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(A) Appointment. The Will County Board shall by ordinance appoint members to the Will County Preservation Commission from names submitted by the County Executive.
(B) Composition. The Preservation Commission shall consist of nine members. All members shall be residents of Will County. The County Executive shall nominate to the Preservation Commission at least one attorney, one historian or architectural historian, one architect/engineer, and one real estate professional knowledgeable in preservation; the other members shall be persons with a demonstrated interest in pre-history, history, architecture, engineering, or preservation. In addition to the nine (9) voting members, the Planning Director of the Will County Land Use Department or the Director's designee shall serve as an ex-officio, non-voting member of the Commission and shall be responsible for providing staff support. The President of the Forest Preserve District of Will County or the President's designee shall also serve as an ex-officio, non-voting member of the Commission.
(C) Terms. Terms of the members shall be staggered so that three Commissioners appointed to fill those positions that are scheduled to expire in December of 2004 shall serve one year terms; two Commissioners appointed to fill those positions that are scheduled to expire in December of 2004 shall serve two year terms; three Commissioners appointed to fill those positions that are scheduled to expire in December of 2005 shall serve three year terms; two Commissioners appointed to fill positions that are scheduled to expire in 2006 shall serve three year terms; three Commissioners appointed to fill positions that are scheduled to expire in 2007 shall serve three year terms and one Commissioner appointed to fill positions that are scheduled to expire in 2007 shall serve a two year term. Successors appointed after the year 2007 shall serve for three year terms. All ex-officio members shall serve until their successors are appointed.
(D) Officers. One of the appointed members shall be named Chairman at the time of appointment and Vice-Chairman and Secretary shall be elected by the Preservation Commission. The chairman shall preside over meetings. In the absence of the Chairman, the Vice-Chairman shall perform the duties of the Chairman. If both the Chairman and the Vice-Chairman are absent, a temporary chairman shall be elected by those present. The Planning Director and his staff shall ensure that the following duties are performed.
(1) That minutes are taken of each Preservation Commission meeting;
(2) That copies of the minutes, reports, and decisions of the Preservation Commission be published and distributed to the members of the Preservation Commission.
(3) The Will County Executive is advised of vacancies on the Preservation Commission and expiring terms of members; and
(4) That there be prepared and submitted to the Will County Board a complete record of the proceedings before the Preservation Commission on any matters requiring County Board consideration. The Will County Land Use Department shall be the official keeper of the records.
(E) Rules and procedures. The Historic Preservation Commission shall have the authority to develop and adopt rules and procedures necessary to carry out its functions under the provisions of this chapter.
(F) Meetings. Meetings of the Preservation Commission shall be held no less than monthly, except in those months when no business is pending, and shall be held at such times and places within the County as the Commission shall decide. All meetings of the Commission shall be open to the public. The Commission shall keep minutes of its proceedings, showing a vote of each member upon every question, or if absent or failing to vote, and shall also keep records of its official actions. Such minutes and records shall be open to the public for inspection and maintained at offices of the Will County Land Use Department.
(G) Quorum. A quorum shall consist of five members. The transaction of business shall be made by a majority vote of those members in attendance while a quorum is present, except that the adoption, modification or recision of any rule or part thereof shall require the affirmative vote of five members.
(H) Compensation. The members shall serve without compensation, but they shall be reimbursed for their expenses necessarily incurred in the performance of their duties as such and approved by the Director of the Land Use Department.
(I) Annual report. The Commission shall submit an annual report of its activities to the Will County Board.
(Res. 92-192, passed 9-17-1992; Res. 04-530, passed 12-16-2004)
The Preservation Commission shall have the following powers and authority.
