The historic look and feel of the village of Pittsford is no accident, as Mayor Bob Corby likes to point out.
And village leaders would like to ensure that future development complies with a set of standards to blend in with that look and feel. To help, they’ve published “Village of Pittsford Historic and Architectural Design District Building Designs Standards,” a comprehensive guide intended to help applicants, preservation board members and village staff navigate the design review process.
The book is to provide property owners with information about the historic style of their building or home, show how it can be altered while maintaining its historic character, and explain how the process works and what is required from the owners.
“The best practices are ones that are not arbitrary, but are based on what’s appropriate on parts of the village that the public sees,” said Corby. He and Paul Zachman, owner of Boardwalk Design Inc. and chairman of the village’s Architectural and Preservation Review Board, did the research and writing with technical assistance from the Landmark Society of Western New York.
They both have backgrounds in building and design. Corby, a graduate of the Syracuse University School of Architecture, also edited the publication and worked on photography, graphics and layout.
“We tried to develop a format that was concise and reader-friendly,” he said.
The 141-page document offers standards for how buildings should be built or rehabilitated with specifics for historic buildings, post-World War II homes and the business district. It includes things like windows and shutters, doors, siding, trim, porches and decks, roofing, garages, chimneys and foundations, as well as styles of homes such as ranch, Colonial, Cape Cod or split-level.
Business district standards address things such as signs, storefronts, awnings, refuse and mechanical equipment enclosures, lighting and handicapped accessibility.
Corby said the guide has been officially adopted by the board and will be used as a guide for future development standards.
Corby and Zachman spent nearly a year putting the guide together, just recently finishing the project. Copies are available at Village Hall and on the village’s Web site at www.villageofpittsford.org. The complete guide, with color pictures and diagrams, sells for $30. A black-and-white printed copy is available for a nominal fee.
Funding for the printing costs associated with the project were provided by a grant from the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation.
