San Marcos Design Manual (March 16, 2021)

C A PP E ND I X

Historic District Guidelines

should they project out beyond the common building wall.

Division 2: BUILDING COMPONENTS

B. Entrances are propor tioned to fit within the overall organization of the store front. The entrance height is equal to the top of the display windows. C. If an entrance was not recessed originally, it should not be changed. D. Entrance heights should be retained. They should not be lowered.

Section C.2.2.1 Storefronts

A. Commercial storefronts have a basic organization, both ver tically and horizontally, which does not depend on the size of the building. This organization exists whether the building is one story or three story. B. There is a common ver tical three-par t construction with a base or kick plate, a display window, and a transom. C. Commercial storefronts also have a common horizontal three par t construction in each bay including display-entry-display or display-displayentry. Very transparent storefronts invite shoppers to look in.

Section C.2.2.3 Doors in Commercial Structures

D. These three-par t divisions should be preserved.

A. Historic doors for commercial buildings are constructed with large glass panels to let you see inside. They also have a kick plate similar in design and propor tion to the kick plate of the store front. Historic doors should be retained and repaired if necessary B. Doors are frequently installed in pairs. It is impor tant to keep this configuration and not replace the doors with one large single door or reduce the opening to accommodate a new, standard sized door. C. If historic wood doors are beyond repair, it is impor tant to replace them with wood doors of the same dimension and propor tion. D. Aluminum doors and frames are not appropriate on Victorian buildings, or where wood doors were originally installed. E. Only aluminum doors, if original to the buildings, should be replaced with aluminum doors.

E. Transoms should not be covered over or painted out.

F. Display windows should remain transparent and not be altered in size. G. Kick plates should be preserved and maintained. Kick plates were originally installed to raise the storefront and reduce the chance of damage. They are used the same way today.

Section C.2.2.2 Entrances to Buildings

A. The entrances to historic commercial building are recessed or set back from the face of the building to draw people into the building, allow space for entering and to provide protection from the elements. These entrances should not be changed. They should not be removed to create more interior space, nor

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Amended: March 16, 2021 San Marcos Design Manual

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