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<br />May 11, 2005 <br /> <br />TO: <br /> <br />The Honorable Mayor and Council <br /> <br />VII-6 <br /> <br />FROM: <br /> <br />John Grossman, HRA Director <br /> <br />RE: <br /> <br />Second reading, Public Hearing, Amendments to City Code <br />Sct. 2.18 Heritage Preservation Commission, Ordinance No. <br />533, Second Series. <br /> <br />Background <br /> <br />A notice of the public hearing has been published and mailed to the <br />owners of all property designated as a heritage preservation site or <br />district. A copy of the complete ordinance with amendments has been <br />available for viewing at City Hall. <br /> <br />Sct. 2.18 documents the City's policy and public purposes in preserving <br />the historic, architectural, and cultural assets of the community. It <br />defines the role of the Heritage Preservation Commission, nine citizens <br />appointed by Council. It also defines the procedures they must follow in <br />performing their duty, protecting heritage preservation sites - properties <br />designated by City Council as historic. <br /> <br />The existing ordinance is twenty years old. Since 1985 the Building <br />Code, building materials and designs, and the costs of construction have <br />all changed, requiring some adjustments to the procedures. In 2002 the <br />HPC wrote and adopted a comprehensive set of design guidelines for the <br />use of property owners and commissioners. <br /> <br />The Commission, Preservation Staff, City Attomey and Building Official <br />have worked together on the amendments. <br /> <br />A summary of the major changes. <br /> <br />Subd. 4. Designation of Heritage Preservation Sites. "Interim protection" <br />is added to the nomination process for historic designation. This gives <br />protection of the ordinance to the property while the nomination is being <br />prepared for Council's consideration. The protection would become <br />permanent only if the Council acted to designate the property. <br /> <br />Subd. 5. Additional Powers. This strengthens the responsibility of City <br />Departments to solicit HPC comment before taking action impacting <br />designated sites. For example, if street work would impact a designated <br />site, the Public Works Division would refer the proposal to the HPC for <br />comment before Council action. <br />