HPC Meeting Date: November 6, 2024
To: Members of the Heritage Preservation Commission
From: Mathias Hughey, Associate City Planner
Title
Review of the Heritage Preservation Site Designation Process.
Body
Action Requested:
The Heritage Preservation Commission (HPC) will review the process for designating local heritage preservation sites.
Summary Report:
Northfield City Code lays out the process for local designation of Heritage Preservation Sites within the city and gives the Heritage Preservation Commission (HPC) the authority to recommend to the city council Heritage Preservation Site designations. The City Council, on the advice of the HPC, has the authority to designate local Heritage Preservation Sites by ordinance. Once designated, local sites are subject to the Certificate of Appropriateness process for changes to the exterior appearance of the building or site. sites, buildings, structures, etc. may be both locally designated and listed on the National Register of Historic Places or listed locally but not nationally and vice versa.
City code requires applications for heritage preservation designation come from the property owner, the city council, or the HPC. State enabling legislation requires any changes to design guidelines and any local designation be sent to SHPO before they are adopted. SHPO has 60 days to provide comments on the guidelines or local designation.
Currently, two sites outside of the Historic Downtown Commercial District are locally designated as Heritage Preservation Sites - the Northfield Depot, and a private residence at 418 College St. S. - the A.W. Norton House.
Chapter 34 - Land Development Code, Section 8.5.7 Heritage Preservation Site Designation establishes the process for designating local heritage preservation sites. The process follows the Type 4 procedure as described in Section 8.4.7, Type 4 Review Procedure (Planning Commission or Heritage Preservation Commission Recommendation and City Council Decision).
The process is laid out in detail in the attached excerpts from the City Code.
Generally, the process is as follows:
1. Application initiated (the process can take a significant amount of time)
2. Application received (and deemed complete)
3. Application is sent to the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) 60 days before consideration for designation
4. SHPO comments received
5. HPC reviews the application to make a recommendation
6. Planning Commission (PC) reviews the application and HPC recommendation to make a recommendation
7. City Council holds a public hearing
8. City Council reviews the application and PC and HPC recommendations and makes a decision.
a. First reading of ordinance
b. Second reading of ordinance
c. Summary publication of ordinance
d. Ordinance goes into effect
There are 6 criteria for designation identified in Section 8.5.7. They include the National Park Service’s criteria for designation and add two additional criteria - number 1 and number 6 below. All of the following criteria are considered when making a recommendation:
(1) That the quality of significance in American history, architecture, archeology, engineering, and culture is present in districts, sites, buildings, structures, landscaping, and objects that possess integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association; or
(2) That are associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history; or
(3) That are associated with the lives of persons significant in our past; or
(4) That embody the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction, or that represent the work of a master, or that possess high artistic values, or that represent a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction; or
(5) That have yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history; or
(6) That have a unique location or singular physical characteristics representing established and familiar aspects of a view, vista, site, area or district in the city.
Note the word “or” means a nomination does not need to satisfy all of the criteria, but the more criteria satisfied, the stronger the case for designation.
Attachments:
Code Excerpt: Chapter 2, Section 2-433 Powers and Duties
Code Excerpt: Chapter 34, Section 8.5.7 Heritage Preservation Site Designation and 8.5.8 HPC’s COA
Code Excerpt: Chapter 34, Section 8.4 Summary of Application and Review Procedure Types
Alternative Options:
NA
Financial Impacts:
NA
Tentative Timelines:
HPC moves to apply for Heritage Preservation Site Designation
HPC compiles application and materials (~1-3 months)
Application to SHPO for comment (60 days)
HPC modifies application if required (indeterminate)
HPC makes recommendation regarding the site
PC makes recommendation (~0-1 month)
CC first reading (~0-1 month)
CC second reading (~2+ weeks)
Summary publication (1 week)
Ordinance goes into effect (30 days)
Total time from completed application (~6 months)