Camden City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XXVI
HC Historic Conservation Overlay Zone
§ 870-168 Purpose.
A.
Encourage the continued use of historic resources and facilitate their appropriate re-use.
B.
Safeguard the heritage of the City of Camden by preserving resources within the City which reflect elements of its cultural, social, economic and architectural history.
C.
Maintain and develop an appropriate and harmonious setting for the historic and architecturally significant buildings, structures, sites, objects, or districts within the City of Camden.
D.
Stabilize and improve property values and discourage the unnecessary and untimely demolition of historic resources.
E.
Foster civic beauty and neighborhood pride.
F.
Promote appreciation of Historic Conservation Overlay Districts for the education, pleasure and welfare of the citizens of the City of Camden and its visitors.
G.
Spur beautification and private reinvestment.
H.
Manage change by preventing alteration or new construction not in keeping with the historic structure or the Historic Conservation Overlay District.
I.
Recognize the importance of all buildings in conservation districts and of individual historic structures located outside of a district by urging property owners and tenants to maintain their properties in keeping with the requirements and standards of this article.
J.
Encourage the proper maintenance and preservation of historic settings and landscapes.
K.
Encourage appropriate alterations of historic structures and buildings in Historic Conservation Overlay Districts.
L.
Enhance the visual and aesthetic character, diversity, continuity and interest of the City.
M.
Promote the conservation of historic sites located in Historic Conservation Overlay Districts and invite voluntary compliance in a manner that minimizes hardships on residents located within conservation districts, especially those of low and moderate income.
N.
Protect archeological sites and resources currently buried that may prove valuable in interpreting the history or pre-history of the City of Camden.
§ 870-169 Application of provisions.
The following regulations shall apply to all structures designated in § 870-155 and to any other historic resources which are designated in accordance with the procedures outlined in §§ 870-161 and 870-173. These historic designations shall be in addition to the districts which shall also be designated on the City Zoning Map and articles of the Land Development Ordinance for such areas.
§ 870-170 Permitted uses.
All uses permitted for an historic structure(s) within a conservation district shall be those designated by the City Zoning Map. Such uses shall not be altered by further designation as an Historic Conservation Overlay District.
§ 870-171 Area and height regulations.
The maximum building height, minimum lot size, maximum coverage, etc., shall be as provided in the Land Development Ordinance for the respective zones, except that the Planning Board or Zoning Board of Adjustment may grant variances for such regulations where necessary to preserve historic characteristics.
§ 870-172 Zone oversight.
§ 870-173 Creation of districts and structure designation.
A.
The designation and creation of historic conservation districts and the designation of historic structures is hereby authorized.
B.
Surveys shall be used as a basis for identifying future historic structures and Historic Conservation Overlay Districts worthy of such designation. The Commission shall consider for designation individual structures and districts that have integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship and association, and that meet one or more of the following criteria or attributes:
(1)
Character, interest or intrinsic value as part of the development, heritage or cultural characteristics of the City, state or nation;
(2)
Identification with a person or persons who significantly enriched the City, state or nation;
(3)
Site of an historic event which had significant effect on the development of the City, state or nation;
(4)
Embodiment of distinctive characteristics of a type or period or method of construction, architecture or engineering;
(5)
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;
(6)
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
(7)
Ability or potential ability to yield information important in prehistory or history.
C.
Designation of an Historic Conservation Overlay District shall occur according to the procedures outlined below:
(1)
The Commission or interested party shall prepare a nomination report for each proposed district or structure. For Historic Conservation Overlay 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.
(2)
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:
(a)
Notify each owner of private property of a proposed historic structure or each owner of a property within a proposed conservation district that his or her property is being considered for historic designation and the reasons therefor;
(b)
Advise each owner of private property of the significance and consequences of such designation and of his or her right to object to such designation; and
(c)
Notify each owner or private property of the date, time and place of the hearing.
(3)
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.
(4)
Upon Commission review and approval of the proposed Historic Conservation Overlay 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 designation report is approved by the Planning Board, the Board shall 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 conservation district designation 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.
(5)
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 a conservation district or the extension of an existing district is forthcoming, the City Zoning Map shall be amended to indicate the extension of the Conservation District Overlay Zone shall be amended accordingly.
(6)
A protest of a proposed historic district signed by 50% or more of the property owners within that proposed conservation 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.
§ 870-174 Compliance required.
A.
The exterior of structures shall not be restored, reconstructed, rehabilitated, constructed or demolished, altered or added to unless such action complies with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards or standards created specifically for the regulation of building restoration within Historic Conservation Overlay Districts.
B.
If any person shall undertake any activity on a structure or site within an Historic Conservation Overlay District or an individual historic structure without first having appeared before the Historic Preservation Commission, such person shall be deemed to be in violation of this article.
C.
Upon learning of the violation, the Zoning Officer/Administrative Officer shall personally serve upon the owner of the lot whereon the violation is occurring or has occurred a notice describing the violation in detail and giving the owner 10 days to abate the violation by restoring the structure or improvement to its status quo ante. If the owner cannot be personally served within the City with said notice, a copy shall be posted on-site and a copy sent by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the owner or violator at his last known address as it appears on the City tax rolls.
§ 870-175 Zoning regulations to apply.
All existing zoning regulations, in addition to those enumerated in this article, shall apply to Historic Conservation Overlay Districts. The historic structures and properties in Historic Districts and Historic Conservation Overlay Districts identified in Appendix A of the Camden Historic Survey and the City Master Plan shall be included in a Historic Conservation District Overlay Zone.
§ 870-176 Applicability.
§ 870-177 Certification of appropriateness for actions.
A certificate of appropriateness is not required in a Conservation District or historic structure designated for conservation.