Explanation
BACKGROUND:
Historic Architectural Review Commissions, including the Historic Resources Commission, were established by city council to create a design review process for designated historic areas and sites. The commissions often dedicate time to review requests for automatically approvable items.
The establishment of staff approvable work items will increase the effective and efficient use of commission resources without denying any applicant the ability to obtain approvals, building permits, and clearances to perform work in an architectural review district while not jeopardizing the integrity of the review process. The staff approval process, established by each architectural review commission, for approval and ultimately a certificate of appropriateness would be significantly quicker, allowing work to begin on structures where the work involves an existing condition that may damage the structure. Staff issued certificates of appropriateness are limited and regulated by the given commission and by code, permitting staff approval only for specific items / work annually reviewed and published by the appropriate commission and delegated to the historic preservation office staff. Where any concern related to the issuance of a certificate of appropriateness by staff exists, the application shall be heard by the commission at the next available opportunity as under existing guidelines and protocols.
FISCAL IMPACT: No funding is required for this legislation.
Title
To modify Sections 3116.012, 3116.05 and 3116.23 in Title 31, “Planning and Platting”, of the Columbus City Codes, 1959, in order to allow staff of the Historic Preservation Office to grant certificates of appropriateness for otherwise minor work that is limited in scope and regulated by the respective historic architectural review commission.
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WHEREAS, Historic Architectural Review Commissions, including the Historic Resources Commission, were established b...
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