City of Bangor, ME Property Rehabilitation Standards

All of the visible exterior walls of all structures located in the Area shall be included in this requirement.

All exposed and visible surfaces shall be repaired, cleaned or painted to present an acceptable appearance.

All defective structural and decorative elements of building fronts and sides abutting on or visible from streets shall be repaired or replaced in a workmanlike manner to maintain as closely as possible the architectural character of that building. All damaged, sagging or otherwise deteriorated storefronts, signs, show windows or entrances shall be repaired or replaced.

All miscellaneous unused elements on the exterior walls of the structures, such as empty electrical boxes, conduits, pipes, unused sign brackets, etc., shall be removed.

All brick and concrete walls shall be cleaned, repaired and repainted or painted as required by the Design Committee or the Code Enforcement Officer. Unfinished concrete block walls shall be painted.

All natural stone walls shall be cleaned, repaired and painted as required by the Design Committee or the Code Enforcement Officer.

All stucco surfaces shall be cleaned and repaired as required by the Design Committee or the Code Enforcement Officer. Repaired and new stucco surfaces shall have a continuous and even finish, with no patching visible.

No new formstone finishes shall be permitted. All defective formstone finishes shall be restored or removed and the walls behind them restored.

(9)

Existing wood siding materials, in sound condition and permissible under the provisions of Chapters 81 and 82 of this Code, shall be cleaned, stripped and painted, if necessary.

[Amended 9-9-2019 by Ord. No. 19-329]

(10)

All gutters and rainwater leaders must be in good condition and shall be repaired or replaced as necessary and shall be neatly located and securely installed. In no case shall drainage from such building elements flow onto the public right-of-way.

(11)

All cornices, upper floor windows and all other portions of a building containing metal or wood trim shall be made structurally sound. Rotten, rusted or weakened portions shall be removed and repaired or replaced to maintain as closely as possible the original architecture. All exposed metal or wood shall be painted or stained or otherwise treated for protection.

Minimum design standards.

All of the visible exterior walls of all structures located in the Area shall be included in this requirement.

All exterior walls which have not been wholly or partially resurfaced or built over shall be repaired and cleaned or painted in an acceptable manner. Brick walls shall be pointed where necessary to match existing bond. Painted masonry walls shall have loose material removed and be painted a single color, except for trim or decorative details which may be another color. Surfaces shall be painted with products and employing application methods that will prevent early deterioration. Patched walls shall match the existing adjacent surfaces as to materials, color, bond and joining. Cleaning of masonry walls by means of sandblasting shall not be permitted.

Brick walls shall be either preserved in their natural state or painted.

Real or simulated wood shakes are not considered to be compatible with this renewal area, and new applications of these materials will not be permitted.

Gutters and downspouts shall be prepainted, baked enamel, nonferrous material or painted and shall be compatible with other building colors.

The removal of cornice work without prompt replacement will not be permitted. New cornices shall be compatible with the architecture of the building.

§ 71-19 Roofs.

Minimum property standards.

Roofs shall be kept free of trash, debris or any other element which is not a permanent part of the building or a functioning element of its mechanical or electrical system.

All chimneys, elevator penthouses or other auxiliary structures on the roofs shall be cleaned and in good repair. All deteriorated masonry chimneys shall either be removed or restored.

Minimum design standards.

Television and radio antennas shall be located so as to be as inconspicuous as possible from the sidewalk across the street.

Rooftop mechanical equipment shall be located in such a way as to minimize its visual impact. Functional equipment may be retained until major repair or replacement of the equipment becomes necessary, at which time it shall be repositioned as above. All mechanical equipment shall be painted with a flat paint in a color to minimize visibility.

Any new mechanical equipment placed on a roof shall be so located as to be hidden from the street in so far as practical and be as inconspicuous as possible from other viewpoints. New equipment shall be screened with suitable elements of a permanent nature finished as to be compatible with the rest of the building. Where such screening is unfeasible, equipment shall be installed in a neat, presentable manner and shall be painted in such a manner as to minimize its visibility.

Where possible, metal chimneys shall be located so that they cannot be seen from the sidewalk across the street either in front of or to one side of the building.

Dormers and the materials of which they are composed shall be compatible with the design of the building's roof and street facade.

Other elements added to the roof, such as skylights and solar panels, shall be as inconspicuous as possible.

§ 71-20 Windows.

Minimum property standards.

