The Commission shall represent the following categories:

Members shall be appointed by the Mayor, with the consent of the City Council. Vacancies shall be filled for the remainder of the term.

All meetings shall be open to the public in accordance with the provisions of this article and the Open Public Meetings Act.[1]

Meetings of the Commission shall be scheduled not less than once a month and shall be held as scheduled, unless canceled for lack of applications to process.

Special meetings may be held at the call of the Chairman or on the written request of two Commission members.

A quorum shall be four members, at least one of whom shall be a Class C citizen of Camden member.

All matters of site plan and/or subdivision approval and on any other matters which are proposed in an historic district or with respect to an historic structure not located in an historic district.

Changes to this article.

The designation of historic structures and changes or extensions of the boundaries of historic districts and the creation of new historic districts, including the review of National Register nominations. Such properties shall be reviewed in consideration of, but not limited to, the criteria for historic designation as established by the State Historic Preservation Office and the National Park Service.

The issuance of a certificate of appropriateness. The Commission shall advise and recommend to the Board with respect to the following:

The structure is deemed by the Construction Code Official to be a hazard to public safety or health and repairs are impossible.

Such structure is a deterrent to a major improvement program which will be of substantial benefit to the City.

Retention or restoration of such structure within the parameters of this article would cause undue financial hardship to the applicant/owner. The Planning Board or Commission may take into consideration the financial capacity of the applicant/owner. However, a lack of maintenance causing advanced deterioration shall not justify the demolition of an historic structure.

Whether boarding up and securing the structure, including the roof, are a reasonable alternative to demolition.

Meeting health and safety requirements and eliminating dangerous conditions in a manner which minimizes removal or alteration of historic material or architectural features.

Salvaging architectural elements of the structure for future use on another structure or at another City site.

Propose, from time to time as deemed appropriate, the establishment of additional historic districts and revisions to existing historic districts.

Conduct a survey of exteriors of buildings, structures, objects and monuments for the purpose of determining those of historic and/or architectural significance and pertinent facts about them; and to maintain and periodically revise the detailed listings (resource inventories) of historic resources and data about them, appropriately classified with respect to national, state and local significance.

Formulate recommendations concerning the establishment of an appropriate system of markers for selected historic and/or architectural site and buildings including proposals for the installation and care of such historic markers.

Formulate recommendations concerning the preparation and publication of maps, brochures and descriptive materials about the City's historical and/or architectural sites and buildings.

Advise owners of historic buildings regarding rehabilitation, repairs, maintenance methods and technologies, adaptive use, economic and tax incentives and other historic preservation strategies.

Promote public interest in the purposes of this article by carrying on educational and public relations programs.

Adopt and publish historic preservation guidelines to facilitate reviews and establish design standards for the historic districts. Guidelines shall include the broad historic values and the relationship of buildings and structures to historic personages or events, significant architectural types, effects of the proposed changes on the general historical and architectural nature of the district, appropriateness of exterior architectural features that can be seen from the public right-of-way, the general design, arrangement, texture and material of a building or structure and the relationship of such features to other features of buildings or structures in the District, the height of new and modified buildings or structures, the demolition or displacement of historic building or structures, and the financial feasibility of its recommendations based upon unreasonable cost for repair or replacement in kind of whole or part of a building or structure.

Character, interest or intrinsic value as part of the development, heritage or cultural characteristics of the City, state or nation;

Identification with a person or persons who significantly enriched the City, state or nation;

Site of an historic event which had significant effect on the development of the City, state or nation;

Embodiment of distinctive characteristics of a type or period or method of construction, architecture or engineering;

Identification with the work of a master builder, builder, designer, artist, architect, developer or landscape architect whose work has influenced the development of the City, state or nation;

Unique location of singular physical characteristics that make a district, landmark or topographical feature an established or familiar visual feature or landmark in the City of Camden; or

Ability or potential ability to yield information important in prehistory or history.

