Pennsylvania Statutes Title 53 P.S. Municipal and Quasi-Municipal Corporations § 8004. Certificate of appropriateness;  considerations;  disapproval;  meetings;  changes;  appeals

(a) Any governing body shall have the power and duty to certify to the appropriateness of the erection, reconstruction, alteration, restoration, demolition or razing of any building, in whole or in part, within the historic district or districts within the political subdivision.  Any agency charged by law or by local ordinance with the issuance of permits for the erection, demolition or alteration of buildings within the historic district shall issue no permit for any such building changes until a certificate of appropriateness has been received from the governing body.

(b) Any governing body in determining whether or not to certify to the appropriateness of the erection, reconstruction, alteration, restoration, demolition or razing of a building, in whole or in part, shall consider the effect which the proposed change will have upon the general historic and architectural nature of the district.  The governing body shall pass upon the appropriateness of exterior architectural features which can be seen from a public street or way, only, and shall consider the general design, arrangement, texture, material and color of the building or structure and the relation of such factors to similar features of buildings and structures in the district.  The governing body shall not consider any matters not pertinent to the preservation of the historic aspect and nature of the district.  Upon giving approval, the governing body shall issue a certificate of appropriateness authorizing a permit for the erection, reconstruction, alteration, restoration, demolition or razing of a building, in whole or in part.  Disapproval of the governing body shall be in writing, giving reasons therefor, and a copy thereof shall be given to the applicant, to the agency issuing permits and to the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.

(c) Any person applying for a building permit within a historic district shall be given notice of the meeting of the Board of Historical Architectural Review which is to counsel the governing body, and of the   1 meeting of the governing body which is to consider the granting of a certificate of appropriateness for the said permit, and may appear before the said meetings to explain his reasons therefor.  In the event of a failure to recommend, the board and, in the event of its disapproval, the governing body shall also indicate what changes in his plans and specifications would meet its conditions for protecting the distinctive historical character of the historic district.

(d) Any person aggrieved by failure of the agency charged by law or by local ordinance to issue a permit for such building changes by reason of the disapproval of the governing body may appeal therefrom in the same manner as appeals from decisions of the agency charged by law or by local ordinance with the issuance of permits for such building changes.