Historic District Review Board was named the “review body” for Commercial-3 District

Currently, the Historic District Review Board has jurisdiction over the design review as well as materials used in the Commercial – 1 District. While there are several parcels in the Commercial-3 district that are firmly within the Historic District, there is a sliver that falls outside of it. Essentially, non-compliant historical attributions could occur in Commercial-3 since “these parcels outside the overlay that are seemingly without the jurisdiction of a required, named “review body.”

Article III Section 3.6.F.1.e states, “Materials. New construction should use materials in a manner sympathetic to the historic buildings in the Town of Cape Charles. Materials should be of similar or complementary color, size, texture, scale, craftsmanship, and applicability to function performed.” It is also part of the ordinance that certain materials, due to their “visually intrusive” nature, are not be used in the historic district, such as aluminum or vinyl siding asphalt siding, carpeted porch floors and steps,corrugated metal, faux brick and stone (brick face), awnings.

Since the Historic District Review Board is the entity having “power and authority…within the historic district”, staff recommended to council that the HDRB be named the “review body” for the Commercial-3 district. After discussion, the Historic District Review Board was named the “review body” cited in Zoning Ordinance Article III, Section 3.8.F for parcels in the Commercial – 3 District lying outside the Historic District overlay boundary.

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Wayne Creed

Administrator

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