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Required Plants, trees, fencing, walkways, private yard lights, signs (house numbers) and benches which reflect the property's history and development shall be retained. Recommended New site work should be based upon actual knowledge of the past appearance of the property found in photographs, drawings and newspapers. New site work should be appropriate to existing surrounding site elements in scale, type and appearance. Plant materials and trees in close proximity to the building that are causing deterioration to the building's historic fabric should be removed. However, trees and plant materials that must be removed should be immediately replaced by suitable flora. All high - intensity security lights should be approved by the Historic Preservation Commission. Prohibited No changes may be made to the appearance of the site by removing major landscaping items, trees, fencing, walkways, outbuildings or other elements before evaluating their importance to the property's history and development. Front yard areas shall not be transformed into parking lots nor paved nor blacktopped. Front yard areas shall not be fenced and fences shall not extend forward beyond the setback line of the house. The installation of unsightly devices such as television reception dishes and solar collectors shall not be permitted in areas where they can be viewed from the public thoroughfare. Not Recommended Telephone or utility poles with high - intensity overhead lights should be installed so that they cannot be seen from the thoroughfare. II. EXISTING STRUCTURES A. BUILDING MATERIALS Original exterior wall materials in the district include limestone, flagstone, stucco, clapboard, wood shingles, sandstone and masonry block. In some instances, vinyl or aluminum siding has been applied over the original surface. Required Original exterior building materials shall be retained. Deterioration of wood materials shall be prevented through repair, cleaning and painting. The existing or original architectural detail around windows, porches, doors and eaves should be retained or replaced by replicas of the same design and materials when deteriorated beyond repair. Masonry including brick, limestone, flagstone, sandstone and stucco shall be cleaned only when necessary to halt deterioration or to remove stains, and shall be done with a method acceptable for the preservation of the surface: i.e. low pressure water and soft natural bristle brushes. When repairing stucco, stucco mixture compatible in composition, color and texture shall be used. Recommended Whenever possible, the original building materials should be restored. Metal or vinyl siding may be used when it is the only alternative to maintaining or replacing the original surface material. When used over wood surfaces, this siding should be the same size and style as the original wood. Every effort should be made to retain the original trim around windows, doors, cornices, gables, eaves and other architectural features. Ample ventilation must be afforded the structure when metal or vinyl siding has been installed in order to prevent increased deterioration of the structure from moisture and/or insects. Mortar joints should be repointed only when there is evidence of moisture problems or when sufficient mortar is missing to allow water to stand in the mortar joint. Existing mortar shall be duplicated in composition, color, texture, joint size, method of application and joint profile. It is emphasized that, prior to initiating any restoration or rehabilitation effort, the property owner should contact the Historic Preservation Commission of South Bend and St. Joseph County which is located in the County /City Building of South Bend. The Commission is an invaluable source of information about all facets of rehabilitation and restoration. Prohibited Wood siding shall not be resurfaced with new material which is inappropriate or was unavailable when the building was constructed, such as artificial stone, brick veneer, asbestos or asphalt shingles. Sandblasting or the use of harsh detergents shall not be used on masonry including brick, stucco, limestone, flagstone and sandstone. This method of cleaning erodes the surface material and accelerates deterioration. Brick surfaces shall not be painted unless they had been painted originally. Re- pointing shall not be done with a mortar of high Portland cement content which can often create a bond that is stronger than the building material. This can cause deterioration as a result of the differing coefficient of expansion and the differing porosity of the material and the mortar which can result in serious damage to adjacent brick. Paint shall not be removed from masonry surfaces indiscriminately.