There shall be an Architectural Board of Review consisting of five (5) members, one of whom shall be the Mayor, one of whom shall be a member of Council appointed by Council and the remaining three (3) members shall be electors of the Municipality appointed by the Mayor subject to confirmation by a majority of Council.
Of the three (3) appointees first appointed by the Mayor, one shall be appointed for a term of three (3) years, one shall be appointed for a term of two (2) years and one shall be appointed for a term of one (1) year; thereafter the terms of such appointed members shall be for three (3) years.
A vacancy occurring during the term of any member shall be filled for the unexpired term in the manner authorized for an original appointment.
The Architectural Board of Review shall have the authority to employ such officers, employees, and consultants as it deems necessary. Each person so employed shall receive a fee or compensation to be determined by Council.
The purposes of the Architectural Board of Review are the following:
(a) To promote and protect the public health, convenience, comfort, prosperity and general welfare by regulating the exterior design and location of buildings and structures to assure orderly and harmonious developments in the Municipality and in each neighborhood thereof;
(b) To insure that proposed developments protect and preserve the value, appearance and use of neighboring property on which buildings are constructed or altered, maintain safety, convenience and welfare and protect real estate within the Municipality from impairment or destruction of value;
(c) To regulate, according to accepted and recognized architectural principles, the design, use of materials, finished grade lines, dimensions, orientation and location of all main and accessory buildings to be created, moved, altered, remodeled or repaired, subject to the provisions of Zoning Codes and other applicable ordinances of the Municipality. In considering building proposals, the Architectural Board of Review shall consider and take cognizance of the development of adjacent, contiguous and neighboring buildings on properties for the purpose of achieving safe, harmonious and integrated development of related properties;
(d) To prevent the harmful effects of excessively similar, dissimilar, or inappropriate exterior design and/or location of buildings or structures in relation to the exterior design of buildings prevailing in the Municipality. Harmful or adverse effects, immediate or in the future to be prevented are:
(1) Impairing the benefits of occupancy or causing deterioration of existing residential property; or
(2) Discouraging the most appropriate use of undeveloped land throughout the Municipality; or
(3) Lessening the desirability of neighboring areas of the Municipality for residential purposes; or
(4) Reducing the stability and values of both improved or unimproved real property in the Municipality including the effects of capricious, faddish architecture of transitory public appeal; or
(5) Impairing a proper relationship between the taxable value of real property and the costs of municipal services.
The Architectural Board of Review shall review detailed plans and specifications including representations of exterior appearance at the time of filing of applications for building and zoning permits. No plans shall be approved without the affirmative vote of a majority of the Architectural Board of Review.
Decisions of the Architectural Board of Review may be appealed to Council within twenty (20) days after announced, and the decision of the Council shall be final within the Municipality except that an appeal therefrom may be taken to the Court of Common Pleas of Lake County in accordance with the laws of the State of Ohio by any proper and interested party.