Orange County NC Website
•tlorth Carolina General Assembly - NCGS CHAPTER 160A http : //www . ncga. state . nc . us/statutes/statutes%5Fin% 5Fhtml/chp160a . html <br /> designation , whichever occurs first . <br /> ( b ), The governing board of any municipality may enact an <br /> ordinance to prevent the demolition by neglect of any designated <br /> landmark or any building or structure within an established <br /> historic district . Such ordinance shall provide appropriate <br /> safeguards to protect property owners from undue economic <br /> hardship . <br /> ( c ) An application for a certificate of appropriateness <br /> authorizing the demolition or destruction of a building , site , or <br /> structure determined by the State Historic Preservation Officer <br /> as having statewide significance as defined in the criteria of <br /> the National Register of Historic Places may be denied except <br /> where the commission finds that the owner would suffer extreme <br /> hardship or be permanently deprived of all beneficial use or <br /> return by virtue of the denial . ( 1989 , c . 706 , s . 2 ; 1991 , c . <br /> 514 . ) <br /> Part 4 . Acquisition of Open Space , <br /> 160A- 401 . Legislative intent . <br /> It is the intent of the General Assembly in enacting this <br /> Part to provide a means whereby any county or city may acquire , <br /> by purchase , gift , grant , bequest , devise , lease , or otherwise , <br /> and through the expenditure of . public funds , the fee or any <br /> lesser interest or right in real property in order to preserve , <br /> through limitation of their future use , open spaces and areas for <br /> public use and enjoyment . ( 1963 , c . 1129 , s . 1 ; 1971 , c . 698 , s . <br /> l . ) <br /> § 160A- 402 . Finding of necessity . <br /> The General Assembly finds that the rapid growth and spread <br /> of urban development in the State is encroaching upon , or <br /> eliminating , many open areas and spaces of varied size and <br /> character , including many having significant scenic or esthetic <br /> values , which areas and spaces if preserved and maintained in <br /> their present open state would constitute important physical , <br /> social , esthetic , or economic assets to existing and impending <br /> urban development . The General Assembly declares that it is <br /> necessary for sound and proper urban development and in the <br /> public interest of the people of this State for any county or <br /> city to expend or advance public funds for , or to accept by <br /> purchase , gift , grant , bequest , devise , lease , or otherwise , the <br /> fee or any lesser interest or right in real property so as to <br /> acquire , maintain , improve , protect , limit the future use of , or <br /> otherwise conserve open spaces and areas within their respective <br /> jurisdictions as defined by this Article . <br /> The General Assembly declares that the acquisition of <br /> interests or rights in real property for the preservation of open <br /> spaces and areas constitutes a public purpose for which public <br /> funds may be expended or advanced . ( 1963 , c . 1129 , s . 2 ; 1971 , c . <br /> 698 , s . 1 . ) <br /> § 160A- 403 . Counties or cities authorized to acquire and <br /> reconvey real property . <br /> Any county or city in the State may acquire by purchase , <br /> gift , grant , bequest , devise , lease , or otherwise , the fee or any <br /> lesser interest , development right , easement , covenant , or other <br /> contractual right of or to real property within its respective <br /> jurisdiction , when it finds that the acquisition is necessary to <br /> achieve the purposes of this Part . Any county or , city may also <br /> _ acquire the fee to any property for the purpose of conveying or <br /> leasing the property back to its original owner or other person <br /> under covenants or other contractual arrangements that will limit <br /> the future use of the property in accordance with the purposes of <br /> + 9 of 270 6/20/2000 10 : 19 AM <br />