Progress & Preservation...Together

Comments from Kathleen Brooker 8-11-99

Mar 17, 2000

Kathleen, who is President of Historic Denver, gave an overview of what historic designation is and what it can do for a neighborhood. In 1967 City Council passed an ordinance to establish the Landmark Preservation Commission (LPC). LPC decides what is worthy of being designated. Individual structures as well as districts can be designated. LPC is a nine member board appointed by the Mayor. Presently it is comprised of professionals that have been recommended to the Mayor by the Denver Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, the Colorado Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects, the State Historical Society, and others.

An individual can initiate the application. The application then goes to the LPC and the LPC holds a public hearing before deciding. Then it goes before City Council who has a public hearing on the matter before taking a vote to designate or not. Opposition can be voiced at both the LPC hearing and the City Council hearing. We already have individual structures and districts that are historically designated. They are Steele Elementary, South High School, the Boat House and Bath House in the park, the park itself is a historic district as is Smith Ditch.

Kathleen stated neighborhoods usually seek historic designation when they want some change but not all of it. She said change continues to happen in a historic district but it is managed change. That the restrictions of designation are nominal compared to the covenants of most Denver suburbs. Historical designation reinforces the original character that brought people to the area in the first place. There are State income tax credits available to encourage the rehabilitation of privately owned homes that have been designated.