Muncie, IN Historic Preservation: Historic-Cultural Monuments (2026)

The commission was created in 1976 from the bicentennial commission's historic preservation subcommittee and was reconstituted by Ord. No. 28-07 in 2007 (sections 34.100, 34.101). It prepares a historic preservation plan mapping candidate historic landmarks and districts, which the Common Council approves, amends, or disapproves by resolution (section 34.102(C)). A district or landmark is then created either by petition of owners holding more than 50 percent of the real estate in the area, verified by the commission within 60 days, or, for any property already listed on or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, by an ordinance introduced by a Council member and approved by a Council majority (section 34.102(C)(1), (C)(4)).

Once an area is designated, the commission must issue a certificate of appropriateness before demolition, moving a building, exterior alterations, new construction visible from a public street, or streetscape changes such as altering pavement, curbs, walls, fences, or lighting (section 34.102(D)(1)). Applications tied to a building, demolition, sign, or moving permit are automatically treated as certificate applications, and the historic preservation officer must meet with the applicant within five working days (section 34.102(D)(2)). The commission has 45 days to approve, condition, or deny an application, guided by IC 36-7-11-4 through 36-7-11-18 and the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation, or the Emily Kimbrough Historic District's own design guidelines (section 34.102(D)(1)(a), (D)(4)).

The building director may not issue a demolition permit for a listed property until a certificate is issued or a court orders otherwise on appeal (section 34.104), and commission decisions are subject to judicial review under IC 4-21.5-1 et seq. the same as a state agency decision (section 34.105).