FAÇADE IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM AND ARCHITECTURAL STANDARDS Architecture and Building Conditions in the Bellevue-Rutherford Neighborhood The architecture of the Bellevue-Rutherford neighborhood varies in style and size. Most buildings in the Area consist of 19th- and 20th-century residences, predominantly in the form of row homes, two family houses and single-family detached houses. The residential architecture also includes newer multi-family buildings built in the later half of the 20th century. A number of buildings have been modified over time, and some have even been demolished. This is especially true in the western portion of the CHS Mercer Campus which originally consisted of twin and single-family homes up to the 1950s. The east/west streets of the neighborhood (e.g. Bellevue, Rutherford) have more buildings fronting on them than the north/south streets (e.g. Prospect, Marion). The building heights vary from one street segment to another. However, the height of buildings, style of architecture and massing of buildings is generally uniform on one particular street segment or block. Exceptions to this phenomenon exist and are either due to difference in time of construction or difference in use of the buildings. Bellevue Rutherford Neighborhood Plan December 2009
The residential uses along Rutherford Avenue are denser and are located on narrower lots with very little or no side yards. These mainly consist of twin residential units or townhomes. These are also the areas with a larger number of vacant parcels and with a greater amount of deteriorating building stock. While there is a large supply of buildings with active residential or commercial uses, many structures are in poor condition. Some of the obvious signs of deterioration include: buildings that are vacant and suffer problems of maintenance; structural failures such as cracks in foundations, and walls; decay of wooden structural members, doors and windows; rusted iron members, and rusted doors of abandoned garages; graffiti on buildings. The most obvious signs of deterioration are the boarded up windows and deteriorated paint on many buildings. The four main residential façade types include: Twin with center gable and front porch: This type of house has a two-and-half story brick masonry and/ or frame structure with two attached units. The two units are accessed via main doors located at either ends of the building with a front porch. The front porch is supported on either end with a column. While the building type originally included an open front porch supported on masonry/wooden columns, in later conversions the open front porch in many of the houses within the neighborhood has been enclosed with a wooden frame structure. The roof does have a noticeable eave that is embellished by a cornice. December 2009 Bellevue Rutherford Neighborhood Plan
Twin or row house with a dormer and open masonry front porch: This type of house has a two-and-half story brick masonry and/or frame structure with two attached units. The two units are accessed via main doors located at either ends of the building. The front porch is supported on either end with a masonry/wooden column. The upper half-story is furnished with a dormer window. The roof edge is embellished by a cornice. Brick row house This type of house has a two-story brick masonry structure with two attached units. The two units are accessed via main doors located symmetrically on a masonry stoop with stairs perpendicular to the building face. The two-story building is covered by a flat roof - that is furnished by a cornice and dental molding, along the street frontage. The character of the rectangular windows is enhanced by arched lintels and projecting wooden sills. Detached house This type of house has a two-and-half story brick masonry and/or frame structure for one dwelling unit. The residential unit is accessed via a main door asymmetrically located at one ends of the building, and within the front porch. The upper half-story is furnished with a dormer window, and the primary frontage has a noticeable eave that is embellished by a cornice. The fine articulation of the columns and railing of the open front porch are characteristic of the building type. Bellevue Rutherford Neighborhood Plan December 2009
pe A Twin with center gable and front porch Type A - Twin with center gable and front porch Before After December 2009 Bellevue Rutherford Neighborhood Plan
front porch Type B - Twin or row with dormer and open masonry front porch After Before Bellevue Rutherford Neighborhood Plan December 2009
Type C - Brick row house Type C - Brick row house After Before December 2009 Bellevue Rutherford Neighborhood Plan
Type D - Detached house Type D Detached house After Before Bellevue Rutherford Neighborhood Plan December 2009
Type D - Detached house Type D Detached house Before After December 2009 Bellevue Rutherford Neighborhood Plan
