Open Space Advisory Board Agenda and Packet 2015 09 09

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Reasons for Creating the Plan Louisville, Colorado, established as a mining town in 1878, has evolved to become one of the most livable small towns in the United States. Looking forward, as Louisville continues to evolve, historic preservation offers an opportunity for the City to celebrate its past and ensure its heritage continues to be an important component of what makes this community special well into the future. Louisville's unique voluntary preservation program, supported by a dedicated sales tax, recognizes the historical and architectural significance of nearly thirty local landmarks and honors the links to the community's mining, agricultural, railroad, residential and commercial, and employment history these properties represent. The City's 2013 Comprehensive Plan update recommended adoption of a master plan to define the goals of the Preservation Program and offer strategies for achieving defined objectives. The Comprehensive Plan implementation table calls for the adoption of a Preservation Master Plan within three years of adoption. This preservation plan upholds the fourteen core community values expressed in the Comprehensive Plan, namely Louisville's commitment to: "A Connection to the City's Heritage...where the City recognizes, values, and encourages the promotion and preservation of our history and cultural heritage, particularly our mining' and agricultural past." - 2013 Comprehensive Plan The intention of this Preservation Master Plan is to guide the practice of preservation, reinforce its voluntary nature, increase public awareness, preserve resources, develop partnerships, and increase preservation incentives. The Plan looks twenty years into the future of Louisville's Historic Preservation Program. The study area for the project extends beyond Old Town and Downtown Louisville, encompassing preservation practice citywide. The Preservation Master Plan also shares affinity with other planning documents. The City of Louisville's historic Preservation Program is part of a larger organization, contributing to an integrated federal - state -local preservation system. This participation within the national preservation structure comes with specialized responsibilities for the City's preservation program. For example, Louisville must develop strategies for how to survey and preserve historic resources. These requirements feature prominently throughout the Preservation Master Plan. City staff also consulted the most recent version of the State of Colorado's historic preservation plan, The Power of Heritage and Place, for inspiration. The City of Louisville's Preservation Master Plan addresses several goals and objectives from this Colorado State Preservation Office document, specifically the recommendation that Colorado's cities "Advocate for comprehensive municipal historic preservation." How to Use the Plan The Preservation Master Plan is a guide to review and take action on improving and strengthening the Louisville's voluntary based historic preservation initiatives. The Preservation Master Plan is not regulatory, but is instead an advisory document. Since the Preservation Master Plan does not have the force of law, the City must rely on other regulatory measures to implement the recommendations of the Preservation Master Plan. The Louisville Municipal Code (LMC) is the primary regulatory tool available to the City. The Historic Preservation Ordinance, Title 15 Chapter 36 of the Louisville Municipal Code, represents the most relevant text for this Preservation Master Plan. The Plan is divided into the following sections: • The Introduction section describes the reasons for developing the Plan and the public process for creating the Plan. • The Preservation in Louisville section begins with overviews of both Louisville's history and its historic building stock, two topics directly related to historic preservation. The discussion of preservation in Louisville then transitions to the benefits of preservation, explaining why it is important. A brief review of key dates in Louisville's preservation history traces the development and evolution of this important city activity. The Preservation 101 sub- section offers basic information needed to better understand the content of the Plan, especially the two remaining subsections: a description of Louisville's current preservation program and a focus upon achievements and issues currently facing the Preservation Program. • The Plan section is the "heart" of the document. It outlines the Goals, Objectives, and Action Items, the end result of the public input process and work of everyone involved. This section also includes an implementation table to prioritize the action items and monitor the progress of the Plan. • The Appendix includes a chart on various historic preservation strategies. DRAFT 2015 Preservation Master Plan 16