[Adopted 1-27-1983 by Ord. No. MC-1925 (Ch. A590, Part 1,
of the 1987 Code)]
The establishment of the Cooper Plaza Historic District is hereby
authorized.
The boundaries of the Cooper Plaza Historic District are hereby
established on a map entitled "Schedule B, Cooper Plaza Historic District."
This map accompanies and is hereby declared to be a part of this ordinance
and is hereby incorporated by reference.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: The map is available and on file in the
office of the City Clerk.
Historic District boundaries are intended to follow property
lines as they exist on plats of record at the time of passage of this
ordinance.
Basic guidelines for rehabilitation in the Cooper Plaza Historic District are attached hereto as Article II and are specifically made a part of this ordinance.
All ordinances or parts of ordinances inconsistent with the
provisions of this ordinance are hereby repealed.
Any ordinance not amended or supplemented herein is saved from
repeal and shall remain in force and effect.
This ordinance shall take effect 20 days after final passage
and publication as provided by law.
A.
The Design Guidelines to Proper Rehabilitation of Properties Within
the Cooper Plaza Historic District were created as a citizens'
guide to the proper restoration of historic properties within the
district.
B.
The district was created in an attempt to preserve some of the best
late 19th Century row housing in Camden. This collection of Victorian-style
buildings, known collectively as the "Cooper Plaza Historic District,"
effectively portrays the spirit of an architectural, social and cultural
heritage of the period in which it was constructed. The designation
of the district and the creation of the Design Guidelines is an effort
to protect these valuable resources from alteration or destruction
in the face of developmental pressures. The need to maintain these
elements of the City's past have been deemed essential to the
continuation of civic pride and a sense of community in Camden.
C.
The Guidelines were created in an effort to aid citizens in the proper
restoration and maintenance of their historic properties.
D.
Historic photos of many properties within the district were used
as a guide for the Guidelines.
E.
The Historic Review Committee, in addition to its official role as
advisor to the Zoning Board, will provide property owners within the
district with recommendations for rehabilitation, as well as information
on proper cleaning and maintenance of architectural features. Technical
literature and advice, as well as sourcebooks on recommendations of
where to purchase accurate reproductions of historic architectural
elements, will be provided.
F.
The Design Guidelines will enable the community of the Cooper Plaza
Historic District to work together towards the development of a cohesive
and beautiful historic community. Neighboring properties should also
be in consideration of these Guidelines, as plans for the future will
consider eventual expansion or the possibility of additional historic
districts.
Original setbacks should be maintained. Any additions to the
building should be restricted to the rear of the building.
Outbuildings not visually apparent from the street will not
be subject to historic review.
Any new construction on sites currently vacant will be subject
to the same architectural standards as existing properties.
Parking lots, if visible from the streetscape, should be provided
with adequate landscape buffer as required by the Zoning Ordinance.[1]
Restoration to the original design characteristics of the existing
structures shall be the primary aim in the consideration of all exterior
building treatment. Such original design details and characteristics
as now exist shall be preserved whenever possible. Where such original
design details have been changed, modified or eliminated, restoration
to the original is recommended. Lacking specific knowledge of the
details of the original, repair or replacement should be designed
to conform to the characteristics of the structure and the era in
which it was built and the design characteristics of the area as a
whole.
A.
Materials. Materials shall, whenever possible, be in keeping with
the brick and/or stone and/or wood construction of the original exteriors.
Materials other than these original materials, such as aluminum, steel
or vinyl siding, asphalt and asbestos siding, finished glass, porcelain
enamel, terra-cotta, imitation brick or stone, corrugated metal, plastic,
glazed or bright metal, stucco, etc., are not recommended. Addition
of items to exterior facades and other walls broadly visible from
the street or other public places and front or side yards which might
not have been present on a given structure originally but which were
common or appropriate to other structures of that particular period,
as, for instance, iron porch railings, carriage lamps, iron foot scrapers
and 19th Century mail slots, is recommended.
B.
Exterior finish.
(1)
It is recommended that brick- and stonework shall be repaired
or restored to original state.
(2)
Painting on brick or stone is not recommended, especially in
cases where colors are not appropriate to the building and neighborhood.
(3)
The cleaning of dirty brick and stone surfaces and the removal
of paint from these surfaces should be accomplished with methods as
recommended by the Historic Review Committee. Several methods, such
as sandblasting and chemical cleaners, have a deteriorating effect
on brick and stone.
(4)
Damaged brick and stone should be repaired or replaced as necessary.