Façade Improvement Program The main goal of the Façade Improvement Program is to enhance the aesthetics of the Bellevue-Rutherford neighborhood by providing formal guidelines for facade improvements to owners and/or tenants of properties in the neighborhood. Although this would be voluntary program, the goal is to eliminate blight (in the form of dilapidated and/or boarded up buildings) and incompatible design by encouraging program participation as well as to bring structures up to existing building and safety code standards. The façade of a building consists of several elements such as building style, materials, doors and windows, decorative details such as moldings and cornices, awnings and canopies, and signage. These contribute to the overall building appearance and should be maintained for an attractive streetscape or neighborhood. The various sections of a façade improvement project may include the following, although it is not necessary that all these are part of each project: Woodwork: repair, cleaning, refinishing, painting, restoration, repointing, or replacement of exterior woodwork or architectural materials. Masonry: masonry repairs, restoration, repointing, repainting, or water or steam cleaning. Windows and Doors: repair, replacement, installation, repainting or restoration of windows (including display, ornamental, upper-story and storm windows) and exterior doors. Cornices, Parapets and Roofs: installation or repair of cornices, parapets, or roofs when part of facade renovation, or independently, when it is a visible part of the facade. Signs, Awnings and Canopies: maintenance and repair or removal and replacement of existing signs, or the installation of new signs or retractable cloth awnings and canopies. Lighting Fixtures: maintenance or installation of exterior lighting fixtures associated with a building façade or used to provide sign lighting. Bellevue Rutherford Neighborhood Plan December 2009
Façade Improvement Standards Based on the various façade improvement projects outlined above, the following guidelines should be followed for any improvement project within the neighborhood: Front Facades The front facades, and facades prominently visible from public ways, are the most important and should be dealt with most carefully. In general, existing details and character defining features should be kept, repaired and enhanced. These features include exterior materials, windows and doors, porches, stoops, grating, brackets, trim and moldings. Materials: If a building is attached to other buildings, as in the case of the twin single-family homes within the neighborhood, the pattern and/or prominence of the materials used in adjacent buildings should be taken into account. Front Windows: Front windows should be wood, double-hung windows that fit the existing openings without special infill and that match the window s historic configuration (six over six, two over two or one over one, depending on the period of construction). Alternative materials, aluminum casement, or off the shell windows are not permitted on front or prominent facades. Front Doors: Front doors should be paneled wood and should fit the original opening exactly. Transom windows above front doors must be maintained and not in filled. Paneled fiberglass doors that fit the original opening are acceptable only if they are painted. Brackets, cornices and trim: Existing details should be repaired and repainted where possible. Repair and proper ongoing maintenance of exterior decorative features is encouraged instead of covering original facing details with inappropriate materials like aluminum or vinyl. Where they must be replaced, the new pieces should match the historic details exactly. If there are no historic details available on the building, the use of alternative, painted materials is acceptable as long as they are of the appropriate scale and historic style. Shutters: If shutters are used on front facades, they should be louvered or paneled wood shutters that are designed to correctly fit the existing window opening. Functional hardware is encouraged. Off the shelf shutters of non-painted, alternative materials or aluminum are not acceptable. December 2009 Bellevue Rutherford Neighborhood Plan
Wooden railings and trim: Wooden railings and trim should be maintained and restored in style and design faithful to the period or to the style most prevalent in the neighborhood. Existing ironwork railings and grating should be maintained. Missing or non-repairable sections should be replaced with traditional steel, brass or iron material. Alternative materials, plastic, aluminum, off the shelf or pipe of any kind are not acceptable. New fencing and landscape walls facing the street: New fencing and landscape walls should be historically appropriate of traditional materials such as wood, stone, brick, steel, cast or wrought iron. Cinder block or modern landscape block walls, plastic, plastic coated wood, split rail, chain link, or off the shelf fencing are not acceptable. Colors: All surfaces, except for masonry, should be painted. All wood structures and wood trim be prepared for re-painting by manual scraping to reveal the original architectural details, if present. Wood should not be cleaned by sandblasting, or by using pressurized water or steam. Paint colors could include one primary building color and up to two trim/detail colors that are complementary. Color should also be selected to be complementary to the adjacent buildings. Excessively garish or unusual colors should be avoided. Cast Iron Work: Where applicable, restoration of metal parts should include wire-brushing to remove loose or deteriorating paint and rust, replacement of missing cast iron parts with identical style and materials, and proper priming and painting with appropriate rust preventive products. Side and Rear Elevations Side and rear elevations, when not visible from public ways, are less important. While keeping original details and materials is highly encouraged, the use of alternative materials, including stucco, vinyl siding, non-wood windows, etc., is acceptable. New doors and windows should fit the existing openings as closely as possible. Brick or Masonry Buildings Brick Pointing: If required, brick is to be carefully repointed with new mortar to match the existing in size, configuration, color and texture. Brick Cleaning: If cleaning is required, use the Bellevue Rutherford Neighborhood Plan December 2009
