HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 2/7/2013 (11)City of
F®rt Collins
MEMO
Planning, Development, & Transportation
PDT Administration
281 North College Avenue, Suite 100
'.O. Box 580
On Collins, CO 80522,0580
370.221.6601
370.416.2081 - fax
rcgov.com/pdt
DATE:
February 7, 2013
TO:
Mayor Weitkunat and City Councilmembers
THROUGH:
Darin Atteberry, City Manager
FROM:
Karen Cumbo, PDT Director A2w
Laurie Kadrich, CDNS Directoth^"
SUBJECT:
Postponement of Historic Preservation Work Session Item
In April 2012, City Council directed staff to examine the Historic Preservation codes and processes to
identify improvements and to bring forward recommendations for implementation. Phase 1 of this review
addressed the immediate needs for improvements to the eligibility determination process. Following input
received at Council's June 26, 2012 Work Session, Phase I amendments adopted in August 2012 provide
for an appeals process for determination of eligibility, provide for an independent professional review of
eligibility if a determination is appealed, give timely public notice to citizens early in the
demolition/alteration review process about historic eligibility status and major alterations, and provide
more specificity to board member experience requirements. In addition, several other changes were made
to the practices of the Landmark Preservation Commission and Historic Preservation staff to improve the
effectiveness and credibility of the City's program. Those changes were successfully implemented.
In the second phase of the study, Council asked staff to address how to balance historic preservation with
competing city interests, how properties are evaluated, and how the Program will address the large number
of properties turning 50 years old. In addition, several contentious appeals and other conflicts about
historic preservation in 2012 highlighted the importance of thoughtfully examining the balance between
preserving the City's heritage and the perception that buildings should be saved at any cost.
This work did get underway in the fall of 2012, and it was scheduled for Council work session discussion
on February 12, 2013. Unfortunately, as we reviewed the Agenda Item Summary and other documents
prepared for Council's consideration, it was clear to us that the Phase II study had not adequately
addressed the issues. The Landmark Preservation Commission (LPC), a Citizens Advisory Committee,
and Historic Preservation staff developed some very good recommendations for further improvements,
including consideration of neighborhood context for historic buildings, improving notification and
predictability, strategies to improve awareness of the historic preservation process, and addressing
sustainability and neighborhood conservation. However, we don't believe that the study went deep enough
into the core questions raised by Council, nor do we think the recommendations adequately respond to
public concerns.
The preservation of its history is an important priority for the City of Fort Collins, and the increase in infill
and redevelopment, as well as the need for more student housing in the City's older neighborhoods, also
increases the pressure to have a clear, focused, and widely supported Historic Preservation Program. Our
program is good, but we believe that it is important to thoughtfully reassess it at this critical point to
ensure its future success. We intend to restart this part of the study, with a clearer charge and a broader
public engagement process, with the intent of returning to Council in late spring or early summer.