The design review board is hereby created. The board shall be appointed by the governing authority for a term of office concurrent with the term of office of the governing authority. Vacancies shall be filled for the unexpired term of any member.

All persons or entities applying for a commercial, office, or industrial building permit for the commencement of any work, for the erection of any new building or exterior alterations to any existing building or any portion thereof shall make application for design review. This provision shall apply to all structures in any zoning district with the exception of single-family detached and single-family attached.

If the design review board determines such structure or alteration is excessively similar or dissimilar to existing buildings and makes a specific finding that the structure or alteration as proposed would provoke harmful effects and that their finding is not based on personal preferences to taste, choice, architectural style or design, then the application for a building permit may be denied.

(a)

Applications. Applications may not be accepted after the twentieth day of the month preceding the regularly scheduled meeting, which is held on the second Tuesday of each month, and shall be accompanied by ten (10) sets of plans and specifications folded to eight and one-half (8½) by eleven (11) inches in size, with a completed application form and an application fee as established by the mayor and board of aldermen.

(b)

Timetable. The design review board shall have thirty-one (31) calendar days from the date of official review of the official review of the application to review and make its determination. Any person aggrieved by an action of the design review commission may appeal its decision to the mayor and board of aldermen of the city by filing a written notice of appeal within ten (10) calendar days of the date of the action by the design review board.

(c)

Approval. Upon favorable approval of the design review board, a building permit will be issued, provided all other requirements for the issuance of a building permit have been met, unless governing authority approval is required.

(d)

Compliance with zoning ordinances and subdivision regulations. Design review board approval does not relieve the applicant of compliance with the existing zoning ordinance and subdivision regulations.

(e)

Authority to waive requirements. The office and planning and development shall have the authority to waive all or part of this section if the proposed alteration of an existing structure does not exceed ten (10) percent of the value of that existing structure.