For the purpose of promoting the health, safety and
general welfare of the community, conserving and enhancing the appearance
of the Village, especially in areas of existing or potential scenic
value, of historical note, of architectural merit or of interest to
the residents, and for the purpose of assisting property owners to
maintain the appearance and architectural tone of their neighborhoods
and preserve property values for the purpose of eliminating blight,
the Planning Board and Building Inspector, in exercising their respective
functions as set forth in the Village Code and/or Village Law of the
State of New York, for all structures and properties in the C-1, C-2,
MW, R-O, I-2 and P-O Districts and for all proposed subdivisions,
are to consider in deciding any application that comes before either
whether such application encourages originality, resourcefulness and
good qualities of exterior building design and good appearance in
harmony with surrounding structures; whether the proposed design and
appearance is offensive to visual sensibilities even when conforming
to existing surrounding structures; and whether the proposal avoids
or creates monotonous similarity or striking discord in design, appearance
or materials and/or achieves an interesting and harmonious aesthetic
appearance of all structures in the Village predicated upon sound
principles of planning architectural and/or aesthetic design.
[Amended 8-28-2000 by L.L. No. 14-2000; 11-1-2010 by L.L. No. 8-2010]
Be visually offensive or inappropriate by reason
of poor quality or exterior design, monotonous similarity or visual
discord in relation to the site, its surroundings or adjacent buildings;
To aid the Planning Board and Building Inspector in the above-described tasks, there is hereby created an Architectural Review Committee consisting of five members. The role of the Architectural Review Committee shall be advisory only and shall be for the sole purpose of providing the Planning Board and Building Inspector with information and advice as to the items set forth in Subsection A above. The Board of Trustees shall appoint the members of the Architectural Review committee, with the exception of one member who shall be chosen by the Planning Board, on a rotating basis for one-year terms. The terms of members first appointed shall be so fixed that the term of one member shall expire at the end of the Village official year in which such members were initially appointed. The terms of the remaining members first appointed shall be so fixed that one term shall expire at the end of each official year thereafter. At the expiration of the term of each member first appointed, his or her successor shall be appointed for a term which shall be equal in years to the number of members of the Board. If any vacancy shall occur otherwise than by expiration of term, the Board of Trustees shall fill the vacancy for the unexpired term. That Board of Trustees shall have the power to remove any member with or without cause and to dissolve the entire Committee. In the selection of the members of the Committee, the Board of Trustees may consider persons interested, trained or experienced in architecture, local history, land development, community planning, landscape architecture, engineering, building construction, conservation, environment or other relevant business or profession or persons interested in civic development and betterment.
The Architectural Review Committee may designate one
or more registered architects to advise and take part in all deliberations
and, subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees, may fix and
provide for all necessary costs or expenses involved in reviewing
each application, including compensation for needed advisory services.
Any architect so retained shall be without benefit of vote in regard
to any application unless he is also a member of such Committee.
Where required by the Planning Board and/or Building
Inspector, applications for all structures and properties, signs,
awnings, etc., in the C-1, C-2, MW, R-O and I-2 Districts, and for
all proposed subdivisions must be accompanied by plans showing, as
the case may be, all architectural and engineering elevations of the
proposed structure and all affected elevations in the case of additions,
alterations or remodeling, details and elements of design, color,
exterior materials and treatments, roof structures, exposed mechanical
equipment, service and storage areas, retaining walls, landscaping,
signs, awnings, light posts, parking areas, fences, service and loading
areas and such other information as the Planning Board and/or the
Building Inspector may require. When required by the Planning Board,
Building Inspector or by the Committee, a site plan shall be submitted
with the application showing both existing and proposed contours at
two-foot intervals.
All applications subject to this architectural review
provision shall be accompanied by such fee as the Board of Trustees,
by resolution adopted from time to time, may prescribe.
Every applicant shall be afforded the opportunity
to confer with and review with the Planning Board and/or Building
Inspector any changes in the plans suggested by the Board and/or Building
Inspector or submit alternate plans and proposals in such cases where
the Board and/or Building Inspector finds that the application would,
if granted, be inconsistent with the intent of this chapter by reason
of:
Striking offensive dissimilarity, visual discord
or inappropriateness with respect to other structures located or proposed
to be located on the same street, or a corner thereof, or the perpetration
of visually offensive architecture in existing structures in said
area in respect to one or more of the following features of exterior
design and appearance:
Other significant design features, such as but
not limited to heights, widths and lengths of elements of design,
poor orientation, exterior materials and treatments, roof structures,
exposed mechanical equipment, service and storage areas, retaining
walls, landscaping, signs, light posts, parking areas and fences and
service and loading areas.
Visual offensiveness or other poor qualities
of exterior design, including consideration of the harmony or discord
of colors or incompatibility of the proposed building or structure
with the terrain on which it is to be located, including but not limited
to excessive divergences of the heights of levels of any part of the
structure from the grade of the terrain.