There is hereby created an Advisory Committee of Architectural Design and Site Review to the Planning Board which shall consist of five members who shall serve without compensation at the pleasure and by the appointment of the Mayor. The members shall be specifically qualified by reason of training or experience in architecture, land development, municipal planning, real estate, landscape design or other relevant business or profession or by reason of civic interest or sound judgment to determine the effects of a proposed building and its design upon the general aesthetics, desirability and property value or development of a surrounding area. The Chairman and the Vice Chairman of the Advisory Committee shall be elected by the Committee. The Chairman shall appoint a Recording Secretary of the Committee and the Committee shall be furnished with such stenographic or secretarial assistance as the governing body may from time to time provide. One member of the Planning Board shall be appointed by the Chairman of the Planning Board to act as liaison between the Advisory Committee and the Planning Board.
It shall be the duty of the Advisory Committee to review the architectural and site plans as stipulated herein and make recommendations concerning these matters to the Planning Board and to the Construction Official as is herein provided. Meetings of the Advisory Committee of Architectural Design and Site Review shall be held at the call of the Chairman but shall also be held within 30 days of the date of the receipt of any application for a building permit referred to the Committee as is required by this article. The Committee shall render a decision and make it known to the Planning Board and the Construction Official its recommendations within 10 days after the meeting in which the particular subject matter was voted upon. A majority of the Committee shall constitute a quorum and its minutes shall show the vote of each member upon each question. The Planning Board may establish bylaws and rules to facilitate the operation of the Committee.
After considering the recommendations of the Committee, the Planning Board may recommend to the Construction Official that he disapprove any application for a building permit, provided that such recommendation shall be a majority vote of the members of said Board present at any meeting where said vote is taken, and provided that the Planning Board finds that the building, structure, siding, sign or fence for which the permit was applied, would, if erected, be so detrimental to the desirability, property values or development of surrounding areas as to provide one or more of the harmful effects as set forth by reasons of:
A. 
Excessive similarity to any other structure existing or for which a permit has been issued or to any other structure included in the same permit application, facing upon both sides of the same street and within 250 feet of the proposed site, in respect to one or more of the following features of exterior design and appearance:
(1) 
Apparently identical facade.
(2) 
Substantially identical size and arrangement of either doors, windows, porticos or other openings or breaks in the facade facing the street, including reverse arrangement.
(3) 
Other significant identical features, such as, but not limited to, material, roofline and height or other design elements, provided that a finding of excessive similarity shall state not only that such similarity exists but, further, that it is of such a nature as to be expected to provoke beyond reasonable doubt one or more of the harmful effects set forth.
B. 
Excessive dissimilarity or inappropriateness in relation to any other structure existing or for which a permit has been issued, or for any other structure included in the same permit application which structure so described will face upon the same street and within 250 feet of the proposed site in respect to one or more of the following features:
(1) 
Cubical contents.
(2) 
Gross floor area.
(3) 
Heights of building or height of roof.
(4) 
Other significant design features, such as but not limited to quality of architectural design, provided that a finding of excessive dissimilarity or inappropriateness shall state not only that such dissimilarity or inappropriateness exists but, further, that it is of such nature as to be expected to provoke beyond reasonable doubt one or more of the harmful effects set forth and that the finding is not based on personal preferences as to taste or choice of architectural style.
A. 
Every application for a building permit for the construction, reconstruction or alteration of a building or structure in excess of 2,000 cubic feet of cubical content proposed for construction with the borough or for a sign or fence or application of new siding within the borough shall be referred by the Construction Official to the Committee of Architectural Design and Site Review within 10 days of the date of the receipt of the application provided it conforms in all respects to all other applicable laws and ordinances. Applications must be accompanied by plat plans showing building lines within the block. The site plan shall be submitted showing contours at five-foot intervals, location of trees over six inches in diameter or all trees on a public right-of-way or other type of topographical features when such information is required by the Advisory Committee or deemed necessary by the Construction Official.
B. 
For any use permitted in any zone, the plat shall also indicate on the site plan signs, fences and walls, landscaped areas and plant materials, trees and shrubs to be provided, utility lines, parking areas and entrances and exits therefrom, together with the location of all existing structures within 100 feet of the tract. Prior to approving the application for a plat in these zones, the Construction Official shall forward the application, together with all pertinent data and information, including requirements and comments of all interested municipal departments and officials to the Planning Board. The Planning Board shall, within 45 days of the receipt of the same, review the entire matter with a view toward ascertaining whether the requirements and standards of this section have been met, as well as the relationship of the proposed project to the Master Plan of the borough as it is developed and shall make a written report thereon to the Construction Official. No building permit shall be issued by the Construction Official upon such application before the expiration of such forty-five-day period unless an earlier decision is rendered by the Planning Board. If no report is received during that period, the Construction Official shall thereupon issue a permit. Any applicant wishing to make a change in a duly approved application shall follow the same procedure for obtaining approval thereof as in the original application. In the event that the Planning Board recommends against granting a building permit, the Construction official shall not override the recommendations of the Planning Board unless his action is approved by the Borough Council.
C. 
The aggrieved party may file an appeal to the Council within 10 days after his building permit application is denied, and the Council shall render its decision within 30 days following the first public meeting after receipt of notice of appeal by the Borough Clerk. In the event that there shall be no action taken by the Council within said thirty-day period, the appeal shall be deemed denied.