Windows not in the front or side of the building shall be kept properly repaired or, with Fire Department approval, may be closed, in which case sills, lintels and frames must be removed and the opening properly closed to match the materials, design and finish of the adjacent wall.

All windows must be tight-fitting and have sashes of proper size and design. Sashes with rotten wood, broken joints or loose mullions or muntins shall be replaced. All broken and missing windows shall be replaced with glass or approved clear glazing. All exposed wood shall be repaired and painted.

Window openings in upper floors of the front and all visible sides of the building shall not be filled, boarded up or covered by any signs. Windows in areas of the upper floors may be backed by suitable curtains, blinds, interior wood shutters or other approved materials. Window glass at any floor shall not be painted, except as otherwise permitted herein.

The lintels over windows shall be preserved or restored. Rotten wood lintels shall be replaced. Brick archwork and stone lintels shall be restored.

All windows, frames and mullions shall be kept in good repair and properly painted.

Minimum design standards.

The use of exterior shutters shall not be allowed in cases where shutters would not be compatible with the architecture of the building.

All of the windows in a single facade shall be of matching design. All window openings shall have the same height and width they did at the time that the wall in which the openings are located was originally built. Filling in these openings at the top, bottom or sides is not permitted. The following additional requirements shall apply for all new windows:

All windows shall have frames, sash and mullions of a material and design appropriate to the architecture of the building. Wherever possible, the original number of window lights shall be retained or the similar proportion and scale of lights in a window shall be retained.

Ornamental windows, grilles and balconettes may be incorporated as a decorative or security device.

Windowsills shall be preserved, replaced and restored to maintain the original design of the building.

Installation of exhaust fans, vents and air units in front windows is discouraged. However, where there is no other alternative, the unit should be painted in a color that makes it as inconspicuous as possible or shall otherwise be suitably screened.

However, compliance with the requirements of Subsection B(2) above can be waived by the Design Committee where:

Structural change to a level of the building would make the matching of windows impractical.

The original design of the building or a major adaptation does not meet this requirement.

§ 71-21 Storefronts.

Minimum property standards.

A storefront as a part of the building facade shall be defined to include:

The building face and the entrance area leading to the door.

The door, side lights, transom, show windows, display platform, devices, including lighting and signing, designed to be viewed from the public right-of-way and/or the areas designed to be visible to the public prior to entering the interior portion of the structure.

All extraneous and unused hardware, signing and equipment shall be removed.

All broken, rotten or damaged elements shall be removed and replaced. All damaged, sagging or otherwise deteriorated doorfronts, show windows or entrances shall be repaired or replaced. The practice of patching or laying materials one on top of the other is not permitted. Damaged parts shall be replaced so as to be unnoticeable as replacement parts.

Soft awnings. Torn, frayed, faded or dirty awnings shall be reconditioned, repaired, cleaned or replaced. Unused awning boxes and hardware shall be removed.

Show windows shall not be painted for advertising purposes.

No temporary or permanent sign affixed or placed against the inside surface of a show window shall exceed 25% of the area of that show window.

Minimum design standards.

A storefront as a part of the building facade shall be defined to include:

The building face and the entrance area leading to the door.

The door, sidelights, transoms, show windows, display platforms, devices, including lighting and signing, designed to be viewed from the public right-of-way and/or the areas designed to be visible to the public prior to entering the interior portion of the structures.

All elements of the storefront, including awnings, show windows, entrances, signs, lighting, sun protection, security grilles, etc., shall be compatible with the architecture of the building, except in those cases where a deviating storefront possesses independent historic or architectural value. All such elements shall be located no higher than one inch below the second story windowsill line.

At such time as sign panels covering or replacing store cornices are removed, the cornice shall be restored or replaced with compatible material.

Materials used on storefronts shall be compatible with the architecture and materials used on the building itself. Other factors, such as durability, ease of maintenance and historical compatibility of materials, shall be considered in relation to future material installations. Formstone, real or simulated wood shakes or any other material not approved by the Design Committee shall not be permitted for any future use. All such materials now in use shall be kept in good repair or shall be removed.

Soft awnings.

Existing retractable awning boxes or fixed awning hardware on storefronts shall be reconditioned to accommodate an awning which shall be compatible with the building design. Otherwise, boxes and hardware shall be removed.

Awnings, if desired, are to be installed along the full width of existing awning boxes and frames and on upper floors over windows only.

The materials must be flameproofed, and the material and any graphics or striping shall be compatible with the building architecture.

