Rules and Procedures for National Register of Historic Places Review
As a Certified Local Government (CLG) under the National Historic Preservation Amendments Act of 1980 (P.L. 96-515), one of the principal duties of Clark County is to take responsibility for review of nominations of properties to the National Register of Historic Places. Under the State of Washington Certified Local Governments Program Requirements and Procedures (Section III(A)) and in accordance with the CLG Certification Agreement between Clark County and the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) of Washington, the Clark County Historic Preservation Commission (CCHPC), is made responsible for reviewing National Register Nominations.
These rules and regulations are intended to satisfy the State of Washington Certified Local Governments Program Requirements and Procedures (Section 1(G)) which requires the CLG to establish local laws, bylaws or administrative rules, that will provide for participation in the National Register Nomination process. The applicable National Register Nomination section is CCC 18.328.045
RULES AND PROCEDURES
A. PRE-MEETING
Within 30 days after receipt of an adequately documented National Register Inventory-Nomination Form, the State Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation (OAHP) notifies the property owner and the Board of County Commissioners and forwards a copy of the nomination to the CCHPC staff.
If qualified staff, Commission members, or consultants are not available, the review must be expedited. Expedited review can be initiated locally by the CLG or at the State level by OAHP. A locally-initiated request for expedited review must contain the signatures of the Board of County Commissioners and the Chairperson of the CCHPC.
1. Staff
Upon receipt of the notification of a National Register nomination, the Staff:
a. Determines if qualified staff, Commission members or consultants are available.
b. Schedules a hearing or determines whether an expedited review is required.
c. At least ten (15) days prior to the hearing, notifies the public by mailing notice to owners of property within 300 feet in an urban growth area and within 500 feet in a rural area and posting legal notice on the property.
d. The staff notifies the applicant, all principal property owners and persons, and affected neighborhood organizations of the date, time and location of the hearing per CCC 18.600.085.
e. Shall schedule a site visit for the Commission.
f. Shall prepare and mail materials to Commission members.
g. If the staff is qualified, or a consultant, they shall visit the site.
h. In case of a locally initiated expedited review, prepare letter of request, obtain the signature of the CCHPC Chairperson and mail the letter to the OAHP.
2. Clark County Historic Preservation Commission
Prior to the hearing, the CCHPC or a Committee of the Commission shall:
a. Review the nomination
b. Visit the property
c. In case of a locally initiated expedited review, the Chairperson signs the request.
B. Hearing
Designation review will occur at regularly scheduled hearings. Nominations will be considered in the order in which they were received by the Commission.
The Clark County Historic Preservation Commission
1. Commission members apply National Register criteria to the property or district to evaluate the nomination. The members should only consider information related to the designation criteria as presented in federal regulations (36 CFR 60 and 36 CFR 63) during the review.
The Commission:
a. Determines the category of historic property.
b. Establishes the context for evaluating the property.
c. Identifies the level of significance.
d. Evaluates the integrity of the property.
e. Determines if there are special conditions that might make the property eligible.
f. Determines if the property meets the criteria.
2. The regular order of business for consideration of applications for local or National Register review shall be as follows:
a. The Chairperson or Chairperson designated person shall offer a preliminary statement concerning the application.
b. The staff report is presented.
c. The applicant or the designated agent of the applicant presents statements in favor of the application including relevant pictures, models, etc.
d. Statements in opposition to the application.
e. Comments by Clark County Planning Department, interested persons, organization, or legal entities.
f. Rebuttal by all concerned parties.
g. Summary of above by Chairperson or designated person.
h. Deliberation by Commission.
i. Vote
3. During the hearing, the above procedure may be temporarily modified by the concurrence of all parties and the CCHPC.
C. POST HEARING
1. Staff
After the hearing, Staff will:
a. Prepare the Commission's report as a finding of fact. The finding of fact should clearly state the relevant designation criteria and how the property meets or fails to meet the criteria.
b. Forward the Commission's recommendation and the application to the OAHP for the official recommendation.
The Commission's report and recommendation must be returned to OAHP within 60 days of the receipt of the original application by the CCHPC.
APPLICATION STANDARDS - NATIONAL REGISTER
An acceptable National Register of Historic Places application is a nomination form completed according to uniform guidelines as presented in "National Register of Historic Places, Washington Heritage Register: A Nomination Guide", from the Washington State Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation. Generally the application consists of nomination form, survey inventory form, and documentation.
The National Register of Historic Places/Survey - Inventory Form, available from OAHP, must be typed and completely filled in. Blanks that are not applicable to the property should be filled with "N/A".
Properties should be described in detail. All interior and exterior features and outbuildings which contribute to the designation should be mentioned and described. Non-contributing features should also be mentioned and described. District designations should include a description of proposed district boundaries, the characteristics of the district which justifies its designation, and a list of all properties including features, structures, sites, objects and open spaces which contribute to the designation of the district.
The original form should be presented along with the following documentation:
1. A U.S.G.S. map with the UTM reference points identified. "UTM" means "Universal Transverse Mercator" or the grid zone in metric measurement providing for an exact point of numerical reference.
2. A sketch or scaled map showing significant property elements and property boundaries for nominations involving more than a single structure or site.
3. Photographs detailing the historic nature of the property. Photo documentation includes 8"x10" glossy black and white photographs with negatives and color slides, which must be clearly labeled to identify case, location, subjects and the direction the photograph was taken. OAHP should be consulted regarding exact photo requirements for specific nominations.
Incomplete forms or those with insufficient documentation will not be considered and will be returned to the applicant.
NATIONAL REGISTER CRITERIA
The following are criteria for the inclusion of properties to the National Register of Historic Places as established in the Code of Federal Regulations (36CFR60).
The quality of significance in American history, architecture, archaeology, engineering and culture is present in districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects that possess integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling and association, and:
1. That are associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history; or
2. That are associated with the lives of persons significant in our past; or
3. That embody the distinctive characteristics of a type, period or method of construction, or that represent the work of a master, or that possess high artistic values, or that represent a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinctions; or
4. That have yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history.
Criteria Considerations
Ordinarily cemeteries, birthplaces, or graves of historical figures, properties owned by religious institutions or used for religious purposes, structures that have been moved from their original locations, reconstructed historic buildings, properties primarily commemorative in nature, and properties that have achieved significance within the past 50 years shall not be considered eligible for the National Register. However, such properties will qualify if they are integral parts of districts that do meet the criteria or if they fall within the following categories:
1. A religious property deriving primary significance from architectural or artistic distinction of historical importance; or
2. A building or structure removed from its original location but which is significant primarily for architectural value, or which is the surviving structure more importantly associated with a historic person or event; or
3. A birthplace or grave of a historical figure of outstanding importance if there is no appropriate site or building directly associated with his/her productive life; or
4. A cemetery which derives its primary significance from graves of persons of transcendent importance, from age, from distinctive design features, or from association with historic events; or
5. A reconstructed building when accurately executed in a suitable environment and presented in a dignified manner as part of a restoration master plan, and when no other building or structure with the same association has survived; or
6. A property primarily commemorative in intent if design, age, tradition, or symbolic value has invested it with its own historical significance; or
7. A property achieving significance within the past 50 years if it is of exceptional importance.
