Council declines landmark finding for 824 Kimbark Street; demolition allowed

The Longmont City Council on Nov. 3 voted not to find reasonable cause to designate 824 Kimbark Street as a local landmark without the owner's consent, clearing the way for the property’s demolition permit to proceed. The vote was unanimous.

Jennifer Hewitt Apperson, principal planner, explained the demolition review process under section 2.56.0.18(e) and said the property — built in 1902 with later additions — was inside the original town-site square mile. The Longmont Historic Preservation Commission had referred the demolition to council on Oct. 8 after concluding there was reason to believe the property might be eligible for designation without the owner’s consent.

Staff reviewed a cultural resource survey (2008) and a structural engineer’s report submitted by the owners. The applicant provided an engineer’s opinion and a contractor estimate indicating foundation failure and repair costs the applicant described as approximately $250,000. Attorney Scott Dunn, representing the owners, told council the cost estimate and structural report made rehabilitation economically infeasible.

Staff recommended council find there was not reasonable cause to pursue designation without the owner’s consent, in part because the property would meet the lower threshold for local landmark designation only with the owner’s consent under the code and because staff did not find the “extraordinary historic significance” standard satisfied. The Historic Preservation Commission disagreed, finding demolition could diminish neighborhood character and therefore recommending referral to council.

Council discussed the criteria and whether the burden for designation without owner consent had been demonstrated. Council member Popkin thanked staff for the review and asked whether the applicant would incorporate historically compatible details into a replacement design; the applicants said they intended a design that fit the neighborhood but the council declined to impose additional design conditions beyond existing code compatibility standards. Council member Rodriguez moved (seconded by Council member Yarbrough) that the council not find reasonable cause to designate the property without the owner’s consent; the motion carried unanimously.

Why this matters: the decision ends the referral process and permits demolition to proceed. Staff noted that cultural resource surveys may be updated and that designation without consent requires a higher showing than landmarking with the owner’s consent.