Demolition Review ordinance - submitted — File 204278

  CITY  OF  SOMERVILLE   ORDINANCE  NO.  ___________
   IN  THE  BOARD  OF  ALDERMEN:  _______________       AN  ORDINANCE  REPLACING  THE  EXISTING  DEMOLITION  REVIEW  ORDINANCE  WITH  AN  UPDATED   DEMOLITION  REVIEW  ORDINANCE     WHEREAS,  the  City  seeks  to  maintain  and  enhance  its  historic  character;  and,   WHEREAS,  the  demolition  of  significant  preferably  preserved  buildings  can  have  impacts  on  the  City’s   historic  character;  and,   WHEREAS,  since  2003,  a  Demolition  Review  Ordinance  has  permitted  the  Historic  Preservation   Commission  to  review  projects  for  proposed  demolitions,  and  seek  strategies  to  maintain  existing   preferably  preserved  buildings;  and,   WHEREAS,  the  current  ordinance  has  challenges  that  limit  the  ability  to  successfully  preserve  buildings;   and,   WHEREAS,  SomerVision  and  many  of  the  Somerville  by  Design  neighborhood  plans  often  identify   important  preferably  preserved  buildings  that  may  be  at  risk  for  demolition;  and,   WHEREAS,  while  SomerVision  and  the  Somerville  by  Design  plans  call  for  transforming  some  areas  of  the   City,  the  plans  also  call  for  conservation  of  neighborhood  character,  particularly  in  the  City’s  residential   neighborhoods;  and,   WHEREAS,  demolition  of  preferably  preserved  buildings  is  inconsistent  with  the  goal  of  neighborhood   conservation;  now,   THEREFORE,  be  it  adopted  by  the  Board  of  Aldermen,  in  session  assembled,  that  the  Somerville  Code  of   Ordinances  is  hereby  amended  as  follows:     Section  1-­‐11  of  the  Code  of  Ordinances  is  amended  by  replacing,  in  the  table,  the  penalties  for  violation   of  the  demolition  review  ordinance  with  the  following:       Offense Fine Enforcing Personnel Demolition Review (Sec. 7-28) $300.00 No building permit issued for three years after the date of unauthorized demolition Inspectional services            

Section  7.28  of  the  Code  of  Ordinances,  as  adopted  by  Ordinance  No.  2003-­‐05  is  hereby  repealed  and   replaced  with  the  following:     7.28  DEMOLITION  REVIEW  ORDINANCE       Section  1:  Intent  and  Purpose   The  purpose  of  this  ordinance  is  to  preserve  and  protect  significant  buildings  within  the  City  of  Somerville   (“City”)  which  constitute  or  reflect  distinctive  aspects  of  the  architectural,  cultural,  political,  economic,  or   social  history  of  the  City,  and  which  are  outside  of  designated  Local  Historic  Districts  (LHD);  to  encourage   owners  of  such  buildings  and  the  Somerville  Historic  Preservation  Commission  (“Commission”)  to  develop   strategies  to  preserve,  rehabilitate,  or  restore  such  buildings,  rather  than  demolish  them;  or,  in  the   alternative,  to  seek  out  persons  willing  to  purchase  and  to  preserve,  rehabilitate,  or  restore  such  buildings,   rather  than  demolish  them;  and  to  promote  the  public  welfare  by  making  the  City  a  more  attractive  place   in  which  to  live.  To  achieve  these  purposes,  the  issuance  of  demolition  permits  for  significant  buildings  is   regulated  as  provided  in  this  ordinance.       Section  2:  Definitions     For  the  purposes  of  this  ordinance,  the  following  words  and  phrases  shall  have  the  meanings  set  forth   below:     2.1  Abutter  means  and  abutter  as  defined  in  MGL  40A     2.2  Applicant  means  any  person  filing  an  application  for  a  city  permit.     2.3  Application  means  a  written  application  for  a  permit  for  the  demolition  of  a  building.     2.4  Board  of  Survey  means  the  board  ordered  to  respond,  by  Massachusetts  General  Laws  Chapter  143   Section  8,  when  an  owner  of  a  building  does  not  respond  to  a  notice  that  the  building  is  unsafe.         2.5  Building  means  any  combination  of  materials  forming  a  shelter  for  persons,  animals  or  property,  as   well  as  any  constructed,  erected,  or  placed  material  or  combination  of  materials  in  or  upon  the  ground,   excluding  fences,  walls,  side  &  rear  decks,  sidewalks,  stairs  and  paving  on  streets,  driveways,  and  patios.     2.6  Building  Official  means  the  Director  of  the  Inspectional  Services  Department,  or  his/her  designee.     2.7  Calendar  Day  means  any  day  of  the  week,  including  a  Saturday  or  a  Sunday  or  a  holiday.     