Section 175-93       BUILDING DEMOLITION AND RELOCATION.


A. No historic landmark, building or structure within any historic district shall be razed, demolished or moved until the razing, demolition or movement thereof is approved by the Board of Architectural Review or approved on appeal as provided herein.

 

B.  Notwithstanding the provisions of Subsection A, the owner of a historic landmark, building or structure shall, as a matter  of right, be entitled to raze or demolish such a building or structure, provided that:

 

       1.  He has applied to the Town Council for such right;

 

2.  The owner has, for the period of time set forth in the time schedule hereinafter contained and at a price reasonably related to its fair market value, made a bona fide offer to sell such building or structure and the land pertaining thereto to any person, firm, corporation, government or agency thereof or political subdivision or agency thereof which gives reasonable assurance that it is willing to preserve and restore the building or structure and the land pertaining thereto. In order to demonstrate the making of a bona fide offer to sell, the owner shall file a notice with the Zoning Administrator identifying the property and stating the offering price and the name of the real estate agent, if any. No time period set forth herein shall begin to run until said notice has been filed. Within five (5) days  of receipt, copies of the notice shall be delivered by the Zoning Administrator to the members of the Town  Council, the members of the Planning Commission and the Town Manager; and

 

3.  No bona fide contract, binding upon all parties thereto, shall have been executed for the sale of any such building or structure and the land pertaining thereto prior to the expiration of the applicable time period set forth in the time schedule hereinafter contained.  Any appeal from the decision of the BAR, whether instituted by the owner or by any other proper party, notwithstanding the provisions herein pertaining to a stay on appeal, shall not affect the right of the owner to make the bona fide offer to sell.  No offer to sell shall be made more than one (1) year after the final decision of the BAR, but thereafter the owner may renew his request to the BAR to approve the razing or demolition of the historic landmark, building or structure. The time schedule for offers to sell shall be as follows:

      

        OFFERING PRICE                                       MINIMUM OFFER-TO-SELL

                                                                                                Period (Months)

    

       Less than $25,000.00                                                                     3

       $25,000.00 to $39,999.99                                                              4

       $40,000.00 to $54,999.99                                                              5

       $55,000.00 to $74,999.99                                                              6

       $75,000.00 to $89,999.99                                                              7

       $90,000.00 or more                                                                      12

 

 

4. For the purpose of this Article, a bona fide offer to sell shall be defined as a selling price not greater than ten percent (10%) more than the fair market value appraisal of a certified land appraiser employing appropriate, recognized appraisal criteria for the area in question. The town shall retain the right to contest the bona fide nature of the offer as follows: the reasonable relationship of the offering price to the fair market  value of the historic landmark, building or structure, by filing injunctive proceedings in the Warren County Circuit Court, whenever the town obtains an appraisal of the property  in question by a certified land appraiser at a value at least ten percent (10%) below the offering  price asked by the owner, regardless of any conflicting  appraisal obtained by the property owner.

(Ord. No. Z-5-92 Amended Entire Section 4-13-92-Effective Upon Passage)