Once a building is gone, it’s gone forever. The demolition review process prevents the loss of buildings that make Boulder unique and may have historic or architectural significance and provides time to find alternatives to demolition.

When is Review Required?

Historic preservation review is required for buildings over 50 years old that are not designated as part of an individual landmark or historic district when work proposed meets the definition of “Demolition (Historic) in Section 9-16 Definitions, B.R.C. 1981. This includes:

  1. Removing more than 50% of the roof, as measured in plan;
  2. Removing more than 50% of the exterior walls;
  3. Removing any portion of a street-facing wall. This includes constructing a wall in front of a street-facing wall and removing or concealing the exterior wall finish, such as stucco or siding.

A common misconception is that review is required if more than 50% of a street-facing wall is proposed for demolition. The 50% calculation is for the portion of the roof or total exterior walls to be removed; removal of any portion of a street-facing wall, including enlarging window and door openings or removing an enclosed porch, requires historic preservation review.

For a property designated as an individual landmark or located within a historic district, review is required through a Landmark Alteration Certificate (LAC). To find out if a property is landmarked or in a historic district, refer to the Map of Historic Districts and Landmarks. For information on the review process, application and criteria, please visit the Landmark Alteration Certificate webpage.

What Are the Application Requirements?

  • Vicinity Map - A site map showing the building footprints. Indicate the building proposed to be demolished. Indicate all adjacent street names.
  • Exterior Photographs - Provide clear, color photographs of each side of the building, captioned with a description (e.g. East (side) Elevation, [date]). Capture as much of each side of the building as possible.

  • Plans- Site Plans and measured drawings showing side-by-side existing and proposed design. Clearly identify portion of building proposed to be removed (e.g. 65% of roof; siding on street-facing wall). Link to example
  • Elevations - Scaled elevation drawings showing existing and proposed side-by-side.

  • Written statement with any additional information not included in the required materials.

How Do I Apply?

Prepare

Review “What Are the Application Requirements?” to learn what materials you will need to provide.

Apply

Log in and apply through the Customer Self-Service Portal. Upload the required materials and submit the application. As soon as your application is submitted, you’ll receive a confirmation email with a link to access your plan.

Completeness Check

Staff will review the materials and contact you to collect any missing or incomplete information.

Pay Initial Review Application Fee

Staff will invoice the application fee after all required materials are submitted. Payments can be made through the Customer Self-Service Portal. The fees are outlined in Section 4-20-37 of the Boulder Revised Code:

  • $51 for post-1940 buildings and accessory buildings over 50 years old;
  • $282 for primary building constructed in 1939 or before.

Check Application Status

Visit the Customer Self-Service Portal to follow the status of your application.

  • Log in to your account.
    • Open the Dashboard and click on “View My Plans”.
    • Click on the historic preservation application.

What is the Review Process?

Completeness Check

Within 5-7 days of application submittal, staff will check that all required materials for your application are complete. If additional materials are required, case contacts will receive an automated email from a “No Reply” address. Make sure to check your spam or junk folder. This email may include a list of materials needed to complete your application, which you will upload through the CSS Portal under the Attachments tab.

Initial Review

Once your application is complete and applicable fees are paid, the case will be routed to staff or the Landmarks Design Review Committee (LDRC) for review. Initial review will occur within three weeks of a complete application. Case contacts will receive an email to schedule review by the LDRC, if required. The outcome of the initial review is either approval of the project as proposed, request for revisions, or referral to the Landmarks Board for review.

Please visit the LDRC webpage for an overview of what to expect at an LDRC meeting.

Landmarks Board Review

The Landmarks Board reviews applications referred by staff or the LDRC. To continue the process after the initial review, pay the $1,504 Landmarks Board hearing fee and provide materials related to the criteria for review.

The Landmarks Board can either approve the demolition or place a stay of up to 180 days to provide time to explore alternatives to demolition. If at the end of the stay, the Landmarks Board does not initiate landmark designation, the demolition is approved. The approval is valid for one year. If the board initiates landmark designation, a separate process begins. The process and criteria for that process are outlined on the Individual Landmark Designation webpage.

Please visit the Landmarks Board webpage for an overview of what to expect at a Landmarks Board hearing.

Deconstruction or Building Permit Review

If the application is approved, submit the historic preservation approval letter with your Deconstruction Permit (full demolition) or Building Permit (partial demolition) application. If the permit is not finalized within a year, a new Historic Preservation Demolition Application is required.

What Are The Review Criteria?

The purpose of the review is to prevent the loss of buildings that may have historic or architectural significance and provide time to consider alternatives to demolition. In the initial review, the review criteria are to determine whether there is “probable cause to believe that the building may be eligible for designation as an individual landmark,” and whether the proposed relocation would have “no significant impact or potential detriment to the historic resources of the city.”

For applications reviewed by the Landmarks Board, the criteria in Section 9-11-23 expand to include:

  1. The eligibility of the building for designation as an individual landmark consistent with the purposes and standards in Sections 9-11-1 and 9-11-2, B.R.C. 1981;
  2. The relationship of the building to the character of the neighborhood as an established and definable area;
  3. The reasonable condition of the building; and
  4. The reasonable projected cost of restoration or repair.

When considering the condition of the building and the projected cost of restoration or repair as set forth in paragraphs (3) and (4) above, the board may not consider deterioration caused by unreasonable neglect.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. The fees are set by the Boulder City Council and are included in Section 4-20-37. The review fee is required at time of application and is non-refundable once the application has entered review.

The fee for the initial review is based on the age and type of building:

  • Primary structure constructed 1939 or before: $282
  • Primary structure constructed in 1940 or after: $51
  • Accessory structure over 50 years old: $51

For applications referred to the Landmarks Board for review:

  • Landmarks Board fee: $1504

  • For applications approved at the staff or LDRC level, the process takes between 1 and 3 weeks.
  • For applications reviewed by the Landmarks Board, the process takes and additional 1 to 6 months.

Historic Preservation approvals for non-designated demolition applications are valid for one year and cannot be extended. If a permit is not finalized within a year of the historic preservation approval, a new application is required.

Sources to Find Year Built for Buildings located in the city of Boulder. Note: For Non-Designated Demolition review, we need to know if a primary building was built before or after 1940 and whether an accessory building is more than 50 years old.

Boulder County Map

  1. Navigate to the Boulder County Assessor's Office Property Search
  2. Search by property address
  3. Click " Assessment -- Assessed Value, Change in Value, & Building Attributes"
  4. Scroll to "Building Attributes"
  5. The date of construction is listed under "Year Built"

For accessory buildings not listed in Boulder County Map.

  1. Navigate to the Carnegie Library for Local History
  2. Search by property address
  3. Open the Historic Building Inventory Form or the Tax Assessor Card.
  4. If there is no clear documentation that the building is less than 50 years, contact staff through Inquire Boulder.

Refer to the Map of Historic Districts & Landmarks to find out if a property is designated as an individual landmark or located in a historic district.

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