In considering an area building, structure or work of art in the Historic District, the following criteria shall apply:
(a) Existing Structures, Buildings and Open Areas. Reconstruction and/or rehabilitation of structures within the Historic District shall conform to the distinguishing, original exterior qualities or character of the structure, its site, and its environment. The following elements shall also be considered:
(1) The character or value of a property or area as part of the heritage or cultural characteristic of the City of London;
(2) Whether the structure, building or open area is Identified as the work of an architect or notable builder whose work has influenced the development of the City of London;
(3) Whether the structure, building or open area occupies a unique location or possesses a physical characteristic that represents an established feature of the Historic District;
(4) Whether the building, structure or open area occupies the site of a significant historic event.
(b) New Construction. The design of new structures and additions to existing structures, including new site improvements, shall take into account the architectural style, general design, arrangement, texture, material, and color of other structures and premises within the same location.
(c) Standards for Rehabilitation. The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation shall apply and are as follows:
(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 the 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 historic 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 of the property 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.
(d) Materials. All new structures and all reconstruction or remodeling of existing structures within the Historic District shall utilize natural traditional exterior materials such as brick, stone, masonry and wood. The use of contemporary materials, such as aluminum, other metals, fiberglass, and plastics for exterior surfaces on architecturally significant structures shall be prohibited unless the use of such materials would contribute to the preservation or enhancement of existing traditional materials and the overall integrity and longevity of a structure.
(e) Color. Traditional colors that are identified with the origin or the era in which the structure or property was originally built shall be used for exteriors for all new structures to be built, and the reconstruction, remodeling and exterior maintenance of existing structures within the Historic District.
(f) Signs. All signs within the Historic District shall conform to the color and material standards of this section, be of a style, size, and/or design that reflects what is typically associated with the era during which the structure was built. Such signs shall also conform to the requirements in other sections of this chapter. The size and shape of signs shall also correspond to the existing proportions of period structures, and signs shall not be permitted to cover or close existing window and doorway openings or otherwise hide important architectural features.
(g) Awnings. All awnings within the Historic District shall conform to the color standards of this section.
(Ord. 192-97. Passed 9-4-97.)