A. It is
found that the protection, enhancement, perpetuation, and use of districts,
sites, and structures of historic, cultural, and architectural significance
located within the city are of aesthetic and economic value to the
city. It is further found that cultural and historic resources contribute
to the city's character, atmosphere, and reputation, and that
respecting the heritage of the city will enhance its economic, cultural,
and aesthetic standing. Therefore, it is imperative that the city
safeguards these irreplaceable resources for the welfare, enjoyment,
and education of the present and future community.
B. The
purpose of this chapter is to:
1. Provide
a mechanism to identify, designate, protect, preserve, enhance, and
perpetuate those historic sites, structures, and objects that embody
and reflect the city's aesthetic, cultural, architectural, and
historic heritage;
2. Foster
civic pride in the beauty and accomplishments represented by the city's
historic landmarks and distinctive neighborhoods and recognize these
resources as economic assets;
3. Encourage
the protection, enhancement, appreciation, and use of structures of
historical, cultural, architectural, community, or aesthetic value
that have not been designated as historical resources but are deserving
of recognition;
4. Enhance
the quality of life and promote future economic development within
the city by stabilizing and improving the aesthetic and economic value
of such districts, sites, structures, and objects;
5. Encourage
adaptive reuse of the city's historic resources by promoting
public awareness of the value of rehabilitation, restoration, and
maintenance of existing buildings as a means to conserve reusable
material and energy resources;
6. Integrate
historic preservation within the city's comprehensive development
plan;
7. Promote
and encourage historic preservation through continued private ownership
and utilization of such sites, buildings, and other structures now
so owned and used, to the extent that the objectives listed above
can be attained under such policy.
(Code 1980, § 2.24.010; Ord. No. 848, § 3(attach. A), 7-6-2011; Ord. No. 870 (Recodification), 2014)
The following terms, when used in this chapter, shall have the
meaning set forth in this section, unless a different meaning clearly
appears from the context:
"Alteration"
means any act or process that modifies a historic landmark
or contributing resource that either:
A.
Requires a building permit and changes one or more of the features
of a landscape or structure, including, without limitation, the erection,
construction, reconstruction, or relocation of any structure or any
part of a structure; or
B.
Significantly changes any feature of a landscape or exterior
of a structure that relates to its status as a historic landmark or
contributing resource, regardless of whether such act or process requires
a building permit.
"Commission"
means the city historic preservation commission.
"Contributing resource"
means any site, sign, structure, building, landscape, object,
area, place, or feature within a conservation district that is either
a separately designated historic landmark or designated as a resource
that contributes to the district's historic, cultural, or architectural
significance.
"Demolition"
means any act or process that destroys, in whole or in part,
a building, structure, or site, or permanently impairs its structural
integrity.
"Historic landmark"
means any structure, any site, sign, structure, building,
landscape, object, area, place, or feature designated as a historic
landmark pursuant to this chapter.
"Inventory of historic resources"
means the inventory adopted by the commission of potentially
historic sites, structures, buildings, landscapes, areas, and places
in the city.
"Ordinary maintenance and repair"
means any work for which a building permit is not required
by law, the purpose and effect of which is to correct any deterioration
of or damage to an improvement or natural feature or any part thereof
and to restore the same to its condition prior to the occurrence of
such deterioration or damage.
"Register of historic resources"
means the inventory adopted by the commission of historic
landmarks, points of historic interest, and conservation districts
designated pursuant to this chapter.
"Rehabilitation"
means the act or process of making possible a compatible
use for a property through repair, alterations, and additions while
preserving those portions or features which convey its historical,
cultural, or architectural significance.
"Restoration"
means the act or process of accurately depicting the form,
features, and character of a property as it appeared at a particular
period of time by means of the removal of features from other periods
in its history and reconstruction of missing features from the restoration
period, which may include the limited and sensitive upgrade of mechanical,
electrical, and plumbing systems and other code-required work to make
the property functional.
"Secretary's standards"
means the standards for the treatment of historic properties
adopted by the United States Secretary of the Interior, and all guidelines
adopted for the implementation of the same.
"Small business"
means any office-type use that does not exceed 2,500 square
feet, with no more than five employees.
(Code 1980, § 2.24.020; Ord. No. 848, § 3(attach. A), 7-6-2011; Ord. No. 870 (Recodification), 2014)
A. Creation.
There is created the historic preservation commission of the city.
B. Powers
and duties. The commission shall have the following powers and duties
in addition to any other duties specified in this chapter:
1. Administer
the provisions of this chapter.
2. Advise
the city council in all matters pertaining to historic preservation.
3. Maintain
a current register of designated historic resources for public use
and information.
4. Maintain
a current inventory of potentially historic resources for public use
and information.
5. Recommend
the designation of historical resources, as hereinafter provided by
this chapter.
6. Review
and hold public hearings on applications for certificates of appropriateness,
as hereinafter provided.
7. Review
and comment on the decisions and documents, including, but not limited
to, environmental assessments, environmental impact reports, and environmental
impact statements, prepared by other public agencies when such decisions
or documents might affect designated or potential historical resources
within the city.
8. Participate
in, promote, and conduct public informational, educational, and interpretive
programs pertaining to historical resources.
9. Recommend
and encourage the protection, enhancement, appreciation, and use of
structures of historical, cultural, architectural, community or aesthetic
value that have not been designated as historical resources but are
deserving of recognition.
10. Consider requests by property owners for non-technical advice on
proposed work on historical landmarks and contributing resources.
11. Perform any other functions that may be designated by resolution
or action of the city council.
C. Membership;
appointment and terms. The commission shall consist of five voting
members who shall each be residents of the city and appointed by the
city council.
1. Each
member shall serve a term of four years, except that two of the members
first appointed shall be designated to serve a term of two years,
and three of the members for a term of four years, so as to provide
a continuity of membership on the commission. Thereafter, the term
for each voting member shall be four years. An appointment to fill
an unexpired term shall be for the remainder of such unexpired term.
Three members of the commission shall constitute a quorum.
2. Commission
members shall be appointed to terms commencing on January 1 next succeeding
each regular municipal election scheduled to occur in November of
even-number years.
D. Chairperson
and vice-chairperson; appointment and term. The mayor, with the approval
of the city council, shall appoint the first chairperson from among
the members of the commission. The term of office of the chairperson
shall be for the calendar year or that portion remaining after the
chairperson is appointed or elected. Thereafter, when there is a vacancy
in the office of the chairperson, the commission shall elect a chairperson
and vice-chairperson each year in the month of July from among its
members. The same individual shall not hold the position of chairperson
for more than three years in a row.
E. Assignment
of duties by city council.
1. Notwithstanding
any other provision of this chapter, the city council may, by resolution,
designate the planning commission as the historic preservation commission
and vest all functions, rights, powers, and duties of the historic
preservation commission in the planning commission. In the event the
city council so designates the planning commission, the membership,
terms of office and officers of the historic preservation commission
shall be the same as that set forth for the planning commission.
2. If,
on the effective date of this section, the planning commission is
then acting as the historic preservation commission pursuant to the
city council's previous designation, such designation shall
continue in effect and the planning commission shall continue to act
as the historic preservation commission subject to the requirements
and terms of this chapter.
F. Secretary.
The planning director shall act as secretary to the commission and
shall be custodian of its records, conduct official correspondence,
and generally coordinate the clerical and technical work of the commission
in administering this chapter.
(Code 1980, § 2.24.030; Ord. No. 848, § 3(attach. A), 7-6-2011; Ord. No. 870 (Recodification), 2014)