(a) Certificate of Appropriateness shall be required for all changes to existing Landmark and Historic buildings, sites, structures and districts.
(b) The Landmark Commission delegates to the Planning Department staff the authority to administratively review and grant a Certificate of Appropriateness without formal action by the Landmark Commission in the following circumstance:
(1) The Landmark Commission grants the authority to approve minor changes such as, but not limited to, landscaping, fencing, and changes approved by the State Historic Preservation Office. The Landmark Commission shall have the ability to rescind the granting of said authority.
(2) If the Planning Department does not grant administrative approval of an application, the applicant may request that the application be referred to the Landmark Commission and will be considered in accordance with the application review schedule contained in this section.
(3) Any changes that were approved by the Planning Department staff shall be communicated to the Landmark Commission at their subsequent meeting.
(c) The Landmark Commission shall prepare an application form and a list of the procedures necessary to obtain Certificates of Appropriateness, which shall be made available to the general public. All applicants must submit applications to the Sandusky Planning Department.
(d) In evaluating applications for changes to Landmark and Historic buildings, sites or districts, the Landmark Commission shall consider the following standards created by the U.S. Department of the Interior, including:
(1) A property shall be used for its historic purpose or be placed in a new use that requires minimal change to the defining characteristics of the building and its site and environment;
(2) The historic character of a property shall be retained and preserved. The removal of historic materials or alteration of features and spaces that characterize a property shall be avoided;
(3) Each property shall be recognized as a physical record of its time, place, and use. Changes that create a false sense of historical development, such as adding conjectural features or architectural elements from other buildings, shall not be undertaken;
(4) Most properties change over time; those changes that have acquired historic significance in their own right shall be retained and preserved;
(5) Distinctive features, finishes, and construction techniques or examples of craftsmanship that characterize a property shall be preserved;
(6) Deteriorated historic features shall be repaired rather than replaced. Where the severity of deterioration requires replacement of a distinctive feature, the new feature shall match the old in design, color, texture, and other visual qualities and, where possible, materials. Replacement of missing features shall be substantiated by documentary, physical, or pictorial evidence;
(7) Chemical or physical treatments, such as sandblasting, that cause damage to historic materials shall not be used. The surface cleaning of structures, if appropriate, shall be undertaken using the gentlest means possible;
(8) Significant archaeological resources affected by a project shall be protected and preserved. If such resources must be disturbed, mitigation measures shall be undertaken;
(9) New additions, exterior, alterations, or related new construction shall not destroy historic materials that characterize the property. The new work shall be differentiated from the old and shall be compatible with the massing, size, scale, and architectural features to protect the historic integrity of the property and its environment; and
(10) New additions and adjacent or related new construction shall be undertaken in such a manner that if removed in the future, the essential form and integrity of the historic property and its environment would be unimpaired.
(e) All applications for demolition of existing Landmark and Historic buildings, sites, or districts shall include, but are not limited to:
(1) A report as to the structural soundness of the building prepared by professionals experienced in preservation and rehabilitation;
(2) Estimates of the costs and income for rehabilitation of the building;
(3) Estimates of the costs and income for new development;
(4) Valuation of the property;
(5) Preliminary development plans.
(f) The Landmark Commission shall consider the following factors in evaluating applications for demolition of existing Landmark and Historic buildings, sites, or districts:
(1) The architectural and historic significance of the building;
(2) The significance of the building in contributing to the architectural or historic character of its surroundings;
(3) The economic feasibility of rehabilitation and reuse of the building;
(4) The extent to which the owner sought out alternative uses for the property;
(5) The extent to which the proposed redevelopment implements the goals of the city’s comprehensive plan;
(6) If demolition is necessary due to imminent safety hazards, as determined in writing by the City’s Building Department or Fire Department.
(g) All applications shall be reviewed by the Landmark Commission within forty-five (45) days after a completed application is submitted, unless the application is approved pursuant to Section 1161.07(b). The applicant shall be given written notice of the meeting at which his or her application will be considered. All Certificate of Appropriateness applications shall be reviewed utilizing the preservation design guidelines, on file at the Planning Department, as well as the Secretary of Interior Standards for Rehabilitation. A written notification of the Landmark Commission's decision will also be sent to each applicant by regular mail.
(Ord. 19-041. Passed 3-11-19.)