There is hereby established a Design Review
Advisory Committee for the purpose of promoting and encouraging public
and private actions to maintain a high character of community development,
to protect the public health, safety, convenience and welfare and
to protect real estate within the municipality from impairment or
destruction of value. In reviewing building plans for the purpose
of making recommendations, the Committee shall consider and take cognizance
of the development of adjacent, contiguous and neighboring buildings
and properties for the purpose of achieving safe, harmonious, aesthetically
pleasing and integrated development of related properties.
The Committee shall meet at such times as the Committee may determine. A quorum shall consist of three members. The Committee shall adopt its own rules and procedures and shall adopt standards and criteria for reviewing projects. Such rules and procedures and standards and criteria shall be adopted not later than 90 days following appointment of Committee members pursuant to §
177-53 of this article, provided that prior to the effectiveness of the standards and criteria, the Committee shall submit these to the Council for its review and comment. Upon adoption and effectiveness, the rules and procedures and standards and criteria shall be placed on file in the Town Clerk's office. The Committee shall report at least annually to the Council and the Town Plan and Zoning Commission on its activities.
[Amended 1-14-2014]
No application for special development district designation or amendment shall be approved until the plans, drawings, sketches and other documents required pursuant to §
177-44C of this chapter for a special development district application have been reviewed and recommendations reported by the Committee to the applicant and to the Town Council and Town Plan and Zoning Commission. The Plan and Zoning Commission or the Town Planner may, at their discretion, refer to the Design Review Advisory Committee any application which has been submitted to them; provided, however, that no such referral shall extend the time periods within which the Plan and Zoning Commission or Town Planner must act on any such application. Where any application is referred to the Design Review Advisory Committee by the Plan and Zoning Commission or the Town Planner, it shall be reviewed in the same manner as is applicable to special development district applications pursuant to this article.
No application for a special development district designation or amendment shall be subject to review and report of the Committee until standards and criteria have been approved in accordance with §
177-54 of this article.
The provisions of Chapter
16, Code of Ethics, of the Code of the Town of West Hartford shall apply to the members of the Committee. In addition, no member shall participate in the meeting or decision of the Committee upon any matter in which he or she is directly or indirectly interested in a personal or financial sense. In the event of such disqualification, such fact shall be entered on the records of the Committee, and the Chair shall appoint an alternate member to participate in the meeting.