[CC 1985 § 25-400; Ord. No. 762 § 2, 10-7-2002]
A.
The purpose of this Chapter is to promote
the educational, cultural, economic, and general welfare of the community
by:
1.
Providing a mechanism to identify
and preserve the distinctive historic, archaeological and architectural
characteristics of St. James which represent elements of the City's
cultural, social, economic, political, and architectural history;
2.
Fostering civic pride in the beauty
and noble accomplishments of the past as represented in St. James
landmarks and historic districts;
3.
Conserving and improving the value
of property designated as landmarks or within historic districts;
4.
Providing for economic benefits to
encourage business and residential owners to locate and invest in
historically significant properties;
5.
Protecting and enhancing the attractiveness
of the City to home buyers, tourists, visitors, and shoppers, and
thereby supporting and promoting business, commerce and industry,
and providing economic benefit to the City;
6.
Fostering and encouraging preservation,
restoration, and rehabilitation of the historic structures, areas
and neighborhoods, and thereby preventing future urban blight;
7.
Promoting the use of historic districts
and landmarks for the education, pleasure, and welfare of the people
of the City;
8.
Promoting the identification, evaluation,
protection and interpretation of the prehistoric and historic archaeological
resources within the incorporated limits of the City.
[CC 1985 § 25-401; Ord. No. 762 § 2, 10-7-2002]
Unless specifically defined below,
words or phrases in this Chapter shall be interpreted so as to give
them the same meaning as they have in common usage and so as to give
this Chapter its most reasonable application.
Any act or process that changes one (1) or more historic,
architectural or physical features of an area, site, landscape, place
and/or structure, including, but not limited to, the erection, construction,
reconstruction, or removal of any structure, the expansion or significant
modification of agricultural activities, and clearing, grading or
other modification of an area, site, or landscape that changes its
current condition.
A specific geographic division of the City of St. James.
A certificate issued by the St. James Historic Preservation
Commission (SJHPC) indicating its approval of plans for alteration,
construction, removal or demolition of a landmark or of a structure
within a historic district.
A certificate issued by the SJHPC authorizing an alteration,
construction, removal or demolition, even though a certificate of
appropriateness has previously been denied.
Member of the St. James Historic Preservation Commission
appointed by the Mayor and approved by the Council.
The act of adding an addition to an existing structure or
the erection of a new principal or accessory structure on a lot or
property.
Districts, buildings, sites, structures, objects and evidence
of some importance to a culture, a subculture, or a community for
scientific, engineering, art tradition, religious or other reasons,
significant in providing resource and environmental data necessary
for the study and interpretation of past life ways and for interpreting
human behavior.
Any act or process which destroys in part or in whole a landmark
or a structure within a historic district, or which threatens to destroy
a landmark or a structure within a historic district, or which destroys
or threatens to destroy a potentially significant property or structure
by failure to maintain it in a condition of good repair and maintenance.
A standard of appropriate activity that will preserve the
historic, prehistoric, architectural, scenic or aesthetic character
of a landmark or historic district.
The architectural character and general composition of the
exterior of a structure, including but not limited to the kind, color
and texture of the building material and the type, design and character
of all windows, doors, light fixtures, signs, and appurtenant elements.
An area designated as a "historic district" by ordinance
of the City Council, which may include individual landmarks as well
as other properties or structures which, while not of such historic
and/or architectural significance to be designated as landmarks, nevertheless
contribute to the overall visual characteristics and historical significance
of the historic district.
Character, interest or value as part of the development,
heritage, or culture of the community, county, state or country; as
the location of an important local, county, state or national event;
or through identification with a person or persons who made an important
contribution to the development of the community, county, state or
country.
A property or structure designated as a "landmark" by ordinance
of the City Council, pursuant to procedures prescribed herein, which
is worthy of rehabilitation, restoration, interpretation and preservation
because of its historic, architectural or archaeological significance
to the City of St. James.
The minimum regulations governing the conditions and maintenance
of all existing structures as set out in the currently adopted Existing
Structures Code of the City, as such Existing Structures Code shall
be amended from time to time.
Any work for which a building permit is not required by municipal
ordinance, where the purpose and effect of such work is to correct
any deterioration or decay of or damage to a structure or any part
thereof and to restore the same, as nearly as may be practical, to
its condition prior to the occurrence of such deterioration, decay
or damage, and does not involve change of materials nor of form.
The person, corporation or other legal entity listed as owner
on the records of the County Recorder of Deeds.
An action by the City of St. James or any of its departments
or agencies involving major modification or replacement of streets,
sidewalks, curbs, street lights, street or sidewalk furniture, landscaping,
parking, or other portions of the public infrastructure servicing
commercial, residential, recreational or industrial development, or
any undertakings affecting City parks or City-owned structures.
Any relocation of a structure, object or artifact on its
site or to another site.
Any change that is not construction, alteration, demolition
or removal and is necessary or useful for continuing normal maintenance
and upkeep.
Sets of treatment standards intended to assist users in making
sound historic preservation decisions for the preservation, rehabilitation,
restoration or reconstruction of historic properties. The standards
are codified as 36 CFR Part 68 in the July 12, 1995, Federal Register
(Vol. 60, No. 133).
The traditional, documented or legendary location of an event,
occurrence, action or structure significant in the life or lives of
a person, persons, groups, or tribe, or any place with evidence of
past human activity. "Sites" include, but are not limited to, cemeteries,
burial grounds, occupation and work areas, evidence of farming or
hunting and gathering, battlefields, settlements, estates, gardens,
groves, river crossings, routes and trails, caves, quarries, mines
or significant trees or other plant life.
Members of the St. James Historic Preservation Commission.
An order directing an owner, occupant, contractor or subcontractor
to halt an action for which a certificate of appropriateness is required,
and notifying the owner, occupant, contractor or subcontractor of
the application process for a certificate of appropriateness.
Anything constructed or erected, the use of which requires
permanent or temporary location on or in the ground, including, but
without limiting the generality of the foregoing, buildings, fences,
gazebos, advertising signs, billboards, backstops for tennis courts,
radio and television antennas and towers, and swimming pools.
The systematic gathering of information on the architectural,
historic, scenic, and archaeological significance of buildings, sites,
structures, areas, or landscapes, through visual assessment in the
field and historical research for the purpose of identifying landmarks
or districts worthy of preservation.
