Council hereby declares as a matter of public policy that the preservation, protection, perpetuation and use of sites, buildings, districts, structures, works of art and other objects having a special historical, educational, community or aesthetic interest is a public necessity and is in the interest of the prosperity, safety and welfare of the people. The purpose of this chapter is to:
(a) Designate, preserve, protect, enhance and perpetuate those structures and districts which reflect outstanding elements of the City's cultural, artistic, social, economic, political, architectural, historic or other heritage;
(b) Foster civic pride in the beauty and accomplishments of the past;
(c) Stabilize or improve the aesthetic and economic vitality and values of such structures and districts;
(d) Protect and enhance the City's attraction to tourists and visitors;
(e) Promote the use of outstanding historical or architectural structures or districts for the education, stimulation and welfare of the people of the City;
(f) Promote good urban design including the perpetuation of related private open spaces; and
(g) Promote and encourage continued private ownership and utilization of such buildings and other structures now so owned and used, to the extent that the objectives listed above can be attained under such a policy.
It is the sense of the Council that the economic, cultural and aesthetic standing of this City cannot be maintained or enhanced by disregarding the historical, architectural and geographic heritage of the City and by continuing to ignore the destruction or defacement of such cultural assets. (Ord. 2018-96. Passed 11-20-18.)