(A) The Town Board of Commissioners finds that new development has a substantial impact on the character of the area in which it is located. Some harmful effects of one land use upon another can be prevented through zoning, subdivision controls, and building codes. Other aspects of development are more subtle. Among these are the general form of the land before and after development and the spatial relationships of the structures and open spaces as they contribute to an area as it is being developed. Such matters require the timely exercise of judgment in the public interest by people qualified to evaluate the design of new development.
(B) The design review process is intended to encourage residential and commercial developments which exemplify the best professional design practices and to promote the historic character of the town. The procedure is established to encourage individual identity for specific uses and structures; to enhance property values in the town and adjoining neighborhoods; to respect each individual site and its environmental qualities; and to minimize visual disharmony resulting from unrelated and poorly designed development.
(C) The purpose of this subchapter is to establish minimum standards for the exterior design of commercial, office, and residential structures, and to ensure high quality of development, redevelopment, and compatibility with evolving architecture or planning themes that contribute to a community image of quality, visual aesthetics, permanence, and stability which are in the best interest of the citizens of the town. These standards are intended to prevent use of materials that are unsightly, rapidly deteriorate, contribute to depreciation of area property values, or cause urban blight.
(D) These standards are further intended to ensure coordinated design of building exteriors, additions and accessory structures’ exteriors in order to prevent visual disharmony; minimize adverse impacts on adjacent properties from buildings which are or may become unsightly, and buildings that detract from the character and appearance of the area. It is not the intent of this subchapter to unduly restrict design freedom when reviewing and approving project architecture in relationship to the proposed land use, site characteristics, and interior building layout.
(Ord. passed 10-19-1983; Ord. passed
6-8-2021)