[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town of Marlborough 9-1-2013, effective 10-27-2013 (§ D.12
of the Town Code). Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Land use — See Ch. 254.
A.
There shall be an Architectural Design Review Board in the Town of
Marlborough, the purpose of which shall be to provide guidance with
regard to the design of buildings, structures, landscaping and site
layout, with the objective of promoting development projects that
are in harmony with Marlborough's architectural heritage and which
preserve and improve the appearance, beauty and character of the community.
B.
The Board of Selectmen establishes this Architectural Design Review
Board ("ARB") to serve as an advisory body to the Planning Commission,
Zoning Commission, and Zoning Board of Appeals on matters of commercial
site and building design and multifamily housing sites and design.
The ARB is charged with reviewing all projects regarding multifamily
housing and nonresidential exterior construction and renovation submitted
to the Planning Commission, the Zoning Commission, or the Zoning Board
of Appeals, and recommending ways to preserve and enhance the design
or appearance of proposed projects.
A.
The ARB shall function in an advisory capacity to the Planning Commission,
the Zoning Commission, and the Zoning Board of Appeals, providing
commentary on submitted floating zone, site plan and special permit
applications for commercial, industrial, institutional, and multifamily
residential developments with regard to the scale, massing, colors
and proportions of buildings, landscaping, public spaces, lighting
and signage.
B.
The ARB shall not conduct its review relative to Zoning Regulations
governing use of a property, the granting of variances, or building
code compliance. The Board's recommendations shall not be binding;
rather, they are of an advisory nature; provided, however, that the
Planning Commission, the Zoning Commission, or the Zoning Board of
Appeals, as the case may be, shall state on the record the reasons
such commission or board decided to reject a recommendation from the
ARB. A plan's endorsement by the ARB will not imply or guarantee subsequent
approval of an application by the Planning Commission, the Zoning
Commission, or the Zoning Board of Appeals.
C.
The ARB shall establish and promulgate bylaws to enable it to fulfill
its duties and shall meet at least twice a year and other such times
as it deems appropriate to carry out its duties and responsibilities
pursuant to this chapter. The ARB will provide a set of guiding principles
setting forth various aesthetic and functional provisions to guide
nonresidential, commercial, office, industrial and public/quasi-public
and multifamily development in the Town. It is anticipated that the
principles and concepts herein will be incorporated into and supplemented
by more detailed development standards and/or design guidelines as
the Town matures.
(1)
To encourage high-quality land/site planning, architecture and landscape
design;
(2)
To encourage development in keeping with the desired character of
the Town and/or specific design attributes identified in plans adopted
by the Town;
(3)
To ensure physical, visual and functional compatibility between uses;
and
(4)
To ensure proper attention is paid to site and architectural design,
thereby protecting land values.
D.
The designated approving authority under this chapter shall have
the authority to apply the guiding principles flexibly to account
for circumstances relating to the proposed site plan.
A.
Members; qualifications.
(1)
The ARB shall consist of five regular members and two alternate members,
which shall be appointed by the Board of Selectmen. The initial appointments
to this Board shall be as follows: three members for three years;
two members for two years; and two alternate members for one year.
Thereafter, members of the Board shall be appointed for a period of
three years from July 1st in the year of their appointment. Any vacancy
occurring in the membership of the Board shall be filled by an appointment
of the Board of Selectmen for the unexpired portion of the vacated
term.
(2)
In appointing members to the ARB, the Board of Selectmen shall seek
to appoint a mix of knowledgeable experts and laypeople. The experts
shall have knowledge of such fields as architecture, urban planning,
landscape architecture, site planning, professional engineering, graphic
design, interior design and related fields. The laypeople shall be
drawn from individuals demonstrating a high level of interest and
commitment to the work of the ARB. All members shall be electors of
Marlborough.
B.
At the first meeting after July 1 of each year, the ARB shall elect
a Chairman, Vice Chairman and Secretary from among its members. Said
appointments shall be by a vote of the majority of the ARB members.
No member of the ARB shall participate in the review or deliberations
upon any matter in which he/she is directly or indirectly interested
in a personal or financial sense. Members of the ARB shall not concurrently
be a member of the Planning or Zoning Commission or the Zoning Board
of Appeals.
