An Official Website of the Commonwealth of Kentucky
A site check of historic structures can be performed by an applicant free of charge through the KHC Cultural Resource Web Portal . Please note: project registration numbers are no longer required for Section 106 coversheets.
Preliminary Site Check Instructions 2023.pdf
FCC Guidance.docx
Guidelines for Search Buffers
PORTAL
The Office of State Archaeology (OSA) records are not open to the public. However, a qualified professional archaeologist can access the paper records free of charge and complete a search on the applicant's behalf by visiting the OSA archives in Lexington. Alternatively, an applicant can submit an online request for OSA staff to complete a preliminary site check for a fee.
Preliminary Site Check fees are charged solely for generating a unique report on the applicant's behalf that identifies known archaeological sites that may be impacted by a proposed project. The fees do not represent payment for Section 106 Review, and the preliminary site check results do not constitute consultation with or "clearance" from the SHPO for a project to proceed.
Preliminary Site Check FAQs
Previously, KHC Site Protection staff completed preliminary site checks on behalf of applicants as part of their Section 106 review, though they were not obligated to do so, and it increased the time needed to complete the review. We have now developed ways to streamline this process to allow for more timely responses, including a means for applicants to complete their own preliminary site checks utilizing a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) site check portal.
This process does not increase the time it takes to prepare a Section 106 submission. Within 2-3 business days of submitting an online request and payment for a preliminary site check, the Site Identification Program will send an e-mailed, PDF version of a report which provides the address of any previously surveyed historic resources within your project area and a small area around it, the resource type (house, barn, cemetery, etc.), and the National Register status of the resource. Either method will allow you to provide more complete information with your project's initial submission to our office, greatly reducing the likelihood that staff would need to request more information to complete your Section 106 review.
No. In the Section 106 process, identifying historic properties that could be directly or indirectly affected by a project is ultimately the responsibility of the funding/permitting agency or its delegate. The preliminary site check provides information that assists the agency/delegate in fulfilling this responsibility and should be carried out in advance of the Section 106 review process. The results of the site check along with other information you collect such as photographs, the history/use of the project area, comments on local significance, etc., will become part of a larger packet you send to KHC/SHPO. This submission is what initiates Section 106 consultation and triggers comment on your project.
Not necessarily. If your online request or your own research of paper records returns no results in or around your project area, it is likely your project area has not been previously surveyed for historic properties. If you can see anything over 50 years of age in or around your project area, it will be especially important to account for these buildings/structures in your Section 106 submission to KHC/SHPO.
Some undertakings (e.g. federal loan refinancing that does not support major rehabilitation, small equipment purchases like radios, etc.) do not have the potential to impact historic properties and would not usually require the kind of information provided in a preliminary site check. Please note, that a preliminary site check is not required to submit projects to the KHC/SHPO for Section 106 review and comment; the Site Protection Program will review all submissions received by our office. However, when an undertaking does have the potential to impact historic properties (e.g. demolition, new construction, building renovation, etc.), and a preliminary site check has not been completed, staff may need to request additional information to facilitate review. This can increase your Section 106 timeline.
No. The Site Identification Program offers this service to a variety of interested citizens and groups looking for research assistance, information to use in planning, etc.
Please email khc-sitedata@ky.gov and copy the Survey Coordinato r.
Matt Yagle Survey Coordinator 502-892-3618
Karen Stevens Data Coordinator 502-892-3621