The Commission or interested party shall prepare a nomination report for each proposed district or structure. For historic district designations, the report shall include a building-by-building inventory of all properties within the district, photographs of representative properties within the district, a property map of the district showing boundaries and tax parcel, a physical description and statement of significance for the district and a property tax parcel listing. For historic structure designations, the report shall include one or more photographs, the tax lot and block number of the property and a physical description and a statement of significance. A completed National Register nomination may also be used for structures or districts. In the case of federal or state determinations, the Commission shall prepare a nomination report for each district or structure determined to be eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. All nominations for listing in the State or National Register of Historic Places, whether publicly or privately prepared, shall be reviewed by the Commission.

The Commission shall schedule a public hearing on the proposed designation of a district or structure. At least 10 days prior to the hearing, the applicant for designation or the Commission, as the case may be, shall by personal service or certified mail:

Public notice of the hearing shall be given at least 10 days prior to the hearing by publication in the official newspaper of the City. A copy of the nomination report shall also be made available for public inspection in the City Clerk's office at least 10 days prior to the hearing.

Upon Commission review and approval of the proposed historic district or historic structure designation, the Commission shall forward its report to the City Council. The City Council shall refer the report to the Planning Board, which in turn shall report to the City Council within 35 days. If the historic designation report is approved by the Planning Board, the Board shall amend the Camden Historic Survey accordingly and forward its recommendation for commensurate historic zoning change to the City Council. The City Council may disapprove or change any Planning Board recommendation by a vote of a majority of its full authorized membership and shall record in its minutes the reasons for not following such recommendation. Failure of the Planning Board to transmit its report within the thirty-five-day period provided herein shall relieve the City Council of its obligations relating to referral of such a report to the Planning Board. City Council action on historic district or historic structure designations shall be otherwise subject to those procedures and statutes which apply to a change of a zoning designation and the adoption, revision or amendment of any development regulation.

Notice of designation shall be made public by publication in the official newspaper of the City Council and distribution to all municipal agencies reviewing development applications and permits. A certificate or letter of designation shall be sent to each owner affected by the designation as identified by the Tax Assessor. In those cases where City Council approval of an historic district or the extension of an existing district is forthcoming, the City Zoning Map shall be amended to indicate the extension of the Historic District overlay zone and Appendix A of the Camden Historic Survey shall be amended accordingly.

A protest of a proposed historic district signed by 50% or more of the property owners within that proposed historic district may be filed with the City Clerk. Such designation shall not become effective following the filing of such protest except by a favorable vote of 2/3 of all members of the City Council.

Rehabilitation of the exterior of a structure.

Restoration of the exterior facade of a structure.

Reconstruction of the exterior of a structure.

Additions to any structure.

Alteration of the exterior of a structure.

Demolition of a structure.

New construction.

Relocation of a structure or improvement.

Erection of signs.

A completed application form, in full, supplied by the Historic Preservation Commission.

For vacant structures, additions and new construction, architectural drawings or rendering of details of the exterior of the structure, including but not limited to cornices, brackets, windows/fenestration, brickwork, mortar, window trim and moldings, heads and sills, porches, balusters, porch friezes, projecting elements, doors and bays and finishes to be applied to exterior details.

For occupied structures, a narrative description pursuant to guidelines set by the Commission of the proposed scope of work on a facade may be submitted instead of architectural drawings. Said narrative description of proposed scope of work may include but not be limited to the same details as in Subsection D(2) of this section.

Photographs of existing building or structure affected by proposed work and photographs of adjacent buildings and/or structures.

Material and product data indicating nature of new materials proposed.

Samples of proposed new and/or replacement materials (samples shall be brought by applicant to Commission meeting).

Claim of economic hardship with required support information and data.

Elevations and details of proposed sign indicating materials, dimensions, text style, and actual copy intended. Signs to be mounted and/or hung from a building or structure shall be represented by a drawing showing building or structure elevation at minimum scale of 1/4 inch equals one foot zero inches with proposed sign superimposed on elevation.

