BAR Design Guidelines for Historic Districts - City of Alexandria

197 Pages·2003·8.51 MB·English

GUIDE TO THE • Design Guidelines
• Schedule of Hearings
BOARD OF
• Application Form
• Filing Fees
ARCHITECTURAL
• Dockets and Staff Reports
REVIEW PROCESS • Contact Information
BOUNDARIES OF THE HISTORIC
DISTRICTS
THE BOARDS OF ARCHITECTURAL
The exact boundaries of the historic districts
REVIEW
are set forth on the City zoning maps. In
There are two locally designated and regulated
addition for ease of reference there is a list of
historic districts in Alexandria: the Old and
buildings in the historic districts by street ad-
Historic Alexandria District and the Parker-
dress.
Gray District. There is a Board of Architec-
tural Review for each district. The Boards are
100 YEAR OLD BUILDINGS
composed of seven members each, two of
In addition to the historic districts, there are a
whom must be architects. Members are ap-
number of individual building and structures
pointed for three year terms by City Council.
outside of the boundaries of the districts
The Boards must approve a Certificate of Ap-
which have been designated as historically or
propriateness for all new construction and
architecturally important by City Council and
exterior alterations in the historic districts
listed as 100 year old buildings. These desig-
which are visible from a public street, way,
nated buildings are subject to the same reg-
place, or the Potomac River. In addition, the
ulations as those buildings in the historic dis-
Boards must approve a Permit to Demolish for
tricts. Review of projects affecting 100 year
demolition of more than 25 square feet of a
old buildings is carried out by the Old and
building or structure in the historic districts
Historic Alexandria District Board. A listing
regardless of visibility from a public way.
of designated 100 year old buildings is main-
tained by the Department of Planning and
THE BOARDS OF ARCHITECTURAL
Zoning.
REVIEW WEBSITE
The B.A.R. Staff has developed a website for
B.A.R. STAFF
the Boards of Architectural Review containing
Each Board has a staff member of the De-
valuable information for completing the ap-
partment of Planning and Zoning assigned to
plication process. The site may be accessed
it. It is the responsibility of the staff member
through the City of Alexandria website and
to carry out the administrative functions of the
following the links for Citizen Government
Board which range from helping an applicant
and Architectural Review Boards or by the
fill out the necessary forms to ensuring suf-
following link:
ficient legal notice is published to preparing
http://www.ci.alexandria.va.us/city/planning
recommendations for Board action. One of
_zoning/historical_preservation
the primary duties of the Staff is to assist the
applicants in the process. The staff is gen-
The following information can be found on
erally available from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
the Board of Architectural Review website:
Monday through Friday. It is recommended
• Historic Districts Map
that applicants call Staff to set up an appoint-
• Addresses in the Historic Districts
City of Alexandria, Virginia
Design Guidelines Guide to the BAR Process - Page 1
ment. The telephone number of B.A.R. Staff NOTICE REQUIREMENTS
is 703-838-4666. Applicants must notify adjacent and abutting
property owners of the public hearing on the
PRELIMINARY STAFF REVIEW application. This normally involves notif-
Applicants are strongly urged to contact the ication of at least four property owners, those
Staff of the B.A.R. as early in the design on either side of the property and to the front
process as possible to discuss courses of and rear. However, it is not unusual that
action, design alternatives and application notification may involve a dozen or more
procedures. The purpose of early consultation property owners. It is important to remember
is to develop a proposal that is as sensitive to that only the property owners need to be
the importance of the historic and architectural notified and not the tenants of a property. In
resources of the historic districts as possible the case of a condominium with multiple
while trying to achieve the programmatic owners, notice to the President of the condo-
needs of the applicant. The B.A.R. Staff is minium association will meet the require-
often able to convey previous Board actions ments. Numbers of the parcels to be notified
on similar issues and save the applicant time, can be obtained from the Tax Maps for the
money and frustration. City. Names and addresses for property own-
ers can then be obtained from the Real Estate
APPLICATION Assessments Office (Room 2600, City Hall)
The application for a Certificate of Approp- or online at
riateness and/or a Permit to Move, Remove, http://www.ci.alexandria.va.us/city/reasearch/.
Capsulate or Demolish must be filled out and
filed with the Staff of the Board by 5:00 pm A form letter for notification is provided as a
on the day of the application deadline. part of the application package. Applicants
Twelve copies of the required supporting ma- can use this letter or one of their own
terial must accompany the application. Re- choosing so long as the relevant information is
quired supporting information and materials set forth. The notice letter for the public
vary depending upon the type of the appli- hearing must prominently display the street
cation. The specific requirements are set forth address of the affected property. Adjacent and
in each section of the Design Guidelines. abutting property owners must be notified at
Applications which are not complete will not least ten days prior to the public hearing on
be processed. the application. Notice letters must be mailed.
