6. The application is reviewed and a determination made, within 45 days of acceptance of the
application.
a) In‐housereview:Staffwillmakeasitevisittoreviewtheproposalbeforeissuingany
approval.Determinationscanusuallybemadewithinfive(5)daysofacceptanceof
completeapplication.Allapprovals
areissuedinwriting.
b) Public hearing: An agenda is mailed to applicants, owners, abutters, and PHDC
members seven (7) days before the hearing; it lists the time and place of the
hearing, and the order in which applications will be heard. Staff also prepares a
written report on each
application, which is distributed to PHDC members before
the hearing andis available to applicants upon request. Applicants are required to
attend the hearing to present the pro posal to the PHDC.Public comment is taken.
Thetestimonyofapplicants,owners,andotherinterestedpartiesissworn.Afterall
testimony is received,
the PHDC deliberates the proposal and makes a
determination to approve as submitted, approve with conditio ns, or deny. (An
application may also be continued to a future PHDC meeting, with the applicant’s
consent,ifadditionalinformationisneeded.)Afterthehearing,awrittenresolution
describingthedecisionismailedto
theapplicant.
7. If the application is approved, a Certificate of Appropriateness (CA) placard and two sets of all
accompanying drawings are stamped, signed, and will be mailed to applicants or are available for
pick‐up from the Department of Planning and Development, 444 Westminster Street, Suite 3A,
Providence,RI02903.
It is
the applicant’s responsibility to obtain all necessary building permits and zoning variances for the
project.AcopyoftheCAwillneedtobepresentedattheDepartmentofInspectionandStandards(DIS),
444WestminsterStreet,Providence,RI,02903,foranynecessarypermits.Buildingpermitsforexterior
workwithinhistoricdistricts
cannotbeissueduntilPHDCapprovalhasbeenobtained.
ACertificate ofAppropriatenessplacard mustbedisplayed ontheproperty wheretheworkwilloccur.
Certificates of Appropriateness are valid only for the work specifically approved. Any changes to the
projectwhichresultfromotherreviews,orwhicharemade
duringconstruction,mustbebroughtback
tothePHDCforapprovalpriortocommenc ing wor k.Certificatesarevalidforone(1)year,andmaybe
extendeduponrequest.
8. If the application is not approved, the decision may be appealed. Appeals of PHDC decisions are
madeto theZoningBoardofAppeal(whichwillreviewonlywhetherthePHD C madea procedural
error or had sufficient evidence to make its decision). Without substantial changes, a denied
applicationmaynotbe
resubmittedforoneyearfromthedateofthedecision.
9. ApermanentrecordofeachapplicationisretainedinthePHDC’sfiles.