Reading City Zoning Code
CHAPTER 1278
DESIGN REVIEW PROCESS AND DESIGN ADVISORY COMMITTEE
§ 1278.01 ZONING ADMINISTRATOR RESPONSIBILITIES.
(A) The Zoning Administrator or his or her designee shall be responsible for receiving, reviewing and making determinations for Zoning Certificates for major and minor building improvements where such Zoning Certificates are required in the city. Districts that require Zoning Certificates include:
(1) North Reading Road Office/Industrial District.
(2) Downtown Reading Mixed Use District.
(3) Reading Road General Commercial District.
(4) South Reading Road Commercial District.
(5) West Benson Street Mixed Use District.
(B) Other districts may be included from time to time as established on the Official Zoning Map by the Planning Commission and City Council.
(Ord. 2010-58, passed 8-10-10)
§ 1278.02 DESIGN ADVISORY COMMITTEE RESPONSIBILITIES.
The Design Advisory Committee shall be established as an appeals board to hear appeals from the decision of the Zoning Administrator regarding major and minor building improvements within the Reading Design Review Districts. The Design Advisory Committee may also be requested to review other items as directed by the Zoning Administrator. The Design Advisory Committee shall be as established below:
(A) (1) The Design Advisory Committee shall be composed of five members appointed by the Mayor with the approval of City Council. However, additional members may be added so that each district is adequately covered by a property owner within that district.
(a) A minimum of two members shall have a design background (i.e. architect, planner, urban designer, landscape architect, and the like);
(b) One member shall be a resident of the city;
(c) A minimum of two members shall own property within a Design Review District;
(d) One alternate member shall be appointed to serve should another member identify a conflict of interest or not be available for a meeting.
(2) Any member of the Design Advisory Committee may meet one or more of the aforementioned criteria (i.e. an architect and a resident of the city).
(B) The Design Advisory Committee shall be governed by the following:
(1) Shall review and decided upon appeals to applications for Zoning Certificates or where the Zoning Administrator determines that additional review is necessary to make a determination on an application.
(2) No member of the Design Advisory Committee shall vote on an application presented to the Committee for a Zoning Certificate from any client he or she is serving or from any business of which he or she is an owner, corporate office, agent or employee.
(3) Members shall be appointed for four-year terms to serve. Members may succeed themselves. Terms shall be staggered so no more than two member terms are ending at one time.
(4) The Design Advisory Committee shall meet on a monthly basis at a regularly scheduled meeting, as needed. All meetings shall be open to the public and three members thereof shall constitute a quorum. A majority vote of the members present shall be required to take action. The Design Advisory Committee shall prepare, file, and maintain minutes of its proceedings.
(5) The Design Advisory Committee shall, at a regularly scheduled meeting once a year, elect one of its members as Chairman. The Chairman can serve any number of consecutive terms and shall be counted in determining a quorum and to vote as a member.
(6) In order to better carry out the provisions of these regulations, the Design Advisory Committee, by formal motion, shall adopt rules for the conduct of its meetings.
(7) The Design Advisory Committee shall, at the request of the Zoning Administrator, monitor physical changes within the Design Review Districts and propose and recommend to the City Council changes and amendments in any Design Review Districts regulations as conditions warrant.
(8) The Design Advisory Committee may recommend to add improvements to the Minor Building Improvements category that allows the Zoning Administrator or their designee to approve or deny an application for a Zoning Certificate without referral to the Planning Commission and without a public hearing.
(Ord. 2010-58, passed 8-10-10)
§ 1278.03 APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS.
All applications for review shall be submitted to the office of the Zoning Administrator or the Zoning Administrator's designee. Submittal requirements will be based on the category of improvement.
(A) Minor building improvements. Submittal requirements for any non-exempt improvements categorized as minor building improvements in § 1273.01(H)(1) shall include:
(1) Application form. A standard form used for all review applications. This application form must be signed by the owner of the property or an authorized agent of the owner. This application will include a written description of the proposed improvements.
(2) Color photographs. Photographs shall be taken of the structure or site from viewing locations along the public right-of-ways.
(3) Materials and color samples. Material and color samples should be submitted with the application. The samples will be retained by the Building Department for assurance of compliance with the reviewing body's approval.
(B) Major building improvements. Submittal requirements for any non-exempt improvements categorized as major building improvements in § 1273.01(H)(1) shall include:
(1) Application form. A standard form used for all review applications. This application form must be signed by the owner of the property or an authorized agent of the owner. This application will include a written description of the proposed improvements.
