Source: https://ecode360.com/12112887
Timestamp: 2019-04-22 20:18:13+00:00

Document:
§ 51C-2 Historic Preservation Commission; membership; terms; officers; powers; meetings; quorum.
§ 51C-3 Designation of landmarks and historic districts.
§ 51C-4 Certificate of appropriateness required.
§ 51C-5 Criteria for approval of certificate of appropriateness.
§ 51C-6 Certificate of appropriateness application procedure.
§ 51C-7 Demolition hardship criteria; suspension of application to enable consideration of alternatives.
§ 51C-8 Alteration hardship criteria.
§ 51C-9 Hardship application procedure.
§ 51C-11 Maintenance and repair required.
§ 51C-12 Penalties for offenses.
Planning Commission — See Ch. 27A.
Exercise aesthetic judgment and maintain the desirable character of the historic properties and present construction, reconstruction, alteration, or demolition, in harmony with existing properties insofar as style, materials, color, line, and detail are concerned, and thus prevent degeneration of property, safeguard public health, prevent fire, promote safety, and preserve the beauty and character of the historic properties.
There is hereby created a Commission to be known as the North Tonawanda Historic Preservation Commission.
All Commission members shall have a known interest in historic preservation and architectural development within the City of North Tonawanda.
At least seven of the Commission members shall be residents of the City of North Tonawanda.
No more than three members of the initial Commission may be City employees, and each must have professional expertise and experience directly related to the duties of the Commission. Such individuals will serve a single one-year term for the express purpose of aiding the Commission in establishing policies and procedures.
Commission members shall serve for a term of four years, with the exception of the initial term for one member, who will serve two years, one who will serve three years, and each of any municipal employees who will serve a single, nonrenewable one-year term.
The Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Commission shall be elected by and from among the members of the Commission.
Applying for, accepting, and expending grants and funds for goods and services from private and public sources.
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 Chairman or the Mayor.
A quorum for the transaction of business shall consist of four of the Commission's members, but not less than a majority of the full authorized membership may grant or deny a certificate of appropriateness.
Designation of property as landmark or historic district.
Because of a unique location, represents a significant segment of the City's history.
By reason of possessing such qualities, it constitutes a distinct section of the City.
The boundaries of each designated landmark and historic district shall be specified in detail and shall be filed, in writing, in the City Clerk's Office for public inspection.
Notice of a proposed designation shall be sent by registered mail to the owner of the property proposed for designation, describing the property proposed and announcing a public hearing by the Commission to consider the designation. Where the proposed designation involves so many owners that individual notice is infeasible, notice may instead be published at least once in a newspaper of general circulation at least 30 days prior to the date of the public hearing. Once the Commission has issued notice of a proposed designation, no building permits or other land use approvals shall be issued by the Building Inspector, Planning Board, or Zoning Board until the Commission has made its decision.
The Commission shall hold a public hearing prior to designation of any landmark or historic district. The Commission, owners, and any interested parties may present testimony or documents at the hearing which will become part of a record regarding the historic, architectural, or cultural importance of the proposed landmark or historic district. The record may also contain staff reports, public comments, or other evidence offered outside the hearing.
The Commission shall refer its individual landmark and historic district designations to the Common Council for approval, approval with modifications, or disapproval. Within 30 days of the referral, the Common Council shall approve, approve with modifications or disapprove the designation. The Common Council shall apply the same standards as the Commission and shall render its decision based upon the same record. If the Common Council fails to act upon the Commission's referral within 30 days, the Commission's determination shall be deemed approved.
The Commission shall forward notice of each property designated as a landmark and of the boundaries of each designated historic district to the office of the Niagara County Clerk for recordation.
No person shall carry out any exterior alteration, restoration, reconstruction, demolition, new construction or moving of a landmark or property within an historic district, nor shall any person make any material change in the appearance of such a property, its light fixtures, signs, sidewalks, fences, steps, paving or other exterior elements visible from a public street or alley which affect the appearance and cohesiveness of the individual landmark, property within an historic district or the historic district as a whole, without first obtaining a certificate of appropriateness from the Commission.
