The HDC shall have a membership of three to five persons, all of whom are qualified by special interest, knowledge or training in such fields as history, architecture, preservation or urban design and agree to serve on the HDC and all of whom are residents of the Town. The Town Commissioners may consult private societies or agencies to request the names of possible members for the HDC.
[Amended 4-2-2012 by Ord. No. 2012-10]
A. 
The Princess Anne Town Commissioners shall create a Commission to be called the "Historic District Commission."
B. 
The members of the Historic District Commission shall be appointed for terms of three years; except in making initial appointments, one shall be for one year, one shall be for two years, and one shall be for three years.
C. 
A majority of the members of the Historic District Commission shall be residents of the Town of Princess Anne. The other member(s) of the Historic District Commission may only be residents of Somerset County.
D. 
Members of the Historic District Commission shall be eligible for reappointment.
E. 
Any vacancy on the Historic District Commission shall be filled within 60 days by the Town Commissioners for the unexpired term of the vacant position.
A. 
All meetings of the HDC shall be open to the public. Any interested person or his/her representative is entitled to appear and be heard by the HDC before it reaches a decision on any matter.
B. 
The HDC shall keep an open record of its resolutions, proceedings and actions which shall be kept available for public inspection during reasonable business hours.
C. 
Notice of the HDC's meeting shall be given in accordance with provisions for public notice established in Chapter 163, Zoning, § 163-69 of this Code.
D. 
The HDC shall not reject an application without first providing written notice to the applicant of its intention to do so and providing the applicant the opportunity to appear before the HDC and be heard.
A. 
The Commissioners of the Town of Princess Anne shall have the right to accept and use grants and gifts, from whatever source, for the exercise of the functions of the HDC, provided that such gifts shall be turned over to the City Treasurer and be subject to the Charter and laws of the Town of Princess Anne.
B. 
At the request of the affected property owner(s), the Town may establish, change, lay out and define historic districts which are of local, state or national historic, architectural or archaeological significance following the procedures set forth in this chapter for the reclassification of zoning. Such historic districts may include one or more structures, lots and tracts of land, as well as portions thereof. The term "structure" shall be defined in § 88-2 above and in the criteria set forth by the Secretary of the Interior for listing of properties on the National Register of Historic Places.
C. 
The HDC shall have the authority to seek expert advice from appropriate sources, such as the Maryland Historical Trust, Preservation Maryland, Maryland Association of Historic District Commissions, Maryland Municipal League, Preservation Law Institute and the National Trust for Historic Preservation or from highly qualified individuals recommended by such organizations when necessary. The HDC may seek formal reports on topics such as proposed boundaries for historic districts, identification of historically and architecturally important structures and the significance of their individual components and environments and any other information necessary to carrying out the purposes of the HDC.
D. 
The Town of Princess Anne may purchase architectural or land conservation easements on properties located in or adjacent to any district. Such easements shall grant to the Town, the residents of the historic district and the general public the perpetual right to have the exterior of any designated property, structure or land upon which it is applied retained in substantially the same character as when the easement took effect. In addition, the HDC shall have the authority to facilitate the restoration, if necessary, of the easement properties to a character which is compatible with the architecture and historically related setting of the designated historic district.
A. 
The HDC shall promulgate rules and regulations.
B. 
These rules and regulations shall be relevant to the HDC's functions and responsibilities hereunder, provided that:
(1) 
Such rules and regulations are presented and approved by the Commissioners of Princess Anne and made available for public comment prior to adoption; and
(2) 
They are consistent with the general regulations for historic districts.
C. 
Such rules and regulations shall have among their primary purposes:
(1) 
Provision for appropriate public notice to interested local groups or neighbors of various classes of applications;
(2) 
Assurance that the HDC can act in an advisory and informal fashion in advance of requests for permits in order to encourage improvements, demolition and reconstruction in ways that will enhance the historic district;
(3) 
Assurance that bureaucratic requirements are minimized; and
(4) 
Classification of the various structures and features thereof within the historic district so that the requirements of this chapter can be more readily applied and informal, prompt approval procedures initiated for those referred to herein.