Take minutes of each LHDC meeting;

Be responsible for publication and distribution of copies of the minutes, reports and decisions to the members of the LHDC;

Give notice as provided herein by law for all public hearings conducted by the LHDC;

Advise the Council of vacancies on the LHDC and expiring terms of members;

Prepare to submit to the Council a complete record of the proceedings before the LHDC on any matter requiring Council consideration or that may be requested by the Council.

To adopt its own procedural regulations, provided that such regulations are consistent with the Florissant Code of Ordinances and the Revised Statutes of the State of Missouri, copies of which shall be on file in the office of the Building Commissioner and in the office of the City Clerk and accessible to the public;

To conduct surveys for the identification of historically, archaeological and architecturally significant properties, structures, sites and areas that exemplify the cultural, social, economic, political or architectural history of the nation, State or City and to maintain the research information in an inventory accessible to the public;

To investigate and recommend to the City Council the adoption of ordinances designating properties, areas or structures having special cultural, historic, archaeological, community or architectural value as Landmarks and Historic Districts;

To establish and maintain a Florissant Landmarks Register of all properties and structures which have been designated as Landmarks and Historic Districts, including all information required for each designation;

To confer recognition upon the owners of designated Landmarks property, structures or Historic District Contributing Resources by means of certificates, plaques or markers; and to make recommendations for the design and implementation of specific markings of the streets and routes leading from one Landmark or Historic District to another;

To advise and assist owners of Landmarks, owners of a Historic District Contributing Resources and property, structures within Historic Districts on physical and financial aspects of preservation, renovation, rehabilitation and reuse and on procedures for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places;

To nominate Landmarks and Historic Districts to the Florissant Historic Register and to the National Register of Historic Places and to review and comment on any nominations to the National Register of Historic Places;

To inform and educate the citizens concerning the historic, archaeological and architectural heritage of the City through publication or sponsorship of maps, newsletters, brochures, pamphlets, programs and seminars by the City or other appropriate parties;

To make recommendations to the Planning and Zoning Commission concerning any application for the subdivision of any property, any permit for erection of any new building or structure or alteration of or addition to any building structure or site affecting designated Landmarks or Historic District Contributing Resources;

To review applications for construction, alteration, off-site relocation or demolition and issue Certificates of Appropriateness for such actions. Applicants may be required to submit plans, drawings, elevations, specifications and other information;

To request the Building Commissioner to issue stop work orders for any construction, alteration, off-site relocation or demolition undertaken without a Certificate of Appropriateness or to stop work that violates the conditions of a certificate;

To consider applications for Certificates of Economic Hardship that would allow the performance of work for which a Certificate of Appropriateness has been denied;

To develop and maintain specific design guidelines based on historic preservation resources including, but not limited to, the Old Town Development Plan and Guidelines and development plan guidelines for each Historic District and the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Treatment of Historic Properties for the alteration, construction or off-site relocation of designated Landmarks, Historic Districts and Historic District Contributing Resources. Said guidelines may be amended, modified or revised based upon recommendations from the Planning and Zoning Commission following a report of any such change by the LHDC. Following reasonable notice, a public hearing shall then be held before the City Council on said proposed amendment, modification or revisions and the City Council shall determine whether to amend, modify or revise the guidelines pursuant to an ordinance and the guidelines, including color charts and review standards, shall be available to the public in the office of the Building Commissioner and in the office of the City Clerk. Copies or pertinent sections of the guidelines and review standards shall be printed for distribution to residents and businesses whenever an application for a permit is received and to developers, contractors, purchasers as soon as the City has knowledge of the proposed development or construction;

To make recommendations on any matter referred to it by the City Council or the Planning and Zoning Commission;

To review proposed zoning amendments, applications for Special Use Permits or applications for zoning variances that affect proposed or designated Landmarks or Historic District Contributing Resources;

To grant variances for signs as authorized by the Florissant Code of Ordinances;

