Historic District Review Required
Historic Preservation Bldg Code-UCity
StL City residents should click this link for: Historic Guidelines for Parkview St. Louis City Residents (we are part of the Skinker-DeBaliviere Historic District).
(Search your topic using Cntl F or Cmd F)
A. No new structures shall be erected within the Parkview Historic District, and where visible from the street, none of the activities listed below shall be carried out without first being referred to the City Historic Preservation Commission for review to determine conformity with the appearance standards of this district. A building permit is required for items numbered 1 through 4. Historic Preservation Commission approval is required for items 5 through 11 which are exempted from building permit requirements.
1. Construction of additions;
2. The addition, demolition, removal or substantial alteration of exterior features of all structures in the district, which features include, but are not limited to, roofs, exterior walls, window and door openings, porches and balconies;
3. The erection of walls, fences, and retaining walls;
4. Placement of skylights, solar panels, and satellite dishes;
5. Roofing replacement, including shingles or other roofing material, if replacement material is of a different type or color than that of the existing roof;
6. The replacement of doors, door frames, windows or window frames; and installation or replacement of storm windows and storm doors, when the openings are in facades facing a street;
7. The application of siding or other cladding material to exterior walls or features;
8. Painting of previously unpainted masonry surfaces;
9. Addition, demolition, removal or substantial alteration of ornamental features;
10. Landscaping changes in front of or within six (6) feet of the front building line which involve:
a. Removal of trees with a trunk diameter of twelve (12) inches or more (unless the tree is dead or presents a danger of falling);
b. Changing the grade of any part of the front yard;
c. Placement of landscape timbers; or
d. Addition of paving materials or stone ground cover for use other than for walks or drives when the area to be covered exceeds one hundred forty-four (144) square feet;
11. Placement of freestanding light fixtures.
B. A building permit shall not be required for ordinary maintenance or repairs when materials to be used are similar to or compatible with those originally used when the buildings within the historic district were built. Paint color for wood trim is not regulated. A permit is not required for the planting of new trees and other landscape material.
C. All aspects of an application for excavation, construction, erection, demolition and/or alteration shall be considered as a whole by the Historic Preservation Commission. To reach its determination, the Historic Preservation Commission may require the submission of plans, specifications and material samples necessary to a decision concerning the appropriateness of the proposed undertaking.
District Standards
A. Parkview has a high degree of visual continuity, due to a short period (1905-1934) and coordinated pattern of development. Building from this continuity and based on its ordering elements (established setbacks, scale, materials, street tree patterns, etc.), the following standards are concerned with the total appearance of the area. It is not the intention of these regulations to in any way discourage contemporary design which through careful attention to scale, materials, siting, and landscaping is harmonious with the historic, existing structures. The design of any proposed construction or extensive alteration must be reviewed considering the existing structures on the street. Regarding existing older buildings, the recognition, maintenance, and enhancement of their historical characteristics is encouraged. The following are specific standards to control the use of structures and to establish criteria by which alterations to existing structures as well as new construction can be reviewed. Some of the guidelines are precise, whereas others are, by necessity, more general, allowing a range of alternative solutions, all of which are compatible with the existing neighborhood. The Parkview trust indentures and other legal agreements remain in full effect in addition to and unaffected by the historic district standards. In order for the following criteria to best become working tools for the developer, architect, and client, they should be studied thoroughly before design work begins.
B. These standards shall not be construed to prevent the ordinary maintenance or repair of any exterior feature in the historic district which does not involve a change in design, material, or outward appearance; changes in paint color of wood trim are not regulated by this Section. No building or structure within the historic district shall be demolished, and no permit shall be issued for the demolition of any such building or structure, unless the Historic Preservation Commission shall recommend to the Zoning Administrator that the building or structure is in such a state of deterioration and disrepair, or is so unsound structurally, as to make rehabilitation impracticable; or unless the Commission, applying the standards set forth in Section 400.1670 shall recommend to the Zoning Administrator that the demolition should be approved; the Commission may require the applicant to submit documentation in a form specified by the Commission or other information necessary to determine whether the property can be rehabilitated or restored with a reasonable economic return to the owner in lieu of demolition. The Historic Preservation Commission shall endeavor to find a new owner for any structurally sound building whose current owner expresses a desire to demolish it.
C. Willful attempts to undermine preservation by allowing buildings to deteriorate will place the property owner in immediate and continued danger of citation under the City's Property Maintenance Code.
