(a) As used in this part: “Altered” means changed, modified, rebuilt, removed, demolished, restored, razed, moved or reconstructed; “erected” means constructed, built, installed or enlarged; “exterior architectural features” means such portion of the exterior of a structure or building as is open to view from a public street, way or place; “building” means a combination of materials forming a shelter for persons, animals or property; “structure” means any combination of materials, other than a building, which is affixed to the land, and shall include, but not be limited to, signs, fences and walls; “municipality” means any town, city, borough, consolidated town and city or consolidated town and borough; “appropriate” means not incongruous with those aspects of the historic district which the historic district commission determines to be historically or architecturally significant.

(b) Any municipality may, by vote of its legislative body and in conformance with the standards and criteria formulated by the Department of Economic and Community Development, establish within its confines an historic district or districts to promote the educational, cultural, economic and general welfare of the public through the preservation and protection of the distinctive characteristics of buildings and places associated with the history of or indicative of a period or style of architecture of the municipality, of the state or of the nation.

(c) The legislative body of any municipality may make appropriations for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this part.