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New or different fencing requires a C of A and shall reflect the style and character of the individual property and the surrounding environment
<br />and properties.
<br />Recommended
<br />The current or historic character of lawns should be preserved. Front yard areas, common lawns, and tree lawns should remain open. New or
<br />replacement trees should be compatible in variety with those presently growing. Vacant lots should be kept landscaped appropriately while
<br />vacant, and may be used for recreational or residential development.
<br />When replacement of utility poles or power supply lines is necessary, consideration should be given to underground conduits or utility poles
<br />erected along rear property lines.
<br />Prohibited
<br />Existing relationships of buildings and their environments shall not be destroyed by widening existing streets, applying asphalt or other
<br />bituminous coverings, or by introducing new streets or parking lots. Signs, streetlights, benches, new plant materials, fencing, walkways, and
<br />paving materials which are out of scale or inappropriate to the neighborhood may not be used. The erection of high walls or barriers, which
<br />would alter the relationship of the houses, shall be prohibited. Utility poles with high intensity overhead lights shall not be used on main
<br />thoroughfares.
<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, cleaning,
<br />and painting. The existing architectural detail around windows, porches, doors, and eaves shall be retained or replaced by replicas of the same
<br />design when deteriorated beyond repair.
<br />Masonry, including brick and stucco structures, shall be maintained, and properly cleaned only when necessary to halt deterioration or to
<br />remove stains and shall be done in a method acceptable for the preservation of the surface: i.e. low pressure water and soft natural bristle
<br />brushes. Brick or masonry mortar joints should be repointed only when there is evidence of moisture problems, or when sufficient mortar is
<br />missing to allow water to stand in the mortar joint. Existing mortar shall be duplicated in composition, color, texture, joint size, method of
<br />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 replacing 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 />of rehabilitation effort. [Address and contact information is listed in the front of the Guidebook.] The Commission is an invaluable source of
<br />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 material 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. This
<br />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 building
<br />material. Usage of Portland cement can cause deterioration as a result of the differing coefficient of expansion and porosity of the historic
<br />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 surfaces
<br />by any means that damage the surface.
<br />Not Recommended
<br />Waterproof or water repellent coatings or surface consolidation treatments should not be used on masonry surfaces unless required to solve a
<br />specific problem that has been studied and identified. Coatings are frequently unnecessary and expensive, and can accelerate deterioration of
<br />the masonry. Mortar joints, which do not need repointing, should not be repointed. Wood siding should not be power -washed.
<br />C. WINDOWS AND DOORS
<br />Window and doorframes are in most cases wood and vary depending upon the style of the home. Many are double hung windows with wood
<br />trim and sills. Brick structures have stone sills and brick lintels. In some cases where aluminum siding has been applied, the window and door
<br />trim has been covered. About half of the structures in the district have aluminum storm windows, the other half have wood storm windows.
<br />Required
<br />Original windows and doors shall be retained including sashes, lintels, sills, shutters, decorative glass, pediments, hoods, and hardware. When
<br />deteriorated beyond repair, they shall be replaced with units and trim resembling the original.
<br />Recommended
<br />Wood storm windows and doors painted or finished to match the original should be used but should not damage existing frames. If new sashes
<br />or doors are installed, the existing or original materials, design, and hardware should be used. When metal storm doors are used, they should
<br />be painted, anodized or coated to match the existing.. When awnings are used they should be of canvas material.
<br />III. NEW CONSTRUCTION
<br />New construction includes any new building or structure built within the boundaries of the historic district, or any new addition to an existing
<br />building. New construction should be designed considering the appearance, scale, styles, and setbacks of the other buildings in the
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