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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2871 Historic Preservation and Design Guidelines ORDINANCE 2871 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PORT TOWNSEND RELATING TO HISTORIC PRESERVATION; ESTABLISHING HISTORIC PRESERVATION DESIGN GUIDELINES FOR AWNINGS, MURALS, EXTERIOR PAINT COLORS, SIGNS AND SIGN FONTS, NEON SIGNS, AND MECHANICAL SYSTEMS FOR PROJECTS SUBJECT TO HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMITTEE REVIEW WHEREAS, the Port Townsend National Landmark Historic District was designated on May 17, 1976; and WHEREAS, the Port Townsend Comprehensive Plan, Chapter IV - Land Use Element, states the following: Goal 15: To preserve historic and cultural resources to retain our connection to the past, enhance community values, and leave a historical legacy for future generations. Policy 15.1: Use the expertise of the Historic Preservation Committee (HPC) in matters that relate to the preservation of Port Townsend's heritage and strategies to retain a sense of the past as the City grows and changes. Continue to use the HPC for all mandatory design reviews of developments within the National Register Historic District, as specified in the Port Townsend Urban Waterfront Plan and Chapter 17.38 PTMC. Policy 15.2: Encourage the retention of significant historic and cultural resources which foster community identity and pride. Policy 15.5: Establish historic preservation guidelines in the zoning ordinance to govern the conservation and preservation of historic murals. Policy 15.5.2 Consider establishing guidelines that prohibit the repainting, removal or alteration of historic murals, except for instances where the structural integrity of the building is at stake or where new development would obscure an historic mural. WHEREAS, the Port Townsend Municipal Code (PTMC) establishes a Historic Preservation Committee (HPC) to review all proposals to "alter, demolish, construct, reconstruct, restore, remodel, or make any visible change to the exterior appearance of any structure or to the public rights-of-way or other public spaces" in the following areas: 1. The Urban Waterfront Special Overlay District; 2. The uptown and downtown C-III Historic Commercial Zoning Districts; 3. P/OS (A) Existing Park and Open Space, P/OS(B) Public Mixed Use, or P-I Public Infrastructure Districts within the boundaries of the National Landmark Historic District; and Page I Ordinance 2871 4. Conditional uses within the National Landmark Historic District. WHEREAS, the following HPC design guidelines have been adopted by ordinance: 1. The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation of Historic Buildings; 2. The Urban Waterfront Design Guidelines (from the Urban Waterfront Plan); and 3. The Main Street Streetscape Design Manual. WHEREAS, the HPC has developed additional guidelines to provide guidance to applicants on common types of development applications, these HPC guidelines include: 1. Exterior Paint Colors (approved by HPC in 1992); 2. Neon Signage; approved May 6, 1992; 3. Murals, approved by HPC January 26, 1993; 4. Awnings, approved October 12, 1993; 5. Signs including Sign Fonts, approved August 25, 1999; and 6. Exterior Mechanical Systems, approved December 12,2002. WHEREAS, on June 7, 2004 the City Council directed the Planning Commission to review the HP guidelines and provide a recommendation as to their formal adoption by ordinance; and WHEREAS, on June 21, 2004 the City Council adopted on an interim basis the HP guidelines to maintain the status quo until the Planning Commission had completed its review; and WHEREAS, the City's State Environmental Policy Act (SEP A) Responsible Offìcial issued a determination of non-significance on July 14, 2004 for the proposed adoption by ordinance of the historic preservation design guidelines; and WHEREAS, a 60-day notice of intent to adopt guidelines was sent to the State Office of Community Development in June 24, 2004; and WHEREAS, after timely notice and a public workshop, the Planning Commission on July 29,2004 held a public hearing to accept public testimony. At the conclusion of the public hearing the Planning Commission recommended that the Historic Preservation Design Guidelines be adopted by ordinance and included in a Historic Preservation Manual available to the public; and WHEREAS, the City Council held a public hearing on August 9, 2004 to consider the proposed Historic Preservation Design Guidelines; and WHEREAS, the City Council determines that design guidelines for awnings, murals, signs and sign fonts, neon signs, exterior mechanical elements, and exterior paint colors are consistent with historic preservation principles and will provide useful guidance to project applicants; and Page 2 Ordinance 