Sec. 6. (a) The commission shall have its staff prepare proposed historic preservation plans for all appropriate areas of the county. Upon the commission’s declaratory resolution of the historic or architectural significance of any area, structure, or site designated in it, the proposed historic preservation plan shall be presented to the metropolitan development commission for public hearing and adoption as a part of the comprehensive plan of the county.

     (b) The proposed historic preservation plan must officially designate and delineate historic areas and identify any individual structures or sites in it of particular historic or architectural significance, which structures and sites must be listed on the county register of historic places.

     (c) With the designation of a historic structure, the plan may additionally expressly identify and designate the interior, or any interior architectural or structural feature of it, having exceptional historic or architectural significance.

     (d) The historic preservation plan may include any of the material listed in IC 36-7-4-503 as it relates to historic preservation. Any plan designating one (1) or more historic areas, and any historic structures and sites located in it, must include a historic and architectural or design analysis supporting the significance of the historic area, general or specific criteria for preservation, restoration, rehabilitation, or development, including architectural and design standards, and a statement of preservation objectives.

     (e) In preparing a proposed historic preservation plan, the staff of the commission shall inform, consult, and cooperate with the staff of the department of metropolitan development. In carrying out its planning and redevelopment responsibilities in an area for which a historic preservation plan is being prepared or is in effect, the staff of the department of metropolitan development shall inform, consult, and cooperate with the staff of the commission. To the extent possible, commission staff and department staff shall carry out a joint planning effort relative to proposed historic areas with the resulting information and conclusions relating to historic preservation being placed in the proposed historic preservation plan.

     (f) Concurrently or subsequently, the commission may prepare and recommend to the metropolitan development commission, for its initiation, approval, and recommendation to the legislative body for adoption, a historic district zoning ordinance or ordinances to implement the historic preservation plan.

     (g) Each historic area or historic zoning district must be of such territorial extent and configuration as will best serve the purposes of this chapter, there being no maximum or minimum size limitations thereon whether applied to single or multiple historic properties or sites, and may include any adjacent area necessarily a part thereof because of its effect upon and relationship to the historic values and character of the area.

     (h) The proposed historic preservation plan, if approved and adopted by the metropolitan development commission, constitutes part of the comprehensive plan of the county.

     (i) The proceeding for approval of this plan, including notice and hearing requirements, is governed by the same rules and requirements applicable to petitions to the metropolitan development commission for amendment of zoning ordinances and for creation of new district classifications, and by all statutory requirements relative to the metropolitan development commission; however, individual notice of the hearing shall be given each owner of property in any proposed historic area, according to the metropolitan development commission’s rules and requirements or, alternatively, the owner’s consent to the proposed historical area designation may be obtained and filed with the metropolitan development commission.

     (j) Amendments to any historic preservation plan, or any segment of it, shall be made in the same manner as the original plan.

     (k) The commission shall receive and consider any pertinent information or exhibits such as historical data, architectural plans, drawings and photographs, regarding any proposed or designated historic area, structure, or site, and any request for historic designation or for the exclusion of any property or structure from any proposed or designated historic area.

     (l) The commission may adopt any operating guidelines for the evaluation and designation of historic areas, structures, and sites, so long as they are in conformity with the objectives of this chapter.

     (m) Upon the adoption of the historic preservation plan, the commission may at any time identify by appropriate markers any historic areas, structures, and sites designated by the plan, or any historic area properties in the process of restoration under the plan. These markers may be erected on public right-of-ways or, with the consent of the owner, on any subject historic property. These official informational or identification markers, whether permanent or temporary, constitute an exception to any codes and ordinances establishing sign regulations, standards, and permit requirements applicable to the area.

As added by Acts 1982, P.L.77, SEC.6.