2.8  City  Clerk  means  the  person  holding  the  office  of  city  clerk  in  the  City.     2.9  Commission  means  the  Somerville  Historic  Preservation  Commission  (HPC).     2.10  Demolition  means  the  act  of  pulling  down,  destroying,  removing,  moving,  or  razing  a   building.  Demolition  includes  commencing  the  work  of  partial,  substantial,  serial,  or  total  destruction  of  a   building  with  the  intent  of  completing  the  same.  For  the  purposes  of  this  ordinance,  the  term  “demolition”   shall  not  include  routine  maintenance  as  long  as  the  maintenance  undertaken  does  not  fit  the  definitions   of  demolition  contained  in  this  ordinance,  nor  interior  renovations  (except  as  noted  below  where  the   integrity  of  the  building  is  at  risk).    Demolition  includes  partial  demolition,  serial  demolition,  illegal   demolition  and  demolition  by  neglect.        

2.10.1  Partial  Demolition  means  demolition  of  more  than  25%  of  the  volume,  or  25%  of  the   exterior  surfaces  of  the  building.         2.10.2  Serial  Demolition  means  the  ongoing  demolition  in  stages  over  any  time  period  of  5  years   or  less  where  several  small  demolitions  accrete  to  25%  or  more  of  the  volume  or  exterior   surfaces  of  the  building.         2.10.3  Illegal  Demolition  means  a  demolition  undertaken  by  any  person  without  an  application   having  been  reviewed  and  approved  by  the  Somerville  Historic  Preservation  Commission  and/or   without  building  or  demolition  permits  from  the  Inspectional  Services  Department  (ISD).         2.10.4  Demolition  by  Neglect  is  as  defined  in  Chapter  7,  Section  7.29  of  the  City  of  Somerville   Ordinances.     2.11  Demolition  Review  Period  means  a  period  of  time  whereby  a  window  of  opportunity  is  enacted  in   order  to  enable  the  owners  of  a  property,  working  with  the  Commission  or  its  designees,  to  determine   ways  of  preserving  and/or  rehabilitating  and/or  restoring  the  property  as  an  alternative  to  demolition.       2.12  Exempt  Areas  means  the  following:   a.   The  Assembly  Square  District,  Brickbottom  District,  Inner  Belt  Industrial  Park  District,   Boynton  Yards  /  Union  Redevelopment  District  and  Grand  Junction  District,  with  boundaries   as  incorporated  herein  on  Map  1,  and  available  on  file  and  available  for  inspection  in  the   office  of  the  City  Clerk,  and  the  office  of  the  Planning  Director;     b.   the  Local  Historic  Districts  (LHD)  as  identified  in  Section  7-­‐18  of  the  Code  of  Ordinances;  and,   c.   buildings  owned  by  the  City  of  Somerville  or  any  of  its  political  subdivisions.       2.13  Final  Determination  means  a  determination  that  a  building  is  preferably  preserved,  made  by  the   Commission  in  accordance  with  Section  6  of  this  Ordinance.       2.14  Initial  Determination  means  a  determination  that  a  building  is  significant,  in  accordance  with  Section   5  of  this  ordinance.       2.15  Owner  means  the  entity  with  legal  title  to  a  building.     2.16  Permit  means  a  written  permit  issued  by  the  Building  Official  that  allows  for  the  demolition  (as   defined  herein)  of  a  building  pursuant  to  an  application.       2.17  Person  means  an  individual,  corporation,  partnership,  association,  trust,  society,  or  similar  entity.       2.18  Preferably  Preserved  (Building)  means  a  significant  building,  which  the  Commission  determines,  as   provided  in  Section  6  of  this  Ordinance,  that  it  is  in  the  public  interest  to  be  preserved  or  rehabilitated  or   restored  rather  than  to  be  demolished.       2.19  Premises  means  the  parcel  of  land  upon  which  the  building  proposed  for  demolition  is  located  and   all  adjoining  parcels  of  land  under  common  ownership  or  control  that  are  identified  in  the  permit   application.     2.20  Reasonable  Economic  Return  means  the  cost  to  rehabilitate  or  restore  the  building  to  the  point  at   which  a  reasonable  use  or  a  reasonable  profit  can  be  realized  from  the  property.  This  may  mean  bringing   a  building  up  to  code  to  the  point  at  which  it  can  be  occupied,  not  necessarily  to  its  “highest  and  best   use,”  preferred  use  or  a  restoration  project.        

