Local Landmark Designation Process

At a glance

• What: A proposal to add a local landmark designation process to City Code so individual properties can be designated as local landmarks.
• Where it stands: Early. Staff told the Historic Preservation Board on August 3, 2026 that the Historic Neighborhood Partnership had approached the City, and that staff would meet the Partnership on August 7. No ordinance or vote yet.
• Why it matters: Today the only local designation tool is the historic preservation overlay, which works much like a rezoning. A landmark process would be a more efficient way to designate single properties, letting owners use state and federal incentives (the training presentation the same day noted that locally designated properties qualify for state residential and commercial tax credits).

Detail

• Gray, the Senior Planner who is the board's preservation planner liaison, said the Historic Neighborhood Partnership (one of two active nonprofits in historic preservation, the other being the Historic Preservation Alliance) wants a landmark process written into City Code.
• Board member Fitzsimmons asked why landmark procedures would sit in the zoning code. Gray said preservation provisions have long been part of the land use and development code but could instead be a standalone ordinance; a landmarking component is identified in both the preservation plan and the comprehensive plan, and updating the historic preservation ordinance is overdue.
• Board member Beerbaum reported that History Colorado denied the request to place Historic Mesa Road on the State or National Register, so her group will pursue local landmark status once a local process exists.
• Gray said he expects further discussions with the board as the matter progresses.

Sources

• Historic Preservation Board minutes, August 3, 2026: https://legistar2.granicus.com/coloradosprings/meetings/2026/8/2822_M_Historic_Preservation_Board_26-08-03_Meeting_Minutes.pdf

Log

2026-08-03 - Historic Preservation Board

Raised in staff communications: the Historic Neighborhood Partnership asked the City for a local landmark designation process; staff meeting set for August 7. Board discussion of where the provisions belong in code, and Historic Mesa Road's state and national register request was denied.