Special criteria for demolition and removal

Demolition of historic structures within a designated historic district shall be discouraged. When reviewing an application for removal and demolition of an historic structure or appurtenance, the commission shall consider the following criteria, in addition to adopted standards:

• • (1) In the case of an application for construction, alteration, repair, removal or demolition affecting the exterior appearance of a structure, which the commission deems so valuable to the city, state or nation that the loss thereof will be a great loss to the city, state or nation, the commission shall endeavor to work out with the owner an economically feasible plan for the preservation of such structure;

  • (2) The commission shall approve an application for demolition when in the opinion of the fire chief or building inspector that the building constitutes a hazard to public safety;

  • (3) Unless the commission votes to issue a certificate of appropriateness for such construction, alteration, repair, removal, and demolition, the commission shall file with the building inspector and director of planning its rejection of such application;

  • (4) In the absence of change in such structure arising from casualty, no new application for the same or similar work shall be filed within one year after such rejection;

  • (5) In the case of an application for demolition of any structure or a portion of a structure which the HDC has deemed to be valuable for the period of architecture it represents and important to the neighborhood within which it exists, the HDC may file with the building inspector and director of planning its certificate of appropriateness for demolition if the HDC finds that any of the following exists:

    • a. Preservation of the structure is a deterrent to a major improvement program which will be of substantial benefit to the community;

    • b. Preservation of the structure would cause undue or unreasonable financial hardship to the owner, taking into account the financial resources available to the owner, including the sale of the structure to any purchaser willing to preserve the structure;

    • c. The preservation of the structure would not be in the interest of the majority of the community.

  • (6) When considering an application for demolition or removal of a historic structure, the commission shall assist the owner in identifying and evaluating alternatives to demolition, including sale of the structure on its present site;

  • (7) In addition to any other criteria, the commission shall consider whether there is a reasonable likelihood that some person or group other than the current owner is willing to purchase, move and preserve such structure, and whether the owner has made continuing and reasonable efforts to sell the structure to any such purchaser willing to move and preserve such structure.

(Ch. 413, § I, 1-16-07; Ch. 729, § IV, 11-7-18)