City Council Minutes 2005 02 15 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Louisville City Council Meeting February 15, 2005 Page 6 of 14 Mayor Sisk requested a City Attorney introduction. City Attorney Sam Light read Ordinance No. 1464, Series 2005. Mayor Sisk opened the public hearing and requested a Staff presentation. Community Facilitator Meredyth Muth explained the creation of the Historic Preservation Commission was mandated by the Home Rule charter as passed by the voters in 2001. City Council created the Commission and outlined their duties. Since its creation the Commission has been drafting the proposed ordinance. The ordinance is similar in scope and process to preservation programs in other municipalities and counties. The Historic Commission feels the program set out in the ordinance, allows for a balance between personal property rights and municipal involvement in the preservation of historic sites and buildings. The ordinance provides for the following: . Allows for Certified Local Government Status . Creates a Process to Landmark Historic Buildings . Creates a Process to Landmark Historic Buildings Without the Owner's Consent . Creates a Process to Landmark Historic Districts . Creates a Process for Alteration Certificate Review . Creates Demolition Procedures for all Buildings Over 50 Years Old The ordinance, however, does not provide for the following: . Automatically Landmark any building, regardless of the age of the structure . Automatically create any Landmarked districts . Allow the City any say over the interior of any building, Landmarked or not . Dictate paint color on any buildings, Landmarked or not The Historic Commission felt very strongly this should be an incentive based program; offering the appropriate incentives to encourage people to preserve their buildings. Without such incentives the City could lose important parts of its historical culture and character that can be seen through the architecture. The ordinance includes many possible incentives that could include financial incentives, technical assistance, and variances. Additionally, there are Federal and State Tax Credits already in place for the rehabilitation of Landmarked properties. The Historic Commission discussed the ordinance with the public in a variety of meetings and members utilized the information to clarify or change sections of the ordinance. The following members of the Historic Preservation Commission were present to address Council questions: Erik Hartronft; Heather Lewis, Laurel Tofte, Rod Wilcox, Mike Koertje, Melanie Julian Muckle, and Dan Trudeau. Commissioner Heather Lewis, 712 McKinley Avenue, Louisville, CO stated Louisville 6