A.
In determining the recommendations to be made to the Borough Council
concerning the issuance of a certificate of appropriateness, the HARB
shall consider only those matters that are pertinent to the preservation
of the historical and/or architectural aspect and nature of the building
or structure site, area or district certified to have historical significance.
The HARB shall consider the Secretary of the Interior's Standards
for the Treatment of Historic Properties with Guidelines for Preserving,
Rehabilitating, Restoring, and Reconstructing Historic Buildings,
as well as any additional guidelines for the Historic District that
the HARB may prepare and approve from time to time.
B.
In addition, the Board, when applicable, shall consider the following:
(1)
Broad historical values representing the cultural, political, economic
or social history of the Borough.
(2)
The relationship of the building or structure to historic personages
or events.
(3)
Significant architectural types, representative of a certain historical
period and a style of method of construction.
(4)
The effect of the proposed change upon the general historical and
architectural nature of the District.
(5)
The appropriateness of the exterior architectural features which
can be seen from a public street or way.
(6)
The general design, arrangement, texture, and material of a building
or structure and the relation of such factors to similar features
of buildings or structures in the Historic District. Consideration
shall be given but not be limited to the following:
(a)
Proportion of buildings' front facades. Preserving the
relationship between the width of the front of the building and the
height of the front of the building in the Historic District.
(b)
Proportion of openings within the building. Preserving the relationship
of width to height of windows and doors in the Historic District.
(c)
Rhythms of solids to voids in the front facade. Preserving the
relationship between a recurrent alteration of strong and weak architectural
elements in the Historic District, thereby maintaining a rhythm of
solids to voids.
(d)
Rhythm of spacing of buildings on streets. Preserving the existing
rhythm of recurrent or repeated building masses to spaces between
each building in the Historic District.
(e)
Rhythm of entrance and/or porch projections. Preserving the
existing rhythm of entrances or porch projections in the Historic
District to maintain a pedestrian scale.
(f)
Relationship of materials. Preserving the predominant materials
of the Historic District, such as brick, stone, stucco, wood siding,
or other material.
(g)
Relationship of textures. Preserving the predominant textures
of the Historic District, which may be smooth, such as stucco, or
rough, such as brick with tooled joints or horizontal wood siding,
or other textures.
(h)
Relationship of architectural details. Preserving character-defining
features of buildings such as architectural details, including but
not limited to cornices, lintels, arches, quoins, balustrades and
ironwork, chimneys, etc.
(i)
Relationship of roof shapes. Preserving compatible roof shapes,
such as gable, mansard, hip, flat, gambrel, and/or other kinds of
roof shapes.
(j)
Walls of continuity. Preserving physical elements which comprise
streetscapes, such as brick walls, wrought iron fences, building facades
or combinations of these which form visual continuity and cohesiveness
along the street.
(k)
Directional expression of front elevation. Preserving the orientation
of structural shapes, plan of openings and architectural detail that
reflect a predominantly vertical or horizontal character to the building's
facade.
(l)
Scale. Preserving the scale of the built environment created
by the size of units of construction and architectural detail that
relate to the size of persons. In addition, preserving building mass
in its relation to open space.
(m)
Color. If and to the extent that Council approves a color palette
for the Historic District, preserving exterior paint colors in conformity
to such palette.
(o)
Variations. The HARB may grant variations in a manner that will
be in harmony with the character of other buildings or structures
on the street and/or districts.
(7)
The height of any new building or structure shall not exceed the
height of the highest adjacent building or structure by 10%. This
requirement shall also apply to any proposed modifications to existing
buildings or structures.
(8)
In such rare cases where the HARB recommends and the Borough Council
approves demolition of an historic building or structure, a good-faith
effort shall be made by the Borough and the owner(s) to move said
building or structure to a proximate site. If moving a building or
structure slated to be demolished is economically or practically infeasible,
efforts shall be made to salvage architectural features of said building
or structure for use within the Borough.
(10)
Financial feasibility. The HARB shall consider the financial feasibility
of its recommendations in response to a request for a certificate
of appropriateness or building permit for the erection, reconstruction,
alteration, and restoration of a building or structure. Financial
feasibility shall be determined by the HARB on the basis of an unreasonable
cost for repair or replacement in kind of whole or part of a building
or structure. The applicant shall submit a minimum of three estimates
from bona fide contractors and/or vendors substantiating his or her
claim that the financial feasibility of repair is unreasonable. The
HARB shall determine as to the condition of said architectural feature
based on its inspection, photographs or report from the Building Inspector
or preservation staff or consultant. No substitute material shall
be approved which is inappropriate, incompatible, or destructive or
has the potential to be destructive to the original fabric of the
building or structure.
(11)
Prohibited materials. No vinyl or aluminum siding or other material
shall be allowed on the exterior of any masonry wall of a building
or structure. No capping with aluminum or vinyl or other material
shall be allowed on the exterior of character-defining features of
a building or structure.
A.
No sign or permanent external advertising display of any kind shall
be erected, altered or used in the Historic District, except for advertising
informing the public of the services, business, occupation or profession
carried on, in or about the property on which such sign or permanent
external advertising display appears. In conjunction with this, no
such sign or advertising display of any kind or for any purpose shall
be erected or altered, notwithstanding zoning sign approval, until
an application for review is submitted to and reviewed by the HARB
for its conformity in exterior material composition, exterior structural
design, external appearance and size with similar advertising or information
media used in the architectural period of the Historic District and
a certificate of appropriateness is approved by the Borough Council.
B.
All other requirements of any Borough ordinance must be complied
with. Historical markers may be authorized by the HARB, subject to
the provisions stipulated, and such markers shall not be considered
as signs but are to be erected in accordance with any requirements
established for historic markers by the HARB.
