Site and Landscape Design

16.5. Street furniture should complement the character defining features of the historic district and be designed at a pedestrian scale.

16.6. Sidewalk cafes and other dining areas in or adjacent to the public right-of-way should be designed with high quality materials and low railings to avoid obscuring views of the historic buildings.

16.7. Where possible, locate surface parking at the side or rear of buildings. On-street parking may be in front of buildings but should be designed to minimize impacts and conflicts with pedestrian walkways.

The above image of 7th Street in the Haymarket Local Landmark District, while updated to allow for more vehicle parking and pedestrian bump outs, preserves the historic brick streets, uses period appropriate lighting, and maintains the relationship of the buildings and to the setting.

16.11. Historic stone curbs, such as red sandstone or blue/grey granite should be reset during roadway projects.

16.12. Historic stone pavers used for sidewalks and other historic walkways should remain in place and be reset. When issues heaving result from tree roots, pavers should be reset outside the area of disruption to the extent possible.

16.13. New paving to create space for parking is prohibited between the building and the adjacent street including the addition of off-street parking in historically wide boulevards.

16.14. Avoid creating new or widening existing curb cuts. Existing access should continue to be used unless a change in use necessitates a new site entrance and does not detract from the historic integrity.

16.15. Traditionally landscaped areas of the property should not be covered with large paved or rocked areas for parking which would drastically change the character of the site.

16.16. Parking areas must be a durable material such as asphalt or concrete. Permeable parking areas are encouraged. Gravel or rock parking spaces are prohibited.

16.17  New sidewalks and driveways should be sensitive to the historic and architectural character of the building. When the majority of homes on the street have alley access garages, street accessed driveways are prohibited.

a. When constructing a new driveway, it should be consistent in width, location, material, and design of those existing in the district.

16.18. When designing a new walkway or path, use materials similar to those seen in the district/neighborhood or that blend with existing walkway features on-site.

a. Permeable paving may be used where appropriate, such as a driveway, parking area, or sidewalk to manage stormwater runoff.

16.19. Avoid paving up to the building foundation to reduce heat island effect, building temperature, damage to the foundation and storm-water runoff.

a. If necessary, paving up to the building foundation should be done with permeable materials. Impermeable paving adjacent to foundations causes splash back that can erode and damage the foundation material.

The above image shows two important features in the boulevard--original sandstone curbs and a stone marker for the adjacent church.

The homes in the Woods Park Bungalow District were built mostly without front access garages. Shown above, paving to the house should be avoided unless using permeable materials and curb cuts kept to a minimum.

16.19. Original landscaping features should be retained when not causing damage to the structures on-site nor considered an invasive species such as calorie pear.

16.20. During any major on-site construction, a clear zone radius of 1 foot per inch of tree diameter should be observed to avoid root damage.

16.21. New landscaping should be selected that has a mature height that does not obscure important architectural features of the building.

a. Existing landscaping should be pruned following best practices to avoid detracting from important architectural features of the building.

16.22. Removal of trees should only be undertaken when shown to be threatening damage or causing deterioration to a building or when diseased with a non-benign disease. If removal for an addition or other approved project is necessary, the tree loss should be offset elsewhere on the site to the extent possible.

16.23. Add natural, sustainable features to the site, such as shade trees, if appropriate, to reduce cooling loads for the historic building.

a. Existing natural features, such as shade trees, that contribute to the building’s sustainability should not be removed unless the landscape feature has been shown to be decaying or destroyed.

b. When planting trees, site them to avoid encroaching upon or damaging historic buildings.

c. New trees should support diversity of species within the district and when possible be native species to the area. For recommendations, consult the City Forester.

16.24. Trees should have a mulch ring or other similar barrier at the base and not grass to avoid damage to the base of the tree by lawn care equipment.

16.25. Excessive pruning and overwatering with irrigation systems can threaten trees and lead to loss of an established tree canopy and should be avoided.

16.26. Landscaping with native plants, if appropriate, can enhance the sustainability of the historic site.

a. Known invasive species and potentially invasive species as identified by the City Forester should be avoided.

Helpful Links

• NPS Brief 36: Protecting Cultural Landscapes: Planning, Treatment, and Management of Historic Landscapes

16.27. Ensure proper drainage to avoid eroding foundation walls, drainage toward the building, or damage to the landscape. Existing storm-water-management features should be retained, such as site topography and vegetation that contribute to the sustainability of the historic property.