2.21  Significant  (Building)  means  any  building  within  the  City  which:   a.   Is  listed  on,  or  is  within  an  area  listed  on,  the  National  Register  of  Historic  Places,  or  which  is   the  subject  of  a  pending  application  for  listing  on  the  National  Register,  or;   b.   Is  as  follows:   i.  at  least75  years  old,  and;   ii.  has  been  determined  by  the  Commission  in  their  Initial  Determination  to  be  a   significant  building,  per  Section  5  of  this  ordinance.         2.22  Voluntary  means  any  act(s)  done  by  design  or  intention,  which  is  proposed,  intended,  or  not   accidental.  An  Act  of  God  is  not  considered  voluntary,  but  rather  is  regarded  as  an  act  done  without  the   will  or  choice  of  the  applicant  (or  owner,  if  different  from  applicant).  For  the  purposes  of  this  chapter,  the   destruction  of  a  significant  building  for  failure  to  properly  secure  or  maintain  it  shall  be  considered   voluntary.       Section  3:  Review  of  Demolitions     No  building  in  the  City  of  Somerville  may  undergo  demolition,  as  defined  in  Section  2,  except  through  the   provisions  of  this  ordinance.    Demolition  may  only  be  permitted  if  one  of  the  following  apply:   a.  The  building  does  not  meet  the  prima  facie  definition  of  a  significant  building  (i.e.  it  is  less  than  75   years  old,  and  is  not  currently  on,  or  proposed  to  be  placed  on,  the  National  Register),  or;   b.  The  building  is  located  within  an  exempt  area,  or;   c.  The  building  is  determined  by  the  Commission  or  its  designee  to  not  be  significant,  through  the   procedure  of  Section  5  of  this  ordinance,  or;   d.  The  building  is  determined  by  the  Commission  to  not  be  preferably  preserved  through  the   procedure  of  Section  6  of  this  ordinance,  and  has  met  any  condition  of  such  determination  per   6.5.c,  or;   e.  The  Commission  lifts  or  shortens  a  demolition  review  period  per  Section  7  of  this  ordinance,  or;   f.   The  Demolition  Review  Period,  per  Section  7  of  this  ordinance,  is  exhausted.         Section  4:  Notification       When  the  Building  Official  or  Planning  Director  receives  an  application  for  a  demolition  permit,  a  building   permit  or  a  permit  for  zoning  relief  (including  but  not  limited  to  special  permit,  site  design  plan  review  or   variance),  for:   a.   work  that  will  constitute  demolition,  as  defined  in  this  ordinance,  and;   b.   is  on  a  building  that  is  or  could  be  determined  significant,  as  defined  in  this  ordinance,  and;   c.   is  not  within  an  exempt  area,  then;   the  Building  Official  or  Planning  Director  shall,  within  ten  (10)  calendar  days,  notify  the  Commission  or  its   designees  in  writing  that  a  relevant  application  has  been  received.    This  notification  shall  include  a  copy  of   the  application,  and  shall  be  delivered  to  the  Commission  or  its  designees  by  interoffice  mail,  email,  fax,   or  by  in-­‐hand  delivery.         Section  5:  Initial  Determination  (Determination  of  Significance)     5.1   Determinations  by  the  Commission   Upon  receipt  of  a  notification  per  Section  4,  the  Commission  shall  move  to  determine  if  a  building  is   significant,  as  follows:   a.   If  a  building  is  listed  on,  or  is  within  an  area  listed  on,  the  National  Register  of  Historic  Places,   or  the  subject  of  a  pending  application  for  listing  on  the  National  Register,  it  shall  be   automatically  determined  significant,  and  shall  be  scheduled  for  final  determination  per  

