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Taneytown Design Standards for New Construction Purpose of the Design Standards

The Taneytown Design Standards for New Construction have been created to provide property
owners, architects, developers, and others involved in developing new buildings in Taneytown
with an understanding of how the citizens wish their community to change. The Design
Standards seek to reinforce the best visual, architectural and cultural characteristics of the
community, while encouraging appropriate growth and change.

Taneytown is on the verge of major growth, becoming part of the outer suburban ring of the
Baltimore/Washington metropolitan area. The town has taken a number of steps in the last
decade to understand and guide its growth, including creating conceptual design guidelines for
new development site plans and implementing the Taneytown Main Street Program. In
addition, the town is implementing street improvements along MD 140 (East & West
Baltimore Street) and MD 194 (York and Frederick Streets) including new water and sewer
lines, new sidewalks edged with a stamped red herringbone brick pattern, new curbing and
crosswalks and street trees.

However, many recent buildings and development patterns are not based on local precedent
for their inspiration. Rather, they employ the same designs that can be found across the
country. Thus many recent buildings do not reinforce the traditional architectural and
cultural character of Taneytown. These Design Standards seek to ensure that all new
construction within the town, whether it is a new building within the historic core of the
community, in developed areas outside of the core, or in undeveloped areas, respect
Taneytowns best architectural and cultural qualities.


Projects Subject to the Design Standards

All new commercial, residential and institutional construction and all accessory buildings and
structures associated with residential, commercial or institutional buildings, within
Taneytowns city limits, that require a building permit, are subject to the Design Standards.
Also subject to the Design Standards are additions to existing residential, commercial and
institutional buildings, or associated accessory buildings that alter the footprint or height of an
existing building, requiring a building permit.

New buildings within Old Town should use Design Standards for Old Town; those located
in developed areas outside of Old Town should follow the Design Standards for Developed
Areas, while new buildings proposed for undeveloped areas should use Design Standards for
Undeveloped Areas, as well as Design Standards for Site Planning in Undeveloped Areas.
(See Map, Page 2.)

Existing developments, such as Carroll Vista, which already have their own design standards
will continue to use those as long as they remain in effect. If existing design standards lapse or
are terminated, the Design Standards for New Construction will govern all new construction in
those developments. All new residential, commercial and institutional developments begun
after (DATE) must use the Design Standards for New Construction. Should a new development

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begun after (DATE)create its own set of guidelines, they must be in conformance with the
ones contained in this document.



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Review Process



A Design Review Committee, appointed by the Mayor and approved by the City Council,
will review all new residential, commercial and institutional construction and all accessory
buildings and structures associated with residential, commercial and institutional buildings,
within Taneytowns town limits, that require a building permit, but do not need a site plan
review. New construction and additions, which require site plan review, will be reviewed by
the Planning and Zoning Commission. The Design Review Committee meets monthly on the
(first Tuesday) of each month. The Planning and Zoning Commission meets last Monday of
every month. Routine applications to the Design Review Commission, such as small
additions, auxiliary buildings and the like, that meet these guidelines, may be approved by the
Zoning Administrator.

Both the Design Review Committee and the Planning and Zoning Commission use the
Taneytown Design Standards for New Construction to determine the appropriateness of exterior
appearance of new construction and additions to existing buildings.

All new construction governed by the Taneytown Design Standards for New Construction must
submit the following information to the Zoning Administrator:

All projects to be reviewed by the Design Review Commission must submit the following:
Photographs
o

New Construction Existing site and surrounding parcels, buildings, roads
and other important features
o

Additions Existing site and building(s), including the elevation(s) to which
new addition will be attached.
o

Photographic or digital 4X6 color prints will be accepted. Mount or print
images on 8 ½X11 paper with space in between images for photograph
description. Clearly label each photograph, i.e., 123 Main Street, existing
building, front elevation.
Site Plan showing the location of the proposed new construction and any existing
buildings on the site. The Site Plan should be at 1=50 scale if possible.
Drawings and Plans of Proposed New Construction
o

Elevations of all sides relevant to the project, ¼=1 scale.
o

Plans of all floors, ¼=1 scale
o

Additional drawings of the project necessary to fully explain the proposal,
¼=1 scale. If the applicant is uncertain as to what additional drawings may
be necessary, please consult the Zoning Administrator.
List and samples of all primary exterior materials. Product information on all primary
assemblies, such as windows, doors, railing systems, and the like, to be used on the
exterior.

Submit six packets, along with one signed original of the completed Application for New
Construction, to the Zoning Administrator. The Zoning Administrator will review the
application and within a maximum of three business days determine if the application is
complete or additional information is required. When the application is complete the Zoning

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Administrator will determine with a maximum of eight additional business days if the
application meets the Design Standards for New Construction or if the project requires review
by the Design Review Committee. If review by the Design Review Committee is required, the
application will be placed on the agenda for the next regular meeting of the Design Review
Committee. If review by the Planning and Zoning Commission is required, the application
will be placed on the agenda for the next Planning and Zoning meeting.















TANEYTOWN OLD TOWN







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Design Standards for Additions and New Construction

The first step to designing additions and new buildings that conform to the Taneytown Design
Standards for New Construction is a detailed understanding of the existing architectural and
town character of the communitys traditional residential, commercial and institutional
buildings and their environments. Understanding the existing character is accomplished
through observing and analyzing traditional setbacks, scale, proportion, materials, details and
other architectural and site plan elements that make up the buildings, streetscapes and
landscapes of the community; and interpreting them in additions and new construction to
reinforce the best of Taneytowns existing character while shaping its future. However, this
does not mean simply imitating existing buildings or their details. Additions and new
buildings should be seen as products of their own time. To reproduce an historic
neighborhood or a portion of the downtown, or exactly copy an existing building will create a
false sense of history. Rather, additions and new buildings should seek to show Taneytowns
continuing evolution, linking its future to its past. In short, additions and new buildings
should be good neighbors that reinforce the character that makes Taneytown unique.

The key to designing a compatible addition or new building is based on interpreting the
character-defining elements of traditional buildings in the setback, orientation, scale,
proportion, rhythm, massing, height, materials, roof shape, and details and ornamentation of
the new construction. In addition, site plans for multi-unit developments should interpret the
existing character of Taneytowns traditional streets and sidewalks, driveways, parking lots,
street furniture, and landscapes.

























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Setback

A building's setback is the distance it is located inside its property lines.

Existing Character

In Old Town most of the existing commercial,
residential and institutional buildings are built to
the front property line with no side yards and
only a small open space at the r