Prior to the designation of an historic property or properties, the following steps shall be taken:

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(a) The legislative body shall appoint or authorize the chief elected official of the municipality to appoint an historic properties study committee for the purpose of making an investigation of one or more proposed historic properties. The legislative body of a municipality which proposes to establish more than one historic property may establish more than one committee. An already existing historic properties commission or an historic district commission established in the municipality pursuant to part I of this chapter may be appointed to make this investigation. Each committee established under the provisions of this section shall consist of five regular and three alternate members who shall be electors of the municipality holding no salaried municipal office. Such alternate members shall, when seated as provided in this section, have all powers and duties of a member of the committee. If a regular member of such committee is absent or has a conflict of interest, the chairman of the committee shall designate an alternate to so act, choosing alternates in rotation so that they shall act as nearly equal a number of times as possible. If any alternate is not available in accordance with such rotation, such fact shall be recorded in the minutes of the meeting.

(b) The historic properties study committee shall investigate and submit a report which shall include the following: (1) An analysis of the historic significance and architectural merit of the buildings, structures, objects or sites proposed as historic properties; (2) a map showing the exact boundaries of the area to be designated as the historic property or properties; (3) a proposed ordinance or proposed ordinances designed to designate and provide for the protection of an historic property or properties in accordance with the provisions of this part; and (4) such other matters as the committee may deem necessary or advisable.

(c) The historic properties study committee shall transmit copies of its report to the Department of Economic and Community Development, the planning commission and zoning commission, or the combined planning and zoning commission, of the municipality, if any, and, in the absence of such a planning commission, zoning commission or combined planning and zoning commission, to the chief elected official of the municipality for their comments and recommendations. In addition to such other comments and recommendations as it may make, the Department of Economic and Community Development may recommend either approval, disapproval, modification, alteration or rejection of the proposed ordinance or ordinances and of the boundaries of each proposed historic property. Each such commission, board or individual shall deliver such comments and recommendations to the committee within sixty-five days of the date of transmission of such report. Failure to deliver such comments and recommendations shall be taken as approval of the report of the committee.

(d) The historic properties study committee shall hold a public hearing on the designation of each proposed historic property not less than sixty-five nor more than one hundred thirty days after the transmission of the report to each party as provided in subsection (c) of this section, except that, if all such parties have delivered their comments and recommendations to the committee, such hearing may be held less than sixty-five days after the transmittal of the report. The comments and recommendations received pursuant to subsection (c) of this section shall be read in full at the public hearing.

(e) Notice of the time and place of such hearing shall be given as follows: (1) Written notice of the time, place and purpose of such hearing, postage prepaid, shall be mailed by certified mail to the owner or owners of record of the real property to be included in each proposed historic property, as they appear on the last-completed grand list, at the addresses shown thereon, at least fifteen days before the time set for such hearing, together with a copy of the report of the historic properties study committee or a fair and accurate synopsis of such report. A complete copy of the report, a copy of all recommendations made under subsection (c) of this section, a map showing the boundaries of the real property to be included in each proposed historic property and a copy of the proposed ordinance shall be available at no charge from the town clerk during business hours or shall be mailed, upon request, to any owner of record of real property in the proposed historic property or properties with the notice of the hearing; and (2) by publication of such notice in the form of a legal advertisement appearing in a newspaper having a substantial circulation in the municipality at least twice, at intervals of not less than two days, the first not more than fifteen days nor less than ten days and the last not less than two days before such hearing.

(f) The historic properties study committee shall submit its report with any changes made following the public hearing, along with any comments or recommendations received pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, and such other materials as the committee may deem necessary or advisable to the legislative body of the municipality within sixty-five days after the public hearing.

(g) The owner or owners of record of a proposed historic property may object to the proposed designation by submitting to the historic properties study committee or to the legislative body of the municipality a notarized statement certifying that the person filing such objection is the entire or partial owner of the property and objects to the designation. Unless persons holding fifty per cent or more of the ownership interest in a proposed historic property object to the proposed designation within thirty days following the public hearing held pursuant to subsection (d) of this section, the legislative body of the municipality shall, by majority vote, take one of the following steps: (1) Accept the report of the committee as to the proposed historic property and enact an ordinance to designate the historic property and provide for its regulation in accordance with the provisions of this part; (2) reject the report of the committee, stating its reasons for such rejection; or (3) return the report to the historic properties study committee, with such amendments and revisions as it may deem advisable, for consideration by the committee. The committee shall, within sixty-five days of such return, submit an amended report to the legislative body and mail by certified mail a copy of the amended report to the owner or owners of record of each proposed historic property covered by the report. The committee need not hold a public hearing other than the one provided for in subsection (d) of this section. Unless persons holding fifty per cent or more of the ownership interest in a proposed historic property object to the proposed designation within thirty days of receipt of the amended report by written submission in the manner set forth in this subsection, the legislative body of the municipality may accept or reject the amended report as provided in this subsection.

(h) Any ordinance, or amendment thereof, enacted pursuant to this part, which designates or alters historic property boundaries, shall contain a legal description of the area to be included within each historic property. The legislative body, when it passes such an ordinance, or amendment thereof, shall transmit to the municipal clerk a copy of the ordinance or amendment thereof. Such ordinance, or amendment thereof, shall be recorded in the land records of the municipality in which such real property is located and indexed by the municipal clerk in the grantor index under the names of the owners of record of such property.