07 Apr Historic Preservation (H) Overlay Text Amendment
Mayor Erin Mendenhall has initiated a petition for a text amendment that would impact the H Historic Preservation Overlay District citywide. The H Historic Preservation Overlay District applies to properties within a local historic district, properties within a thematic designation, or landmark sites. The City has prepared a draft ordinance. Through the public and City Staff review process, this draft will be further revised. The draft ordinance is attached for your review. The Planning Commission approved this May 24, 2023. This will go to the City Council for final approval. The purpose of the proposed text amendments is to make the ordinance easier to use for applicants, property owners, staff, and the Historic Landmark Commission in its administration, as well as create new processes for adopting and updating historic resource surveys. The proposed amendments involve multiple chapters of the zoning ordinance related to the H District and changes would apply citywide. (Staff contact: Amy Thompson at 801-535-7281 or [email protected]).
This proposed text amendment is intended to do the following:
- Clarify and reorganize chapter 21A.34.020 (the H Historic Preservation Overlay) so repetition is removed, and process steps are clear;
- Adds the ability for the Planning Director to deny a Certificate of Appropriateness when standards aren’t met as a streamlining measure for the Historic Landmark Commission’s time;
- Adds jurisdiction & authority language to reflect duties that aren’t currently listed;
- Adds process to have City Council adopt accompanying historic survey for local historic designations and subsequent survey updates;
- Creates a new process and considerations for historic status determinations (ie: whether the structure is contributing or noncontributing) for individual properties within local historic districts in certain circumstances;
- Moves the process and standards for local historic amendments and designation from chapter 21A.34.020 to a new chapter— 21A.51 – Local Historic Designation and Amendments;
- Moves definitions from 21A.34.020 to the Definition chapter of the zoning ordinance – 21A.62;
- Amends several definitions to be clearer and to reflect the newly created processes, specifically contributing buildings, landmark sites, noncontributing buildings and any other identified definition that needs clarity;
- Adds in the ability to review all solar panels at an administrative level. Currently, the HistoricLandmark Commission is required to review solar panels on the front façade of a building;
- Any other fine-tuning in language needed to clarify current processes, practices and policies to aid in administration of the H Historic Preservation Overlay.
The proposed text amendment is being taken to the public for comment and input. Following this input, the proposal may be revised. Staff will then take the proposed ordinance changes to the Historic Landmark Commission and the Planning Commission for a public hearing and recommendation. The recommendations will then be sent to the City Council for another public hearing and decision. The City Council may adopt the proposal, adopt the proposal with changes, or decline to adopt the proposal. Dates for these public hearings have not yet been set.
This will be on the April 17 Land Use and Zoning meeting 530-730 pm in Sprague Library. Please read through the details below, and come prepared to discuss this. And/or you can send me a comment using the comment form below. PS The comment form doesn’t seem to be working, so send me an email at [email protected] with Historic Preservation Overlay in the subject line.
