(A) The city may by ordinance establish one or more historic districts, and historic districts already created as of the date of this chapter pursuant to now-repealed provisions of Chapter 154 shall remain in full force and effect.
(B) Before establishing a historic district, the City Commission shall appoint a Historic District Study Committee. A majority of the persons appointed to the Committee shall have a clearly demonstrated interest in or knowledge of historic preservation. The Committee shall contain representation of at least one member appointed from one or more duly organized local historic preservation organizations. The Committee shall do all of the following:
(1) Conduct a photographic inventory of resources within each proposed historic district following procedures established by the State Historic Preservation Office of the Michigan Historical Center.
(2) Conduct basic research of each proposed historic district and historic resources located within that district.
(3) Determine the total number of historic and non-historic resources within a proposed historic district and the percentage of historic resources of that total. In evaluating the significance of historic resources, the Committee shall be guided by the selection criteria for evaluation issued by the United States Secretary of the Interior for inclusion of resources in the National Register of Historic Places, as set forth in 36 C.F.R. part 60, and criteria established or approved by the State Historic Preservation Office of the Michigan Historical Center.
(4) Prepare a preliminary Committee report that addresses, at a minimum, all of the following:
(a) The charge of the Committee.
(b) The composition of Committee membership.
(c) The historic district studied.
(d) The boundaries of each proposed historic district, in writing and on maps.
(e) The history of each proposed historic district.
(f) The significance of each district as a whole, as well as a sufficient number of its individual resources to fully represent the variety of resources found within the district, relative to the evaluation criteria.
(g) Transmit copies of the preliminary report for review and recommendations to the local planning body, the State Historic Preservation Office of the Michigan Historical Center, the Michigan Historical Commission, and the State Historic Preservation Review Board.
(C) Not less than 60 calendar days after the transmittal of the preliminary report, the Committee shall hold a public hearing in compliance with the OMA. Written notice shall be mailed by first class mail, not less than 14 calendar days prior to the hearing, to the owners of properties within the proposed historic district, as listed on the most current tax rolls.
(D) After the date of the public hearing, the Committee and the City Commission have not more than one year, unless otherwise authorized by the City Commission, to take the following actions:
(1) The Committee shall prepare and submit a final report with its recommendations and the recommendations, if any, of the local planning body to the City Commission, as to the establishment of a historic district. If the recommendation is to establish a historic district, the final report shall include a draft of the proposed ordinance.
(2) After receiving a final report that recommends the establishment of a historic district, the City Commission, at its discretion, may introduce and pass or reject an ordinance. If the City Commission passes an ordinance establishing one or more historic districts, the city shall file a copy of the ordinance, including a legal description of the property or properties located within the historic district, with the Register of Deeds.
(Ord. 1030, passed 10-23-17)