SIDE STREETS: West-siders show all neighborhoods how to preserve history
In 2002, a group of ornery west-siders (I know, that’s redundant) wanted to encourage homeowners to preserve the historic character of Old Colorado City, which was founded in 1859.
The group included Dave Hughes and the Old Colorado City Historical Society as well as Kristine Van Wert and the Organization of Westside Neighbors. In 2005, OCCHS and OWN spent $4,000 on a photographer who shot each of the 3,600 homes in the neighborhood. Then OWN volunteers painstakingly evaluated each, documenting the unique features of every house and judging the architectural style and quality, creating a database.
The project resulted in the 127-page “Historic Westside Design Guidelines” which is available free online and in print at the Historical Society, the West Community Center and the City Administration Building. (Links and photos are on my blog.)
I’d love to see other neighborhoods follow the Westside’s lead and document the rest of Colorado Springs. But it wasn’t easy.
“It was a massive project,” said Tim Scanlon, who retired in December from the city planning staff where he was the historic preservation expert.
“They have taken a comprehensive snapshot of the neighborhood,” he said.
What these west-siders created is not just of value to folks living west of Interstate 25. It’s an amazing historical reference book. Even better, it is a step-by-step “how to” manual for anyone in a house built before 1960 who wants expert advice on how to reroof, remodel or expand while maintaining the historic integrity of the structure.
“I am very proud,” said Hughes, who is known for his work with a team that resurrected Old Colorado City during the 1970s, transforming 98 old buildings into today’s vibrant collection of restaurants, shops, boutiques and galleries lining West Colorado Avenue.
Hughes said and the accompanying database are a tribute to the dedicated work of Van Wert and the volunteers who spent hours studying photos and filling in spreadsheets. And it will reap benefits for years.
“We’ve given them the book showing them how to do reroof their homes, or build a gable,” he said. “This will have the effect of preserving the historic character of the area.”
It’s just a shame the project may never reach its ultimate goal of creating a historic overlay zone, which would have made owners of historic homes eligible for lucrative tax incentives to preserve the architecture of their homes when remodeling. As much as a $50,000 credit on a $250,000 project.
The overlay effort was short-circuited for several reasons, including the city’s budget crisis which led to the retirement of Scanlon among others and the cutback of nonessential projects. He’s proud, nonetheless:
“It is tremendously valuable in the evolution of the neighborhood.”
—
Read my blog.
