A. Historic District Zone New Construction or Alterations.
1. The creation or construction of new buildings or structures, or the redesigning, remodeling or modification, addition, alteration, moving or demolition of existing structures in historic district zones shall comply with the provisions of this subsection.
2. Design Criteria.
a. The historical and architectural characteristics of an historic structure, object, or man-made landscape which make it unique shall be properly preserved and any changes shall generally conform to the character of the structures, objects, and man-made landscapes located within its development zone.
b. No specific architectural style shall be required for the design of a new building or other structures that have not been designated as historic. However, such buildings and structures are subject to the following:
1) The design of the structure shall generally conform to the character of the buildings and structures located within its development zone;
2) If demolished and the area left vacant, the area shall be maintained in a clean and inoffensive manner;
3) If demolished and the area converted to another use not requiring buildings (such as a parking lot), the area shall be buffered by landscaping or have walls or fences that conform to the character of the other buildings and structures located within its development zone;
4) If demolished and new structures erected, they shall generally conform to the character of the buildings located within their development zone.
3. Building Permit Criteria.
a. The criteria of this subsection (which are exemplified in the report, Tucson's Historic Districts: Criteria for Preservation and Development, latest edition) shall be used as a guide in approving a building permit and determining if the design of a proposed structure is compatible with the collective characteristics of the buildings or structures located within its development zone.
b. Height. New structures may be constructed no higher than the tallest conforming building located within their development zone at the time of the establishment of the historic district zone;
c. Setbacks. New structures must maintain the prevailing setback existing within its development zone at the time of the establishment of the historic zone;
d. Proportion. The relationship between the height and width of the front elevation of the building;
e. Recurrent alteration of solids to voids in the front facade;
f. Roof types;
g. Surface texture of buildings;
h. Color of buildings, trim, roof, etc.;
i. Site Utilization. The width of side yards as it affects the spacing between individual buildings and structures;
j. Projections and Recessions. Such as but not limited to the presence or absence of porches, steps, awnings, and overhangs;
k. Architectural Details. Such as but not limited to cornices, lintels, arches, grill work, and shutters.
l. Other pertinent factors generally affecting the appearance, harmony and efficient functioning of the historic district zone may be used.
4. Additional Criteria.
a. The protection of the quality of uniqueness inherent in each historic district may require additional provisions and criteria.
b. Such provisions and criteria may be adopted by the board of supervisors, on recommendation by the planning and zoning commission, following public hearings as set forth in Section 18.63.050(A)(3) through (A)(5).
5. Submittal Requirements and Review Procedures.
a. Design Plan Requirements. The design plan shall be drawn to scale and shall provide the following information where applicable:
1) The proposed layout of all structures and other improvements, including where appropriate, driveways, and pedestrianways;
2) Existing significant landscape features and proposed landscaped areas, fences, walls;
3) Off-street parking;
4) The location of property lines and public rights-of-way;
5) Entrances and exits and the direction of traffic flow in and out of off-street parking areas;
6) The location of each parking space and areas for turning and maneuvering vehicles;
7) Architectural drawings or sketches, drawn to scale, including drainage plans, in sufficient detail to permit computation of yard requirements and showing all elevations of the proposed structures or other improvements as they will appear on completion of construction;
8) Specifications as to type, color, and texture of exterior surfaces of proposed structures;
9) A sign plan, drawn to scale, showing the location, size, design, material, color, lettering and methods of attachment and illumination of all exterior signs;
10) Any additional information deemed necessary by the zoning inspector to properly review the design plan.
b. Design Plan Review Procedures.
1) Preliminary Review.
a) Prior to the submittal of a design plan, the applicant may consult with the staff of the planning and development services department concerning submission requirements.
b) It is also recommended that the applicant review the proposed design plan with the applicable historic district advisory board.
2) Application and Compliance Review.
a) Application for historic district design review shall be made on forms provided by the planning and development services director and shall be accompanied by five copies of a design plan.
b) The zoning inspector shall review each design plan for compliance with established application requirements and shall formally accept or reject the application within two working days.
3) Plan Transmittal. The zoning inspector shall, within one working day, transmit a copy of the accepted design plan to the design review committee (refer to Section 18.99.030, Design Review Committee) and one copy to the appropriate advisory board for their review and recommendation.
4) Advisory Board Recommendation.
a) The advisory board shall submit its recommendation to the design review committee within fifteen working days.
b) If no recommendation is received in that time, it shall be considered approved.
5) Review and Decision by the Design Review Committee.
a) The committee shall notify the applicant and the appropriate advisory board as to the time and place of the preliminary review and the applicant shall be heard.
b) The committee shall review the proposed design plan for its compliance with the purpose and intent of the historic district zone and applicable standards and criteria and shall approve, approves subject to conditions, or disapprove the design plan.
c) In no event shall the committee act on the proposed design without having considered the recommendations of the applicable advisory board.
d) If at the preliminary review the committee and the advisory board are in agreement, the committee shall forward the application to the zoning inspector for processing.
e) The committee may require additional information from the applicant or it may require modifications of the proposed design plan to comply with the requirements of this chapter, in which case a second hearing shall be held.
f) The applicant and appropriate advisory board shall be notified of the time and place thereof and shall be heard.