To grant approval of fences at designated Landmarks as authorized by the Zoning Code;

When requested by the Mayor or City Council, assist in the administration on behalf of the City of Florissant any property of historical significance or full or partial interest in real property, including easements, that the City of Florissant may have or accept as a gift or otherwise;

When requested by the Mayor or City Council, accept and administer on behalf of the City of Florissant such gifts, grants and money as may be appropriate for the purposes of this Article. Such money may be expended for publishing maps and brochures or for hiring staff persons or consultants or performing other functions for the purpose of carrying out the duties and powers of the LHDC and the purposes of this Article;

To call upon available City staff members for technical advice;

To retain such specialists or consultants within budgetary limits and with the approval of the Mayor or to appoint such citizen advisory committees as may be required from time to time;

To speak before all boards and commissions, including the Planning and Zoning Commission and the Florissant City Council, on any matter affecting historically, archaeologically, culturally and architecturally significant property, structures, sites and areas;

To make recommendations to the City Council concerning budgetary appropriations to further the general purposes of this Article; or signs as authorized in Chapter 405 of the Florissant Code of Ordinances;

To make recommendations to the Planning and Zoning Commission and to the City Council on preservation components of the Comprehensive Plan of the City of Florissant;

To periodically review the Florissant Zoning Ordinance and to recommend to the Planning and Zoning Commission and to the City Council any amendments appropriate for the protection and continued use of Landmarks or property, sites and structures within Historic Districts; and

To undertake any other action or activity necessary or appropriate to the implementation of its powers and duties or implementation of the purpose of this Article.

The potential Landmarks, Historic District Contributing Resources and Historic Districts in one (1) identifiable neighborhood or distinct geographic area of the City of Florissant;

The potential Landmarks, Historic District Contributing Resources and Historic Districts associated with a particular person, event or historical period;

The potential Landmarks, Historic District Contributing Resources and Historic Districts of a particular architectural style or school or of a particular architect, engineer, builder, designer or craftsman;

The potential Landmarks, Historic District Contributing Resources and Historic Districts containing historic and prehistoric archaeological resources with the potential to contribute to the understanding of historic and prehistoric cultures;

Such other criteria as may be adopted by the LHDC to assure systematic survey and nomination of all potential Landmarks, Historic District Contributing Resources and Historic Districts within the City of Florissant.

Its character, interest or value as part of the development, heritage or cultural characteristics of the community, County, State or country;

Its overall setting and harmony as a collection of buildings, structures, objects where the overall collection forms a unit;

Its potential to be returned to an accurate historic appearance regardless of alterations or insensitive treatment that can be demonstrated to be reversible;

Its location as a site of a significant local, County, State or national event;

Its identification with a person or persons who significantly contributed to the development of the community, County, State or country;

Its embodiment of distinguishing characteristics of an architectural type valuable for the study of a period, type, method of construction or use of indigenous materials;

Its identification as the work of a master builder, designer, architect or landscape architect whose individual work has influenced the development of the community, County, State or country;

Its embodiment of elements of design, detailing, materials or craftsmanship that render it architecturally significant;

Its embodiment of design elements that make it structurally or architecturally innovative;

Its unique location or singular physical characteristic that make it an established or familiar visual feature of the neighborhood, community or City;

Its character as a particularly fine or unique example of a utilitarian structure, including, but not limited to, farmhouses, gas stations or other commercial structures, with a high level of integrity or architectural significance;

Its suitability for preservation or restoration, including, but not limited to, sufficient integrity of location, design, materials and workmanship, to make it worthy of preservation or restoration;

Its potential to yield information important to history and prehistory; and

With respect to a Historic District, the LHDC shall consider the following in addition to the criteria set forth above:

With respect to property which does not contain a building, structure or any gravesite, the LHDC and City Council must find that such property has considerable historical significance, such as a historical battle site, historic landing place or historic meeting place, so as to justify its maintenance as an undeveloped parcel of property.

