§ 5-251. Definitions.

The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this article, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:

Building means a structure created to shelter any form of human activity, such as a house, barn, church, hotel, jail, courthouse or similar structure.

Certificate of appropriateness means a document approving a proposal to make a material change in the appearance of a designated historic property or of a structure, site, or work of art located within a designated historic district, which document must be obtained from a Historic Preservation Commission before such material change may be undertaken.

Commission means the City of Hinesville Historic Preservation Commission.

Exterior architectural features means the architectural style, general design and general arrangement of the exterior of a building, structure or object, including but not limited to the kind or texture of the building material and the type and style of all windows, doors, signs and other appurtenant architectural fixtures, features, details or elements relative to the foregoing, as more fully described in the design guidelines for the City to be adopted by the Historic Preservation Commission, such design guidelines to be implemented subject to the approval of the City Council.

Exterior environmental features means all those aspects of the landscape or the development of a site that affect the historical character of the property.

Historic district means a geographically definable area, urban or rural, which contains structures, sites, works of art, or a combination thereof which:

(1)

Have special character or special historical or aesthetic interest or value;

(2)

Represent one or more periods or styles of architecture typical of one or more eras in the history of the municipality, county, state, or region; and

(3)

Cause such area, by reason of such factors, to constitute a visibly perceptible section of the municipality or county.

Historic Preservation Division of the Department of Natural Resources means the State Division of Historic Preservation or its successor.

Historic property means a structure, site, or work of art, including the adjacent area necessary for the proper appreciation or use thereof, deemed worthy of preservation by reason of its value to the municipality, county, state, or region for one or more of the following reasons:

(1)

It is an outstanding example of a structure representative of its era;

(2)

It is one of the few remaining examples of a past architectural style;

(3)

It is a place or structure associated with an event or person of historic or cultural significance to the municipality, county, state, or region; or

(4)

It is a site of natural or aesthetic interest that is continuing to contribute to the cultural or historical development and heritage of the municipality, county, state, or region.

Material change in appearance means a change that will affect only the exterior architectural features of a historic property or of any structure, site, or work of art within a historic district and may include any one or more of the following:

(1)

A reconstruction or alteration of the size, shape, or facade of a historic property, including relocation of any doors or windows or removal or alteration of any architectural features, details, or elements;

(2)

Demolition of a historic property;

(3)

Commencement of excavation;

(4)

A change in the location of advertising visible from the public way on any historic property; or

(5)

The erection, alteration, restoration, or removal of any building or other structures within a designated historic district, including walls, fences, steps, and pavements, or other appurtenant features, except exterior paint alterations.

Object means a material thing of functional, aesthetic, cultural, historical or scientific value that may be, by nature or design, movable yet related to a specific setting or environment.

Site means the location of a significant event, a prehistoric or historical occupation or activity, or a building or structure, whether standing, ruined, or vanished, where the location itself maintains historical or archaeological value regardless of the value of any existing structure.

Structure means a work made up of interdependent and interrelated parts in a definite pattern of organization, not typically designed for human habitation. Constructed by humans, it is often an engineering project large in scale, such as a bridge, canal, dam, or earthen work.

(Code 1978, § 2-266; Ord. No. 1996-03, § II, 5-2-1996)

State law reference

Similar provisions, O.C.G.A. § 44-10-22.