[Amended by Ord. No. 1685]
A.
These guidelines (hereinafter "guidelines") are intended to help
maintain the high quality of Whitefish Bay's neighborhoods by providing
guidance for the design of new houses, additions and/or remodels in
existing neighborhoods. These guidelines are intended to focus on
the characteristics of neighborhood compatibility and to provide individual
homeowners flexibility to build, expand or remodel to meet their own
needs and objectives.
B.
All new house construction, additions and remodel projects must conform
to the development standards of the zoning districts in which they
are located. The single-family and two-family design guidelines presented
below are intended to go beyond the basic requirements of the Zoning
Ordinance and, in greater detail, address issues specifically related
to neighborhood character and compatibility. These guidelines apply
in all neighborhoods but will perhaps be particularly important in
neighborhoods with established historic or architectural merit and
for individual buildings with historic or architectural merit.
C.
Applicability. The guidelines apply to all new single-family and
two-family structures on individual lots, including new subdivisions
located within or adjacent to existing neighborhoods, and all additions
and remodels requiring a building permit.
D.
Application. These guidelines are provided for the use of homeowners,
builders, contractors, architects, designers, Village staff and Village
decisionmakers.
(1)
Homeowners, builders, architects and other designers are encouraged
to consult the guidelines prior to designing new houses, additions
or remodels for ideas and advice.
(2)
The guidelines can be used as an informational resource by homeowners,
builders and/or designers.
(3)
The guidelines will be used by Village staff and decision makers
as the criteria for making permit decisions.
(4)
Neighborhood residents should consult the guidelines to understand
the neighborhood compatibility concepts which will apply to new construction.
E.
DESIGN AREA
(1)
(2)
(3)
Definitions. The following definitions shall apply under these guidelines:
The design area of a property shall be as outlined in Subsections
(1) through (3) below, and/or subject to such refinements as might
be made by the Building Inspector to deal with unique circumstances
such as curved streets, culs-de-sac, subdivision or zoning district
boundaries, and the like. All homes in the design area must be homes
located within the Village boundaries. The design area should include
a minimum of eight homes.
[Amended 1-21-2019 by Ord. No. 1845]
For parcels abutting Lake Michigan, the design area shall consist
of six residential parcels on both sides of the subject parcel. Homes
only abutting Lake Michigan shall be considered in the design area.
For interior lots, the design area shall consist of all abutting
residential parcels and all interior residential parcels on both sides
of the street within the block of the subject parcel. In no case should
residential parcels abutting Lake Michigan be considered in the design
area.
For corner lots, the design area shall consist of all abutting
residential parcels, all corner residential parcels within 300 feet
of the subject parcel, and any residential parcel located directly
across the street. In no case should residential parcels abutting
Lake Michigan be considered in the design area.
F.
These single-family and two-family residential design guidelines
are organized in four sections:
(1)
Neighborhood patterns. The first section identifies those common
building characteristics which are most apt to define a neighborhood's
appeal and identity. Not all pattern themes will be present in every
neighborhood.
(2)
Elements of building design. This section addresses design integrity
within the individual building.
(3)
Relationships to adjacent properties. This section deals with the
interfaces between new construction and adjacent existing single-family
houses.
(4)
References to treatise. Reference to McAlister: A Field Guide to
American Houses (Knopf 1984) (hereinafter "McAlister") is provided
as a resource for homeowners and builders who wish to understand the
architectural origins of houses and the representative elements of
their style. All references to architectural style or elements in
these design guidelines are to be interpreted and understood by reference
to that book.
[Amended by Ord. No. 1705]
Because the major objective of these guidelines is to ensure that new homes, additions and remodels are appropriately compatible with the design area, compliance with the guidelines in this article is essential for the preservation of the neighborhood character, and consistency with them will be an important component of those projects which qualify for approval. While compatibility with neighboring structures is required, a proposed project should not be so similar in design, materials, style or exterior appearance to structures in the design area that excessive monotony is created. In the event of any conflict between these design guidelines and Article XIII, Historic Preservation, of this chapter, Article XIII, Historic Preservation, shall control.
A.
Setbacks (see Figure 1).
(1)
At a minimum, setbacks must conform to the standards of the applicable
zoning district.
(2)
In addition, front setbacks should be compatible with existing front
setbacks in the design area or on adjacent properties, whichever is
less.
(3)
Side setbacks should generally be compatible with the side setbacks
of adjacent properties if there is a design area pattern of larger
side setbacks than is required by the zoning district.
(4)
Rear termination of the dwelling should generally be compatible with
the rear termination of the dwelling of the properties in the design
area, unless the Architectural Review Commission finds that the scale,
massing, architectural design, and detail of the proposed structure
are such as to mitigate to a substantial degree any negative impacts
on light, air, views and privacy of properties in the Design area.
