(1) Requests for Review and Issuance of a Certificate of Appropriateness or Waiver. The building or zoning official shall report any application for a permit to work on a designated City of Pasco Register of Historic Resources Register property or in a Pasco historic district to the Commission. If the activity is not exempt from review, the Commission or professional staff shall notify the applicant of the review requirements. The building or zoning official shall not issue any such permit until a certificate of appropriateness or a waiver is received from the Commission but shall work with the Commission in considering building and fire code requirements.

(2) Commission Review. The owner or his/her agent (architect, contractor, lessee, etc.) shall apply to the Commission for a review of proposed changes on a City of Pasco Register of Historic Resources property or within a Pasco historic district and request a certificate of appropriateness or, in the case of demolition, a waiver. Each application for review of proposed changes shall be accompanied by such information as is required by the Commission established in its bylaws for the proper review of the proposed project.

The Commission shall meet with the applicant and review the proposed work according to the design review criteria established in Commission bylaws. Unless legally required, there shall be no notice, posting, or publication requirements for action on the application, but all such actions shall be made at regular meetings of the Commission. The Commission shall complete its review and make its recommendations within 30 calendar days of the date of receipt of the application. If the Commission is unable to process the request, the Commission may ask for an extension of time.

The Commission’s recommendations shall be in writing and shall state the findings of fact and reasons relied upon in reaching its decision. Any conditions agreed to by the applicant in this review process shall become conditions of approval of the permits granted. If the owner agrees to the Commission’s recommendations, a certificate of appropriateness shall be awarded by the Commission according to standards established in the Commission’s bylaws.

The Commission’s recommendations and, if awarded, the certificate of appropriateness shall be transmitted to the building or zoning official. If a certificate of appropriateness is awarded, the building or zoning official may then issue the permit.

(3) 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 of Pasco Register of Historic Resources property or in a Pasco historic district. The owner or his/her agent shall apply to the Commission for a review of the proposed demolition and request a waiver. The applicant shall meet with the Commission in an attempt to find alternatives to demolition. These negotiations may last no longer than 45 calendar days from the initial meeting of the Commission, unless either party requests an extension. If no request for an extension is made and no alternative to demolition has been agreed to, the Commission shall act and advise the official in charge of issuing a demolition permit of the approval or denial of the waiver of a certificate of appropriateness. Conditions in the case of granting a demolition permit may include allowing the Commission up to 45 additional calendar days to develop alternatives to demolition. When issuing a waiver the Commission may require the owner to mitigate the loss of the City of Pasco Register of Historic Resources property by means determined by the Commission at the meeting. Any conditions agreed to by the applicant in this review process shall become conditions of approval of the permits granted. After the property is demolished, the Commission shall initiate removal of the property from the register.

(4) Appeal of Approval or Denial of a Waiver of a Certificate of Appropriateness. The Commission’s decision regarding a waiver of a certificate of appropriateness may be appealed to a Hearing Examiner pursuant to Chapter 25.195 PMC within 10 days. The appeal must state the grounds upon which the appeal is based.

The appeal shall be reviewed in a closed-record hearing by a Hearing Examiner pursuant to Chapter 25.195 PMC only on the records of the Commission. Appeal of the Hearing Examiner’s decision regarding a waiver of a certificate of appropriateness may be appealed to Superior Court. [Ord. 4178 § 1, 2014; Code 1970 § 27.076.030.]