[Added 6-1-1992 ATM, Art. 10]
~ 171-80. Creation.
The town creates a new Downtown Business B District as follows.
~ 171-81. Purpose.
The Downtown Business District is designed to protect the traditional character of the central business area which has historically served Great Barrington and surrounding communities. The district is composed of blocks representing the wide spectrum of 19th century commercial architectural styles. It is important to recognize this area as a distinct zone to protect its character and ensure that it continues to function as an economic center and a densely developed area of pedestrian-oriented business.
~ 171-82. Location.
See Map for details.
~ 171-83. Applicability.
All proposed changes to the exterior of structures within the district shall require a meeting with the Design Advisory Committee. Any substantial structural change shall require a special permit from the Planning Board. A substantial structure change is defined as one which involves: changing the height of a structure or increasing the size of a structure's footprint or square footage of any aboveground floor by more than 25% or 1,000 square feet, whichever is smaller.
~ 171-84. Permitted uses.
Permitted uses in the Downtown Business District shall be the same as in the B-2 District.
~ 171-85. Special permit granting authority. [Amended 5-3-1999 ATM, Art. 33]
The special permit granting authority shall be the Board of Selectmen.
~ 171-86. Dimensional requirements.
Dimensional requirements shall be as set forth in the schedule below.
Schedule of Dimensional Requirements1
|
Minimum Lot Size |
Minimum Yards |
Maximum Building Coverage |
Maximum Building Height |
|
Area (square (feet) |
Width (feet) |
Front (feet) |
Side (feet) |
Rear (feet) |
(percent) |
Stories |
Feet |
Current |
5,000 |
50 |
25 |
10 |
10 |
75% |
3 |
40 |
Proposed |
5,000 |
50 |
02 |
03 |
103 |
75% |
3 |
40 |
NOTES:
1In view of small or irregular lot sizes, replacement buildings are permitted in perpetuity, based on lot sizes and front, rear and side yards no less than and building coverage no greater than those existing as of the effective date of this article.
2Zero front setbacks are encouraged for the purpose of maintaining the integrity and continuity of the street facade. The maximum front setback shall be five feet.
3Existing side yards, rear yards and the rights-of-way shall be retained. Parking areas that currently exist to meet parking requirements for housing units shall be retained.
~ 171-87. Design review.
A. Purpose. The purpose of design review is to preserve, enhance and raise awareness of the town's cultural, economic and historical resources by providing for a review of all changes in the appearance of structure and sites which may affect these resources. The review procedures are intended to:
(1) Enhance the social and economic viability of the town by preserving property values and promoting the attractiveness of the town as a place to live, visit and shop.
(2) Encourage the conservation of buildings and groups of buildings that have aesthetic or historic significance.
(3) Prevent alterations that are incompatible with the existing environment or that are of inferior quality or appearance.
(4) Encourage flexibility and variety in future development.
B. Projects requiring design review. All new structures, alterations or additions to existing structures which affect the exterior architectural appearance of a building shall be subject to review by the Design Advisory Committee, provided that the action occurs on land which is located in the Downtown Business B District.
C. Design Advisory Committee.
(1) A Design Advisory Committee is hereby established to review applications for all actions that are subject to the provisions of this section and to work cooperatively with owners of land, buildings and businesses. The Design Advisory Committee shall make recommendations to the appropriate decisionmaking body and/or the applicant concerning compliance of the proposed action to the design review standards in this section.
(2) The Design Advisory Committee shall consist of seven members, constituted as follows:
(a) Building Inspector.
(b) Planning Board member.
(c) Historic Commission member.
(d) Architect appointed by the special permit granting authority.
(e) Landscape architect appointed by the SPGA.
(f) Two members from the general public appointed by the Board of Selectmen.
(3) The terms of all members shall be five years, except that when the Committee is originally established, the Board of Selectmen shall make its two appointments for a two-year term, the SPGA shall make one of its appointments for a two-year term and the Historic Commission member and the Planning Board member shall serve for one-year terms.
D. Procedures.
(1) Applications for all actions subject to review by the Design Advisory Committee shall be made by completing an application form and submitting it to the Building Inspector. Application forms are available from the Building Inspector's office. Further information about the application process is set forth in the Rules and Regulations of the Design Advisory Committee.
(2) Submittal requirements.
(a) Applicants to the Design Advisory Committee shall address all standards listed in Subsection E below. If the project involves a variance, special permit or building permit, any information required for it should be included. The Committee may request additional information if it deems to be relevant.
(b) Each application shall be accompanied by photographs of the existing buildings and/or site, showing the area to be modified.
(c) The following scaled drawings shall accompany the application, unless this requirement is waived by the Design Advisory Committee:
[1] Small scale (minimum 1/8 inch equals one foot zero inches) elevation showing the existing building with proposed changes and adjacent buildings.
[2] Large scale (minimum 1/2 inch equals one foot zero inches) elevation showing proposed changes.
[3] Section details (minimum 1/2 inch equals one foot zero inches).
[4] Building plans as submitted to the Building Inspector.
(3) Process. The Building Inspector shall transmit copies of the application to the Design Advisory Committee. The Committee shall review the application, meet with the applicant and provide its recommendations, in writing, to the applicant and the Building Inspector within 30 days. If the application for design review is associated with an application for a variance or a special permit, the Building Inspector shall immediately transmit the Design Advisory Board's recommendation to the Planning Board or the Zoning Board of Appeals, whichever is relevant.
E. Design review standards. The standards which are described below are intended to provide a guide to the applicant and the Design Advisory Committee for the design review of proposed actions. These standards shall not be regarded as inflexible requirements, and they are not intended to discourage creativity, invention or innovation; rather, they are intended to focus attention on design principals which enhance the visual appearance of the community.
(1) General principles.
(a) Every reasonable effort shall be made to preserve the distinguishing original qualities of a building, structure or site and its environment. The removal or alteration of any historic material or architectural features should be avoided whenever possible.
(b) Distinctive stylist features or examples of skilled craftsmanship which characterize a building, structure or site shall be treated with sensitivity.
(c) All new development shall be treated harmoniously to the use, scale and architecture of existing buildings in the vicinity that have a functional or visual relationship to the proposed building.
(d) Contemporary design for alterations and additions to existing properties shall not be discouraged when such alterations and additions do not destroy significant historical architectural or cultural material and when such design is compatible with the surrounding environment.
(2) Design review standards. The Design Advisory Committee shall consider, at a minimum, the following standards in the course of a design review of a proposed action:
(a) Height. The height of any proposed alteration should be compatible with the style and character of the surrounding buildings.
(b) Proportions of windows and doors. The proportions and relationships between doors and windows should be compatible with the architectural style and character of the surrounding area.
(c) Relationships of building masses and spaces. The relationship of a structure to the open space between it and adjoining structures should be compatible. The effects of shadows on abutting property or public open space should be minimized.
(d) Roof shape. The design of the roof shape should be compatible with the architectural style of the surrounding buildings.
(e) Landscape. The landscape should be compatible with the character and appearance of the surrounding area. The species for landscaping should be encouraged.
(f) Scale. The scale of the structure should be compatible with its architectural style and the character of the surrounding buildings.
(g) Architectural details. Architectural details, including signs, materials, colors and textures, shall be treated so as to be compatible with a building's original architectural style and so as to preserve and enhance the character of the surrounding area.
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