New Construction Guidelines

All applications for new construction are heard by the Commissions at a public hearing. If the proposed construction is to replace a building which is to be demolished, the Commissions entertain the Work and Demolition Applications concurrently.

Applications for new construction are subject to a design review process. This process usually begins with a conference between the owner and/or architect and the staff regarding the proposed building. This meeting may involve a discussion of the proposed building's massing, siting, program requirements, the time frame for the design review and any special concerns of the owner or staff. The preliminary conference may occur when a formal application is submitted. The conference is not mandatory; however, it is often very useful to all parties in becoming familiar with the project and the review process.

If other City agencies will be involved in review of various aspects of the proposal, the applicant is encouraged to proceed with those reviews concurrently with the historic district review so that permitting time can be minimized. The same applies if the project will require waivers granted by the Board of Zoning Adjustments.

New construction, like demolition, has a major impact on the appearance of any historic district. To assess this effect, the Commissions often require drawings, renderings and/or models of the proposed building set within the historic context. It is often useful for the applicant to present alternate massing and siting studies as a way of demonstrating how various design approaches will relate to the neighboring buildings. This information is important in the early stages of the design process to gauge the scale and siting relationships of the new construction to the existing buildings.

The formal design review process begins after a completed Work Application is submitted. The project is then scheduled for a review by the Architectural Review Committee (ARC). The results of the ARC review will be communicated to the applicant by letter following the meeting. The ARC recommendation includes any opinions or suggestions which will be conveyed to the Commission prior to the public hearing. If the applicant wishes to go forward with the application following the ARC's review, the matter is placed on the agenda for the Commission's next public hearing. The applicant may wish to postpone a public hearing if an unfavorable recommendation has been made by the ARC. A review may be scheduled for some future meeting after the applicant has had the opportunity to modify his plans.

The review process continues with a public hearing approximately two weeks following the ARC meeting. In the period between meetings, an applicant may modify his proposal based upon the recommendation(s) of the ARC. Any revisions must be received by the staff no later than twenty-four (24) hours prior to the meeting. The rules governing the Commissions' meetings are included as part of the Guidelines. Usually, the Commission may act upon an application for new construction in one of the following ways:

Conceptual Approval.
This action recognizes the general fitness of a proposed design. Any proposal approved in concept must also receive approval for design development and final working drawings. The Commission has the right to assign those subsequent review powers either to itself or the staff and/or ARC. Occasionally conceptual approval is granted with provisions for certain conditions to be met regarding the development of the design.

Return to the ARC.
Referring an application back to the ARC usually indicates that either the Commission (1) has not received enough information to take a positive action, or (2) feels that the project has significant architectural flaws which must be resolved. A return to the ARC does not kill the project; it gives an applicant additional time to develop a concept and make the project more acceptable.

Denial.
This action indicates the Commission's feeling that a proposal is unsuitable. In turning down an application, the Commissions usually clarify any reasons for denial. An applicant has the right to appeal this decision to the City Council. The appeal process is outlined elsewhere in the Guidelines.

The Commissions have adopted the following criteria for reviewing applications for new construction:

In each historic district, there exists a special character which makes each district unique and distinguishable from all others. This character is established by the continuity of architectural elements found in that district. These elements may be the consistent shape and pitch of roofs, the rhythm established by the spacing of buildings on the streets, the existence of walls and fences on streets, or many others. It is the responsibility of the Historic District Landmarks Commissions and that of owners of properties within historic districts to preserve and enhance the character which makes each district unique.

Proposals for new construction in historic districts should seek compatibility with existing structures through the appropriate use of site planning, materials, decorative details, architectural elements, and scale. A proposal should not draw unnecessary attention to itself in any one of these characteristics. However, a proposal need not duplicate or copy historic styles and periods. In historic districts, the architectural context is of primary concern.

