With construction cranes and new high-rise buildings popping up across the downtown landscape, it may seem to some that State College is currently undergoing a period of untamed urban transformation. However, several boards, commissions and a new ordinance are in place to guide that growth and ensure the town maintains its charm amidst the development.
One such entity is the Design and Historic Review Board, a committee made up of seven borough residents who are appointed to four-year terms by borough council. The board was formed in 2017, with the merging of the Historic Resources Commission and the Design Review Board.
Anne Messner, a planner and zoning officer for the borough, said the DHRB works closely with the Planning Commission in an advisory capacity, reviewing historic properties as well as land development plans for larger buildings.
“Depending upon the location within the borough, there are some standards that need to be followed that the DHRB weighs in on and provides feedback and a recommendation as part of a larger process which we call a conditional use permit,” Messner said.
According to Messner, not all new buildings have to go through the conditional use permit process, but under the current ordinance, some of the larger building proposals must be reviewed by the DHRB.
“In Pennsylvania, you cannot mandate design; the only mechanism is incentivizing. So, if you’re going for a taller building, we’ve placed that in the incentive section of our ordinance, meaning you have to do certain things in order to get a larger building.”
The DHRB reviews both the facade and the exterior amenities when considering these larger buildings.
“The DHRB looks at things like the streetscape, the trees, are there bike racks being installed, are there places for people to sit, what’s the lighting like — so what is the look and feel going to result in,” said Messner. “They’re strong proponents of having good pedestrian access as well as bicycle access. And they have a desire that folks consider plants, regardless of the scale of the building.”
Messner said the borough has followed a downtown master plan for nearly 40 years, with the most recent version being completed in 2013. That master plan, coupled with some zoning changes, led to the interest in the construction of the Fraser Center at 217 W. Beaver Ave., the building that kicked off the current wave of high-rise development.
The interest in the development of those larger buildings now seems to be slowing down, Messner said, in part because of a recent change in zoning that will no longer allow high-percentage residential buildings like The Metropolitan, located at 412 W. College Ave., or the approved 12-story high-rise across the street from it, The Residences, to be built to the west of McAllister Alley.
Another function of the DHRB has been to review plans for alterations to homes that are part of the two national historic residential districts in State College: the Holmes-Foster/Highlands and College Heights neighborhoods. Reviewable homes are those that are considered “contributing” homes to the districts, defined as houses that are more than 50 years old that meet a prescribed architectural theme. Currently, the reviews are offered at an advisory level, meaning homeowners are not required to follow the advice given by the DHRB.
This will change in fall 2018 due to a new ordinance that established a Historic and Architectural Review Board, which is expected to begin reviewing properties in September. The ordinance, which passed in December 2017, requires the HARB to review proposed additions to existing main structures, any proposed demolition of part or all of any main building, and any proposed new construction of a main building within the local historic districts. The ordinance does not require a review of exterior repairs, window and door replacements, color or interior renovations.
The HARB will pass along its recommendations to borough council, which will review the recommendations before issuing a certificate of appropriateness to the property owner. The certificate will be required before any construction or demolition can occur.
Pennsylvania requires that all HARBs include one real estate broker, one registered architect and one building code official. The new HARB also will include four additional members who live in the historic districts, Messner said. She anticipates that borough council will appoint these members in May.
While some residents initially voiced some concerns about the new ordinance, “We think that the way the guidelines are set up are pretty modest,’ said Messner. ‘We don’t believe that they’re overreaching in terms of providing guidance to a property owner when it comes to altering the facade of their property. I think folks do a very nice job of maintaining their homes here, and when they do do additions, they’re very complementary of what exists, so I don’t see there being significant challenges with implementing this.”
