A.

In order to prevent the erection of structures or signs which would be inharmonious with their surroundings or would have an adverse effect on the value of property or improvements in the city, uses, structures and certain signs in the central business district, shall be subject to architectural review by the design review committee (DRC). The ugly, the inharmonious, the monotonous and the hazardous shall be barred, but originality in architecture, site planning, and landscape and graphic design shall not be suppressed.

B.

Review shall include exterior design, materials, textures and colors but shall not consider elements of the design that do not affect exterior appearance. In reviewing proposals for development in commercial and industrial zoning districts which have an established historical character, the design review committee shall recommend disapproval of drawings for a structure or a sign which would be inharmonious with surrounding development, but the committee may require that new structures contain an historic architectural style as a condition of approval. The design review committee shall use the Calexico Downtown Design and Implementation Program guideline during its review process.

(Ord. 886 § 1 (part), 1987)

A.

There is created a design review committee which shall review drawings and report to the community redevelopment agency when prescribed in this chapter. The design review committee shall consist of six members: the director of planning, the director of public works, the city manager or his designee, a member of the city beautification committee, and two members of the Chamber of Commerce to represent the central business district. The committee may also include a nonvoting design professional who may be an architect, landscape architect or be in a related design profession. Said design professional may or may not be a resident of the city, to serve in an advisory capacity. In the event the committee is required to review drawings for a project in which one of its members or its advisor has a business or a professional interest, it shall seek the advice of a disinterested architect or design professional.

B.

The design review committee shall hold one regular meeting each month at a time and day to be designated by the committee, except that a meeting may be cancelled if no drawings in conformity with the other requirements of the zoning ordinance have been submitted for review. Determinations and reports of the committee shall have the concurrence of at least three members. The director of planning shall serve as secretary to the committee. Additional meetings may be called at the direction of the city manager and upon giving a seventy-two hour notification to all members.

(Ord. 886A § 1, 1987; Ord. 886 § 1 (part), 1987)

A.

No zone change for a use, or a building permit for a structure or sign or exterior alteration, enlargement or major remodeling of an existing use, structure or sign that is subject to architectural review as prescribed in this chapter shall be issued until the drawings required by this chapter have been approved by the design review committee.

(Ord. 886 § 1 (part), 1987)

A.

The owner of the site or his authorized agent shall submit the following drawings to the director of planning at the time of or prior to applying for a building permit, conditional use or zoning permit if the project requires architectural review:

1.

A site plan, drawn to scale, showing the proposed layout of structures and other improvements, including, where appropriate, driveways, pedestrian walks, off-street parking and off-street loading areas, landscaped areas, fences and walls. The site plan shall indicate the locations of entrances and exits and the direction of traffic flow into and out of off-street parking and off-street loading areas, the location of each parking space and each loading berth, and areas for turning and maneuvering vehicles;

2.

A landscape plan, drawn to scale, showing the locations of existing trees proposed to be removed and proposed to be retained on the site, the location and design of landscaped areas, and the varieties of plant materials to be planted therein, and other landscape features;

3.

Grading plans where required by city regulations.

B.

In addition to the drawings required by subsections A1, A2 and A3 of this section, the owner of the site or his authorized agent shall submit the following drawings to the director of planning at the time of or prior to applying for a building permit:

1.

Architectural drawings or sketches, drawn to scale, showing all elevations of the proposed structures as they will appear upon completion. All exterior surfacing materials and colors shall be specified;

2.

Scale drawings of all signs subject to architectural review showing the size, location, material, colors and illumination, if any; and

3.

The design review committee or the director of planning may require additional information if necessary to determine whether the purposes of this chapter are being carried out or may authorize the omission of any or all of the drawings required by this section if they are not necessary.

(Ord. 886 § 1 (part), 1987)

The director of planning shall check all drawings submitted for architectural review. If he finds that the plans meet the requirements of this chapter, subject to architectural review, he shall submit the drawings to the design review committee. If the director of planning determines that a zoning permit could not be issued without granting of a use permit, the granting of a variance, or the enactment of an amendment to this chapter, he shall inform the applicant and shall not submit the drawings to the design review committee.

(Ord. 886 § 1 (part), 1987)

A.

Within fifteen days of the date the drawings meeting all other requirements of this chapter where submitted for architectural review, the design review committee shall approve the drawings or shall submit a written report to the community redevelopment agency recommending conditional approval, modification or disapproval.

B.

If the committee approves the drawings, or if the conditions or modifications recommended by the committee are acceptable to the applicant, the drawings shall be approved in the form recommended by the committee and the drawings shall not be submitted to the community redevelopment agency.

C.

Failure of the committee to act within fifteen days of the date of submission shall be deemed approval of the drawings unless a time extension is requested by the applicant.

(Ord. 886 § 1 (part), 1987)

A.

Within fifteen days after the design review committee has recommended conditional approval, modification or disapproval of the drawings, the community redevelopment agency shall approve, conditionally approve or disapprove the drawings or shall request the applicant to revise them, provided that if the conditions or modifications requested by the committee are acceptable to the applicant, no action by the community redevelopment agency shall be required.

B.

Revised drawings shall be reviewed as prescribed for drawings first submitted.

C.

Failure of the community redevelopment agency to act within twenty-one days following the action of the design review committee shall be deemed approval of the drawings unless a time extension is requested by the applicant and granted by the community redevelopment agency.

(Ord. 886 § 1 (part), 1987)