They may be sent by regular mail so long as
FILING DATES they are postmarked between thirty and ten
Generally applications are due 30 days prior to days prior to the public hearing.
a public hearing before the Old and Historic
Alexandria District Board and the Parker-Gray Following notification, the Board must be
District Board. Yearly schedules are available provided a Certificate of Notice which cert-
from the Department of Planning & Zoning. ifies notice to the adjacent and abutting prop-
erty owners. The Certificate of Notice form is
FILING FEE included in the application packet. This notice
Applicants must submit a filing fee with each and a copy of the letter of notice that was sent
Board of Architectural Review application by
along with the listing of property owners not-
5:00 p.m. on the day of the application filing
ified must be returned to the B.A.R. Staff at
deadline. Checks should be made payable to
least five days prior to the public hearing.
the City of Alexandria.
City of Alexandria, Virginia
Design Guidelines Guide to the BAR Process - Page 2
Failure to notify the adjacent and abutting addition, all applications are also reviewed by
property owners or failure to file the Certif- the Office of Historic Alexandria. If the pro-
icate of Notice will prevent the application ject does not meet the regulations of these de-
from being considered by the Board until partments, the applicant will be contacted
proper notification has taken place. either by the Staff of the affected agency or
B.A.R. Staff concerning problems that have
Applications which are deferred for more than been identified. In many cases the project can
30 days require that the adjacent and abutting be modified so that it meets applicable city
property owners be re-notified. regulations. However, if additional city ap-
provals are needed, for example a zoning var-
PLACARDS iance, processing of the application for a cert-
As another form of public notice, the property ificate of appropriateness will be delayed until
will have a cardboard placard affixed to it the other required approvals have been re-
prior to the public hearing. The placard pro- ceived.
vides information about the application and
the date of the public hearing. By signing the B.A.R. STAFF REPORTS
application form, the applicant agrees to the Each application is reviewed by the B.A.R.
placement of the placard on the property. Staff which makes a recommendation for pro-
posed action to the Board. The Staff report
Placards are put up by the Staff of the De- sets out the relevant facts about the applicant’s
partment of Planning and Zoning. They must proposal, background information on the his-
be left in place until the public hearing. toric or architectural resource involved, past
Following the public hearing on the appli- B.A.R. actions involving the property and
cation, they may be removed by the applicant. other information that the Staff is aware of,
including comments from all relevant city
ADVERTISEMENT agencies who have an interest in the project.
A legal notice of applications to be heard by The Staff recommendation is formulated from
the Boards of Architectural Review is pub- an historic preservation point of view in order
lished in the Alexandria Gazette and in the to ensure that the resource is fully considered
Alexandria Journal. In addition, The Wash- in the process.
ington Post normally carries notice of the
Boards public hearings. Staff reports will reference the relevant De-
sign Guideline for a specific project. Gener-
REVIEW BY OTHER CITY AGENCIES ally, Board action on a project will be predi-
It is the policy of the Boards of Architectural cated on compliance with the Guidelines.
Review not to review applications for projects
which do not meet all other applicable city Staff reports are made available to the appli-
regulations. This policy ensures that the pro- cant and the general public on the Friday be-
ject approved by the Board can, in fact, be fore the Wednesday hearing.
constructed. Therefore, applications are rou-
tinely referred to other relevant city agencies, THE PUBLIC HEARING
for their comment. These agencies include the The applicant or representative must attend
Office of Archaeology, the Department of the public hearing on the application. While
Transportation and Environmental Services, the Board can take action on the application
Code Enforcement and the Zoning Office. In without the applicant being present, it is the
City of Alexandria, Virginia
Design Guidelines Guide to the BAR Process - Page 3
policy of the Board to defer consideration of recorded and televised.
applications when the applicant is not present.
Following these presentations, the Board will
The Old and Historic Alexandria District discuss the application and may ask additional
Board of Architectural Review meets the first questions. When the Board finishes the dis-
and third Wednesday of every month. The cussion, they will pass a motion to approve
Parker-Gray District Board meets the fourth the application as submitted, approve the
Wednesday of every month. During the application with conditions, defer the appli-
months of July and August, the Boards usually cation for restudy or deny the application.
meet only once per month. Unless otherwise
announced, the public hearings take place at The Board rarely denies an application, but
7:30 pm in City Council Chambers on the rather seeks to work with the applicant to
second floor of City Hall. achieve a compromise that preserves the
historic resource while meeting the goals of
Applicants are encouraged to attend a B.A.R. the applicant. Applications which are denied
public hearing prior to submitting an appli- can be appealed to City Council. Applications
cation to gain an understanding of what to which are denied cannot be brought back be-
expect. Applicants may also choose to watch fore the Board for a period of one year unless
the B.A.R. public hearings, generally tele- the Board agrees to waive this requirement.
