# Mich. Comp. Laws § 399.201a: Definitions > Michigan · Statutes · In force URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_MI_C399_AAct-169-of-1970_S399.201a ## Section - **Citation:** Mich. Comp. Laws § 399.201a - **Heading:** Definitions - **Jurisdiction:** Michigan - **Kind:** Statutes - **Status:** In force - **Text as of:** August 14, 2026 - **Source:** Compiled text - **Location:** MI Code / Chapter 399 / Act Act-169-of-1970 / Section 399.201a ## Text Sec. 1a. As used in this act: "Alteration" means work that changes the detail of a resource but does not change its basic size or shape. "Certificate of appropriateness" means the written approval of a permit application for work that is appropriate and that does not adversely affect a resource. "Commission" means a historic district commission created by the legislative body of a local unit under section 4. "Committee" means a historic district study committee appointed by the legislative body of a local unit under section 3 or 14. "Demolition" means the razing or destruction, whether entirely or in part, of a resource and includes, but is not limited to, demolition by neglect. "Demolition by neglect" means neglect in maintaining, repairing, or securing a resource that results in deterioration of an exterior feature of the resource or the loss of structural integrity of the resource. "Denial" means the written rejection of a permit application for work that is inappropriate and that adversely affects a resource. "Department" means the department of history, arts, and libraries. "Fire alarm system" means a system designed to detect and annunciate the presence of fire or by-products of fire. Fire alarm system includes smoke alarms. "Historic district" means an area, or group of areas not necessarily having contiguous boundaries, that contains 1 resource or a group of resources that are related by history, architecture, archaeology, engineering, or culture. "Historic preservation" means the identification, evaluation, establishment, and protection of resources significant in history, architecture, archaeology, engineering, or culture. "Historic resource" means a publicly or privately owned building, structure, site, object, feature, or open space that is significant in the history, architecture, archaeology, engineering, or culture of this state or a community within this state, or of the United States. "Local unit" means a county, city, village, or township. "Notice to proceed" means the written permission to issue a permit for work that is inappropriate and that adversely affects a resource, pursuant to a finding under section 5(6). "Open space" means undeveloped land, a naturally landscaped area, or a formal or man-made landscaped area that provides a connective link or a buffer between other resources. "Ordinary maintenance" means keeping a resource unimpaired and in good condition through ongoing minor intervention, undertaken from time to time, in its exterior condition. Ordinary maintenance does not change the external appearance of the resource except through the elimination of the usual and expected effects of weathering. Ordinary maintenance does not constitute work for purposes of this act. "Proposed historic district" means an area, or group of areas not necessarily having contiguous boundaries, that has delineated boundaries and that is under review by a committee or a standing committee for the purpose of making a recommendation as to whether it should be established as a historic district or added to an established historic district. "Repair" means to restore a decayed or damaged resource to a good or sound condition by any process. A repair that changes the external appearance of a resource constitutes work for purposes of this act. "Resource" means 1 or more publicly or privately owned historic or nonhistoric buildings, structures, sites, objects, features, or open spaces located within a historic district. toric district. "Repair" means to restore a decayed or damaged resource to a good or sound condition by any process. A repair that changes the external appearance of a resource constitutes work for purposes of this act. "Resource" means 1 or more publicly or privately owned historic or nonhistoric buildings, structures, sites, objects, features, or open spaces located within a historic district. "Smoke alarm" means a single-station or multiple-station alarm responsive to smoke and not connected to a system. As used in this subdivision, "single-station alarm" means an assembly incorporating a detector, the control equipment, and the alarm sounding device into a single unit, operated from a power supply either in the unit or obtained at the point of installation. "Multiple-station alarm" means 2 or more single-station alarms that are capable of interconnection such that actuation of 1 alarm causes all integrated separate audible alarms to operate. "Standing committee" means a permanent body established by the legislative body of a local unit under section 14 to conduct the activities of a historic district study committee on a continuing basis. "Work" means construction, addition, alteration, repair, moving, excavation, or demolition. History: Add. 1992, Act 96, Imd. Eff. June 18, 1992; Am. 2001, Act 67, Imd. Eff. July 24, 2001; Am. 2004, Act 67, Imd. Eff. Apr. 20, 2004 ## Nearby sections - [Mich. Comp. Laws § 399.201 Short title.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_MI_C399_AAct-169-of-1970_S399.201.md) - [Mich. Comp. Laws § 399.201a Definitions.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_MI_C399_AAct-169-of-1970_S399.201a.md) - [Mich. Comp. Laws § 399.202 Historic preservation as public purpose; purpose of ordinance.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_MI_C399_AAct-169-of-1970_S399.202.md) - [Mich. Comp. Laws § 399.203 Historic districts; establishment; study committee; duties; public hearing; notice; actions; availability of writings to public.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_MI_C399_AAct-169-of-1970_S399.203.md) - [Mich. Comp. Laws § 399.204 Historic district commission; establishment; appointment, qualifications, and terms of members; vacancy; commissions previously established by charter or ordinance.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_MI_C399_AAct-169-of-1970_S399.204.md) - [Mich. Comp. Laws § 399.205 Permit required; completed application; certificate of appropriateness or notice to proceed; issuance; permit fee; appeal to review board and circuit court; plan review standards, guidelines, and considerations; scope of review; preservation plan; approval; conditions; public meeting; availability of writings to public; rules of procedure; approval of minor work; finding of demolition by neglect; restoration or modification of work done without permit.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_MI_C399_AAct-169-of-1970_S399.205.md) - [Mich. Comp. Laws § 399.206 Grants, gifts, and programs.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_MI_C399_AAct-169-of-1970_S399.206.md) - [Mich. Comp. Laws § 399.207 Historic resource; acquisition by local legislative body.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_MI_C399_AAct-169-of-1970_S399.207.md) - [Mich. Comp. Laws § 399.208 County historic district commission; coordination with township and municipality.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_MI_C399_AAct-169-of-1970_S399.208.md) - [Mich. Comp. Laws § 399.209 Historic district commission; filings with delegated authority; duties of local public officials, employees, and department.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_MI_C399_AAct-169-of-1970_S399.209.md) - [Mich. Comp. Laws § 399.210 Construction of act.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_MI_C399_AAct-169-of-1970_S399.210.md) - [Mich. Comp. Laws § 399.211 Appeal of decisions.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_MI_C399_AAct-169-of-1970_S399.211.md) - [Mich. Comp. Laws § 399.212 Effect of act as to existing legislation and historical commissions.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_MI_C399_AAct-169-of-1970_S399.212.md) - [Mich. Comp. Laws § 399.213 Powers and duties of historic district commission.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_MI_C399_AAct-169-of-1970_S399.213.md) --- Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/STATE_MI_C399_AAct-169-of-1970_S399.201a. Check the current official text before relying on it. Not legal advice.