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Historic Preservation

A traditional windmill surrounded by green shrubs under a blue sky.

City of Lamar Historic Preservation Advisory Board official meetings are held the third Tuesday in January, April, July, and October at 7:00 AM in the Lamar City Complex Second Floor Conference Room. The Board holds special meetings and work sessions when appropriate. Meetings are open to the public and encourage community participation to assist in setting new priorities for the future. 

Local Designation: building, district, site, structure or object.  

Designation is a five-step process that can take up to 120 days from application submission to completion once the City of Lamar Historic Preservation Advisory Board (CLHPAB) receives it. For clarification on what designation to apply for, contact the Community Development office.

The five-step application process: 

  1. 1. Set a preliminary application review with Community Development staff to review the draft designation application and advise additional research needed.  Additional information will be provided for process and guidance to improve and strengthen the application.
  2. Submit completed final application with a non-refundable fee of $50.00 payable to the City of Lamar.
  3. CLHPAB will review the application to determine completion of application with City of Lamar designation criteria being met.
  4. Once the CLHPAB determines an application is complete and designation criteria are met, a public hearing before the board is set. All owners of record are notified by mail of the date, time, and place of the hearing. The Board will hear public testimony at the hearing to determine if the property meets designation criteria.
  5. After the board determines a property meets designation criteria, the application is recommended by the CLHPAB and forwarded to City Council.

Application and Additional Links

City of Lamar

Historic Preservation Advisory Board

407 East Olive Street

Lamar, CO 81052

719-336-1303

community@ci.lamar.co.us

Lamar Municipal Code Chapter 2, Article 15, Section 2-15-20(i)(1) states that the board shall “Review applications for designation of sites as being historic pursuant to this Article and make recommendations to the City Council as to whether the City Council should, by resolution, designate the site described in the application for such designation based upon the criteria established in Section 2-15-30 of this Article and any subsequent amendments thereto.” Designation Categories and Criteria Category 1: History. To have historical importance, the designee shall be more than 50 years old or have extraordinary importance to the architectural or historical development of Lamar, and shall: Criteria: 2 a) Have direct association with the historical development of the city, state, or nation; or b) Be the site of a significant historic event or with events that have made a significant contribution to history; c) Have direct and substantial association with a significant person or group of persons who had influence on society. Category 2: Architecture. To have architectural importance, the district shall have design quality and integrity, and shall: Criteria: a) Embody distinguishing characteristics of an architectural style or type; or, b) Be a significant example of the work of a recognized architect or master builder, or, c) Contain elements of architectural design, engineering, materials, craftsmanship, or artistic merit which represent a significant or influential in novation; or, d) Portray the environment of a group of people or physical development of an area in an era of history characterized by a distinctive architectural style. Category 3: Geography. To have geographical importance, the district shall: Criteria: a) Have a prominent location or be an established, familiar, and orienting visual feature of the contemporary city, or, b) Promote understanding and appreciation of the urban environment by means of distinctive physical characteristics or rarity; or, c) Make a special contribution to Lamar’s distinctive character.

Lamar Historic Preservation Board

January 2025 Board Minutes 

Tuesday, January 21, 2025

Meeting was called to order at 7:04 am by Jennifer Mortimeyer.

WELCOME & INTRODUCTIONS

Board members attending were: Jennifer Mortimeyer (via phone); Stephanie Gonzales; Jacob Peterson; Galan Burnett; and City liaison Anne-Marie Crampton. Absent: David Zavala and Trevor LaCost.

Community members/media present: Sherry Sprout, Kim & Jack VanHook, Mary Lou & Chuck Cook, Mike Duffy.

PUBLIC COMMENT ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS
  • Sherry Sprout, president of the Sorosis Federated Women’s Club, spoke to the Board.  She attended the meeting to offer their support for the repair and restoration of the WPA rock work in Willow Creek Park.  Their members consider it a part of Lamar’s historic landmarks, and they are concerned with its deteriorating condition.  They feel something needs to be done to shore up the rock walls before they completely disintegrate.  As a service club, they raise funds throughout the year to give back to the community and address the needs they see.  They would like to invest in this effort some way, either monetarily or with a letter-writing campaign.  They sought the board’s direction on how they could proceed or be of help.
  • Jack VanHook asked the group to look at the city park in La Junta and what they have done to restore their wall at the park. 
  • Chuck Cook expressed his concerns for public facility and lack of attention.  The La Junta park walls were beautifully done by a company out of Pueblo.
  • There was additional discussion on what needs to be done to start securing grants.  Letters of support would be needed and the city is likely to need the community’s financial support to help with grants that require matches. Anne-Marie and Stephanie explained some grant writing possibilities that they will explore in coordination with the Treasurer’s Office. 
APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Jacob made a motion to approve the meeting minutes from October 15, 2024; Galan seconded the motion, all in favor.

