![]() The approval timeline for building projects being reviewed by the Santa Fe Historic Districts Review Board may be considerably shortened, depending upon the actions of the Santa Fe City Council. Members of the council may soon be tasked with signing off on a proposed ordinance that will provide the Historic Districts board with final approval on most projects seeking building code exemptions. As it now stands, members of the council serve a kind of project approval of last resort, determining the validity of building code exemptions earlier given a green light by the Historic Districts board. While that board previously had the authority to approve code exemptions in general, a ruling late last year by the Santa Fe City Attorney’s office mandated that the council should essentially decide on all exemption requests, leaving decisions regarding height requirement exemptions with the Historic Districts board. The City Attorney decision more specifically referenced historic design and signage standards matters. The end result, say critics of the City Attorney’s office, has made the project approval process in Santa Fe more cumbersome. “The shift has led to the council hearing a slew of historic district exemptions at the end of some meetings,” notes the Santa Fe New Mexican, “an involved process requiring petitioners to be sworn in to redeliver their presentation during a public hearing.” Other detractors have pointed out that the six-member Historic Districts board is better positioned to determine various exceptions because it is made up of subject matter experts. Earlier this month Signe Lindell, a member of the Santa Fe City Council, introduced a bill giving the Historic Districts board the authority to “approve additional exceptions, including exceptions for signs and murals; and to remove certain administrative requirements for land use staff approvals and disapprovals of signs and murals.” The board is expected to decide on the ordinance proposal in its next meeting, scheduled for November 14. If approved, the matter will then be sent to the City Council for final approval. In a city where some structures are 300 years old and more, the Historic Districts board is tasked with making certain that construction and renovation projects are undertaken in a manner that pays homage to the architecture and historic styles of other buildings in the area. By Garry Boulard
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