[Added 12-15-1984 by L.L. No. 3-1984]
[Amended 10-10-2020 by L.L. No. 5-2020]
A. 
It is the purpose of this article to preserve and promote the character and appearances and conserve the property values of the Village, the attractiveness of whose residential areas is the economic mainstay of the community, by providing procedures for an architectural review of the structures henceforth erected, reconstructed or altered in the Village, to achieve the following purposes and objectives:
(1) 
To encourage good qualities of exterior building design and good appearances and to relate such design and appearances to the sites and surroundings of structures;
(2) 
To permit originality and resourcefulness in building design and appearances which are appropriate to the sites and surroundings; and
(3) 
To prevent such design and appearances as are necessarily offensive to visual sensibilities.
B. 
The Board of Trustees hereby finds that structures which are visually offensive or inappropriate by reason of poor qualities of exterior design or materials, monotonous similarity or striking visual discord in relation to their sites or surroundings mar the appearances of their areas, impair the use, enjoyment and desirability and reduce the values of properties, are detrimental to the characters of neighborhoods, prevent the most appropriate development and utilization of land, and therefore adversely affect the functioning economic stability, prosperity, health, safety and general welfare of the entire community.
[Amended 7-6-1985 by L.L. No. 1-1985; 10-10-2020 by L.L. No. 5-2020]
A. 
There is hereby created an Architectural Review Board which shall consist of five members who shall serve without compensation. All members of the Board shall be residents of the Village. Members of the Board should have interests, training or experience in architecture, land development, community planning, real estate, landscape architecture, engineering, building construction or judgment, to judge the effects of a proposed building upon the desirability, property values and development of surrounding areas.
B. 
The Chairperson and other members of the Board shall be appointed by the Board of Trustees. The term of office of each member shall be three years, except that the initial appointments of one member shall be for one year, and of a second and third member for two years, and of a fourth and fifth member for three years. In the same manner vacancies shall be filled for the unexpired term of any member whose place has become vacant. The Architectural Review Board shall appoint a Secretary who shall keep or cause to be kept in the Village Hall a comprehensive record of all meetings of the Board, as well as a record of all transactions handled by said board and shall prepare and file with the Board of Trustees on or before September 1 of each year a complete report of the business handled by the Board during the preceding year ended May 31.
[Amended 11-4-2000 by L.L. No. 2-2000; 10-10-2020 by L.L. No. 5-2020]
A. 
Meetings of the Architectural Review Board shall be held at the call of the Chairperson and at such other times as the Board shall determine. The Board may hold a public hearing when it deems the same to be in the public interest. Such public hearing shall be held within 75 days of the referral by the Building Inspector. Notice of the hearing shall be given by publication in the official paper of the Village of Dering Harbor one time not less than 10 days before the date of the hearing, and by requiring the applicant to mail written notice of the date, time and place of the hearing, and a summary of the purpose of the application, by certified mail, return receipt requested, to every property owner, as shown on the current Village of Dering Harbor assessment rolls, of parcels within 250 feet of the property which is the subject of the application, proof of which shall be submitted to the Board on or before the commencement of the public hearing in the form of an affidavit with postal receipts annexed thereto confirming mailing of said notices at least 10 days prior to the hearing date. The failure of the notice to be published in the newspaper or the applicant to provide the required proof of mailing shall require the Board to adjourn the public hearing and cause the public hearing to be renoticed.
[Amended 11-12-2022 by L.L. No. 7-2022]
B. 
A majority of the Board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. The Architectural Review Board shall keep minutes of its proceedings showing the vote of each member upon each question, or if absent or failing to vote indicating such fact, and shall also keep copies of its examinations and other actions.
C. 
The Architectural Review Board shall have power from time to time to adopt, amend, and repeal rules and regulations not inconsistent with law or the provisions of this chapter governing its procedures and the transaction of its business, and for the purpose of carrying into effect the standards outlined in § 230-65, such action to be taken after a duly noticed public hearing.
[Added 9-14-2019 by L.L. No. 7-2019; 10-10-2020 by L.L. No. 5-2020]
A. 
