For the purposes of this chapter, the following words shall have the following meanings:
(a) Alter or Alteration: Any material change to the appearance of an historic building, signage, structure or property, or structure or property within a Historic District, whether or not such change requires a building permit. Changes to the interior of a structure or to the landscaping are considered alterations only to the extent the features proposed to be changed were relevant to the initial Landmark or Historic District designation of the property.
(b) Building: Any structure having a roof supported by or suspended from columns or walls and which is completely enclosed to serve as a shelter or enclosure for persons, animals, chattel or property of any kind. The term "building" shall be construed as if followed by the words "or any part thereof."
(c) Building Change: Any alteration, demolition, removal or construction to a Landmark building or structure, or a building or structure within an Historic District. Building change shall also include change to site conditions and accessory buildings if those features were included in the initial Landmark or Historic District designation.
(d) Commission: The Cleveland Heights Landmark Commission.
(e) Certificate of Appropriateness: A certificate issued by the Landmark Commission indicating that a proposed building change, alteration, or demolition of a Landmark building or structure within a Landmarked site or Historic District is in accordance with provisions of this ordinance.
(f) Construction: The erection of any on-site improvements to any parcel of ground located within an Historic District or on a Landmark site, whether the site is presently improved, unimproved, or hereafter becomes unimproved by demolition.
(g) Demolition: The complete or substantial removal or destruction of any structure.
(h) Exterior architectural feature: The architectural style, design, general arrangement and components of all of the outer surfaces of a structure including, but not limited to, the kind and texture of the building material and the type and style of all windows, doors, lights, signs, and other fixtures.
(i) Historic District or district: Any area within a boundary which has been designated as a Historic District and subject to the jurisdiction of the Landmark Commission. A Historic District shall consist of contiguous properties within a determined boundary, which may be of a regular or irregular shape.
(j) Historic significance: The attributes of a district, site, building or structure that possess integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling and association, and that:
(1) Are associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history; or
(2) Are associated with the lives of persons significant in our past; or
(3) Embody the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction, or represent a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction; or
(4) Have yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history.
(k) Historic site or site: Any place, area, structure, work of art, or object which has special character or special historic, archaeological, or architectural value as part of development, heritage, or cultural characteristics of the City, County, State or Country, and which has been designated as such pursuant to the provisions of this title.
(l) Historic structure: Any structure that has historic significance and that has been designated as a Landmark pursuant to the provisions of this ordinance.
(m) Landscaping: Includes only mature landscaping, such as historic trees, excluding the planting or arrangement of flowers and plants incidental to the enhancement of a property or district. Landscaping may be a part of the Landmark designation if such landscaping is important in the history of the site, or was designed by a well-known landscape architect.
(n) Landmark: Any property which has special character, historical, aesthetic or architectural value as part of the heritage, development or cultural characteristics of the City, County, State or Country and which has been designated as a Landmark pursuant to the provisions of this ordinance. Such designation shall include historic outbuildings and structures on such site unless noted otherwise.
(o) Maintenance and/or repairs: Work done on a building or structure to prevent it from deterioration or to replace any part thereof in order to correct any deterioration, decay of, or damage to a building on any part thereof to restore same as nearly as practical to its condition prior to such deterioration, decay, or damage.
(p) Property: Any plot of land, place, building, structure, work of art, fixture or similar object.
(q) Structure: Anything constructed or erected, the use of which requires a fixed location on the ground or is attached to something having a fixed location on the ground, and including, but not limited to signs, fences, backstops for sports fields or courts, pergolas, decks, pools, patios, paved areas, sidewalks and gazebos.
(Ord. 11-2019. Passed 3-4-19.)