Section  6.   b.   Otherwise,  for  buildings  over  75  years  old  the  Commission  or  its  designee  shall  make  a  written   determination  whether  the  building,  which  is  the  subject  of  the  relevant  permit  application,  is   a  significant  building.     5.2   Application  and  Plan  Review   Prior  to  a  determination  of  significance  by  the  Commission,  the  applicant  must  submit  an  application  to   the  Commission,  using  the  forms  developed  per  Section  9.4.     5.3  Criteria  for  Determination  of  Significance   To  determine  if  a  building  over  75  years  old  is  significant,  the  Commission  must  make  a  finding  that  the   building  is:   a.   Associated  with  one  or  more  important  historic  persons  or  events,  or  with  the  broad   architectural,  cultural,  political,  economic  or  social  history  of  the  City  or  the  Commonwealth  of   Massachusetts;  or,   b.   Historically  or  architecturally  significant  (in  terms  of  period,  style,  method  of  building   construction,  or  association  with  a  reputed  architect  or  builder)  either  by  itself  or  in  the   context  of  a  group  of  buildings,  and  therefore  it  is  in  the  public  interest  to  be  preserved  or   rehabilitated  rather  than  to  be  demolished.     5.4   Procedure  for  Public  Notice  and  Hearing   A  determination  of  significance  shall  be  made  in  a  duly  noticed  public  hearing  by  the  Commission,  except   as  exempted  in  Section  5.6  or  waived  per  Section  5.7.    The  public  hearing  shall  be  held  within  forty-­‐five   (45)  calendar  days  of  receiving  a  copy  of  the  application,  unless  an  extension  of  time  is  permitted  by   mutual  agreement  of  the  applicant  and  the  Commission.    The  Commission  shall  give  the  public  notice  of   the  hearing  by  publishing  the  time,  place,  and  purpose  of  the  hearing  in  a  local  newspaper,  at  least   fourteen  (14)  days  prior  to  the  hearing.  The  Commission  shall  also  mail,  in  a  form  designated  by  the  City,  a   notice  to  the  applicant,  the  owner  of  the  building  and  abutters  to  the  subject  property  within  300  feet,   postmarked  at  least  ten  (10)  days  prior  to  the  hearing.       5.5  Notice  of  Decision   a.   If  the  Commission  determines  that  the  building  is  not  a  significant  building,  this  determination   shall  be  transmitted  to  the  Building  Official,  the  applicant,  the  owner  of  the  building  and  to  the   City  Clerk  within  14  calendar  days  from  the  date  of  determination.  The  applicant  shall  not  be   required  to  take  any  further  steps  toward  preservation  of  the  building  and  the  demolition  may   proceed,  subject  to  all  other  building  permit  and  zoning  requirements.   b.   If  the  Commission  determines  that  the  building  is  significant,  it  shall  notify  the  Building  Official,   the  applicant,  and  the  City  Clerk,  of  its  determination  within  14  calendar  days  from  the  date  of   determination.  The  owner  or  applicant,  or  their  representatives,  shall  then  be  required  to   attend  a  subsequent  Final  Determination  public  hearing  with  the  Commission  during  which  the   Commission  will  determine  if  the  building  is  to  be  preferably  preserved.   c.   If  the  Commission  fails  to  act  in  accordance  with  this  process  within  the  prescribed  timeframe,   the  Building  Official  may  grant  the  demolition  permit,  provided  that  the  applicant  has  met  all   other  requirements  under  the  filed  applications,  and  shall  notify  the  Commission  in  writing   that  the  permit  has  been  granted.     5.6  Delegation     The  Commission  may  delegate  the  determination  of  significance  of  certain  classes  or  types  of  buildings  to   the  Planning  Division  staff,  through  the  rules  and  regulations  for  the  Commission,  per  Section  9.4.    The   rules  and  regulations  shall  specify  the  classes  or  types  of  buildings  to  be  reviewed  by  staff.    Such   delegation  may  include,  but  not  be  limited  to,  provisions  to  permit  staff  review  of  significance  of  concrete   block  garages,  outbuildings,  sheds  and  similar  accessory  buildings.    Staff  review  of  a  delegated  application   shall  be  completed  within  21  days  of  the  application.    If  staff  determines  such  a  building  does  not  meet  