The Board of Trustees shall designate the Chairperson of the Architectural Review Board. Such designation shall be for one official year of the Village and shall expire at the end of each official year. During the absence, disability or disqualification of the Chairperson, the Vice Chairperson elected by the Board of Architectural Review shall perform all the duties, exercise the powers and be subject to all of the responsibilities of the Chairperson. The designation of Chairperson may be withdrawn at the pleasure of the Village Board. The duties of the Chairperson shall be as follows:
(1) 
To preside at all meetings.
(2) 
To postpone meetings due to inclement weather and to call special meetings.
(3) 
To sign, together with the administrative support personnel of the Village Clerk or Building Inspector, all official documents of the Board of Appeals.
(4) 
To see that all reports, documents, and actions of the Architectural Review Board are properly made, executed, filed or taken, as the case may be, in accordance with law and regulations of the Architectural Review Board.
(5) 
To serve as liaison to the Village Board of Trustees and other Village boards.
B. 
Alternate members. For the purposes of substituting for a member of the Architectural Review Board in the event that such member is unable to participate because of a conflict of interest or is otherwise unavailable due to a long-term absence, disability or disqualification, the Mayor may appoint one or more alternate members subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees, with any such appointment for a term of one year from the date of appointment. Any designation of an alternate member in replacement of a member on a particular case because of a conflict of interest or unavailability due to a long-term absence, disability or disqualification shall be made by the Chairperson of the Architectural Review Board and shall be entered in the minutes.
[Amended 7-6-1985 by L.L. No. 1-1985; 11-4-2000 by L.L. No. 2-2000; 4-14-2018 by L.L. No. 1-2018; 10-10-2020 by L.L. No. 5-2020]
A. 
Presubmission conference.
(1) 
Prior to the submission of a building permit application, the owner or his/her agent may submit preliminary plans, elevations, sketches and/or proposals to the Architectural Review Board for consultation at a presubmission conference. The purpose of such conference is to enable an owner and his/her architect to have the benefit of the Board's preliminary and informal input as to form, layout, design, development constraints, zoning, and other issues related to the conformance of the standards and criteria set forth in this article before preparing fully designed and engineered plans necessary to make a formal application. Presubmission conferences are recommended for construction of new buildings or structures and substantial alteration or additions to existing buildings or structures.
(2) 
A landowner seeking a presubmission conference shall submit his/her request in writing accompanied by proposed plans and documents to the Village Clerk at least 20 days prior to a regularly scheduled meeting of the Architectural Review Board.
(3) 
Presubmission conferences shall be placed on the agenda and held at a regular meeting of the Architectural Review Board or may be scheduled at a special meeting with due notice. A presubmission conference is not a public hearing, but members of the public may attend the meeting and provide comments.
(4) 
Due to the informal nature of the presubmission conference, comments of the Architectural Review Board at a presubmission conference shall be considered preliminary and shall not be binding on the Board or the applicant.
B. 
As soon as practicable and in any event within five business days after determining that an application for a building permit for the demolition, construction, reconstruction or alteration of any building or structure complies with all provisions of the Zoning Law, other than this article, the Building Inspector shall transmit to the Board of Architectural Review a copy of any such application which the Building Inspector first determines comes within any of the following categories:
[Amended 7-9-2022 by L.L. No. 3-2022]
(1) 
Construction of any new building or structure;
(2) 
An addition or reconstruction, demolition or alteration of any existing building or structure, in such a manner as to change substantially the exterior character and appearance of the building or structure. Interior alterations to an existing building or structure and the in-kind replacement of materials of an existing building or structure shall not be considered to be a substantial change requiring review by the Architectural Review Board for the purposes of this section.
(3) 
All fences and walls, including fences for pools, tennis courts and gardens.
C. 
The referral of an application by the Building Inspector shall be made to the Chairperson of the Architectural Review Board who shall, within five business days of the referral, classify the application as either "substantial" or "nonsubstantial" construction. An application for nonsubstantial construction may be reviewed by a committee of one member of the Board, but all applications for substantial construction shall be reviewed by the Board (consisting of at least the majority).
