Regulations
The following regulations shall serve in addition to the use restrictions in zones underlying a historic district:
(a) Restrictions. The following activities are prohibited within any locally designated historic district described herein or shown on official historic district maps, unless approved by the historic district commission or the administrative officer as authorized elsewhere herein:
(1) Erecting any new primary or accessory structure;
(2) Altering, repairing, restoring, moving, or demolishing any existing structure (or appurtenance), or any exterior activity requiring a building permit;
(3) Erecting or displaying any appurtenant fixtures, including lights, generators, HVAC units, signs, fences, and walls.
(b) Application. Before undertaking any construction, alteration, rehabilitation, repair, moving, or demolition activity affecting the exterior of any structure, any appurtenances, or other fixtures in any designated historic district in the Town of Narragansett, the party proposing such activity must file an application for and receive a certificate of appropriateness or recommendation of compatibility with the town historic district commission. The application shall contain the following materials and information except where deemed unnecessary and waived by the historic district commission or community development director:
(1) Complete plans of the proposed activity insofar as they relate to the exterior appearance of the structure and to any appurtenant fixtures;
(2) Elevation drawings of the exterior of all affected sides of the structure;
(3) Complete specifications relating to proposed exterior design, arrangement, textures, and materials;
(4) Any other information necessary to enable the commission to understand the proposed alteration, to visualize its effect on the exterior of the structure (and its appurtenances), and to evaluate its impact on adjacent buildings and the architectural fabric of the district.
(c) Structures valuable to the town. Every contributing structure in an historic district represents a structure valuable to the town. In the case of an application for repair or alteration affecting the exterior appearance of such a structure (or appurtenances) or for the moving or demolition of a structure (or appurtenances) which the commission deems so valuable that the loss thereof will be a great loss to the town, state, or nation, the commission shall work with the owner to create an economically feasible plan for the preservation of such structure (and appurtenances). The commission shall reject the application unless it makes written findings that the retention of such structure constitutes a hazard to public safety which cannot be eliminated by economic means available to the owner (including the sale of the structure to any purchaser willing to preserve the structure) or that the proposed construction, alteration and repair will not materially impair the historic value of the structure. In the absence of a change in such structure arising from casualty, no new application for the same or similar work shall be filed within one year after such rejection.
(d) Structures valuable for the period. In the case of an application for repair, alteration, demolition or moving of any structure (or appurtenance) deemed to be valuable for the period of architecture it represents and/or important to the neighborhood within which it exists, the commission may approve the application if it makes written findings that:
(1) The retention of the structure constitutes a hazard to public safety which cannot be eliminated by economic means available to the owner; or
(2) The proposed activity will not, in the opinion of the commission, materially impair the historic value of the structure; or
(3) The retention of the structure would deter a major improvement program of substantial benefit to the community; or
(4) The retention of the structure (or appurtenance) would cause undue and unreasonable financial hardship to the owner, taking into account the financial resources available to the owner (including the sale of the structure to any purchaser willing to preserve the structure); or
(5) The retention of the structure would not be in the interest of a majority of the community.
For structures valuable for the period, in the absence of change in such contributing structure arising from casualty or act of nature (such as fire), no new application for the same or similar work shall be filed within one year after rejection of any application. Demolition by neglect shall not be considered an act of nature or casualty.
(e) Demolition. The demolition of structures and appurtenances of historic or architectural value, including demolition by neglect, will effect a major loss to the town and the neighborhood and should be avoided. The commission shall not approve a request for demolition unless all reasonable options have been exhausted, and no possible compromise is reached. When considering an application to demolish or remove a contributing structure of historic or architectural value, the commission shall assist the owner in identifying and evaluating alternatives to demolition, including sale of the structure on its present site. In addition to any other criteria, the commission shall also consider whether there is 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.
(1) The commission may, at its sole discretion, permit the moving of a valuable structure (or appurtenance) as an alternative to demolition.
(2) A certificate of appropriateness for the demolition of a structure, unless granted in the interests of public safety or to further a major community improvement program, shall not be effective for two months after the date of issuance. The commission shall use this two-month period to try to alleviate the undue hardship on the owner or to cause the structure to be sold to another owner willing to retain or to move it.
(Ch. 917, § 1, 7-20-2009; Ch. 1105, § 5, 2-21-2023)