Agenda Item:
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Consideration of a Resolution Establishing a Pilot Permit Fee Rebate Program for Landmark Properties
Staff Contact: Adam Hall, Assistant Village Manager
Purpose and Actions Requested: Staff requests Village Board consideration of a resolution establishing a pilot permit fee rebate program for landmark properties.
Budget Impact: Budgeted
Budget Fund: To be determined
Strategic Priority Addressed: Community Resilience
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BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
Following extensive discussions at the Committee of the Whole meetings of May 15, 2025, August 20, 2025 and March 19, 2026, the Village Board directed staff and the Preservation Commission to develop comprehensive updates to the Village's preservation policies and ordinances. A central component of that effort is the establishment of a pilot permit fee rebate program for landmark properties, intended to encourage continued investment in and long-term stewardship of properties already designated as Landmarks.
Under the program, the Village would rebate building permit fees up to a cap of $10,000 per project for renovation or rehabilitation work on a landmark property with eligible project costs that exceed $50,000. Participation is voluntary and limited to one rebate per property. Applications would be reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis, subject to available annual funding.
As a condition of participation, the property owner would agree to repay the rebate in the event of voluntary demolition of the landmark structure. The program is designed to be revenue neutral. Its adoption coincides with the establishment of a new $3,000 demolition fee applied to standard residential demolitions and a $5,000 demolition fee applied to demolitions of Honorary Landmark homes, which together are expected to offset the cost of the rebates.
At the conclusion of the third Program Year, the Board, in consultation with the Preservation Commission, would evaluate the program based on participation, preser...
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