Explanation of the significance or lack of significance of the nominated Landmark, Historic District Contributing Resource or a Historic District as it relates to the criteria for designation;

Explanation of the integrity or lack of integrity of the nominated Landmark, Historic District Contributing Resource or a Historic District;

Proposed design guidelines for applying the criteria for review of Certificates of Appropriateness to the nominated Landmark, Historic District Contributing Resource or a Historic District;

A map showing the location of the nominated Landmark or the boundaries of the nominated Historic District and all Landmarks and Historic District Contributing Resources;

In the case of a nominated Landmark or Historic District Contributing Resource found to meet the criteria for designation:

In the case of a nominated Historic District found to meet the criteria for designation:

The recommendation and report of the LHDC shall be sent to the City Council within seven (7) days following its vote and shall be available to the public in the office of the City Clerk.

The City Council may by ordinance amend or rescind the designation of any Landmark or Historic District or reclassify a Historic District Contributing Resource as a non-contributing resource, upon a finding by a simple majority of the LHDC and the City Council that the Landmark or a Historic District or Historic District Contributing Resource in question no longer meets the criteria used for its designation. The procedure for rescission of a designation shall be the same as the procedure for nomination and designation, provided however, that in reclassifying a Historic District Contributing Resource, notice shall be given to properties within the Historic District.

Within seven (7) days after approval of an ordinance amending or rescinding the designation of any Landmark, Historic District or Historic District Contributing Resource, the City shall send to the property owner(s), as listed in the Recorder of Deeds records of St. Louis County, of each property affected by such amendment or rescission or each property within the designated area, a copy of the ordinance amending or rescinding the designation. These documents shall also be recorded at the St. Louis County Recorder of Deeds office and sent to the LHDC, Planning and Zoning Commission and Building Department.

A Certificate of Appropriateness shall be required before the following actions affecting the exterior architectural appearance of any Landmark or any Historic District Contributing Resource may be undertaken:

Applications for a Certificate of Appropriateness shall include proposed plans and specifications in sufficient detail for the LHDC to have full knowledge of the requested action, including how the proposed actions will affect the appearance, materials and architectural design of the Landmark or the buildings, structure or land of a Historic District Contributing Resource and the contemplated use of the building or land.

Applications for a Building Permit shall be forwarded by the Building Commissioner to the LHDC within seven (7) days following receipt of the application and a Building Permit shall not be issued until a Certificate of Appropriateness has been issued by the LHDC. Any applicant may request a meeting with the LHDC before the application is reviewed by the LHDC or during the review of the application.

A property shall be used for its historic purpose or be used for a purpose that requires minimal change to the defining characteristics of the building and its site and environment;

The historic character of a property shall be retained and preserved. The removal of historic materials or alteration of features and spaces that characterize a property should be avoided;

All sites, structures and objects shall be recognized as products of their own time. Alterations that have no historical basis and which seek to create a false sense of history or architecture should be avoided;

Alterations or additions that have acquired historic significance in their own right should be retained and preserved;

Distinctive features, finishes and construction techniques or examples of craftsmanship that characterize a historic property should be preserved;

Deteriorated architectural features shall be repaired rather than replaced wherever feasible. In the event replacement is necessary, the new material should match the material being replaced in composition, design, texture and other visual qualities. Repair or replacement of missing architectural features should be based on accurate duplications of features substantiated by historic, physical or pictorial evidence rather than on conjectural designs or the availability of different architectural elements from other structures or objects;

Chemical or physical treatments, such as sandblasting, that cause damage to historic materials should be avoided. The surface cleaning of structures, if appropriate, shall be undertaken using the gentlest means possible;

Contemporary design for alterations and additions to existing properties should not be discouraged when such alterations and additions do not destroy significant cultural, historical, architectural or archaeological material and such design is compatible with the size, scale, color, material and character of the property, neighborhood or environment;

