 |
D.C. Municipal Regulations (Last Updated: September 13, 2017) |
 |
Title 10. PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT |
|
SubTilte 10-A. COMPREHENSIVE PLAN |
|
Chapter 10-A10. HISTORIC PRESERVATION |
Section 10-A1005. HP-1.3 DESIGNATING HISTORIC LANDMARKS AND DISTRICTS
-
1005.1Historic properties are recognized through designation as historic landmarks or historic districts in the DC Inventory of Historic Sites, the city’s official list of historic properties. Listing in the National Register of Historic Places provides additional recognition by the federal government.
Listed properties gain protection under District and federal preservation laws, and are eligible for benefits like preservation tax incentives. The city’s historic districts are highlighted in Map 10.1, and its historic structures are highlighted in Map 10.2. Historic structures in Central Washington are shown in Map 10.2A. 1005.1
1005.2Table 10.1: Listing of Historic Districts 1005.2
1005.3Map 10.1: Historic Districts* 1005.3
1005.4Map 10.2: Historic Structures
1005.5Map 10.2.A: Existing Landmark Structures and Sites
1005.6Policy HP-1.3.1: Designation of Historic Properties
Recognize and protect significant historic properties through official designation as historic landmarks and districts under both District and federal law, maintaining consistency between District and federal listings whenever possible. 1005.6
1005.7Policy HP-1.3.2: Designation Criteria
Maintain officially adopted written criteria and apply them consistently to ensure that properties meet objective standards of significance to qualify for designation. The criteria are given in Figure 10.1. 1005.7
1005.8Policy HP-1.3.3: Leadership in Designation
Systematically evaluate and nominate significant District-owned properties for historic designation. Encourage, assist, or undertake the nomination of privately owned properties as appropriate in consultation with owners, Advisory Neighborhood Commissions, and community groups. 1005.8
1005.9Policy HP-1.3.4: Historic District Designation
Use historic district designations as the means to recognize and preserve areas whose significance lies primarily in the character of the community as a whole, rather than in the separate distinction of individual structures. Ensure that the designation of historic districts involves a community process with full participation by affected Advisory Neighborhood Commissions, neighborhood organizations, property owners, businesses, and residents. 1005.9
1005.10Policy HP-1.3.5: Consulting the Public on Designations
Ensure that the views of property owners, Advisory Neighborhood Commissions, neighborhood organizations, and the general public are solicited and given careful consideration in the designation process. 1005.10
1005.11Action HP-1.3.A: Nomination of Properties
Act on filed nominations without delay to respect the interests of owners and applicants, and to avoid accumulating a backlog of nominations. When appropriate, defer action on a nomination to facilitate dialogue between the applicant and owner or to promote efforts to reach consensus on the designation. 1005.11
1005.12Action HP-1.3.B: Nomination of National Register Properties
Nominate for historic landmark or historic district designation any eligible National Register properties not yet listed in the D.C. Inventory of Historic Sites. 1005.12
A record number of permits for restoration of historic properties has been issued in recent years.
1005.13Figure 10.1: Designation Criteria for Historic Landmarks and Districts
Historic and prehistoric buildings, building interiors, structures, monuments, works of art or other similar objects, areas, places, sites, neighborhoods, and cultural landscapes are eligible for designation as historic landmarks or historic districts if they possess one or more of the following values or qualities:
a.Events: They are the site of events that contributed significantly to the heritage, culture or development of the District of Columbia or the nation;
b.History: They are associated with historical periods, social movements, groups, institutions, achievements, or patterns of growth and change that contributed significantly to the heritage, culture or development of the District of Columbia or the nation;
c.Individuals: They are associated with the lives of persons significant to the history of the District of Columbia or the nation;
d.Architecture and Urbanism: They embody the distinguishing characteristics of architectural styles, building types, or methods of construction, or are expressions of landscape architecture, engineering, or urban planning, siting, or design significant to the appearance and development of the District of Columbia or the nation;
e.Artistry: They possess high artistic or aesthetic values that contribute significantly to the heritage and appearance of the District of Columbia or the nation;
f.Creative Masters: They have been identified as notable works of craftsmen, artists, sculptors, architects, landscape architects, urban planners, engineers, builders, or developers whose works have influenced the evolution of their fields of endeavor, or are significant to the development of the District of Columbia or the nation; or
g.Archaeology: They have yielded or may be likely to yield information significant to an understanding of historic or prehistoric events, cultures, and standards of living, building, and design. To qualify for designation, they shall also possess sufficient integrity to convey, represent or contain the values and qualities for which they are judged significant. To qualify for designation, sufficient time shall have passed since they achieved significance or were constructed to permit professional evaluation of them in their historical context.
1005.14Action HP-1.3.C: Nomination of Federal Properties
Encourage federal agencies to nominate their eligible properties for listing in the National Register of Historic Places, and sponsor concurrent nomination of these properties to the D.C. Inventory of Historic Sites. 1005.14
1005.15Action HP-1.3.D: The Historic Plan of Washington
Complete the documentation and designation of the historic Plan of the City of Washington as a National Historic Landmark. 1005.15
1005.16Action HP-1.3.E: Updating Designations
Evaluate existing historic landmark designations and systematically update older designations to current professional standards of documentation. Evaluate historic district designations as appropriate to augment documentation, amend periods or areas of significance, or adjust boundaries.
notation