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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 a structure
<br />or for such other reason acceptable to the Historic Preservation Commission. Storm damage or diseased trees should then be replaced with
<br />an approved species at the same or approximate location wherever possible. Fencing visible from the street in front of the structure shall
<br />be open (meaning spaces between the pickets) and consistent with the historic 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, drawings and
<br />newspapers. New site work should also be appropriate to existing surrounding site elements in scale, type and appearance. Front
<br />yard areas should remain open. (See above for information regarding fences.) Trees in close proximity to a building may cause
<br />structural damage. Owners are encouraged to remove these trees and replace (or replant) them at a more appropriate location as soon as
<br />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 elements before
<br />evaluating their importance to the property's history and development. Front yard areas shall not be transformed into parking lots
<br />nor paved nor blacktopped, nor enclosed by solid fences, chain link, nor industrial / commercial style fences.
<br />The installation of unsightly large devices, such as television satellite dishes, skylights or solar panels, shall not be permitted in areas where
<br />they detract from the architecture of a building, are intrusive to the public view of the building or are highly visible from a public street, or
<br />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 will evaluate
<br />all installations as well as any potential exceptions resulting frau 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 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 repair,
<br />cleaning and painting. The existing architectural detail around windows, porches, doors and eaves shall be retained or replaced by replicas of
<br />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 mixture and
<br />underlayment used in the original work. Some repair methods are not compatible with the original techniques and may cause early
<br />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 from
<br />moisture and insects.
<br />Recommended
<br />Whenever possible, the original building materials should be restored. When maintaining or repairing original siding is not feasible,
<br />aluminum, vinyl or composite siding may be used. When used over wood surfaces, this siding should be the same size and style as the
<br />original wood. Every effort should be made to retain the original trim around windows, doors, cornices gables, eaves and other architectural
<br />features.
<br />Property owners should contact the Historic Preservation Commission of South Bend and St. Joseph County prior to initiating any restoration
<br />or rehabilitation effort. [ Address and contact information is listed in the front of the Guidebook.] The Commission is an invaluable source
<br />of information about all facets of rehabilitation and restoration — materials, methods, 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 constructed, such as
<br />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 sandstone.
<br />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 stronger than the
<br />building material. Usage of Portland cement can cause deterioration as a result of the differing coefficient of expansion and porosity
<br />of the historic masonry unit and the mortar. This most often results in serious damage to adjacent brick.
<br />Unpainted masonry surfaces shall not be painted unless they had been painted originally. Paint shall not be removed from masonry
<br />surfaces by any means that damage the surface.
<br />Not Recommended
<br />Waterproof or water repellant coatings or surface consolidation treatments should not be used on masonry surfaces unless required
<br />to solve a specific problem that has been studied and identified. Coatings are frequently unnecessary and expensive, and can
<br />accelerate deterioration of the masonry. Mortar joints, which do not need repointing, should not be repointed. Wood siding should
<br />not be power -washed.
<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 windows with
<br />wood trim and sills. Brick structures have stone sills and brick lintels. In some cases where aluminum siding has been applied, the window
<br />and door trim has been covered. About half of the structures in the district have aluminum storm windows; the other half have wood storm
<br />windows.
<br />Required
<br />Original windows and doors shall be retained including sashes, lintels, sills, shutters, decorative glass, pediments, hoods and hardware.
<br />When deteriorated beyond repair, they shall be replaced with units and trim resembling the original.
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