To effect and accomplish the protection, enhancement, perpetuation and use of improvements and areas of special character or special history or aesthetic interest or value which represent or reflect elements of the town's cultural, social, economic, political and architectural history.

To safeguard the town's historic, aesthetic and cultural heritage as embodied and reflected in such improvements and areas.

To stabilize and improve property values in such areas.

To foster civic pride in the beauty and noble accomplishments of the past.

To protect and enhance the town's attractions to tourists and visitors and the support and stimulus to business and industry thereby provided.

To strengthen the economy of the town.

To promote the use of historic sites and landmarks for the education, pleasure and welfare of the people of the town.

An historic site designation must have the approval of the property owner.

The historic site regulations provided herein are intended to preserve historic or architecturally worthy buildings, structures, streetscapes and neighborhoods. In all zoning districts or parts thereof lying within the historic site designation, the regulations for both the zoning district and the historic site shall apply. Wherever there is a conflict between the regulations of the zoning district and the regulations of the historic site, the more restrictive shall apply.

The presence of special historical interest relating to local, state, or national history.

The presence of special character or aesthetic interest or value caused by the development pattern of the area or by natural, landscaping or topographical features of the area.

The presence of one or more periods or styles of architecture typical of one or more eras in the history of the Town which gives the area a distinct character.

The concentration of indigenous examples of local architecture which have not been significantly altered from their original designs, and which have a uniform scale and derive special value from the repetition of scale and form.

The presence of one or more distinguished buildings of high architectural quality and historic interest.

Preserve the historical and architectural character of certain sites, structures or districts within the historic district.

Prevent impairment of or injury to the historical, architectural and cultural value to the community of the properties.

Provide that a reasonable degree of control may be exercised over alterations to such properties and over the alteration, architectural design and construction of structures erected or to be erected on any such sites or in such districts.

Foster civic pride in the accomplishments of the past.

Protect and enhance the historic districts attractiveness to visitors.

Support and stimulate the economic activities provided by tourism.

Stabilize and improve property values.

Ensure the harmonious, orderly, and efficient growth and development of the historic district.

Modification, alteration or new construction shall be construed to include changes that affect the visual quality of the site, particularly from a public street. Normal maintenance and exterior painting are excluded from these provisions, but only so long as such normal exterior maintenance conforms to the original standards of the period as determined by the Code Enforcement Officer upon the advice of the Historic Site Committee.

Interior changes are left to the discretion of the property owner and are excluded from these provisions.

The historical, architectural, educational and general value of the structure.

The importance of the structure to the historic site as a whole and other nearby buildings of historic note.

The potential for developing alternatives that will permit the saving of the structure.

The economic value and importance of both preservation and demolition.

Contributing: properties within the boundaries of a historic district that contribute to the significance of the historic district. These include the following sub-categories:

Non-contributing: properties that are included within the boundaries of historic districts but that do not contribute to the significance of the district. These include the following sub-categories:

West Henrietta Historic District.

Contributing properties must be maintained with their historic features altered as little as possible, pursuant to § 295-39. This includes choice of materials, proportion and arrangement of windows, shutters, doors, and other wall features, as well as roof shape and roofing material.

Both contributing and non-contributing properties must be maintained such that they remain visually compatible with the surrounding properties. This includes the proportion of the property's front facade, green space in front of the buildings, and maintenance of setbacks from the street and adjoining properties.

All modifications, alterations, or new construction to contributing properties, and any significant modifications, alterations, or new construction to non-contributing properties, within an historic district are subject to review by the Historic Site Committee.

Architecture. New or remodeled structures built within a historic district must align with the character of the neighborhood for the historic district. This includes overall architectural design, building materials used, size and height of the structure, unbroken large facades, size of windows, and such. All new architectural plans must be reviewed by the Historic Site Committee prior to the issuance of a building permit.

Site plan. Adequate setbacks from the road as well as from adjacent properties must be maintained on the site plans, as per the specific requirements of the historic district and/or overall zoning requirements. Transition buffers must be maintained when commercial, industrial, or multi-family uses are built adjacent to other residential properties, as governed by § 295-60, Subsection E.