the  criteria  of  Section  5.3,  and  is  therefore  not  be  significant,  this  determination  shall  be  transmitted  to   the  Building  Official  per  Section  5.5.a.    Otherwise,  staff  shall  refer  the  building  to  the  Commission  for  a  full   review  of  the  criteria  under  Section  5.3  in  a  public  hearing  per  Section  5.4.     5.7  Waiver  of  Initial  Determination     An  applicant,  when  submitting  the  required  documents  for  an  initial  determination  per  Section  5.2,  may   voluntary  select  to  waive  initial  determination.    If  the  initial  determination  is  waived,  the  building  shall   immediately  be  determined  to  be  a  significant  building,  without  further  action  from  the  Commission,  and   shall  be  scheduled  for  a  final  determination  per  Section  6.2.       5.8   Expiration   An  initial  determination  is  valid  for  three  years:   a.   If  an  applicant  does  not  proceed  to  apply  for  final  determination  within  three  years,  the  review   process  must  start  over  from  the  beginning,  prior  to  a  building  being  demolished.   b.   If  an  application  does  not  demolish  a  building  within  three  years  of  a  determination  that  the   building  is  not  a  significant  building,  the  review  process  must  start  over  from  the  beginning,   prior  to  a  building  being  demolished.       Section  6:  Final  Determination  (Determination  of  Preferably  Preserved)     6.1   Additional  Application  and  Plan  Review  Materials   The  Commission  may  request  application  information,  in  addition  to  the  information  requested  in  Section   5.2,  in  the  process  of  a  final  determination,  as  follows.    An  applicant  must  submit:   a.   Information  about  the  proposed  project  that  will  be  pursued,  if  the  demolition  is  permitted  to   proceed.     In  the  event  that  the  applicant  and/or  owner  seek  to  take  a  position  that  the  building  is  of  deficient   structural  integrity,  the  applicant  shall  submit:   b.   An  independent  licensed  structural  engineer’s  report,  from  a  qualified  and  experienced   structural  engineer  with  proven  expertise  in  historic  building  techniques.       In  the  event  that  the  applicant  and/or  owner  seek  to  take  a  position  that  a  financial  hardship  applies  to    a   property,  the  Commission  may  request  any  or  all  of  the  following.    Such  a  request  shall  be  subject  to  a   vote  by  Commissioners.    If  voted  upon  by  a  majority  of  the  Commission,  then  it  will  be  incumbent  upon   the  applicant  to  provide  such  information  in  order  for  the  demolition  review  process  to  continue:   c.   The  appraised  value  of  the  property  by  a  licensed  appraiser  for  the  following  conditions:     i.  In  the  property’s  current  condition;     ii.  After  completion  of  the  proposed  demolition;     iii.  After  rehabilitation  of  the  existing  property  for  continued  use.     d.   An  estimate  from  an  architect,  developer,  contractor,  or  appraiser  experienced  in   rehabilitation  as  to  the  cost  to  rehabilitate  the  building  to  the  point  of  which  a  reasonable  use   or  a  reasonable  profit  can  be  realized  from  the  property.  Such  considerations  may  include,  but   not  be  limited  to,  bringing  a  building  up  to  code  so  it  can  be  occupied.     e.   The  amount  paid  for  the  property,  the  date  of  purchase,  and  the  person  from  whom  the   property  was  purchased,  a  description  of  the  relationship,  if  any,  between  the  owner  of   record,  the  applicant  and  the  person  from  whom  the  property  was  purchased  or  is  being   purchased,  and  the  terms  of  the  purchase  or  proposed  purchase,  including  financing.   f.   Operation  and  maintenance  expenses,  depreciation  deduction  and  annual  cash  flow  before   and  after  debt  service,  if  any.     g.   The  name  of  all  mortgagees  and  the  balance  of  all  mortgages  or  other  financing  secured  by  the   property  and  annual  debt  service.     h.   All  appraisals  obtained  within  the  previous  two  (2)  years  by  the  owner  or  applicant  in  

