[Added 6-5-2006 by L.L. No. 4-2006]
It is hereby declared as a matter of public policy that the protection, enhancement, and perpetuation of landmarks and historic districts are necessary to promote the economic, cultural, educational, and general welfare of the public. Inasmuch as the identity of a people is founded on its past, and inasmuch as the Village of Springville has many significant historic, architectural, and cultural resources which constitute its heritage, this article is enacted pursuant to § 119-dd of the General Municipal Law and is intended to:
A. 
Protect and enhance the landmarks and historic districts which represent distinctive elements of the Village of Springville's special character and its historic, architectural and cultural heritage;
B. 
Foster civic pride in the accomplishments of the past;
C. 
Protect and enhance the Village of Springville's attractiveness to visitors and the support and stimulus to the economy thereby provided; and
D. 
Insure the harmonious, orderly, and efficient growth and development of the Village of Springville.
For purposes of this article, the following words shall be interpreted and defined as follows:
AGGRIEVED PERSON
A person is "aggrieved" by, and can therefore appeal, an order where the person has a direct interest in the controversy which is affected by the result, and the adjudication has a binding force against the rights or property of the person seeking to appeal; that the adjudication may remotely or contingently affect interests which the person represents does not give the person a right to appeal.
[Added 3-1-2021 by L.L. No. 3-2021]
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
The Board of Trustees of the Village of Springville, Erie County, New York.
CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER
The Code Enforcement Officer of the Village of Springville, Erie County, New York.
COMMISSION
The Village of Springville's Historic Preservation Commission created pursuant to this article.
OWNER
A person, firm, partnership, corporation or other legal entity which owns the fee title to a property or site, a mortgagee or vendee in possession, a receiver, an administrator or executor, a trustee or any other person, firm, partnership, corporation or other legal entity in control of a property or site.
PROPERTY
Land and improvements thereon.
SITE
A plot or parcel of land.
VILLAGE
The Village of Springville, Erie County, New York.
VILLAGE CLERK
The duly appointed Clerk of the Village of Springville, Erie County, New York.
There is hereby created a Commission to be known as the “Village of Springville Historic Preservation Commission.”
A. 
The Commission shall consist of five members to be appointed by the Mayor with the approval of the Board of Trustees. All members shall have an interest in historic preservation and architectural development in the Village. To the extent available, membership should include an architect experienced in working with historic buildings, an historian, a person from the business community, and residents of the Village.
[Amended 3-1-2021 by L.L. No. 3-2021]
B. 
Commission members shall serve for a term of four years, with the exception of the initial term of one of the five members which shall be one year, one which shall be two years, and one which shall be three years.
C. 
The Chairperson and Vice Chairperson of the Commission shall be designated annually by the Mayor from among the members of the Commission and shall be residents of the Village.
[Amended 3-1-2021 by L.L. No. 3-2021]
D. 
An alternate Commission member may be appointed by the Mayor with approval of the Board of Trustees and shall serve a term of four years.
[Added 3-1-2021 by L.L. No. 3-2021[1]]
[1]
Editor’s Note: This local law also redesignated former Subsections D through G as Subsections E through H, respectively.
E. 
The powers of the Commission shall include:
(1) 
Recommendation of professional consultants to the Board of Trustees as necessary to carry out the duties of the Commission;
(2) 
Promulgation of rules and regulations as necessary for the orderly conduct of its business;
(3) 
Adoption of criteria for the identification of significant historic, architectural, and cultural landmarks and for the delineation of historic districts;
(4) 
Identification of specific historic features of a designated landmark or district;
(5) 
Conducting surveys of significant historic, architectural, and cultural landmarks and historic districts within the Village;
(6) 
Designation of identified properties, sites, structures or resources as landmarks and historic districts;
(7) 
Recommendations to the Board of Trustees concerning the donation of facade easements and development rights, and the making of recommendations to the Board of Trustees concerning the acquisition of facade easements or other interests in real property as necessary to carry out the purposes of this article;
(8) 
Increasing public awareness of the value of historic, cultural, and architectural preservation by developing and participating in public education programs;
(9) 
Making recommendations to the Board of Trustees concerning the utilization of state, federal, or private funds to promote the preservation of landmarks and historic districts within the Village;
(10) 
Approval or disapproval of applications for certificates of appropriateness pursuant to this article;
(11) 
Recommendations to the Board of Trustees regarding the exercise of any of the powers granted to the Village by Article 5-K of the General Municipal Law that are not given to the Commission by this article.
