Alhambra Municipal Code Ch. 2.27 Design Review Board

There is hereby created and established effective as of March 27, 1989 a committee to be known as the Design Review Board.

('86 Code, § 2.27.010) (Ord. 4093, passed - - )

(A) Composition. The Design Review Board shall consist of five members.

(B) Appointment; term of office. Each Councilman, at the March 27, 1989 regular City Council meeting, shall appoint one member to the Design Review Board and shall announce the name of his or her appointee at that meeting.

(1) The term of office for each member of the Design Review Board shall terminate annually at 12:01 a.m. on the date of the second regular City Council meeting held in March of each year. Commencing on the date of the second regular City Council meeting held in March 1990, and annually thereafter, each Councilman shall appoint one member to the Design Review Board and shall announce the name of his or her appointee at that meeting.

(2) No person appointed to the Design Review Board shall serve more than eight consecutive yearly terms.

(C) Qualifications. To be eligible to membership on the Design Review Board a person must be at least 18 years of age and a resident of the city. In addition, it is desirable that such person have experience in one of the design professions, such as architecture, con-struction, interior design, city planning, or landscape architecture.

(‘86 Code, § 2.27.020) (Ord. 4093, passed - - ; Am. Ord. 4283, passed 1-9-95 ; Am. Ord. 4791, passed 10-11-21)

In addition to the five members specified above in § 2.24.020, the City Manager, City Attorney and Director of Community Development or their designees, shall be ex officio nonvoting members of the Design Review Board.

(‘86 Code, § 2.27.030) (Ord. 4093, passed - - ; Am. Ord. 4735, passed 5-14-18)

The City Council by unanimous vote may remove for any reason any member of the Design Review Board at any time. When a vacancy occurs due to removal, resignation or other cause, such vacancy shall be filled for the unexpired term by an appointment made pursuant to division (B) of § 2.27.020 of this code.

('86 Code, § 2.27.040) (Ord. 4093, passed - - )

The membership of any voting member on the Design Review Board shall be terminated if that person is absent without cause from three regular meetings of the Board during his or her one year term of office, and such vacancy shall be filled for the unexpired term by an appointment pursuant to division (B) of § 2.27.020 of this code.

('86 Code, § 2.27.050) (Ord. 4093, passed - - )

Within ten days after the Design Review Board is appointed, and annually thereafter between April 1 and April 10, such Board shall meet and organize by selecting one member to be president and one member to be vice president. At the same time, a secretary, who need not be a member of the Design Review Board, shall be selected. A vacancy in any such office may be filled at any time during such year by action of the remaining members of the Design Review Board.

('86 Code, § 2.27.060) (Ord. 4093, passed - - )

(A) Rules and regulations, records. Except as hereinafter provided in division (C), the Design Review Board shall make and enforce its own rules and regulations with respect to its meetings and shall keep a record of all of its proceedings and transactions.

(B) Quorum. A majority of the voting members of the Design Review Board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.

(C) Tie vote. In the event of a tie vote, the matter upon which such vote is being cast shall fail to pass.

('86 Code, § 2.27.070) (Ord. 4093, passed - - )

Meetings of the Design Review Board shall be held at least once a month. Members of the Design Review Board shall serve without compensation; provided, however, that the secretary thereof shall receive such compensation as may be approved by the City Council.

('86 Code, § 2.27.080) (Ord. 4093, passed - - )

(A) Duties.

(1) The Design Review Board shall have design control over all single family residential structures, commercial, industrial and residential planned development permits reviewed by the Planning Commission. In addition, the Design Review Board shall review signage as required by § 23.26.020, Applicability, and exterior alterations visible from a public street and requiring a building permit to residential, commercial, office or industrial buildings and exterior color changes to commercial, office or industrial buildings.

(2) The Design Review Board also shall act as a consulting and advisory board to the City Council with respect to design control and signage matters and any other matters which may be assigned to it from time to time by the City Council.

(B) Procedure. With respect to any and all matters requiring Design Review Board approval applicants shall submit plans for design review prior to receiving Planning Commission approval and prior to applying for plan check.

(‘86 Code, § 2.27.090) (Ord. 4093, passed - - ; Am. Ord. 4131, passed - - ; Am. Ord. 4531, passed 5-11-09; Am. Ord. 4831, passed 8-6-24)

(A) Decision in writing. The Design Review Board shall notify the applicants of its decision in writing. There shall be a ten-day appeal period, after which the decision shall become final.

(B) Appeal. Any person aggrieved by the decision of the Design Review Board, including the Director of Community Development or any Planning Commissioner, may appeal the decision to the Planning Commission in accordance with the procedures for appeals as provided in Chapter 23.76 of this code.

(‘86 Code, § 2.27.100) (Ord. 4093, passed - - ; Am. Ord. 4735, passed 5-14-18)

The Design Review Board shall have the power to delegate minor review and approval functions to its staff upon the adoption of rules and regulations to govern the scope of this delegation.

('86 Code, § 2.27.110) (Ord. 4093, passed - - )

All officers, departments and department heads of the city shall render cooperation and all reasonable and necessary assistance to the Design Review Board and its officers and employees.

('86 Code, § 2.27.120) (Ord. 4093, passed - - )

The Design Review Board may render annually a full report of its work to the City Council.

('86 Code, § 2.27.130) (Ord. 4093, passed - - )

The City Council shall annually in the prepara-tion of the budget for the ensuing fiscal year make proper provision for the necessary expenses of the Design Review Board in such amount as may be determined each year by the City Council.

('86 Code, § 2.27.140) (Ord. 4093, passed - - )