connection  with  the  purchase,  financing  and  ownership  of  the  property.     i.   Any  listing  of  the  property  for  sale  or  rent,  the  price  asked  and  offers  received  for  sale  or  rent,   if  any,  within  the  previous  five  (5)  years.     j.   The  assessed  value  of  the  property  for  the  previous  two  (2)  assessment  years.     k.   The  form  of  ownership  or  operation  of  the  property,  whether  sole  proprietorship,  for  profit  or   not-­‐for-­‐profit  corporation,  limited  partnership,  joint  venture  or  other.     l.   Any  other  information  considered  necessary  by  the  Commission  to  determine  whether  the   property  yields  or  may  yield  a  reasonable  economic  return  to  the  property  owner(s).     m.   Proof  of  the  applicant’s  efforts  to  obtain  financing,  tax  incentives,  preservation  grants  and   other  incentives  to  allow  the  applicant  to  earn  a  reasonable  economic  return  from  the   property.     n.   Documents,  including  copies  of  invoices,  detailing  the  applicant’s  efforts  in  ongoing   maintenance  and  repair.       6.2   Procedure  for  Public  Notice  and  Meetings   The  Commission  shall  conduct  a  public  hearing  on  the  application  within  forty-­‐five  (45)  days  of  the  initial   determination  of  significance,  unless  an  extension  of  time  is  permitted  by  mutual  agreement  of  the   applicant  and  the  Commission.  The  Commission  shall  give  the  public  notice  of  the  hearing  by  publishing   the  time,  place,  and  purpose  of  the  hearing  in  a  local  newspaper,  at  least  fourteen  (14)  days  prior  to  the   hearing.  The  Commission  shall  also  mail,  in  a  form  designated  by  the  City,  a  notice  to  the  applicant,  the   owner  of  the  building  and  abutters  to  the  subject  property  within  300  feet,  postmarked  at  least  ten  (10)   days  prior  to  the  hearing.       6.3  Public  Hearing     The  applicant  or  their  agent  must  present  their  demolition  request  in  person  to  the  Commission  and  be   prepared  to  answer  questions  asked  by  the  Commission.  If  the  property  applicant,  their  agent,  or  property   owner  is  unable  to  address  questions  regarding  the  demolition  request  or  the  supporting  documentation,   the  experts  /  professionals  who  prepared  the  information  must  be  present.  If  the  applicant,  owner  or   their  agent  cannot  attend  the  meeting  or  adequately  address  questions,  the  demolition  request  will  be   continued  to  a  later  meeting  and  the  Commission’s  determination  will  be  delayed.       6.4   Peer  Review   The  Commission  may  call  for  a  peer  review  of  any  professional  report  as  prescribed  under  Massachusetts   General  Law  Section  44  Chapter  53G  (to  be  provided  at  the  applicant  /  owner’s  expense),  should  the   Commission  deem  it  necessary  to  make  a  final  determination.     6.5   Final  Determination   Upon  completion  of  the  public  hearing,  the  Commission  shall  determine  if  a  significant  building  shall  be   preferably  preserved,  as  follows:   a.   The  Commission  may,  at  their  discretion,  determine  that  a  building  is  a  preferably  preserved   building,  as  follows:       i.  By  determining  that  the  demolition  of  the  building  would  be  detrimental  to  the   architectural,  cultural,  political,  economic,  or  social  heritage  of  the  City;   b.   The  Commission  may,  at  their  discretion,  determine  that  a  building  is  not  a  preferably   preserved  building,  as  follows:   i.  By  determining  that  demolition  of  the  building  does  not  merit  a  finding  under  Section   6.5.a.i,  above;  or,     ii.  By  making  a  finding  that  the  negative  impact  on  the  heritage  of  the  City  would  be   exceeded  by  the  benefit  to  the  City  of  the  development  that  would  occur  if  the   demolition  were  permitted  to  go  forward.   c.   The  Commission  may,  at  their  discretion,  place  conditions  on  a  determination  that  a  building  is   not  preferably  preserved,  which  may  require  an  applicant  to  provide  one  or  more  of  the   following  to  the  Planning  Division  prior  to  demolition:  

