The Westminster Historic District shall include
the area as shown on the Zoning Maps adopted by the Mayor and Common
Council of Westminster in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.
The Historic District Commission shall adopt
rehabilitation and new construction or design guidelines for designated
sites, structures and districts which are consistent with those generally
recognized by the Maryland Historic Trust, which may include design
characteristics intended to meet the needs of particular types of
sites, structures and districts and may identify categories of changes
that are so minimal in nature that they do not affect historic, archeological
or architectural significance and require no review by the Historic
District Commission. These guidelines shall be utilized by the Historic
District Commission in its review of applications. These guidelines
are subject to review and approval by resolution of the Mayor and
Common Council of Westminster.
The Historic District Commission shall file
with the Zoning Administrator a certificate of its approval, modification
or rejection of all applications and plans submitted to it for review.
Work shall not be commenced on any such project until such a certificate
of approval has been filed, and the Zoning Administrator and the Director
of Planning shall not sign off on the building permit for such change
or construction unless and until the Zoning Administrator has received
such a certificate of approval. If the Historic District Commission
rejects any applications or plans, it shall forthwith notify the applicant,
stating its reasons for so doing. The Historic District Commission
shall so advise the applicant of any proposed modifications. If the
applicant so desires, the applicant may make the suggested modifications,
and the Historic District Commission shall thereupon approve them
and file a certificate of approval with the Zoning Administrator.
The failure of the Historic District Commission to act upon a completed
application within 45 days from the date the completed application
was filed shall be deemed to constitute automatic approval of the
proposed changes unless an extension of this forty-five-day period
is agreed upon mutually by the applicant and the Historic District
Commission or the application has been withdrawn. An application is
deemed to be completed when it has been accepted as such by the Historic
District Commission at a meeting.
Nothing in this article shall be taken or construed
to prevent routine maintenance, painting, customary farming operations
or landscaping which will have no material effect on the historic,
archeological or architectural significance of a designated site,
structure or district. Nothing in this article affects the right to
complete any work covered by a permit or authorization issued prior
to January 1, 1997.
The Historic District Commission may acquire
easements in connection with individual sites or structures or with
sites or structures located in or adjacent to a locally designated
Historic District subject to approval by the Mayor and Common Council.
Such easement shall grant to the City, the Historic District Commission,
the residents of the Historic District and the general public the
right to ensure that any site or structure and surrounding property
upon which it is applied is protected in perpetuity from changes which
would affect its historic, archeological or architectural significance.
Any person aggrieved by any decision of the
Historic District Commission on an application or any officer, department
or board of the City may appeal the same to the Circuit Court for
Carroll County. Any such appeal shall be taken in accordance with
the Maryland Rules of Procedure as set forth in Chapter 200 of Title
7.