In passing upon an application for a certificate of appropriateness, the Commission shall not consider changes to features that are not visible from a public street or alley except where alterations to such architectural features will impact upon the integrity, support, or exterior appearance of the individual property and/or adjacent properties in an historic district.
New construction shall be compatible with the historic character of the individual property and/or historic district.
The general design, character, and appropriateness to the property of the proposed alteration or new construction.
Texture, materials, and color and their relation to similar features of other properties in the neighborhood.
Visual compatibility with surrounding properties, for buildings, including but not limited to the proportion of the front facade, proportion and arrangement of windows and other openings and roof shape, and for the site, including but not limited to the rhythm or spacing of buildings and structures in relation to the street and adjacent properties, features such as drives, walks, walls, fences, hedgerows, terraces and stairs, and major landforms or topographic features. The importance of historic, architectural, or other features to the significance of the property.
Samples of color or materials to be used;.
No building permit or other land use approvals by the Building Inspector, Planning Board, or Zoning Board 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 chapter shall be in addition to and not in lieu of any approval that may be required by any other ordinance of the City of North Tonawanda.
The Commission shall approve, deny, or approve the request with modifications within 60 days from receipt of the completed application. The Commission may hold a public hearing on the application at which an opportunity will be provided for the property owner and any interested parties to present their views.
All decisions of the Commission shall be in writing. A copy shall be sent to the applicant by registered mail and a copy filed with the City Clerk's Office for public inspection. The Commission's decision shall state the reasons for denying or modifying any application.
Before approving the removal, relocation or demolition of an individual landmark or structure within an historic district, the Commission may suspend the application for up to 180 days to allow the applicant to consult in good faith with the Commission, local preservation groups, and the public in a diligent effort to seek a less intrusive alternative to demolition.
An applicant whose certificate of appropriateness for a proposed alteration has been denied may apply for relief on the ground of hardship. In order to prove the existence of hardship, the applicant shall establish that the proposed alteration is more cost effective at installation and has a demonstrated life span greater than a good preservation solution, and the proposed alteration will result in maintenance and/or operating costs less than a more appropriate preservation approach.
After receiving written notification from the Commission of the denial of a certificate of appropriateness, an applicant may commence the hardship process. No building or demolition permit or other land use approvals by the Building Inspector, Planning Board, or Zoning Board shall be issued unless the Commission makes a finding that a hardship exists.
The Commission shall hold a public hearing on the hardship application at which an opportunity will be provided for the property owner and any interested parties to present their views.
All decisions of the Commission shall be in writing. A copy shall be sent to the applicant by registered mail and a copy filed with the City Clerk's Office for public inspection. The Commission's decision shall state the reasons for granting or denying the hardship application.
All work performed pursuant to a certificate of appropriateness issued under this chapter shall conform to any requirements included therein. It shall be the duty of the Building 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 Building 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.
Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to prevent the ordinary maintenance and repair of any exterior feature of a landmark or property within an historic district which does not involve a change in design, material, color, or outward appearance.
Deterioration of any feature so as to create a hazardous condition which could lead to the claim that demolition of all or a portion of a property is necessary for the public safety.
Failure to comply with any of the provisions of this chapter shall be deemed a violation, and the violator shall be liable to a fine of not less than $500 nor more than $1,000 for each day the violation continues.
Any person who demolishes, alters, constructs, or permits a designated property to fall into a serious state of disrepair in violation of this chapter shall be required to restore the property and its site to its appearance prior to the violation. Any action to enforce this subsection shall be brought by the City Attorney. This civil remedy shall be in addition to and not in lieu of any criminal prosecution and penalty.
Any person aggrieved by a decision of the Commission relating to hardship or a certificate of appropriateness may pursue all appropriate remedies under Article 78 of the New York Civil Practice Law and Rules.

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