Definitions

The following terms shall have the following meanings:

"Alteration" means an act that changes one or more of the exterior architectural features of a structure or its appurtenances, including, but not limited to, the erection, construction, reconstruction, or removal of any structure or appurtenance.

"Appropriate" - see "Certificate of appropriateness".

"Appurtenances" means features other than primary or secondary structures which contribute to the exterior historic appearance of a property, including, but not limited to, paving, doors, windows, signs, materials, decorative accessories, fences, and historic landscape features.

"Certificate of appropriateness" means a certificate issued by the Newport historic district commission indicating approval of plans for alteration, construction, repair, removal, or demolition of a structure or appurtenances of structure within a historic district. Appropriate for the purpose of passing upon an application for a certificate of appropriateness means not incongruous with those aspects of the structure, appurtenances, or the district which the commission has determined to be historically or architecturally significant.

"Complete application" means an application for certificate of appropriateness that is deemed to contain all of the required and necessary information in order for the commission to render a decision.

"Conceptual approval" means a preliminary and limited approval by the commission of the location, size, scale and massing of proposed new construction or major alteration.

"Construction" means the act of adding to an existing structure or erecting a new principal or accessory structure or appurtenances to a structure, including, but not limited to, buildings, extensions, outbuildings, fire escapes, and retaining walls.

"Contributing structure" means a structure designated contributing based on application of the Newport Historic Structures Inventory Standards or one which the commission has determined to be contributing because it adds to the local district's sense of time, place, character, or historical development by location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, or association. To be so designated the structure should conform to the character of the local district as defined in that district's "nominating papers". The rationale for such designation should be explicit and provided to the homeowner upon request by the commission or designated staff. Newport's historic district is currently composed of eight unique local districts each with its own distinct character. These districts are: Bellevue Avenue, Bellevue Avenue-Casino, Fort Adams, Kay-Catherine-Old Beach, Newport National Landmark District (Easton's Point-Washington Square-Historic Hill and Harbor), Ocean Avenue, Ochre Point-Cliffs, and Rose Island. A substantially deteriorated structure may still be deemed a contributing structure.

"Demolition" means an act or process that destroys a structure or its appurtenances in part or in whole.

"Historic designed landscape" means a landscape that was consciously designed or laid out by a landscape architect, master gardener, architect, or horticulturist according to design principles or a gardener working in a recognized style or tradition. The landscape may be associated with significant person(s), trend, or event in landscape architecture; or illustrate an important development in the theory and practice of landscape architecture. Aesthetic values play a significant role in designed landscapes. Examples include parks, campuses, walking trails and estates. Importantly, Newport has a number of nationally significant landscapes, now exempted from review; the commission should recognize and encourage the preservation of such historic designed landscapes.

"Historic district," is as defined in Section 17.08.010 and 17.80.030 of this zoning code. A historic district may include one or more structures.

"Historic landscape features" means features which characterize the historic and designed character of a property's setting, including, but not limited to, decorative or retaining walls, gates, fences, statuary or other objects of art, seating or other furnishings, arbors, trellises, fountains, paths, walkways, driveways, curbing, the contour and elevations of landforms and designed grades, and under certain circumstances, trees.

"In-kind replacement" means replacement of an architectural feature, damaged or deteriorated beyond repair, where the new feature will match the feature being replaced in dimensions, design, configuration, texture and visual appearance, and match materials as closely as possible. Replacement which differs from the existing in material, design, configuration, texture, dimensions and other visual qualities is an alteration and not an in-kind replacement.

"Major alteration" means an alteration which significantly affects the historic, cultural, or architectural integrity, interpretability, or character of a building, structure, site or district. Generally includes the kind of work which is normally done with the aid of a professional drafter or professional quality plans.

"Minor alteration" means an alteration which does not significantly affect the historic, cultural, or architectural integrity, interpretability, or character of a building, structure, site or district. Generally it includes the kind of work which is normally done without the aid of a professional drafter or professional quality plans.

"Minor modification" means a revision to approved plans that is deemed to be minor in nature and not incongruous with all other approved elements of that plan.

"New construction" means a new principal or accessory freestanding structure which does not alter character-defining historic materials.

"Newport historic structures inventory" means an inventory of structures within the historic district, identified as contributing or noncontributing, as adopted and approved by the Newport City Council. In the absence of inclusion in a completed inventory, the designation of a structure as contributing or noncontributing will be based on application of the "Newport historic structures inventory standards."

"Newport historic structures inventory standards" means standards defined by the City of Newport Historic Planner and adopted and approved by the Newport City Council that are used in determining if a structure located within a designated historic district is contributing or noncontributing.

"Newport standards for the treatment of historic properties" or "Newport standards," is as defined in Section 17.80.040 of this zoning chapter.

"Noncontributing structure" means a structure that is designated noncontributing based on application of the Newport historic structures inventory standards, or one that the commission has determined to be noncontributing because it does not add to the local district's sense of time, place, character or historical development as defined in that district's "nominating papers." Even for those structures that retain certain features which reflect the character of the district, the structure may still be considered noncontributing if it has lost its integrity due to substantial changes in location, design, setting, materials or workmanship.

"Ordinary maintenance" means work, other than replacement, meant to remedy damage or deterioration of a structure or its appurtenances, involving no change in materials, dimensions, design, configuration, texture or visual appearance.

"Reconstruction" means the act or process of depicting, by means of new construction, the form, features, and detailing of a documented nonsurviving site, landscape, building, structure, or portion thereof for the purpose of replicating its appearance at a specific period of time and in its historic location.

"Removal" means a relocation of a structure on its site or to another site.

"Repair" means a change intended to remedy damage or deterioration of a structure or its appurtenances.

"Standards for maintenance of properties" means documented maintenance criteria as developed by the City of Newport and approved and adopted by the city council for existing properties.

"Structure" means anything constructed or erected, the use of which requires permanent or temporary location on or in the ground, including, but not limited to, buildings, gazebos, billboards, outbuildings, decorative and retaining walls, and swimming pools.

(Ord. No. 2010-28, § 1, 8-25-2010)