§ 10.5-11. Designation of historic districts and properties.

(a)

Ordinances adopted by the city commission to designate historic properties or historic districts shall be subject to the following requirements:

(1)

Any ordinance designating any property as a historic property or any district as a historic district shall require that the designated property or district be shown on the official zoning map of the city and kept by the city as a public record to provide notice of such designation in addition to other notice requirements specified by this chapter.

(2)

Any ordinance designating any property as a historic property shall describe each property to be designated, shall set forth the name or names of the owner or owners of the property, and shall require that a certificate of appropriateness be obtained from the historic preservation commission prior to any material change in appearance of the designated property.

(3)

Any ordinance designating any district as a historic district shall include a description of the boundaries of the district, shall list each property located therein, shall set forth the name or names of the owner or owners of each property, and shall require that a certificate of appropriateness be obtained from the historic preservation commission prior to any material change in appearance of any structure, site, or work or art located within the designated historic district.

(4)

The ordinances adopted in conformity with this section shall specify the procedures for the review of decisions of the city historic preservation commission by the city commission.

(b)

No ordinance designating any property as a historic property and no ordinance designating any district as a historic district, nor any amendments thereto, may be adopted by the city commission, nor may any property be accepted or acquired as historic property by the city commission until the following procedural steps have been taken:

(1)

The commission shall make or cause to be made an investigation and shall report on the historic, cultural, architectural, or aesthetic significance of each place, district, site, building, structure, or work of art proposed for designation or acquisition. This report shall be submitted to the historic preservation section of the department of natural resources or its successor, which will be allowed thirty (30) days to prepare written comments concerning the report;

(2)

The commission and the city commission shall hold a public hearing on the proposed ordinance. Notice of the hearing shall be published at least three (3) times in the Cordele Dispatch, and written notice of the hearing shall be mailed by the commission to all owners and occupants of such properties. All the notices shall be published and mailed not less than ten (10) and not more than twenty (20) days prior to the date set for the public hearing; and

(3)

Following the public hearing, the city commission may adopt the ordinance as prepared, adopt the ordinance with any amendments it deems necessary, or reject the proposal.

(c)

Within thirty (30) days immediately following the adoption of the ordinance, the owners and occupants of each designated historic property and the owners and occupants of each structure, site, or work of art located within a designated historic district shall be given written notification of such designation by the city commission, which notice shall apprise such owners and occupants of the necessity for obtaining a certificate of appropriateness prior to undertaking any material change in the appearance of the historic property designated or within the historic district designated.

(Ord. No. 0-94-25, § IV, 12-6-94)