In reviewing applications for a conditional use in the R-H District, the Board of Zoning Appeals shall, in addition to insuring compliance with the general standards stated above (Section 1209.04), determine that any proposed new construction, building modifications and changes in land use activity are consistent with the following criteria:
(a) Modifications to Existing Buildings. When an existing building is proposed to be remodeled, expanded or otherwise altered to accommodate a conditional use, specific standards shall apply. These standards are intended to help retain historic qualities of the area, while also allowing some flexibility in terms of new uses so that larger historic buildings can remain economically viable. The following standards are similar to the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation and relate to landscape features and the building's site and environment as well as attached, adjacent, or related new construction on the same site. Modifications to historical buildings to accommodate proposed conditional uses in the R-H District shall be reviewed by the Board of Zoning Appeals against the following standards:
(1) Minimal changes to the defining characteristics of the building and its site and environment are preferred.
(2) The removal of historic materials or alteration of features and spaces that characterize a property should be avoided.
(3) Changes that create a false sense of historical development, such as adding conjectural features or architectural elements from other buildings should be avoided.
(4) Distinctive features, finishes, and construction techniques or examples of craftsmanship that characterize a historic property should be preserved.
(5) Deteriorated historic features should be repaired rather than replaced, where possible.
(6) Chemical or physical treatments, such as sandblasting, that cause damage to historic materials shall not be used. The surface cleaning of structures, if appropriate, shall be undertaken using the gentlest means possible.
(7) New additions, exterior alterations, or related new construction shall be differentiated from the old and shall be compatible with the massing, size, scale, and architectural features to protect the historic integrity of the property and its environment.
(8) New additions or related new construction shall be undertaken in such a manner that if removed in the future, the essential form and integrity of the historic property and its environment would be unimpaired.
(b) New Building Construction. When new independent building construction is proposed on vacant lots, it shall adhere to the following standards:
(1) Building Orientation: All construction of a principal structure must provide for a single principal entrance, and that principal entrance shall face a public street.
(2) Building Height: No new construction of a principal structure shall be constructed which is more than thirty percent (30%) above or below the average height-to-width ratio of existing structures abutting the lot to be developed on the same block of land.
(3) Rooflines and Shapes: Roof shapes and rooflines must be generally compatible with other buildings and structures found along the same block. Where there is a dominant pattern of roof planes along a street, (such as roof planes generally parallel to the right-of-way line, perpendicular to the right-of-way line, or a certain combination of both). Such pattern shall be similarly expressed in new construction and/or renovation. Similarly, roof pitches shall be similar to structures found along the same block.
(4) Lot Coverage: The proposed ratio of area occupied by principal and accessory buildings and lot area, may not exceed the average ratio of area occupied by principal and accessory buildings and lot area for all adjacent buildings by more than 1.25 times.
(c) Parking. When new parking areas are proposed, they shall be located between the rear lot line and rear of the building.
(Ord. 1-15. Passed 2-23-15.)