City Council Study Session Agenda and Packet 2009 02 24

Home Browse Search

review functions and to assist vendors in conducting historic preservation surveys, and other support staff; b. Plaques or other designations to honor structures that are landmarked or add to the character of historic Louisville; c. Public outreach and education efforts; and d. Funding ofpublic-private partnerships for preservation of buildings of historic significance. III. Incentives for Historic Preservation or to Preserve Character of Existing Structures: a. Funding for incentives for historic preservation or to preserve the character of historic downtown Louisville shall be used for purposes consistent with the establishment of the HPF, and shall include, but not be limited to: i. Grants to fund the restoration or rehabilitation of existing resources. Grants may be given in installments upon the satisfactory completion of portions of the project, or given in total upon the satisfactory completion of the project. Conditions for the satisfactory completion of the project shall be given when the grant is awarded. Grants may be revoked if the conditions are not met. Grants given prior to the beginning of a project may be given only in suitable situations, as determined by the HPC; ii. Low-interest loans to fund the restoration or rehabilitation of existing resources. The loans shall be administered by the City or a designee appointed by City Council, with loan payments returning to the HPF. Loans shall be secured by a lien on the property which may be executed if the completed work is not as contemplated by the conditions of the loan. Further, if the work is not completed in compliance with the conditions of the loan, the loan amount shall be returned forthwith, with interest. Any costs in collecting the loan upon default shall be charged to the HPF; iii. Rebates of City taxes or fees, to be given after the completion of work as outlined by the conditions of the incentives. Rebates might be for the sales taxes of rr~aterials purchased for the project, a portion of property taxes for a given time, inspection fees related to the project, or other taxes or fees. b. While preservation is the primary purpose of this resolution, new structures may also qualify for the incentives outlined in section IILa to preserve the character of historic Louisville. The purpose of these incentives is to limit mass, scale, and number of stories, to preserve setbacks, to preserve pedestrian walkways between buildings, and to utilize materials typical of historic buildings. Review by the HPC of these projects for eligibility for incentives is not intended to substitute for City Planning processes, but applications for incentives for new construction should be submitted to the HPC at the earliest possible point in the planning process.