The rear termination of each dwelling is depicted in red in the following
image:
[Amended 8-29-2022 by Ord. No. 1895]
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B.
Height.
(1)
The height of new houses and additions should be limited to 25 feet
in most design areas. Few design areas in Whitefish Bay have houses
that are taller than 30 feet and even fewer have a significant pattern
of such houses.
(2)
Heights of up to 35 feet, however, may be considered for sites where
the architectural style of the house is a traditional one that is
characteristically tall (for example, Victorian, Gothic, etc.) and
where any two of the following conditions are found:
(a)
The new house or addition is consistent with a design area of
houses which are more than 25 feet tall.
(b)
The new house or addition is not out of scale relative to the homes in the design area with primary consideration given to the adjacent homes and the available remedial approaches as noted in § 16-101.
(c)
The new construction is an addition which adds a minor amount
of mass above 25 feet to a house which is already more than 25 feet
tall, primarily for consistency with the architectural style, ceiling
height or roof characteristics of the existing house.
(d)
The house has side setbacks of 25 feet and a minimum rear setback
of 50 feet.
C.
D.
Garages and parking areas (see Figures 9 through 15).
(1)
Garages should be consistent with those in the design area and should
not be the dominant feature of the facade of a house.
(a)
In design areas with an established pattern of detached garages
located in the rear yard, new garages should also be located at the
rear of the house. Garages on such blocks may be attached if they
are located behind the house, or face the side yard with no garage
walls included in the front facade of the house. Only for properties
with insufficient room due to setbacks the requirements of this section
may be waived by special exception, provided mitigating design elements
are employed.
(b)
In design areas with an established pattern of attached garages,
unless the predominant pattern in the design area for any of the following
requirements is to the contrary:
[1]
The front line of any garage should be set back from the majority
of the front line of the structure a distance sufficient to reduce
the relative overall scale of the garage as compared to the house
front facade and insure that the front house facade is the dominant
feature when observed from the street.
[2]
Attached garages located at the front or side facades of the
house should be no wider than 1/2 the width of the total structure
facade which includes the garage doors.
[Amended 8-14-2017 by Ord. No. 1832]
[3]
In addition, in design areas where the predominant pattern is
attached two-or-more-car garages, new or expanded attached garages
for three cars should be either turned sideways to the street, configured
as two tandem spaces and one single space, or split or offset as two
distinct garages, a two-car garage and a one-car garage.
[4]
Attached garages on corner lots should be located to avoid driveway
paving at or near the corner unless the paving forms an entry court
of superior design.
[5]
No single vehicle entry door of an attached garage which faces
the front yard shall in width exceed 30% of the width of the total
combined residence and garage structure.
(2)
The least amount of paved surface necessary on a lot for driveways
and parking is encouraged. Curb cuts, driveways and parking surfaces
should be no more than the width of two cars, except as follows:
[Amended by Ord. No. 1705]
This article addresses the scale, massing and design integrity
of the individual building. While scale, massing and design integrity
are important to the appearance of individual buildings, their importance
in the context of these guidelines is equally related to the building's
impact and "fit" in its neighborhood or on its block. The guidelines
in this article will be applied most rigorously in design areas with
distinct architectural character.
A.
Scale and massing (see Figures 5 through 7).
(1)
The scale and massing of new houses and additions, including proportions,
roof lines, and slopes, should be consistent with the general scale
and shapes of adjacent houses. Where necessary, the appearance of
excessive scale may be minimized by employing one or more of the following
techniques:
(a)
Limiting the building profile (see Figure 5) of the new house or expanded house to an area generally consistent with the profiles of homes in the design area with primary consideration to the adjacent homes and the available remedial approaches as noted in § 16-101.
(b)
Setting the second story back from the front and sides of the
first story a distance sufficient to reduce the apparent overall scale
of the building.
(c)
Significantly limiting the size of the second story relative
to the first story, including any addition to the first story.
(d)
Significantly increasing the front and/or side setbacks for
the entire structure.
(e)
Sloping the new roof back from adjacent houses.
(2)
The scale and mass of any portion of a new house or addition facing
a public street should be compatible with those of adjacent houses
and/or with the predominant scale in the design area.
(3)
Scale and massing compatibility should include the elevation of floor
plates (including certification by the owner of such proposed elevations
relative to adjacent streets). For example, in design areas with houses
set high on their foundations, new houses and additions should be
set similarly high. In addition, compatibility of scale and massing
should be maintained by:
(a)
Avoiding flat roofs in design areas with a predominant pattern
of peaked roofs unless the building profile area of the flat-roofed
structure is no larger than the profile areas of the adjacent houses.