i.    photographic  documentation  of  the  building  to  be  demolished;   ii.  architectural  renderings  of  the  building  to  be  demolished;   iii.  identification  of  materials  for  salvage  of  material;  and/or,   iv.  a  plan  for  installation  of  historic  or  interpretive  signage  at  or  near  the  site.     6.6   Filing  of  Decision   Within  fourteen  (14)  days  following  the  date  of  the  public  hearing,  the  Commission  or  its  designees  shall   file  a  final  determination,  in  writing,  with  the  City  Clerk,  and  shall  inform  the  Building  Official,  the   applicant  and  the  owner  of  the  building.         6.7   Expiration   A  final  determination  that  a  building  is  not  a  preferably  preserved  building  is  valid  for  three  years.    If  an   application  does  not  demolish  a  building  within  three  years  of  a  determination  that  the  building  is  not  a   preferably  preserved  building,  the  process  must  start  over  from  the  beginning  prior  to  a  building  being   demolished.       Section  7:  Process  for  Preferably  Preserved  Buildings     7.1  Demolition  Review  Period   Upon  the  Commission’s  final  determination  that  said  building  is  preferably  preserved,  per  Section  3,  the   Building  Official  shall  not  issue  a  demolition  permit  for  building  during  the  demolition  review  period.    The   demolition  review  period  shall  be  as  follows:   a.   The  demolition  review  period  shall  be  24  months  for  any  building  that,  in  whole  or  in  part,  was   built  to  be  used  for  or  is  being  used  for  residential  occupancy.   b.   The  demolition  review  period  shall  be  12  months  for  all  other  buildings.   The  demolition  review  period  shall  begin  on  the  date  following  the  day  upon  which  the  Commission  made   the  final  determination  that  building  is  preferably  preserved.       7.2  Alternatives  to  Demolition   During  the  demolition  review  period,  the  applicant,  their  agent,  and/or  the  owner  (if  different  from   applicant),  and  the  Commission  or  its  designees  are  encouraged  to    actively  pursue  alternatives  to   demolition  of  the  preferably  preserved  building,  including  but  not  limited  to,  finding  a  buyer  for  the   building  that  is  willing  to  rehabilitate  the  property,  rather  than  demolish  it.  The  applicant,  their  agent,   and/or  the  owner  is  encouraged  to  actively  pursue  alternatives  to  demolition  by  meeting  with  a   subcommittee  of  the  Commission  or  the  designees  of  the  Commission  at  a  minimum  of  once  per  month   during  the  demolition  review  period.     7.3  Shortening  /  Ending  the  Demolition  Review  Period   The  Commission  may  shorten  or  end  the  demolition  period,  at  its  discretion,  upon  determination  that  one   of  the  following  conditions  applies:   a.   The  Commission  determines  that  there  is  no  reasonable  likelihood  that  either  the  owner  or   some  other  person  or  group  is  willing  to  purchase,  preserve,  rehabilitate  or  restore  such   building.   b.   The  Commission  and  the  applicant  come  to  a  mutually  agreeable  plan  for  a  more  limited   demolition  that  adequately  preserves  the  property  and  permits  the  applicant  to  meet  the   findings  of  Section  6.5.   c.   The  Commission  and  the  applicant  come  to  a  mutually  agreeable  set  of  strategies  for   addressing  the  heritage  on  the  site,  including  but  not  limited  to:     i.  photographic  documentation  of  the  building  to  be  demolished;   ii.  architectural  renderings  of  the  building  to  be  demolished;     iii.  identification  of  materials  for  salvage  of  material;   iv.  a  plan  for  installation  of  historic  or  interpretive  signage  at  or  near  the  site;  and/or,  

v.  the  establishment  of  design  standards  for  a  replacement  building,  provided  that  the   standards  are  limited  to  the  reflection  of  elements  in  the  building  to  be   demolished  or  are  intended  to  complement  the  character  of  adjacent  buildings  of   historical  significance.   Upon  making  a  determination  to  shorten  or  end  the  demolition  review  period,  the  Commission  shall  file  a   decision  and  inform  the  applicant  and  the  Building  Official  per  Section  6.6.       7.4  Withdrawal   If  the  applicant  chooses  not  to  proceed  with  demolition,  the  applicant  may,  at  any  time,  inform  the   Commission  and  withdraw  their  application  without  prejudice.       7.5   Expiration   Upon  expiration  of  a  demolition  review  period,  or  upon  a  determination  by  the  Commission  to  shorten  or   end  a  demolition  review  period,  an  applicant  shall  have  three  years  to  demolish  the  building.    