No property shall be designated as a landmark until the following steps have been taken.
(A) As a guide for the identification and evaluation or landmarks, the Commission shall, at the earliest possible time and consistent with the resources available to it, undertake an inventory of properties of historical, architectural, prehistoric and cultural significance within the city.
(B) The Commission shall make or cause to be made an investigation and report on the historic, architectural, prehistoric, educational or cultural significance of each building, structure, site, area or object proposed for designation or acquisition. The report shall be forwarded to the Division of Archives and History, State Department of Cultural Resources.
(C) The Department of Cultural Resources, acting through the State Historic Preservation Officer, or his or her designee, shall either upon request of the Department or at the initiative of the Commission be given an opportunity to review and comment upon the substance and effect of the designation of any landmark. All comments will be provided in writing. If the Department does not submit its comments to the Commission within 30 days following receipt by the Department of the report, the Commission and the City Council shall be relieved of any responsibility to consider the comments.
(D) The Commission and the City Council shall hold a joint public hearing (or separate public hearings) on the proposed ordinance. Reasonable notice of the time and place thereof shall be given.
(E) Following the public hearing(s), the City Council may adopt the ordinance as proposed, adopt the ordinance with any amendments it deems necessary or reject the proposed ordinance.
(F) Upon adoption of the ordinance, the owners and occupants of each landmark shall be given written notification of the designation insofar as reasonable diligence permits. One copy of the ordinance and all amendments thereto shall be filed by the Commission in the office of the Register of Deeds of Cleveland County. Each landmark shall be indexed according to the name of the owner of the property in the grantor and grantee indexes in the Register of Deeds office and the Commission shall pay a reasonable fee for filing and indexing. A second copy of the ordinance and all amendments thereto shall be kept on file in the office of the City Clerk and be made available for public inspection at any reasonable time. A third copy of the ordinance and all amendments thereto shall be given to the Building Inspector. The fact that a building, structure, site, area or object has been designated a building, structure, site, area or object has been designated a landmark shall be clearly indicated on all tax maps maintained by Cleveland County for a period as the designation remains in effect.
(G) Upon the adoption of the landmark ordinance or any amendments thereto, it is the duty of the Commission to give notice thereof to the tax supervisor of Cleveland County. The designation and any recorded restrictions upon the property limiting its use for preservation purposes shall be considered by the tax supervisor in appraising it for tax purposes.
(Ord. 98-08, passed 4-28-1998)