(A) Plan Required.
(1) Owners of property seeking approval of rehabilitation work must complete a Rehabilitated Historic Property Application as developed by the SHPO or developed by the local government, with supporting documentation prior to beginning work. Approval is mandatory through application of a COA prior to beginning work.
(2) Owners who complete rehabilitation work prior to approval of the application are at risk of not receiving approval for this program.
(B) Reviewing Authority. The Reviewing Authority shall be the City of Dillon Board of Architectural Review.
(C) Preliminary Certification. Upon receipt of the completed COA application the proposal shall be provided to the BAR to determine if the project is consistent with the standards for rehabilitation in § 1-5-62(C). After the BAR makes its determination, the owner shall be notified in writing. Upon receipt of this determination the owner may:
(1) Begin rehabilitation; if the COA application is approved;
(2) Revise such application in accordance with the special conditions provided by the BAR if the application is approved with special conditions;
(3) Revise such application in accordance with comments provided by the BAR, if the application is not approved; or
(4) Appeal the decision to the South Carolina Department of Archives and History if the application is not approved. (In the case where the South Carolina Department of Archives and History is the reviewing authority, the appeal is made to the Appeal Committee of the State Review Board.)
(D) Substantive Changes. Once Preliminary Certification is granted to an application, the BAR must approve substantive changes through the COA process. Unapproved substantive changes are conducted at the risk of the property owner and may disqualify the project from eligibility.
(E) Final Certification. Upon completion of the project, the project must receive Final Certification in order to be eligible for the special assessment. The BAR will inspect completed projects to determine if the work is consistent with the approval granted by the BAR pursuant to § 1-5-63. Final Certification will be granted when the completed work meets the standards and verification is made that expenditures have been made in accordance with § 1-5-63(C) and (D). Upon receiving Final Certification, the property will be assessed for the remainder of the special assessment period, up to eight (8) years, on the fair market value of the property at the time the Preliminary Certification was made or the Final Certification was made, whichever occurred earlier.
(F) Additional Work. For the remainder of the special assessment period after Final Certification, the property owner shall notify the BAR of any additional work, other than ordinary maintenance. The BAR shall review the work and determine whether the overall project is consistent with the standards for rehabilitation. If the additional work is found to be inconsistent, the property owner may withdraw his request, revise the proposed additional work, or seek an appeal decision as set forth in division (C) of this section. Additional expenditures after Final Certification will not qualify the project for an extension on the special assessment.
(G) Decertification.
(1) When the property has received Final Certification and assessed as Rehabilitated Historic Property, it remains so certified and must be granted the special assessment until the property becomes disqualified by any one of the following:
(a) Written notice by the owner to the BAR and the auditor to remove the preferential assessment;
(b) Sale or transfer of ownership during the special assessment period of eight (8) years, other than in ordinary course within probate proceedings;
(c) Removal of eligibility for the special assessment (historic designation) by the Dillon City Council;
(d) Rescission of the approval of rehabilitation work by the BAR because alterations or renovation by the owner or his or her estate cause the property to no longer possess the qualities and features which made it eligible for Final Certification.
(2) Notification of any change affecting eligibility must be given immediately to the County Assessor, Auditor, and Treasurer.
(H) Date Effective.
(1) If an application for Preliminary or Final Certification is filed by May 1 or the Preliminary or Final Certification is approved by August 1, the special assessment authorized herein is effective for that year. Otherwise, it is effective beginning with the following year.
(2) The special assessment only begins in the current or future tax years. In no instance may the special assessment be applied retroactively.
(I) Application. After the property has received Preliminary or Final Certification, the owner of the property shall make application to the County Auditor for the special assessment.
(Ord. 09-17, passed 10-12-2009; Am. Ord. 17-03, passed 4-10-2017)