such designation shall be accurately represented on the Zoning Map to enable a determination of any applicable distance requirement pursuant to § 158.096(B)(2).
(Ord. 2019-06, passed 12-12-2019)