The Board of Architectural Review shall be charged with the duty of maintaining the character of the village and its harmonious composition as a whole in relation to the features of its several parts, and in so doing it shall disapprove an application for a building permit in accordance with the provisions of § 59-7 of Article III of this chapter if the design, construction or location of the proposed building or structure is so uniform, markedly similar or incongruous with neighboring buildings or is so incompatible with the topographical features of its environs that such construction, if built, would create one or more of the harmful conditions set forth in Article I of this chapter.
In passing on an application for a building permit, the Board of Architectural Review shall give consideration to the suitability of design and type of the proposed construction, including mass, height, line, color and the texture of materials to be used, in relation to the surroundings and immediate neighborhood of the building site; its physical placement on the building site in relation to topographical features of the land, including the extent of natural screening; and the effect of its location upon neighboring buildings in relation to their established vistas, as such relationships pertain to the findings and purposes set forth in Article I of this chapter.
The Board of Architectural Review shall be guided
in its determinations by the rural nature of the community; the historical
features of certain areas; the topographical and vegetational characteristics
of the land; the existing character of various neighborhoods; and
the extensive natural beauty of the environs.
