Topic: Civil & Architectural Engineering
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Draft: Downtown Mason Design Guideline Handbook
The Downtown Mason Guidelines are intended to provide guidance for maintenance and repair, rehabilitation, redevelopment and new construction of properties located within the Downtown Overlay District. This guidance will be used by both the Downtown Mason Design Review Board and Planning Commission to review work that is done within the boundaries of the district. The guidelines are written as well for the benefit of downtown property owners - to assist them in doing work that enhances the character of their individual property as well as the downtown area as a whole.
The design guidelines that follow are written with two primary goals: To encourage the preservation and sensitive rehabilitation of downtown Mason's historic buildings and to guide appropriate change that will enhance the character and business climate of the downtown. The guidelines grew from the passage of Mason City Ordinance 2004-70, which created the downtown preservation district and established the Design Review Board to review proposals for alteration, demolition and new construction in the district. To guide future work in this area of the city, the City adopted the U.S. Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation of Historic Properties.
The guidelines are divided into the following sections: 1) Design Guidelines for Landmark and Contributing Buildings, 2) Design Guidelines for Background and Non-Historic Buildings, and 3) Design Guidelines for New Construction.
Because they address historic properties, guidelines for Landmark and Contributing Buildings are based on the Secretary's Standards for Rehabilitation . As will be described, these ten standards provide sound guidance for making appropriate changes to older and historic buildings. Guidelines for Background and Non-Historic Buildings are written to be more flexible because they address buildings that are less important from a historic standpoint. Nevertheless, the guidelines point out ways that these buildings can be enhanced to complement their existing character or the character of the downtown as a whole. Finally, design guidelines are written for New Construction, which presents an opportunity to ensure that new structures are integrated successfully into the Downtown Overlay District.
Source: imaginemason.org
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