HPC of South Bend and St. Joseph County - Standards Update Draft

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City of South Bend and St. Joseph County Historic Preservation Guidelines 84 For More Information: Fences and Retaining Walls While fences are said to make good neighbors, their design is an important consideration for a historic site or district . Retaining walls, fences and site walls are typically associated with residential contexts; however, they are sometimes used to screen parking and service areas in commercial-use sites. In residential settings, retaining walls are typical features in neighborhoods where the primary structures are elevated from the street, due to a change in topography . The following link provides information on building a historically inspired fence—here . Best Practices • Fences in front yards are not common and generally not approved . • Front yard fences should be short (3’ or less) and open—picket, wrought iron, etc . • Traditional materials such as wood, wrought iron and masonry are approved for the Historic District . In some cases, aluminum fences with a traditional design can be approved . Vinyl is not an acceptable material for fences in the District . Fences should be installed with supports facing to the yard with the finished side facing out to the public. It is advised to consider the impact of parking and support areas like trash areas when proposing to convert a former residence for commercial use . Here are a couple of examples of how that parking could be handled . Removal of buildings to create a parking lot is not approved by the Commission . Screen parking with fences and landscaping . Return to the Table of Contents Fences and Retaining Walls DRAFT