17.97.050 Review of changes to properties listed on the city’s register of historic places.
A. Review Required. No person shall change the use, construct any new building or structure, or reconstruct, alter, restore, remodel, repair, move, or demolish any existing property on the city historic register without review by the HPC and without receipt of a certificate of appropriateness, or in the case of demolition, a waiver, as a result of the review.
B. Exemptions. Ordinary repair and maintenance, which includes painting, or emergency measures defined in GHMC 17.97.020(J) and (P), do not require a certificate of appropriateness.
C. Review Process.
1. Application for Review and Issuance of a Certificate of Appropriateness or Waiver. A complete application for a certificate of appropriateness or waiver shall include the following:
a. A completed application on a form provided by the planning division.
b. A written description of the existing use of the registered structure and the proposed use of the registered structure.
c. Comprehensive exterior photographs showing all exterior facades of the registered structures, and close-up photographs of all existing architectural detailing and characteristics of the structure (e.g., siding, trim, turnings, braces, window design). If available, historic photos that show the structure’s original or earlier design and detailing.
d. Comprehensive interior photographs showing room layouts and architectural features and details (e.g., door and trim design, wall finishes and textures, arches, niches, stair details, window design, wall panels, ceiling panels, and fixtures). Interior photographs are necessary only for special valuation applications.
e. A written description of the proposed changes, holistically, and specifically to any features that contribute to the property’s eligibility for inclusion on the local register as described in the form nominating the property to the local register.
f. Elevation drawings, minimum one-quarter-inch scale, depicting the structure with all proposed changes (except demolitions).
g. A written description of proposed cleaning, refinishing or resurfacing techniques, explaining how retained historic materials will be protected and preserved.
h. A description of existing exterior building colors, original building colors (if known) and proposed building colors.
i. A statement explaining how the applicant believes the proposed changes meet the criteria for approval outlined in subsection (C)(4) of this section.
j. A written waiver acknowledging that the application will not be processed under GHMC Title 19.
2. Review of Permits to Work on a Property Listed on the Register of Historical Properties. The director or designee shall report any application for a permit to work on a designated city register property to the HPC. If the activity is not exempt from review, the staff shall notify the applicant of the review requirements. The city shall not issue any permit for work on a designated city register property until a certificate of appropriateness or a waiver is received from the HPC, but shall work with the HPC in providing information on required building and fire code requirements.
3. HPC Review. All applications for a certificate of appropriateness or a waiver shall be forwarded to the HPC for review and final decision. The HPC shall hold a public meeting on the application and review the proposed work according to the criteria listed in subsection (C)(4) of this section. The HPC shall issue a written decision within 30 days after the public meeting on the application. The HPC’s processing of an application is exempt from project permit processing in GHMC Title 19, with the exception of the appeal provisions of Chapter 19.06 GHMC.
The HPC’s decision shall be in writing and shall state the findings of fact and conclusions relied upon for the decision. Any conditions agreed to by the applicant in this review process shall become conditions of approval of the certificate of appropriateness. If the owner agrees to the HPC’s decision and all conditions pertaining to the decision, a certificate of appropriateness shall be granted by the HPC, and the city may issue permits for the proposed work. If the owner does not agree with the HPC’s decision, then permits may be issued only if the structure is removed from the city’s historic register under the provisions of GHMC 17.97.040(C). Issuance of any permit pursuant to this chapter shall not provide an exemption from compliance with any other applicable code or ordinance including, but not limited to, fire, plumbing, and mechanical codes.
4. Criteria for Certificate of Appropriateness Approval. The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation shall be the basis for the HPC’s decision on a certificate of appropriateness:
a. A property shall be used for its historic purpose or be placed in a new use that requires minimal change to the defining characteristics of the building and its site and environment.
b. The historic character of a property shall be retained and preserved. The removal of historic materials or alteration of features and spaces that characterize a property shall be avoided.
c. Each property shall be recognized as a physical record of its time, place, and use. Changes that create a false sense of historical development, such as adding conjectural features or architectural elements from other buildings, shall not be undertaken.
d. Most properties change over time; those changes that have acquired historic significance in their own right shall be retained and preserved.
e. Distinctive features, finishes, and construction techniques or examples of craftsmanship that characterize a historic property shall be preserved.
f. Deteriorated historic features shall be repaired rather than replaced. Where the severity of deterioration requires replacement of a distinctive feature, the new feature shall match the old in design, color, texture, and other visual qualities and, where possible, materials. Replacement of missing features shall be substantiated by documentary, physical, or pictorial evidence.
g. Chemical or physical treatments, such as sandblasting, that cause damage to historic materials shall not be used. The surface cleaning of structures, if appropriate, shall be undertaken using the gentlest means possible. Significant archeological resources affected by a project shall be protected and preserved. If such resources must be disturbed, mitigation measures shall be undertaken.
h. New additions, exterior alterations, or related new construction shall not destroy historic materials that characterize the property. The new work shall be differentiated from the old and shall be compatible with the massing, size, scale, and architectural features to protect the historic integrity of the property and its environment.
i. New additions and adjacent or related new construction shall be undertaken in such a manner that if removed in the future, the essential form and integrity of the historic property and its environment would be unimpaired.
5. Demolition. A waiver of the certificate of appropriateness is required before a permit may be issued to allow whole or partial demolition of a designated city historic property. The owner or his/her agent shall apply to the HPC for a review of the proposed demolition and request a waiver. The waiver shall be placed on the HPC’s meeting agenda, and the HPC and applicant shall discuss and consider alternatives to demolition. Additional meetings on the waiver may be held up to 45 calendar days after the initial meeting of the HPC on the waiver, unless either party requests an extension and the owner agrees in writing to the extension beyond the 45 days. If no request for an extension is made and no alternative to demolition has been agreed to, the HPC shall issue the waiver from the certificate of appropriateness. When issuing a waiver, the HPC may request the owner to mitigate the loss of the city historic register property by means determined by the HPC. Mitigation may include, but not be limited to: retention of site improvements, structural accessories, materials or design motifs that could be incorporated into new site development; documentation of the historic property, which may include an Historic American Building Survey (HABS); historic plaques or monuments placed on the site to provide information of the site and importance of the historic structure. Any conditions recommended by the HPC may be voluntarily complied with by the applicant. After the property is demolished, the HPC shall initiate removal of the property from the register.
6. Appeals. The HPC’s decision regarding a certificate of appropriateness or waiver of a certificate of appropriateness may be appealed to the hearing examiner within 10 working days under the provisions of Chapter 19.06 GHMC. The appeal must state the grounds upon which the appeal is based. (Ord. 1513 § 3 (Exh. C), 2023; Ord. 1375 § 3, 2017; Ord. 1197 § 70, 2010; Ord. 992 § 1, 2005).