(1) 
Applications for nonsubstantial construction reviewed by a committee of one member of the Board under this subsection shall be approved, denied or approved with conditions based upon the criteria and standards set forth in § 230-65.
(2) 
A person aggrieved by the decision of the committee of one member of the Board may request such decision be reviewed by the Board. Such request shall be made in writing within 30 days of when the decision of the committee of one member of the Board is filed in the office of the Village Clerk. Any such request to the Board shall be reviewed in the same manner as an application for substantial construction.
(3) 
Notwithstanding any provision in this Subsection C to the contrary, the Chairperson or the Board member designated to review the application may classify any application considered nonsubstantial construction as substantial construction requiring Board review.
(4) 
Notwithstanding a classification of the application as nonsubstantial by the Chairperson, the applicant may request that the application be reviewed by the Board.
D. 
The Building Inspector shall not transmit any application for a building permit to the Architectural Review Board until it has been found to be complete for review by the Building Inspector as having met every provision of the Zoning Law, other than this article. If the Building Inspector's review is pending or a variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals is required for any part of the application, then the application shall not be submitted to the Architectural Review Board until all such required review and Board of Appeals' approvals have been issued. The Building Inspector's finding of completeness under this article does not constitute a final appealable determination or a building permit.
E. 
In the event the Architectural Review Board receives an application from the Building Inspector that is not complete for review, the Architectural Review Board at a regular meeting or at a special meeting called by the Chairperson or Acting Chairperson may make a determination that the application is not complete for review and return the application to the Building Inspector until such time the application has been found to be complete for review.
F. 
Applications must be accompanied by plans which are prepared and certified by, and stamped with the seal of, a licensed architect, engineer, and/or surveyor showing all elevations of new structures and all affected elevations in the case of additions or alterations. Where deemed necessary by the Building Inspector or Architectural Review Board, the application shall be accompanied by a fully dimensioned site plan based upon a current survey of the property prepared by a licensed surveyor. The site plan submitted shall show both existing and proposed contours at five-foot intervals, all existing trees with a trunk diameter of 12 inches or more at a point three feet above the ground level and whether such trees shall remain or be removed, existing and proposed landscaping, and/or other topographical features existing or planned but not limited to all changes in grades and berms.
G. 
All applications submitted by or appeared by anyone other than the owner of record according to the title of the property, an owner's endorsement or a letter of agency must be submitted and no application will be accepted or reviewed by the Village of Dering Harbor or its representatives if the owner's representative submitting the application does not submit or have a letter of agency signed by the owner of record on file with the Village Clerk. All parties to the application must also submit the required disclosure affidavit as required under § 809 of the New York State General Municipal Law.
H. 
All applications for any action by the Architectural Review Board shall be submitted in the form required by the Board and filed in the Village office. A digital copy of said application shall be submitted in a format determined, and changed as needed, by the Village Clerk.
I. 
Every request for a presubmission conference or an application referred to the Architectural Review Board shall be subject to an application review fee in an amount set by the Board of Trustees, adopted from time to time by resolution.
[Amended 11-4-2000 by L.L. No. 2-2000; 4-14-2018 by L.L. No. 1-2018; 10-10-2020 by L.L. No. 5-2020]
A. 
Approval of any building permit shall be by a vote of a majority of the members of the Architectural Review Board. All decisions of the Architectural Review Board shall be by resolution, approved by no fewer than three members and shall contain a full record of the findings of the Board in the particular case. Any vote not obtaining a majority of the members shall be considered to be a denial.
B. 
In considering an application for a permit, the Architectural Review Board shall take into account natural features of the site and surroundings, exterior design and appearances of existing structures, and the character of the district and its peculiar suitability for particular purposes, with a view to conserving the values of property encouraging the most appropriate use of land.
C. 
The Architectural Review Board may approve any application referred to it upon finding that the building or structure for which the permit was requested if erected or altered in accordance with the submitted plan would be in harmony with the purpose of this article, would not be visually offensive or inappropriate by reason of poor quality of exterior design or materials, monotonous similarity or striking visual discord in relation to the sites or surroundings, would not mar the appearance of the area, would not impair the use, enjoyment and desirability and reduce the values of properties in the area, would not be detrimental to the character of the neighborhood, would not prevent the most appropriate development and utilization of the site or of adjacent lands and would not adversely affect the functioning economic stability, prosperity, health, safety and general welfare of the entire community.