An application fee of $25 for exterior alterations or additions and $10 for signs. The fee may be waived for low- and moderate-income residents.

An application for a certificate of appropriateness for demolition under this article shall present evidence that the structure cannot be put to a reasonable, beneficial use or that there are other substantial grounds of hardship or need requiring demolition of the structure. A lack of long-term maintenance which has caused a deteriorated condition shall not be justification for issuance of a Certificate of Appropriateness for demolition.

The Planning Board, pursuant to § 870-154, shall act within 45 days of Commission action, except when the Board of Adjustment is acting pursuant to Article XXXI, or within such further time as may be consented to by the applicant to take action on said application.

A majority of Board members present shall be considered necessary to take action on a Commission recommendation.

Failure of the Board to take action within the prescribed time shall be deemed as approving the application. The Secretary of the Board shall issue a certificate of appropriateness and shall note thereon that the Board failed to act within the prescribed time.

Upon favorable decision approving or approving with conditions any application, the Board shall issue a certificate of appropriateness. Conditions shall be in detail for rehabilitation, restoration, alteration, reconstruction, new construction or demolition.

The certificate of appropriateness shall authorize the Construction Code Official to issue a permit if all other conditions or requirements of the law have been satisfied. Copies of the Board's final decision shall also be sent to the following agencies:

If a certificate of appropriateness has been denied, the Construction Code Official or his agent shall not issue a permit unless a subsequent certificate for the same property has been granted.

If, after a certificate of appropriateness is issued, a change in scope of work becomes necessary, the applicant shall reapply to the Commission pursuant to procedures in this section. The new application shall be considered an amendment to the original application.

The certificate of appropriateness shall be valid for one year from the date of approval. Two extensions of six months each may be granted by the Planning Board. The running of the one-year approval, and the running of any extensions, shall be tolled during the period that the certificate of appropriateness is challenged in a court of law, or in any other manner whether administrative, legislative or judicial, including all applicable appeal periods. The provisions of this section shall be applicable to all certificates of appropriateness which have been issued and have not expired as of the date of adoption of this section (12-14-2010), as well as all certificates of appropriateness which are approved by the Planning Board after the date of adoption of this section. During the one-year approval period of any certificate of appropriateness, as well as the time periods by which it may be extended as a result of either extensions granted by the Planning Board or as a result of the tolling caused by a challenge described above, the City's right to enforce the certificate of appropriateness shall not be in any way limited or restricted by this chapter provision.

The Construction Code Official, Zoning Officer/Administrative Officer or their agents may stop work at any site which does not comply with an issued certificate of appropriateness and/or this article.

The Historic Preservation Commission shall review the municipal, State and National Register nominations with the same procedures as established for hearings as outlined under N.J.S.A. 40:55D-10 of the New Jersey Municipal Land Use Law. Notice of the hearing shall be published at least 10 days prior to the date thereof.

Approve the application for a certificate of appropriateness.

Approve the application for a certificate of appropriateness with conditions. The Board shall detail such conditions as recommended by the Historic Preservation Commission or the Board.

Deny the application for a certificate of appropriateness.

In regards to applications for new construction, additions and alterations, in addition to those applicable standards for rehabilitation, visual compatibility factors shall be considered by the Commission. The following factors shall be used in determining the visual compatibility of a building, structure or appurtenance thereto with the buildings and places to which they are visually related:

It is not the intention of this subsection to discourage contemporary architectural expression or to encourage new construction which emulates existing buildings of historic or architectural interest or of a certain period of architectural style, but to preserve the integrity and authenticity of the historic overlay zoning districts and to ensure the compatibility of alterations and new construction therein.

In regard to an application to demolish an historic landmark or any improvement within an historic district, the following matters shall be considered:

Upon receipt of an application to demolish or raze a building or structure in the Historic District, if, for reasons it shall state in a written opinion, the Commission determines that the building or structure is of historical significance, the Commission shall seek alternatives to demolition and include those alternatives in its recommendation to the Board.

