Sec. 32-6a. Committee for the Restoration of Historic Assets in Connecticut. Grants. Eligibility of greenways projects. Regulations. "Historical asset" defined. - Connecticut Statutes

      Sec. 32-6a. Committee for the Restoration of Historic Assets in Connecticut. Grants. Eligibility of greenways projects. Regulations. "Historical asset" defined. (a) For the purposes of encouraging quality tourism and contributing to an overall historic preservation program there is established a Committee for the Restoration of Historic Assets in Connecticut which shall consist of the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development, the chairman of the Governor's Vacation Council, the chairman of the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism and two public members appointed by the Governor on or before December 1, 1977, for a term to expire on February 1, 1979. Thereafter terms of members appointed to succeed those whose terms expire shall be for two years and until successors are appointed. The Commissioner of Economic and Community Development may provide grants or loans as approved by the committee for projects of historic preservation and restoration from the Restoration of Historic Assets in Connecticut Fund established with the proceeds of the bonds issued pursuant to subdivision (2) of subsection (g) of section 2 of special act 77-47. For the purposes of this section, "historical asset" means any building, structure, object or site that is significant in American history, architecture, archaeology or culture or property used in connection therewith. Such grants and loans may be used, in part, for the installation or restoration of supportive improvements. Supportive improvements may include, but shall not be limited to, parking lots, office space, sanitary facilities, utilities necessary to make a building functional, information booths, provisions for the handicapped, improvements necessary to bring such asset into conformance with local ordinances, or any other improvements necessary to return the property to a state of utility provided that any such supportive improvement shall not alter, destroy or detract from the distinctive historical, aesthetic, archaeological, architectural, cultural or stylistic qualities or characteristics of the historic asset or its environment. The Commissioner of Economic and Community Development with the advice and consent of the committee shall promulgate such regulations as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this section.

      (b) The Commissioner of Economic and Community Development may provide grants to develop greenways from the Restoration of Historic Assets in Connecticut Fund established with the proceeds of the bonds issued pursuant to subdivision (2) of subsection (g) of section 2 of special act 77-47. Grants may be made to municipalities and other organizations to develop greenways, including, but not limited to, transportation-related greenways supported by the federal Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century, as amended from time to time. The amount of any grant shall be as follows: (1) For transportation greenways projects that are part of interstate greenways, not more than twenty per cent of the project cost; (2) for transportation greenways projects that are local spurs from interstate greenways or that are intertown greenways projects, not more than ten per cent of the project cost; and (3) for greenways that are not transportation greenways, not more than half of the capital costs of the project.

      (S.A. 77-47, S. 8, 65; P.A. 77-614, S. 284, 587, 610; P.A. 78-303, S. 85, 136; P.A. 79-338, S. 1, 2; P.A. 95-250, S. 1; 95-335, S. 4, 26; P.A. 96-211, S. 1, 5, 6; P.A. 00-148, S. 16; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, S. 210(e); P.A. 04-20, S. 3; 04-205, S. 5; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 04-2, S. 30.)

      History: P.A. 77-614 and P.A. 78-303 replaced commissioner of commerce with commissioner of economic development, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 79-338 defined "historical asset"; P.A. 95-250 and P.A. 96-211 replaced Commissioner and Department of Economic Development with Commissioner and Department of Economic and Community Development; P.A. 95-335 added Subsec. (b) making greenways projects eligible for grants and designated existing provisions as Subsec. (a), effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 00-148 amended Subsec. (b) by changing "Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991" to "Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century"; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6 and P.A. 04-20 replaced the Historical Commission with the Connecticut Commission on Arts, Tourism, Culture, History and Film, effective August 20, 2003; P.A. 04-205, effective June 3, 2004, and May Sp. Sess. P.A. 04-2, effective May 12, 2004, both replaced Connecticut Commission on Arts, Tourism, Culture, History and Film with Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism.

      See Sec. 4-9a for definition of "public member".

      See Sec. 23-100 re definition of "greenways".