(A) Purpose. A Design Review Board is created and established for the village to preserve, protect and enhance the ecologically and historically unique environment and aesthetic charm of the village and to promote the general public health, safety and welfare of the community. More specifically, the village declares that the purpose and objectives of the creation of the Board and of architectural and site design review are to:
(1) Preserve the natural beauty of the village and to protect the village character from the effects of inharmonious, bizarre and out-of-scale developments in the context of their existing or proposed environments;
(2) Encourage originality, flexibility and innovation in site planning and development, including the architecture, theme, landscaping and graphic design of said development;
(3) Discourage monotonous, drab, unsightly, dreary and inharmonious developments;
(4) Conserve the village’s natural beauty, vegetation and visual character and charm by insuring that structures, signs and other improvements are properly related to their sites and to surrounding sites and structures with due regard to the aesthetic qualities of a natural terrain and landscaping and that proper attention is given to exterior appearances of structures, signs and other improvements;
(5) Protect and enhance overall appearance of the village’s appeal;
(6) Stabilize and improve property values of real property in the area and prevent blighted areas, thereby directly contributing to the general welfare of the village;
(7) Achieve the beneficial influence of pleasant environments for living and working environment;
(8) Foster community pride and spirit so as to improve the quality and quantity of citizen participation in local government and in community growth, conservation, change and improvement;
(9) Sustain the comfort, health, tranquility and contentment of residents by reason of the village's favorable environment and thus to promote and protect the peace, health and welfare of the village.
(O.C. § 5.552)
(B) Membership.
(1) The Design Review Board shall consist of seven voting members. One member shall be a member of the Council selected by resolution of the Council to serve as a member ex officio. Two members shall be appointed from the Village Planning Commission by its Chairperson. Four additional members shall be appointed by the Village President, subject to approval of the Village Council. The members appointed by the Village President shall include, insofar as possible, persons from the following professional disciplines or with the following credentials: a registered architect, a registered landscape architect, a registered professional community planner, an attorney, an artist, a geologist, an horticulturist, an environmentalist or persons professionally competent in a field related thereto. A quorum shall consist of four members. In addition to the above regular members of the Board, the Village President may also appoint, subject to approval of the Village Council, two alternate members who shall serve at the request of the Chairperson of the Board in the absence of a regular member of the Board, provided further that once appointed, an alternate member shall continue to serve on the Board on any matters which have come before it while he or she served on the Board.
(2) Appointments to the Design Review Board shall be for a term of three years, except that two members of the first Board to be so appointed shall serve for the term of one year, two for a term of two years and one for a term of three years, except that a member appointed from the Village Planning Commission shall serve for their term of membership on the Village Planning Commission and the term of the ex officio member from the Village Council shall not exceed their term of office as a Council member. Each member shall serve without compensation and until his or her successor is appointed and qualified. The Board may adopt such rules as needed for the conduct of its proceedings, including the selection of the member who shall serve as Chairperson. A Board member from the Planning Commission, or a member designated by the Chairperson, shall serve as Secretary to the Board. The Village Planning Consultant and Building Official shall serve as members ex officio, but shall have no vote. The Board shall carry out the duties specified in this chapter.
(O.C. § 5.553) (Am. Ord. 152, passed 8-26-96; Am. Ord. 216, passed 1-25-10; Am. Ord. 218, passed 6-28-10; Am. Ord. 220, passed 8-22-11)
(C) Authority. Applications or requests for permits for all new construction, renovation or placement of residential structures or facilities, as specified in divisions (C)(1) through (C)(5), shall be referred to the Design Review Board. Permits shall not be issued by the village until the applicant has received approval of plans as provided in this chapter:
(1) All applications for residential building permits to erect a building or structure, alter, add to or change overall appearance of an existing building when any building code requirement applies or otherwise use property for development or redevelopment;
(2) All applications for residential grading permits;
(3) Any change of the exterior color, texture and/or materials of any residential buildings or structure; except that for one-family dwelling units in lieu of filing an application as required under this chapter, the applicant shall submit proposed new color scheme to the Building Official for determination of whether the colors, texture and/or materials are compatible or not with the surrounding homes in the vicinity, and, if found compatible, approval shall be granted by the Building Official and a record made of such action in village files. Anyone aggrieved by a decision of the Building Official may appeal to the Design Review Board;
(4) Any residential district site development proposal, including but not limited to:
(a) Construction, remodeling and rebuilding, except that which has no effect on the exterior appearance of the building;
(b) Landscaping, fencing and greenbelting, except for one-family dwelling units;
(c) Drives, parking lots, sidewalks and sidewalk pavement materials;
(d) Awnings;
(e) Solar energy systems, solar collectors and other structures relating thereto;
(f) Lighting, including flood lighting and other exterior lighting, lighting poles and standards; and
(g) Substations and other buildings and structures of public utility companies.
(5) Any building or structure proposed to be erected upon any public land or allowed to extend over or upon any highway, street, road or other public property.
(O.C. § 5.554) (Am. Ord. 203, passed 1-22-07; Am. Ord. 238, passed 8-22-16)