9-11-1: PURPOSE AND INTENT:
A. The purpose of this chapter is to promote the public health, safety, and welfare through:
1. The protection and preservation, by appropriate regulations, of the town's historic and cultural heritage;
2. The enhancement of property values, and the stabilization of historic neighborhoods;
3. The increase of economic and financial benefits to the citizens of the town by making the town more attractive, inviting and interesting to the town's many tourists and visitors; and
4. The provision of educational opportunities to increase public appreciation of the town's unique heritage.
B. The intention of this chapter is to create a method to draw a reasonable balance between private property rights and the public interest in preserving the town's unique historic character by authorizing the town to designate landmarks, landmark sites, historic districts and cultural landscape districts; to require stabilization of properties which are of historic value in order to assure that such properties will not be lost as a result of inadvertence, indifference or neglect; and to ensure that the maintenance, alteration or demolition of properties of historic value shall be carefully considered for impact to the property's contribution to the town's heritage. (Ord. 24, Series 2001)