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)