Title 36
SECTION 67.9
67.9 Certifications of State or local historic districts.
§ 67.9 Certifications of State or local historic districts.(a) The particular State or local historic district must also be certified by the Secretary as substantially meeting National Register criteria, thereby qualifying it as a registered historic district, before the Secretary will process requests for certification of individual properties within a district or districts established under a certified statute.
(b) The provision described herein will not apply to properties within a State or local district until the district has been certified, even if the statute creating the district has been certified by the Secretary.
(c) The Secretary considers the duly authorized representative requesting certification of a statute to be the official responsible for submitting district documentation for certification. If another person is to assume responsibility for the district documentation, the letter requesting statute certification shall indicate that person's name, address, and telephone number. The Secretary considers the authorizing statement of the duly authorized representative to indicate that the jurisdiction involved wishes not only that the statute in question be certified but also wishes all historic districts designated by the statute to be certified unless otherwise indicated.
(d) Requests shall be sent to the SHPO in participating States and directly to the appropriate NPS WASO in nonparticipating States. The SHPO shall be given a 30-day opportunity to comment upon an adequately documented request. Comments received from the SHPO within this time period will be considered by the Secretary in the review process. The guidelines in National Register Bulletin 16, “Guidelines for Completing National Register of Historic Places Forms,” provide information on how to document historic districts for the National Register. Each request should include the following documentation:
(1) A description of the general physical or historical qualities which make this a district; and explanation for the choice of boundaries for the district; descriptions of typical architectural styles and types of buildings in the district.
(2) A concise statement of why the district has significance, including an explanation of the areas and periods of significance, and why it meets National Register criteria for listing (see 36 CFR part 60); the relevant criteria should be identified (A, B, C, and D).
(3) A definition of what types of properties contribute and do not contribute to the significance of the district as well as an estimate of the percentage of properties within the district that do not contribute to its significance.
(4) A map showing all district properties with, if possible, identification of contributing and noncontributing properties; the map should clearly show the district's boundaries.
(5) Photographs of typical areas in the district as well as major types of contributing and noncontributing properties; all photographs should be keyed to the map.
(e) Districts designated by certified State or local statutes shall be evaluated using the National Register criteria (36 CFR part 60) within 30 days of the receipt of the required documentation by the Secretary. Written notification of the Secretary's decision will be sent to the duly authorized representative or to the person designated as responsible for the district documentation.
(f) Certification of statutes and districts does not constitute certification of significance of individual properties within the district or of rehabilitation projects by the Secretary.
(g) Districts certified by the Secretary as substantially meeting the requirements for listing will be determined eligible for listing in the National Register at the time of certification and will be published as such in the Federal Register.
(h) Documentation on additional districts designated under a State or local statute the has been certified by the Secretary should be submitted to the Secretary for certification following the same procedures and including the same information outlined in the section above.
(i) State or local governments, as appropriate, shall notify the Secretary if a certified district designation is amended (including boundary changes) or repealed. If a certified district designation is amended, the duly authorized representative shall submit documentation describing the change(s) and, if the district has been increased in size, information on the new areas as outlined in § 67.9. A revised statement of significance for the district as a whole shall also be included to reflect any changes in overall significance as a result of the addition or deletion of areas. Review procedures shall follow those outlined in § 67.9 (d) and (e). The Secretary will withdraw certification of repealed or inappropriately amended certified district designations, thereby disqualifying them as registered historic districts.
(j) The Secretary may withdraw certification of a district on his own initiative if it ceases to meet the National Register Criteria for Evaluation after providing the duly authorized representative and the SHPO 30 days in which to comment prior to withdrawal of certification.
(k) The Secretary urges State and local review boards of commissions to become familiar with the Standards used by the Secretary of the Interior for certifying the rehabilitation of historic properties and to consider their adoption for local design review.