(A) Adoption of guidelines. Before its first public hearing on a designation, the Commission shall adopt general guidelines that will apply to historic districts and landmarks and will assist owners in the preservation and rehabilitation of their property. The guidelines shall include the Secretary of the Interiors Standards for Rehabilitation and Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings and may include other guidelines that will apply to all designated property in the city. In its guidelines and in its decisions, the Commission shall not limit new construction to any one architectural style but shall seek to preserve the character and integrity of the historic districts and landmarks. The Commission may expand or amend the guidelines it has adopted provided it holds a public hearing on the changes and submits the proposed changes to the City Council for its comments.
(B) Public hearings and notice. To initiate the designation process, the Commission shall assemble information about the district or property being considered for designation and shall schedule a public hearing on the proposed designation. Advertised notice of the hearing shall be given, including conspicuous posting in the proposed district or on the lot of the proposed landmark for 14 consecutive days immediately prior to the hearing. Notice shall also be given in a local news publication serving the city. At least 14 days prior to the public hearing, written notice shall be given by first class mail to the owners of property under consideration and the owners of all adjoining property. The Secretary of the Commission or other officer of the Commission shall certify that the notices were mailed. Written notice shall be considered sufficient when it is mailed to the person listed as the owner of record in the office of the county’s Property Valuation Administrator (PVA).
(C) Recommendations and designations. The Commission shall recommend to the City Council the designation of historic districts and individual landmarks, and the City Council may make these designations by the enactment of ordinances.
(D) Criteria for designation. A historic district or a landmark shall qualify for designation when it meets one or more of the following criteria which shall be discussed in a Commission report making its recommendations to the City Council:
(1) Its character as an established and geographically definable residential neighborhood, united by culture, architectural styles or physical plan and development;
(2) Its character as a geographically definable area possessing a significant concentration of buildings or structures united by past events or by its plan or physical development;
(3) Its value as a reminder of the cultural or archeological heritage of the city, state or nation;
(4) Its location as a site of a significant local, state or national event;
(5) Its identification with a person or persons who significantly contributed to the development of the city, state or nation;
(6) Its identification as the work of a master builder, designer or architect whose individual work has influenced the development of the city, state or nation;
(7) Its value as a building that is recognized for the quality of its architecture and that retains sufficient elements showing its architectural significance; or
(8) Its distinguishing characteristics of an architectural style valuable for the study of a period, method of construction or use of indigenous materials.
(E) Recommendation and report to City Council. After evaluating the testimony at its public hearing, survey information and other material it has assembled, the Commission shall make its recommendation to the City Council with a written report on the area or property under consideration. The report shall contain information about the buildings identified for inclusion in the proposed designation.
(F) Notification of designation. The Commission shall notify each owner of the decision relating to its property and its designation as a landmark or as a part of a historic district. The Commission shall also give notice of the designation to the government offices of the city, which shall retain them for future reference. The Commission shall also send a map of the approved historic district to the Planning Commission and request the Planning Commission to make a note on the zoning map of the existence of the historic district and make the map of it available to the public. The Commission shall also request the Planning Commission to include the approved historic district and approved landmarks in the Comprehensive Plan and any amendments thereto and such new Comprehensive Plan as may thereafter be adopted.
(G) Amendment or recision of a designation. The amendment or recision of any designation shall be accomplished through the same steps as were followed in the original designation.
(H) Action by City Council. The City Council shall approve, modify or disapprove the proposed designation within 60 days after receiving the recommendation and report of the Commission.
(Ord. 16-2012, passed 8-6-2012)