An Historical Architectural Review Board (HARB)
is hereby erected and established with its members to be appointed
by Borough Council.
The HARB shall be composed of not less than
five members and, of those: one member shall be a registered architect;
one member shall be a licensed real estate broker; one member shall
be the Building Inspector; and the remaining members shall be property
owners who reside in the historic district who have a demonstrated
interest, knowledge, ability, experience or expertise in restoration,
historic rehabilitation, or neighborhood conservation or revitalization
and who have an interest in the preservation of the historic district.
B.
Upon adoption of this chapter, Borough Council shall appoint persons to serve as members of the HARB for the following terms, it being understood that following expiration of those initial terms all subsequent appointees shall serve the term set forth in Subsection A of this section:
(1)
One member shall be appointed for a term of one year;
(2)
One member shall be appointed for a term of two years;
(3)
One member shall be appointed for a term of three
years;
(4)
One (two if more than a five-member board) member(s)
shall be appointed for a term of four years; and
(5)
One (two if more than a five-member board) member(s)
shall be appointed for a term of five years.
C.
Vacancies on the HARB shall be filled by Borough Council
within 90 days. Should Borough Council fail to fill any vacancy within
that period, the HARB may petition the Court of Common Pleas of Lancaster
County to fill the vacancy.
D.
The position of any member of HARB appointed in his
capacity as a registered architect, building official or licensed
real estate broker who ceases to be so engaged shall be automatically
considered vacant.
E.
Any appointment to fill a vacancy shall be for the
unexpired portion of the term of the vacancy being filled.
F.
Any HARB member may be removed for misconduct or wrongdoing
or failure to perform his responsibilities pursuant to this chapter,
or for other just cause by a majority vote of the Borough Council,
which vote shall not be taken until the HARB member has been given
the opportunity of a hearing before Borough Council regarding the
alleged infractions or acts of misconduct.
G.
HARB members shall serve without compensation.
A.
All HARB members who determine that they have a conflict
of interest in any matter before the HARB shall, promptly upon determining
that such a conflict exists, disqualify themselves from participating
in any manner, publicly or privately, in the presentation, discussion
or deliberation of and the voting on any such matter and shall absent
themselves from the room in which the presentation, discussion, deliberation
and/or vote is occurring. When disqualifying themselves, the HARB
members should publicly announce the nature of the conflict of interest
as a public record in a written memorandum filed with the person responsible
for keeping the minutes of the meeting of the HARB during which the
vote on such matter is taken.
B.
In addition to those items set forth as conflicts
of interest in the State Ethics Code, a HARB member shall have a conflict
of interest in any matter before the HARB in which their own or a
family member's financial interests are directly or indirectly involved.
A.
The HARB shall give recommendations to the Borough
Council regarding the advisability of issuing any certificate of appropriateness
required in accordance with Act 167, as amended, and this chapter.
B.
The HARB may establish, adopt and/or amend rules and
regulations for its own operations and procedures, provided, however,
that such rules and regulations are consistent with the laws of the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the Borough of Columbia and this chapter.
C.
The HARB may employ secretarial and professional assistance
and incur other necessary expenses with the approval of Borough Council.
Such services and expenses shall be paid for by the Borough.
D.
The HARB shall meet publicly at regularly scheduled
intervals. The meeting schedule shall be established and published
annually. The HARB may hold any additional meetings it deems necessary
to carry out its powers and duties as set forth in this chapter. All
meetings shall be open to the public and shall have a quorum of HARB
members.
E.
A majority of HARB members shall constitute a quorum
and action taken at any meeting shall require the affirmative vote
of a majority of the HARB members present.
F.
The members of HARB shall make an annual report to
Borough Council that shall include:
(1)
Any recommendations for changes to this chapter;
(2)
The number and types of cases reviewed;
(3)
The number of cases for which a certificate of appropriateness
was either approved or denied;
(4)
The number of HARB meetings which each member attended;
(5)
A narrative summary describing the state of historic
preservation in the historic district with recommendations in policy,
goals, and objectives for the Borough Council to consider.
G.
HARB members are required to attend at least eight
hours annually of seminars, conferences, or workshops related to historic
preservation and HARB administration.
Additional duties of the HARB shall be as follows:
A.
To conduct a survey of buildings, structures, objects
and monuments for the purpose of determining those of historic and/or
architectural significance and pertinent facts about them; to act
in coordination with the Borough Planning Commission, Zoning Hearing
Board, and other appropriate groups; and to maintain and periodically
revise and update the survey in accordance or consistent with PHMC's
"Cultural Resource Management in Pennsylvania: Guidelines for Historic
Resource Surveys";
B.
To propose, from time to time as deemed appropriate,
the establishment of additional historic districts and revisions to
the existing historic district;
C.
To formulate recommendations concerning the establishment
of an appropriate system of markers for selected historical and/or
architectural sites and buildings, including proposals for the installation
and care of such historic markers;
D.
To formulate recommendations concerning the preparation
and publication of maps, brochures and descriptive materials about
the Borough and its historic and/or architectural sites and buildings;
E.
To cooperate with and advise Borough Council, the
Borough Planning Commission, Zoning Hearing Board, and other groups,
as appropriate, 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 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 and persons, public and private, from time to time,
concerned with the preservation of historic sites, structures and
buildings;
G.
To advise owners of historic buildings and structures
regarding rehabilitation, repairs, maintenance methods and technologies,
adaptive uses, economic and tax incentives and other historic preservation
strategies; and
H.
To promote public interest in the purpose of this
chapter by carrying on educational and public relations programs.