Additions or alterations to structures and objects should be done in such a manner that if such additions or alterations were to be removed in the future, the essential form and integrity of the structure would be unimpaired. The new work shall be differentiated from the old and shall be compatible in massing, size, scale and architectural features to protect the historic integrity of the property and its environment;

Except to the extent otherwise permitted by the Secretary of the Interior's standards, certain building materials are prohibited on Landmark structures, including the following:

The construction, alteration, repair or maintenance of all signs within the "H" Historic District shall be governed by the Florissant Code of Ordinances pertaining to signage;

Additional design standards adopted by the LHDC, Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council.

Subdivision of lots. The Building Commissioner shall review plans and plats proposed for property within the Historic Districts and may require changes to ensure the proposed subdivision will be compatible with the historic character of the District and/or site(s).

The proposed off-site relocation will abate demolition of the structure;

The proposed off-site relocation will not diminish the overall physical integrity of an "H" Historic District or diminish the historical associations used to define the boundaries of the district;

The proposed off-site relocation will not diminish the historical or architectural significance of the structure;

A professional building mover will move the building and protect it while being stored; and

A financial guarantee to ensure the rehabilitation of the structure once the off-site relocation has occurred is provided to the City. The financial guarantee shall be in a form approved by the City Attorney in an amount determined by the Building Commissioner sufficient to cover the estimated cost to rehabilitate the structure as approved by the Landmark and Historic District Commission and restore the grade and landscape the property from which the structure was removed in the event the land is to be left vacant once the off-site relocation of the structure occurs.

In considering an application for a Certificate of Appropriateness for demolition of a Landmark or Historic District Contributing Resource, the LHDC shall only approve the application upon finding that the project fully complies with one (1) of the following standards:

The LHDC may defer the decision on a Certificate of Appropriateness for demolition for up to one (1) year from the date of application for a Demolition Permit. The applicant must undertake bona fide efforts to preserve the structure. In determining whether a bona fide effort has been made, the LHDC shall consider the following actions or lack thereof:

Upon the completion of the one (1) year period and if the applicant provides evidence of a bona fide preservation effort, LHDC shall make a final decision for the Certificate of Appropriateness for demolition. The LHDC shall approve the Certificate of Appropriateness for demolition, approve with modifications or deny the Certificate of Appropriateness for the reuse plan for new construction pursuant to the provisions herein.

Upon approval of a Certificate of Appropriateness for demolition of a Landmark or Historic District Contributing Resource, the LHDC shall require the applicant to provide archival quality photographs, plans or elevation drawings, as available, necessary to record the structure being demolished.

Prior to approval of any Certificate of Appropriateness for demolition, the LHDC shall review the post-demolition plans. If the post-demolition plan is to landscape the site, a bond may be required to ensure the completion of the landscape plan approved by the LHDC.

The LHDC shall consider the completed application at its next regular meeting following receipt of the completed application and, except for a Certificate of Appropriateness for demolition, the LHDC shall makes its determination within ninety (90) days from the date that it first considers the completed application, unless otherwise extended by the LHDC and the applicant. The LHDC may delay for up to one (1) year a decision to approve or deny a Certificate of Appropriateness for demolition in order to encourage and facilitate the sale of the property. The LHDC may call special meetings to review applications for a Certificate of Appropriateness when delay to the next regular meeting would create an unnecessary inconvenience to the applicant.

The LHDC may approve, deny or approve in amended form the proposed plans subject to the acceptance of the amendment by the applicant. If an applicant chooses not to accept a proposed amendment, the application is considered denied. The LHDC shall state, in writing, its reasons for the approval, approval in amended form or denial of the applicant's proposed plans. Within three (3) working days following the determination, the Building Commissioner shall provide written notice of the approval or denial of the application for a Certificate of Appropriateness to the applicant.

