(A) The public interest and well being of a community require that guidelines and controls be used not to inhibit or constrain improvement, but rather to shape and channel activity to the benefit of the community. In this rapidly changing world, the city can meet the needs of the future and provide a basis for long range planning by identifying, utilizing and developing its current assets.
(B) Some principal assets of the city are the tremendous amount of history relating to the settlement of this area, the presence of Abraham Lincoln and other notable dignitaries and the Historic District that is on the National Register of Historic Places.
(C) This subchapter provides a means for protecting, preserving and perpetuating these qualities and assets and is designed to encourage property owners to view their property with the character of the community in mind. It encourages sensitive treatment of the historical qualities of the property by owners in their choices of materials, procedures and standards of workmanship. The subchapter provides a framework, the effect of which will be to capitalize on the major assets of the city, its people, sites and structures, and which will result in an enrichment of the quality of the community for business, commerce, residence, education and tourism.
(D) The purposes of this subchapter are to provide procedures and guidelines for the preservation, enhancement and perpetuation of buildings, areas, places, structures and other objects within the city having historical significance and to educate the general public in the value of preservation and conservation and to promote the protection, enhancement, perpetuation and use of improvements of special character or historical interest or value in the interest of the health, prosperity, safety and welfare of the citizens of the city by:
(1) Providing a mechanism to identify, preserve, enhance and perpetuate the historic and architectural characteristics of the city, which represents elements of the city’s cultural, social, economic, political and architectural history;
(2) Fostering civic pride in the beauty and accomplishments of the past;
(3) Stabilizing and improving the economic vitality and value of the city’s landmarks and historic areas;
(4) Protecting and enhancing the attractiveness of the city to have buyers, visitors and shoppers and thereby supporting business, commerce, industry and providing economic benefit to the city;
(5) Fostering and encouraging preservation, restoration of structures, areas and neighborhoods and thereby preventing future city blight;
(6) Preserving the existing housing stock.
(Ord. 1223, passed 9-7-99)