F. 
The Commission shall meet at least monthly, but meetings may be held at any time on the written request of any two of the Commission members or on the call of the Chairperson or the Mayor. The Chairperson shall cause minutes of all meetings to be prepared and shall file a copy in the office of the Village Clerk.
G. 
A quorum for the transaction of business shall consist of three of the Commission's members, but not less than a majority of the full authorized membership may designate a landmark or historic district, grant or deny a certificate of appropriateness or exercise any of the other powers of the Commission.
H. 
Compensation of Commission members, together with reasonable and necessary expenses of the Commission and its members, shall be as may be determined by resolution of the Board of Trustees within the appropriations provided therefor in the Village's annual budget.
A. 
The Commission may designate an individual property as a landmark if it:
(1) 
Possesses special character or historic or aesthetic interest or value as part of the cultural, political, economic, or social history of the locality, region, state, or nation; or
(2) 
Is identified with historic personages; or
(3) 
Embodies the distinguishing characteristics of an architectural style; or
(4) 
Is the work of a designer whose work has significantly influenced an age; or
(5) 
Because of unique location or singular physical characteristics, represents an established and familiar visual feature of the neighborhood; or
[Amended 3-1-2021 by L.L. No. 3-2021]
(6) 
Conforms with New York State Historic Preservation Office criteria for an historic structure.
[Added 3-1-2021 by L.L. No. 3-2021]
B. 
The Commission may designate a group of properties as an historic district if it:
(1) 
Contains properties which meet one or more of the criteria for designation as a landmark; and
(2) 
By reason of possessing such qualities, it constitutes a distinct section of the Village.
C. 
The Commission shall hold a public hearing prior to the designation of any landmark or historic district. The Commission, owners, and any interested parties may present testimony or documentary evidence at the hearing, which shall become part of the record regarding the historic, architectural, or cultural importance of the proposed landmark or historic district. The record may also contain consultant reports, staff reports, public comments, or other evidence offered outside of the hearing.
D. 
The Village Clerk shall send notice of a proposed designation of a landmark or a district by certified mail to the owner of any property proposed for designation as a landmark or inclusion within a district to the name and address shown on the latest tax roll for the mailing of the Village tax bill, describing the property or district and announcing the time and place of the public hearing by the Commission to consider the designation. Such notice shall be mailed by the Village Clerk at least 14 days prior to the date of the public hearing. The Village Clerk shall also cause notice of the time and place of the public hearing to be published in the Village's official newspaper at least 10 days prior to the date of the public hearing. Once the Commission has issued notice of a proposed designation, no building permit shall be issued by the Code Enforcement Officer with regard to that landmark or district until the Commission has made its decision.
[Amended 10-16-2006 by L.L. No. 5-2006]
E. 
The boundaries of each proposed historic district designated henceforth and the location of each proposed historic landmark shall be specified in detail and shall be filed, in writing, in the Village Clerk's office for public inspection at least 10 days prior to the public hearing.
F. 
Following the public hearing and within 30 days after the Commission's decision designating a landmark or district, notice of that decision shall be published in the Village's official newspaper and sent by certified mail to the owner of any property so designated and addressed in the same manner as set forth in Subsection D of this section.
[Amended 10-16-2006 by L.L. No. 5-2006]
G. 
The Village Clerk shall immediately forward notice of each property designated as a landmark and the boundaries of each designated historic district to the office of the Erie County Clerk for recordation. This notice shall be signed and acknowledged by the Village Clerk or Deputy Clerk.
H. 
Provided the notices are mailed and published as required by this section, the failure of a particular owner to actually receive notice of the bearing or the designating decision shall not invalidate the proceeding or the designation by the Commission of a landmark or district.
