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THE ENVIRONMENT
<br />A. THE DISTRICT ENVIRONMENT
<br />The Chapin Park Local Historic District is a particularly fine residential area located close to downtown South Bend, the St. Joseph
<br />River, Memorial Hospital and Leeper Park. This section is meant to protect and guide appropriate maintenance of the common
<br />areas of the district (i.e. visual landscape and streetscapes)
<br />Required
<br />Brick streets contribute greatly to the character of the neighborhood. These streets have always been essentially passenger car
<br />thoroughfares. The appointments of the streets (i.e. lighting, curbs, horse hitches and monuments) should contribute as much as
<br />possible to their architectural, historic, and residential character.
<br />Retention and maintenance of existing brick streets in the district is required. Repair work to fill voids and gaps must utilize brick
<br />paver materials and acceptable installation methods whenever applicable. When utility work dictates the removal of street sections
<br />(pavers), the original materials will be reinstalled. Brick streets shall be patched with brick pavers. Concrete, asphalt, fillers, and
<br />similar materials shall not be used.
<br />All original streetlights shall be maintained, especially the George Cutter "Park View" streetlights designed by the Cutter Company
<br />for this neighborhood. Present efforts by the Neighborhood
<br />- ---
<br />---- -- Association and the Historic Preservation Commission to restore "Park View" streetlights--- ---- — to- the --- district- -----
<br />sh--
<br />all continue. Any change
<br />in lighting must receive approval of the Historic Preservation Commission.
<br />New or different fencing requires a C of A and shall reflect the style and character of the individual property and the surrounding
<br />environment and properties.
<br />Recommended
<br />The current or historic character of lawns should be preserved. Front yard areas, common lawns, and tree lawns should remain
<br />open. New or replacement trees should be compatible in variety with those presently growing. Vacant lots should be kept
<br />landscaped appropriately while vacant, and may be used for recreational or residential development.
<br />When replacement of utility poles or power supply lines is necessary, consideration should be given to underground conduits or
<br />utility poles erected along rear property lines.
<br />Prohibited
<br />Existing relationships of buildings and their environments shall not be destroyed by widening existing streets, applying asphalt or
<br />other bituminous coverings, or by introducing new streets or parking lots. Signs, streetlights, benches, new plant materials, fencing,
<br />walkways, and paving materials which are out of scale or inappropriate to the neighborhood may not be used. The erection of high
<br />walls or barriers, which would alter the relationship of the houses, shall be prohibited. Utility poles with high intensity overhead
<br />-- - lights shall not be used on main thoroughfares.
<br />II. 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
<br />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.
<br />Masonry, including brick and stucco structures, shall be maintained, and properly cleaned only when necessary to halt deterioration
<br />or to remove stains and shall be done in a method acceptable for the preservation of the surface: i.e. low pressure water and soft
<br />natural bristle brushes. Brick or masonry mortar joints should be repointed only when there is evidence of moisture problems, or
<br />when sufficient mortar is missing to allow water to stand in the mortar joint. Existing mortar shall be duplicated in composition,
<br />color, texture, joint size, method of application, and joint profile.
<br />When repairing stucco, stucco mixture shall be used. A professional shall make a study of the old stucco, to determine the exact
<br />mixture and underlayment used in the original work. Some repair methods are not compatible with the original techniques and
<br />may cause early disintegration of the repair work and the original work.
<br />Ample ventilation must be afforded the structure when siding is installed, in order to prevent increased deterioration of the structure
<br />from moisture and insects.
<br />Recommended
<br />Whenever possible, the original building materials should be restored. When maintaining or replacing 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.
<br />Property owners should contact the Historic Preservation Commission of South Bend and St. Joseph County prior to initiating
<br />any restoration of rehabilitation effort. [Address and contact information is listed in the front of the Guidebook.] The
<br />Commission is an invaluable source of information about all facets of rehabilitation and restoration - materials, methods,
<br />contractors and the like.
<br />Prohibited
<br />Wood siding shall not be resurfaced with new material that is inappropriate or was unavailable when the building was
<br />constructed, such as artificial stone, brick veneer, asbestos or asphalt shingles.
<br />Sandblasting or the use of harsh detergents shall not be used on masonry including brick, stucco, limestone, flagstone and
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