(b)
If large blank surfaces are proposed, they should serve some
compelling design purpose, and the design should incorporate mitigating
features to enrich the appearance of the structure and provide a sense
of scale at ground level that is inviting to the observer.
Figure 5. Middle building profile area is significantly
larger than adjacent building profiles.
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Figure 6. Large block second story overwhelms the original
house and streetscape.
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Figure 7. Smaller setback second story in scale with and
preserves streetscape lines of the original house.
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B.
Architectural style.
(1)
Architectural styles of new houses and substantial remodels should
be compatible with the architectural styles found in the design areas
and for remodels consistent with the existing house (unless the existing
architectural style is to be changed). Compatibility can be achieved
with the use of any architectural style, provided it employs building
scale, massing, and roof lines, materials and building orientations
that are commonly found in the design area.
(2)
For additions and remodels, the architectural design of the building
elements listed below should be generally consistent with that of
the existing dwelling, unless an objective of a remodel is to change
the existing style to another one or to upgrade one or more of the
building elements, for example, to replace wood window frames with
aluminum ones. (For definition and interpretation with regard to architectural
styles and elements, reference is made to McAlister, which is incorporated
into these design guidelines by reference.) For new houses or houses
with substantial remodels constituting a change in architectural style,
individual building elements should be employed for architectural
consistency. In general, the following building elements should be
stylistically consistent for each building:
(a)
Overall style. The overall style of each house should be consistent
on all sides of the building as well as among all portions of the
roof. Particular care should be taken that building elevations and
roof elements visible from streets and other public or quasi-public
spaces are stylistically consistent. Consistency should be determined
by evaluating each of the building components below. For example,
details such as divided-lite windows, scale and proportion of windows,
matching trim, matching siding exposure, matching siding corners,
maintaining masonry lintels, and maintaining roof pitch and style
should all be replicated on additions and remodels.
[Amended 8-29-2022 by Ord. No. 1895]
(b)
Siding materials. Natural building materials are encouraged.
Synthetic siding/trim materials will be considered based on quality
and appearance. Siding materials should be appropriate to the style
and style era of the house. For example, materials developed after
the establishment of a particular architectural style are not appropriate
on buildings of that style unless the new material is a high quality
and deliberate reproduction of the original material. The same siding
material should be used on all building elevations unless multiple
materials are a legitimate expression of the particular style.
(c)
Roof materials.
[1]
Acceptable sloped roofing materials include:
[a]
Cedar shake.
[b]
Slate.
[c]
Fiberglass.
[d]
Shingles, concrete.
[e]
Shingles, tile.
[f]
Dimensional asphalt shingles.
[g]
Copper.
[h]
Standing seam metal, provided a physical sample of the material
is provided to the Architectural Review Commission for review and
approval.
[Added 8-29-2022 by Ord. No. 1895]
[i]
Materials appearing to be derived from natural settings, as
approved by the Architectural Review Commission in its discretion.
For such materials, a physical sample of the proposed material is
required to be provided to the Architectural Review Commission for
review and approval.
[Added 8-29-2022 by Ord. No. 1895]
[2]
Roof materials should be appropriate to the style of the house
and (except for flat roofs or flat roof portions) should be the same
product for the entire roof system. New materials designed for fire
resistance are appropriate as long as they replicate the traditional
material (e.g., composition or concrete products designed to look
like wood shingles or shakes, non-copper metals designed to look like
copper, synthetic products designed to look like slate or tile).
(d)
Roof lines and roof slopes. Roof lines and slopes should be
generally the same over all parts of a single building. Exceptions
are roof styles or architectural styles that traditionally involve
varying slopes such as gambrel roofs, or, architectural styles that
sometimes mix flat and sloped roofs, such as the Mediterranean style.
In addition, gable and hip roof elements are often used in combinations
and very small gable or shed roof elements used over dormers or to
highlight or shield a prominent window or windows are generally appropriate.
Figure 8. Roof elements should generally have the same
slope.
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Figure 9. Roof elements with varied slopes result in a
building that looks confused and unattractive.
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(e)
Window styles and frame materials. Window styles (double hung,
casement, sliding, fixed, etc.) and frame materials (aluminum, wood,
steel, etc.) are particularly important expressions of architectural
style and should be compatible among all elevations of a building.
Window styles may vary depending on the specific use or size of the
window for some architectural styles. Window frame materials should
not vary on a single building, except in some limited cases where
the frame material is being upgraded. See McAlister for examples of
appropriate window styles and frame materials. Windows in garden rooms,
greenhouses, and solaria may vary from the existing house in style
and materials, provided the style and size of windows on such structure
are not significantly incompatible with the existing house.
