Livingston commission discusses new CLG funds, commercial surveys and possible boundary updates for downtown historic district

At the March 11, 2025 meeting, Livingston City’s Historic Preservation Commission reviewed notice that the commission will receive a certified local government (CLG) pass-through grant from the Montana State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), discussed likely uses for the funds and considered whether to pursue mapping or a broader preservation plan that could support future boundary adjustments to the downtown historic district.

Jennifer, the commission’s designated historic preservation officer, said the city had been awarded CLG pass-through funding again and expected the amount to be ‘‘anywhere between $6,000 and $8,000’’ based on past awards. She said the grant is a matching award, that the typical award period runs April 1 through March 31, and that staff time and volunteer meeting time normally count toward the local match. "The grant contract goes into effect on April 1, so I would hope that by then, we would know how much money that we have to utilize," Jennifer said.

Commissioners discussed options for the funding. Jennifer noted a recent, separate special allocation of about $18,000 used to pay for commercial building surveys in the downtown commercial district; those surveys produced a nearly continuous block of surveyed commercial properties from the engine-room area at Second and Calendar Street down Calendar to Park Street and across along Park and Main. She suggested the new CLG dollars could pay for mapping the periphery of the downtown district, outreach and the narrative text portion of a preservation plan, or be rolled forward and combined with next year’s allocation if the commission preferred to pursue a larger project.

Several commissioners asked whether the district boundaries established by a 1973 (or 1979) survey could be challenged or updated. Jennifer said district boundaries are tied to surviving structures and noted that some buildings at the edges of the downtown district could now be eligible for inclusion while others may have been altered enough that they no longer contribute; she recommended a mapping exercise to examine periphery properties before attempting any formal nomination or boundary change.

Commissioners also discussed historic or iconic business signs in town. Members noted the old Lock sign had been reused by the Engine Room and asked whether the city enforces removal of business signs when a business closes. Jennifer said the city has an ordinance that limits how long business signs can remain but that staff typically act on complaints rather than conducting proactive enforcement; she also said that landmark or iconic signs (for example, the Sport building sign) can be grandfathered if owners preserve them unchanged, but that if owners make changes that violate the sign code the city can require removal or code-compliant alterations.

Jennifer said she will notify the commission when the exact grant amount is confirmed around the April 1 start date and suggested bringing a specific spending recommendation back to the commission for discussion. No formal motions or votes were taken on use of the CLG funds or on district boundary changes at the March 11 meeting.