Starting in March 2018, city planners worked with a task force to review and recommend updates to the rules that govern the city’s Landmark Preservation program. The task force met monthly to discuss various aspects of the city’s preservation ordinance and make recommendations on how to improve landmark processes, balancing property rights with city and community goals to preserve of Denver’s history, architecture, culture, and neighborhood character.
After a two-month-long public review period, City Council approved the changes at its meeting Monday, September 30. The changes became effective November 1, 2019.
Along with small tweaks throughout the ordinance to clarify definitions, streamline processes and provide greater consistency, several major changes address specific challenges.
Potential changes to the Landmark Preservation Ordinance are presented to City Council as amendments to Chapter 30 of the Denver Revised Municipal Code. Council members reviewed the proposed updates and voted unanimously (12-0) to approved the updates on Monday, September 30.
Along with the changes mentioned above, the following items were also part of the landmark ordinance update and will help streamline and clarify processes.
Lower Downtown Design Review Board
Other Notable Changes and Clarifications
Denver Landmark Preservation was created by the Denver City Council through the adoption of Denver's landmark preservation ordinance (Chapter 30 of the Denver Revised Municipal Code) in 1967 to foster the protection, enhancement, perpetuation, and use of structures and districts of historical, architectural, and/or geographic significance. Since then, the ordinance has been updated numerous times, most recently in 2012, to ensure the Denver's preservation program aligns with construction and preservation standards as well as other city processes and policies.
The group was made up of 16 members representing a variety of roles, perspectives and constituencies. The task force met monthly from March 2018 to March 2019. Meetings were open to the public, and materials are posted in the archive below.
Name | Affiliation/title |
---|---|
Will Baker | Denver resident |
Mark Bowman | Building & Residence Denver, broker associate |
Scott Chomiak | Koelbel Urban Homes, real estate developer |
Amy Cole | Denver resident |
Chris Cowan | ARA Newmark, realtor |
Stephanie Fernandez | Galloway & Company, project lead |
Kevin Flynn | Denver City Council, District 2 |
Adam Harding | Roth Sheppard Architects, partner |
Hayden Hirschfeld | Shames Makovsky, real estate broker |
Dennis Humphries | Humphries Poli Architects |
Charles Jordy | Landmark Preservation Commission, Chair Jordy Construction, president |
Robin Kneich | Denver City Council, At-large |
Annie Levinsky | Historic Denver, executive director |
Jeff Pearson |
Denver Resident |
Tania Salgado | Lower Downtown Design Review Board Chair, Hand Print Architecture Principal |
Rosemary Stoffel | Denver Resident |
Task Force Meeting #1
2-4 p.m., Friday, March 9
Webb Municipal Building, Room 4.F.6
201 W. Colfax Ave.
Agenda (PDF)
Presentation (PDF)
Summary (PDF)
Task Force Meeting #2
2-4 p.m., Tuesday, April 10
Webb Municipal Building, Room 4.I.5
201 W. Colfax Ave.
Agenda (PDF)
Presentation (PDF)
Summary (PDF)
Task Force Meeting #3
2-4 p.m., Tuesday, May 8
Webb Municipal Building, Room 4.F.6
201 W. Colfax Ave.
Agenda (PDF)
National Trust for Historic Preservation Report (PDF)
Presentation (PDF)
Summary (PDF)
Task Force Meeting #4
2-4:30 p.m., Monday, July 9
Webb Municipal Building, Room 4.I.4
201 W. Colfax Ave.
Agenda (PDF)
Summary (PDF)
Presentation (PDF)
Task Force Meeting #5
3-5 p.m., Tuesday, August 14
Webb Municipal Building, Room 4.I.4
201 W. Colfax Ave.
Agenda (PDF)
Summary (PDF)
Presentation (PDF)
Task Force Meeting #6
3-5 p.m., Tuesday, September 11
Webb Municipal Building, Room 4.I.4
201 W. Colfax Ave.
Agenda (PDF)
Summary (PDF)
Presentation (PDF)
Task Force Meeting #7
3-5 p.m., Tuesday, October 9
Webb Municipal Building, Room 4.F.6
201 W. Colfax Ave.
Agenda (PDF)
Summary (PDF)
Presentation (PDF)
Task Force Meeting #8
3-5 p.m., Tuesday, November 13
Webb Municipal Building, Room 4.F.6
201 W. Colfax Ave.
Agenda (PDF)
Summary (PDF)
Presentation (PDF)
Task Force Meeting #9
1-4 p.m., Wednesday, January 9, 2019
Webb Municipal Building, 201 W. Colfax Ave., Room 1.B.6
Agenda (PDF)
Summary (PDF)
Presentation (PDF)
Task Force Meeting #10
1-4 p.m., Wednesday, February 20, 2019
Webb Municipal Building, 201 W. Colfax Ave., Room 4.I.5
Agenda (PDF)
Summary (PDF)
Presentation (PDF)
Task Force Meeting #11
10a.m. - 12p.m., Wednesday, March 6, 2019
Webb Municipal Building, 201 W. Colfax Ave., Room 1.D.1
Agenda (PDF)
Summary (PDF)
Presentation (PDF)
Lower Downtown Design Review Board Discussion Item
8:30 a.m., Thursday, May 2 (following the design review agenda)
Webb Municipal Building, 201 W. Colfax Ave., Room 4.G.2
Landmark Ordinance Community Update
5:30 to 7 p.m., Tuesday, May 14
Ford-Warren Library, 2825 High Street
Landmark Ordinance Community Update
10 to 11:30 a.m., Saturday, May 18
Woodbury Library, 3265 Federal Blvd.
Landmark Ordinance Community Update
5:30 to 7 p.m., Monday, May 20
Virginia Village Library, 1500 S. Dahlia Street
Landmark Preservation Commission Discussion Item
1 p.m., Tuesday, June 4 (following the design review agenda)
(NOTE - RESCHEDULED FROM MAY 21st MEETING)
Webb Municipal Building, 201 W. Colfax Ave, Room 4.F.6
Community Drop-In Office Hours
3 to 5 p.m., Thursday, June 6
Blair-Caldwell Library, 2401 Welton Street
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Contact Us
For questions on the landmark ordinance update, contact project manager, Principal Planner Kara Hahn (kara.hahn@dnevergov.org). To submit comments, email landmark@denvergov.org.