A. Purpose. The Commission will consider the following criteria when weighing the appropriateness of proposed Work concerning Protected Features and will urge the Owner to incorporate the following criteria into any proposed Work.
B. General Standards.
1. Any Work should promote the purpose and goals of this Chapter and the general welfare of the Village and its residents.
2. Alterations that do not affect any essential architectural or historic characteristics of a Feature, as viewed from any adjacent public or private street, ordinarily should be permitted.
3. The construction of new Structures and Buildings, and alterations to Landscapes, should not be discouraged when such construction or alteration does not destroy significant historical, architectural, or cultural characteristics and is compatible with the size, scale, color, material, and character of the existing Features, neighborhood, and/or environment.
4. If possible, the construction of new Structures and Buildings, and alterations to Landscapes, should be undertaken in such a manner that, if such construction or alteration were to be removed in the future, the essential form and integrity of the original Feature would be unimpaired.
5. The distinguishing original qualities or character of a Feature and its environment should not be destroyed. No modification or demolition of any historic material or distinctive architectural element should be permitted except when necessary to assure an economically viable use of a site.
6. Demolition should not be undertaken if a Feature is economically viable in its present condition or could be economically viable after completion of appropriate modifications, even if demolition would permit a more profitable use.
C. Rehabilitation Guidelines.
1. Reasonable efforts should be made to use a Feature for its originally intended purpose or to provide a compatible use that requires minimal modification of a Feature and its environment.
2. All Features should be recognized as products of their own time. Modifications that have no historic basis and that seek to create an earlier appearance than the true age of the property are discouraged.
3. Changes that may have taken place over time evidence the history and development of a Feature and its environment. These changes may have acquired significance in their own right, and this significance should be recognized and respected when dealing with a specific architectural period.
4. Distinctive stylistic elements or examples of skilled craftsmanship that characterize a Feature should be maintained and preserved if possible.
5. Deteriorated architectural elements should be repaired rather than replaced, if possible. In the event replacement is necessary, the new material should match the material being replaced in composition, design, color, texture, and other visual qualities. Repair or replacement of missing architectural elements should be based on accurate duplications of elements, substantiated by historic, physical, or pictorial evidence, rather than conjectural designs or the availability of different architectural elements from other Buildings or Structures.
6. Surface and other forms of cleaning of a Feature should be undertaken with the gentlest means possible. Sandblasting and other cleaning methods that will damage a Feature should be avoided.
D. Architectural Design Guidelines.
1. The height of a Feature after alteration should be compatible with the height of the original Feature.
2. The relationship between a Feature and adjacent open spaces after its alteration should be compatible with such relationship prior to such alteration.
3. The relationship among the height, width, and scale of a Feature after alteration should be compatible with such relationship prior to such alteration.
4. The directional expression of a Feature after alteration, whether its vertical or horizontal positioning, should be compatible with the directional expression of the original Feature.
5. The roof shape of a Feature after alteration should be compatible with the roof shape of the original Feature.
6. The architectural details, general design, materials, textures, and colors of a Feature after alteration should be compatible with the architectural details, general design, materials, textures, and colors of the original Feature.
7. The appurtenances, including, without limitation, signs, fences, landscaping, accessory structures, and pavings, of a Feature after alteration should be compatible with the appurtenances of the original Feature.
E. Secretary of the Interior Guidance. In addition to the foregoing guidelines, the Commission may consider the most recent revision of the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation (36 CFR 67) and Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings. (Ord. 2022-10, 3-28-2022)