(5)
Should repointing be necessary, it is highly recommended that
the old mortar be duplicated in composition, color and texture. The
wrong mortar mix can create a bond stronger than the building material,
thus causing deterioration by differences in expansion and porosity.
(6)
Parging of brick walls will normally be permitted only where
demolition has exposed the rough brick, thereby requiring the application
of a waterproof material.
(7)
It is highly recommended that repointing duplicates the old
mortar in joint size and joint profile.
(8)
The restoration of exterior woodwork, where remaining, is highly
recommended. Where woodwork is deteriorated or missing, replacement
is recommended.
C.
Building height. The cornice line on any new or remodeled building
should not be made higher than the height of the cornice lines on
the two existing adjacent buildings, nor should any original top floor
or floors of a building be removed.
D.
Details.
(1)
Doors and windows.
(a)
Retention of original window and door openings, including window
sashes, glass, lintels, sills, architraves, shutters, doors, pediments,
hoods, steps and hardware, is recommended.
(b)
Not recommended is the introduction of new window and door openings,
the infill of original window and door openings or the reduction or
enlargement of original window and door openings.
(c)
Original doors, door frames and transoms, where intact, should
be retained, with repairs or restoration as necessary.
(d)
Doors, if not original, should be replaced with doors of material
(wood) and design consistent with the characteristics of the door
frame and house.
(e)
It is recommended that door hardware, including knobs, knockers,
letter slots, bells, house numbers and hinges, be in keeping with
the design characteristic of the door and the house.
(f)
Many of the houses in the district had street numbers printed
in gold lettering at the transom. This treatment is highly recommended
but not required.
(g)
Replacement, if necessary, should duplicate the material and
design of the original hardware.
(h)
Storm and/or screen doors to be placed at front entryways should
be chosen with the assistance of the Historic Review Committee. Buildings
in the Cooper Plaza Historic District are of the Victorian style.
Storm doors should reflect or be compatible with this style. Catalogs
of sample screen/storm doors which are appropriate will be available
to residents for inspection upon request.
(2)
Windows.
(a)
Sashes should contain the original number of window lights.
The majority of original windows on buildings within the Cooper Plaza
Historic District were one-over-one sash. Original-style windows should
be retained. Not recommended are windows of single-pane glass or windows
with multiple lights, unless original windows have multiple lights,
such as 400-408 Broadway. The same criteria applies to dormer windows
and bay windows. On several properties within the district, the following
style windows are original: two-over-one light, two-over-two lights.
These window configurations would be acceptable where they apply.
(b)
Storm windows are acceptable and should maintain the original
window configuration or, at minimum, one-over-one light.
(3)
Window grilles. Metal window grilles are not recommended but,
if used, should be of a basic design so as to appear as unobtrusive
as possible.
(4)
Dormer windows. Dormers should retain the appearance of the
original dormers. This includes roof shape, window configuration,
decorative moldings and materials. The enlargement or reduction of
a dormer, including the removal, is strongly discouraged.
(5)
Bay windows.
(a)
Bay windows, where original, should be retained. Original material
of the bay (pressed metal, fishscale shingles) should be retained.
Bays should not be enlarged or reduced in size. The degree of projection
should not be altered. Not recommended is the covering of bays with
aluminum siding, asphalt sheeting, tar paper, etc.
(b)
Not recommended is the new construction of a bay window not
previously existing on front or side facades visible from the street.
(6)
Balconies. All balconies, where existing, should be retained.
If deteriorated, restoration or replacement in a similar material
is recommended.
(7)
Cellar windows. It is recommended that cellar windows on facades
and sides of buildings visible from the street or other public places
are provided with wrought iron or cast-iron window grilles of design
appropriate to the Victorian period. Not recommended is the infill
of cellar windows with glass block, concrete, brick or plywood.
(8)
Awnings. Awnings for residential properties are not recommended.
If awnings are used, canvas is preferable to metal.
(9)
Shutters.
(a)
The use of shutters is not recommended. Original photographs
of the Cooper Plaza Historic District, dating circa 1900, illustrate
that shutters were not used on the row houses within the district.
(b)
Several houses along Benson Street have retained the original
louvered door shutters. If intact, these door shutters should be retained
and repaired or restored as necessary.
(10)
Roofs and cornices.
(a)
The most important item concerning roofs is the preservation
of the original roof shape. A mansard roof should not be altered to
a flat roof, and vice versa. It is preferred that roof materials remain
the same as the original, although adequate substitutions will be
allowed. One of the most outstanding features of the Second Empire
housing within the district is the use of the imbricated or fish-scale
shingles. This type of shingle is a distinguishing mark of Victorian
architecture, and every effort should be made to retain this feature.
