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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023 - Historic Preservation Commission - Work PlanWork Plan City of Fort Collins HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION 2023 Work Plan The 2023 work plan reflects the results of a planning session held on October 12, 2022, at which the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) set priorities that coalesced into four primary initiatives that will be undertaken in addition to the Commission’s ongoing quasi-judicial and legislative business. 2023 Work Plan Initiatives These initiatives align with the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Impact Agenda, the Colorado Statewide Historic Preservation Plan, and most importantly the City’s strategic plans and outcome areas. 1. Support Building an Equitable, Affordable, and Vibrant Community • Provide feedback and ideas for the following staff-led initiatives: o share local history and elevate appreciation of historic building stock that provides affordable housing for the community o prioritize inclusion to tell a more accurate and comprehensive story of our community o encourage emphasis on the history of individual Fort Collins neighborhoods to help residents learn about and appreciate where they live o follow National Register process to consider updating the significance criteria to include cultural significance and evaluate local potential for application. 2. Grow a Collaborative and Inclusive Network through Improved Public Engagement • Expanded public engagement opportunities: o Assist staff with informal presentations to community groups, focusing first on the key interest groups of cultural and heritage non-profits, realtors, construction and building trades, and developers as well as youth K-12 education (Jim Rose) o Use HPC meetings to engage with and empower the participation, self-advocacy, and storytelling of underrepresented groups who are not typically connected to historic preservation work o Interact more closely with Energy Board, Human Relations Board, and others (Jim Rose) o Help staff to identify new stakeholders and partner organizations to work on shared goals • Network with community contacts and encourage City Clerk’s Office and City Council to recruit and appoint new HPC members who represent the diversity of our community’s demographics • Incorporate the City’s future land acknowledgement statement into HPC meetings. 3. Strengthen Connection to Climate Resilience Work • Use HPC work sessions and other educational outlets led by HPC members to educate residents and contractors about value and passive energy performance of pre-WWII building stock and material conservation/embodied energy, as well as methods for maintaining and improving ongoing energy performance of historic buildings • Provide feedback to staff on conceptual design of effective graphics to represent comparative effects of demolition versus adaptive reuse/rehabilitation of buildings • Provide comments for City’s effort to consider a future deconstruction ordinance that is connected to a regional network of participants 4. Develop Modernized and Expanded Tools for Historic Preservation • Engage a younger demographic with connections to emerging professionals in graduate programs and emerging digital tools (Jenna Edwards) • Support effort to create new and more numerous tools for recognizing historic places and learning about their history (on site and online) • Participate in staff-led effort to evaluate, address, and strengthen incentives and financial support programs to encourage and support local landmarks (Jim Rose) • Use HPC meetings to promote the existing Cost Calculator Tool on the City’s website • Provide ideas to staff for new information and helpful resources to add to City’s website ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) Purpose and Overview: • The HPC, established in 1968, is a nine-member quasi-judicial body composed of qualified residents. Per Certified Local Government (CLG) requirements in the United States historic preservation system, the City must demonstrate an ongoing effort to maintain at least 40% of the membership with professional expertise in history, archaeology, architectural history, architecture, or historic architecture. o Currently, that expertise is represented on the Fort Collins HPC by 7 of the 9 members (78%) as follows: Architecture (Anne Nelsen); Historic Architecture/Architectural History (Jim Rose); History (Jenna Edwards, Margo Carlock, Kurt Knierim); Archaeology (William Dunn, Bonnie Gibson). o Two HPC members are Old Town residents who represent the interests of historic property owners in the community and have relevant backgrounds in local history activities and education (Meg Dunn) and corporate business, finance, and marketing (Eric Guenther). • The HPC performs the CLG responsibilities for the City of Fort Collins: o Enables the City to administer preservation regulations on behalf of the state/federal governments; residents to receive 25% Colorado State Tax Credits for Historic Preservation; and City to receive CLG grants for training, surveys, building preservation, and education o Requires enforcement of state/local legislation for the designation and protection of historic properties consistent with the Secretary of Interior’s Standards; requires on-going historic survey. • The HPC is the final decision-maker on: o Exterior alterations to properties designated as Fort Collins Landmarks o Determinations of eligibility for Fort Collins Landmark designation; and allocation of Landmark Rehabilitation Loan funds • The HPC makes formal recommendations: o To Council on Fort Collins Landmark designations and matters of policy related to historic preservation and land use; to the Colorado State Review Board on nominations of Fort Collins properties to the National and State Registers of Historic Places o To the Planning and Zoning Commission, Hearing Officers, and City staff on design compatibility of developments adjacent to and/or containing historic resources, as well as proposed treatment plans for adaptive reuse of those historic resources. • HPC advises Council on the identification and significance of historic resources, threats to their preservation, and methods for their protection; and advises Council and staff about policies, incentives, and regulations for historic preservation. • The HPC proactively addresses barriers that perpetuate inequality, to help minimize impacts to historically under-represented and under-resourced communities; and directly supports the City's goals of sustaining an environment where residents and visitors feel welcomed, safe, and valued.