(A) Any area within the city may be designated a historic district and thus be covered by this article if the City Council determines, pursuant to procedures set forth in this section, that the area possesses special cultural, artistic, social, economic, political, architectural, engineering, or historic significance to the city.
(B) The designation of historic districts shall be completed in the following manner:
(1) Any owner of property within the proposed historic district may request the designation of an historic area for ordinance protection by submitting to the Commission an application for such designation. The Commission or the City Council may initiate such proceedings before the Commission on their own motion.
(2) The Commission shall conduct or cause to be conducted a written study of the proposed designation based on the criteria described in this section.
(3) The Commission shall schedule a public hearing for a date within 30 days of receipt of the study.
(4) Notice of the date, time and purpose thereof shall be in writing and shall be filed with the Planning Department and the City Clerk. At least 15 days prior to the date of the public hearing, notice of the date, time, and purpose thereof shall be given by mail to the applicant and to all the property owners within the proposed historic district and advertised five consecutive days in a daily newspaper of general circulation.
(5) Within 60 days of the date of the public hearing, the Commission shall, in writing, make a recommendation to City Council, setting forth those findings of fact which constitute the basis for its decision.
(6) The City Council within 30 days of receipt of the recommendations of the Commission shall by ordinance approve the application or shall by ordinance modify the application or shall by motion disapprove it in its entirety.
(7) Notice of the Council’s decision to approve, modify or deny the application for designation shall be given by mail to the applicant and to all the property owners within the proposed historic district and published in a daily newspaper of general circulation.
(8) The city may effect the amendment or rescission of any designation of a historic district in the same manner and procedure described in this article for designation.
(9) In the event any application for designation is denied by the city, no new application for such designation substantially in the form of the previous application which was denied shall be made within six months subsequent to the effective date of such denial, unless it can be shown that the conditions under which such denial was made have substantially changed. In the event any application for designation is approved by the city, no application for rescission will be considered within six months subsequent to the effective date of such approval.
(10) No permit for any alteration, demolition or relocation involving the property or properties in question shall be issued while the designation process is in progress. Nor shall such properly or properties in question be afforded the privileges of designation until an ordinance has been approved by the City Council.
(Ord. 3075, passed 3-20-01)