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Boulder Landmarks Board approves demolition of 1920 house at 2747 Fourth Street
Summary
The Landmarks Board approved an application to demolish a 1920 house at 2747 Fourth Street in the Newlands neighborhood, finding restoration costs likely prohibitive; approval includes one-year period to obtain deconstruction permitting.
The Boulder Landmarks Board on Aug. 6 approved an application to demolish a house constructed about 1920 at 2747 Fourth Street after staff concluded the building is in poor condition and that restoration would be unreasonably costly.
The board voted to approve the demolition following a staff recommendation and testimony from the owner, Jacqueline Wade, who described the house as uninhabitable and said she intends to build a new home to care for her medically fragile son.
Marcy Gerwing, principal historic preservation planner, told the board the application is a quasi‑judicial demolition review governed by Boulder Revised Code section 9‑11‑23 and related procedures. Staff found the building may be eligible as an individual landmark but that it suffers from a failing shallow rubble foundation, extensive masonry cracking and mold after a January–February 2025 pipe burst. Chief Building Official Rob Andreas inspected the property and determined it is not fit to occupy as currently constructed.
Gerwing said the board may either approve demolition or place a stay of demolition for up to 180 days to allow alternatives to be explored. Staff reviewed recent demolition-review cases and presented a typical range of rehabilitation costs of roughly $200,000 to $700,000 and higher in some instances; staff concluded the projected costs here likely make rehabilitation prohibitive and recommended approval of the demolition application.
Owner Jacqueline Wade described efforts she and contractors had made to repair the property since she purchased it in 2011. Wade said the house has dangerous indoor air quality and lacks running water after the recent pipe burst. She told the board she plans a new multigenerational house that would allow her family to remain in Boulder.
Several members of the public urged the board to place a stay of demolition to allow more time to seek preservation options. Fran Sheets said demolishing a house in this condition “puts the purpose of this entire program in jeopardy.” Catherine Barth asked the board to use the full 180‑day stay so solutions might be found.
Contractor Tyrone McKnight, who inspected the structure, told the board the foundation and framing were extensively rotted and that mold tests returned positive results. He recommended demolition based on his experience with restoration and reconstruction work.
During deliberations board members acknowledged the house’s historic qualities and its place in the neighborhood’s character. But several members cited the current structural problems, the recent water damage, the building official’s assessment that the house is unfit for occupancy, and rising construction and remediation costs in supporting staff’s recommendation to approve demolition.
Board member John Decker said a combination of environmental factors and the February water event left the structure “marginal at best” for rehabilitation. Board member Chelsea Castellano and Chair Renee Golubic also supported the staff recommendation. Board member Abby Daniels recorded an abstention during the roll call; board members noted city code limits abstentions absent a conflict and that the abstention would be recorded as an affirmative vote for the motion. Board member Michael Ray voted no. The motion carried with three affirmative votes and one negative recorded.
The board approved the application and adopted the findings in the staff memorandum. Marcy Gerwing told the applicant the approval is valid for one year (until Aug. 6, 2026) to finalize a deconstruction permit; if no deconstruction permit is obtained within one year the applicant would need to submit a new historic preservation application. Deconstruction/permitting timeframes described by staff may allow one to two years to complete removal once permits are issued.
Because the board’s review examined the building as it exists today, members stressed the decision did not address what might be built on the lot afterward. The board’s decision rested on criteria in the Boulder Revised Code regarding eligibility for landmark designation, condition, and the reasonableness of restoration costs.