(2) Color photographs. Photographs shall be taken of the structure or site from viewing locations along the public right-of-ways.
(3) Written project description report. Each application shall be accompanied by a written description of the project. This description should include the proposed changes to the building, structure, or site; the design concept; rationale for the design; project proposal in a written format; the relation to existing conditions on site; the existing and proposed uses; and materials; colors; construction methods;
(4) Existing conditions site plan. All applications shall contain a site plan showing the property and street on which it fronts with all existing site features, including items such as site topography, buildings, pavements, utility structures, signs, walls, fences and trees having a trunk caliper of six inches or greater (measured at six inches above ground level.) The Existing Conditions Plan shall indicate all existing site features to be demolished as part of the proposed project. All property lines, right-of-way lines and easements affecting property shall also be shown.
(5) Proposed site plan. All submittals shall include a site plan illustrating the proposed site improvements including buildings, building additions, pavements, utilities, signs, walls, fences and landscaping. Site grading and drainage must be indicated by means of contours and/or spot elevations.
(6) Building plans. Architectural renderings or drawings shall be submitted, indicating elevations, details, and other necessary information as required. Plans should provide sufficient detail to illustrate size, material, color, proportion and appearance of all proposed site features such as walls fences, signs, bollards and site furnishings.
(7) Color rendering. Submittals shall include one color-rendered perspective of the proposed projects from a viewpoint along the public right-of-way at which the project will have the most visual impact. Not required for single-family residential projects.
(8) Elevations (for new signs and awnings). Color-rendered elevations of the building shall be included which illustrate the placement, size, color or style of any graphic treatment (sign, mural, logo, and the like) to be affixed or painted on the structure.
(9) Materials and color samples. Material and color samples should be submitted with the application. The samples will be retained by the Building Department for assurance of compliance with the reviewing body's approval.
(Ord. 2010-58, passed 8-10-10)
§ 1278.04 REVIEW PROCESS.
(A) Upon receipt of a completed application and any required fees, the Zoning Administrator, or his or her designee, will have the prescribed amount of time to do the following:
(1) Approve minor or major building improvement applications within 30 days, or at their discretion, refer Minor Building Improvement applications to the Design Advisory Committee.
(2) Conduct a pre-hearing conference within 20 days for major building improvement applications with the applicant or his or her authorized representative.
(3) If determined by the Zoning Administrator that additional review is necessary beyond their administrative review, schedule a public hearing with the Design Advisory Committee and give public notice, through the mail, to abutting property owners within 30 days for major building improvements applications. Furthermore, the applicant shall post notice on the subject property, in a conspicuous place, of the date, time, place and topic of their design review request. The Building Officer shall furnish the placard to the applicant for posting.
(B) One of the following four actions may be taken for applications:
(1) Approval. Approval of the project as submitted. A Zoning Certificate is issued.
(2) Approval with conditions. Approval of project with conditions that must be met prior to a Zoning Certificate being issued.
(3) Continuance. Where the Zoning Administrator or, when heard on referral by the Zoning Administrator, the Design Advisory Committee sees fit to request additional information, the hearing is continued for one month while the information is provided to the Review Committee.
(4) Denial. Proposed project is denied. The applicant can appeal to the Design Advisory Committee if the decision to deny is made by the Zoning Administrator or to the Board of Zoning Appeals if the decision to deny is made by the Design Advisory Committee.
(C) Construction or improvements must begin within one year of the Zoning Certificate being issued or the Zoning Certificate shall become invalid.
(Ord. 2010-58, passed 8-10-10)
§ 1278.05 APPEALS.
The following procedures shall be followed for appealing a decision for a Zoning Certificate:
(A) Where it is alleged by the applicant that the Zoning Administrator has made an error in their decision on an application, the applicant may appeal the recommendation to the Design Advisory Committee within 30 days of the original recommendation from the Zoning Administrator. The Design Advisory Committee shall hear the appeal at their next regularly scheduled meeting after the complete appeals application is submitted.
(B) Where it is alleged by the applicant that the Design Advisory Committee has made an error in their decision on an application, the applicant may appeal the recommendation to the Board of Zoning Appeals within 30 days of the recommendation from the Design Advisory Committee. The Board of Zoning Appeals shall hear the appeal at their next regularly scheduled meeting after the complete appeals application is submitted.
(Ord. 2010-58, passed 8-10-10)