(A) New construction, contemporary design and non-historic buildings. To preserve and encourage the integrity of historic buildings, structures, sites, monuments, streetscapes and neighborhoods and to ensure their compatibility with any new work, both the construction of a new building or structure and a reconstruction, alteration, moving, major maintenance or repair involving a color change conspicuously affecting the external appearance of any non-historic building, structure or appurtenance within the primary area of an historic district must be generally of a design, form, proportion, mass, configuration, building material, texture, color and location on a lot which is compatible with other buildings in the historic district, particularly those buildings designated as historic, and with squares and places to which it is visually related.
(B) Criteria for considering visual compatibility. Within the primary area of an historic district, new buildings and structures, as well as buildings, structures and appurtenances which are moved, reconstructed, materially altered, repaired or changed in color, must be visually compatible with buildings, squares and places to which they are visually related generally in terms of the following visual compatibility factors.
(1) Height. The height of proposed buildings must be visually compatible with adjacent buildings.
(2) Proportion of building’s front facade. The relationship of the width of a building to the height of the front elevation must be visually compatible with buildings, squares and places to which it is visually related.
(3) Proportion of openings within the facility. The relationship of the width of the windows to the height of the windows in a building must be visually compatible with buildings, squares and places to which it is visually related.
(4) Rhythm of solids to voids in front facades. The relationship of solids to voids in the front facade of a building must be visually compatible with buildings, squares and places to which it is visually related.
(5) Rhythm of spacing of buildings on streets. The relationship of a building to the open space between it and adjoining buildings must be visually compatible with buildings, squares and places to which it is visually related.
(6) Rhythm of entrances and porch projections. The relationship of the entrances and porch projections of a building to sidewalks must be visually compatible with buildings, squares and places to which it is visually related.
(7) Relationship of materials, texture and color. The relationship of the materials, texture and color of the facade of a building must be visually compatible with the predominant materials used in the buildings to which it is visually related.
(8) Roof shapes. The roof shape of a building must be visually compatible with the buildings to which it is visually related.
(9) Walls of continuity. Appurtenances of a building such as walls, wrought iron fences, evergreen landscape masses and building facades must form cohesive walls of enclosure along the street if such is necessary to ensure the visual compatibility of the building to the buildings, squares and places to which it is visually related.
(10) Scale of building. The size of a building and the building mass of a building in relation to open spaces, windows, door openings, porches and balconies must be visually compatible with the buildings, squares and places to which it is visually related.
(11) Directional expression of front elevation. A building must be visually compatible with buildings, squares and places to which it is visually related in its directional character, including vertical character, horizontal character or non-directional character.
(Ord. 2020-05, passed 10-5-2020) Penalty, see § 156.99