gentlest means possible. Do not use sandblasting or other abrasive techniques under any circumstances. Stucco: Existing brick should not be covered with new stucco, unless the existing brick is severely damaged and completely beyond repair. New stucco located on front or prominent facades should be scored to look like brownstone. Paint: Existing brick or masonry surfaces should not be painted. If the existing brick or masonry is already painted, careful removal is encouraged. Repainting is acceptable only if the original masonry is damaged beyond repair. Wood Frame or Clapboard Buildings Existing Wood Clapboard and Trim: Existing wood clapboard and trim should be repaired or replaced to match wherever possible. Existing Alternative Siding: Aluminum, vinyl, asphalt, or other alternative siding materials should be removed from the front and prominent facades. New Siding: Where existing wood siding is not salvageable or is not present, it should be replaced with cedar or cementitious siding. Solid, paintable clapboard siding can be used where appropriate on prominent facades. Vinyl, aluminum, plastic, or other similar siding materials are not acceptable for use on front or prominent facades. They may be used on side or rear elevations that are not visible from public streets. New Trim and Details: Where existing trim and/or details are not repairable or are not present, new trim and details may be of alternative materials, as long as they are painted. Additions The front porches in several of the twin residential units have been enclosed with frame structures and bay windows to provide additional living space. These spaces should be converted to open porches where possible. If such conversion is not possible, the façade treatment of such later additions should be compatible with the existing building in material, scale and level of detail. Although encouraged, new additions should not necessarily recreate the existing building style. Additions that are visible from public ways are particularly important and should be designed with traditional materials and attention to detail. New Construction New construction on vacant lots should be compatible with the existing streetscape in material, scale and level of detail. The new buildings should not necessarily recreate any particular building or style, but should fit comfortably and interestingly with the overall character of the neighborhood. The front should be designed and built using traditional materials with attention to detail. New construction is particularly important since it will be extremely visible and prominent. December 2009 Bellevue Rutherford Neighborhood Plan
Signs, Awnings and Canopies Fascia signs, placed on the fascia or horizontal band between the storefront and the second floor, were among the most common. The fascia is often called the signboard and as the word implies, provided a perfect place for a sign-then as now. Signs in the form of plaques, shields, and ovals were used on many nineteenth-century buildings. Such signs had the advantage of being easily replaced as tenants came and went. They also easily incorporated images as well as lettering. Goldleaf signs and signs painted or etched on glass in windows, doors and transoms were quite common. Design and location of signs, awnings, and canopies should be such as to avoid covering or distracting from architectural details such as cornices, trim, windows, decorative brick work, or other unique structure characteristics. Lighting Fixtures The lighting fixtures chosen for the building façade or yard must be appropriate to the style and use of the building. If decorative lamp posts are used, these should comply with the City s light standards within the neighborhood. Prohibited sign types include fluorescent illuminated signs, signs that move or provide the illusion of movement, signs which generate sound of any type and neon, fluorescent or other garish colored signs Awnings and canopies may be used on residential windows or commercial shop fronts to provide sun control and shelter. Awnings may be used on any floors as appropriate to maintain the architectural style and functionality. The awning or canopy should be in weather-treated canvas or other natural looking material. Plastic, wood, or metal awnings and canopies are not permitted. These should be in colors complementing the building façade. Bellevue Rutherford Neighborhood Plan December 2009
Implementation of Façade Improvement Program The implementation of the façade improvement program for the Bellevue-Rutherford neighborhood could occur through an existing local community development corporation, such as the Shiloh CDC. In order to fund the program, a variety of funding sources should be explored and packaged. For example, the neighborhood group has already had contact with PNC bank which may provide funding for a façade improvement program. The City may want to evaluate the feasibility of expanding the Neighborhood Stabilization Program 2 area. This would build off of the adjacent Canal Bank Homeownership zone plan. This would strengthen the focus on home ownership in both neighborhoods and provide a coordinated approach. It should be noted that City participation is likely to be limited due to fiscal and staffing constraints. December 2009 Bellevue Rutherford Neighborhood Plan