Danville River District Design Guidelines 1: Introduction 1.0: Introduction, Standards and Process 1.1 Purpose toric district, the principal participants needed ers are apprehensive about government regu- are a property owner or applicant responsive lations and/or review boards. Review groups This document sets out design guidelines for to the goals of historic preservation, a good such as the... [River District Design Commis- the River District, and area defined in 2011 by the designer (for project where a design profes- sion] should be understanding and helpful in Redevelopment Plan prepared by the City. The sional is employed), and an alert and sympa- applying regulations and review principles. River District encompasses two historic districts, thetic governing body. The glue of commu- the Downtown Historic District and parts of the nity understanding holds them together and, The guidelines set standards for site and build- Tobacco Warehouse District as shown in the map in most cases, contributes the ingredients ing improvements, new development, streetscapes at right. required for a good project to emerge. and open space, site design, outdoor dining and Many responsive applicants and good design- signs. They provide a framework within which the The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation (see page 3) will apply within the historic districts, and will also apply to any historic structures outside the boundaries of the two his- toric districts but within the River District. In other areas of the River District, guidelines are provided to ensure that new buildings complement the existing historic context in order to create a quality district that represents the best of Danville’s past, present and future. The guidelines will be administered through a River District Design Commission (RDDC) appoint- ed by City Council. This Commission will review any changes to buildings or sites within the District and issue a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) if the changes meet the guidelines. Work on build- ings and sites within the District cannot commence until a COA has been issued and other required permits and approvals have been obtained (see Section 1.2 for information on the Commission and Section 1.5 for more information on the process). The forward to the Ellicott City, Maryland design guidelines includes a statement that is worth quot- ing here: Design Guidelines are no substitute for good design. To achieve effective design in a his- Section 1 Page 1 Danville River District Design Guidelines 1: Introduction Commission members can review applications and 1.3 The River District Design It is important to know that the National Reg- assist property owners to plan projects within the ister listing does not impose any design require- District. Guidelines do not dictate specific solu- Commission ments or regulation on property owners unless the tions that are not open to interpretation; they are owner applies for and accepts tax credits, loans, not regulations. They provide a starting point for The River District Design Commission will be or other benefits. The same is true for the state. property owners and Commission members while made up of seven (7) citizens, four (4) of whom It is also important to understand, however, that encouraging creativity and individual solutions. shall be peroperty or business owners in the River with the implementation of these guidelines, the The people who built Danville had no hard and fast District, and two (2) of whom may be non-city RDDC does have the ability to apply these design rules about construction except the materials avail- residents. The members are appointed by City guidelines to all properties within the River Dis- able and the skills and regional styles with which Council and serve without compensation. Con- trict whether or not the owner applies for state or they had experience. No two historic buildings are sideration should be given to contractors, design federal tax credits or other benefits, and whether exactly the same, and so no two buildings are likely professionals, attorneys, bankers, business owners or not the property is historic. See more about the to be rehabilitated in exactly the same way. and realtors as provided.**? Terms limits shall be requirements for non-historic properties in the next in accordance with Section 2-44 of the Code of the section of this chapter. Danville and its buildings have grown and City of Danville, Virginia, 1986, as amended. changed over time. The purpose of these guide- Before beginning work that will change the lines is not to preserve historic buildings exactly Meetings will be monthly and will only be held exterior of any historic property, owners must as they were when built, as a sort of museum, but if there are applications to be considered. A staff obtain approval from the RDDC, after which other rather to allow them to adapt gracefully to new person from the Community Development Depart- approvals and permits on the local and state level uses and new technologies and materials. Com- ment will be the initial point of contact for those must be obtained as appropriate. The Commis- mission members must balance modern needs seeking COAs, and that person will advise appli- sion will review the work and issue a Certificate of (parking lots, energy efficiency, new technology, cants on materials needed, notify the members of Appropriateness, which states that the proposed building codes, changing uses) with historic preser- meeting dates and agendas, maintain minutes of changes are compatible with the historic character vation goals. the meetings, and present the applications at the of the property and the district. A COA is required meetings. for exterior changes to historic buildings, new con- 1.2. River District Boundaries struction (e.g. additions), demolition, and changes 1.4. Historic Properties within to other elements such as signs and site design changes. The boundaries for the River District and the the District Design Guidelines are shown on the previous Owners of historic properties are not required to page. These boundaries were set during the The two districts within the River District maintain or restore their properties (although clearly completion of the Redevelopment Plan. As the (Downtown and Tobacco Warehouse) are on the this is encouraged), and RDDC approval is not area redevelops, it may be advisable to adjust National Register of Historic Places. This provides: required for interior alteration on buildings (permits the boundaries based on current issues or oppor- • Eligibility for federal income tax benefits for and inspections may be required by the City, but tunities as they may arise. This can be done by approved rehabilitation of income-producing this is a separate process). Some minor repairs and recommendation of Planning Staff, the Planning properties; maintenance to historic properties do not require Commission, or the River District Design Commis- • Eligibility for Virginia income tax benefits for a COA, and these are listed under each chapter of sion, with approval by Council. approved rehabilitation of income producing these guidelines as Routine Maintenance, with a buildings or private residences; and list of allowed improvements. • Eligibility to apply for federal and state grants and state low interest loans for his- toric preservation projects. Section 1 Page 2 Danville River District Design Guidelines 1: Introduction 1.5. Non-Historic Properties The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards within the District for Rehabilitation About 50% of the area of the River District, and perhaps a third of the buildings are not historic, yet they are included in the River District and the River District Guidelines. Some non-historic properties 1. A property shall be used as it was historically or be given a new use that requires minimal are located within historic districts, but most are change to its distinctive materials, features, spaces, and spatial relationships. located on the eastern and western “fringes” of the 2. The historic character of a property shall be retained and preserved. The removal of distinc- District. Many of these properties may have had tive materials or alteration of features, spaces, and spatial relationships that characterize a historic buildings on them at one time, but through property shall be avoided. neglect or purposeful demolition these buildings 3. Each property shall be recognized as a physical record of its time, place, and use. Changes have been removed. This has resulted in many that create a false sense of historical development, such as adding conjectural features or vacant and underutilized properties, many poor elements from other historic properties, shall not be undertaken. quality buildings, and little in the way of urban form or pedestrian-friendly public spaces. Because 4. Changes to a property that have acquired historic significance in their own right shall be these fringe areas connect to residential neighbor- retained and preserved. hoods outside the District, redevelopment with 5. Distinctive materials, features, finishes, and construction techniques or examples of crafts- more appropriate architecture and better linkages man-ship that characterize a property shall be preserved. will help to strengthen both the District and the 6. Deteriorated historic features shall be repaired rather than replaced. Where the severity of surrounding neighborhoods. And because down- deterioration requires replacement of a distinctive feature, the new features shall match the towns are more vibrant with a longer cycle of activ- old in design, color, texture, and where possible, materials. Replacement of missing fea- ity, medium-density housing may be an appropriate tures shall be substantiated by documentary and physical evidence. principal use for these areas, but mixed uses are encouraged. 7. Chemical or physical treatments, if appropriate, shall be undertaken using the gentlest means possible. Treatments that cause damage to historic materials shall not be used. A COA must be obtained for major changes to 8. Archaeological resources shall be protected and preserved in place.