City of Steamboat Springs Historic Preservation Plan Open House

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City Embarks on Historic Preservation Plan – We need you!

The City of Steamboat Springs is developing its inaugural Historic Preservation Plan: “Building on History, Growing with Vision,” with two open houses scheduled for Wednesday, January 22, to kick off the campaign. Logan Simpson, an award-winning, multidisciplinary consulting firm, is working with the city on the plan.

“Historic preservation is a field of planning that affects every person in uniquely different ways,” said Historic Preservation Planner Caitlin Berube-Smith. “Whether you are a new or long-term resident, a visitor, outdoor recreator, builder, contractor, architect or designer, your participation in this plan is vital to improving historic preservation across the community.” The community’s input is needed to create the Historic Preservation Plan and update the existing Historic Design Guidelines.

The final recommendations of the plan will lend to policy outcomes finalized within the Community Canvas project that is currently updating the Area Community Plan. This work is required as many residential/commercial properties are reaching 50 years of age, and current guidelines do not apply to newer architectural styles seen beyond Residential and Commercial Old Town.

The Community Open House, scheduled from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm on Jan 22, is open to the entire community. Residents and visitors of all ages are encouraged to attend – youth included! An Industry Professionals session will be held earlier that same day from noon to 1:30 pm.

Both Open Houses will take place in the new City Hall (115 10th Street), providing a sneak peek inside the new facility. The public can shape improved planning and building department processes, heritage and cultural programming, and the continued growth and development of the built and natural environment.

What makes this place important to you? How do we share the stories of our past and reuse existing structures and sites to benefit the future? These questions, along with improving building and design practices, are what the community can collaborate on during this session.

The plan theme reminds community members of all ages and backgrounds that it takes a village to responsibly integrate what’s new with what’s old to curate our shared heritage and future vision for Steamboat Springs. Historic Preservation is a process that guides development and lends to creative placemaking. Historic Preservation is not rooted in saving everything that has aged, if that were the case, then nothing that is preserved would retain importance. Rather, historic preservation is a tool that communities can apply to benefit housing, recreation, sustainability, and so much more through principles of adaptive reuse and creative placemaking.