Loading...
Application for a building permit for new construction, addition, alteration, demolition, reconstruction, rehabilitation, repair, restoration, or moving of any district resource in a historic district, shall be made to the Building Official of the City Building and Safety Inspection Division. It will be the responsibility of the Building Official in reviewing all applications for building permits to scrutinize for district resources in historic districts and so advise the applicant of the requirements.
Fees charged by the City Building and Safety Inspections Division for building permit applications within a historic district shall be comparable to fees charged for building permit applications for nonhistoric areas. A heightened fee will be authorized, however, if, after processing a representative number of building permits from within historic districts, the Building Official can document a heightened processing cost.
When an application is determined to be for a district resource, then the Building Official shall require that plans, and elevation as deemed necessary, be submitted showing the extent of the proposed change in the district resource in question and also showing its relation to adjacent district resources and properties outside the district boundaries. The Building Official shall transmit the application and accompanying plans, elevations, and other information to the City of Flint planning staff for review. The staff will review the plans and elevations for compliance with the general guidelines and the applicable preservation standards. Where plans or elevations are not in conformance with the general guidelines and preservation standards, the City planning staff will consult with the district resource owner in order that proper modifications to the plans or elevations may be made. The City planning staff will make a recommendation to the Historic District Commission.
The Commission shall meet within thirty (30) days of the application to approve or disapprove such plans and elevations and, if approved, shall issue a certificate of appropriateness, which is to be signed by the Chairperson, attached to the application for a building permit, and immediately referred back to the Building Official for issuance of the building permit.
If the Commission disapproves of such plans and elevations, it shall state its reasons for doing so and shall transmit a record of such action and reasons therefore in writing to the building official and to the applicant by mail. The Commission may advise what it thinks proper if it disapproves of the plans or elevations submitted. The applicant, if desired, may make modifications to the plans and elevations and shall have the right to resubmit the application at any time after doing so. The failure of the Historic District Commission to approve or disapprove of such plans and elevations within sixty (60) days from the date of application for the building permit, unless otherwise mutually agreed upon by the applicant and Commission, shall be deemed to constitute approval and the Building Official shall proceed to process the application without regard to a certificate of appropriateness.
(Ord. 2707, passed 4-23-1979)
The demolition or moving of district resources of historical, architectural, or archaeological significance shall be discouraged. The Commission may, at its own discretion, issue a certificate of appropriateness for demolition or moving of a district resource, but shall be guided by the following conditions in exercising its judgment in granting such a certificate:
(a) The Building Official deems such district resource to be a hazard to public safety or health and that repairs are impossible or infeasible, based upon the conclusions of the Building Code Board of Appeals;
(b) Such district resource is a deterrent to a major improvement program which will be of substantial benefit to the community and in no way can be adapted or incorporated as part of the improvement;
(c) Retention of the district resource would cause undue financial hardship to the owner, which would be defined as a situation where funds required to retain the district resource would exceed market value.
In cases where approval for demolition is granted, for reasons other than public health or safety, such certificates shall not become effective until six (6) months after the date of such issuance in order to provide a period of time within which it may be possible to relieve a hardship, to cause the district resource to be transferred to another owner who would retain the district resource, or to develop alternative development plans.
Deliberate or irresponsible neglect of a district resource resulting in serious physical deterioration or health and safety hazards shall constitute demolition by neglect and shall be a violation of this ordinance.
(Ord. 2707, passed 4-23-1979)
Due to peculiar conditions of design and construction in historic districts where district resources were often built close to lot lines, it is in the public interest to retain a district’s historic appearance by making variances to normal yard requirements. Where it is deemed that such variances will not adversely affect neighboring district resources, the Commission may recommend to the Zoning Board of Appeals that such variance to standard yard requirements be made.
(Ord. 2707, passed 4-23-1979)
Nothing in this ordinance shall be construed to prevent ordinary maintenance or repair of any district resource within a historic district; nor shall anything in this ordinance be construed to prevent the new construction, addition, alteration, demolition, reconstruction, rehabilitation, repair, restoration, or moving of a district resource under a permit issued by the Building Official prior to the passage of the ordinance.
Historic districts, designated by this ordinance, may be exempted from enforcement procedures only by the specific action of the City Council upon the recommendation of the Historic District Commission. This exception applies only in the case where recognition is an honorary designation as defined in § 2-142(k).
(Ord. 2707, passed 4-23-1979)
§§ 2-153 – 2-161 RESERVED.
Loading...