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Town of Glocester
Town of Glocester Zoning Ordinance
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§ 350-72

Authority and procedures

  • A. Reviewable actions. The Historic District Commission shall review all plans for new construction on any existing lot or lots, including window replacements, paint color changes and any construction, alteration, removal or demolition of a structure affecting the exterior appearance of any structure, including appurtenances within the Historic District. The Historic District Commission shall have the authority to review and approve such plans before a building or demolition permit is issued.
  • B. General procedures.
    • (1) Before a property owner may authorize or commence construction, alteration, repair, removal or demolition affecting the exterior appearance of a contributing structure or its appurtenances within any designated Historic District, the owner must apply for and receive a certificate of appropriateness from the Commission approving such construction, alteration, repair, removal or demolition.
    • (2) A certificate of appropriateness is necessary for all new construction on any existing lot or lots, including window replacements, paint color changes and any construction, alteration, removal or demolition of a structure affecting the exterior appearance of any structure, including appurtenances within the Historic District. A certificate of appropriateness is required before the issuance of a building permit.
    • (3) In applying for a certificate of appropriateness, a property owner must comply with the application procedures as established by the Commission pursuant to Chapter 45-24.1 of the General Laws, as amended, and the provisions of this chapter.
  • C. Application for certificate of appropriateness.
    • (1) Applications for certificate of appropriateness shall be filed with the Commission at the office of the Building Official, who shall determine if such application is complete and who shall forward complete applications, together with all maps, plans, and other data, to the Commission. Incomplete applications shall be returned to the applicant within seven working days of receipt by the Building Official.
    • (2) The Commission shall require the owner to submit information which is reasonably necessary to evaluate the proposed construction, alteration, repair, removal or demolition, including but not limited to site plans, elevation drawings, photographs or other information deemed appropriate by the Commission and set forth in the Commission's rules and regulations adopted pursuant to this article.
    • (3) In reviewing the applications and plans, the Commission shall give consideration to:
      • (a) The historic and architectural significance of the contributing structure and its appurtenances;
      • (b) The way in which the structure and its appurtenances, as existing or planned, contribute to the historical and architectural significance of the district;
      • (c) The appropriateness of the general design, arrangement, texture, material and siting proposed in the plans; and
      • (d) The Commission shall pass only on exterior features of a structure and its appurtenances and shall not consider interior arrangements.
    • (4) All decisions and recommendations of the Commission shall be in writing. The Commission shall articulate and explain the reasons and bases of each decision and recommendation on a record, and in the case of a decision not to issue a certificate of appropriateness, the Commission shall include the basis for its conclusion that the proposed activity would be incongruous with those aspects of the structure, appurtenances, or the district which the Commission has determined to be historically or architecturally significant. The Commission shall send a copy of the decision to the applicant.
    • (5) Any certificate of appropriateness granted by the HDC shall expire one year after the date of approval, unless the applicant shall have obtained a building permit and proceeded with the approved construction. An applicant's failure to proceed with approved construction with the one-year timeframe shall cause the certificate of appropriateness to become null and void.
    • (6) An application for a certificate of appropriateness which has been denied by the HDC shall not be heard again for a period of one year from the date the application was denied, unless a majority of the HDC present at a meeting agrees to waive this requirement.
  • D. Demolition of structures.
    • (1) In addition to complete demolition of a structure, the following actions shall require a demolition permit and review by the Historic District Commission:
      • (a) Removal of a roof including raising the overall height of a roof, rebuilding the roof to a different pitch, or addition another story to a building;
      • (b) Removal of one side of a building;
      • (c) Gutting of a building's interior to the point where the exterior features are impacted; and
      • (d) Removal of more than 25% of a structure.
    • (2) In order to preserve the historic fabric of the Town, demolition of historic properties shall be discouraged. When reviewing an application for a certificate of appropriateness to demolish an historic structure or appurtenance, the Commission shall consider the following criteria, in addition to the provisions of the adopted Standards of Review:
      • (a) The listing of a structure on the National Register of Historic Places; and
      • (b) The eligibility of the structure for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.
    • (3) When considering an application to demolish a significant historic building, the Commission shall assist the owner in identifying and evaluating alternatives to demolition, including an economically feasible plan for the preservation of the structure or sale of the structure on its present site.
    • (4) In addition to any other criteria, the Commission also shall consider whether there is a reasonable likelihood that some person or group other than the current owner is willing to purchase, move and preserve such structure, and whether the owner has made continuing bona fide and reasonable efforts to sell the structure to any such purchaser willing to move and preserve such structure.
    • (5) The Commission shall issue a certificate of appropriateness for the demolition of a contributing structure only if at least one of the following primary findings exists:
      • (a) If the structure is deemed valuable to the Town, state or nation, such that its loss will be a great loss to the Town, state or nation, then in order for the GHDC to approve demolition, the structure must constitute a hazard to public safety, which hazard cannot be eliminated by economic means available to the owner, including sale of the structure to any purchaser willing to preserve the structure.
      • (b) If the structure is deemed valuable for the period of architecture which it represents, or to the district as a whole, then at least one of the following requirements must be met:
        • [1] Retention of such structure constitutes a hazard to public safety which hazard cannot be eliminated by the economic means available to the owner, including sale of the structure on its present site to any purchaser willing to preserve such structure; or
        • [2] Preservation of such structure is a deterrent to a major improvement program which will be of substantial benefit to the community; or
        • [3] Preservation of such structure would cause undue or unreasonable financial hardship to the owner, taking into account the financial resources available to the owner including sale of the structure to any purchaser willing to preserve such structure; or
        • [4] Preservation of such structure would not be in the general interest of the community.
      • (c) If the primary criteria have been met, then any or all of the following secondary criteria may be considered in deciding whether to approve or deny the application:
        • [1] The merit of the structure to be demolished.
        • [2] The effect of the demolition on the surrounding buildings.
        • [3] The effect of the demolition on the historic district as a whole.
        • [4] The value or usefulness of the proposed replacement structure to the community and the appropriateness of its design to the historic district.
        • [5] If the lot is to be left open, the impact of open space in that location and on the district as a whole.
        • [6] The effect of the demolition on the local economy.
        • [7] Whether the demolition will foster civic beauty.
        • [8] Whether the demolition will stabilize and improve property values in the district.
        • [9] The effect of the demolition on safeguarding the heritage of the Town, state or nation.
        • [10] The effect of the demolition on promotion of the district for the education, pleasure and welfare of the citizens of the Town.
      • (d) If a structure is deemed noncontributing, the GHDC may consider any or all of the secondary criteria above in deciding whether to issue a certificate of appropriateness for demolition.
    • (6) A certificate of appropriateness must be obtained prior to the issuance of a demolition permit.
    • (7) Emergency demolition. The Commission shall approve an application for demolition when, in the opinion of the Building Official or Fire Chief, the building constitutes an imminent hazard to public safety.