If  an   application  does  not  demolish  a  building  within  three  years  of  the  expiration  of  the  review  period  or  the   determination  to  shorten  or  end  the  review  period,  the  process  must  start  over  from  the  beginning  prior   to  a  building  being  demolished.       Section  8:  Enforcement     8.1   Authority   The  Inspectional  Services  Division  is  the  enforcing  authority  for  this  section.    Inspectional  Services  Division   is  authorized  to  institute  any  and  all  actions  and  proceedings,  in  law  or  in  equity,  as  they  deem  necessary   and  appropriate  to  obtain  compliance  with  the  requirements  of  this  article.  This  may  include,  but  is  not   limited  to,  the  complete  reconstruction  and  restoration  of  the  demolished  building.       8.2   Fines   The  provisions  of  this  ordinance  may  be  enforced  by  a  noncriminal  disposition  pursuant  to  General  Laws   Chapter  40,  Section  21D.    Each  violation  shall  be  deemed  a  separate  offense.    Each  day  a  violation  occurs   shall  be  deemed  a  separate  offense.  Unless  otherwise  provided,  any  person,  firm,  corporation,  association   or  other  entity  violating  any  provision  of  this  section  shall  be  punished  by  a  fine  in  accordance  with   Section  1-­‐11.      Unpaid  fines  shall  result  in  a  municipal  lien  against  the  subject  property.     8.3   Building  Permit  Delay   In  accordance  with  Section  1-­‐11,  no  building  permit  shall  be  issued  for  a  new  building  on  any  premises   where  a  significant  building  is  demolished  in  violation  of  this  ordinance,  for  the  period  specified  therein.       Section  9:  Other  Provisions     9.1  Secure  Building   Upon  a  determination  by  the  Commission  that  a  building  is  a  significant  and/or  preferably  preserved   building,  the  owner  shall  be  responsible  for  properly  securing  the  building  in  order  to  protect  it  from  the   weather  and  trespass/vandalism     9.2  Emergency  Demolition   Nothing  in  this  article  shall  derogate  from  the  authority  of  the  Building  Official  and/or  a  Board  of  Survey  to   act  under  Massachusetts  General  Laws  Chapter  143  and  the  State  Building  Code.       9.3   Historic  Districts  Act   If  any  provision  of  this  ordinance  conflicts  with  the  “Historic  Districts  Act,”  Massachusetts  General  Laws   Chapter  40(C),  the  Act  shall  prevail.  

  9.4   Rules  and  Regulations   The  Commission  may  establish  rules  and  regulations  of  procedure  for  the  implementation  of  this   ordinance,  including  but  not  limited  to  establishment  of  application  fees,  and  the  delegation  process  that   is  set  forth  in  Section  5.6.    The  Planning  Division  staff  shall  develop  application  forms  to  accept  and   process  submittals  under  this  ordinance.         9.5   Transferability   Where  the  owner  sells  a  property  that  is  in  the  middle  of  the  demolition  review  process,  that  new  owner   may  continue  the  review  process  but  may  be  required  to  submit  updated  documentation  as  required  by   the  Commission.       9.6   Effect   This  ordinance  shall  take  effect  upon  approval.    Applications  for  demolition  submitted  prior  to  the   approval  date  of  this  ordinance,  or  any  amendment  thereto,  shall  be  subject  to  the  version  of  this  Section   7.28  in  effect  upon  the  date  of  application.       9.7   Severability  and  Reinstatement   In  case  any  section,  paragraph  or  part  of  this  ordinance  for  any  reason  shall  be  declared  invalid  by  any   court,  every  other  section,  paragraph  and  part  shall  continue  in  full  force  and  effect.    If  any  section,   sentence,  clause  or  phrase  of  this  ordinance  is  held  invalid,  the  relevant  section,  sentence,  clause  or   phrase  in  effect  prior  to  the  effective  date  of  the  ordinance  shall  be  reinstated  in  full  force  and  effect,   without  further  action  from  the  Board  of  Aldermen.         Approved  by  the  Board  of  Aldermen:         _________________________________  President