A. “Aberdeen Historic Inventory” or “Inventory” means the comprehensive inventory of historic and prehistoric resources within the boundaries of the city.

B. “Aberdeen Historic Preservation Commission” or “Commission” means the commission created by AMC 17.50.030(A).

C. “Aberdeen Register of Historic Places”, “Local Register”, or “Register” means the listing of locally designated properties provided for in AMC 17.50.040 herein.

D. “Actual Cost of Rehabilitation” means costs incurred within twenty-four months prior to the date of application and directly resulting from one or more of the following: (a) improvements to an existing building located on or within the perimeters of the original structure; or (b) improvements outside of but directly attached to the original structure which are necessary to make the building fully useable but shall not include rentable/habitable floor-space attributable to new construction; or (c) architectural and engineering services attributable to design of the improvements; or (d) all costs defined as “qualified rehabilitation expenditures” for purposes of the federal historic preservation investment tax credit.

E. A “building” is a structure constructed by human beings. This includes both residential and nonresidential buildings, main and accessory buildings.

F. “Certificate of Appropriateness” means the document indicating that the Commission has reviewed the proposed changes to a local register property or within a local register historic district and certified the changes as not adversely affecting the historic characteristics of the property, which contribute to its designation.

G. “Certified Local Government” of “CLG” means the designation reflecting that the local government has been jointly certified by the State Historic Preservation Officer and the National Park Service as having established its own historic preservation commission and a program meeting Federal and State standards.

H. “Class of properties eligible to apply for Special Valuation” means all properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places or certified as contributing to a National Register Historic District which have been substantially rehabilitated as a cost and within a time period which meets the requirements set forth in Chapter 84.26 RCW, until the city becomes a Certified Local Government (CLG). Once a CLG, the class of properties eligible to apply for Special Valuation means only properties listed on the Local Register of Historic Places or properties certified as contributing to a Local Register Historic District which have been substantially rehabilitated at a cost and within a time period which meets the requirements set forth in Chapter 84.26 RCW.

I. “Cost” means the actual cost of rehabilitation, which cost shall be at least twenty-five percent of the assessed valuation of the historic property, exclusive of the assessed value attributable to the land, prior to rehabilitation.

J. A “district” is a geographically definable area urban or rural, small or large, possessing a significant concentration, linkage, or continuity of sites buildings, structures, and/or objects united by past events or aesthetically by plan or physical development.

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

L. “Historic property” means real property together with improvements thereon, except property listed in a register primarily for objects buried below ground, which is listed in local register of Certified Local Government or the National Register of Historic Places.

M. “Incentives” are such rights or privileges or combination thereof which the City Council, or other local, state, or federal public body or agency, by virtue of applicable present or future legislation, may be authorized to grant or obtain for the owner(s) of Register properties. Examples of economic incentives include but are not limited to tax relief, conditional use permits, rezoning, street vacation, planned unit development, transfer of development rights, façade easements, gifts, preferential leasing policies, beneficial placement of public improvements or amenities, or the like.

N. “Local Review Board” or “Board” used in Chapters 84.26 RCW and Chapter 254-20 WAC for the special valuation of historic properties means the commission created in AMC 17.50.060.

O. “National Register of Historic Places” means the national listing of properties significant to our cultural history because of their documented importance to our history, architectural history, engineering, or cultural heritage.

P. An “object” is a thing of functional, aesthetic, cultural, historical, or scientific value that may be, by nature or design, movable yet related to a specific setting or environment.

Q. “Ordinary repair and maintenance” means work for which a permit issued by the city 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 appurtenance therein and to restore the same, as nearly as may be practicable, to the condition prior to the occurrence of such deterioration, decay, or damage.

R. “Owner” of property is the fee simple owner of record as exists on the Grays Harbor County Assessor’s records.

S. “Significance” or “significant” used in the context of historic significance means the following: a property with local, state, or national significance is one which helps in the understanding of the history or prehistory of the local area, state, or nation (whichever is applicable) by illuminating the local, statewide, or nationwide impact of the events or persons associated with the property, or its architectural type or style in information potential. The local area can include the city, Grays Harbor County, the Olympic Region of Washington, or a modest geographic or cultural area, such as a neighborhood. 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 illustration an important theme in the history of the nation.

T. A “site” is a place where a significant event or pattern of events occurred. It may be the location of prehistoric or historic occupation or activities that may be marked by physical remains; or it may be the symbolic focus of a significant event or pattern of events that may not have been actively occupied. A site may be the location of ruined or now non-extant building or structure of the location itself possesses historic cultural or archaeological significance.

U. “Special Valuation for Historic Properties” or “Special Valuation” means the local option program, as authorized by Chapter 84.26 RCW, which when implemented makes available to property owners a special tax valuation for rehabilitation of historic properties under which the assessed value of an eligible historic property is determined at a rate that excludes, for up to ten years, the actual cost of the rehabilitation.

V. “State Register of Historic Places” means the state listing of properties significant to the community, state or nation but which may or may not meet the criteria of the National Register.

W. A “structure” is a work made up of interdependent and interrelated parts in a definite pattern or organization. Generally constructed by man, it is often an engineering project.

X. “UTM” or “Universal Transverse Macerator” means the grid zone in metric measurement providing for an exact point of numerical reference.

Y. “Waiver of a Certificate of Appropriateness” or “Waiver” means the document indicating that the Commission has reviewed the proposed whole or partial demolition of a local register property or in a local register historic district and, failing to find alternatives to demolition, has issued a waiver which allows the building or zoning official to issue a permit for demolition.

Z. “Washington State Advisory Council’s Standards for the Rehabilitation and Maintenance of Historic Properties” or “State Advisory Council’s Standards” means the rehabilitation and maintenance standards used by the Aberdeen Historic Preservation Commission as minimum requirements for determining whether or not an historic property is eligible for special valuation and whether or not the property continues to be eligible for special valuation once it has been so classified.