§ 65.720. Designation of Orlando Historic Landmarks.

Criteria for evaluation. Council may designate by ordinance any site, building, structure, or object as an Orlando Historic Landmark only when appropriate documentation demonstrates significance in history, architecture, archaeology, engineering, or culture and it possesses integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association and:

(a)

That is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history; or

(b)

That is associated with the lives of persons significant in our past; or

(c)

That embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction, or that represents the work of a master, or that possesses high artistic values, or that represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction; or

(d)

That has yielded or may be likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history.

Criteria considerations. Ordinarily cemeteries, birthplaces, graves of historical figures, properties owned by religious institutions or used for religious purposes, structures that have been moved from their original locations, reconstructed historic buildings, buildings primarily commemorative in nature, and properties that have achieved significance within the past 50 years should not be considered eligible for designation as an Orlando Historic Landmark. However, such properties may qualify if they are integral parts of a historic preservation zoning overlay district or if they fall within one of the following categories:

(a)

A religious property deriving primary significance from architectural or artistic distinction or historical importance; or

(b)

A building or structure removed from its original location but which is primarily significant for architectural value, or which is the surviving structure most importantly associated with a historic person or event; or

(c)

A birthplace or grave of a historical figure of outstanding importance if there is no appropriate site or building associated with his or her productive life; or

(d)

A cemetery that derives its primary importance from graves of persons of transcendent importance, from age, from distinctive design features, of from association with historic events; or

(e)

A reconstructed building when accurately executed in a suitable environment and presented in a dignified manner as part of a restoration master plan, and when no other building or structure with the same association has survived; or

(f)

A property primarily commemorative in intent if design, age, tradition, or symbolic value has invested it with its own exceptional significance; or

(g)

A property achieving significance within the past 50 years if it is of exceptional importance.

Nomination. Proposals to nominate a site, building, structure, or object must be made to the Historic Preservation Board and may be made by any person. The Historic Preservation Board shall hold a public hearing on the proposal and then recommend to the Orlando City Council whether the site, building, structure, or object should be nominated. In making this recommendation, the Historic Preservation Board must consider whether, based on then-existing information, the site, building, structure, or object is reasonably likely to meet the criteria for evaluation and criteria considerations of this section. Based on this recommendation, the Orlando City Council may then nominate the site, building, structure, or object for designation as an Orlando Historic Landmark if it finds that, based on then-existing information, the site, building, structure, or object is reasonably likely to meet the criteria for evaluation and criteria considerations of this section.

Review procedure. After nomination, the city historic preservation officer shall evaluate the proposed landmark against the criteria for evaluation in this section and make a report to the Historic Preservation Board. The report should include a recommendation on whether the proposed landmark should be designated pursuant to this section. The Historic Preservation Board shall then conduct a public hearing following written notice by mail posted no later than ten days prior to such hearing to the last-known address of the owners of the affected property of the date, time, and place of said hearing. In addition, a sign containing the same information shall be placed on the affected property no later than ten days prior to such hearing.

Designation. Upon recommendation of the Historic Preservation Board, Council shall consider the appropriateness of such recommendation and may then adopt an ordinance designating the site, building, structure, or object as an Orlando Historic Landmark based on the criteria for evaluation and criteria considerations of this section. Unless all owners of the proposed landmark provide express written consent to the designation before the ordinance is heard by Council, the Council may adopt a landmark designation ordinance pursuant to this section only if approved by at least a two-thirds vote and upon a finding that, in addition to satisfying the criteria for evaluation and criteria considerations of this section, the designation is supported by clear and convincing evidence that a substantial public interest is advanced by the designation. Landmark ordinances may designate individual elements or features of a site, building, structure, or object as either contributing or non-contributing historic resources.

(Ord. of 9-16-1991, Doc. #25102; Ord. of 6-20-1994, Doc. #27635; Ord. No. 2017-3, § 1, 4-10-2017, Doc. #1704101204)