The Central Business District was established as a zoning district in 1997 with the
intention of promoting a harmonious mix of residential, leisure, and business activities.
The protection of the architectural character and ambiance of downtown, gateways into
downtown, and significant historic structures is of primary concem in the Central
Business District. Design review was established for proposed changes in the area as a
means of furthering these goals for a livable and workable urban environment built on a
pedestrian scale.

The purpose and theory behind design review is to follow the changes proposed
for property within a determined district to ensure that those changes are
cha¡acteristically appropriate for an individual building and a district as a whole. This
theory goes beyond the preservation of the buildings already found in the district to
include the review of new construction in the area. Design review serves to protect and
enhance the qualities and characteristics of a dishict in this way, not precluding change
but carefully reviewing changes for their appropriateness.

Applications for Certificate of Appropriateness are reviewed by the Design
Review Board. This Board is composed of seven volunteer members with varied
backgrounds. Regulations require certain backgrounds of the members. Two members
must be architects with an additional member being an architect, landscape architect, or
urban planner. Two members must have knowledge or background in historic
preservation. One member must be a resident property owner within a designated local
historic district and one member must be a business owner or property owner with the
Central Business District. Each mernber is appointed to the Board by the Planning and
Zoning Commission for a three-year term.

It is not the purpose of the Design Review Board to impose any particular change,
but to look at those changes proposed by a property owner and review them based on set
guidelines for the area. This manual serves as design guidelines to be used by property
owners planning alterations within the district and as a basis for review by those
volunteers serving on the Design Review Board. This manual is also to be a property
owners' guide for living and working within the district. Information within the
appendices is provided on the zoning regulations for the Central Business Districts, as
well as professional contacts at the local, state, and national level on preservation and
downtown concerns.

To download guideline click here.