(See illustration available and on file in the office of the City
Clerk.)
(b)
Cornices, finials and other roofline trim, including decorative
brackets and cut-out vergeboard, should be retained and, when necessary,
repaired or restored to original material. These cornices are another
distinguishing architectural feature of Victorian architecture and
should not be removed unless deteriorated beyond repair, in which
case replacement will be highly recommended. (See illustration available
and on file in the office of the City Clerk.)
(11)
Parapets and decorative brickwork. The use of brick parapets
is another architectural element in the district which adds to the
historic character. The removal of these parapets is strongly discouraged.
Replacement of deteriorated parapets is highly recommended.
(12)
Decorative brickwork. The retention of all original decorative
brickwork on the facade is strongly recommended. This brickwork, usually
located along cornices and friezes and on chimneys and end walls,
is an important architectural feature reflective of the period in
which these buildings were constructed.
(13)
Porches.
(a)
It is highly recommended that front and side porches broadly
visible from the street are of materials and design in keeping with
the original design.
(b)
Porch roofs should maintain the original roof configuration.
If deteriorated, repair of porch roofs is strongly recommended. Removal
of the porch is discouraged.
(c)
Decorative woodwork along the porch frieze, railing and gable
should be retained. If deteriorated, every effort should be made toward
restoration. If original porch woodwork is missing or severely deteriorated
beyond feasible economic repair, replacement of such work is strongly
recommended. Accurate reproductions of historic wooden millwork are
available. The Historic Review Committee will advise property owners
as to where to purchase such materials locally.
(d)
Decorative pressed metal porch cornices, where intact, should
be retained and restored if necessary.
(14)
Cast iron.
(a)
Many porches within the district have original cast iron porch
railings. The retention of these railings is highly recommended.
(b)
Porch posts and columns, where original, should be retained
and restored if necessary. If replacement is necessary, materials
and style should be similar to the original. Porches constructed of
cinder block or plywood are not recommended.
(16)
Porch and door lights. Fixtures shall be of design appropriate
to the Victorian period and in keeping with the general historic character
of the area.
(17)
Fences, walls and gates. Original wrought iron fences and gates
on street frontages should be retained and protected with paint as
required. Marble curbs should also, where intact, be retained. Chain-link
or cyclone fences are strongly discouraged.
(18)
Chimneys and vents. It is recommended that vents be located,
where feasible, atop buildings and not on building facades or sides
of buildings where they are broadly visible from the street or areas
where there is pedestrian traffic. It is recommended that chimneys
important to the design features of buildings be restored. When replacement
is required, chimneys should be of a design characteristic of the
design period of the building.
(19)
Gutters and downspouts. Structures should have a controlled
method of disposal of water. Such building accessories should be attached
and painted to blend in with the building. Cast-iron downspouts, boots
and fancy roof-line scuppers atop downspouts should be retained.
(21)
Mechanical equipment and utilities.
(a)
Telephone wires, electric wires, television aerials and lead
wires, electric meters and oil fill pipes are not recommended on facades
readily visible from street frontages. In circumstances where this
cannot be avoided, every effort shall be made to obscure these elements.
(b)
It is recommended that air conditioners be placed in windows
as unobtrusively as possible and be placed in rear or courtyard windows
whenever possible.
(22)
Compliance with building safety code requirements should be
in such a manner that the essential character of the building is preserved
intact.
(23)
Fire escapes should be placed as unobtrusively as possible and
painted in a color to blend with the surfaces against which they are
mounted.
(24)
Storefronts.
(a)
Storefronts are of particular importance to the streetscape.
The original window and entry configuration should be retained. Entryways
located on a diagonal should not be aligned. Original columns, awnings,
ornamented bracketed cornices and other elements of Victorian design
should be retained. Windows and doorways should not be reduced or
enlarged. Transoms should be retained.
(b)
Infill of original storefront windows with concrete, stucco
or wood siding is not recommended. Where infill has occurred, restoration
to the original appearance is highly recommended.
(c)
The removal or the rearrangement of any brickwork on a building
facade and the replacement of the same with a steel and glass or wood
frame storefront in a design not characteristic of the Victorian period
is strongly discouraged.
(25)
New construction.
(a)
New additions and new buildings must be compatible to the historic
buildings in size, scale, color, building materials and texture.
(b)
Contemporary designs compatible with the character and mood
of the earlier buildings of the neighborhood are recommended in lieu
of imitation of an earlier style or period of architecture.
