(A) Purposes. The following are the purposes of the architectural appearance standards set forth in this section:
(1) To create an architectural identity and to avoid monotonous similarity or inappropriateness in exterior design and appearance of property;
(2) To promote the orderly and harmonious growth of the village and to protect and enhance land values, investments and the general welfare of the citizens of the village;
(3) To protect and to stabilize the general appearance of buildings and structures, throughout the village;
(4) To insure adequate light, air and privacy for property throughout the village;
(5) To encourage and promote acceptability attractiveness, cohesiveness and compatibility of new development so as to maintain and improve the established standards of property values throughout the village; and
(6) To aid prospective contractors, architects, designers and developers in preparing their project plans for review by the village.
(B) Applicability. The design standards shall apply to single-family residential developments of seven units or more and to all other types of developments, including privately- and publicly-owned properties.
(C) Administration.
(1) An applicant for a building permit or development approval shall submit a site plan, exterior elevations and such other data deemed necessary by the village staff to evaluate a proposed architectural appearance.
(2) Final elevations shall be drawn to scale and shall indicate the nature and extent of the work proposed.
(3) The review of architecture appearance provided for in this section is intended to be only a part of the whole review procedure laid out in these regulations. Approval of architectural appearance does not in any way signify final approval of any portion of any project.
(D) Pre-application conference. An applicant for architectural appearance approval may request in writing that the village staff hold an informal pre-application conference to review the preliminary architectural appearance of a proposed project. This pre-application conference may be conducted concurrently with the pre-application conference provided for elsewhere in this Code.
(E) Review. The village staff shall review the information submitted for appearance standards. Recommendations of the village staff shall be based upon the criteria set forth in divisions (F) through (I) below.
(F) Building and structure design.
(1) Buildings and structures shall be consistent with the established neighborhood character and with any adjacent residential property.
(2) Building materials shall be selected for suitability to the type of buildings and the design in which they are used. Buildings shall use the same materials, or those which are architecturally harmonious, for all building walls and other exterior building components that are wholly or partially visible from public ways.
(3) Building materials shall be of durable quality. Inappropriate materials or building methods, and those which will produce inconsistency with the structure and architecture of the building, shall be avoided.
(4) Except as indicates in division (5) below, brick or other masonry materials approved by the Village Board shall be used for front, back and all sides of all building structures, except accessory uses supporting single family residential dwelling units, and shall be installed per Building Code specifications. Brick shall, at a minimum, extend from ground level to tops of windows, with minor accents allowed in place of brick subject to meeting building codes. Brick shall not be painted.
(a) For the purposes of this section masonry products shall be either stucco, EIFS, full brick and mortar, full stone and mortar, cultured stone and mortar or tilt up concrete panels with integral architectural features and coloring. Regular concrete block or similar product, HARDIE type siding and nail or screw on brick or stone type panels shall not be considered as masonry in this section.
(5) All single family and/or duplex residential dwelling units shall contain face brick, stone or masonry on not less than 100% of any exterior walls, on any side facing a street from the ground level to the top of the first floor wall line. This does not include the area of windows or doors. All materials for the remaining ground level wall surfaces shall be approved by the Village Board. All materials used shall be compatible as a group and with the surrounding structures. Under certain conditions when a special use is allowed by the Village Board for a factory built housing, modular single family structure in a Non Urban (NU) Zone District, the Board may consider materials other than masonry on the front of the home facing a street.
(a) For the purposes of this section masonry products shall be either stucco, EIFS, full brick and mortar, full stone and mortar, cultured stone and mortar or tilt up concrete panels with integral architectural features and coloring. Regular concrete block or similar product, HARDIE type siding and nail or screw on brick or stone type panels shall not be considered as masonry in this section.
(6) Building materials should be selected with special attention to energy conservation. Materials and colors that reduce the consumption of gas and electricity should be used wherever possible.
(7) Building components, such as windows, doors, eaves and parapets, shall have good proportions and relationship to one another.
