Denver Landmark Preservation Design Guidelines Updates - Public Review Draft

Share your comments on the draft updates

Read and submit your comments on the public review draft of proposed updates to design guidelines for windows and doors on historic properties and to Chapter 1 of the Design Guidelines for Denver Landmark Structures & Districts. Click directly on the documents to leave your comments. Please keep your feedbackfocused on the content and refrain from using offensive, profane or explicit language.

Visit the Design Guidelines Update project webpage for additional information.

Overview of Proposed Updates

Landmark staff has drafted the updated guidelines to allow greater flexibility for window and door replacements in Denver’s historic districts and ensure character-defining features are preserved. Under the proposed design guidelines, most historic windows and doors could be replaced provided they are not character windows or a front façade door.

Character windows and doors are a window anywhere on a building or a front façade door that is part of the architectural identity of a building or representative of a certain architectural style or type. Character windows and doors date to the period of significance for the historic district or individual landmark, are distinctive, and are integral features of the building’s design.

The proposed design guidelines also provide better guidance for alterations to window openings, egress windows, and greater flexibility on materials in some cases.

Chapter 1 has also been reorganized to provide greater clarity in document flow and structure. The definitions of public vantage point and visibility have been updated as well as what triggers a public hearing.

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Sue Glassmacher Jun 12 2025 at 5:00PM on page 11

Suggestion

Intri Design Guideline Chapters. Dosen't the Appendices also contain character denining features for some historic districts?

Sue Glassmacher Jun 12 2025 at 3:56PM on page 1

Suggestion

I would like to see Cultural and social sustainabilty listed first.l
Some phases like : It provides a sense of history, a connection to the past. It shows craftmanship that no longer exists today. The architecture shows a progression of time and lifestyle changes over decades. It shows radical change in home styles ( frilly Victorians to simple home usiing natural materials and a high level of craftmanship, to single story ranch style, to mid century morden with sweeping roofs and connecting the outside with the inside). It keeps alive a memory of a person or place.

That section needs to be warm and hit the heart. I never thought of sustainability. I just thought of beauty and showing what will never be seen again. At my time, the old houses and renovations were cheap. I could afford to buy a historic house

Sue Glassmacher Jun 12 2025 at 2:54PM on page 1

Suggestion

intro to design guidelines. Economis Sustainabilty. This sounds like home prices will be lower than non landmarked districts. The old incorrect belief.

Ozi Friedrich Jun 10 2025 at 5:48PM on page 2

Suggestion

I would like for the Guidelines to provide more clarity on how / when Landmarks refers to Zoning as a part of its design review. For instance, recently, the Tandem House building form has been reviewed differently from the ADU building form, even though this is a modern distinction dating to the 2014 zoning code and not a historic distinction.

Paul Cloyd Jun 5 2025 at 11:10AM on page 9

Question

I understand the purpose for the 3 week time constraint for RNO to meet AND COMMENT. ( you might clarify the time constraint applies to both meeting and providing comments to LPC) However, this constraint has proved troublesome for the West Highland RNO review volunteer committee. Multiple times we received the referral literally the day after our monthly meeting. resulting in either calling a special meeting or providing comments without a meeting. A 4 week time constraint could largely resolve this but I suspect will not be acceptable to the city. Maybe a compromise ... could a standard date (something like as the 3rd Thursday) for each month for issuing a referral be set?

Paul Cloyd Jun 5 2025 at 10:56AM on page 11

Question

The verbiage reads as though district specific guidelines are provided ONLY for La Alma. Will the other existing district specific guidelines be retained? If so, consider revising text to better reflect this.

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Denver Landmark Preservation Design Guidelines Updates - Public Review Draft

Summary

Overview of Proposed Updates

Chapter 1: Introduction

Historic Windows and Doors

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