A.    Nominations shall be made to the Columbia heritage and preservation commission on a form provided by the commission. A filing fee may be required.

    B.    The commission shall, upon investigation as it deems necessary, make a preliminary determination as to whether a property, structure or area possesses the integrity of design, workmanship, materials, location, setting and feeling, and meets one or more of the following criteria:

    1.    Significant value as part of the historic heritage or cultural characteristics of the community, county, state or nation;

    2.    Identification with a person or persons who significantly contributed to the development of the community, county, state or country;

    3.    Representative of the distinguishing characteristics of architecture inherently valuable for the study of a period, type, method of construction, or use of indigenous materials;

    4.    Notable work of a master builder, designer, architect or artist, whose individual work has influenced the development of the community, county, state or country;

    5.    Unique location or singular physical characteristics that make it an established or familiar visual feature;

    6.    Character as a particularly fine or unique example of a utilitarian structure, including, but not limited to, farmhouses, gas stations or other commercial structures, with a high level of integrity or architectural significance;

    7.    An area that has yielded or may be likely to yield, information important in history or prehistory.

    C.    A preliminary determination as to whether a property, structure, or area meets one or more of the foregoing criteria shall be made within fifteen (15) days of the filing of a nomination with the commission. (Ord. 777 § 1 (part), 1989: prior code § 41-3-2)