[Ord. 2003-06, 8/21/2003, § 400; as amended by
Ord. 2007-04, 10/17/2007, § 1]
1. Membership. A Historical Architectural Review Board, hereafter referred to as "HARB," is hereby established to be composed of seven members appointed by the Board of Supervisors. Membership shall include Township residents or property owners in the Township, unless professions described in Subsection
1A through
C below cannot be filled with Township residents or property owners. The membership of HARB shall be as follows:
A. One member shall be a registered architect.
B. One member shall be a licensed real estate broker.
C. One member shall be the Building Inspector.
D. Four members shall be persons with demonstrated interest, knowledge,
ability, experience or expertise in restoration, historic rehabilitation,
neighborhood conservation or history and who have interest in the
preservation of Franklin Township. Special consideration should also
be given to residents of the historic district(s).
2. Terms. The initial terms of the first member shall be so fixed that
no more than two members shall be replaced or reappointed during any
one calendar year. However, every member shall continue in office
after expiration of the term until the Board of Supervisors has appointed
a successor. Their successors shall serve for a term of five years.
The position of any member of HARB who ceases to be so engaged shall
be automatically considered vacant. Vacancies on the HARB shall be
filled within 120 days. An appointment to fill a vacancy shall be
only for the unexpired portion of the term.
3. Conflict of Interest. It shall be the duty of each HARB member to
remain conscious of and sensitive to any possible conflict of interest
including, but not limited to, financial considerations that may arise
by virtue of his or her membership on the Board. A member, promptly
upon his determining he has a conflict himself relative to any matter
brought, shall disqualify himself from participating, in any manner,
publicly or privately, in the presentation, discussion or deliberation
of and the voting on any such manner, including temporarily absenting
himself from the room in which the discussion is being held.
[Ord. 2003-06, 8/21/2003, § 401]
1. Advisory Role. HARB shall give recommendations to Board of Supervisors
regarding the advisability of issuing any certificate of appropriateness
required in accordance with the said Act of June 13, 1961, 53 P.S. § 8001
et seq., as amended, and this chapter.
2. HARB Rule-Making Power. HARB may make and alter rules and regulations
for its own organization and procedure, provided that they are consistent
with the laws of the commonwealth and all provisions of this chapter.
3. Removal of Members. Any Board member may be removed for misconduct
or wrongdoing, unlawful execution of this Act, or failure to perform
his or her responsibilities pursuant to this Act, or for other just
cause by a majority vote of the Board of Supervisors, but not before
he or she has been given the opportunity of a hearing to defend to
any alleged infractions of said Act.
4. Annual Reports. The members of HARB shall make an annual report to
the Franklin Township Board of Supervisors, which shall include:
A. Any recommendations for changes in this chapter.
B. The number and types of cases reviewed.
C. The number of cases for which a certificate of appropriateness was
either approved or denied.
D. Number of HARB meetings and attendance.
E. Historic preservation related training which each member attended.
F. A narrative summary describing the state of preservation in the Historic
District(s) with recommendations in policy, goals, and objectives
for the Board of Supervisors consideration.
5. Compensation. HARB may employ secretarial and professional assistance
and incur other necessary expenses with the approval of Board of Supervisors.
HARB members will not be compensated for regular HARB duties; they
shall be compensated for expenses incurred for training or other member
development activities.
6. Meetings. HARB shall meet publicly at least once each quarter at
regularly scheduled intervals. Further, HARB may hold any additional
meetings it considers necessary to carry out its powers and duties
indicated in this chapter. Such meetings shall be advertised and open
to the public. A majority of HARB shall constitute a quorum, and action
taken at any meeting shall require the affirmative vote of a majority
of the members present.
7. Training. The majority of HARB members and/or HARB support staff
shall be required to attend a minimum of eight hours annually of seminars,
conferences or workshops related to historic preservation and HARB
administration.
[Ord. 2003-06, 8/21/2003, § 402]
1. In addition to the above, HARB shall have the following powers and
duties:
A. To conduct a survey of buildings, structures, objects and monuments
within the historic district(s) for the purpose of determining those
of historic and/or architectural significance and pertinent facts
about them; action in coordination with the Franklin Township Historical
Commission, Planning Commission, Zoning Hearing Board, and other appropriate
groups and to maintain and periodically revise the detailed listings
(resource inventories) of historic resources and data about them,
appropriately classified with respect to national, state and local
significance.
B. To propose, from time to time as deemed appropriate, the establishment
of additional historic districts and revisions to existing historic
districts.
C. To cooperate with and enlist assistance from the National Park Service,
the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Preservation Pennsylvania,
the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission and other agencies,
public and private, from time to time, concerned with the preservation
of historic sites and buildings.
D. To advise owners of historic buildings regarding rehabilitation,
repairs, maintenance methods and technologies, adaptive use, economic
and tax incentives and other historic preservation strategies within
historic districts.
E. To cooperate with and advise the Township in matters involving historically
and/or architecturally significant sites and buildings (such as appropriate
land usage, parking facilities and signs, as well as adherence to
lot dimensional regulations and minimum structural standards).
F. To promote public interest in the purpose of this chapter by carrying
on educational and public relations programs.
G. To work with and assist the Historical Commission and other government
entities for the purposes of promoting historic preservation in the
Kemblesville Historic District, other historic districts, and throughout
the Township.