This bylaw shall be known and may be cited as
the Historic District Bylaw of the Town of North Reading, Massachusetts.
The purpose of this bylaw is to promote the
educational, cultural, economic, and general welfare of the community
by:
A. Providing a mechanism to identify and preserve the
distinctive historic and architectural characteristics of North Reading
which represent elements of the Town's cultural, social, economic
and political and architectural history;
B. Fostering civic pride in the beauty and noble accomplishments
of the past as represented in North Reading's landmarks and historic
districts;
C. Conserving and improving the value of property designated
as landmarks or that reside within historic districts;
D. Protecting and enhancing the attractiveness of the
Town to home buyers, tourists, visitors, and shoppers, and thereby
supporting and promoting business, commerce and industry, as well
as providing economic benefit to the Town.
E. Fostering and encouraging preservation, restoration,
and rehabilitation of structures, areas, and neighborhoods and thereby
preventing future urban blight.
This Historic District Bylaw is adopted pursuant
to the authority granted by Chapter 40C of the General Laws of the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts as amended.
Unless specifically defined below, words or
phrases in this bylaw shall be interpreted so as to give them the
same meaning as they have in common usage and so to give this bylaw
its most reasonable application.
ALTERATION
Any act or process that changes one or more of the exterior
architectural features of a structure, including, but not limited
to, the erection, construction, reconstruction, rebuilding, restoration,
removal or demolition of any structure.
AREA
A specific geographic division of the Town of North Reading.
BUILDING
A combination of materials forming a shelter for persons,
animals, or property.
CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS
A certificate issued by the Historic District Commission
indicating its approval of plans for alteration, construction, removal,
or demolition of a building or of a structure within a historic district.
CERTIFICATE OF HARDSHIP
A certificate issued by the Historic District Commission
authorizing an alteration, construction, removal, or demolition.
CERTIFICATE OF NON-APPLICABILITY
A certificate issued by the Historic District Commission
indicating that a proposed activity does not require Historic District
Commission authorization or approval.
COMMISSIONER
Member of the North Reading Historic District Commission.
CONSTRUCTION
The act of adding a structural addition to an existing building
or structure or the erection of a new principal or accessory structure
on a lot or property and includes the words build, erect, install,
enlarge, and move.
DEMOLITION
Any act or process that destroys in part or in whole a building
or a structure within a historic district.
DESIGN GUIDELINE
A standard of appropriate activity that will preserve the
historic and architectural character of a structure or area.
EXTERIOR ARCHITECTURAL APPEARANCE
The architectural character and general composition of the
exterior of a structure, including but not limited to the kind, color,
and texture of the building material and the type, design and character
of all windows, doors, light fixtures, signs, and appurtenant elements
visible from any public way.
EXTERIOR ARCHITECTURAL FEATURE
Such portion of the exterior of a building or structure as
is open to view from a public street, public way, public park, or
public body of water, including but not limited to the architectural
style and general arrangement and setting thereof, the kind, color
and texture of exterior building materials, the color of paint or
other materials applied to exterior surfaces and the type and style
of windows, doors, lights, signs, and other appurtenant exterior fixtures.
HISTORIC DISTRICT
An area designated as a "historic district" by North Reading
Town Meeting.
OWNER OF RECORD
With respect to land located in North Reading, the person,
corporation, or other legal entity listed as owner on the records
of the Middlesex South District Registry of Deeds.
PARTY AGGRIEVED
Applicant, owner of adjoining property, an owner of property
within the same historic district as property within 100 feet of said
property lines or others as described in MGL c. 40C, § 5.
REMOVAL
Any relocation of a building or structure on its site or
to another site.
REPAIR
Any change that is not construction, removal, or alteration.
STRUCTURE
Any combination of materials other than a building, including
a sign, fence, wall, terrace, walk or driveway.
If any section, subsection, sentence, clause,
phrase or section of this Historic District Bylaw is for any reason
held invalid, illegal or unconstitutional by any court of competent
jurisdiction, such portion shall be deemed a separate, distinct and
independent provision, and such holding shall not affect the validity
of any remaining portions hereof.
Following Town Meeting approval, this bylaw
shall take effect immediately when the following conditions have been
met:
A. Approval by the Attorney General of the Commonwealth;
B. Filing of a map of the boundaries of the historic
district with the North Reading Town Clerk, the North Reading Building
Inspector, and the Middlesex South Registry of Deeds.