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replaced by suitable flora. All high - intensity security lights should be approved by the Historic Preservation <br />Commission. <br />Prohibited <br />No changes may be made to the appearance of the site by removing major landscaping items, trees, fencing, walkways, <br />outbuildings or other elements before evaluating their importance to the property's history and development. Front yard <br />areas shall not be transformed into parking lots nor paved nor blacktopped. Front yard areas shall not be fenced and <br />fences shall not extend forward beyond the setback line of the house. The installation of unsightly devices such as <br />television reception dishes and solar collectors shall not be permitted in areas where they can be viewed from the public <br />thoroughfare. <br />Not Recommended <br />Telephone or utility poles with high- intensity overhead lights should be installed so that they cannot be seen from the <br />thoroughfare. <br />II. EXISTING STRUCTURES <br />A. BUILDING MATERIALS <br />Original exterior wall materials in the district include limestone, flagstone, stucco, clapboard, wood shingles, sandstone <br />and masonry block. In some instances, vinyl or aluminum siding has been applied over the original surface. <br />Required <br />Original exterior building materials shall be retained. Deterioration of wood materials shall be prevented through <br />repair, cleaning and painting. The existing or original architectural detail around windows, porches, doors and eaves <br />should be retained or replaced by replicas of the same design and materials when deteriorated beyond repair. Masonry <br />including brick, limestone, flagstone, sandstone and stucco shall be cleaned only when necessary to halt deterioration <br />or to remove stains, and shall be done with a method acceptable for the preservation of the surface: i.e. low pressure <br />water and soft natural bristle brushes. When repairing stucco, stucco mixture compatible in composition, color and <br />texture shall be used. <br />Recommended <br />Whenever possible, the original building materials should be restored. Metal or vinyl siding may be used when it is the <br />only alternative to maintaining or replacing the original surface material. When used over wood surfaces, this siding <br />should be the same size and style as the original wood. Every effort should be made to retain the original trim around <br />windows, doors, cornices, gables, eaves and other architectural features. Ample ventilation must be afforded the <br />structure when metal or vinyl siding has been installed in order to prevent increased deterioration of the structure from <br />moisture and/or insects. Mortar joints should be repointed only when there is evidence of moisture problems or when <br />sufficient mortar is missing to allow water to stand in the mortar joint. Existing mortar shall be duplicated in <br />composition, color, texture, joint size, method of application and joint profile. It is emphasized that, prior to initiating <br />any restoration or rehabilitation effort, the property owner should contact the Historic Preservation Commission of <br />South Bend and St. Joseph County which is located in the County/City Building of South Bend. The Commission is an <br />invaluable source of information about all facets of rehabilitation and restoration. <br />Prohibited <br />Wood siding shall not be resurfaced with new material which is inappropriate or was unavailable when the building <br />was constructed, such as artificial stone, brick veneer, asbestos or asphalt shingles. Sandblasting or the use of harsh <br />detergents shall not be used on masonry including brick, stucco, limestone, flagstone and sandstone. This method of <br />cleaning erodes the surface material and accelerates deterioration. Brick surfaces shall not be painted unless they had <br />been painted originally. Re- pointing shall not be done with a mortar of high Portland cement content which can often <br />create a bond that is stronger than the building material. This can cause deterioration as a result of the differing <br />coefficient of expansion and the differing porosity of the material and the mortar which can result in serious damage to <br />adjacent brick. Paint shall not be removed from masonry surfaces indiscriminately. <br />Not Recommended <br />Waterproof or water repellent coatings or surface consolidation treatments should not be used on masonry surfaces <br />unless required to solve a specific problem that has been studied and identified. Coatings are frequently unnecessary <br />and expensive, and can accelerate deterioration of the masonry. Mortar joints which do not need re- pointing should not <br />be re- pointed. <br />B. ROOFS ANDROOFING <br />Roof shapes in the district encompass all the various designs found in residential structures: hipped, gable, gambrel, <br />flat, and combinations of these. Roofs are covered with a variety of materials such as asphalt, asbestos, wood and slate <br />shingles as well as clay tiles. Residences in most cases have wood facias with gutters and downspouts. The facias of <br />some vinyl or aluminum sided houses are covered with the saint material. <br />Required <br />The existing shape and materials of the roof shall be retained. All architectural features which give the roof its essential <br />character shall be retained, including dormer windows, cupolas, cornices, brackets, chimneys, cresting and weather <br />vanes. <br />Recommended <br />Whenever possible, the original shape and materials of the roof shall be restored. Particular effort should be made to <br />retain materials such as slate, tile, and other unique materials not commonly found in new construction. Roof covering <br />which is deteriorated beyond repair should be replaced with new material that matches as closely as possible the <br />original in composition, size, shape, color and texture. Gutters and downspouts are often a necessary adjunct in order to <br />