(a) Purpose. The purpose of this review by the Director of Building and Zoning pursuant to Section 1137.06
or by the Board of Zoning Appeals hereunder is to assure that all structures are constructed or altered so as to maintain the high character of the community development and to protect real estate within this City from impairment or destruction of value, by regulating according to proper architectural principles the design, use of materials, finished grade, lines and orientation of all new buildings hereafter erected; the moving, alteration, improvement, repair, adding to or razing in whole or in part of all existing buildings; and the Board shall exercise its powers and perform its duties for the accomplishment of such purposes only.
This section is intended to prevent the impairment of stability and value of both improved and unimproved property and the degeneration of conditions affecting the health, safety, comfort, and general welfare of the inhabitants. (Ord. 98-13. Passed 9-8-98.)
(b) The Board has the authority to hear and decide applications for building permits in residential neighborhoods where the Director of Building and Zoning has determined that the aesthetic values of the neighborhood would be endangered. In hearing and deciding such applications, the Board shall use as guiding principles the Grandview Heights Design Guidelines posted on June 24, 2009 on the City of Grandview Heights’ website or available upon request from the City’s Building Department. The Board may approve, approve conditionally subject to specified modifications or disapprove any application for a building permit referred to it by the Director of Building and Zoning as set forth in Section 1139.04
hereof, provided that such disapproval shall be by the majority vote of all of the members of the Board present at any meeting where such vote is taken, and provided that the Board finds that the building for which the permit was applied would if erected be so detrimental to the desirability, property values or development of the surrounding area as to provoke one or more of the harmful effects set forth in subsection (a) hereof, by reason of:
(1) Excessive similarity to any other structure existing or for which a permit has been issued or to any other structure included in the same permit application, facing upon the same street and within 250 feet of the proposed site, in respect to one or more of the following features of exterior design and appearance:
A. Apparently identical facade.
B. Substantially identical size and arrangement of either doors, windows, porticos, or other openings or breaks in the facade facing the street, including reverse arrangement.
C. Other significant identical features of design, provided that a finding of excessive similarity shall state not only that excessive similarity exists, but further that it is of such a nature as to be expected to provoke one or more of the harmful effects set forth in subsection (a) hereof.
(2) Excessive dissimilarity in relation to any other structure existing or for which a permit has been issued, or to any other structure included in the same permit application, facing upon the same street or intersecting street and within 250 feet of the proposed site in respect to one or more of the following features:
A. Cubical contents.
B. Gross floor area.
C. Height of building or height of roof.
D. Other significant design features such as materials or quality of architectural design.
(3) Inappropriateness in relation to the established character of other structures in the immediate area or neighboring areas in respect to significant design features such as materials or quality of architectural design, provided that a finding of inappropriateness shall state not only that such inappropriateness exists, but that it is of such a nature as to be reasonably expected to provoke one or more of the harmful effects set forth in subsection (a) hereof, and that the finding is not based on personal preference as to taste or choice of architectural style.
(Ord. 98-13. Passed 9-8-98; Ord. 2011-13. Passed 7-18-11.)