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
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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
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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);
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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Neon Sign Guidelines
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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.
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