(8) While it is recognized that color is a very subjective matter and that creativity should not be stifled, colors should nonetheless be used harmoniously and with some restraint. Color schemes should consider and respect the character and quality of structures in the area. Excessively bright or brilliant colors should be used only for accent. Materials and colors should withstand the weather well over a 25-year period.
(9) Architectural style should be appropriate to the area and evaluation of a project shall be based on the quality of design and its relationship to surroundings. The design of structures should display a sensitivity to the best aspects of the character, quality and scale of those structures already existing in the area of a proposed project.
(10) Monotony of design shall be avoided, however styles should be complementary and should relate to indigenous architecture. In residential districts no two detached single-family dwellings of substantially similar or identical front elevation or facade shall be constructed or located on adjacent lots. The changes may be major or minor changes.
(a) Major changes. One major change and color change shall constitute a substantial change:
1. Roof treatment: Hip, gable, 25% or greater change in slope;
2. Location of garage entry: Side and front;
3. Type of brick treatment: Extended porticos and the like;
4. Material treatment: Full brick vs. half-and-half;
5. Overall facade: Mediterranean vs. Colonial, for example;
6. Brick arches;
7. Brick bay projections; and
8. Balconies.
(b) Minor changes. Three minor changes constitute a substantial change:
1. Vertical or horizontal siding;
2. Colors of materials;
3. Door treatment, garage and entry;
4. Window styles, casements, bows and double hung;
5. Shutter treatment;
6. Ornamental treatment, lighting fixture location or posts and fascia;
7. Reversing plan;
8. Garage door design; and
9. Brick wing arms.
(11) On commercial buildings, facades greater than 100 feet in length must incorporate recesses and projections along at least 20% of the length of the facade. Windows, awnings and arcades must total at least 60% of the facade length abutting a public street.
(12) Color, texture and material module elements should be repeated horizontally and/or vertically on commercial buildings.
(13) Each commercial building must have a clearly defined, highly visible customer entrance with features such as canopies or porticos, arcades, arches, wing walls and integral planters.
(14) Commercial and industrial buildings shall vary architectural design elements in roof-lines and include brick/masonry up to the tops of the windows.
(G) Relationship of buildings to site.
(1) The height and scale of each building shall be compatible with its site and adjoining buildings and neighboring development. In residential districts, the height shall not vary by more than 14 feet from adjacent structures.
(2) The site shall be planned to accomplish a desirable transition with the streetscape and to provide for adequate planting, pedestrian movement and parking areas.
(H) Relationship of building and site to adjoining area.
(1) Adjacent buildings of different architectural styles shall be made compatible by such means as screens, site breaks and materials.
(2) Attractive landscape transition to adjoining properties shall be provided.
(3) Harmony in texture, lines and masses shall be required.
(4) Buildings shall have similar scale to those in the surrounding area.
(I) Screening.
(1) Screening of service yards, utility meters and hardware, overhead doors, mechanical equipment, refuse areas and/or other potentially unattractive places from public view shall be accomplished by the use of walls, fencing, planting or combinations of all of the measures that follow. Screening shall be equally effective in the winter and the summer seasons. For rooftop equipment, parapet walls are required along street frontages and bordering residential areas that parapet walls must be at least three feet in height and constructed of matching building materials to the principal structure:
(a) Adjusting the architectural or landscape profile to screen those elements from view;
(b) Placing those elements on service courts or other locations not usable by the general public; or
(c) Integrating those elements into the architecture or landscaping of the site.
(2) The degree of visibility and screening of service yards, utility meters and hardware, mechanical equipment, refuse areas and/or other potentially unattractive places shall be evaluated using the following criteria:
(a) The degree of visibility from all adjacent public ways;
(b) The architectural compatibility of the design and color of the yards, meters and equipment of the building;
(c) Possible visibility from future buildings and public ways; and
(d) Internal overall appearance in relation to the site. (See also § 151.303.)