Rigid or fixed awnings, sunscreens or permanent canopies are not permitted on any portion of the building front unless the Design Committee determines, in addition to the other requirements of this chapter, that the proposed awning, sunscreen or permanent canopy is:

[1]

Compatible with the topography of the area.

[2]

Customary and incidental to the activity being housed in the building or appropriate for that location due to unique circumstances.

[3]

Compatible with similar elements of adjacent properties.

(e)

Awnings shall not be designed so as to prevent vehicular movement at the curb or to interfere with improvements to the public right-of-way, such as streetlights, landscaping and street furniture. Awnings shall not be lower than seven feet above the sidewalk and one foot inside the curb and shall otherwise conform to the provisions of City ordinances.

(f)

Street level awnings shall terminate against the building at a height not to exceed one inch below the second-floor windowsill or not higher than the bottom of a first-floor cornice, unless it exists as a part of the cornice.

Solid or permanently enclosed or covered storefronts or painted show windows or show windows replaced by solid materials shall not be permitted unless treated architecturally as an integral part of the building facade and compatible with these standards. Where the window treatment of the first floor is to be modified, these new window openings shall not be smaller in size than the openings of the second or third floor windows. These new windows shall be compatible with the upper windows in the structure.

New storefronts that project beyond the property lines of the stores are not permitted; provided, however, that such a storefront projection may be permitted if authorized by and located within an identifiable equitable property interest of record. Where the original front is behind the property line and where a new protecting front would not be disruptive to adjacent stores and is compatible with the building architecture, a new front may be installed up to the property line.

All new storefronts shall provide, where practical, a streetside hose bibb to provide water for storefront and sidewalk cleaning and to aid in watering street trees.

(9)

Show windows may be painted for identification of the place of business when authorized by the Design Committee; provided, however, that said identification shall not exceed 10% of the area of that show window.

(10)

Decalcomanias one square foot or less in area may be affixed to show windows or entrance door windows when the same are supplied by credit card companies and carry no text or message other than the identification of such companies.

(11)

Doorways and entrances. In cases where there are doorways to buildings that are not incorporated in the storefront, the character of the original doorway shall be preserved, where possible. The original style of these doorways, if possible, shall be incorporated into the design of the remodeled storefront. The following additional requirements shall apply to all doorways and entrances:

Storm and screen doors and hardware visible from the outside shall be compatible with the entrance doors.

Any grilles, bars and grates covering doors or windows shall be designed to be as compatible with the architecture of the building as possible.

Doorways and entrances shall be designed with consideration for the needs of the handicapped and the elderly.

§ 71-22 Signs.

[Amended 9-9-2019 by Ord. No. 19-329; at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]

All signs other than those allowed in § 231-8 of Chapter 231, Public Parks, must comply with this section and with the regulations contained in Chapter 260, Signs.

Minimum property standards.

No sign, billboard, advertising display or structure, poster or device shall be erected, hung, affixed, moved, altered, enlarged, reconstructed, replaced or displayed in the Area except as expressly permitted herein.

Signs shall be maintained in good repair.

Temporary sale signs may be displayed within storefront windows, provided that these signs shall not cover more than 25% of the area of the windows in which they are displayed and are on display not more than 45 consecutive days.

No signs other than those identifying the property where they are installed or identifying the use conducted therein shall be permitted. Advertising by materials or product manufacturers and suppliers shall not be permitted. A logo, decorative initial, trademark, symbol, etc., may also be used as part of the sign.

Rooftop signs, signs above the parapet of a building, billboards and other outdoor advertising signs painted or mounted on structures other than billboards, except as otherwise herein provided, shall not be permitted. All existing rooftop and facade-mounted sign brackets and hardware shall be removed.

Flashing or moving signs other than barber poles and time and/or temperature signs shall not be permitted.

Painted signs on building surfaces are prohibited, except as may otherwise be provided herein.

Flags or banners may be displayed as long as the poles are maintained in good condition. Materials of the flags or banners shall not be faded, torn or frayed.

Minimum design standards.

Size, shape, letter style(s), design, type illumination and/or method of installation of all new and existing signs shall be compatible with the architecture of the building. Design of signs by graphic designers is encouraged.

Materials employed for construction of signs shall be durable and weather-resistant. Use of plastics or similar materials is discouraged.

Signs shall be designed in a manner so that they do not interfere with important architectural details (e.g., cornices, carved friezes or arches) of the building.