2871 WHEREAS, these guidelines, together with other previously adopted guidelines, shall be included in a new Historic Preservation Manual, prepared and maintained by the HPC and city planning staff and made available to the public. NOW, THEREFORE, based upon the foregoing FINDINGS, and based upon the record before the Port Townsend Planning Commission and City Council, the City Council hereby ordains as follows: SECTION 1. New Section. A new section, 17.30.160 Historic preservation standards manual adopted - Purpose - Administration, is hereby enacted and added to the Port Townsend Municipal Code, to read as follows: 17.30.160 Historic preservation design guidelines manual adopted - Purpose - Administration. A. Historic preservation standards manual adopted. The standards and requirements contained in the Port Townsend Historic Preservation Design Guidelines Manual, as it now exists or is later amended, are hereby adopted, incorporated by reference herein, and made applicable to all developments and municipal improvements regulated under this chapter, except for projects that are exempted from the regulations of this chapter. The Port Townsend Historic Preservation Design Guidelines Manual currently contains the following sections: 1. Summary of Secretary's Standards for Preserving, Rehabilitating, Restoring, & Reconstructing historic Buildings; 2. Design Review Guidelines - Overall; 3. Design Guidelines for Signs in the Special Overlay Design Review District and National Landmark Historic District; 4. Port Townsend's National Landmark Historic District Approved Color Palette; 5. Design Guidelines for Awnings in the Special Overlay Design Review District and National Landmark Historic District; 6. Design Guidelines for Murals in the Special Overlay Design Review District and National Landmark Historic District; 7. Design Guidelines for Exterior Mechanical System Elements in the Special Overlay Design Review District and National Landmark Historic District; 8. Design Guidelines for Neon Signage in the Special Overlay Design Review District and National Landmark Historic District; 9. Port Townsend Historic District Streets cape Design, including any amendments thereto (adopted January 17, 1989, by Ordinance 2143; incorporated by reference in the Port Townsend Urban Waterfront Plan adopted December 4, 1990 by Ordinance 2216; and incorporated by reference in PTMC 17.30.150 B (3) ~ Waterfront subdistrict - Additional design standards); Page 3 Ordinance 2871 10. Water Street Historic District - A Field Report of the National Trust for Historic Preservation (1977) (incorporated by reference in PTMC 17.30.140 - Historic overlay district ~ Design standards). B. Purpose. The purpose of the Historic Preservation Design Guidelines Manual is to establish, in one comprehensive document, prescriptive and performance standards and procedures for developments and municipal improvements regulated under this chapter. The director may include in the Manual, in addition to the adopted guidelines, other information applicable to the historic preservation design review process. C. Procedures for changes to the historic preservation standards manual. Upon recommendation from the Historic Preservation Committee (HPC), the director is authorized to make minor, non-substantial changes and administrative processes to the Historic Preservation Design Guidelines Manual without further city council approval or adoption, as follows: Such changes shall be effective thirty days after filing with the city clerk, who shall immediately after filing forward such minor changes to the city council. Significant or substantive changes to the Historic Preservation Design Guidelines Manual require approval by the city council, and are only effective upon such approval. The authority to initiate minor changes to the manual granted in this subsection is in addition to the director's authority to interpret land development codes under Chapter 20.02 PTMC. D. Copies Available for Review and Purchase. Copies of the Historic Preservation Design Guidelines Manual and all revisions thereto shall be maintained in the city clerk's office and the Development Services Department (DSD) and shall be available for use and examination by the public, and shall be made available for purchase at the DSD. SECTION 2. Amendment. Section 17.30.140 Historic overlay district- Design standards, of the Port Townsend Municipal Code is hereby amended to read as follows (strike is deleted, underline is new): Historic overlay district - Design standards. In reviewing development or municipal improvements subject to this chapter, the HPC and the director shall apply, and development or improvements construction shall follow and conform with the following standards: 1 . The Secretary of the Interior's "Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties, with Guidelines for Preserving, Rehabilitating, Restoring, and Reconstructing Historic Buildings (1995). 