Design Review Process
Before You Begin
Before beginning work, the first step is to determine if your proposed changes will require review for a Certificate of Appropriateness issued by the Historic District Commission (HDC) and if additional approvals, permits, or certificates might be required. The Community Development Department can help you determine the requirements for the changes proposed. Minor actions such as painting and routine maintenance require no design review. These types of projects, however, may require a permit depending on the scope of work.
Exterior Changes
Significant exterior changes, alterations, additions, new construction, demolitions, moving of buildings or changes to sites such as adding fences, walls, driveways, parking areas, or new outbuildings likely require a Certificate of Appropriateness before construction can begin. A Certificate of Appropriateness is obtained through a review process by the HDC. A Certificate of Appropriateness may be required even in cases where a building permit may not be needed. The HDC bases their decisions to issue a Certificate of Appropriateness on the recommendations included in City of Frostburg’s Register of Historic Places Guidelines and in The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation.
The Commission also monitors the condition of historic properties, structures, and sites within the Historic District to ensure that they are being maintained and are not being allowed to deteriorate by neglect. In such cases of detrimental neglect, property owners will be notified of the steps necessary for repair and be required to remedy the situation
Approval Process
Step 1:
Call the Community Development Department to determine whether a Certificate of Appropriateness and/or an additional permit is needed before beginning work.
If YES: Staff will provide an application for a Certificate of Appropriateness and notify the property owner of any additional application materials that are needed.
If NO: Property owner may begin work
Step 2:
Submit application materials to Community Development staff no less than two weeks before the next meeting date. Staff will forward materials to the Commission and give appropriate public notice of the meeting according to the timeline dictated by local law. You must submit application materials within the required timeframe in order to be placed on the next meeting’s agenda.
Step 3:
Attend the next monthly HDC meeting to describe your project, answer questions, and address concerns from the Commission. After reviewing your proposal, the Commission will make a final decision for issuing a Certificate of Appropriateness. The Commission must approve or reject an application at the meeting when the item is heard so that property owners will be able to proceed with construction in a timely fashion.
Step 4:
Once plans are approved, the Commission will issue a Certificate of Appropriateness for the work. Certificates are valid for a 24-month period and may be extended for 6-months if necessary.
