(a) The purpose of this chapter is to:
(1) Safeguard the heritage of the Village of Franklin by preserving one or more Historic Districts in the Village which reflect elements of its cultural, social, economic, political or architectural history;
(2) Stabilize and improve property values in such District and the surrounding areas;
(3) Foster civic beauty;
(4) Strengthen the local economy; and
(5) Promote the use of Historic Districts for the education, pleasure and welfare of the citizens of the Village.
(b) As used in this chapter:
(1) "Alter" and "alteration" mean work that changes the detail of a resource but does not change the basic size or shape.
(2) "Certificate of appropriateness" means the written approval of a permit application for work that is appropriate and that does not adversely affect a resource.
(3) "Commission" means the Franklin Historic District Commission.
(4) "Committee" means a Historic District Study Committee appointed by the Village Council.
(5) "Demolition" means the razing or destruction, whether entirely or in part, of a resource, and includes, but is not limited to, demolition by neglect.
(6) "Demolition by neglect" means neglect in maintaining, repairing or securing a resource that results in deterioration of an exterior feature of the resource or the loss of structural integrity of the resource.
(7) "Denial" means the written rejection of a permit application for work that is inappropriate and that adversely affects a resource.
(8) "Historic District" means an area, or group of areas not necessarily having contiguous boundaries, that contains one resource or a group of resources that are related by history, architecture, archeology, engineering or culture.
(9) "Historic preservation" means the identification, evaluation, establishment and protection of resources significant in history, architecture, archeology, engineering or culture.
(10) "Historic resource" means a publicly or privately owned building, structure, site, object, feature or open space that is significant in the history, architecture, archeology, engineering or culture of the State of Michigan, the Village of Franklin, or the United States.
(11) "Notice to proceed" means the written permission issued by the Commission for work to be performed within a Historic District that is inappropriate and that adversely affects a resource, pursuant to a finding under Section 1230.05(f)(1) to (4).
(12) "Open space" means undeveloped land, a naturally landscaped area or a formal or man-made landscape area that provides a connective link or a buffer between resources.
(13) "Ordinary maintenance" means keeping a resource unimpaired and in good condition through ongoing minor intervention, undertaken from time to time, in its exterior condition. "Ordinary maintenance" does not change the external appearance of the resource, except through the elimination of the usual and expected effects of weathering, age and use. "Ordinary" maintenance does not constitute "work" for the purpose of this chapter.
(14) "Proposed Historic District" means an area, or group of areas not necessarily having contiguous boundaries, that has delineated boundaries and that is under review by a committee or a standing committee for the purpose of making a recommendation as to whether it should be established as a Historic District or added to an established Historic District.
(15) "Repair" means to restore a decayed or damaged resource to a good or sound condition by any process. A repair that changes the external appearance of a resource constitutes "work" for the purposes of this chapter.
(16) "Resource" means one or more publicly or privately owned historic or non-historic buildings, structures, sites, objects, features or open spaces located within a Historic District.
(17) "Work" means construction, addition, alteration, repair, moving, excavation or demolition.
(Ord. 99-53. Passed 5-10-99.)