A Certificate of Appropriateness shall become void unless construction is commenced within six (6) months of date of issuance or otherwise extended by the LHDC. Certificates of Appropriateness shall be issued for a period of eighteen (18) months and are renewable by the LHDC. All work performed pursuant to the issuance of a Certificate of Appropriateness shall conform to the requirements of such certificate. It shall be the duty of the Building Commissioner to inspect from time to time any work performed pursuant to such certificate to assure such compliance. In the event work is performed without the issuance of a certificate or not in accordance with such certificate, the Building Commissioner shall issue a stop work order and all work shall cease.

The LHDC shall review and comment upon any public improvement project proposed by the City or any of its agencies or departments within any "H" Historic District on the site of or within two hundred (200) feet of any Landmarks or within two hundred (200) feet of any boundary of an "H" Historic District. The Department of Public Works shall send a preliminary design for a public improvement project to the LHDC. The LHDC shall have at least thirty (30) days to complete its review and report to the City Council, except when the Department of Public Works, if necessary to accelerate the design review process, may specify a time less than thirty (30) days within which the LHDC shall complete its review and report to the Council.

The LHDC shall review the public improvement project to determine its effect upon the historic, archaeological or architectural character of Landmarks or Historic District and report to the City Council within forty-five (45) days. The report by the LHDC shall include any recommendations for changes to the preliminary design that will lessen or alleviate any adverse effect of the proposed project upon the historic, archaeological or architectural character of the landmark or the Historic District.

Application for determination of economic hardship. The determination of economic hardship shall be made in a form prepared by the Building Commissioner and shall be submitted to the Building Department. The application must include photographs, information pertaining to the historic significance of the landmark site and all information necessary to make finding on the standards for determination of economic hardship.

Standards for determination of economic hardship. The LHDC shall apply the following standards and make findings concerning economic hardship:

Procedure for determination of economic hardship. The LHDC shall establish a three (3) person economic review panel. This panel shall be comprised of three (3) real estate and redevelopment experts knowledgeable in real estate economics in general and, more specifically, in the economics of renovation, redevelopment and other aspects of rehabilitation. The panel shall consist of one (1) person selected by the LHDC, one (1) person selected by the applicant and one (1) person selected by the first (1st) two (2) appointees. If the first (1st) two (2) appointees cannot agree on a person within thirty (30) days of the initial public hearing, the third (3rd) appointee shall be selected by the Mayor within five (5) days after the expiration of the thirty (30) day period.

Ordinary maintenance exclusion. Nothing in this Section shall be construed to prevent the ordinary maintenance or repair of any exterior elements of any building or structure.

Definition of ordinary maintenance. Any work for which a Building Permit is not required by law, where the purpose and effect of such work is to correct any deterioration or decay of or damage to a structure or any part thereof and to restore the same, as nearly as may be practicable, to its condition prior to the occurrence of such deterioration, decay or damage.

Minimum maintenance requirement. All buildings and structures designated by City ordinance as Landmarks or Historic District Contributing Resources shall be preserved against decay and deterioration and free from certain structural defects in the following manner by the owner thereof, or such other person or persons who may have the legal custody and control thereof shall repair such building if it is found to have any of the following defects:

Failure to maintain. If minimum maintenance is not being maintained, the owner of the property or other person having legal custody thereof shall be notified by the Building Commissioner. The notice shall be by certified mail and shall specify each item in the property that fails to meet minimum maintenance requirements. The owner or other person having legal custody of the property shall have thirty (30) days from the receipt of notice to comply with the minimum maintenance requirements. The Building Commissioner or LHDC, for good cause shown, may extend the thirty (30) day period. If, after the original thirty (30) day period or any extension granted by the Building Commissioner or LHDC, the owner or person having legal custody of the property shall fail to meet the minimum maintenance requirements, the owner or person having legal custody of the property shall be in violation of this Section and shall be subject to the penalties prescribed in the Florissant Code of Ordinances.