(1)
(a) A legislative body may designate a historic preservation authority.
(b) A legislative body may not designate the legislative body or the municipality's governing body as a historic preservation authority.
(2) In making administrative decisions on land use applications, a historic preservation authority shall apply the plain language of the land use regulations to a land use application.
(3) If a land use regulation does not plainly restrict a land use application, the historic preservation authority shall interpret and apply the land use regulation to favor the land use application.