(A) The Review Board shall be concerned with those elements of development, redevelopment, rehabilitation, and preservation that affect visual quality in an historic district. However, the Review Board may not consider details of design, interior arrangements, or building features, if those details, arrangements, or features, are not subject to public view, and may not make any requirement except for the purpose of preventing development, alteration, or demolition in the historic district obviously incongruous with the historic district.
(B) The Review Board shall conduct a survey to identify historic buildings, structures, and places located within the town; however, neither the survey nor any other action of the Review Board shall affect any property not located within the town limits.
(C) Based on its survey, the Review Board shall submit to the Town Council a map describing the boundaries of an historic district or historic districts. A district may be limited to the boundaries of a property containing a single building, structure, or site. The map may divide a district into primary and secondary areas.
(D) Owners of property in fee simple wishing to establish an historic district which includes their property may petition the Review Board to consider drawing and submitting a map of the property to the Town Council for its approval. The Review Board may establish in its rules criteria to be met before it considers a petition.
(E) The Review Board shall classify and designate on the map all buildings and structures within each historic district described on the map. Buildings and structures shall be classified as historic or non-historic, in the following manner:
(1) Historic buildings and structures must possess identified historic or architectural merit of a degree warranting their preservation. They may be further classified as:
(a) Exceptional;
(b) Excellent;
(c) Notable; or
(d) Of value as part of the scene.
(2) In lieu of the further classifications set forth in divisions (E)(1)(a) through (d) above, the Review Board may devise its own system of further classification of historic buildings and structures.
(3) Non-historic: those buildings and structures not classified on the map as historic.
(F) The Review Board may promote public interest in historic preservation by initiating and carrying on public relations and community education programs.
(Ord. 934, § 4, passed 2-25-1997)
(G) When submitting a map to the Town Council under § 35.04, the Historic Review Board may declare 1 or more buildings or structures that are classified and designated as historic on the map to be under interim protection.
(1) Not more than 2 working days after declaring a building, structure, or site to be under interim protection under this section, the Historic Review Board shall, by personal delivery of first class mail, provide the owner or occupant of the building, structure, or site with a written notice of the declaration. The written notice must:
(a) Cite the authority of the Historic Review Board to put the building, structure, or site under interim protection under this section;
(b) Explain the effect of putting the building, structure, or site under interim protection; and
(c) Indicate that the interim protection is temporary (not more than 60 days).
(2) A building or structure put under interim protection under this section remains under interim protection until the map is:
(a) Submitted to; and
(b) Approved in an ordinance or rejected by the Town Council.
(3) While a building, structure, or site is under interim protection under this section:
(a) The building, structure, or site may not be demolished or moved; and
(b) The exterior appearance of the building, structure, or site may not be conspicuously changed by:
1. Addition;
2. Partial or whole demolition;
3. Reconstruction; or
4. Alteration.
(4) The Historic Review Board may approve a certificate of appropriateness at any time during the period of interim protection, provided the proposed change meets the criteria for considering effect of actions on historic buildings in § 35.09 and any proposed preservation guidelines prepared for the building, structure, or site, but the certificate of appropriateness shall have no effect, and no action may be taken pursuant thereto, unless the map including the building, structure, or site is approved by the Town Council.
(1992 Code, § 2-207)