Celebrating Minturn's History
The intention of the Historic Preservation ordinance (and the formation of the Historic Preservation Commission) is to create a reasonable balance between private property rights and the public interest in preserving the Town's unique historic character through the nomination of Buildings, Structures, Sites, Objects and Historic Districts for preservation.
The purpose of this ordinance is to enhance the Town of Minturn's local resources and to promote the public health, safety and welfare through:
- The protection and preservation of the Town's architecture, culture, and heritage as embodied in Historic Properties and Historic Districts, by appropriate regulations and incentives
- The stabilization of historic neighborhoods
- The establishment of the Town's Historic Register listing Historic Properties and Historic Districts
- The cultivation of civic pride in the art, architecture, and accomplishments of the past
- The encouragement of continued private ownership and utilization of such Historic Properties or Historic Districts now so owned and used
- The promotion of thoughtful community planning and design, and
- The provision of educational opportunities to increase public appreciation of the Town's unique heritage
HPC Updates:
Note: Prior to the 2025 Annual CLG review, the Town was notified that we would not be in compliance if we followed #1 below. A separate ordinance was passed adding the Secretary of Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties, including the Standards for Rehabilitation back into the Code.
At the June 5, 2024 meeting Council discussed balancing historic preservation, economic feasibility, and the utilization of property, particularly in the Town’s downtown, commercial generating area. In response to this a work session was scheduled at the July 17, 2024 meeting. During the work session staff brought forth nine different ideas for Council to discuss and give direction on. Staff was directed to bring back an ordinance addressing Options 1-7.
The following amendments were passed by Town Council at the September 18th council meeting. To read the full ordinance (Ord 20-Series 2024), please click HERE.
- 1) Eliminate the requirement for two sets of design review guidelines
- This was addressed in the ordinance by amending Sec. 19-5-30 removing the requirement to comply with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties, including the Standards for Rehabilitation, and instead requiring compliance with Appendix B – Minturn Design Standards and Guidelines (just like all other lots in town) as long as the alterations are keeping with the general character of the historic property.
- 2) Eliminating potentially redundant approval requirements
- This was addressed in the ordinance by changing the definition of alteration to set a higher threshold of what triggers either the two-week stay process or a need fora certificate of appropriateness. Previously, any change to the exterior of the structure counted as an alteration, now the property owner has to either affect more than 50% of the exterior architectural features or the primary façade (as chosen by council) to trigger either of those processes.
- 3) Allow for historically designated structures in the downtown corridor to have the immediate ability to function as short term rentals on all floors
- This was addressed by adding Short Term Rental to all relevant use tables with an asterisk that clarifies that historic properties do not have to abide by the two year ownership rule.
- 4) Encourage historic preservation reinvestment as part of the Downtown Development Authority Operations Plan
- This was not addressed in the ordinance, and will instead be addressed at such time that (if) the DDA passes and the Operations Plan is drafted.
- 5) Require a minimum of two nominators for a structure to be nominated for historic designation
- This was addressed by amending Sec. 19-4-10 requiring either the property owner or 2+ people to submit a nomination for designation, as well as specifying that only one person per Board can be party to an application.
- 6) Create a process whereby property owners can determine if their structure would be historically designated without necessarily “supporting” such a designation
- This was not addressed in the ordinance, and instead was addressed by adding a checkbox to the nomination application asking if the property owner is the one submitting the application, do they support the designation.
- 7): Allow residential in the Downtown Character Area on the back 50% ground floor of historically designated commercial buildings to create live/work opportunities
- This was addressed by amending Sec. 16-6-70 by adding asterisks to all street level residential uses in the 100 Block zones stating that residential is allowed on the back 50% of the proposed ground floor area of historic properties within the 100 Block Zones while meeting all residential parking requirements.
Helpful Resources:
- 2019 Certified Local Government Preservation Ordinance Guide Book.
- Economic Benefits of Preservation
- 2005 Minturn Community Assessment and Historic / Main St Inventory
Historic Preservation Meeting Minutes
Official Town of Minturn public records are available online, and easily searchable through our Public Records Portal powered by Laserfiche.