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Demolition & Alteration of Structures
50 Years of Age and Older
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Please don't demolish or alter your historic building until you have obtained a
permit. For more information about obtaining a permit, contact the Boulder County Building
Division at (303) 441-3925. You can also visit the Building
Permit Frequently Asked Questions Page. |
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Boulder County land use regulations require that a property owner obtain
a building permit prior to altering an existing building. When an application is submitted to
the Boulder County Building Division, one of the first items of information that the Land Use
Department checks is the date the building to be altered was constructed. If this date,
obtained through the assessor's records, indicated that the building if 50 years of age or
older, the application is reviewed for possible impacts to historically significant
properties. |
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At least once per month, the HPAB meets to review alteration and demolition
permit applications. The HPAB determines if: |
- The building to be altered would qualify for historic landmarking, and
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If the proposed alteration would be detrimental to the building.
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What happens if I want to demolish a
structure that is eligible to become an historic landmark?
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If the HPAB feels that a structure is historically significant (qualifies for
landmarking) and feels that the proposed action will destroy the significance (usually
demolition), they may request that the Land Use Department delay issuing the permit for up to
180 days. This time period allows the property owner and the county staff to discuss
alternatives to the destruction of an historic resource. If no solution for preserving the building(s) is reached within the 180 day period, the permit will be issued regardless of the
historic preservation issues. However, if the applicant is going through another type of
Land Use review (such as a site plan review, special review, etc), it could become a condition
of that approval to retain the historic structure. |
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Renovation of an older house offers challenges and rewards. It's natural for an
owner to want modern convenience combined with the character of an historic home. Fortunately,
with a little forethought, the two goals can be accomplished at the same time. |
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These hints focus on design issues that are commonly addressed by
Boulder County's Historic Preservation Advisory Board (HPAB). If you'd like more detailed
information, please feel free to contact the Land Use Department at 441-3930. Our staff can
often answer your questions. If not, we'll try to put you in contact with an HPAB member or
other resource who can answer your questions or give advice. |
Scale
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Rural houses, whether farm houses or mountain cabins, were usually small compared to
the houses in the 1990s. The most common change to historic buildings in Boulder County is to
add more space. Unfortunately, additions to your historic building will look out of place if
they overwhelm the original structure. Here are a few ideas to help with this design
challenge: |
- Place the addition at the rear of the structure and try to use an
intermediate building height to "step-up" from a one-story house to a two-story
addition.
- Attach a larger addition to the house through a breezeway or corridor.
- Vary the roof shape using dormers or other techniques. The variety
breaks up a larger expanse of roof and helps blend the old with the new.
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Patterns
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Look at your house and determine if there is a reoccurring feature. If you notice that
there is a window every four feet or there is a sunburst pattern in the woodwork over each
doorway, these are the types of patterns that you would want to preserve on the original
structure. Take the idea of the pattern one step further - if you are planning an addition,
use the same patterns in the new portion of the house. |
Windows
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One of the most important features that defines the time period of your house is
the size and shape of the windows. If you're trying to retain the charm of your
house, keeping the windows is one of the easiest methods. The materials
of the window frames is less important than the size and shape. However, wood frames work
best. Staff can help direct you to sources who can repair existing windows and
make them more energy efficient. |
Roofing Materials
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Historically, the most common roofing material in Boulder
County was wood shakes or shingles. Metal was also used, more frequently in the
mountains. Today, we know that wood roofing materials conflict with the goals of
mitigating fire hazards. If you are replacing a wood shake roof, you may want to
consider a roofing product that has the same color as wood but is less
flammable.
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Siding
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Similar to window size and shape, the orientation and size of the siding on your
historic house is an important feature that helps define the period of time in
which it was constructed. If your house has wood lap siding, it would be ideal
if you could retain the siding and repaint when needed. The wider, horizontal boards are more common on
houses built from the 1950s and 1960s. Narrower, horizontal boards were common during the late
1800s and early 1900s. |
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If your houses has vertical boards, stucco, or some other type of
siding, you may want to continue with the same type of material. |
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Sometimes additions to historic houses look best if the material used to
side the addition contrasts with the original. This gives the addition its own sense of time.
For example, a stucco addition with wood frame accents could look very attractive with a
lap-sided house. |
Dealing With the Building Code
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The primary purpose of the building code is to help people build structures that are
safe. Of course, what we consider safe today is different from what was considered safe 100
years ago. Instead of requiring that all historic buildings be retrofitted to today's
standards, the County can arrive at a compromise in some situations.
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Buildings that are officially designated as historic landmarks qualify
for exemptions from the building code in some circumstances. Retaining an historic staircase
that is too steep to meet today's standards is just one example of a commonly requested
exemption from the building code. Of course, the goal of historic preservation cannot be more
important than the goal of creating safe living environments, but with some creativity, a
solution that meets both goals can be formulated. |
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If you have questions about exemptions from the building code for your
specific project, please contact our office and ask to speak with the historic preservation
staff person. |
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