OLD BUSINESS
  • DC Marker and Creaghe house designations and easement restrictions: Anne-Marie contacted the City’s attorney regarding the property owner’s and board’s request for deed restrictions.  Lance Clark cautioned against a deed restriction and suggested that there might be another way to accomplish a restriction.  He has asked Anne-Marie to reach out to History Colorado to see what ideas they had, and she contacted the different entities. The Colorado Historical Foundation creates conservation easements to accomplish permanent.  They agreed that the conservation easements would not do well here.  The best alternative seems to modify the historic preservation ordinance to post-designation procedures for exterior property alterations. In the modified ordinance, owners of designated properties would work with the Building Department to submit proposed changes for tentative approval by the HP Advisory Board. This may require final approval by the City Council.  In addition to being filed with the County Assessor’s office, historic preservation designations would also be flagged in the City’s new enterprise system by their addresses. Additional discussion occurred regarding historic plaques for the historic designated sites.  Stephanie made motion to move it forward to council, Jacob seconded the motion for approval and retroactively in update to the ordinance, all in favor.
  • Saving Places State Conference CAMP Session: Jacob, Stephanie, Trevor, and Anne-Marie are registered but waiting for more information on session content.
PRIORITIES
  • Main Café: no updates, just waiting on the EPA Brownfield Cleanup grant application process.
  • Willow Creek Park/Caretaker’s House/Pikes Tower: no updates.
NEW BUSINESS
  • The City has received a letter from the US Department of Interior regarding a programmatic assessment for the Ark Valley Conduit, which will end in Lamar.  Because the LHPAB is a Certified Local Government (CLG), it has the opportunity to participate in the process.  No action needs to be taken as of yet.

Miscellaneous – none

NEXT PUBLIC MEETING

The next regular meeting will be on April 15, 2025 at 7:00 am.

ADJOURNMENT

Stephanie moved to adjourned meeting at 7:52 am. Galan seconded motion. Motion passed.

March 2025 Board Minutes 

Tuesday, March 11, 2025

The meeting was called to order at 7:04 am by Jennifer Mortimeyer.

WELCOME & INTRODUCTIONS

Board members attending were: Jennifer Mortimeyer; Stephanie Gonzales; Jacob Peterson (via zoom); Galan Burnett; and City liaison Anne-Marie Crampton; Joy Dashner; Stephanie Strube, Building Official. Absent: David Zavala and Trevor LaCost.

NEW BUSINESS

Discussion about the ordinance for the Historical Preservation Society.  We looked at the City of Greeley’s Historical Preservation Ordinance.  Discussed what regulations we want to add to our current Lamar Municipal Code for Historic Preservation.  Below is a quick outline of what we accepted to be added and some changes made.

  1. Applicability.  Keep this section as is and add to our code.
  2. Administrative review of undesignated properties. Keep this section and add to our code.
  3. Criteria for Individual, owner-nominated properties.  Keep this section as is and add to our code.
  4. Criteria for individual, non-owner-nominated properties.  Keep this section as is and add to our code.
  5. Criteria for district designation.  Keep this section as is and add to our code.
  6. Integrity criteria. Keep this section as is and add to our code.
  7. Designation.  Keep this section, there is no public hearing currently for designation, LMC §2-363. The application fee; board recommends take to council for waive of fee or discounted application fees.
  8. Non-owner nominations.  Keep this section with modifications.
  9. Historic Districts. Keep this section with modifications.
  10. District designation plan.  Keep this section as is and add to our code.
  11. Public Hearing procedure.  Keep as is and add to our code.
  12. Recording. Keep this section with modifications.
  13. Moratorium.  Keep this section as is and add to our code.
  14. Signs. Keep as is and add to our code.
  15. Notice.  Keep as is and add to our code.
  16. Newspaper notice.  Keep as is and add to our code.
  17. Sign. Keep as is and add to our code.
  18. Appeal.  Keep this section with modifications.
  19. Incentives. Keep this section with modifications.
  20. Alterations of designated property.  Keep this section with modifications.
  21. Major Alterations.  Keep this section with modifications.
  22. Minor Alterations.  Keep this section with modifications.
  23. Relocation.  Keep this section and add to our code.
  24. Demolition.  Keep this section and add to our code.
  25. Emergencies. Keep this section and add to our code.
  26. Requirement of maintenance to prevent demolition by neglect.  Keep this section and add to our code.
  27. Criteria for certificate of approval.  Keep this section and add to our code.
  28. Removal from historic register/hardship exemptions. Keep this section and add to our code.

Miscellaneous – none

NEXT PUBLIC MEETING
  • The next regular meeting will be on April 15, 2025 at 7:00 am.
ADJOURNMENT

Meeting adjourned at 8:52 am.