[Amended 3-1-2021 by L.L. No. 3-2021]
No person shall carry out any exterior alteration, restoration, reconstruction, demolition, or new construction on a site, or the moving of a landmark on a property, located within an historic district, nor shall any person make any material change in the appearance of such property, its light fixtures, signs, sidewalks, fences, steps, paving, or other exterior elements which affect the appearance and cohesiveness of the landmark or historic district, without first obtaining a certificate of appropriateness from the Commission. Emergency orders or actions made in the interest of public safety or Building Code compliance by the Code Enforcement Officer or the Mayor supersede certificates of appropriateness.
A. 
In passing upon an application for a certificate of appropriateness, the Commission shall not consider changes to interior spaces. The Commission's decision shall be based on the following principles:
(1) 
Properties which contribute to the character of the historic district shall be retained, with their historic features altered as little as possible;
(2) 
Any alteration of an existing property shall be compatible with its own historic character, as well as with the character and historic features of other properties in its neighborhood; and
(3) 
New construction shall be compatible with the historic landmarks in the area in which it is located.
B. 
In applying the principle of compatibility, the Commission shall consider the following factors:
(1) 
The general design, character, and appropriateness to the property of the proposed alteration or new construction;
(2) 
The scale of proposed alteration or new construction in relation to the property itself, surrounding properties, and the neighborhood;
(3) 
Texture, materials, and color and their relation to similar features of other properties in the neighborhood;
(4) 
Visual compatibility with surrounding properties, including the proportion of the property's front facade, the proportion and arrangement of windows and other openings within the facade, roof shape, and the rhythm of spacing of properties on streets, including setback; and
(5) 
The importance of historic, architectural, or other features to the significance of the property.
A. 
Prior to the commencement of any work requiring a certificate of appropriateness, the owner shall file an application for such a certificate with the Village Clerk, who shall immediately transmit a copy to the Commission. The application shall contain:
(1) 
Name, address, and telephone number of applicant/property owner;
(2) 
Location and photographs of the property;
(3) 
Elevation drawings of proposed changes, if available;
(4) 
Perspective drawings, including relationship to adjacent properties, if available;
(5) 
Samples of color and materials to be used;
(6) 
Where the proposal includes signs or lettering, a scale drawing showing the type of lettering to be used, all dimensions and colors, a description of materials to be used, method of illumination, and a plan showing the sign's location on the property; and
(7) 
A narrative statement describing all work to be done, including material specifications;
(8) 
Any other information which the Commission may deem necessary in order to visualize the proposed work.
B. 
No building permit shall be issued for such proposed work until a certificate of appropriateness has first been issued by the Commission. The certificate of appropriateness required by this article shall be in addition to and not in lieu of any building permit or authorization that may be required by any other law or regulation of the Village, the Town of Concord, the County of Erie or the State of New York.
C. 
The Commission shall approve, deny, or approve the certificate of appropriateness with modifications within 60 days from the receipt of the completed application by the Commission. The Commission, in its sole discretion, may hold a public hearing on the application at which an opportunity will be provided for proponents and opponents of the application to present their views.
D. 
All decisions of the Commission shall be in writing. A copy shall be sent to the applicant by certified mail and a copy filed with the Village Clerk's office for public inspection. The Commission's decision shall state the reasons for denying or modifying any application.
[Amended 10-16-2006 by L.L. No. 5-2006]
E. 
Certificates of appropriateness shall be valid for 12 months, after which time the applicant may file a request for one extension of 12 months with the Code Enforcement Officer for the same project approved by the Commission. If any applicant still wishes to undertake work on the property after that time frame the applicant must reapply to the Commission. If the Code Enforcement Officer denies the applicant's request for extension, the applicant must reapply to the Commission.
An applicant whose certificate of appropriateness for a proposed demolition has been denied may apply to the Commission for relief on the ground of hardship. In order to prove the existence of hardship, the applicant shall establish that:
A. 
The property is incapable of earning a reasonable return, regardless of whether that return represents the most profitable return possible;
B. 
The property cannot be adapted for any other use, whether by the current owner or by a purchaser, which would result in a reasonable return; and
C. 
Efforts to find a purchaser interested in acquiring the property and preserving it have failed.
