(A) Properties, buildings especially, may have non-historic exterior features when they are listed. Such features may include things like downtown building awnings; asphalt shingles on roofs; aluminum or others sidings on exterior walls; non-brick chimneys; and, non-wooden windows or doors. In all such cases, preservation of those features is allowed, including replacement of small sections of deteriorated awnings, roofs, walls, chimneys, windows and doors with in-kind material, so long as it matches the whole in color, texture and design. These kinds of preservation efforts do not require application to the Commission for a COA.
(1) Whenever full replacement of features like those listed above is necessary or desired, owners are required to apply for a COA before beginning any work and must, if possible, replace with features which move in the general direction of greater historical accuracy in design and texture.
(B) Flat roofs, like those on many downtown buildings, may not be visible in the view corridor. Such roofs may be repaired or replaced without application for a COA, as long as there is not significant change in elevation and no change to the view corridor.
(C) Auxiliary structures may be designated as historically significant when the property is listed and, therefore, are given the same protections as the main building. In all other cases, the Commission will be flexible in responding to owners' requests to alter or demolish such structures, as well as requests to add new ones, especially when such structures are at the rear of the main building.
(D) The Commission will not dictate every small detail of alteration to a listed property or a property within a historic district. In relatively minor matters of historic detail, flexibility will be allowed, except in any case where standards, requirements or regulations for individual listed property or property within historic districts which are more restrictive than those of the Standards approved by City Council.
(1) Examples of situations where this kind of flexibility will apply include use of non-wooden porch steps and flooring where wood will not hold the paint of an owner's choice; and, use of energy-efficient non-wooden windows, as long as the replacements give the same general appearance as the originals.
(2) Alterations to the rear of properties in historic districts will not be discouraged when the design of such alterations is compatible with the size, scale, color, material and character of the building, property, neighborhood or environment.
(Ord. 8878, passed 3-15-2021)