The Design Review Board shall perform the following duties:
(a) Design Review Criteria. The Board shall follow design criteria that will direct its decisions. The design criteria shall be adopted by the Board. It shall be available to the public at cost. The Board shall require all applicants to show that submitted projects conform to the design criteria, and to describe the project’s probable impact on the proposed site, adjacent and overall character of the Village.
(b) Design Review Process. The Board shall review for approval all new construction, exterior modification, exterior alteration, addition, relocation or demolition of any building or structure or part thereof. All design changes in signage or major pedestrian and vehicular access-ways shall be approved by the Board prior to issuance of a building or zoning permit.
(1) Application for project approval shall be transmitted to the Board from the Zoning Inspector after his approval. Submission to the Board shall be made no later than five days prior to the meeting of the Board.
(2) The Board shall consider all applications at the meeting following submission. If additional information is required, the Board shall so inform the applicant and may delay a decision until the meeting following submission of such additional information. If the Board makes no decision at that time, and if the application has been properly submitted, the application shall be deemed approved. In either case, the applicant shall be notified in writing of the decision of the Board within five days after the decision. If the Board disapproves the application, it must, within five days, submit a written statement to the applicant of the reasons for its disapproval, and state the specific violations of the design review criteria. The applicant may then either revise and resubmit the design application or he may request a hearing before the Board of Zoning Appeals.
(c) Village Landmarks and Village Preservation Districts. The Board may designate such Village landmarks and Village Preservation Districts as it deems proper. Council shall formally approve all designations according to law.
(1) “Village landmark” means a building, structure or feature that is the site of a significant historical event or identified with a person who contributed significantly to Lowellville’s history, or that is unique for its location as a familiar and established visual feature of Lowellville, or that embodies particular architectural style or unusual details, or that is the work of a particular builder or architect. Such buildings shall generally be over fifty years of age, but shall not be required to be of such age.
(2) “Village Preservation District” means an area that, through its visual character, has definable educational, social, historical or architectural significance to Lowellville and the region.
(3) Landmark and District designations recognize the particular importance of buildings, structures, sites and areas, pointing out their educational and cultural value to the community. Designation promotes awareness of the local heritage. All landmarks and Districts shall have property lines as their boundaries.
(4) For each proposed District or landmark, all relevant information shall be gathered into a public record which shall be made available upon request. The record may be amended as further research is completed or by the Design Review Board after a public hearing. The subsequent public hearing shall elaborate the boundaries, character and importance of the proposed designation. The proceedings of the hearing shall become a part of the public record of each landmark and District. The Chairman of the Design Review Board shall preside at all hearings.
(5) Upon formal approval by Council, all Village landmarks and Village Preservation Districts shall be considered official, and shall be shown on the official Zoning Map of the Village. The Board may propose a change in or the dissolution of any landmark or District and shall submit such change or dissolution to Council for its approval.
(d) Demolition Permits. For any Preservation District or Village landmark, before the Building and Zoning Inspector issues a permit for the demolition of all or a part of a structure, the Building and Zoning Inspector shall transmit the application for demolition to the Board for their consideration. The Board shall require a statement of the reasons why the building or part of the building is being considered for demolition. In the case of demolition in a District, if the Board finds that demolition would severely damage the character of the District, and thereby alter the reason for the designation of the District, then the Board may stop demolition for a period of ninety days. In the case of a landmark, if the Board finds that demolition would severely alter the exterior architectural importance or otherwise affect the reasons upon which the landmark was designated, the Board may stop demolition for a period of ninety days. In the ninety-day period, the property owner and the Board shall explore all means of protecting the structures from demolition, whether by adaptive use, remodeling or other means. If, at the end of ninety days, no reasonable solution can be found, the permit for demolition shall be issued. (Ord. 2818. Passed 11-29-95.)