Minneapolis staff seek full rewrite of heritage preservation code; commission delays vote after questions on authority and timelines

City planning staff on Tuesday presented a comprehensive repeal-and-replace of Title 23, Chapter 5-99 of the Minneapolis Code of Ordinances, proposing updated definitions, new review pathways, and changes to demolition, interim protection and nomination procedures for landmarks and historic districts. The Heritage Preservation Commission (HPC) heard the draft text amendment from city planners and deferred formal action to a future meeting after extended questions from commissioners and public comment.

The amendment, presented by Rob Skolecki, senior city planner in CPED’s Historic Preservation section, would replace the existing ordinance last comprehensively updated in 2001 and make multiple procedural changes, including new fees, expanded administrative review, clarified demolition review for designated and potentially historic properties, a 16-month interim-protection period, and a 180-day limit for the City Council to act on a designation following an HPC recommendation.

Skolecki told the commission that staff “propose to repeal and replace” the chapter in its entirety to reflect contemporary practice and to better align preservation regulations with other city land-use rules. He said the rewrite would add definitions, adjust application fees to reflect inflation, remove rarely used tools such as transfer-of-development-rights provisions and conservation districts, and clarify how demolition reviews should proceed for designated properties and for properties determined to be…