D. 
In approving any application the Architectural Review Board may impose appropriate conditions and safeguards, designed to prevent the harmful effects set forth in § 230-60.
E. 
The Architectural Review Board may disapprove any application for a permit, provided that the Board has afforded the applicant a reasonable opportunity to confer upon suggestions for change of the plan, and provided that the Board finds and states that the structure for which the permit was requested would, if erected or altered as indicated, provoke one or more of the harmful effects set forth in § 230-60 by reason of:
(1) 
Monotonous similarity to any other structure or structures or proposed to be located on the same street or a corner thereof and within 250 feet of the site of the structure for which a building permit is requested, in respect to one or more of the following features of design and appearance:
(a) 
Substantially identical facade, disregarding color;
(b) 
Substantially identical size and arrangement of either doors, windows, porticos, porches or garages, or other openings, or breaks or extensions in the facade, including reverse arrangements; or
(c) 
Other substantially identical features such as, but not limited to, setbacks from street lines, heights, widths and lengths or elements of the building design, and exterior materials and treatments;
(2) 
Striking dissimilarity, visual discord or inappropriateness with respect to other structures located or proposed to be located on the same street or a corner thereof and within 250 feet of the site of the structure for which a building permit is requested, in respect to one or more of the following features of exterior design and appearance:
(a) 
Facade, disregarding color;
(b) 
Size and arrangement of doors, windows, porticos, porches or garages, or other openings, breaks or extensions in the facade; or
(c) 
Other significant design features such as, but not limited to, heights, widths and lengths of elements of design, exterior materials and treatments, roof structures, exposed mechanical equipment, service and storage areas, retaining walls, landscaping, signs, light posts, parking areas and fences, service and loading areas.
(3) 
Visual offensiveness or other poor qualities of exterior design or materials, including, without limitation, considerations of the harmony or discord of colors, or incompatibility of the proposed structure with existing structures in the Village or with the terrain on which it is to be located, but not limited to excessive divergences of the heights or levels of any part of the structure from the grade of the terrain.
(4) 
The Architectural Review Board shall maintain the desirable character of the Village and disapprove the construction, reconstruction, alteration and development of buildings that are designed without consideration of the harmonious relation of the new or altered building to such buildings as already exist and make up the identity of the community.
(5) 
The Architectural Review Board shall maintain the identity and heritage of the community of the Village of Dering Harbor in its review and decision-making process. The identity of the community of the Village of Dering Harbor is founded on its past; and the historic, architectural, cultural and natural resources of the community of the Village of Dering Harbor constitute its heritage.
(6) 
It is the purpose of the Architectural Review Board to preserve and enhance the character, history, historical interest, beauty, general welfare and property values of the Village of Dering Harbor.
(7) 
Any request for demolition of a building or structure, in whole or in part, shall include specific details relating to the demolition and the redevelopment after demolition, demonstrating how the proposed demolition and redevelopment will preserve and enhance the character, history, historical interest, beauty, general welfare and property values of the Village of Dering Harbor.
[Added 7-9-2022 by L.L. No. 3-2022]
F. 
Review of fences and walls. The Architectural Review Board shall review applications for fences and walls, including such applications seeking to make substantial alteration, replacement, modification or change to preexisting fences and walls that do not conform to the requirements of § 230-19A. In addition to the standards in § 230-65E, the Architectural Review Board shall find that the fence or wall will be compatible with the design, appearance, improvements, and physical characteristics of the site and other existing structures in the surrounding neighborhood; that the materials, height, orientation, and location of the fence or wall is in proper relation to the existing or proposed improvements on the site, to public infrastructure and to other fences or walls on adjacent properties and in the neighborhood; that the fence or wall will be a planned architectural feature and will not dominate the site or overwhelm surrounding properties, structures, or passersby; and that the fence or wall will be of sound construction and located so as not to cause a safety hazard. The use of chain-link, cyclone, barbed-wire, electrified, or razor-wire fences and other similar types of security fences shall be prohibited. Generally, fences along the front lot line or street line shall be of an open grill or latticework, or similar open design allowing light and air to pass through at least 50% of the fencing material. Stockade fences and walls that block views within the front yard or along a street line are discouraged. The Architectural Review Board shall have the authority to impose greater setbacks or reduce the height of fences and walls, and to impose reasonable conditions.
