In considering the appropriateness of any proposed architectural change, the Commission shall consider:
(a) Its adopted guidelines, and
(b) The Secretary of the Interior's Standards (Department of Interior regulations, 36 CFR 67) that pertain to historic properties of all materials, construction types, sizes, and occupancy. The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation are ten basic principles created to help preserve the distinctive character of a historic property and its site, while allowing for reasonable change to meet new needs. The Standards also encompass related landscape features and the property's site and environment as well as attached, adjacent, or related new construction. The Standards are applied to projects in a reasonable manner, taking into consideration economic and technical feasibility.
(1) A property shall be used for its historic purpose or be placed in a new use that requires minimal change to the defining characteristics of the building and its site and environment.
(2) The historic character of a property shall be retained and preserved. The removal of historic materials or alteration of features and spaces that characterize a property shall be avoided.
(3) Each property shall be recognized as a physical record of its time, place, and use. Changes that create a false sense of historical development, such as adding conjectural features or architectural elements from other buildings, shall not be undertaken.
(4) Most properties change over time; those changes that have acquired historic significance in their own right shall be retained and preserved.
(5) Distinctive features, finishes, and construction techniques or examples of craftsmanship that characterize a historic property shall be preserved.
(6) Deteriorated historic features shall be repaired rather than replaced. Where the severity of deterioration requires replacement of a distinctive feature, the new feature shall match the old in design, color, texture, and other visual qualities and, where possible, materials. Replacement of missing features shall be substantiated by documentary, physical, or pictorial evidence.
(7) Chemical or physical treatments, such as sandblasting, that cause damage to historic materials shall not be used. The surface cleaning of structures, if appropriate, shall be undertaken using the gentlest means possible.
(8) Significant archeological resources affected by a project shall be protected and preserved. If such resources must be disturbed, mitigation measures shall be undertaken.
(9) New additions, exterior alterations, or related new construction shall not destroy historic materials that characterize the property. The new work shall be differentiated from the old and shall be compatible with the massing, size, scale, and architectural features to protect the historic integrity of the property and its environment.
(10) New additions and adjacent or related new construction shall be undertaken in such a manner that if removed in the future, the essential form and integrity of the historic property and its environment would be unimpaired.
(c) Additional Design Criteria. In addition to the criteria of 1327.10 (a) and (b) above, the Commission shall consider the following:
(1) The consistency of the proposed work with Section 1327.10 (a) and (b), above, and its adopted design guidelines;
(2) The degree to which the proposed work would alter or destroy all or part of a contributing property in a District or Listed Property;
(3) The degree to which the proposed work would isolate a contributing property in a District or a Listed Property from its surroundings, or introduce visual elements that are inconsistent with the character of the property and its setting, or would adversely impact the physical integrity of the District or Listed Property; and
(4) The degree to which the proposed work is compatible with the significant characteristics of the District or Listed Property.
(Ord. 19-17. Passed 5-8-17.)