(a) Organization. The Uptown Review Board shall consist of seven members, appointed by Council, who must either be an elector of the City or the owner of a business in the Architectural Review District. The term for each member shall be three years.
(b) Procedure. The concurrence of four members is required for any action permitted by law or ordinance.
(c) Powers and Duties. The Uptown Review Board shall:
(1) Review, approve or disapprove the appropriateness of all proposed signage, landscaping, new construction, exterior remodeling or reconstruction proposed for all structures and premises within the Architectural Review District.
(2) Review, approve or disapprove the appropriateness of all requests for demolition of buildings, structures, site features or improvements within the Architectural Review District.
(3) Review, approve or disapprove all applications for signage within the Uptown District.
(4) Grant or deny applications for variances within the Uptown District from the provisions of the sign code as contained in Chapter 1181.
(5) Adopt by resolution criteria, rules and regulations consistent with the guidelines and purpose of Chapter 1149 for the purpose of evaluating applications for certificates of appropriateness, and establishing guidelines pertaining to the use of materials, colors, signage, landscaping, renovation techniques and other design considerations which would be helpful to the public in preparing plans for review. Such restoration guidelines shall be kept and made available to the public by the secretary of the Board.
(6) Upon request by the owner of the historic property located within the City limits, review such property for local certification of historic significance under the current guidelines of the U.S. Department of Interior for Historic Preservation, and/or review the appropriateness of plans for rehabilitating such property, and issue written findings of fact in support of any such request for the listing of such property in the National Registry of Historic Places.
(7) Upon appeal to Council from determinations under this subsection (d), issue written findings of fact.
(Ord. 95-36. Passed 6-20-95; Ord. 2022-03. Passed 4-5-22.)