[Amended 6-14-2011 by Ord. No. 11-1241, § 1]
An Historic Resource Inventory is hereby established of buildings, structures, and sites in the Township designated for preservation. It shall be available for public inspection in the office of the Township Secretary. The Historic Resource Inventory shall consist of those properties identified in Chapter A264, Historic Resource Inventory. In all cases the historic resource is the principal building on the property, unless otherwise noted.
A. Criteria for designation as a Class I resource. A building, structure, or site, or a complex of the same, may be placed on the Historic Resource Inventory as a Class I resource if it meets any one of the following criteria:
(1) Is listed in the National Register of Historic Places;
(2) Has been deemed eligible by the Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission (PHMC) for listing in the National Register of Historic Places;
(3) Is designated by the Secretary of the Interior as a National Historic Landmark; or
(4) Is classified as a certified historic structure by the Secretary of the Interior.
(5) If documented as “Contributing Resources” in any National Register Historic District. [Added 6-14-2011 by Ord. No. 11-1241]
(6) If documented as “Contributing Resources” in any local historic district certified by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) in accordance with Pennsylvania Act 167. [Added 6-14-2011 by Ord. No. 11-1241]
B. Criteria for designation as a Class II resource. A building, structure, or site, or a complex of the same, may be placed on the Historic Resource Inventory as a Class II resource if it meets any three of the following criteria:
(1) Has significant character, interest or value as part of the development, heritage or cultural characteristics of the Township, County, region, commonwealth or nation, or is associated with the life of a person significant in the past;
(2) Is associated with an event of importance to the history of the Township, county, region, commonwealth or nation;
(3) Embodies an icon associated with an era characterized by a distinctive architectural style;
(4) Embodies distinguishing characteristics of an architectural style or engineering specimen;
(5) Is the noteworthy work of a designer, architect, landscape architect or designer, or engineer whose work has significantly influenced the historical, architectural, economic, social, or cultural development of the Township, county, region, common wealth or nation; or
(6) Contains elements of design, detail, materials or craftsmanship which represent a significant innovation;
(7) Is part of or related to a commercial center, park, community or other distinctive area which should be preserved according to an historic, cultural or architectural motif;
(8) Owing to its unique location or singular physical characteristic, represents an established and familiar visual feature of the neighborhood, community or Township;
(9) Has yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history; or
(10) Exemplifies the cultural, political, economic, social or historical heritage of the community.
C. Criteria considerations. An historic resource that is less than 75 years old may only be recommended to be placed on the Inventory if it is considered by the Historical Commission to be a Class I resource.
D. Documentation. The Historical Commission shall document the Historic Resource Inventory with the owner’s name and address, the address or location of the historic resource, the approximate year built, recent photographs, an architectural description, a brief history of the resource, its status as a Class I or Class II historic resource, and the date the historic resource was added, changed, or deleted from the Inventory.
E. Publication. The Historic Resource Inventory shall be made available to the public for inspection at the Upper Dublin Township Building during regular business hours. The Inventory, or parts thereof, may also be made public through other means including but not limited to publishing it on the Township’s web site, at a local library, or at the Upper Dublin Historical Association.
F. Procedure for designation or removal. Any property proposed for designation on or removal from the Historic Resource Inventory shall be proposed by or shall first be referred to the Historical Commission, which shall hold a public meeting thereon.
(1) Unless a property is proposed by the owner(s), such owner(s) shall be notified upon receipt of a proposal that their property be placed on, removed from or reclassified on the Historic Resource Inventory and asked to respond to such proposal within 15 days.
(2) At least 30 days before holding a public meeting to consider the proposal the Historical Commission shall send notice to the owner of the property. Such notice shall indicate the date, time and place of the public meeting at which the Historical Commission will consider the proposed action. Notice shall be sent to the registered owner’s last known address as the same appears in the real estate tax records of the Township Treasurer and sent to the owner at the street address of the property in question.
(3) Any interested party may present testimony or documentary evidence regarding the proposed addition, removal, or reclassification at the public meeting.
(4) Following the public meeting, the Historical Commission shall present its written report to the Board of Commissioners, the applicant and the owner within 30 days following the close of the public meeting, basing its recommendation upon those criteria for designation established in this chapter. A property shall be recommended for removal from the Historic Resource Inventory or reclassified if it does not currently meet the criteria for designation. The report shall include a summary of the information and copies of all documents presented at the meeting and used by the Historical Commission in making its recommendation.
(5) Based upon the criteria set forth in this section and after receiving the recommenda tions of the Historical Commission, the Board of Commissioners shall from time to time, by ordinance, add, delete or reclassify buildings, structures and sites to or from the Historic Resource Inventory. Written notice of the action of the Board of Commissioners shall be given to the property owner and to any person appearing at the public meeting of the Historical Commission who requests notification.