G. 
Compliance with approved plans.
(1) 
The decision of the Architectural Review Board shall expressly reference the title of the plans, number of sheets, preparer of the plans and all other documents presented and relied upon by the Board in making its decision. The decision of the Board and approved plans shall be signed by the Chairperson and delivered to the Building Inspector. If the Board's decision is conditioned upon a modification to the plans, the applicant shall submit revised plans complying with such conditions prior to the Chairperson signing same.
(2) 
The Building Inspector shall not issue a building permit unless the plans submitted therewith duly comply with the decision of the Architectural Review Board. A substantial alteration or change in the plans shall require resubmission to the Architectural Review Board.
(3) 
Prior to the issuance of a certificate of occupancy/compliance, the Building Inspector shall make written request to the Chairperson of the Architectural Review Board to cause an inspection of the property to determine compliance of the completed construction with the approved plans. The Chairperson or other designated Board member shall provide a written report to the Building Inspector within five business days with respect to the project's compliance. A substantial alteration or change in the construction from the approved plans shall require resubmission to the Architectural Review Board.
(4) 
The Building Inspector shall not issue a certificate of occupancy/compliance unless and until the Chairperson or other designated Board member reports that the construction is in substantial compliance with the approved plans.
(5) 
Failure to obtain the approval of the Architectural Review Board as required under this article or failure to adhere to approved design which has been subject to the approval of the Architectural Review Board or any conditions of such approval shall be a violation of this chapter.
[Amended 10-10-2020 by L.L. No. 5-2020]
The Board of Architectural Review shall advise with respect to public buildings and such other matters as the Board of Trustees, the Zoning Board of Appeals and the Planning Board may refer to it.
[Amended 2-27-1999 by L.L. No. 1-1999; 10-10-2020 by L.L. No. 5-2020; 11-12-2022 by L.L. No. 7-2022]
A. 
The Building Inspector shall refuse any building application disapproved as provided in § 230-65.
B. 
Within 75 days of the conclusion of the public hearing or, if none was held, within 75 days of the referral from the Building Inspector determining the application to be complete for review, the Architectural Review Board shall determine whether the application complies with the purposes and specifications of the Zoning Code and shall so inform the Building Inspector and Village Clerk and the applicant, in writing, of its approval, approval with modifications, or disapproval. This 75 day period may be extended by the Architectural Review Board upon the written consent of the applicant. Failure by the Architectural Review Board to hold the public hearing or render such decision within the time periods set forth herein shall be deemed an approval by default of the application. In the event a default approval is demanded by the applicant, the Building Inspector may issue the building permit provided it is demonstrated that the Architectural Review Board did in fact default as provided hereunder.
C. 
The approval of the Architectural Review Board shall expire within 120 days of the date the resolution approving the application was adopted by the Architectural Review Board unless a building permit has been issued. Extension of such approval and the time to file for a building permit may be granted by the Architectural Review Board for one additional 90 day period, provided the applicant: i) requests an extension at least 30 days' prior to expiration of the approval; ii) pays all applicable extension fees in an amount set by the Board of Trustees from time to time by resolution; and iii) provides a reasonable explanation for the delay in processing the building permit application. A new application shall be made if the approval of the Architectural Review Board or the building permit has expired.
[Amended 11-4-2000 by L.L. No. 2-2000; 10-10-2020 by L.L. No. 5-2020]
Any person aggrieved by a decision of the Architectural Review Board in approving or disapproving an application may bring a proceeding to review in the manner provided by Article 78 of the Civil Practice Law and Rules in a court of record on the ground that such action is illegal in whole or in part. Such proceeding must be commenced within 30 days after the filing in the office of the Village Clerk of the decision of the Architectural Review Board after its consideration of the application.