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:
(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.