Lane County, OR Historic Preservation: Historic-Cultural Monuments (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Lane Code § 16.233
- Permit required for
- Alter or demolish a designated Historic Structure/Site
- Reviewing official
- Planning Director
- Procedure
- Type II review under LC Chapter 14
- Required notice
- Lane County Museum Director & Oregon SHPO
- Adopted
- Ordinance No. 7-87, effective 6.17.1987
Summary
Lane County requires a permit before anyone alters or demolishes a designated Historic Structure or Site in the unincorporated county. Lane Code § 16.233 puts the review with the Planning Director, who applies fixed preservation criteria and must notify the Lane County Museum Director and the Oregon State Historic Preservation Officer before deciding, whether the work is alteration or full demolition.
(2) Permit Required. No person may alter or demolish any Historic Structure or Site, unless a permit to do so has been issued by the Department upon review in accordance with the provisions of this section. ... (4) Planning Director Review. Alteration of a Historic Structure or Site or demolition of a Historic Structure is allowed subject to prior submittal and approval of an application pursuant to Type II procedures of LC Chapter 14 and subject to compliance with the review criteria at LC 16.233(5) below. Prior to rendering a decision, notice of the application shall be given to the Lane County Museum Director and the Oregon State Historic Preservation Officer.
Full Breakdown
233(2), no person may alter or demolish a designated Historic Structure or Site without a permit issued by the Department. The owner or authorized agent applies the same way as for any building permit, and the Building and Sanitation Division refers the application to the Planning Director for review under Type II procedures set out in LC Chapter 14. 233(4). 233(5)(a)). 233(5)(b)). 233(6) then lists development guidelines the Planning Director weighs: minimizing alteration, preserving distinguishing original qualities and materials, recognizing buildings as products of their own era rather than manufacturing a false earlier look, and respecting later changes that have themselves acquired historical significance. The zone was adopted by Ordinance No. 20).
Violations & Fines
Section 16.233 itself sets no fine, but Lane Code Chapter 5's enforcement rules extend to Chapter 16 (LC 5.025.010). The Planning Director, Building Official, or an Enforcement Officer can issue a citation, order corrective action, or a stop-work order (LC 5.025.015). Unless classified otherwise, a violation defaults to a Class B violation under ORS Chapter 153, and civil penalties accrue daily from the Notice of Failure to Comply until the required action is completed (LC 5.025.025, 5.025.030). A responsible person has 10 business days to file a written appeal before penalties keep running (LC 5.025.035).
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a county permit to alter a designated historic house in rural Lane County?
Can Lane County refuse to let me tear down a historic structure?
Who gets notified before Lane County decides on a historic alteration permit?
What happens if I demolish a designated historic structure without a permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lane County
Compare Lane County to another location·View the Oregon historic preservation overview
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