Fiscal Note
No City appropriation required.
Title
Repealing and recreating Section 28.185 and creating Section 41.28 of the Madison General Ordinances related to demolition of buildings to update the approval processes.
Body
DRAFTER’S ANALYSIS: This proposed ordinance changes how demolition applications are reviewed by city staff and the Plan Commission. Under the current MGO 28.185, all applications for demolition are approved by the Plan Commission. This change proposes that only demolitions of buildings determined by the Landmarks Commission to have historic value by the Landmarks Commission will require Plan Commission approval. All demolitions of non-historic buildings can be processed administratively after Landmarks Commission reviews for historic value.
Currently, all principal buildings proposed for demolition are first reviewed by the Landmarks Commission for historic value. This proposed change would maintain that review for all applicants. The Landmarks Commission would review the proposed demolition for historic value and assign a Category (either A, B, or C) to the application. The descriptions of Categories A, B, and C are codified in the new subsection MGO 41.28. Category C demolitions, or those with no known historic value, will then be processed administratively. Category A and B applications, or those with historic value, move to the Plan Commission for review and approval. The Landmarks Commission already assigns a designation to all applications using similar methodology.
The Plan Commission will then evaluate the proposed demolition under the new standards in MGO 28.185(6)(c). Staff believes the new standards will help Commissioners better determine if a historic building should be demolished.
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The Common Council of the City of Madison do hereby ordain as follows:
1. Section 28.185 entitled “Approval of Demolition (Razing, Wrecking) and Removal” o...
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