Livingston Historic Preservation Commission backs CLG grant application to fund downtown design guidelines

The Livingston Historic Preservation Commission on a rescheduled March meeting endorsed submitting its Certified Local Government pass-through grant application to use the annual $6,000 allotment toward downtown design guidelines and related preservation work.

Staff told the commission the CLG pass-through for Livingston is expected to be $6,000 this year, and that the state typically divides a required $102,000 pass-through among 14 CLGs with a small pool of discretionary funds for special projects. “Every year, as Jennifer was describing, we'd have a requirement to pass through ... at least $102,000 through to the CLGs. Each CLG is getting $6,000, and then we'll have about $20,000 to play with,” said Kate Hampton, community preservation coordinator at the State Historic Preservation Office.

Hampton recommended using the local CLG funds for a community-specific design-guidelines document and said such a product — ideally produced with oversight and visuals — helps property owners and staff understand how changes affect character-defining features. “The more backup you have and the more robust the documentation behind your decision-making process when it comes to design review, the better it's gonna be,” Hampton said.

Staff described a possible partnership with the MSU Community Design Center (CDC) to produce visual aids and guidelines, noting the CDC often uses students and charges a modest fee to cover printing, travel and supervision. Staff said the CDC requires a signed memorandum of understanding and a partial up-front payment to secure student capacity, and that the city’s planning budget would need to include an additional $1,000–$1,500 to cover CDC charges if the commission moves forward.

Commissioners raised a legal question about the commission’s role in design review. One commissioner said local counsel had advised that the commission could not issue binding rulings unless an applicant opted in; Hampton said her reading of the statute differs and that commissioners can offer nonbinding advice to staff. “Design review is not a requirement of the CLG program,” Hampton said, but added that guidelines and a preservation plan can support consistent, defensible decisions.

Because one seated commissioner was absent and some items were not set as formal agenda actions, staff asked for an informal affirmation to file the CLG application. The commissioners present voiced their assent; staff said the formal record will reflect minutes and any required signatures when the application is filed. Staff also noted potential competitive funding sources that could add roughly $10,000 toward a National Historic Landmark nomination for the Livingston Depot if the city pursues that option.

Commissioners discussed related issues including Main Street grant capacity, a lone applicant to fill a vacant commission seat, and concerns about demolition-by-neglect practices observed in other Montana towns, for which Hampton suggested reviewing Butte’s demolition-by-neglect ordinance as a possible template. The commission adjourned with plans to solicit a full CDC scope and a progress briefing before the CDC’s fall work would begin.

Next steps: staff will file the CLG pass-through application, circulate the CDC scope and examples to the commission, and include the item in next month’s agenda for any formal approvals and minute confirmation.