An applicant whose certificate of appropriateness for a proposed alteration has been denied may apply to the Commission for relief on the ground of hardship. In order to prove the existence of hardship, the applicant shall establish that the property is incapable of earning a reasonable return, regardless of whether that return represents the most profitable return possible.
A. 
After receiving written notification from the Commission of the denial of a certificate of appropriateness, an applicant may commence the hardship process. No building permit or demolition permit shall be issued unless the Commission makes a finding that a hardship exists.
B. 
The Commission may, in its sole discretion, hold a public hearing on the hardship application at which an opportunity will be provided for proponents and opponents of the application to present their views.
C. 
The applicant shall consult in good faith with the Commission, local preservation groups, and interested parties in a diligent effort to seek an alternative that will result in preservation of the property.
D. 
All decisions of the Commission shall be in writing. A copy shall be sent to the applicant by certified mail and a copy filed with the Village Clerk's office for public inspection. The Commission's decision shall state the reasons for granting or denying the hardship application. If the application is granted, the Commission shall approve only such work as is necessary to alleviate the hardship.
[Amended 10-16-2006 by L.L. No. 5-2006]
All work performed pursuant to a certificate of appropriateness issued under this article shall conform to any requirements included therein. It shall be the duty of the Code Enforcement Officer to inspect periodically any such work to assure compliance. In the event work is found that is not being performed in accordance with the certificate of appropriateness, or upon notification of such fact by the Commission, the Code Enforcement Officer shall issue a stop-work order and all work shall immediately cease. No further work shall be undertaken on the project as long as a stop-work order is in effect.
A. 
The filing of any application to the Commission under this article shall be deemed accomplished when the completed application is personally served upon the Village Clerk or upon the Village officer or employee in charge of the Village Clerk's office during normal business hours at the time filing is attempted. The Village Clerk shall immediately forward a copy of such application to the Commission for appropriate action.
B. 
Notice to the applicant regarding the Commission's decision on an application for a certificate of appropriateness shall be deemed accomplished when such decision is sent to the applicant by certified mail addressed to the applicant's address given on the application.
[Amended 10-16-2006 by L.L. No. 5-2006]
Nothing in this article shall be construed to prevent the ordinary maintenance and repair of any exterior architectural feature of a landmark or property within an historic district which does not involve a change in design, material, color, or outward appearance. No owner or person with an interest in real property designated as a landmark or included within an historic district shall permit the property to fall into a serious state of disrepair so as to result in the deterioration of any exterior architectural feature which would, in the judgment of the Commission, produce a detrimental effect upon the character of the historic district as a whole or the life and character of the property itself. Examples of such deterioration include:
A. 
Deterioration of exterior walls or other vertical supports;
B. 
Deterioration of roofs or other horizontal members;
C. 
Deterioration of exterior chimneys;
D. 
Deterioration or crumbling of exterior stucco or mortar;
E. 
Ineffective waterproofing of exterior walls, roofs, or foundations, including broken windows or doors; and
F. 
Deterioration of any feature so as to create a hazardous condition which could lead to the claim that demolition is necessary for the public safety.
A. 
Any person who demolishes, alters, constructs, or permits a designated property to fall into a serious state of disrepair in violation of this article shall be required to restore the property and its site to its appearance prior to the violation. This civil remedy shall be in addition to and not in lieu of any criminal prosecution and penalty.
B. 
Failure to comply with any of the provisions of this article shall be deemed a violation, and the violator shall be liable to a fine and imprisonment as provided in § 200-96 of this chapter; the Village may also seek injunctive and other relief as provided in that section and as may otherwise be provided by law to enforce the provisions of this article.
Any person aggrieved by a decision of the Commission relating to hardship or a certificate of appropriateness may, within 30 days of notice of the decision, file a written application with the Board of Trustees for review of the decision. Reviews shall be conducted at a meeting of the Board of Trustees called for that purpose based on the same record that was before the Commission and using the same criteria. The applicant shall be given a reasonable opportunity to be heard by at least a majority of the members of the Board of Trustees prior to the Board of Trustees' decision on the review.
Where this article imposes greater restrictions than are imposed by the provisions of any other law or regulation, the provisions of this article shall apply. Where greater restrictions are imposed by any other law or regulation, such greater restriction shall apply.