[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors of the Township of
North Coventry 12-30-1985 by Ord. No. 76.
Amendments noted where applicable.]
There is hereby created the North Coventry Township Historical Commission,
an administrative body of the Township of North Coventry, Chester County,
Pennsylvania. The Historical Commission may also be referred to as the "Historic
Landmark Commission."
[Amended 5-14-1990; 1-25-1999[1]]
The Commission shall consist of nine qualified persons, competent and
informed on historical, architectural and cultural traditions of the community.
The members of the Commission shall be appointed by the Chairman of the Board
of Supervisors, subject to confirmation by a majority of the members of the
Board. Of the original members, two shall be appointed for one year, two for
two years, two for three years, two for four years and one for five years,
and thereafter members shall serve for five-year staggered terms. Members
shall be exempt from any provisions of any other ordinances of the Township
limiting the number of terms that a member of a board or commission may hold.
A member of the Commission may serve for as many succeeding terms as such
member may be appointed to by the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors with
approval of the Board. Members of the Commission shall serve without pay,
but shall have their expenses paid by the Township in the manner provided
by the chapter.
The Commission shall elect from among its members a Chairman, a Vice
Chairman, and a Secretary. These officers shall serve for such term of office
as shall be designated by the Commission. No officer's term of office
shall be shortened during that officer's term of office. The Chairman
shall preside at meetings, and the Vice Chairman shall preside in the absence
of the Chairman.
All meetings of the Commission shall be open to the public. The Commission
may adopt rules of order for the transaction of its business, provided that
the Commission shall comply with all applicable state laws and Township ordinances
relating to open meeting. The Commission shall permit discussion of all matters,
by any member of the public present at any meeting. No meetings of the Commission
shall be closed to the public, and no parts of any meetings of the Commission
shall be closed to the public. Designations such as "committee of the whole
meeting," or "discussion session" shall not permit a meeting to be closed.
It is the privilege and the right of the public to know how the public's
business is being conducted.
The Commission shall have such staff as shall from time to time be assigned
to the Commission by the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors. Assignments
by the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors shall follow any specific directions
from the Board of Supervisors on staff to be assigned to the Historical Commission.
The Chairman of the Board of Supervisors shall allocate funds to be used for
the expenses of the Historical Commission, consistent with the appropriation
ordinance approved by the Board of Supervisors.
The Historical Commission shall use volunteers to the maximum extent
possible, to obtain information, to disseminate information, to observe historic
buildings and historic neighborhoods, and to perform all of the functions
of the Commission in the most effective way possible.
The Historical Commission shall have the following purposes and duties:
A.
The Historical Commission shall perform all of the functions
assigned by federal law, state law or Township ordinances to the Historical
Commission or to the Historic Landmarks Commission.
B.
The Historical Commission shall survey and study the
entire Township, and shall from time to time obtain suggestions from the public
by available means, including but not limited to public meetings or public
hearings, requests for written suggestions, oral surveys and written surveys.
C.
The Historical Commission shall list all buildings in
the Township having historical significance. The Historical Commission shall
list all neighborhoods in the Township having historical significance.
D.
The Historical Commission shall undertake research, inspection,
and investigation of sites, buildings and neighborhoods.
E.
The Historical Commission shall maintain current lists
of all historical landmarks, buildings, sites and neighborhoods. Such lists
shall contain a brief description of the historical site or area and shall
list the reasons for its inclusion in the list of historical places.
F.
The Historical Commission shall cause drawings, photographs,
descriptions and other appropriate documentation to be made concerning all
areas and buildings included in the list.
G.
The Historical Commission shall inform the owners, neighbors,
and occupants or tenants in any building or area on the list of its inclusion
on the list. The Historical Commission shall also inform the Board of Supervisors,
the state authorities dealing with historical areas and historic landmarks,
and federal authorities dealing with such matters in the area. The Historical
Commission shall take all steps necessary to gain state and federal recognition
for such areas.
H.
The Historical Commission shall present recommendations
to the Board of Supervisors on proposed ordinances and on proposed steps to
preserve, protect and restore all such historic areas, historic buildings,
historic landmarks and the like, and, if requested to do so by the Board of
Supervisors, shall make recommendations for the establishment of historic
districts within the Township, and shall recommend the certain buildings,
landmarks, or areas to be included within such historic district, together
with a recommendation on the type of restrictions upon the types of changes
or alterations which should be allowed to be made to the exteriors of any
buildings, structures, features or sites within any historic district created
within the Township.
All Township departments, offices, boards and commissions are authorized
and directed to cooperate with the Historical Commission in carrying out its
duties. The Building Inspector and health officer shall provide copies of
all notices, orders and permits respecting any sites, buildings, structures
and areas appearing in the list of historic landmarks or historic areas.
As used in this chapter, a landmark, building, or neighborhood shall
be considered to be of historical significance and subject to the terms of
this chapter, if such area, building or site has particular historical, architectural
or cultural significance in the community, if the building or site or area
is particularly identified with any historic personage or historic event,
if a building has significance as a representative or a period style of architecture,
and hence is valuable for study, if a building is a notable work of a master
builder, designer or architect whose individual genius influenced his era,
or if the building has significance for any reasons of local, state or national
history.
