Criteria for issuance of certificates of appropriateness.
Hattiesburg Code of Ordinances § 26-3
in effectSec. 26-3. - Criteria for issuance of certificates of appropriateness.
Pursuant to the U.S. Secretary of the Interior's standards for rehabilitation, the commission and the city shall use the following criteria in granting or denying certificates of appropriateness:
(1) General factors.
a. General appearance of the land, building or improvement under consideration;
b. Structural condition of the existing building or structure;
c. Structural composition of the existing building or structure or improvement and proposed alteration;
d. Architectural design of the existing building or structure or improvement and proposed alteration;
e. Size of the existing land parcel, building or structure or improvement and proposed alteration;
f. Historical significance of the existing land, building, structure or improvement;
g. Economic use of the existing land, building, structure or improvement;
h. Relative cost of the proposed project and alternatives;
i. The owner's legitimate right to earn a reasonable return from his/her investment in the site, building or structure; and
j. The relationship of the above factors to, and their effect upon the immediate surroundings and, if within a conservation district, upon the district as a whole and its architectural and historical character and integrity.
(2) New construction.
a. The following aspects of new construction shall be visually compatible with the buildings and environment with which the new construction is visually related, via, the height, the gross volume, the proportion between width and height of the facade, the proportions and relationship between doors and windows, the rhythm of solids to voids created by openings in the facade, and materials used in the facade, the texture inherent in the facade, the pattern and trim used in the facade, and the design of the roof.
b. Existing rhythm created by existing building masses and spaces between them should be preserved.
c. The landscape plan should be sensitive to the individual building and its occupant and needs and should be visually compatible with the buildings and environment with which it is visually related.
d. A new street facade should blend directionally with other buildings with which it is visually related; which is to say, when adjacent buildings have a dominant horizontal or vertical expression, that expression should be carried over in the new facade.
e. New construction must be compatible with the original construction of the historic resources, and should be distinguishable from the original construction and should enhance the architectural characteristics of the conservation district.
f. No single architectural style shall be imposed.
g. The quality and excellence in design should be major determinants.
New construction shall include additions to existing resources, structures moved onto vacant properties and new structures on vacant properties within the district.
(3) Exterior alteration.
a. All exterior alterations to a building or structure should be compatible with the building itself and other buildings with which it is related, as is provided in subsection (2) of this section; and in applying these standards, any original design of the building or structure must be considered.
b. Exterior alterations shall not affect the architectural character or historic quality of the building.
(4) Signs.
a. The scale and design of any sign should be compatible with the building and environment with which it is related.
b. The materials, style, size and patterns used in any sign should be compatible with the buildings and environment with which it is related.
(5) Demolition and movement. In considering an application for the demolition permit or relocation or moving permit of a landmark or a resource within a historic district the following shall be considered:
a. The individual historical or architectural significance of the resource.
b. The importance or contribution of the resource to the aesthetics of the district.
c. The difficulty or impossibility of reproducing such a resource because of its texture, design, material or detail.
d. The proposed replacement structure and the future utilization of the site.
(6) Reconstruction. The reconstruction of a building destroyed by fire, storm or other act of God shall be governed by the provisions of the zoning ordinance except that the commission shall regulate the exterior design of such buildings in accordance with the criteria set forth in subsection (3) of this section.
(7) Denial of application. Denial of application for a certificate of appropriateness shall only be upon a determination that the proposed changes or project would cause one or more of the following:
a. Result in such disharmony of scale, materials, massing, spacing and/or style between the proposed project and its immediate surroundings and the historic district, landmark or landmark site as a whole so as to undermine the architectural integrity and character of the historic district, or landmark site or landmark and inhibit the accomplishment of the purposes of this article;
b. Result in such a change in the architectural design or character of an existing building or improvement so as to undermine the architectural integrity or character of a historic district as a whole and inhibit the accomplishment of the purposes of this article; or
c. Result in the loss of or irreparable harm to an existing building or improvement of architectural or historical significance.
(8) Stay of demolition. If an applicant for a certificate of appropriateness is for the demolition of a resource 50 years old or older within a historic district or a landmark or landmark site, action upon such application shall be stayed for a period of 180 days, during which time the commission and the applicant shall undertake meetings and continuing discussions for the purpose of finding a method to save such property. During such period, the applicant and the commission shall cooperate in attempting to avoid demolition of the property. At the end of said 180-day period, the commission shall meet again to discuss the application and if no mutually agreeable method of saving the property bearing a reasonable prospect of eventual success is underway, or if no formal application for funds from any governmental unit or nonprofit organization to preserve the property is pending, the commission shall notify the city, and the building official, upon written notice of the city, may, but is not required to, issue a permit for demolition without a certificate of appropriateness having been issued.
(Code 1989, § 6-44; Ord. No. 2193, § 12, 6-25-1985)
Source: City of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Code of Ordinances (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/ms/hattiesburg/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_CH26HIPR_ARTIINGE_S26-3CRISCEAPFetched: 11/1/2026