A. Prior to issuance of a building permit or prior to construction if no building permit is required, all modification, alteration or new construction within an historic site is subject to review by the Historic Site Committee and approval by the Town Board as set forth herein.

(1) Modification, alteration or new construction shall be construed to include changes that affect the visual quality of the site, particularly from a public street. Normal maintenance and exterior painting are excluded from these provisions, but only so long as such normal exterior maintenance conforms to the original standards of the period as determined by the Code Enforcement Officer upon the advice of the Historic Site Committee.
(2) Interior changes are left to the discretion of the property owner and are excluded from these provisions.

B. Review under this section shall include, but is not necessarily restricted to, all items relating to the exterior facade of the structure, substantial changes in landscaping or street features, such as fencing and walls, and the addition of any structure or sign that changes the view of the existing building, particularly from a public street.

C. Within 30 days of the receipt of application for plan review, the Historic Site Committee shall forward a recommendation to the Town Board.

D. The Town Board shall render a determination within 45 days of receipt of the recommendation from the Historic Site Committee. In rendering such determination, the Town Board may also determine to permit a variance from any area or bulk requirements that may be required by the Zoning Code, but only to the extent needed to proceed with the subject proposed alteration, modification or construction. The Town Board may grant such variance only where it determines that it would align with the intent of this chapter.