A. 
The "standards," reprinted here in their entirety, were developed by the National Park Service Cultural Resources Preservation Assistance Division. They are to be applied in a reasonable manner, taking into consideration economic and technical feasibility.
B. 
HARB shall be guided by the "standards" when reviewing activities that are regulated by this chapter.
(1) 
A property shall be used for its historic purpose or be placed in a new use that requires minimal change to the defining characteristics of the building and its site and environment.
(2) 
The historic character of a property shall be retained and preserved. The removal of historic materials or alteration of features and spaces that characterize a property shall be avoided.
(3) 
Each property shall be recognized as a physical record of its time, place, and use. Changes that create a false sense of historical development, such as adding conjectural features or architectural elements from other buildings, shall not be undertaken.
(4) 
Most properties change over time; those changes that have acquired historic significance in their own right shall be retained and preserved.
(5) 
Distinctive features, finishes, and construction techniques or examples of craftsmanship that characterize a property shall be preserved.
(6) 
Deteriorated historic features shall be repaired rather than replaced. Where the severity of deterioration requires replacement of a distinctive feature, the new feature shall match the old in design, color, texture, and other visual qualities and, where possible, materials. Replacement of missing features shall be substantiated by documentary, physical, or pictorial evidence.
(7) 
Chemical or physical treatments, such as sandblasting, that cause damage to historic materials shall not be used. The surface cleaning of structures, if appropriate, shall be undertaken using the gentlest means possible.
(8) 
Significant archeological resources affected by a project shall be protected and preserved. If such resources must be disturbed, mitigation measures shall be undertaken.
(9) 
New additions, exterior alterations, or related new construction shall not destroy historic materials that characterize the property. The new work shall be differentiated from the old and shall be compatible with the massing size, scale, and architectural features to protect the historic integrity of the property and its environment.
(10) 
New additions and adjacent or related new construction shall be undertaken in such a manner that if removed in the future, the essential form and integrity of the historic property and its environment would be unimpaired.
In determining the recommendations to be made to the Borough Council concerning the issuance of a certificate of appropriateness, HARB shall consider only those matters that are pertinent to the preservation of the historical and/or architectural aspect and nature of the building, site, area, or district, certified to have historical significance, including the following:
A. 
Broad historical values representing the cultural, political, economic, or social history of the Borough.
B. 
The relationship of the building or structure to historic personages or events.
C. 
Significant architectural types representative of a certain historical period and a style or method of construction.
D. 
The effect of the proposed change upon the general historical and architectural nature of the district.
E. 
The appropriateness of the exterior architectural features which can be seen from a public way.
F. 
The general design, arrangement, texture, and material of the building or structure and the relation of such factors to similar features of buildings or structures in the district. Consideration shall be given but not be limited to the following:
(1) 
Proportion of building's front facades: preserving the relationship between the width of the front of the building and the height of the front of the building.
(2) 
Proportion of openings within the building: preserving the relationship of width to height of windows and doors.
(3) 
Rhythms of solids to voids in the front facade: preserving the relationship between a recurrent alteration of strong and weak architectural elements thereby maintaining a rhythm of solids to voids.
(4) 
Rhythm of spacing of buildings on streets: preserving the existing rhythm of recurrent or repeated building masses to spaces between each building.
(5) 
Rhythm of entrance and/or porch projections: preserving the existing rhythm of entrance or porch projections to maintain a pedestrian scale.
(6) 
Relationship of materials: preserving the predominant materials of the district such as brick, stone, stucco, wood siding, or other material.
(7) 
Relationship of textures: preserving the predominant textures of the district which may be smooth, such as wood siding, or rough, such as masonry.
(8) 
Relationship of architectural details: preserving character-defining features of buildings, such as architectural details, including but not limited to cornices, lintels, arches, quoins, balustrades and iron work, chimneys, etc.
(9) 
Relationship of roof shapes: preserving compatible roof shapes such as gable, mansard, hip, flat, gambrel, and/or other kinds of roof shapes.
(10) 
Walls of continuity: preserving physical elements which comprise streetscapes such as brick walls, wrought iron fences, building facades or combinations of these which form visual continuity and cohesiveness along the street.
(11) 
Directional expression of front elevation: preserving the orientation of structural shapes, plan of openings and architectural detail that reflect a predominantly vertical, or horizontal character to the building facade.
(12) 
Scale: preserving the scale of the built environment created by the size of units of construction and architectural detail that relate to the size of persons. In addition, preserving building mass and its relationship to open space.