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GUIDELINES & STANDARDS FOR HISTORIC PRESER VA TION & DEVELOPMENT CHAPIN PARK LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICT PREFACE The Chapin Park Neighborhood has a long history as a place where communal action and a spirit of care -taking prevail. In the 1970s neighborly action saved our remaining brick streets and historic street lamps. Large numbers of homeowners invested time and energy in the careful restoration of their homes and the preservation of our mature tree canopy. Our history of community spirit and interest in preservation provided the impetus for the designation of Local Historic District Status. The Chapin Park Local Historic District was established by Ordinance No. 9574-05, as enacted by the Common Council of the City of South Bend on March 14, 2005. The Chapin Park Neighborhood Association and the Historic Districts Committee of the Historic Preservation Commission cooperatively developed guidelines and standards adhering to rehabilitation standards (see b2 — Rehabilitation on page 15). These were modeled after the rehabilitation standards of other local historic districts in South Bend. The intent of the Local Historic District Guidelines and Standards is to impress upon property owners their communal responsibility. In order to ensure that our properties remain the examples of their kind and historic moment, and that the neighborhood remains aesthetically intact both on the level of the streetscape and on the level of individual architectural details, we seek to instill in each other the importance of education and consultation regarding any changes to property. We do this knowing that this personal interaction both with civic agencies, and with each other, is one of the things that make our community such a humane, interesting and dynamic place to live. Under the requirements of City of South Bend Zoning Ordinance No. 5565-73, as amended, a Certificate of Appropriateness (C of A) would be required for any activity in the district which requires a building permit or which alters the appearance of a building or site, including houses, garages, and other outbuildings, as seen from the streets around the property. The guidelines and standards are intended to preserve the way the neighborhood looks as of March 14, 2005, to provide guidance about proper rehabilitation techniques, and to encourage, where possible, a return to original historic appearance. Changes made before Local Historic District Status was adopted, as well as paint color, flowers and landscape vegetation, do not require a C of A. Planting or removal of trees in the yard or tree lawn does require a C of A, and input from the city forester is often helpful. There is some flexibility in interpretation, and while decisions of the Historic Preservation Commission are