For a City of Spokane, Washington historic landmark or contributing building in a Spokane Register local historic district, find three dated records in order: the Spokane Historic Landmarks Commission’s Certificate of Appropriateness (COA), the demolition permit, then any replacement-building permit. Spokane Municipal Code 17D.100.220 says the City cannot process or issue the demolition permit before the commission issues the COA, and cannot accept, process or issue a replacement-building permit under that section before the demolition permit. Only the issued COA counts as the approval, so set aside applications, hearing agendas and blank COA forms.
Confirm which historic rule applies
The three-record sequence above is specific to SMC 17D.100.220. It covers historic landmarks and contributing buildings in local historic districts. The Historic Preservation Office’s design-review guide describes the Spokane Register management agreement and tells applicants to use Accela Citizen Access (ACA), under Historic Preservation & Tax Exemptions, for a COA application. Those are submission instructions for new applications. Note the property’s historic designation and contributing status before relying on the section.
Spokane has another demolition rule, SMC 17D.100.230, for certain structures in the downtown boundary, National Register historic districts and centers or corridors. That section expressly excludes landmarks and contributing resources already governed by 17D.100.220 and has a different replacement-permit sequence. Apply the 17D.100.220 order only to the landmarks and contributing buildings it names. If designation is uncertain, ask the Historic Preservation Office which section applied to the property and project at the time.
Build the three-record timeline
- Commission COA: Request the issued certificate, decision date, conditions and the commission’s written findings or minutes for the named demolition. Section 17D.100.220 includes a meeting to consider feasible alternatives and allows the commission to approve or deny. A denial can be appealed to the Hearing Examiner within 30 days on the commission record. If there was an appeal, request its disposition as well; a denial alone may not be the last historic decision.
- Demolition permit: Match its address, parcel or project description to the COA. An issued COA is a prerequisite, not proof that the City later issued a demolition permit or that demolition occurred. The code lists potential conditions such as site security, salvage and dust control. The COA is stated to be valid for three months under this section, so compare its date with the demolition-permit date and any later action rather than assuming an old approval remained usable.
- Replacement-building permit: Under 17D.100.220, a replacement permit comes after the demolition permit. Match its site and work description; a proposed replacement shown in a commission packet is a proposal, and the issued building permit is a separate record. Final inspection and occupancy come later still. Our final inspection status guide covers that later question.
Keep the three identifiers separately. One address may carry more than one historic review or permit over time, and a new project may have different conditions from the original proposal. If the COA had a condition that matters to your question, ask for the dated compliance or follow-up record rather than reading a general approval as proof the condition was met.
Retrieve a missing decision or older file
The City|County Historic Preservation Office gives preservation@spokanecity.org for questions about its records and jurisdiction. Ask it for the issued COA, decision and file number for the property, including a former address or historic name if relevant. The office’s design-review page explains how applicants enter ACA, while the email request above is the direct route for older decisions.
For City-held historic, demolition or replacement-permit records, the City of Spokane Public Records page points to its GovQA portal and alternatively the City Clerk’s records route. Describe the property, approximate years, historic designation and each document class—COA decision, commission findings or minutes, demolition permit, replacement permit—rather than asking only whether the building was demolished. The City says it supplies existing disclosable records in its possession; it need not create a new chronology. If a City search finds only the demolition permit, ask the Historic Preservation Office for the earlier commission record and the City for any later replacement record.
An empty file or missing attachment does not prove no approval or permit was issued. Confirm the applicable code section, old identifiers and date range, then record which office and document class were actually searched. This guide traces historic-review authorization and permit issuance; physical removal and legal occupancy of the replacement building are separate questions. Our permit-versus-CO guide explains the latter distinction.
Official Spokane code, preservation guidance and City records instructions checked September 29, 2026.