2. Developments or municipal improvements regulated by this chapter that are located in the downtown Historic Commercial C-lIl district should also be subject to the guidelines contained in "Water Street Historic District: A Field Report ofthe National Trust for Historic Preservation," reprinted in 1977; 3 The waterfront subdistrict design review standards set forth in PTMC 17.30.150, below; and 4. The standards contained within the historic preservation design guidelines standards manual adopted pursuant to PTMC 17.30.160. as follows: 17.30.140 Page 4 Ordinance 2871 . Summary of the Secretary's Standards for Preserving, Rehabilitating, Restoring & Reconstructing Historic Buildings PTMC Design Review Guidelines Overall Port Townsend Historic District Streets cape Design Water Street Historic District National Trust for Historic Preservation . . . SECTION 3. Effective date of neon sign guidelines. All new proposed neon signage subject to the aforementioned design guidelines must comply with the current design standards and sign code provisions. 1. Pre-existing, non-conforming signs; Amortization Period. Pre-existing neon signage that has not received historic design review approval and a sign permit shall be discontinued within one year from the effective date of this ordinance. The BCD Director shall notifY each owner affected by this section of the provisions of this section, and that the owner may apply within one year of the effective date of this ordinance for an extended amortization period. 2. Extended Amortization Application. The owner shall, with his or her application, deposit $500.00 with the city to cover the cost of the city hiring an economic consultant to provide an analysis of what amortization period would be reasonable in terms of the particular use and the owner's investment. The application shall be processed in the same manner as a conditional use permit. The hearing examiner shall base a decision on the data contained in the economic analysis, plus other information introduced at the hearing. The city shall refund any portion of the $500.00 deposit not used in processing the application. SECTION 4. Severability. If any provision of this ordinance or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the ordinance, or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected. This ordinance shall take effect and be in force five days after the date of its publication in the manner provided by law. Adopted by the City Council of the City of Port Townsend, Washington, at a special business meeting thereof, held this twenty-ninth day of November, 2004. (!Ljk~'~ ~¿l'~ü-- Catharine Robinson, Mayor V~_h cK If; Pamela Kolacy, CMC, C~ Approved as to Form: rJL~ John P. Watts, City Attorney Page 5 Ordinance 2871 Exhibit C (with edits approved by Council 11/29/04) DESIGN GUIDELINES for NEON SIGNAGE in the Special Overlay Design Review District and the National Landmark Historic District Purpose These DESIGN GUIDELINES are established for the following purposes: 1. To supplement land use regulations which encourage and promote public health, safety and welfare of the citizens of Port Townsend. 2. To provide guidance to urban design decisions that will promote development of high environmental and visual quality throughout the city. 3. To assist applicants in the preparation of development applications. 4. To assist decision-making by the Historic Preservation Committee in the review of development applications. 5. To recognize that neon signage does have a place in Port Townsend's Historic Commercial districts. 6. To prevent excessive neon signage from causing negative impacts to the character ofthe Port Townsend National Landmark Historic District and Urban Waterfront Special Overlay Design Review District. Introduction The design guidelines for neon signage in the commercial areas ofthe Port Townsend National Landmark Historic District and in the Special Overlay Design Review District are intended to be used as an aid to appropriate design and not as a checklist for compliance. The purpose of the guidelines is to create awareness of the unique character of the District during the design of neon signage. These guidelines identifY the design elements deemed important in reviewing neon signage for appropriateness and are the basis for decisions made by the Historic Preservation Committee Guidelines Signage identifies a business, and provides a linkage between a building's exterior and the interior use. A good sign can help a business by making it distinctive. Within the Commercial Historic Districts signage is regulated by the Port Townsend Municipal Code (PTMC). The following guidelines