Elyria, OH Historic Preservation: Historic-Cultural Monuments (2026)
Key Facts
- Designating body
- Elyria Landmarks Preservation Commission, seven Mayor-appointed members
- Designation test
- Integrity plus one of four National Register-based criteria
- Work requiring approval
- Any alteration or demolition of a listed property
- Commission review period
- Thirty days or the next regular meeting
- Certificate validity
- No more than eighteen months from issuance
- Appeal
- To Council, where a majority vote overrides the Commission
- Penalty
- Fourth-degree misdemeanor, up to $250 or thirty days
Summary
In the City of Elyria, Ohio, the Elyria Landmarks Preservation Commission or any interested party can nominate a historic site or district for designation if it keeps its integrity and meets one of four criteria. Designated properties then need a certificate of approval before alteration or demolition.
1103.05 CRITERIA FOR DESIGNATION OF LANDMARKS AND DISTRICTS. The criteria for evaluating and designating historic districts and sites in the City shall be guided by the National Register Criteria. The Elyria Landmarks Commission or any interested party may nominate the designation of historic sites or districts that maintain integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship and association and that meet one or more of the following criteria: A. That are associated with events that have made a significant contribution to Elyria, Lorain County, or Ohio History; B. That are associated with the life of a person who made a significant contribution to the history of Elyria, Lorain County, or the State of Ohio; C. That embody the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction, or that represent the work of a noted architect or builder; or D. That have yielded or may be likely to yield information important in history or prehistory.
Full Breakdown
The Elyria Codified Ordinances do not use the phrase cultural monument. Chapter 1103 instead designates "listed properties" and "Landmark Preservation Districts," and § 1103.05 sets the test. Designation is guided by the National Register Criteria. The Elyria Landmarks Commission or any interested party can nominate a site or district that maintains integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship and association and that meets at least one of four criteria: association with events that made a significant contribution to Elyria, Lorain County, or Ohio history; association with the life of a person who made a significant contribution to that history; embodying the distinctive characteristics of a type, period or method of construction, or representing the work of a noted architect or builder; or having yielded, or being likely to yield, information important in history or prehistory.
The Commission has seven members appointed by the Mayor to three-year terms, and at least two must be preservation professionals such as an architect, archaeologist, landscape architect, historian or planner (§ 1103.03). It must meet at least four times a year. Under § 1103.04 it keeps the register of listed properties and Landmark Preservation Districts at Elyria City Hall, with a current copy for the City Engineer and the Building Department, and it recommends designation legislation to Council.
Once a property is listed or sits inside a district, § 1103.06 bars any alteration or demolition without a certificate of approval from the Commission. Under § 1103.07 the Building Department refers permit applicants in designated areas to the Commission and issues no alteration or demolition permit without the certificate. The Commission reviews an application within thirty days of receipt or at its next regularly scheduled meeting, whichever comes first, and notifies the applicant in writing. A certificate is valid for no more than eighteen months from issuance. Any Commission decision can be appealed to Council, and a majority vote of Council is needed to override the Commission.
Violations & Fines
Section 1103.08 prohibits constructing, reconstructing, altering, changing or demolishing an external architectural feature of any property, area or object in violation of Chapter 1103. Section 1103.99 sends penalties to § 1127.99: a misdemeanor of the fourth degree with a fine of not more than $250 or up to thirty days in jail, or both, rising to a third-degree misdemeanor with up to $500 or sixty days for a repeat within one year. Each day is a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can nominate a historic landmark in the City of Elyria?
What are the four designation criteria in Elyria?
Do I need approval to alter a listed property in Elyria?
Can a Commission denial be appealed?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Elyria
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