Village Historic District Commission

The Commission is composed of seven members, appointed by the Mayor, for a three-year term.
The Commission has the following powers and duties:

• To adopt rules of procedure;
• To review permit applications for work affecting resources;
• To issue a Certificate of Appropriateness, for appropriate proposed work; or a Notice to Proceed or a denial of the application for proposed inappropriate work, on a resource that affects the exterior appearance, or the interior arrangements, as provided in MCL 399.205(1) and (4);
• To issue a Notice to Proceed, or deny an application to demolish a resource;
• To give advice and guidance regarding any proposed work on a resource;
• To advise and assist property owners, City Departments, City Council, the Mayor, and the general public on physical and financial aspects, and benefits of historic preservation;
• To recommend to the City Council the designation of additional historic districts from resources chosen according to the criteria listed in MCL 399.203 and MCL 399.214;
• To accept and administer grants and gifts given to the Commission for the purpose of preserving the Village Historic District;
• To enter into agreements and contracts for the purpose of assisting the Commission in carrying out its duties;
• To write an annual report to the Mayor, at the end of the fiscal year;
• To conduct an ongoing survey, in accordance with the survey procedures established by the State Historic Preservation Office, in order to identify properties, structures, and areas that exemplify the cultural, social, spiritual, economic, political, educational, engineering, or architectural history of the City, State, or nation;
• To keep a register of all designated historic resources within the Village Historic District, including all information required for each designation;
• To determine an appropriate system of markers, and to confer recognition on the owners of historic resources, within the Village Historic District, by means of certificates, plaques, or markers;
• To nominate Village Historic District historic resources to the State and National Register of Historic Places and to review and comment on any nominations submitted to the Commission;
• To disseminate information to the public concerning those resources deemed worthy of preservation, and to encourage the protection, enhancement, perpetuation and use of resources of historic and/or architectural interest;
• To adopt design review standards and guidelines for resource treatment and seek approval of the standards and guidelines from the State Historic Preservation Office.