apply to neon signage within the Port Townsend National Landmark Historic Distric(and Urban Waterfront Special Overlay Design Review District: Neon Sign Guidelines Page 2 1. Compliance with Sign Code: All neon signage shall be in strict conformance with the requirements of Port Townsend sign code, chapter 17.76 of the PTMC. 2. Administrative Design Review. Neon signs that are 2 square feet or less in sign area shall be subject to administrative review by the BCD Director. A single business or single storefront may have up to 2 neon signs reviewed through administrative review. Additional neon signs for that business or storefront, or neon signs larger than 2 square feet shall be reviewed by the Historic Preservation Committee. 3. Historic Neon Signage: Existing historic neon signage shall be restored and/or renovated, and shall not be altered in exterior appearance. For the purpose of these guidelines, Historic Signage shall meet one of the following standards: a. Signage that is a minimum of 50 years old; or b. Original signage located on a building which has been designated by the Secretary of the Interior as "contributing" to the Historic District and/or has been listed 'on the National Register of Historic Places, or is listed on the Port Townsend Register of Historic Places; or c. Original signage located on a building that has been found to contribute to the Port Townsend Historic District by the Historic Preservation Committee. Pursuant to the above, the duplication or reconstruction of historic neon signage shall be permitted provided that historic photographs, drawings or plans are available that clearly indicate the design, size and placement of the original sign. The proposed replacement neon signage shall be consistent in design, size and placement with that of the original sIgn. 4. Non-historic Neon Signage: Proposed neon signage that is not based on historical precedent shall be evaluated by the following criteria: a. Location. Neon signage shall normally only be placed behind window glazing. Alternative placement of neon signage (such as projecting signs) are discouraged. Alternative placement should only be authorized in situations where other types of signage are either not possible or are ineffective. Alternative placement for neon signage may also be approved based upon historical precedent for that business or building. b. Exterior signs and architectural details. Where neon signs are permitted exterior to the building they shall not cover architectural details of the building. c. Pedestrian oriented signage. The total sign area as well as the size of individual letters shall be as small as possible while still being clearly legible to pedestrians on either side of adjacent streets. Individual letters should be at least 3 inches high to be visible across an adjacent street. 2 Neon Sign Guidelines Page 3 d. Keep message simple. A brief message should be used whenever possible. The fewer the words, the more effective the sign. A neon sign with a brief, succinct message is easier to read. e. Blockage of window views. Sidewalk-level storefront windows should provide views ofthe business interior. Neon signage should not obscure views of the interior from the adjacent sidewalk. Neon signs should be placed above or below eye level to avoid blocking window views. f. Graphic signs. Symbolic or graphic signs which effectively indicate the type of business are encouraged. g. Encouraged use of neon sign age. Neon signs are especially effective in the following situations: i. A small amount of sign area is desirable; ii. The storefront is in shadows or bright sunlight that makes other types of signage difficult to see; iii. Transient accommodations (vacancy/no vacancy signs) and food service establishments. Both rely on out of town customers and provide basic services (lodging and food) that can be succinctly communicated with neon signage ("pizza", "Mexican food", "espresso", etc.). h. Creative design. Signs should make a positive contribution to the general appearance ofthe street and commercial area in which they are located. A well- designed sign can be a major asset to a building. Imaginative and innovative sign designs are encouraged. i.. Location of mechanical equipment. The placement of transformers, backing plates or other mechanical devices accessory to the proposed neon sign shall be hidden or screened from public view. Placement of the proposed sign behind a window shall be considered as providing adequate screening. J. Unique Port Townsend Products. Neon signage for products unique to Port Townsend (such as for a local. beer) shall be encouraged. 8. Decorative Use Prohibited. The decorative use of neon as a means of accenting windows, doors, cornices or other architectural elements of a building shall be prohibited. 3