(f)
Window sizes and proportions. Window sizes and proportions are
also important expressions of architectural style and should be consistent
with the architectural style of the house. For example, Victorian
windows are typically tall and slender, Ranch-style windows are most
often wider than they are high, International Style windows are often
square, etc. While windows' sizes on a single house most often vary
by the purpose of the room, several styles, e.g., Craftsman Bungalow
and American Revival styles, typically include largely uniform window
heights all around the building. Several styles also traditionally
employ the same window repeated in groups of two, three or four as
a fundamental expression of the style.
(g)
Decorative features.
[1]
Decorative features such as corbels, bargeboards, porch or balcony
rails and columns, other columns and capitals, windowsills, carvings
and any other decorative elements should be consistent, as appropriate,
over the entire building. Some elements such as corbels, bargeboards
and decorative window trim should be consistent on all parts of the
house, while others such as porch and balcony rails may apply only
to those individual structures, typically those located at or near
the front of the house. For purposes of decorative features, consistency
means the same materials, dimensions and design elements. Decorative
consistency is perhaps most critical for additions to houses with
architectural styles which include decorative features as important
elements of the style. Simple decoration added to a house previously
without decorative features is not precluded.
[2]
It is important that exterior details, such as shutters, corner
boards, quoins, cupolas, wing walls, cornices and cornice returns,
gable vents, fanlights, trim boards, lintels, sills, etc., be designed
into the facade together with the other design features. These elements,
where repeated, should be consistently applied throughout the project.
(h)
Chimneys. Masonry chimneys (or chimneys faced with real or artificial
stone, brick or stucco which is satisfactory to the Architectural
Review Commission) will generally be required, even if the fireplaces
themselves are not masonry. Consideration to frame chimneys will be
given based on the context of the project. Frame chimneys not covered
with real or artificial stone, brick, or stucco must be consistent
with the architectural style of the structure and any existing structure
and, to the maximum extent practicable, should not be visible from
the street.
(i)
Garages and sheds. Garages and sheds should be of an architectural
style and detail to be consistent with the residence on the property.
(See Figures 25 through 28.) This section contains additional
guidelines in the form of recommendations intended as suggestions
for application in the single- and two-family design review process
to minimize the impact of new houses or additions on neighboring houses.
Taking care to avoid noise, light, shade, privacy and aesthetic impacts
on neighboring properties will always be appreciated and will often
make the difference between support for and opposition to the new
house or addition. While not mandatory design features, the guidelines
presented in this section are highly desirable for incorporation into
all new residential construction.
A.
Guidelines.
(1)
Balconies and decks. New balconies or decks located more than one
foot above grade on new or existing houses should be built in accordance
with these architectural guidelines and preferably no closer than
20 feet to adjacent rear property lines.
(2)
Exterior lighting.
(a)
Lighting should not be installed in such a manner or at such
total capacity as to shine directly onto adjacent residential properties.
(b)
To the extent practicable, the view of light sources should
be shielded from adjacent residences.
Figure 10. Light should be directed downward and light
sources shielded from off-site view.
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(3)
Site plan. Siting of the project should not impair the lot's natural
beauty or that of the neighborhood. It should respect the shape and
physical attributes of the lot and of the neighborhood, including
drainage matters, mature trees, sun penetration and views as much
as possible. These aspects should be taken into consideration with
respect to the project's effects on neighboring properties. The site
plan should attempt to address drainage, to eliminate or minimize
the loss of mature trees and vegetation and to minimize or reduce
alteration of natural topography.
(4)
Air-conditioning equipment. Air-conditioning equipment can create
noise that is irritating to neighbors. The location of such equipment
should be designated to minimize noise impacts to adjacent properties.
B.
Remedial approaches. If appropriate, the Architectural Review Commission
may require remedial approaches to mitigate impacts on adjacent properties,
including, but not limited to, the following:
(1)
Setting second-story balconies and decks back from property lines
a distance greater than intended by the basic guideline above can
help avoid direct views into adjacent residential windows, patios
and rear yards.
(2)
New windows can be placed to avoid direct views into existing neighboring
windows.
(3)
Views into neighboring buildings and yards can be further minimized
by adding structural screens, such as trellises or wing walls, to
interrupt those views.
(4)
Encouraging smaller building masses at the sides and rear of adjacent
single-family rear yards in order to help preserve privacy and sunlight
access for the neighboring property.
(5)
Avoiding large second-story windows overlooking adjacent rear yards
can limit views into those rear yards.
(7)
Avoiding destruction of mature trees and vegetation.
Figure 11. Offsetting window locations will help prevent
views into adjacent houses.
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