16.28. Minimize disturbance of the terrain around buildings or elsewhere on the site, thereby reducing the possibility of destroying or damaging important landscape features, archeological resources, other cultural or religious features, or burial grounds.

16.29. Respect important cultural landscape and significant character-defining site features when considering adding new sustainable features to the site and consider any potentially negative impacts.

a. Retain original open space patterns visible to the public right-of-way.

16.30. Adding features, such as bioswales, rain gardens, rain barrels, large collection tanks and cisterns to the historic building site enhances storm-water management and on-site water reuse.

a. When adding these features, ensure their placement and design are subordinate to the historic building and district and do not obscure primary features of the front façade.

16.31. Preserve and repair historic front yard fences, masonry walls, and retaining walls, replacing only those portions that are deteriorated.

16.32. Appropriate materials for fencing or walls include stone, brick, stucco overlaid on masonry wall, iron, or wood.

a. Materials may be combined such as an iron fence sitting on a low masonry wall, or a wood fence framed with metal.

b. Chain link and vinyl fencing material is only allowed in the rear yard when not located along a street. Historic types of residential wire fencing may be permitted on a case by-case basis.

16.33. Fences or walls less than 24 inches in height, fences located between the rear wall of the home and the rear lot line (not located along the corner front yard), and repair or replacement of non-historic fencing or landscaping walls with in-kind materials do not require prior approval before proceeding with work.

16.34. Fences located in front yards should be less than 48 inches in height with at least 50 percent opacity.

16.35. Unless the slope of the site is listed as character defining (see Appendix A), new retaining walls may be added to stabilize the grade.

a. Avoid rebuilding the slope entirely when a low kickwall will stabilize the yard.

b. If possible, use plantings to stabilize the hill as an alternative to a retaining wall.

c. Retaining wall materials and design should be similar to what is found within the neighborhood or district or was common to the era of construction.

d. Masonry retaining walls shall be finished with a cap that projects beyond the face of the wall.

16.36. Retain historic light fixtures.

a. If necessary to increase lighting levels, supplement rather than remove original fixtures.

b. Replace missing light fixtures where evidence exists of their former placement.

16.37. Replacement of non-historic light fixtures on buildings should fit the style of the building.

16.38. Design site and landscape lighting to be compatible and subordinate to the historic building and surrounding district.

a. Lighting levels should be modest and consistently applied to illuminate entrances, walkways, and parking.

b. When illuminating landscape features use cut-off shields to prevent glare.

16.39. New building light fixtures should be compatible with the historic context and structure.

a. Install lighting on the first floor only of residential buildings. Lighting fixtures should be down lit.

b. Lighting should be scaled to fit the size and monumentality of the building.

c. Design lighting to fit the style of architecture and period the building was constructed.

d. Alley lighting may be utilitarian in design.

e. Avoid flood lights and fluorescent tube lighting on street facing elevations.

f. Ground mounted floodlights are appropriate only for civic or institutional buildings.

g. Uplighting should be designed to illuminate the structure only and not lead to light pollution or project beyond the building walls. Fixtures should be hidden or concealed where possible.

16.40. All conduit and junction boxes should be concealed within the building.

The above facade lighting mounted to the top of the canopy is appropriate for the historic commercial building, with an attempt to conceal their presence by painting them a similar color to the canopy.

Wall sconces installed in the first floor pilasters are scaled appropriately and fit the period of the historic architecture.

16.41. New temporary or permanent murals on historic buildings should consider placement, size, and location to avoid covering and obscuring significant architectural features such as windows, doors, unpainted masonry, and decorative details.

a. Murals should not be placed on primary facades.

b. Murals should be installed in a manner that is reversible, whether painted on a surface that can be attached to the building or using materials that allow for easy removal.

c. Murals should not exceed 50% of a façade.

d. Murals shall not be used in lieu of cleaning or repointing on a building in need of it.

16.42. Sculptures and other non-mural works of art should be located within historic districts or on individual landmark sites to avoid obscuring primary views to the building(s).

Gallery Alley in the Haymarket Landmark District is a good example of locating artwork on a secondary facade that does not obscure architectural features.	An example of a mural in the Havelock Landmark District which is painted on a secondary facade and does not cover more than 50 percent of the facade.
The Watchful Citizen status, an integral feature of the Haymarket Landmark District, sited to blend with the district rather than detract from the historic buildings.