Title
Request to Designate the Buena Vista Social Clubhouse Located at 1601 Jackson Street
Body
RECOMMENDED ACTION (Motion):
No action is required at this time. Staff will return at a future hearing to determine to what extent the City Commission would like to submit comment to the State Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation regarding the nomination.
BACKGROUND:
The National Register of Historic Places is the nation’s official list of buildings, structures, sites, objects, and districts significant in American history, architecture, and/or archaeology. Over 2,000 Oregon properties are listed in the National Register, with all of the state’s 36 counties represented. Listing in the National Register is primarily an honorific designation intended to encourage preserving important historic places. The National Register is maintained by the National Park Service in Washington. D.C., and is administered in Oregon by the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). The National Register designation does not result in application of the local Historic Resources Overlay regulations; however, local government review would be required before the building can be demolished or relocated as required by Oregon Administrative Rule 660-023-0200(8)(a).
BENEFITS
-Recognition: The City or other interested parties may purchase a plaque that can be placed on the building.
-Grant Eligibility: The City or other interested parties may apply for the Preserving Oregon grant when money is available. Grants are awarded competitively since demand exceeds the availability of funds.
-Building Code Leniency: Under Section 3409.1 of the Oregon Structural Specialty Code, National Register properties may receive waivers for certain building code requirements in the interest of preserving the integrity of the property.
RESTRICTIONS
-Review for Demolition or Relocation: OAR 660-023-0200(8)(a) requires that local governments review proposals to demolish or relocate properties listed in the National Register. The procedure and standards that govern a local decision to demolish a resource listed on the National Register is different from the demolition review standards set forth in local code - OCMC 17.40.070. Rather, the demolition review required by rule must include, at a minimum, “a public hearing process that results in approval, approval with conditions, or denial and considers the following factors: condition, historic integrity, age, historic significance, value to the community, economic consequences, design or construction rarity, and consistency with and consideration of other policy objectives in the acknowledged comprehensive plan.”
COMMENTING ON NOMINATIONS TO THE NATIONAL REGISTER
Oregon City is a “certified local government” meaning that the State Historic Preservation Office (as part of its delegated duty to implement the federal National Register program) has determined that Oregon City’s historic preservation program is sufficiently robust to justify its weighing in on National Register nominations. As such, the City’s Historic Review Board (HRB) along with the City’s “chief local elected official” may submit comments with regard to this proposal indicating support, support with condition or opposition to the listing. These comments must be received to the State office no later than Tuesday, February 25, 2020. If both the HRB and the chief local elected official opposed the nomination, it will not be considered for listing, although an appeal to the Secretary of the Interior may be filed.
Staff will seek a recommendation from the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee (PRAC) and consult the Historic Review Board (HRB) for comment in January and return to the City Commission on February 5, 2020 for direction if comment should be submitted to the State Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation regarding the nomination. The State Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation is scheduled to review the request to list the Buena Vista Social Clubhouse on Thursday, February 27, 2020.