“Appointing authority” means the Clark County council and the Vancouver city council for the members of the historic preservation commission provided for under VMC 17.39.040 that each council appoints.

“Building official” means that person designated by the city manager to undertake the duties provided for in this chapter that are not within the scope of authority of the Clark County historic preservation commission.

“Certificate of appropriateness” means the document indicating the commission or commission staff has reviewed the proposed changes to a property on the Clark County heritage register or within a historic district, and has certified the changes as not adversely affecting the historic characteristics of the property that contribute to its designation on the Clark County heritage register.

“Certified local government (CLG)” means a local government that has established a historic preservation program meeting federal and state standards which is eligible to apply to the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) and the National Park Service for certification. A local government that receives such certification is known as a “certified local government” or “CLG.”

“Clark County cultural resources inventory” means a comprehensive inventory of historic resources within the boundaries of Clark County including resources identified by local jurisdictions within Clark County. The inventory is a tool for planning and research, which includes those resources believed to have prehistoric, historic or cultural significance to Clark County or the United States and/or the state of Washington, regardless of current ownership.

“Clark County heritage register” means the list of properties that have been designated to be representative of Clark County’s rich history.

“Commission” means the Clark County historic preservation commission, provided for in VMC 17.39.040.

“Contributing” means a property originally constructed within the applicable period of significance that retains and exhibits sufficient integrity (location, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling or association) to convey a sense of history.

“County council” shall refer to the Clark County council.

“Cultural resources” consist of historic, prehistoric or archaeological sites and standing structures, cemeteries, burial grounds and funerary objects and distributions of cultural remains and artifacts.

“Emergency repair” means work necessary to prevent destruction or dilapidation to real property or structural appurtenances thereto which are immediately threatened or damaged by fire, flood, earthquake or other disaster.

“Heritage overlay district” means districts, as defined in Chapter 20.510 VMC, that are intended to preserve the special architectural character and/or historic or cultural significance of certain areas within the city.

“Historic district” is a geographically definable area possessing a significant concentration, linkage or continuity of sites, buildings, structures or objects united by past events or aesthetically by plan or physical development.

“National Register of Historic Places” means the official list of the nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate and protect America’s historic and archaeological resources.

“Noncontributing” means a property which either does not date to the historic period or has not retained sufficient integrity (location, design, setting or materials) so as to convey its historic character.

“Ordinary repair and maintenance” means work for which a permit issued by the city of Vancouver is not required by law, and where the purpose and effect of such work is to correct any deterioration or decay of or damage to the real property or structure and to restore the same, as nearly as may be practicable, to the condition prior to the occurrence of such deterioration, decay or damage.

“Party of record” means all persons, agencies or organizations who have submitted written testimony before, during or prior to the close of a public hearing; or who have provided oral testimony at a public hearing; or have signed the sign-in sheet noting the person’s name, address and the subject matter in which they are interested; or have submitted a written request to the responsible official to be a “party of record” on a specific application. Notwithstanding any of the foregoing, no person shall be a party of record who has not furnished an accurate mailing address or email address.

“Period of significance” means the time period, from one to several years or decades, during which a property or district was associated with an important historic event(s), trend(s), person(s), architecture, or method(s) of construction.

“Permit” means any discretionary or ministerial permission required by the city of Vancouver to undertake any construction activity on property listed on the Clark County heritage register.

“Planning official” means the city official within the community and economic development department charged with administratively approving land use permits or her/her designee.

“Professional archaeologist” means a person with qualifications meeting the federal Secretary of the Interior’s standards for a professional archaeologist, as defined in RCW 27.53.030.

“Property” means real property including fixtures that is or may be subject to this chapter.

“Rules and procedures” means the historic preservation commission’s guidelines for conducting various historic preservation processes.

“Significance” shall refer to a quality of a property which assists in the understanding of the history of a local area, the state or nation by illustrating the local, statewide or nationwide impact of the events or persons associated with the property, or its architectural type or style in information potential. Local significance may apply to a property that illustrates a theme that is important to one or more localities; state significance to a theme important to the history of the state; and national significance to property of exceptional value in representing or illustrating an important theme in the history of the nation.

“Special valuation tax incentive program” or “special valuation” means the local option program which makes available to property owners a special tax valuation for rehabilitation of historic property(ies) and under which the assessed value of an eligible historic property is determined at a rate that excludes, for up to 10 years, the actual cost of the rehabilitation.

“Washington Heritage Register” means the state listing of properties significant to the community, state, or nation. (Ord. M-4296 § 2, 2020; Ord. M-3243 § 2, 1996)