Design Review Commission

The DRC shall consist of not less than five (5) nor more than seven (7) members appointed by the Selectboard for renewable 3-year staggered terms. A quorum will be required to conduct business. All members of the DRC shall be residents of Bristol or business or property owners within the Design Review District.

The DRC’s sole responsibility is to review projects within the Downtown Design Review Overlay District.

See the Town of Bristol Zoning Regulations, Article II, Downtown Design Review District for criteria for review, and Section 395 dictating the process of how the DRC reviews those criteria.

The DRC meets when an applicant proposes a project that includes:

  1. Construction of a building, outbuildings, fences, or retaining walls;
  2. Addition to or alteration of the exterior of a building which increases or decreases the square footage of the building whether enclosed or not;
  3. Any change to:
    a. The exterior wall of a building by creating openings (new windows or doors) or filling them in (removing window or doors, or changing their size in any way);
    b. The roofline or chimney; or
    c. Materials used on exterior walls, windows, railings, ballisters or roof.
  4. Demolition of a structure.

Projects proposing the following shall not require design review by the DRC:

  1. any interior alterations or changes that do not affect, change, or add to the exterior of the structure;
  2. a change in use or type of occupancy;
  3. routine maintenance or repair of any structure, as long as the maintenance or repair does not result in any change of design, type of material, or appearance of the structure.

The current members of the Design Review Commission are:

NAMETERM
Ronald LaRose (Chair)(Term expires March 2023)
Ian Albinson(Term expires March 2023)
Elizabeth Herrmann(Term expires March 2025)
John “Slim” Pickens(Term expires March 2025)
Ben Skolozdra(Term expires March 2025)
James Weening(Term expires March 2023)
Carol Wells(Term expires March 2024)