20.640.040 Historic Reserve Conservation District.
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A. Purpose. The federally designated Vancouver National Historic Reserve is unique in its cultural and historic resources. The purpose of this section is to establish standards that protect those resources and the historic character of the Reserve. To do so, the city is establishing an area of special regulation in the Vancouver Central Park Plan District. The Historic Reserve Conservation District is intended to result in a seamless environment that provides overall design and development standards while reflecting area and era specific standards within the Conservation District.
Officers Row is part of the Vancouver National Historic Reserve and the existing Officers Row Conservation District. VMC Chapter 20.640.030 provides specific regulations and development standards for this area. The uses, regulations and standards of the Historic Reserve and Officers Row Conservation Districts are intended to complement and support each other.
B. Establishment of boundaries. The Historic Reserve Conservation District shall include the properties known as the Vancouver Barracks, Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, Pearson Field Airport (includes the airfield and aircraft hanger facilities), Pearson Air Museum, and Jack Murdock Aviation Center, and Waterfront Park. These properties are generally located south of Evergreen Boulevard, east of the Interstate freeway I-5, and north of the Lewis & Clark Highway SR-14, the National Park Service property (referred to as Waterfront Park) and the Old Apple Tree Park located between SR-14 and the Columbia River as shown in Figure 20.640-3. As new property, owned by the Reserve Partners, is added to the Vancouver National Historic Reserve it will be included in the District boundaries. The Reserve Partners include the City of Vancouver, State of Washington, US Army, National Park Service at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site and the nonprofit Vancouver National Historic Reserve Trust.
C. Regulation of uses.
1. Permitted uses. The following uses are permitted on all properties within the Historic Reserve Conservation District. Special Standards D. 2. below provides information regarding compatible uses.
a. Household living and home occupations.
b. General Offices as defined in VMC 20.160.020 (C)(6)(a), excluding Medical Office as defined in VMC 20.160.020 (C)(6)(b) Use Classifications.
c. Freestanding General Offices, as defined in VMC 20.160.020 (C)(6)(a) Use Classifications, housing Federal, State, County, City agencies or similar nonprofit organizations.
d. Cultural Institutions, as defined in VMC 20.160.020 (B)(4) Use Classifications, such as museums and libraries.
e. Art Studios and Galleries, excluding uses that involve hazardous processes or require outdoor storage.
f. Eating and Drinking Establishments, as defined in VMC 20.160.020(C)(2) Use Classifications, including restaurants and microbreweries.
g. Sales-Oriented General Retail Stores, as defined in VMC 20.160.020(C)(4)(a) Use Classifications. These uses can include on-premises production of retail products offered for sale at the site including but not limited to bakery, leather shop, or ceramics or wood-working studio, but excluding such a use that involves hazardous processes or requires outdoor storage.
h. Personal Service General Retail, as defined in VMC 20.160.020(C)(4)(b) Use Classifications.
i. Commercial Lodging, as defined in VMC 20.160.020(C)(1) Use Classifications.
j. Educational Facilities such as schools and institutions of higher education.
k. Recreation uses.
l. Parades, special community events, air shows, car shows and similar public gatherings consistent with the city’s Vancouver National Historic Reserve Special Events Policy.
m. Airfield and Aircraft Hangar Facilities, including aircraft and aircraft component maintenance.
n. Performing Arts Center.
o. EV Basic Charging Stations, if accessory to a permitted use.
p. EV Rapid Charging Stations, if accessory to a permitted use.
D. Special standards. All development in the Historic Reserve Conservation District shall comply with the following standards and the Washington State Historic Building Code Chapter 51-19 WAC. These special standards supersede the Design Guidelines for Vancouver Central Park as adopted by Ordinance M-2073. All other provisions in the City of Vancouver Development Code apply. The Vancouver National Historic Reserve is also regulated under the US Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties, 1995. Lands within the District will be managed with respect to pertinent state, federal, and local regulations. The provisions of this special district do not apply to existing and future state or federal highway properties and rights-of-way located within or adjacent to the Historic Reserve Conservation District.
1. Development and changes that have taken place over the course of time are evidence of the unique history and character of each building, structure, or site and its environment. Further changes to the existing development shall be compatible with the eight historic periods established for specific areas within the Historic Reserve. These eight historic periods include: Indian Country (pre-1824), Hudson Bay Company Period (1824-1846), Fort Vancouver and Vancouver Barracks (1847-1860), U.S. Army (1861-1916), U.S. Army and World War I (1917-1918), U.S. Army and Civilian Conservation Corps (1919-1941), U.S. Army and World War II (1942-1947), and Modern Era/ National Park Service Period (1948----).
2. Reasonable effort shall be made to provide a compatible use for a property, that will require minimal change to the defining characteristics, of the buildings, structure, or its site and its environment in conformance with the Secretory of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation, or to use a property for its originally intended purpose. A compatible use is defined as a use that is consistent, complementary and does not conflict with the historic period.