6) Appeals Procedure.
a) The decision of the committee may be appealed to the board of supervisors by:
i. The applicant;
ii. A member of the applicable advisory board;
iii. Any real property owners of the applicable historic district zone; or
iv. Any resident of the applicable historic district zone.
b) Filing. The appeal shall be filed in writing with the clerk of the board of supervisors within thirty days or the action shall be final.
c) Notice. Notice shall be sent to the applicant, to the advisory board, and to all interested parties, for the time and place for appeal hearing and the applicant shall be heard.
d) Decision by the Supervisors. The supervisors, upon considering the appeal, the recommendations of the committee and the advisory board, shall uphold, modify, or reverse the decision.
7) Issuance of Permits.
a) The central permitting office shall not issue a building permit for:
i. The erection or construction of new structures;
ii. The modification, addition, alteration, moving or demolition of existing structures; or
iii. The installation of a sign within an historic district zone, without the written certification of the planning and development services director, stating that the application for such a permit has complied with all the requirements of this chapter.
b) The zoning inspector shall authorize the issuance of a building permit only upon approval of a design plan in accordance with the procedures of this section.
B. Historic Landmark Zone New Construction or Alterations.
1. Additional Construction or Alterations. An application for the creation or construction of new buildings or structures, or the redesigning, remodeling or modification, addition, alteration, or moving of existing buildings, structures, or objects, man-made landscapes, or spaces in historic landmark zones may be initiated by the owners of the property and submitted to the development services department, and shall comply with the provisions of this subsection.
2. Criteria.
a. The historical and architectural characteristics of a historic building, structure, object, or man-made landscape or space which make it unique shall be properly preserved and any changes shall generally conform to the intrinsic and unique character of the existing historic landmark zone.
b. Height. No higher than the tallest existing and conforming building taking into account similar types and styles of buildings such as a main or accessory structure;
c. The following features shall be generally consistent with the existing structure(s), with the prevailing existing structural proportions, and with the historic period in which the existing structure was built: Front setbacks; roof types regarding architectural configuration, mass, and materials; building surface texture; site utilization; projections and recessions such as but not limited to porches, steps, awnings, overhangs, entrances, and windows; architectural details such as but not limited to cornices, lintels, arches, grillwork, and shutters, window and door trim, and canales; building form regarding size, mass, and scale; and rhythm regarding proportion and pattern;
d. To provide flexibility in the review of applications, other pertinent factors generally affecting the appearance, harmony, and efficient functioning of the historic landmark zone may be considered as appropriate such as: Color and landscaping consistent with structure style and historic period; enclosures compatible with architectural style and not blocking views of the primary façade from public viewpoints; utilities located underground where possible and the use of utility boxes on front façades reviewed for appropriateness and compatibility; and compatibility of the appearance, color, size, position, method of attachment, texture of materials, and design of signs.
3. Preliminary Review. Prior to submittal, the applicant shall obtain a recommendation from a plans review subcommittee of a historical commission which shall be submitted with their application. The applicant may consult with the staff of the development services department and the office of sustainability and conservation — cultural resources and historic preservation division concerning submittal requirements.
4. Submittal Requirements. Based on the original or base site plan and highlighting the proposed amendments, an amended site plan shall be drawn to scale and shall provide the following information where applicable, plus the most recent aerial and elevation photos, and written reasons for the proposed changes:
a. Legal description of the property;
b. A list by name and title, of all ownership interest in the property (e.g., individual, corporation, trust or limited partnership);
c. Letter of authorization for an agent;
d. Site plan.
1) The layout and elevation of all structures and other improvements with amended features highlighted, including where appropriate, driveways, and pedestrianways;
2) Existing significant landscape features and proposed landscaped areas, fences, walls;
3) The location of property lines and public rights-of-way;
4) Architectural drawings or sketches, drawn to scale in sufficient detail to show all elevations of the proposed structures;
5) Specifications as to type, color, and texture of exterior surfaces of proposed structures;
6) If applicable, a sign plan, drawn to scale, showing the location, size, design, material, color, lettering and methods of attachment and illumination of all exterior signs;
7) Any additional information deemed necessary by the development services department or the cultural resources and historic preservation division of the Pima County office of sustainability and conservation to properly review the site plan.
e. Written support for the proposed changes;
f. Most recent (available) aerial and elevation photos.
5. Public notice, Planning and Zoning Commission and Board of Supervisors Hearings. The submittal shall be reviewed by the development services department and the office of sustainability and conservation — cultural resources and historic preservation division. Once determined complete, staff shall schedule the request for public hearing before the planning and zoning commission and board of supervisors. The public review, notice and comments shall be consistent with Sections 18.91.060(B) and (C), 18.91.070, 18.91.080, as applicable, of the rezoning process except as modified by the requirements outlined in this chapter. The submittal materials, staff and historical commission reviews, recommendations, and comments shall be transmitted to the planning and zoning commission and the board of supervisors.
6. Staff Report. The development services department shall coordinate with the cultural resources and historic preservation division of the Pima County office of sustainability and conservation to provide a written review, analysis, and recommendation on the requested additional construction or alteration of the historic landmark zone based on the criteria established in this chapter.
(Ord. 2018-9 § 2 (part), 2018: Ord. 1985-144 § 1 (part), 1985; Ord. 1985-82 (part), 1985)