D. In the event an element of these proposed use, construction and restoration standards is not consistent with other City codes or ordinances, the most restrictive shall apply. The Building Commissioner shall inform the Historic Preservation Commission in the event other City codes or City ordinances are found to be more restrictive than the provisions of this Article.
1. Use. A building or premises shall be used only for the uses permitted in the zoning district within which the building or premises is located. The Historic Preservation Commission must be notified of any proposed zoning changes within the historic district.
2. Structures — new construction or alterations to existing structures. All designs for new construction or for major alterations to the front of the house or premises must be reviewed by the Historic Preservation Commission prior to the issuance of a building permit.
a. Height. New buildings or altered existing buildings, including all appurtenances, must be constructed to within fifteen percent (15%) of the average height of existing residential buildings on the block face. It shall be the responsibility of the applicant to provide an accurate elevation drawing of the proposed facade in relation to the adjoining structures, drawn to scale and dimensioned.
b. Location, spacing and setback. New or moved structures shall be positioned on their lots so that any existing rhythm of recurrent building masses to spaces is continued. Existing building lines shall be strictly maintained, with no portion of any building (excepting any open porch, open veranda, open stone platform, or open balcony) to be constructed beyond the existing building line. Aforesaid open porches or platforms shall not extend beyond the existing front porch line on the block. Existing front porches must remain porches; however, they may be screened.
c. Exterior materials. Exterior materials when visible from the street should be of the type originally used when the buildings within the historic district were built: brick, stone, stucco, wood, and wrought and cast iron. Artificial siding or facing materials are not, in general, compatible. The Historic Preservation Commission may be consulted for a list of current, compatible materials and their costs for use by property owners wishing to improve their buildings. Artificial materials may be acceptable for soffits if designed to replicate natural materials, if properly vented for circulation of air, and if installable without damage to significant architectural features. Unpainted masonry surfaces should not, in general, be painted.
d. Details. Architectural details on existing structures, such as columns, pediments, dormers, porches, and bay windows, should be maintained in their original form if at all possible. Renovations involving changes to window or door openings require a building permit and thus must be reviewed by the Historic Preservation Commission. Design of these renovations should be compatible in scale, materials, and color with existing features of the building and with adjacent historical structures. When on the front of a building, wood or factory-finished colored metal is the preferred material for frames of new and replacement storm windows and screens and storm and screen doors. Awnings on the front of a house should be canvas or canvas-type materials.
New buildings should be detailed so as to be compatible with existing buildings, respecting scale, rhythm, window proportions, important cornice lines, use of materials, etc.
Complete plans for all proposed new construction or major alterations which require permits must be submitted to the Historic Preservation Commission for review.
e. Roof shapes. When there is a strong, dominate roof shape in a block, proposed new construction or alteration should be viewed with respect to its compatibility with existing buildings.
f. Roof materials. Roof materials should be slate, tile, copper, or asphalt shingles where the roof is visible from the street. Design of skylights, solar panels, and satellite dishes visible from the street shall be visually compatible.
g. Walls, fences and enclosures.
(1) Front. No fence, wall, or hedge may be erected in front of the building line. Earth-retaining walls located in front of building lines shall be faced in brick or stone and must not exceed a height of two (2) feet above the highest point of the sidewalk in front of the property.
(2) Side. Fences or walls on or behind the building line, when prominently visible from the street, should be of wood, stone, brick, brick faced concrete, ornamental iron, or dark painted chain link. All side fences shall be limited to six (6) feet in height.
h. Landscaping. The installation of street trees is encouraged. In front of new buildings, street trees may be required. No hedges may be placed in front of the building line. No live trees shall be removed for new construction without the review of the Historic Preservation Commission. The Historic Preservation Commission will keep a directory of recommended landscape materials.
i. Paving and ground cover materials. Where there is a predominant use of a particular ground cover (such as grass) or paving material, any new or added material should be compatible with the streetscape, and must not cause maintenance problems or hazards for public walkways (sidewalks). Loose rock and asphalt are not acceptable for public walkways (sidewalks) nor for ground cover in areas bordering public walkways (sidewalks).
j. Street furniture and utilities. All freestanding light standards placed in the front yard of any structure or premises should be compatible with construction in the neighborhood. The design and location of all items of street furniture located on the tree lawn between the sidewalk and the street must be reviewed by the Historic Preservation Commission. Where possible, all new utility lines shall be underground; above ground utility lines are acceptable in back yards. No commercial or political advertising may occur in the public right-of-way.
For more information see: University City, MO / Land Use / Zoning Code / Historic Landmarks and Districts. Division 11 Parkview Historic District, Sections 400.1860, 1870 and 1880.