To apply for review by the Old Georgetown Board (OGB) and Commission of Fine Arts (CFA), follow the steps below. A separate application to the Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) and Historic Preservation Office (HPO) is not necessary.
Step 1: Prepare an Application
Consult the CFA website for information on submission requirements. Prepare the necessary submission materials. If your project is a new building or large addition, contact the CFA staff at (202) 504-2200 or [email protected] for guidance before applying.
- CFA Instructions to Applicants
- CFA Submission Requirements for Concept and Permit Applications
- Application Form
Step 2: Submit the Application
To submit the application, send an email to [email protected] with the completed application form and the materials required for submission.
- DCRA Permit Center Information
- Schedule of OGB and CFA Meetings and Submission Deadlines
- Filing Fees
Please Note:
- We are no longer accepting in-person filings or print copies of submissions at the Historic Preservation Office (HPO).
- If submissions are too large to send electronically or you are not able to file electronically, please email us at [email protected] and we will make alternative provisions.
- Submissions through the DC Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) ProjectDox or Permit Wizard system are not automatically forwarded to HPO for filing. You will need to submit a completed application form with all plans and supplemental materials via email to [email protected] in addition to any ProjectDox submissions.
Step 3: Pay the Filing Fee and Post Public Notice
After receiving and reviewing your application, HPO will send you a confirmation email with the following information:
- An Invoice with instructions on paying the required filing fee
- Project Case Numbers
- Public Notice requirement instructions
- Notice placards, for you to download, print and post on the property.
- Names and addresses of abutting and confronting property owners to which you are required to provide copies of your plans.
If you do not receive a response to your OGB submission within 3 days, please check your email spam folder and follow up with HPO at [email protected].
- More about posted notice requirements
- Posting Requirements for Georgetown Projects Referred to the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts
Step 4: Prepare for the OGB Meeting
After your application is filed, HPO transmits it to CFA. The CFA staff will contact you if needed to discuss the application or request more information. If you have not already done so, the period before the OGB meeting is also an opportunity to inform your neighbors, interested community groups, or the Advisory Neighborhood Commission, as appropriate.
Step 5: The OGB Meeting
The CFA staff will advise you if your case is on the OGB agenda or Consent Calendar at the OGB meeting. The meeting agenda is posted on the CFA website the Monday before the meeting. If your case is on the agenda, either you or a representative should attend the meeting to present the project and answer questions.
Step 6: The CFA Meeting
After the OGB meeting, the CFA staff compiles all OGB recommendations into a draft Old Georgetown Appendix for CFA adoption at its meeting two weeks later. This Appendix is posted on the CFA website the Friday afternoon before the CFA meeting. The project review is not complete until CFA has approved the Appendix.
You do not need to attend the CFA meeting if your case is on the Appendix. Occasionally, however, CFA will review a major Georgetown case on its meeting agenda. The CFA staff will notify you in advance if this applies to your project.
Step 7: After the CFA Meeting
After CFA has approved the Old Georgetown Appendix, the staff sends you a letter with the final CFA recommendation. If the recommendation is for approval, the CFA staff returns the application to HPO.
Applications are normally returned to HPO three business days after the CFA meeting. The HPO staff will contact you by email when the paperwork is ready. You may then continue with other required DCRA reviews.
If CFA recommends against approval of a permit application, you may resubmit revised plans for CFA review. If you do not plan to resubmit, consult with the HPO staff for further information about hearings by the Mayor’s Agent.