3. The distinguishing original qualities or character of a building, structure, or site and its environment, as defined in the West Barracks by the National Park Service 2002 “Historic Structures Report” and for National Park Service owned property as outlined in the “General Management Plan” shall not be destroyed.
4. New construction should be limited to the reconstruction of the vanished or nonsurviving portions of a historic property or infill construction compatible with the scale and design of buildings in the immediate area. As described in The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties-1995, reconstructions is defined as the act or process of depicting, by means of new construction, the form, features, and detailing of a nonsurviving site, landscape, building, structure, or object for the purpose of replicating its appearance at a specific period of time and in its historic location.
5. Distinctive stylistic features or examples of skilled craftsmanship that characterize a building, structure, or site shall be preserved except where demonstrated to be economically or physically impracticable as determined by the City’s Planning Official.
6. Deteriorated architectural features shall be repaired rather than replaced, wherever possible. In the event replacement is necessary, the new material shall, to the extent practicable, match the material being replaced in composition, design, color, texture, and other visual qualities. Repair or replacement of missing architectural features shall be based on accurate duplications of features, substantiated by historic, physical, or pictorial evidence rather than on conjectural designs or the availability of different architectural elements from other buildings or structures.
7. The surface cleaning of structures shall be undertaken with the gentlest means possible. Sandblasting and other cleaning methods that will damage the historic building materials shall not be undertaken.
8. Every reasonable effort shall be made to protect and preserve archaeological resources affected by, or adjacent to, any project. Activities within the special district will be required to meet the archaeological provisions of VMC 20.710.
9. Contemporary design for alterations and additions to existing properties shall be permitted when such alterations and additions do not destroy significant historical, architectural or cultural material, and/or the character of the property, neighborhood or environment.
10. Whenever possible, new additions or alterations to structures shall be done in such a manner that if such additions or alterations were to be removed in the future, the essential form and integrity of the structure would be unimpaired.
11. Non-contributing buildings and structures, as identified in the 2007 National Historic Register listing of the Vancouver National Historic Reserve, may be removed.
12. Use of sustainable (environmentally sound and energy efficient) products and materials shall be required for all new construction and reconstruction throughout the special district. An exception may be granted by the Planning Official provided the applicant can clearly demonstrate that use of sustainable products and materials will significantly detract from the historic integrity of the individual building or the special district.
13. Public art and commemorative works within the special district shall be consistent with the Vancouver National Historic Reserve Public Art and Commemorative Works Policy.
14. Holiday or theme decorations and lighting shall present a coordinated appearance appropriate to the historic period of a building, structure, or site and its environment. All such decorations and lighting shall be subject to review and approval by the Reserve Partners and shall comply with applicable safety regulations.
15. Buildings shall be maintained at a minimum to the provisions of VMC 17.14 Minimum Property Maintenance Code as adopted by the city.
16. Off-street parking shall be provided as required in VMC 20.945 Parking and Loading. No parking lot may be developed in the front yard of any building within the Vancouver Barracks (parking in side yards should seldom be allowed, if at all).
17. Undergrounding of utilities is required throughout the special district except where demonstrated to be economically or physically impractical as determined by the City’s Planning Official. The Hudson Bay Company cemetery property is exempt from this requirement due to federal regulations regarding disturbance of tribal cemeteries.
18. Site and building improvements shall be designed to consider accessibility throughout the special district and to incorporate those provisions in ways that result in minimal visual impact, such as utilizing elevated grades in lieu of ramps, and providing public access to main entrances in lieu of secondary entrances.
19. Screening of Off-Street Parking Areas.
a. Parking areas shall be designed to provide safe and convenient movement of motor vehicles, limit vehicular/pedestrian conflicts, limit paved areas, provide for screening of paved areas, and soften the visual impact of parking areas by providing interior plantings.
b. Evergreen plantings to provide year-round perimeter screening of parking areas are required except where physically impractical as determined by the City’s Planning Official.
20. Pedestrian Connectivity.
a. Provide sidewalk and walkways to encourage and accommodate pedestrian circulation and access movement between buildings, activity centers, transit stops, and parking areas within the Historic Reserve Conservation District and along its public streets.
b. Sidewalks and walkways shall be hard surfaced or other approved materials consistent with historic nature of the property such as decomposed granite surfacing.
