HomeMy WebLinkAbout22506 1 ORDINANCE NO.22,506
2
3 AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND CHAPTER 23, ARTICLE IV, DIVISION 3,
4 §§ 23-115 AND 23-120 OF THE LITTLE ROCK REVISED CODE OF
5 ORDINANCES (1988) TO PROVIDE FOR A REVISION OF THE
6 PROCEDURES CONCERNING ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW OF
7 CERTIFICATES OF APPROPRIATENESS; AND FOR OTHER
8 PURPOSES.
9
10 WHEREAS,the procedures concerning the Historic District Commission's ("Commission")
11 review and approval of applications for Certificates of Appropriateness were established pursuant
12 to Little Rock, Ark. Ordinance No. 19,755 (May 15, 2007) and amended, in part, by Little Rock,
13 Ark. Ord. No. 20,423 (April 19, 2011) and Little Rock, Ark. Ord. No. 22,338 (November 21,
14 2023); and
15 WHEREAS, there is now a desire to amend the ordinance concerning the Commission's
16 review and approval of applications for Certificates of Appropriateness in order to clarify the
17 process of the administrative issuance of such a certificate for minor projects which will have a
18 minimal impact on the historic nature of the neighborhood and need not be reviewed by the
19 Commission due to legal or other requirements; and
20 WHEREAS, the proposed procedures for administrative approvals of Certificates of
21 Appropriateness will streamline the review process for applicants of minor impact projects,
22 incentivize compliance with historic district design guidelines,and further increase local ordinance
23 district design continuity.
24 NOW,THEREFORE,BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE CITY
25 OF LITTLE ROCK,ARKANSAS.
26 Section 1.Little Rock,Ark.,Rev. Code Chapter 23,Article IV,Division 3 Section 23-115 is amended
27 to add the following subsection(e):
28 Division 3.—CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS.
29 Sec.23-115.Certificate of appropriateness required.
30 (e) Administrative Review. The commission shall have the authority to determine when work is
31 an appropriate improvement which constitutes ordinary maintenance and does not materially
32 affect properties within the area of influence of the property for which the work is to be
33 performed and the special character of the district.The commission shall have the authority to
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1 delegate to administrative staff the ability to issue a Certificate of Appropriateness, without
2 public hearing and notice,when not prohibited by other law.
3 (1) All project requirements and conditions for work delegated to administrative review
4 must have been previously approved by the commission.
5 (2) The type of work delegated to administrative review must be specifically identified in
6 the guidelines adopted for the local ordinance district.
7 Section 2. Little Rock,Ark.,Rev. Code Chapter 23,Article IV,Division 3 Section 23-120 is deleted
8 in its entirety and replaced with new text as follows:
9 Sec.23-120.—General criteria.
10 In making its determination,the commission shall consider without being limited to the following
11 criteria:
12 (a) Proposed repairs, alterations, new construction, moving or demolition in the historic
13 district shall respect and relate to the special character of the district. Changes shall be
14 evaluated on basis of:
15 (1) The purpose of this division.
16 (2) The architectural or historic value or significance of a building and its
17 relationship to the surrounding area.
18 (3) The general compatibility of proposed changes.
19 (4) Any other factor, including visual and aesthetic considered pertinent.
20 (b) The commission shall encourage proposed changes which reflect the original design
21 of the structure, based on photographs, written description or other historical
22 documentation,and be guided by the following preferences:
23 (1) It is preferable to preserve by maintenance rather than to repair original
24 features of the building.
25 (2) It is preferable to repair rather than to reconstruct if possible.
26 (3) It is preferable to restore by reconstruction of original features rather than to
27 remove or remodel.
28 (c) When evaluating the general compatibility of alterations to the exterior of any building
29 in the historic district, the commission shall consider, but not be limited to, the
30 following factors within the building's area of influence:
31 (1) Siting.
32 (2) Height.
33 (3) Proportion.
34 (4) Rhythm.
35 (5) Roof area.
36 (6) Entrance area.
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1 (7) Wall areas.
2 (8) Detailing.
3 (9) Facade.
4 (10) Scale.
5 (11) Massing.
6 (d) Additions to existing buildings shall be judged in the same manner as new construction
7 and shall complement the design of the original building, including exterior window
8 sizes, door heights and ceiling heights, and should not interfere with any outstanding
9 architectural feature. Decoration of the exterior should blend with existing exterior
10 features such as window casements, gable trim, roofline, siding material, foundation
11 materials and types of windows.
12 (e) Generally, new construction shall be judged on its ability to blend with the existing
13 neighborhood and area of influence.The commission shall consider,but not be limited
14 to the factors listed for alterations in paragraph[subsection] (c).
15 Section 3. Severability. In the event any section, subsection, subdivision, paragraph, subparagraph,
16 item, sentence, clause, phrase, or word of this ordinance is declared or adjudged to be invalid or
17 unconstitutional,such declaration or adjudication shall not affect the remaining provisions of this ordinance,
18 as if such invalid or unconstitutional provision was not originally a part of this ordinance.
19 Section 5. Repealer.All laws, ordinances,resolutions, or parts of the same,that are inconsistent with
20 the provisions of this resolution,are hereby repealed to the extent of such inconsistency.
21 PASSED: September 3,2024
22 ATTEST: APPROVED:
23
24 pacito �.
25 Allison Segars, City Clerk Frank Scott,Jr.,May
26 APPROVED AS TO LEGAL FORM:
27 c7;N.,,(
28
29 Thomas M. Carpenter,City Attorne
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