(A) To conduct an ongoing survey of the County to identify buildings, structures, areas, sites and landscapes that are of historic, archaeological, architectural, or scenic significance, and, therefore, potential landmarks or preservation districts;
(B) To hold public hearings and recommend to the County Board the designation of landmarks or preservation districts;
(C) To compile information concerning and prepare descriptions of the landmarks or preservation districts identified and recommended for designation and the characteristics that meet the standards for designation;
(D) To prepare, keep current, and publish a map or maps showing the locations and exact boundaries of proposed and designated landmarks and preservation districts, and, if the Commission so chooses, the locations and boundaries of designated state or federal landmarks or districts;
(E) To keep a register of all designated landmarks and preservation districts;
(F) To establish an appropriate system of markers or plaques for all designated landmarks and preservation districts, and for streets, roads, trails, and highways leading from one landmark or preservation district to another and to confer recognition upon the owners of landmarks or property within preservation districts by means of certificates, plaques, or markers;
(G) To nominate landmarks and preservation districts to any state or federal registers of historic places;
(H) To advise and assist owners of landmarks and property within preservation districts on physical and financial aspects of preservation, renovation, rehabilitation, and reuse, and on procedures for inclusion on any state or federal register of historic places;
(I) To inform and educate the citizens of the County concerning the historic, archaeological, architectural, or scenic heritage of the County by publishing appropriate maps, newsletters, brochures, and pamphlets, and by holding programs and seminars;
(J) To hold public hearings and to review applications for construction, alteration, removal, or demolition affecting landmarks or property within preservation districts and issue or deny Certificates of Appropriateness for such actions;
(K) To consider applications for Certificates of Economic Hardship that would allow the performance of work for which a Certificate of Appropriateness has previously been denied;
(L) To develop specific criteria and guidelines for the proper alteration, construction, demolition, or removal of landmarks, or of property within preservation districts;
(M) To review proposed amendments to zoning regulations, applications for special uses or applications for zoning variations that affect any and all landmark or preservation district. Proposed zoning amendments, applications for special use, or zoning variations that affect any landmark or preservation district as defined in this chapter or any application for demolition of any structure which is more than 30 years old shall be reviewed by support staff and/or at the discretion of the staff shall be forwarded to the Preservation Commission for review within seven working days.
(N) To administer on behalf of the County Board any property, or full or partial interest in real property, including a conservation right, upon designation by the County Board;
(O) To accept and administer on behalf of the County Board gifts, grants, money or other personal property as may be appropriate for the purpose of this chapter. Such money may be expended for publishing maps and brochures, for hiring staff or consultants or performing otherwise appropriate functions for the purpose of carrying out the duties and powers of the Preservation Commission and the purposes of this chapter.
(P) To administer any system established by the County Board for the transfer of development rights;
(Q) To call upon available county agencies and staff as well as other experts for technical advice;
(R) To retain specialists or consultants, or to appoint citizen, neighborhood or area advisory committees, as may be required;
(S) To testify before all boards and commissions including the Will County Planning and Zoning Commission, also known as the Will County Regional Planning Commission, on any matter affecting potential or designated landmarks or preservation districts;
(T) To periodically review any county comprehensive plan and to develop a preservation component in any comprehensive plan of the County and to recommend it to the Planning and Zoning Commission and the County Board;
(U) To periodically consult the County zoning administrator, review any County zoning ordinance and building code, and to recommend to the County Board any amendments appropriate for the protection and continued use of landmarks or property within preservation districts;
(V) To undertake any other action or activity necessary or appropriate to the implementation of its powers and duties or the implementation of the purposes of this chapter.
(Res. 92-192, passed 9-17-1992)
DESIGNATION OF LANDMARKS AND HISTORIC DISTRICTS
(A) The Preservation Commission shall undertake an ongoing survey and research effort in the County to identify areas, sites, structures, and objects that have historic, cultural, community, architectural or aesthetic importance, interest, or value. As part of the survey, the Commission shall review and evaluate any prior surveys and studies by any unit of government or private organization and compile appropriate descriptions, facts, and photographs.
(B) The Commission shall make an effort to systematically identify potential landmarks and districts and adopt procedures to nominate them in groups based upon the following criteria:
(1) The potential landmarks or districts in one township or distinct geographical area of the county;
(2) The potential landmarks associated with a particular person, event, or historical period;
(3) The potential landmarks of a particular architectural style or school, or of a particular architect, engineer, builder, designer, or craftsman; or of a particular building material.
(4) Such other criteria as may be adopted by the Preservation Commission to assure systematic survey and nomination of all potential landmarks within the county.
(Res. 92-192, passed 9-17-1992)
(A) The Historic Preservation Commission may prepare a "Historic Landmark and District Preservation Plan."
(B) Any such Preservation Plan shall be presented to the Will County Land Use Department for consideration and recommendation to the County Board for inclusion in the Will County Land Resource Management Plan as amended. From time to time, the Commission shall review the Plan and insert in the Historic Preservation Commission minutes a report of such review and take appropriate action on any amendments to the Plan deemed necessary.
(Res. 92-192, passed 9-17-1992)
(A) The Preservation Commission or any person may propose landmarks or preservation districts for designation by the County Board by filing a nomination for any property or properties and structures located in an unincorporated area within the geographical boundaries of Will County and those municipalities as provided for by statute. Nomination forms shall be filed with the Will County Land Use Department.
