(a) Creation and appointment. There is hereby created a downtown design review board, to be composed of seven members and one alternate member, all of whom shall be residents of the City of Fort Worth. The board shall include a minimum of one regular member from each of the following categories: architect/design professional, downtown urban design district business owner/manager, downtown urban design district resident/homeowner and real estate professional. The alternate member shall serve when regular board members are unable to attend or participate. Appointment of the alternate shall rotate from each of the following categories: architect/design professional, downtown urban design district business owner/manager, downtown urban design district resident/homeowner and real estate professional. As nearly as is reasonably possible, the members as a whole shall fairly represent the ethnic makeup of the City of Fort Worth.
(b) Terms of office. The regular members of the downtown design review board shall be identified by place numbers one through seven. The odd-numbered places shall expire on October 1 of each odd-numbered year and the even-numbered places shall expire on October 1 of each even-numbered year. The term of the alternate member shall expire on October 1 in each odd numbered year. Members may be appointed to succeed themselves. Vacancies shall be filled for unexpired terms but no members shall be appointed for a term in excess of two years.
(c) Meetings and quorum. Five members of the downtown design review board shall constitute a quorum for the conduct of business. The members of the downtown design review board shall regularly attend meetings and public hearings and shall serve without compensation, except for reimbursement for authorized expenses attendant to the performance of their duties.
(d) Attendance report. Each month a report shall be submitted to the city council showing the cumulative attendance of each member of the downtown design review board, with notation of members who have been absent from three consecutive meetings.
(e) Power and duties. The downtown design review board is hereby charged with the duty and invested with the authority to:
(1) Enforce the downtown urban design standards and guidelines for new construction and renovations by hearing and deciding applications for certificates of appropriateness in accordance with § 4.1200; and
(2) Propose amendments to the downtown urban design standards and guidelines to the zoning commission and city council from time to time.
(f) Decision by downtown design review board. Four affirmative votes by members of the downtown design review board shall be required to approve a certificate of appropriateness or to propose amendments to the downtown urban design district or downtown urban design district standards and guidelines.
(Ord. 14894, § 2, passed 12-11-2001; Ord. 14986, § 1, passed 2-19-2002; Ord. 15832, § 1, passed 1-13-2004; Ord. 17288, §§ 1—5, passed 11-14-2006; Ord. 18249, §§ 1—3, passed 9-2-2008; Ord. 26359-08-2023, § 1, passed 8-8-2023)