2.103 Historic and Cultural Landmarks Commission

  1. Creation and Appointment
    1. There is hereby created the Historic and Cultural Landmarks Commission to be composed of nine members who are qualified electors of the City of Fort Worth.
    2. The City Council shall appoint representatives who have demonstrated their civic interest, general knowledge of the community, independent judgment and availability to prepare for and attend meetings. Whenever feasible, five appointees should be practicing professionals from the fields of architecture, landscape architecture, history, architectural history, urban planning, archaeology, real estate, law, or other disciplines related to historic preservation. The Planning and Development Director and the Building Official shall be ex officio, nonvoting members of the Historic and Cultural Landmarks Commission.
    3. All Historic and Cultural Landmarks Commission members, regardless of background, shall have a known and demonstrated interest, competence or knowledge in historic preservation and planning within the City of Fort Worth.
    4. As nearly as is reasonably possible, the Historic and Cultural Landmarks Commission members as a whole shall fairly represent the ethnic makeup of the City of Fort Worth.
  2. Terms of Office
    Historic and Cultural Landmarks Commission members shall serve for a term of two years. Newly appointed members shall be installed at the first regular meeting after their appointment. The members shall serve in places numbered 1 through 9. Members appointed in odd-numbered places shall serve terms, which expire October 1 of odd-numbered years. Members appointed to even-numbered places shall serve terms, which expire on October 1 of even-numbered years. Vacancies shall be filled for unexpired terms. Commission members may be appointed to succeed themselves and shall serve at the discretion of the City Council until a new member shall be appointed in their place
  3. Organization
    The chairman and vice chairman of the Historic and Cultural Landmarks Commission shall be elected by and from the members of the Historic and Cultural Landmarks Commission. The Historic and Cultural Landmarks Commission shall meet at least monthly if business requires. Special meetings may be called at any time by the chairman or on the written request of any two Historic and Cultural Landmarks Commission members.
  4. Meetings and Quorum
    Five members of the Historic and Cultural Landmarks Commission shall constitute a quorum for the conduct of business. Five affirmative votes shall be required to decide any issue before the Historic and Cultural Landmarks Commission. The members of the Historic and Cultural Landmarks Commission shall regularly attend the meetings and public hearings of the Historic and Cultural Landmarks Commission and shall serve without compensation.
  5. Attendance Reports
    Each month a report shall be submitted to the City Council showing the cumulative attendance of each member of the Historic and Cultural Landmarks Commission, with notation of members who have been absent from three consecutive meetings.
  6. Power and Duties
    The Historic and Cultural Landmarks Commission shall be empowered to:
    1. Prepare rules and procedures as necessary to carry out the business of the Historic and Cultural Landmarks Commission, which shall be ratified by the City Council.
    2. Create committees from among its membership to advise the Historic and Cultural Landmarks Commission in carrying out the purposes of this Zoning Ordinance.
    3. Administer the city’s certified local government program.
    4. Maintain written minutes, which record all actions taken by the Historic and Cultural Landmarks Commission and the reasons for such actions.
    5. Increase public awareness of the value of historic, cultural, architectural and archeological preservation by developing and participating in public education programs.
    6. Conduct ongoing surveys to identify and list significant historical, cultural, architectural and archeological resources.
    7. Make recommendations for the employment of professional consultants as necessary to carry out the duties of the Historic and Cultural Landmarks Commission.
    8. Maintain, revise and amend the historic resources survey.
    9. Initiate and/or consider nominations, hold hearings and recommend to the City Council that certain structures and property be designated as “Highly Significant Endangered”, “Historic and Cultural Landmark” or “Demolition Delay”, or that an area containing two or more eligible structures be designated as a “Historic and Cultural Landmark District”, or that such designations be removed, in accordance with Chapter 4, Article 5.
    10. Maintain a current list of historic structures designated in accordance with Chapter 4, Article 5.
    11. Adopt, enforce and amend design guidelines for structures designated “Highly Significant Endangered” or “Historic and Cultural Landmark” or located in a Historic and Cultural Landmark District.
    12. Hold hearings and make decisions concerning the issuance of Certificates of Appropriateness for demolition, relocation or other work on designated structures and, when appropriate, recommend salvage plans in connection with such demolition, relocation or other work, pursuant to Chapter 4, Article 5.
    13. Review public works and public utility projects to be constructed on the premises of, or immediately adjacent to, historic structures designated in accordance with Chapter 4, Article 5 and make recommendations concerning whether they are appropriate to the character of the area.
    14. Recommend enforcement actions to be taken against property owners who permit the demolition by neglect of a designated historic structure or property, pursuant to Chapter 4, Article 5.
    15. Designate two members of the Historic and Cultural Landmarks Commission to serve on the Scenic Preservation Commission pursuant to Section 2.102
    16. Advise and consult with the owners of historically and architecturally significant structures
    17. Propose incentive programs for rehabilitation of historically designated structures and properties.
    18. Review requests regarding participation in historic preservation economic incentive programs and forward recommendations concerning such requests to the City Council.
    19. Make recommendations to the City Council concerning the utilization of city, state, federal or private funds to promote historic preservation in the city.
    20. Recommend recognition of the owners of structures or property designated in accordance with Chapter 4, Article 5 by means of certificates, plaques or markers.
    21. Recommend to the City Council that the City act as a conservator in the public interest through mediation, arbitration or, in extreme cases, litigation.
    22. Recommend to the City Council that the City acquire a structure or property where its preservation is essential to the purposes of Chapter 4, Article 5 and where private preservation is not feasible.
    23. Recommend to the City Council that the City accept the donation of preservation easements and development rights as well as gifts for the purpose of historic preservation.
    24. Administer the city’s program of partial city tax exemptions for certain historically significant sites.
    25. Exercise such other and further powers as may be conferred on the Historic and Cultural Landmarks Commission by City codes or ordinances.
  7. Preservation Plan
    1. The Historic and Cultural Landmarks Commission shall adopt, in cooperation with the Plan Commission, a preservation plan to be incorporated into the City of Fort Worth Comprehensive Plan. The preservation plan shall include: The historic resources survey, as amended and revised; Criteria to be used in identifying and prioritizing sites; and General description of forms and styles found in Fort Worth.
    2. The plan will also include criteria for selecting and preserving structures and property. The plan will also set forth priorities not only among various historic sites but also between conflicting land use goals and shall include specific recommendations on how to resolve conflicts between competing uses. The plan will recommend the coordination required with other departments and other public and private groups to implement historic preservation.
    3. The Historic and Cultural Landmarks Commission shall review the preservation plan every five years. Revisions may be made to the plan at any time in accordance with the rules and policies of the City.
  8. Change Require Commission Recommendation
    No changes shall be made to Chapter 4, Article 5 or the preservation plan without the recommendation of the Historic and Cultural Landmarks Commission first being entered at the required public hearings.
  9. Commission Interpretations and Amplifications
    The Historic and Cultural Landmarks Commission is empowered to interpret or amplify its design guidelines, policies, procedures and rules for the benefit of the City’s administrative staff, property owners or other interested parties.