The Design Advisory Committee shall be established as an appeals board to hear appeals from the decision of the Zoning Administrator regarding major and minor building improvements within the Reading Design Review Districts. The Design Advisory Committee may also be requested to review other items as directed by the Zoning Administrator. The Design Advisory Committee shall be as established below:
(A) (1) The Design Advisory Committee shall be composed of five members appointed by the Mayor with the approval of City Council. However, additional members may be added so that each district is adequately covered by a property owner within that district.
(a) A minimum of two members shall have a design background (i.e. architect, planner, urban designer, landscape architect, and the like);
(b) One member shall be a resident of the city;
(c) A minimum of two members shall own property within a Design Review District;
(d) One alternate member shall be appointed to serve should another member identify a conflict of interest or not be available for a meeting.
(2) Any member of the Design Advisory Committee may meet one or more of the aforementioned criteria (i.e. an architect and a resident of the city).
(B) The Design Advisory Committee shall be governed by the following:
(1) Shall review and decided upon appeals to applications for Zoning Certificates or where the Zoning Administrator determines that additional review is necessary to make a determination on an application.
(2) No member of the Design Advisory Committee shall vote on an application presented to the Committee for a Zoning Certificate from any client he or she is serving or from any business of which he or she is an owner, corporate office, agent or employee.
(3) Members shall be appointed for four-year terms to serve. Members may succeed themselves. Terms shall be staggered so no more than two member terms are ending at one time.
(4) The Design Advisory Committee shall meet on a monthly basis at a regularly scheduled meeting, as needed. All meetings shall be open to the public and three members thereof shall constitute a quorum. A majority vote of the members present shall be required to take action. The Design Advisory Committee shall prepare, file, and maintain minutes of its proceedings.
(5) The Design Advisory Committee shall, at a regularly scheduled meeting once a year, elect one of its members as Chairman. The Chairman can serve any number of consecutive terms and shall be counted in determining a quorum and to vote as a member.
(6) In order to better carry out the provisions of these regulations, the Design Advisory Committee, by formal motion, shall adopt rules for the conduct of its meetings.
(7) The Design Advisory Committee shall, at the request of the Zoning Administrator, monitor physical changes within the Design Review Districts and propose and recommend to the City Council changes and amendments in any Design Review Districts regulations as conditions warrant.
(8) The Design Advisory Committee may recommend to add improvements to the Minor Building Improvements category that allows the Zoning Administrator or their designee to approve or deny an application for a Zoning Certificate without referral to the Planning Commission and without a public hearing.
(Ord. 2010-58, passed 8-10-10)