Standards and Guidelines 2023-0607

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City of South Bend and St. Joseph County Historic Preservation Guidelines 44 Commercial Standards: Doors and Entrances General understanding and approach The character-defining features of a historic door, surround, materials, and placement should be preserved . New doors should be in character with the main facade of the historic building . Historic doors should be repaired . Installing and weather-stripping doors and associated frames is a preferred method to replacement for improving energy efficiency. Read more about doors and storefronts here . What is your project? Repair a deteriorated front façade or other publicly visible façade entrance door • Preserve historic doors by repairing with the same material and matching features . • Historic details that should be preserved through rehabilitation include the door itself, any glass panes and related lite pattern and location, and hardware . Replace a deteriorated or damaged historic door • Doors beyond repair, defined as over 50% of material needing replacement, should be replaced with a new door matching the existing door in materials, design, details, panel configuration and installation . • Historic doors on rear or alley locations can be replaced with alternatives such as metal to provide added security . Add a new door or entrance • New entrances and their doors should be added to rear or alley facades . • New entrances and their doors proposed for the main façade should relate to the overall design of the storefront and front facade . • The main entrance and door on the front façade should be retained to maintain the original proportions, scale, and detailing of the entrance and associated door . • When proposing reconstruction or rehabilitation of an altered entrance, the design should be based on physical evidence and/or historic images of the missing element or historic images of similar age buildings from the District . • New entrances may be developed when historic entrances have been removed and no evidence of the original entrance exists . New entrances should be developed with proportions and details that are reflective of the period of the building. Starkly modern entrances should be avoided on historic buildings . Administratively Approvable Repair of doors with the same materials, design, details, panel configuration and installation. Replacement of an existing door damaged beyond repair, with a matching door. Administratively Approvable Repair to match a historic door with the same materials. The change in an exterior door swing required by code or fire regulations. Administratively Approvable Creating a new entrance on a rear or alley facade. Doors and Entrances