Laserfiche WebLink
STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES: <br />L EXISTING STRUCTURES <br />A. BUILDING MATERIALS <br />Original exterior building materials in the district include brick, stucco, clapboard, wood shingles, and brick or stone masonry. In <br />some instances, vinyl, composite and aluminum siding have been applied over the original material. <br />Required <br />Original exterior building materials shall be retained when possible. Deterioration of wood materials shall be prevented through <br />repair, cleaning and painting. The existing architectural detail around windows, porches, doors and eaves shall be retained or <br />replaced by replicas of the same design when deteriorated beyond repair. Masonry, including brick and stucco structures, shall <br />be maintained, and properly cleaned only when necessary to halt deterioration or to remove stains and shall be done in a method <br />acceptable for the preservation of the surface: i.e. low-pressure water and soft natural bristle brushes. Brick or masonry mortar <br />joints should be repointed only when there is evidence of moisture problems, or when sufficient mortar is missing to allow water <br />to stand in the mortar joint. Existing mortar shall be duplicated in composition, color, texture, joint size, method of application <br />and joint profile. When repairing stucco, stucco mixture shall be used. A professional shall make a study of the old stucco, to <br />determine the exact mixture and underlayment used in the original work. Some repair methods are not compatible with the <br />original techniques and may cause early disintegration of the repair work and the original work. Ample ventilation must be <br />afforded the structure when siding is installed, in order to prevent increased deterioration of the structure from moisture and <br />insects. <br />Recommended <br />Whenever possible, the original building materials should be restored. When maintaining or repairing original siding is not <br />feasible, aluminum, vinyl or composite siding may be used. When used over wood surfaces, this siding should be the same size <br />and style as the original wood. Every effort should be made to retain the original trim around windows, doors, cornices, gables, <br />eaves and other architectural features. Property owners should contact the Historic Preservation Commission of South Bend and <br />St. Joseph County prior to initiating any restoration or rehabilitation effort. [Address and contact information is listed in the front <br />of the Guidebook.] The Commission is an invaluable source of information about all facets of rehabilitation and restoration — <br />materials, methods, contractors and the like. <br />C. WINDOWS AND DOORS <br />Window and door frames are in most cases wood and vary depending upon the style of the home. Many are double hung <br />windows with wood trim and sills. Brick structures have stone sills and brick lintels. In some cases where aluminum siding has <br />been applied, the window and door trim has been covered. About half of the structures in the district have aluminum storm <br />windows; the other half have wood storm windows. <br />Required <br />Original windows and doors shall be retained including sashes, lintels, sills, shutters, decorative glass, pediments, hoods and <br />hardware. When deteriorated beyond repair, they shall be replaced with units and trim resembling the original. <br />Recommended <br />Wood storm windows and doors painted or finished to match the original should be used but should not damage existing frames. <br />If new sashes or doors are installed, the existing or original materials, design and hardware should be used. When metal storm <br />doors are used, they should be painted, anodized or coated to match the existing. When awnings are used, they should be of <br />canvas material. <br />Prohibited <br />Original doors, windows and hardware shall not be discarded when they can be restored and reused in place. New window and <br />door openings, which would alter the scale and proportion of the building may not be introduced. Inappropriate new window and <br />door features such as metal, vinyl or fiberglass awnings, hoods or aluminum insulating glass combinations that require removal <br />of original windows and doors, shall not be installed. <br />Not Recommended <br />Fake shutters that would detract from the existing character or appearance of the building should not be used. <br />C. SHEDS AND ACCESSORY BUILDINGS <br />Required <br />Sheds and accessory structures (gazebos, decks, doghouses, playhouses, fountains and small reflecting pools, outdoor sculpture, <br />children's play equipment, etc.) shall be located at the rear of the property and as unobtrusively as possible while preserving <br />historical relationships between the buildings, landscape features and open spaces. Proportions and materials shall conform to <br />those required for new construction. <br />Recommended <br />Accessory building designs should be compatible in character and mood to the residence and the neighborhood. <br />Prohibited <br />Prefabricated metal sheds shall not be used. <br />Not Recommended <br />Prefabricated wood composition sheds should not be used unless they conform to all other guide -lines and standards <br />STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends approval of the projects except for the vinyl siding over the stucco on the <br />second storey of the house and the doors since we do not have the actual product descriptions at the time of the mailing. <br />Member of the public, Joan Downs offered several points including attention to the style of the <br />divided light windows, that the Chapin Park Neighborhood contained mostly historic windows, <br />that steel is not the best material for door choice, that garages do not always match house <br />completely, that Gary Hershberger is the finest mason, and an objection to vinyl with a <br />suggestion to use the highest quality cement board as a second choice to stucco. <br />0 <br />