The Commission is authorized and empowered to undertake such actions reasonably necessary to the discharge and conduct of its duties and responsibilities as outlined in this chapter and the N.C. General Statutes, including but not limited to the following:
(A) Undertake an inventory of properties of historical, prehistorical, architectural, and/or cultural significance.
(B) Recommend to the local governing body with which the county has entered an agreement, individual buildings, structures, sites, areas, or objects within its zoning jurisdiction to be designated by ordinance as “historic landmarks,” and areas within its zoning jurisdiction to be designated by ordinance as “historic districts.”
(C) Recommend to the local governing body that designation of any area as a historic district or part thereof, or of any building, structure, site, area, or object as a historic landmark, be revoked or removed for cause.
(D) Review and act upon proposals for alteration or demolition of designated landmarks and for alteration, demolition, or new construction within historic districts, pursuant to this chapter.
(E) Report violations of this chapter, or other ordinances affecting historic landmarks and properties within historic districts, to the local official responsible for enforcing the ordinance.
(F) Act as, establish, or designate a group, body, or committee to give advice to owners of historic landmarks or property within a historic district concerning the treatment of the historical and visual characteristics of their property, such as color schemes, gardens and landscape features, minor decorative elements, and for the informal review of major additions and new construction.
(G) Conduct an educational program on historic landmarks and districts within the county.
(H) Publish information, or otherwise inform the public about any matters pertinent to its purview, duties, organization, procedures, responsibilities, functions, or requirements.
(I) Cooperate with state, federal and local governments in pursuing the purposes of this chapter. The local governing body or the Commission when authorized by the appropriate local governing body may contract with the state, or the United States of America, or any agency of either, or with any other organization, provided the terms are not inconsistent with state or federal law.
(J) Communicate with other boards or commissions in Wake County or with agencies of the county or other governmental units to offer or request assistance, aid, guidance, or advice concerning matters under its purview or of mutual interest.
(K) Prepare and recommend the official adoption of a historic preservation element as part of the county's comprehensive plan and a municipality's comprehensive plan, at the request of the local governing body.
(L) Accept funds to be used for preservation purposes that are granted to the Commission by private individuals, organizations, and local governing bodies.
(M) Acquire by any lawful means the fee or any lesser included interest, including options to purchase, to any historic landmarks, land to which historic buildings or structures may be moved, or properties located within historic districts; hold, manage, preserve, restore and improve the interest; and exchange or dispose of the interest by public or private sale, lease, or otherwise, subject to covenants or other legally binding restrictions which will secure appropriate rights of public access and promote the preservation of the property. All lands, buildings, structures, sites, areas, or objects acquired by funds appropriated by a local governing body shall be acquired in the name of the local government unless otherwise provided by the local governing body.
(N) Restore, preserve and operate such historic properties.
(O) Enter, at reasonable times, upon private lands and make examinations or surveys as necessary to the performance of its official duties. However, no member, employee or agent of the Commission may enter any private building or structure without the express consent of the owner or occupant thereof.
(P) Negotiate at any time with the owner of a building, structure, site, area or object for its acquisition or its preservation, when such action is reasonably necessary and appropriate.
(Q) Take steps, during the period of postponement of demolition or alteration of any historic landmark or property within a historic district, to ascertain what the local governing body can or may do to preserve such property, including consultation with private civic groups, interested private citizens, and other public boards or agencies, and including investigation of potential acquisition by the local governing body when the preservation of a given historic property is clearly in the interest of the general welfare of the community and such property is of certain historic and architectural significance.
(R) Propose to the local governing body changes to this or any other ordinance, and propose new ordinances or laws relating to historic landmarks and districts or relating to a total program for the protection and/or development of the historic resources of Wake County, the municipalities therein, and their environs.
(S) Organize itself and conduct its business, including any meetings or hearings necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter.
(Ord. passed 5-4-1992; Ord. passed 4-19-2021)