In accordance with the Durham Comprehensive Plan, all major public projects are required to undergo review by the Durham Appearance Commission.
While the review is advisory in nature, it must be completed prior to site plan submittal. In addition, the Durham City-County Appearance Commission may also be asked by the governing bodies to review other projects on a case by case basis. Any project may be voluntarily submitted for review as well.
Staff should be notified of the applicant’s intent to submit for an agenda as soon as possible. The applicant should review the checklist to determine the necessary materials to submit by the deadlines listed on the calendar below.
The purpose of Durham Appearance Commission (DAC) project reviews is different than many other groups. Rather than approving a design, the DAC has the goal of improving a design. There are two meetings in the review process.
A preliminary meeting takes place during the initial design process. The project manager for the City or County department responsible for the project will bring the basic ideas for the project to a review team of DAC members for input and comment. The project designers are encouraged to attend, but this meeting may take place even if all members of the design team have not yet been selected. The purpose of this meeting is to review the basic ideas for the project and provide comments which may be of assistance to the design team moving forward.
The project review meeting takes place after the design has been developed, but prior to the application for site plan review. At this time, the designers should be prepared to present the information required in the project checklist. The DAC will evaluate how the design complies with the design guidelines. The purpose of this review is to provide further recommendations to the designers before the project is submitted for site plan review.
Application and Project Checklist
Appearance Commission Guidelines