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City of South Bend and St. Joseph County Historic Preservation Guidelines 72 <br />For More Information: About the Districts <br />What are the ratings? <br />Outstanding (O) <br />Properties that are architecturally distinctive and are largely unaltered . They may have additions or minor changes sympathetic to the original design . Outstanding rated buildings generally have an integrity of 90% original or higher. Outstanding rated buildings are often eligible to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places as an individual site for their architectural or historical merit . <br />Review of projects proposed for Outstanding buildings will prioritize retention of original materials instead of replacement . Additions are fine when their design is highly refined and compatible with the original . <br />Notable (N) <br />Properties that were built around the time the district was developed or later that possess a high degree of original design and retain a high level of original materials . Notable buildings may have additions or minor changes which are sympathetic to the original design . Notable buildings will generally have an integrity of 80% or higher. The integrity would include original fenestration, wall finishes, and roofing patterns. Additions and alterations may be present with related architectural features and materials . <br />Review of projects involving Notable rated buildings will favor retention of original materials and form over replacement . When retention is not possible then replacement will prioritize use of <br />similar materials to those originally used. Additions are fine when <br />the design is compatible with the original . <br />Contributing (C) <br />Properties that were built around the time the district was developed or later that retain their basic form and contribute to the historic feel of the neighborhood . These buildings may have changes such as windows, siding or closed-in porches. Such properties are important to the density or continuity of an area’s historic fabric, without detracting from the integrity of the whole . Contributing rated buildings have 50% or higher integrity. <br />Review of projects involving Contributing rated buildings will focus on the retention of original materials and design when intact and the preservation of the basic form and design of the house as originally constructed . More latitude is allowed for replacement materials and details of an addition . <br />Contributing/Non-Historic (CNH) <br />Properties that have been built as new construction in the district which have been reviewed and approved by the Commission . The resulting building is considered compatible and contributes to the district in terms of scale, massing, materials, detailing, and site placement . As a building considered a product of its time and architectural development of the historic district, review is undertaken in a similar manner as contributing-rated historic structures in the district . <br />Review of projects involving a Contributing/Non-Historic Building will focus on the retention of its design in terms of scale, massing, materials, detailing, and site placement with broad latitude for replacement materials that confer the design intent . <br />Non-Contributing (NC) <br />Buildings constructed after the date the district was developed, or buildings from the district’s time of development that have substantial alterations that have completely changed the design of the building, obscuring its original architecture, or otherwise incompatible with their historical surroundings . The integrity is severely decreased, fenestration elements, cladding, and roofing have been replaced, removed, or covered over with no correlation to the original patterns, profiles, or other character defining features. Non-contributing buildings will have an integrity of less than 50%. <br />Review of projects involving non-contributing buildings will follow <br />guidance as found under new construction . <br /> Return to the Table of Contents <br />Want to Improve your Rating? <br />Historic properties deemed <br />Non-Contributing can be <br />made to be Contributing, <br />Notable, or even Outstanding <br />resources when an owner <br />elects to revert a structure to a historic appearance . <br />Contact HPC Staff for more information about <br />projects that could improve the rating of a Historic <br />“Non-Contributing” structure.