Placement entirely on a flat portion of the facade or on an area entirely within the confines of an opening and lined up with architectural details or elements is required.

Signs identifying the occupant shall be permitted at rear entrance and delivery doors but shall not exceed two square feet in area and may be illuminated.

No new marquees shall be allowed on buildings other than operating theaters or hotels or when marquees are customary and incidental to the operation of the activity being housed in the building. When rehabilitated, an existing marquee shall be redesigned so that it is compatible with the architecture of the building.

Signs in the form of letters, symbols or other graphics may be incorporated in the design of any awning included in the design of a storefront, provided that such signs are compatible with the architecture of the building and the awning.

Signs may be painted on the inside surface of the show window, and permanent sign panels may be hung inside the show window but must be designed to be compatible with the architecture of the facade and the text related to the business. Signs painted on the inside glass and sign panels shall be limited to lettering no greater than six inches in height. When these signs are the only identifying sign for the property, they can use twelve-inch lettering.

(9)

(Reserved)

(10)

Signs which are an integral part of the building structure and compatible with the original architecture of the building are permitted.

(11)

Flat signs shall be incorporated in the design of the storefront. If the storefront design includes a cornice, the sign may be incorporated in the cornice design.

(12)

Neon tube signs are permitted in the form of a neon graphic where a light symbol is supplied by neon tube which is bent to form letters, symbols and other shapes, permitted only as single tubes on flat signs above a show window and on the inside of and behind show windows as provided for herein and as provided for in § 71-23B(4)(f) of this chapter.

(13)

Perpendicular signs and their hanging hardware shall be compatible with the architecture of the building to which attached and coordinated with neighboring structures.

(14)

Flags and banners shall be compatible with the architecture of the building to which attached and neighboring structures. Banners should be displayed only from buildings at least two stories high and shall not be less than 10 feet above the sidewalk.

(15)

Super graphics or murals are a special form of outdoor art, and the Design Committee may permit their application on wall surfaces that are predominantly blank, except where it would detract from the architectural significance or historic value of the building or adjacent properties, upon submission and approval of full-color drawings of the intended super graphic or mural.

§ 71-23 Lighting.

Minimum property standards. The following lighting methods are not permitted for signs and buildings:

Exposed fluorescent lighting.

Exposed quartz or mercury vapor lamps.

Exposed incandescent lamps other than low wattage, purely decorative lighting and neon as provided for herein.

Minimum design standards.

Exterior lighting shall be limited to lighting fixtures designed to be in harmony with the character of the buildings. Floodlighting, concealed above a shopfront cornice, may be used to light the facades of buildings. Lighting of the shops will be encouraged during the evening hours at times agreed upon by the merchants.

Lighting of the facades of the buildings may be accomplished with projecting fixtures at the roofline or at the shopfront cornice line. Such fixtures shall be inconspicuous and compatible with building architecture.

All lighting and electrical elements, such as wires, conduits, junction boxes, transformers, ballasts, switches and panel boxes, shall be concealed from view where possible.

The following lighting methods are permitted for signs and buildings:

Fully recessed fluorescent downlights or wall washers in a valance box. The box must run the full length of the storefront at the top of the sign area.

Internally illuminated box signs and individual letters or backlit (halo) letters.

Fully recessed downlights or wallwashers in a projecting metal box. The box must run the length of the storefront at the top of the sign area.

Shielded fluorescent lamps with diffusers in a projecting metal box. The box must run the full length of the storefront at the top of the sign area.

(e)

Gooseneck incandescent, porcelain enamel reflector on bent metal tube arm. The housing must prevent glare at pedestrian eye level.

(f)

Neon tube illumination in the form of a neon tube graphic where a light source is supplied by a neon tube which is bent to form letters, symbols or other shapes in various colors is permitted as flat signs above a show window when enclosed in a sign box and protected by a glass front and on the inside of show windows.

§ 71-24 Parking areas, yards and vacant lots.

Minimum property standards.

Parking areas. All driveways, parking areas, walks and plazas shall be suitably surfaced with a hard, dust-free material and shall be maintained in a neat and clean manner.

Yards and vacant lots. All yards and vacant lots shall:

Be graded in such a way as to provide satisfactory drainage and an even, smooth surface.

Be kept clean of all trash and debris.

Be landscaped and provided with trees and shrubbery in a manner deemed appropriate by the Design Committee for the purpose of achieving the goals of this chapter or screened from public view by fencing material or dense plantings compatible with neighboring properties.