In considering an application for a certificate of appropriateness, the Commission shall be guided by the design guidelines adopted by the Commission and approved by the Council, and where applicable, the Secretary of the Interior's Standards of Rehabilitation of Historic Buildings (Appendix B). The adopted design guideline and Secretary of the Interior's standards shall be made available to the property owners of historic landmarks or within historic districts.
(A) Unless an alteration contributes to the appearance and cohesiveness of any historic landmark or any property within a historic district, every reasonable effort shall be made to adapt the property in a manner which requires minimal alteration of the building, structure or object and its environment.
(B) Unless an alteration contributes to the appearance and cohesiveness of any historic landmark or any property within a historic district, the distinguishing original qualities or character of a building, structure or object and its environment, shall not be destroyed. The removal or alteration of any historic material or distinctive architectural features should be avoided when possible.
(C) All buildings, structures and objects shall be recognized as products of their own time.
(D) Changes which may have taken place in the course of time may be evidence of the history and development of a building, structure, object or site and its environment. These changes may have acquired significance in their own right, and this significance shall be considered.
(E) Distinctive stylistic features or examples of skilled craftsmanship which characterize a building, structure, object or site shall be kept where possible.
(F) Deteriorated architectural features shall be repaired rather than replaced, wherever possible. In the event replacement is necessary, the new material ideally should reflect the material being replaced in composition, design, color, texture and other visual qualities, taking into consideration economic and technical feasibility of the materials. Repair or replacement of missing architectural features should be based on accurate duplications of features, substantiated by historical, physical or pictorial evidence rather than on conjectural designs or the availability of different architectural elements from other buildings or structures.
(G) The surface cleaning of structures shall be undertaken with the gentlest means possible. Sandblasting and other cleaning methods that will damage the historical materials shall not be undertaken.
(H) Every reasonable effort shall be made to protect and preserve archeological resources affected by, or adjacent to, any project.
(I) Appropriate design for alterations and additions to existing properties shall not be discouraged when such alterations and additions do not destroy significant historical, architectural or cultural material, and the design is compatible with the size, scale, material and character of the property, neighborhood or environment.
(J) Whenever possible, new additions or alterations to buildings, structures, objects or sites shall be done in a manner that if the additions or alterations were to be removed in the future, the essential form and integrity of the building, structure, object or site would be unimpaired.
(Ord. 08-341, passed 1-22-2008)