21. Thematic Landscape.
a. Landscaping improvements shall be designed to be compatible with the historic buildings and appropriate to the historic periods for specific areas within the Historic Reserve Conservation District.
b. Landscape plantings shall be maintained and enhanced. New plantings shall augment and complement the existing trees and plants with similar or compatible species.
c. Landscape plantings of Pacific Northwest native plant species shall be used where practicable within the special district.
d. Permanent underground irrigation systems shall be provided for proper watering and maintenance of lawn and landscape planted areas. The Hudson’s Bay Company cemetery property is exempt from this requirement due to federal regulations regarding disturbance of tribal cemeteries.
e. Removal, repair and replacement of existing trees shall be carefully considered and shall be subject to review and approval by the City’s Urban Forester. Designated heritage or centennial trees, along with any individual tree, group of trees or ‘allee’ of trees that is significant to the cultural landscape of the Reserve shall be preserved and maintained.
f. Street trees shall reflect historic types and planting patterns consistent with the specific area of the Historic Reserve and shall be subject to review and approval by the City’s Urban Forester.
g. Existing view sheds of the Columbia River and Mount Hood shall be preserved.
22. Exterior Light Standards.
a. Light standards along streets and walkways shall be pedestrian scaled and lower than conventional street light standards and provide more illumination of sidewalks and walkways for public safety of pedestrians. Pedestrian scale light standards are lower in pole height and more closely spaced than conventional street lights.
b. Light standards along streets and walkways within the Vancouver Barracks, Pearson Air Museum and Pearson Field Airport shall be the Shepherd’s Crook style light standard as adopted by the City of Vancouver for the downtown Vancouver area. These Shepherd’s Crook style light standards shall be painted dark green (to match existing standards within the Historic Reserve) and shall be installed with a preferred pole height of 14-foot to a maximum of 20-foot pole height, as measured from ground level to the top of vertical tapered pole. The light source shall be high-pressure sodium lamps and the preferred lamp shield shall be a frosted globe-shaped protective lens. The City may approve modifications to this standard to address individual, location-specific safety issues.
c. Light standards within Fort Vancouver National Historic Site shall be as determined by the National Park Service.
23. Seat Benches and Trash Receptacles.
a. Location of seat benches and trash receptacles shall be compatible with the historic character of the Historic Reserve.
b. Seat benches shall be provided at appropriate locations as opportunities for resting, social interaction, and stationary or passive pedestrian activities. Benches with backrests and armrests are recommended to accommodate and assist the elderly and physically challenged.
c. Seat benches and trash receptacles within the Vancouver Barracks and Pearson Field Airport shall be appropriate to the historic period of each location and shall be as approved by the Vancouver National Historic Reserve Partners.
d. Seat benches and trash receptacles within Fort Vancouver National Historic Site shall be as determined by the National Park Service.
24. Fences and Walls.
a. Fences and walls within the Vancouver Barracks, Pearson Air Museum and Pearson Field Airport shall be designed to be compatible with the historic buildings of these areas. The use of natural materials such as wood and native stone is required for fences and walls. The use of chain link fencing is prohibited except where use of other fencing materials is demonstrated to be economically or physically impracticable as determined by the City’s Planning Official. Where chain link fencing is allowed, it shall be of a color to minimize visibility and screened from view from public rights-of-way with appropriate landscaping.
b. Fences and walls within Fort Vancouver National Historic Site shall be as determined by the National Park Service.
c. Fences shall be limited to reconstructions of historically documented fences, those replacing existing historic fences and only essential new fences. Reconstruction of historically documented fences is encouraged.
25. Signs.
a. Informational and directional signs within the Vancouver Barracks, Pearson Air Museum and Pearson Field Airport shall be as determined by the Vancouver National Historic Reserve signage program. Wayside signage shall be consistent throughout the special district. In general, new, nonessential signage is discouraged.
b. Regulatory signs for traffic control purposes (such as stop signs, yield signs and speed limit signs) shall comply with approved standards of the national Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD).
26. Access Control Bollards.
a. The City of Vancouver’s Discovery Trail has a standard pre-cast concrete square bollard. This bollard shall be used to denote the Discovery Trail where it runs through the Historic Reserve.
b. Bollards within the Vancouver Barracks, Pearson Air Museum and Pearson Field Airport that are not located on the Discovery Trail shall be contemporary but compatible.
c. Bollards within Fort Vancouver National Historic Site shall be as determined by the National Park Service.
d. Use of bollards should be limited to areas where they are considered to be essential.
27. Screening of Service Areas and Mechanical Equipment.
a. All service areas, trash collection areas, exterior storage areas, and mechanical equipment shall be screened from view from streets and public areas.
b. Mechanical equipment for heating and ventilation of buildings shall be carefully placed to minimize its visibility from surrounding public areas and facilities. Placement of mechanical equipment on building rooftops is prohibited except where demonstrated to be economically or physically impractical as determined by the City’s Planning Official.
c. Screening material shall consist of visually obscuring improvements such as evergreen trees or shrub hedges or opaque building features such walls or fences.
d. Screening constructed of building materials shall be compatible with the design and character of nearby buildings. (Ord. M-4034 § 20, 12/03/2012; Ord. M-4002 § 10, 12/05/2011; Ord. M-3922 § 31, 07/06/2009; Ord. M-3891 § 14, 11/03/2008-Effective 12/03/08; Ord. M-3734, Added, 02/06/2006, Sec 2)