vised live, on local access Channel 70. A
Cablecast schedule is available from the Citi- In deferring an application for restudy, the
zens Assistance Office. Board usually provides guidance to the appli-
cant on the specific items or issues that the
At the beginning of the meeting, the Board Board finds problematic or which deserve
takes action on a Consent Calendar of docket further consideration or refinement. Though
items to be approved without discussion. Fol- the Board will not design the project for the
lowing approval of the Consent Calendar, the applicant, it will elaborate on preservation
Board hears each application in turn. While principles or contextual design issues.
the Board reserves the right to alter the order
of the hearing, this is done only rarely. CONSENT CALENDAR
The consent calendar is made up of docket
Each application is introduced by the Staff of items recommended by staff to be approved
the Board. The Chairman then asks the appli- by the Board without discussion. Generally
cant to make a presentation about the request. speaking, items recommended for inclusion on
Following the applicant’s presentation, mem- the consent calendar are those which are non-
bers of the public and representatives of civic controversial and which conform to past board
organizations are given an opportunity to test- practices and policies. In order for an item to
ify in support or opposition to the project. be considered for inclusion on the consent
The applicant then will have a second oppor- calendar it must meet the criteria set forth in
tunity to respond to the comments made by the Design Guidelines.
the public.
Any item proposed for the Consent Calendar
The Board uses Roberts Rules of Order in the may be removed by a member of the Board or
conduct of the hearing, but tries to maintain a a member of the public and a full hearing will
level of informality. B.A.R. hearings are tape be held on the application.
City of Alexandria, Virginia
Design Guidelines Guide to the BAR Process - Page 4
THE CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRI- APPEAL OF CITY COUNCIL DECIS-
ATENESS IONS
The evidence of Board approval of a project is City Council decision on B.A.R. appeals can
the Certificate of Appropriateness. Applica- be appealed to Circuit Court by the applicant
tions which are approved are physically st- or citizens through a petition signed by at least
amped with the Certificate of Appropriateness 25 property owners in the District.
and signed by the Secretary to the Board.
THE BUILDING PERMIT PROCESS
APPEAL OF B.A.R. DECISIONS After the public hearing, the Staff of the Board
Any final decision of the Board can be ap- will stamp two copies of all approved appli-
pealed to City Council. Appeals can be made cations with the Certificate of Appropri-
by 1) the applicant or 2) citizens through a ateness. One set of the application drawings
petition signed by at least 25 property owners will be returned to the applicant. The second
in the District. Appeals must be filed with the copy is retained in the B.A.R. files for
City Clerk (Room 2300, City Hall) within 14 reference.
days of the Board’s decision. There is a
$150 filing fee for the appeal process. Most projects approved by the Board require
the issuance of a building permit. Application
Failure to file an appeal within this time for a building permit is made to Code
period means that the decision of the Board is Enforcement, Room 4200, City Hall. The
final. stamped plans with the Certificate of Approp-
riateness will be required by Code En-
Once an appeal is filed, it is then scheduled forcement prior to the issuance of a building
for consideration by City Council at a public permit as evidence of compliance with the
hearing. These public hearings are normally historic district ordinances.
held once a month on the Saturday following
the second Tuesday. City Council hearings on Further information on the building permit
appeals are similar to the format at the Board process can be found in When is a Permit
hearing. Required? Which is available from the Code
Enforcement. Office or online at
City Council members are provided a sum- http://www.ci.alexandria.va.us/city/codeenfo
mary of the B.A.R. action, copies of the appli- rcement
cation and a copy of the minutes or a tran-
script of the B.A.R. public hearing. Once the building permit is obtained actual
construction work can commence.
Legal notice of the City Council hearing on
the appeal is published by the Department of EXPIRATION DATE OF B.A.R. AP-
Planning & Zoning in the Alexandria Gazette PROVALS
and Alexandria Journal. Notice of an appeal B.A.R. approval of Certificates of Approp-
hearing will be mailed to the appellant, the riateness or Permits to Demolish expire at the
applicant, the adjacent and abutting property end of a 12 month period, unless work on the
owners, and the subscribers to the B.A.R. project has been “commenced and substan-
docket by the Department of Planning and tially pursued” during that period. However,
Zoning. B.A.R. Staff will also post a placard any period of time during which the project
on the property. was on appeal to City Council or Circuit Court
City of Alexandria, Virginia
Design Guidelines Guide to the BAR Process - Page 5