A. Purpose: The purpose of this section is not to restrict architectural freedom in new buildings, nor choose any one specific architectural style for any particular property or street but to address the appropriate design, size and scale of a structure given its context within the surrounding neighborhood. Two (2) factors influence the perception of mass and scale of a structure: the physical relationship of the structure to the size of the adjacent structures and the physical distance between structures.
B. Limitation: To avoid any large, continuous building mass of uniform height, no portion of any new building shall continue more than forty feet (40') horizontally without a minimum of an eighteen inch (18") break in the roofline and/or an articulated architectural element such as overhangs, projections, insets, material and textural changes, or other architectural elements used to create shadow patterns along the elevation of the building. The maximum length of any blank wall uninterrupted by windows, doors or architectural detailing at the first floor level shall be fifteen feet (15').
C. Second Story Locations: Second story portions of a building shall be designed with adjacent structures in mind. Reduction in the overall scale of the building can be accomplished by the use of varied upper story setbacks, providing significantly larger setbacks for the entire structure and/or placement of the major portion of the second story over the rear portion of the first story.
D. Facade Embellishment: Any building wall visible from a public right of way shall incorporate architectural design embellishments which are compatible with other publicly visible parts of the building. Embellishments dividing the facade visually may include windows, a recessed entrance or other appropriate variations as approved by the DRB.
E. Window And Door Designs: Windows and doors shall be used to define the character of buildings by giving scale to the building and providing visual interest to the composition of individual facades. Distinct window and door designs should be used to help define building styles. There must be provided at least one operable building entrance per elevation that faces a public street.
F. Awnings And Canopies: Awnings and canopies should contribute to the architectural theme and shall be integrated within the building design. Awnings should be constructed of traditional materials and located over windows and doors. Backlit awnings are prohibited.
G. Building Materials: Building exteriors shall be constructed from high quality and durable materials. It is important that the materials and colors will weather well and need minimal maintenance.
1. Acceptable exterior finish materials include the following:
a. Painted, stained or weathered wood siding such as, 4-S shingles, board and batten and clapboard;
b. Artificial wood siding such as painted cementitious fiberboard;
c. Brick or natural stone;
d. EIFS (synthetic stucco) (not more than 50 percent of all exterior finished surfaces);
e. Stucco;
f. Synthetic stone; and
g. Architectural finish or decorative faced concrete masonry units (CMUs).
2. Materials not listed above shall be prohibited unless determined to be part of a strong architectural design theme as approved by the planning commission after review by the DRB.
H. Roofs: The character of a roof is a major feature for a structure. The roof pitch, its materials, size and orientation are all distinct features that should contribute to the residential character of the building. Shadows created by traditional overhangs should contribute to the perception of a building's scale. Roof designs should relate to the building facade articulations.
Roof materials should be in keeping with the character of the architectural style of the building. Recommended roof materials include slate shingles, asphalt and fiberglass shingles, metal standing seam or tiles. Crickets or other snow guard devices should be placed in such a way that does not alter the form of the roof as seen from the street.
I. Remodeling Or Additions: Remodeling or additions to residential buildings shall be allowed only if the residential character of the exterior is maintained. Building additions shall consist of materials, color and exterior building design consistent with the existing structure. (Ord. 2014-05, 4-17-2014)