§ 1-5-53. Eligible rehabilitation.

(a)

Standards for rehabilitation . To be eligible for the special tax assessment, historic rehabilitations must be conducted according to the following standards:

(1)

A property shall be used for its historic purpose or be placed in a new use that requires minimal change to the defining characteristics of the building and its site and environment.

(2)

The historic character of a property shall be retained and preserved. The removal of historic materials or alteration of features and spaces that characterize a property shall be avoided.

(3)

Each property shall be recognized as a physical record of its time, place, and use. Changes that create a false sense of historical development, such as adding conjectural features or architectural elements from other buildings, shall not be undertaken.

(4)

Most properties change over time; those changes that have acquired historic significance in their own right shall be retained and preserved.

(5)

Distinctive features, finishes, and construction techniques or examples of craftsmanship that characterize a property shall be preserved.

(6)

Deteriorated historic features shall be repaired rather than replaced. Where the severity of deterioration requires replacement of a distinctive feature, the new feature shall match the old in design, color, texture, and other visual qualities and, where possible, materials. Replacement of missing features shall be substantiated by documentary, physical, or pictorial evidence.

(7)

Chemical or physical treatments, such as sandblasting, that cause damage to historic materials shall not be used. The surface cleaning of structures, if appropriate, shall be undertaken using the gentlest means possible.

(8)

Significant archaeological resources affected by a project shall be protected and preserved. If such resources must be disturbed, mitigation measures shall be undertaken.

(9)

New additions, exterior alterations, or related new construction shall not destroy historic materials that characterize the property. The new work shall be differentiated from the old and shall be compatible with the massing, size, scale, and architectural features to protect the historic integrity of the property and its environment.

(10)

New additions and adjacent or related new construction shall be undertaken in such a manner that if removed in the future, the essential form and integrity of the historic property and its environment would be unimpaired.

(b)

Value of rehabilitation . The rehabilitation work conducted pursuant to this article must have expenditures:

(1)

Exceeding 25 percent of the fair market value for owner-occupied building, or;

(2)

Exceeding 25 percent of the fair market value of the building for income-producing property.

Fair market value means the appraised value as certified to the community appearance board by a real estate appraiser licensed by the State of South Carolina, the sales price as delineated in a bona fide contract of sale within six (6) months of the time it is submitted, or the most recent fair market value published by the county tax assessor.

(c)

Scope . The special tax assessment may apply to the following:

(1)

Property that is rehabilitated;

(2)

Real property surrounding the building;

(3)

Structures that are significant to the rehabilitated property, as determined by the city council.

(d)

Time limits . To be eligible for the special tax assessment, rehabilitations must be completed within two (2) years after approval of submitted plans, pursuant to section 1-5-54 of this article. If the project is not complete after two (2) years, but the minimum expenditures for rehabilitation have been incurred, the property continues to receive the special assessment until the project is completed, but not for more than five (5) years if the project is not complete by that time. The special tax assessment shall only begin in the current or future tax years. In no instance may be special tax assessment be applied retroactively.

(Ord. No. 2000-01-10(B), 1/24/00; Ord. No. 2009-05-11(A), 5/11/09)