(a) Permit Applications for Projects. When plans for a project affecting an historical resource are required by Section 16.42.040 to obtain an approval or a recommendation by the Historic Resources Commission, all applications for permits authorizing development of the project shall be deemed incomplete until the Historic Resources Commission approval or recommendation has been granted and documentation of such action is submitted with the permit applications, except as provided in paragraph (b) following.
(b) Concurrent Processing. Where the Planning Director determines that processing time for a permit will not be adversely affected, the Director may authorize the acceptance of a permit application as complete for processing concurrently with the Historic Resources Commission review and action required by this Chapter.
(c) Applications for Historic Review. Applications for Historic Resource Preservation Plan approval or sign review and recommendation shall be filed with the Planning Department in accordance with the procedures of Section 18.10.223, and the administrative application requirements as established by the Historic Resources Commission. For projects involving demolition of the entire historic structure without reconstruction, or involving relocation of an historical structure, the application submittal shall also include:
1. A Special Inspections Report from the County Planning Department on the condition of the structure; and
2. An Historical Documentation Report prepared according to guidelines established by the Historic Resources Commission.
(d) Historic Resources Commission Hearing Procedure. When an application for historic review is determined by Planning Department staff to be complete it shall be forwarded with any other information of record to the Historic Resources Commission for their review and subsequent action. Each completed application for an Historical Resource Preservation Plan approval or sign review and recommendation shall be considered for review and action by the Historic Resources Commission at a public hearing. Notice of all hearings shall be given pursuant to Section 18.10.223. The Commission may continue a hearing from the original hearing date in order to request additional information, conduct a site inspection, require that a professional historian and/or archaeologist prepare the Historical Documentation Report, or for any other reason determined to be necessary by the Historic Resources Commission.
(e) Historic Resources Commission Action. Following the public hearing on an application, the Historic Resources Commission may approve an Historical Resource Preservation Plan, Historic Documentation Report, or sign recommendation by an affirmative vote of three or more of the Commission members. In order for the Commission to approve or conditionally approve the Historic Resource Preservation Plan, all the following findings must be made:
1. That the Historic Resource Preservation Plan is consistent with the purposes and goals of this Chapter and the County General Plan;
2. That the Historic Resource Preservation Plan is in conformance with the requirements of Section 16.42.070, Historic Preservation Criteria, of this Chapter; and
3. That the Historic Resource Preservation Plan, if implemented, will preserve and maintain the cultural and historical heritage of the County and/or further cultivate the knowledge of the past.
The Historic Resources Commission shall deny the Historic Resource Preservation Plan if one or more of these findings can not be made.
(f) No Project Authorization Granted. The Historic Resources Commission approval of an Historical Resource Preservation Plan, Historic Documentation Report or sign recommendation does not authorize any development rights or grant permission to proceed with project development; such actions can only be authorized through the approval and issuance of project permits pursuant to other provisions of the County Code.
(g) Documents. Following the Historic Resources Commission’s acceptance of an Historical Documentation Report, three archival copies with original black and white photographs shall be submitted by the applicant and shall be placed on permanent file by staff with the Santa Cruz County Planning Department, the County Historic Museum and the UCSC Mc Henry Library, Special Collections.
(h) Expiration. An approved Historic Resource Preservation Plan shall remain valid for a period of 2 years from the date of approval by the Historic Resources Commission unless a longer period of time is specified by the Commission. Time extensions for similar time periods may be subsequently granted by the Historic Resources Commission upon application prior to expiration of the plan approval.
(i) Environmental Review. When an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is required for a development project affecting a designated historic resource, the Historic Resources Commission shall be consulted in establishing the scope of the EIR and for comments on the Draft EIR and historic resource mitigation measures.