The Village finds that a certain group of properties which are located in both the Village Center and Residential Districts and which are either contained within the Village Historic District or form a gateway to this historic area require special attention. The Special Sensitivity Overlay (SSO) will serve to encourage the preservation of the historical character of the Village and maintain the integrity of the residential character of the Route 9 corridor despite the impact of heavy traffic. The economic vitality and historic fabric of the Village will be compromised if the character of these properties is allowed to disappear.

Those properties covered by the SSO and located in the Residential District have been or have the potential to be adaptively reused for low-intensity commercial uses. In order to maintain and protect the small-scale historic residential quality of these properties, the adaptive reuse of these properties will be allowed, as long as such use abides by the performance standards established below. As these properties face increasing pressure to house business uses, the overlay will protect the residential quality by retaining, strengthening and enhancing their residential characteristics and ensuring that the new low-intensity commercial uses respect the continuing residential uses.

The properties covered by the SSO located in the Village Center are subject to different pressures, which could ultimately result in the same deterioration of the traditional Village fabric. The SSO enters the Village Center and provides areas where the residential character from the rest of the Village crosses into the Village Center, but without the more stringent residential use restrictions. By limiting parts of the Village Center to a building envelope closer in scale to the residential area, the traditional and historic varied texture will remain, thus preserving one of Rhinebeck's greatest strengths.

The following special sensitivity performance and traditional zoning standards apply to the overlay portions of the Residential and to the Village Center Districts, respectively. In both cases the special sensitivity standards will be in addition to the underlying provisions from those districts and will only replace specific provisions where stated. Buildings in the Residential SSO that will require a new certificate of occupancy, either through a change in use or because they were undergoing new construction, are subject to Residential District provisions below. Buildings in the Village Center SSO that will require a new certificate of occupancy, either through a change in use, a site modification or as a result of new construction, are subject to Village Center District provisions below.

Use and occupancy.

Appearance.

Traffic generation.

New construction. New buildings and all use conversions/site modifications in the SSO Residential District shall be located, designed, constructed, landscaped and decorated in such a manner that, to the maximum extent feasible, the appearance of the principal building will remain as a single detached dwelling. Such new buildings, use conversions/site modifications shall respect the existing architectural and landscape design of their residential setting, considering the overall context of the site and building in terms of its history, surroundings and the aesthetics of its original design. Improvements shall be completed in a residential style and shall be compatible with the adjacent structures and neighborhood.

Parking.

Signs.