In order to better examine whether a proposal for new construction is appropriate for a particular neighborhood, we have listed these characteristics in detail below. While this list does not intend to be a rigid set of rules which will determine acceptable design, perhaps it will serve as an aid in understanding why design does or does not fit, or how to improve a design so that it may be acceptable.

Scale.
The relationship of the building and its elements (including doors and windows) to the human size and to other structures in the district. A building is in scale if its size (height, width, and mass) and the size of its elements relate to the human size. A neighborhood of buildings that relate to the human size creates a context. In this way, buildings relate in scale to other buildings. Therefore, any building which appears larger, wider, taller, shorter, or bulkier than the buildings surrounding it may be out of scale within the context of the neighborhood and, as a result, may be detrimental to the context. Similarly, elements of a building should relate to those of existing buildings. It is important in considering scale, that a careful study be made of the height, width, and mass of buildings in the neighborhood. This study should serve to confirm or deny the appropriateness of the height, width, and mass of the proposed building.

Questions to ask: Does the building visually appear to overwhelm its neighbors? If so, is this due to its height, or its width? Could the volume be arranged in a different way to counter this effect? For example, a wide building could be made taller to lessen its impact or vice versa, depending upon the situation. Does the building appear to be visually overwhelmed by its neighbors? Do the elements of existing buildings in the neighborhood overwhelm the new construction?

Siting.
The positioning of a building on a lot. This process includes determining the setback of a building, the space between the building and adjacent buildings, and the location of the walls, fences, walks, drives, and landscaping, any of which may be part of the overall design. The concern here is to maintain the visual rhythm of the buildings and site elements in the neighborhood, the continuity of the relationship of masses to spaces, and the quality and quantity of landscaping.

Questions to ask: Is the setback of the proposed building similar to the setback of other buildings in the immediate vicinity? Is the spacing between the proposed building and adjacent buildings consistent with that found in the immediate vicinity? Does the proposed design include predominant elements such as walls, fences, and landscaping which may be characteristic of the neighborhood?

Materials.
The surface building fabric which contributes to the exterior character and appearance of a building. Appropriate materials include those which are predominant in a district. However, materials need not be identical to those in a district if they are complementary. Inappropriate materials include those which unsuccessfully pretend to be something they are not, such as plastic "bricks" and aluminum or vinyl "weatherboards." All are imitations which fail to produce the texture, proportions and colors of the real materials.

Questions to ask: Is the proposed material predominant in the surrounding neighborhood? If not, is it compatible with those which are predominant? Do the materials have similar texture, dimensions, or color?

Decorative Details.
Ornamentation or embellishment, at times independent of construction, although elements of construction may be decorative. These include cornices, lintels, arches, balustrades, chimneys, shutters, columns, and other common details. When used, details should create a unifying effect on a building and should be compatible with the context of the neighborhood.

Questions to ask: If a building is of a particular historic style, are the details used appropriate for the style? If a building is not of a historic style, do the details used, if any, complement the building? Are they used creatively to achieve an overall, unifying effect?

Architectural Elements.
Parts of a building that are integral to its composition. These include balconies, roofs, porches, chimneys, dormers, parapets, and other parts of a building that contribute to its overall shape and silhouette. The choice and arrangement of elements of a proposed building should reflect those of older buildings in the neighborhood. A building should not draw unnecessary attention to itself by failing to relate to neighboring styles; however, neither should it necessarily copy the neighboring styles. The objective is to complement the context of the neighborhood.

Questions to ask: Does the directionality of elements of the proposed building complement the directionality of elements of the existing buildings? If, for example, a strong sense of verticality is expressed by the elements of the existing buildings, do the elements of the proposed building complement or reinforce this characteristic of verticality?

The above information has been developed in order to provide guidelines for the Commissions' use in reviewing new construction proposals. The architectural context of any historic district, whether homogeneous or a mixture of many styles and elements, has evolved over time. This context should be respected whenever a new building is being planned. Through careful study of a historic neighborhood's visual character, a designer can create a building which will complement that neighborhood.