The city council may, upon written recommendation of the historic commission, prescribe, adopt and enforce rules and guidelines to administer and carry out the intent of this article:
A. Objectives: The design guidelines which follow are set forth as a guide for those engaged in development and/or rehabilitation of properties in the historic district. They are specified to ensure the creation of an environment, blending the existing and new developments into a harmoniously functioning area.
1. Considerations: Buildings within the historic district should be considered as integral parts of the overall design and developed with appropriate consideration for both proposed and existing buildings with respect to height, mass, siting, location, materials, orientation, signs, lighting and use.
2. Signs: All signs within the historic district shall be part of an overall design scheme and shall conform to the sign standards contained in section 10-15A-8 of this article.
3. Underground Utility Lines: All utility lines shall be installed underground whenever feasible.
B. Rehabilitation Guidelines: Rehabilitation of significant historic buildings shall comply with the guidelines set forth herein and, in addition, all applicable statutes, codes and ordinances, as amended from time to time, relating to the use, maintenance, construction and occupancy of the property.
1. Standards: All improvements shall be generally in accord with the general and specific standards for historic preservation as prepared by the historic commission and in harmony with the architectural character of the neighborhood.
2. New Additions: Whenever possible, new additions or adaptive reuse to structures shall be done in such a manner that if such additions or changes were to be removed in the future, the essential form and integrity of the structure would not be impaired.
3. Parking, Access: Off street parking, loading facilities and pedestrian access shall be designed so as not to create conflicting movement. All other areas, other than driveways, parking areas, walks and terraces, shall be appropriately landscaped and provided with appropriate trees and shrubbery.
4. Ancillary Structures: Ancillary structures, such as garages, storage sheds and the like, where practical, shall be improved in a manner suggested by the historic commission to meet code requirements and be aesthetically pleasing.
5. Restoration: Restoration of all exterior facades, including the side and rear facade, shall be in keeping with the objectives herein. Roofline, windows and exterior facing materials shall all be considered. Adjoining buildings in separate or the same ownership shall be rehabilitated so as to carry out a unified concept.
6. Materials: Materials, techniques and colors must conform to and harmonize with original materials and techniques. To this end, the emphasis should be, where practical, on correct period sash, doors, cornices, wall materials and signs and the removal of present day anachronisms, such as defacing or out of scale contemporary features. The general requirements shall apply particularly to visible surfaces on the exterior. New work adjoining old must be carefully blended to minimize separation, unless, in the opinion of qualified architectural experts, it is better to make the adjoining areas obvious and thereby emphasize the qualities of the original work.
7. Repairing Details: When repairing or replacing masonry details, decorations or parapet walls, care should be taken to prevent an obvious and unsightly patch. Materials, joints, etc., should match the original as closely as possible in composition, color and texture.
8. Fake Details: Fake historic details, decorations and other additions should be avoided.
9. Reanchoring: Sagging details, decorations, cornices, string courses, lintels, arches, pilasters and parapet walls should be firmly reanchored.
10. Deteriorated Details: Deteriorated building details should be repaired rather than replaced. In the event replacement is necessary, the new material should match the original material in composition, design, color and texture.
11. Paint: Heavy or numerous coats of paint, or paint in wrong color that obscures architectural decoration and detail should be removed before repainting.
12. Hardware: Hardware and lighting fixtures, where practical, shall be selected with care to conform to authentic work of the period, and to match remaining originals where such exist.
13. Compatible Design: If the original or significant detail no longer exists or is too deteriorated to save, it is recommended that a contemporary design be undertaken which is compatible with the rest of the building in scale, design, materials, color and texture.
a. Original building wall material should not be covered with any form of inappropriate siding.
b. Masonry facing shall be cleaned and painted as necessary. Sandblasting is prohibited unless approved by the historic commission. All repainting, when necessary, shall be done by specification as set forth in brief 2, U.S. department of the interior.
c. Recommended materials for rehabilitation of masonry buildings include traditional bond pattern, such as running bond, not stack bond. Clay facing tile may be used if the face size of the tile is that of standard brick and if the bond pattern is typical of contributing buildings in the area.
d. The use of imitation stone veneer or brick using stucco, plastic or plywood/fiber panels is not acceptable, unless documented through historic or pictorial evidence.
e. Asphalt or wood shingled awnings and diagonal sided panels are not acceptable.
f. Vinyl or aluminum panels imitating clapboard or wood siding are not acceptable.