(B) Such forms shall be provided by the Commission and, when submitted, shall include or be accompanied by all of the following information:
(1) The name and address, as shown on the tax assessor's rolls of the owner of record of the nominated property.
(2) The Permanent Index Number (PIN), legal description, and common street address of the property proposed for designation.
(3) A map delineating the boundaries and location of the property proposed for designation.
(4) A written statement describing the property and setting forth reasons in support of the proposed designation.
(5) In nominating an area for designation as an preservation district, a list enumerating all properties and improvements previously designated, or currently pending designation, as a landmark by this Commission or listed on any state or federal registers of historic places.
(6) There shall be no fee for submitting a nomination form to the Commission for designation of a historic landmark or preservation district.
(Res. 92-192, passed 9-17-1992)
The Commission may recommend to the County Board the designation of landmarks and preservation districts, where not more than 50% of the property owners whose property is located within the boundaries of the proposed district object to designation, when after a thorough investigation results in a determination that a property, structure or improvement, or area so recommended meets one or more of the following criteria:
(A) It has character, interest, or value which is part of the development, heritage, or cultural characteristics of a local community, the county, state or the nation;
(B) Its location is a site of a significant local, county, state, or national event;
(C) It is identified with a person or persons who significantly contributed to the development of the local community, county, state, or the nation;
(D) It embodies distinguishing characteristics of an architectural style valuable for the study of a period, type, method of construction, or use of indigenous materials;
(E) It is identified with the work of a master builder, designer, architect, engineer, or landscape architect whose individual work has influenced the development of the local area, county, state, or the nation;
(F) It embodies elements of design, detailing, materials, or craftsmanship that render it architecturally significant;
(G) It embodies design elements that make it structurally or architecturally innovative;
(H) It has a unique location or singular physical characteristics that make it an established or familiar visual feature;
(I) It has character which is a particularly fine or unique example of a utilitarian structure with a high level of integrity or architectural significance;
(J) It is suitable for preservation or restoration;
(K) It is included in the National Register of Historic Places and/or the Illinois Register of Historic Places.
(L) It has yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important to pre-history, history or other areas of archaeological significance. In the event a property, structure, or an area is found to be of such significant character and quality where it is determined that its designation as a landmark or preservation district is in the overall best interest of the general welfare, any person may nominate and the Commission may recommend to the County Board such appropriate designation.
(Res. 92-192, passed 9-17-1992)
(A) The Preservation Commission shall within 14 calendar days from receipt of a completed application for designation cause to be written an initial recommendation and report stating whether the nominated landmark or preservation district does or does not meet the criteria for designation as provided for in § 166.028.
(B) The report shall contain the following information:
(1) An explanation of the significance or lack of significance of the nominated landmark or preservation district as it relates to the criteria for designation;
(2) A description of the integrity or lack of integrity of the nominated landmark or preservation district;
(3) In the case of a nominated landmark found to meet the criteria for designation:
(a) A description of the significant exterior architectural features of the nominated landmark that should be protected;
(b) A description of the types of construction, alteration, demolition, and removal, other than those requiring a building or demolition permit, that should be reviewed for appropriateness pursuant to the provisions of § 166.051(C) and (D);
(4) In the case of a nominated preservation district found to meet the criteria for designation:
(a) A description of the types of significant exterior architectural features of the structures within the nominated preservation district that should be protected;
(b) Description of the types of alterations and demolitions that should be reviewed for appropriateness pursuant to the provisions of § 166.051(C) and (D);
(5) The relationship of the nominated landmark or preservation district to the ongoing effort of the Preservation Commission to identify and nominate all potential areas and structures that meet the criteria for designation;
(6) A map showing the location of the nominated landmark and the boundaries of the nominated preservation district. The recommendation and report shall be available to the public in the office of the Will County Land Use Department.
(Res. 92-192, passed 9-17-1992)
(A) The Preservation Commission shall within 30 days from completion of the initial report and recommendation as described above in § 166.029, cause to be scheduled a public hearing on the nomination. Notice of the date, time, place and purpose of the public hearing and a copy of the completed nomination form shall be sent by certified mail to the owner(s) of record and to the nominators, as well as by regular mail to property owners adjoining the nominated landmark or preservation district as least 15 days prior to the date of the hearing.
(B) Such notice shall also be published in a newspaper having general circulation in the area surrounding the nominated property or district at least 15 days prior to the date of the hearing. All notices shall state the street, address and Permanent Index Number or legal description of a nominated landmark and the boundaries of a nominated preservation district.
(Res. 92-192, passed 9-17-1992)
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