§ 12-173. Commission responsibilities.

Historical preservation is a public purpose. To serve that purpose, the historic district commission is hereby charged with the following responsibilities:

(1)

The historic districts commission is empowered to review work on historic resources and nonhistoric resources in historic districts in the city and shall otherwise have all powers invested in historic district commissions pursuant to the local historic districts act, Public Act No. 169 of 1970 (MCL 399.201 et seq.).

(2)

To review work on resources, which, by city ordinance, are historic or nonhistoric resources, located within historic districts including, but not by way of limitation, the moving of any structure into or out of, or the building of any structure in, a historic district.

(3)

In those instances where efforts of the commission to preserve a historic resource in the historic district or districts fail, or it is deemed that public ownership is most suitable, the commission may recommend that the city council acquire such property.

(4)

To establish local design standards and guidelines based upon and minimally equivalent to the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation and Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings.

a.

These guidelines may take the form of definitions, written descriptions, supplementary sheets, graphic displays, standards, and/or maps.

b.

The historic design standards and guidelines shall be adopted by resolution of the city council.

(5)

The commission may:

a.

Maintain public historic resources in the local historic district or districts using its own funds, if not specifically earmarked for other purposes, or those public funds committed to this use by the city council.

b.

Act as the agent of the city council to accept and administer grants and gifts for historical preservation purposes in the historic district or districts.

c.

Authorize the zoning administrator or his or her designee to issue certificates of appropriateness for specified minor classes of work.

1.

The commission shall provide written standards to the zoning administrator for issuing certificates of appropriateness under this subsection.

2.

In all instances, the zoning administrator or his or her designee may, at their discretion, after review of the application, consider any of the proposed changes to represent an alteration or modification of the resource or to be work requiring review and approval of the commission.

3.

The zoning administrator or his or her designee shall report any certificates of appropriateness issued under this subsection to the commission at regularly scheduled meetings.

(Prior Code, § 5.616; Ord. No. 2005-06, 4-18-2005; Ord. No. 2010-10, § 7, 8-2-2010)

State law reference

Authority to prescribe powers and duties, MCL 399.213.