Categories of work exempted by historic preservation plan; premature issuance of permits for work

Sec. 7. (a) The historic preservation plan may provide that certain categories of work accomplished in the historic area are exempt from the requirement imposed by section 9 of this chapter that a certificate of appropriateness be issued. Categories of work that may be exempted by a historic preservation plan include the construction, reconstruction, alteration, or demolition of a structure or feature. Various historic preservation plans may exempt different categories of work. (b) After the commission has adopted a declaratory resolution relative to a historic area and presented the historic preservation plan to the metropolitan development commission for adoption or rejection as a segment of the comprehensive plan of the county, no permits may be issued by the department of metropolitan development for the construction, reconstruction, or alteration of any exterior architectural structure or feature in the area or the demolition of any structure or feature in the area until the metropolitan development commission has taken official action on the proposed plan or within ninety (90) days after the date of adoption of the declaratory resolution by the commission, whichever occurs first. If such a permit has been issued before the adoption of a declaratory resolution by the commission, the agency issuing the permit may order that the work allowed by the permit, or a part of the work, be suspended until the metropolitan development commission has adopted or rejected the historic preservation plan.