g. Glazing shall be clear, nonreflective and untinted, though the use of double glazed insulating glass or materials such as acrylic or high impact polycarbonate panels is permissible.
h. Wall surfaces that have not been painted should remain unpainted.
a. Color for all rehabilitation work should blend with the existing palette. If any new brick is used, it should be similar in texture and color to that of the original brick. Stucco for exterior walls should be similar in tone to muted pastels typical of historic pioneer stucco buildings.
b. White or off white may be used on decorative elements, such as lintels, sills and cornices. Bright colors are not appropriate for major architectural elements, such as building walls. However, when used sparingly in fine lines, such as on the wood trim of a storefront, a brighter color than that of the building face can enhance a particular color scheme.
c. Metallic finishes generally are not acceptable, except when used in such treatments as painted gold or bronze toned lettering on storefront glass.
d. Colors for wood or for metal windows, doors and storefronts should accent the color used for exterior walls. Too many colors should be avoided. A simple color scheme of a few colors is generally preferable.
16. Mechanical Equipment:
a. Radio, television, telephone and/or telecommunication equipment, such as antennas of satellite dishes and ancillary systems, cables, junction boxes and the like, shall be placed behind or within suitable visual barriers in such a way so as not to be visible from the street.
b. Heating and air conditioning equipment, including cooling units, blowers, exhaust fans, ducts and/or ancillary systems, support units, brackets, wiring, junction boxes and the like, shall be properly screened or installed behind or within suitable visual barriers.
C. New Construction: The guidelines in this subsection are to be used by those planning new construction within the historic district boundaries. Their purpose is to reinforce and enhance the historic architectural character of the neighborhood by encouraging compatible new construction:
1. Considerations: The historic commission will consider design concepts other than those recommended in these guidelines though approval of alternative approaches is not guaranteed. However, in order for a design to be considered for exceptional review, it must not include the use of elements that are designated as inappropriate in the guidelines.
2. Siting: The ground floor of a new structure should relate to the pedestrian's human scale and continue to display the siting of neighborhood structures.
a. One of the many criteria that must be considered when designing new buildings is the scale of the new building and its relationship to the scale of the neighborhood.
b. It is important that the elements within the building's facade also be appropriately scaled. The scale of those elements should recall those of neighboring structures.
4. Width Of Building: The apparent widths of the front facades of new buildings should correspond to typical widths of the buildings on the same block. A long facade should be broken into separate elements to suggest facade widths or bays similar to those of neighboring buildings.
5. Windows: Original windows in older buildings are predominantly the wood double hung type. A sash pattern of one over one, that is, one undivided framed pane above a similar pane, is the most common type. In new construction, one over one type is recommended. However, the pattern of a one over one window may be achieved by the use of fixed glass, with three (3) conditions: a) that the window frame replicates the proportions of a typical double hung window sash; b) that no unpainted clear aluminum is used for the frame; c) that the window frame is of similar cross sectional size to that of the double hung windows typical of the neighborhood. Other configurations will be evaluated for streetscape compatibility on a case by case basis.
a. The ornamental details used in new construction should be compatible and in scale with those used in the historic district.
b. When used, cornices, roof types, gables, dormers, turrets, corbelled parapets, string courses, lintels, arches, pilasters and column styles which are sympathetic with adjacent buildings will have a unifying effect and will be considered appropriate. Duplication, where noted, is not necessary and is to be avoided.
7. Color: Color schemes will be considered in the design review in terms of their appropriateness as part of the building facade.
a. Develop a color scheme for the entire building that coordinates all facade elements. Choose a base color that will link the entire building together, including signs, ornamentation, awnings and entrances if applicable.
b. Muted colors are preferred for background colors of most buildings. A darker background color will allow use of lighter colors for trim where the highlights will show up better.
c. Use bright colors for accents only, such as signs, ornamentation and entrances. In most cases, only one or two (2) accent colors should be used in addition to the base color.
d. Finish wood surfaces. The rustic bare wood look is not part of the heritage of the historic district. Painted surfaces are most appropriate. Stains will be accepted in combination with materials that give a wall a finished appearance. Rustic finishes will not be approved.
e. Leave natural masonry surfaces unpainted where feasible. For other parts of the building that do require painting, select colors that will complement those of the natural materials. If an existing building is already painted, consider applying new colors that simulate the original brick look.
f. Select neutral or muted colors for roofs. Brown and gray were the dominant colors in the past because of the materials used. Wood shingles and sheet metal traditions remain today and should be respected. (Ord. 2012.04, 1-18-2012)