In the event the Board determines there are historically significant features and there appears to be no alternative to demolition, the applicant shall cooperate with the Board in permitting these features to be removed for preservation before the building or structure is demolished. The applicant shall provide photographic documentation of the structure and a site plan locating the structure on the site.

The historic loss to the site of original location and the historic district as a whole.

The compelling reasons for not retaining the landmark or structure at its present site.

If the proposed new location is within a district, visual compatibility factors as set forth in § 870-167.

The probability of significant damage to the landmark or structure itself.

If it is to be removed from the City of Camden, the proximity of the proposed new location to the City, including the accessibility to the residents of the City.

An archaeological and historic sites program made up of at least the following:

The Planning Board may require deed restrictions as it deems desirable to protect the historic features of the property.

All development applications shall show all proposed improvements within the historic overlay zoning district, which shall be developed in accordance with a comprehensive plan, except that, in the case of historic overlay zoning districts containing tracts in different ownership, tracts therein under common ownership shall be developed in accordance with a comprehensive plan.

The Planning Board shall approve a site plan or subdivision only if the plan as proposed or conditioned adequately specifies how historic sites and archaeological sites on the parcel are to be treated and such proposal is appropriate given the nature of such sites. The applicant shall monitor construction to assure that all provisions of the approved plan as to the identification, preservation, or removal of historic features and historic or archaeological artifacts are complied with and shall appoint an individual in the field with the responsibility therefor and retain a person with the necessary expertise in connection therewith. In the case of accidental finds, the applicant shall report the same forthwith to the Zoning Officer/Administrative Officer and cease all construction activity with respect thereto for two working days (Monday through Friday, excluding holidays). The Commission or, in the absence of a quorum, the Chairman or, in his absence, the Secretary, may within such time order that the artifacts discovered be documented and removed under the supervision of the expert identified in the approval and at the expense of the applicant. In the case of extraordinary finds, the Commission, Chairman, or Secretary, as the case may be, may order that the work cease and that the plans be modified to reflect the find. Such order shall remain in effect only until the next meeting of the Planning Board unless the Planning Board at such meeting continues the order, with or without modifications.

Any historic structure on the property be made secure against theft and vandalism.

Inflammable materials not be stored therein except in a manner approved by the Fire Marshal.

Emergency repairs sufficient to protect against deterioration of the structure be undertaken and proof of inspection for insect and vermin infestations and of appropriate remedial work be submitted.

The structure be made structurally sound and its basic electrical, plumbing, heating systems be inadequate working order and free of hazards to ensure structural and architectural integrity or the winterization of the historic structure so as to protect against damage.

Existing landscaping shall be documented by photographs and preserved when appropriate and further landscaping, as installed, shall be historically appropriate.

Interior features of historic significance such as moldings, fireplace mantels, doors and fixtures shall not be removed except for preservation purposes and that any such features which are removed shall be put back in place on the site.

The interior not be damaged and any damage be repaired.

The exterior of the structure be restored in a manner consistent with the criteria set forth in § 870-161.

The Planning Board may condition the filing of a site plan or subdivision upon the above obligations being met; may establish a phasing plan setting forth when any repair work shall be completed and the other obligations set forth herein are to be met; and may require that the repair and restoration work be subject to the approval of the Historic Preservation Commission and the approval of a certificate of appropriateness by the Planning Board based on the recommendations of the Historic Preservation Committee.

Neither the owner nor the person in charge of a property listed in Appendix A of the Camden Historic Survey shall allow such property to fall into a state of disrepair which may result in the deterioration of any exterior appurtenance or architectural feature so as to produce or tend to produce a detrimental effect upon the life and character of the property or the historic district in which it may be located. Examples of the type of disrepair prohibited include, but are not limited to:

Failure to maintain a building or structure in good condition, structurally sound and reasonably protected against decay and deterioration shall be considered demolition by neglect and a violation of this article.