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B. BUILDING SITE, LANDSCAPING & ACCESSORIES
<br />This section focuses on individual properties and amenities. Building sites tend to be irregularly shaped, of varying topography
<br />and with different setbacks with regard to plots. Alleys are generally behind houses. Landscape accessories like fences are
<br />unique to each structure. Chapin Place presents a unique situation within the district. Applications from properties that have
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<br />property lines on Chapin Park will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
<br />Required
<br />Fencing, walkways, outbuildings, private yard lights, signs (i.e. house numbers) and benches (visible from the street) as
<br />well as trees located in a yard or tree lawn which reflect the property's history and development shall be retained.
<br />A tree located in such areas shall only be removed if the removal is required due to storm damage, disease, threatened damage to
<br />a structure or for such other reason acceptable to the Historic Preservation Commission. Storm damage or diseased trees should
<br />then be replaced with an approved species at the same or approximate location wherever possible. Fencing visible from the
<br />street in front of the structure shall be open (meaning spaces between the pickets) and consistent with the historic
<br />character of a structure enclosed.
<br />Recommended
<br />New site work should be based upon actual knowledge of the past appearance of the property found in photographs,
<br />drawings and newspapers. New site work should also be appropriate to existing surrounding site elements in scale, type
<br />and appearance. Front yard areas should remain open. (See above for information regarding fences.) Trees in close
<br />proximity to a building may cause structural damage. Owners are encouraged to remove these trees and replace (or replant) them
<br />at a more appropriate location as soon as planting season permits and upon approval of a C of A.
<br />Prohibited
<br />No changes may be made to the appearance of the site by removing trees, fencing, walkways, outbuildings or other
<br />elements before evaluating their importance to the property's history and development. Front yard areas shall not be
<br />transformed into parking lots nor paved nor blacktopped, nor enclosed by solid fences, chain link, nor industrial /
<br />commercial style fences.
<br />The installation of unsightly large devices, such as television satellite dishes, skylights or solar panels, shall not be permitted in
<br />areas where they detract from the architecture of a building, are intrusive to the public view of the building or are highly visible
<br />from a public street, or ruled inappropriate after Commission review.
<br />Utility poles with high-intensity overhead lights should be installed so that they cannot be seen from a street. The Commission
<br />will evaluate all installations as well as any potential exceptions resulting from special circumstances, before granting a C of A.
<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 instances, vinyl, composite and aluminum siding have been applied over the original material.
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<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
<br />deterioration or to remove stains and shall be done in a method acceptable for the preservation of the surface: i.e. low-
<br />pressure water and soft natural bristle brushes. Brick or masonry mortar joints should be repointed only when there is
<br />evidence of moisture problems, or when sufficient mortar is missing to allow water to stand in the mortar joint. Existing
<br />mortar shall be duplicated in composition, 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
<br />structure from moisture and 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.
<br />Property owners should contact the Historic Preservation Commission of South Bend and St. Joseph County prior to initiating
<br />any restoration or 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 materials 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
<br />sandstone. This method of cleaning erodes the surface material and accelerates deterioration.
<br />Repointing shall not be done with a mortar of high Portland cement content which can often create a bond that is
<br />stronger than the building material. Usage of Portland cement can cause deterioration as a result of the differing
<br />coefficient of expansion and porosity of the historic masonry unit and the mortar. This most often results in serious
<br />damage to adjacent brick.
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