Accessory structures and site amenities. All accessory structures and site amenities constructed, installed, or remodeled on a property within the historic district must meet the same building material and character of neighborhood requirements of the primary structure.

Preservation of historic structures when remodeling. If a property is being redeveloped and/or a specific structure is being remodeled, the existing historic buildings shall be preserved and protected. Removal of historic materials or alterations of historic features of the building must be avoided. Restoration and rehabilitation of historic structures must adhere to the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation and Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings. When adding to an existing historic structure, the addition should be done in a manner to minimize the damage to the historic structure and facilitate the restoration of the historic structure should the addition be removed. Large additions should be avoided, with alternatives considered such as creating a new accessory structure that is consistent in the character of the original structure, but separate from it, or perhaps connected by a covered or conditioned hallway that minimizes the disturbance of the original historic structure.

Restoration of a historic structure. Deteriorated historic features should be repaired rather than replaced whenever possible. Where the historic material is too far deteriorated, the replacement material should match the original historic feature in design, color, texture, material, and other visual qualities. Replacement of deteriorated or missing materials or features should be documented with the Historic Site Committee. The removal of non-historic materials and building additions will be permitted after review by the Historic Site Committee to ensure those elements are non-historic in nature. When considering chemical or physical restoration and cleaning methods, the use of methods approved for the historic structure is encouraged. Methods that are more caustic or destructive, such as sand-blasting, should be avoided. Whenever possible, contractors with experience working on historic properties, especially the specific type of historic property (e.g., cobblestone or fieldstone with historic mortar joints) should be employed.

Coordination with existing structures. When new buildings are added to a property or associated property (i.e., was once part of the same property) with a historic structure, they shall be added in such a manner as to preserve the original historic structure, including with regard to the existing viewshed to the road. No new building may be closer to the road than the existing structure unless expressly permitted in a Special Use Permit first obtained from the Town Board after a public hearing as provided in Article XII of this chapter.

Preservation of archeological resources. Archeological resources and sites within the historic district shall be protected and preserved, preferably being left undisturbed. If it is necessary to work in an area with archeological resources, mitigation measures must be undertaken and any historic or archeological resources protected and/or worked on by individuals licensed for such work.

Approvals required. For any contributing property, the approval process defined in § 295-39 shall be followed. For non-contributing properties, the Director of Building and Fire Prevention or designee may determine that the proposed action will have an insignificant impact on the character of the historic district and will have no impact on any adjacent historic or contributing property, in which case, a building permit may be issued. If it is determined that the proposed action will have an impact on the character of the historic district that is not insignificant or that it will have any impact on an adjacent historic or contributing property, then the approval process defined in § 295-39 shall be followed.

Site requirements and setbacks. The minimum lot size is 10,000 square feet. The front setback shall be 35 feet from the right-of-way or, with approval from the Town Board, pursuant to Article X of this chapter, as close as other existing historic structures are located with respect to the right-of-way elsewhere on the property or on adjacent properties (within 200 feet of the proposed structure location). Side and rear setbacks shall be 10 feet from the edge of property; however, adequate transitional buffers must be maintained when a commercial, industrial, or multi-family use is being considered on a property within the district that is adjacent to a residential property or property with a historic structure on it.

Open space. Contributing properties within the district must maintain 30% open space, which includes lawns, wooded areas, wetland areas, and stormwater ponds. If an existing site currently has less than 30% open space, when remodeling, the new site plan should have more open space than the existing plan, moving as close to the 30% open-space requirement as practicable. Front lawns, or areas in front of historic structures, are especially important to maintain as open space.

Driveways and parking lots. For contributing properties, driveways and parking lots may be asphalt, concrete, well-packed gravel or millings, or with a green pavement system upon obtaining specific approval from the Henrietta Department of Engineering and Planning, in consultation with the Historic Site Committee. If a material other than asphalt or concrete is used, the driveway or parking lot entrance through the right-of-way must be paved with asphalt or concrete. For non-contributing properties, all driveways and parking lots must be paved with asphalt or concrete.

Design and construction standards. New construction, remodeling, and restoration work within the district should follow the design and construction standards contained in § A304-4, Style Guide, of Appendix A304, West Henrietta Historic District, as well as to those requirements detailed in Subsection C above.