(A) The Historic Board of Review may advise and make recommendations to the applicant before acting on an application for a certificate of appropriateness.
(B) If an application for a certificate of appropriateness:
(1) Is approved by the Board; or
(2) Is not acted on by the Board within 30 days after it is filed, a certificate of appropriateness shall be issued by the Building Inspector. If the certificate is issued, the application shall be processed in the same manner as applications for building or demolition permits required by the city, if any, are processed. If no building or demolition permits are required by the city, the applicant may proceed with the work authorized by the certificate.
(C) If the Historic Board denies an application for a certificate of appropriateness within 30 days after it is filed, the certificate may not be issued. The Historic Board must state its reasons for the denial, in writing, and must advise the applicant. An application that has been denied may not be processed as an application for a building or demolition permit and does not authorize any work by the applicant.
(D) The Historic Board may grant an extension of the 30-day limit prescribed by divisions (B) and (C) above if the applicant agrees to it.
(E) A certificate of appropriateness permit shall be deemed to authorize the particular changes reflected on the permit. The permit will expire if, for any reason, the change has not commenced within one year, and the construction or alteration completed within 12 months after commencement of the work.
(F) Certificates of appropriateness shall be granted if the Historic Board determines that the proposed action is not obviously incongruous with the historic district and shall not be granted if the proposed action is obviously incongruous with the historic district. In determining whether a particular proposal is obviously incongruous with the historic district, the Historic Board shall take into account the purposes of this chapter, the visual compatibility standards contained in this chapter, the historic and architectural significance of the structure and the effect of the proposed change in diminishing or enhancing the significance, the effect of the proposed change on the streetscape, the effect of the proposed change on surrounding structures, and the effect of the proposed change on the district as a whole. The Historic Board shall act in a manner which preserves the visual aspects of the architectural and historic character of the district by assuring that obviously incongruous changes are not allowed.
(Ord. 1984-19, passed 10-25-1984)