Restoration

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Maintenance is Preservation

If you are planning a construction project for your home, the following pages of information will be helpful and important.  From residential zoning to permits and inspections to variances, the City of Colorado Springs’ Regional Building Department has requirements that provide safeguards and a consistent approach to City codes and standards.  When does a project require a building permit?  When not?    Property owners will find appropriate forms and contact information on the Regional Building Department site.

Building permits:

 After reading an overview on the “Homeowner Process” page and what does and does not require a building permit, click on “Start a Project” to continue.  At the bottom of that page in the dark blue box clicking on “Forms, Handouts & Downloads” will take you to a page with various permit forms, including, if needed, a variance request application.

Variances: 

When is a variance required?  If, according to Regional Building, “existing, nonconforming conditions impede compliance with a City code provision,” you will need a variance.  You may download the Variance Application Form. Contact Regional Building at 719-327-2880 with specific questions regarding your project and if you need to apply for a variance. 

Zoning Code:

The Zoning Code page  on the Colorado Springs website has important zoning information that includes a map and chart that shows setbacks and maximum lot coverage as defined by the various residential zones.   Since every property is within a zone district, click on  SpringsView to find how your property is zoned. 

Overlay Zoning

Maintenence Is Preservation

  • For homes in ONEN’s Historic Preservation Overlay Zone, exterior improvements from the public right of way which require a Regional Building permit also require prior review and approval from the City’s Historic Preservation Board.
  • The Old North End Neighborhood  organization is not an approving authority for requests for renovation or restoration of properties within ONEN boundaries.
  • If your property is located within the neighborhood’s two historic districts reflected in the map above, you may qualify for State Tax Credits.

Resources:

Additional information about base zones, overlay districts in general, and Historic Preservation Overlay

In-depth information from the City of Colorado Springs website about Historic Preservation

Design Standards  are used to help determine an approval for a “Report of Acceptability” from the City’s Historic Preservation Board.  (Please note: the City’s Historic Preservation Board evaluates design only.) These standards are informed by the North End Historic District Design Guidelines and are in conformance with the Secretary of the Interior Standards.

  • Storage sheds (also called accessory structures) that do not require a permit do not require review by the Historic Preservation Board.
  • Unless the opening of a window is enlarged or reduced in size or a window added where none existed before, window replacement does not require a permit.

For further information about Overlay Zoning, approval for a “Report of Acceptability” and administrative approvals: 

 City Contact for Historic Preservation is William Gray, Senior Planner, Land Use Review Division, Planning and Community Development. 

Phone:(719) 385-5090;

Email: william.gray@coloradosprings.gov   

Tax Credits:   Property within either the Old North End or North Weber/Wahsatch National Register Historic districts may qualify for state tax credits for rehabilitation work performed.  The information needed to apply for these credits are outlined at History Colorado:  www.historycolorado.org/preservation-tax-credits  

Contact Joseph Saldibar at History Colorado’s Office of Preservation and Archaeology,

(303) 866-3741; joseph.saldibar@state.co.us for additional information.

Guidance and Best Practices

Maintenance is Preservation

The following rationale for maintaining the beauty and historic integrity of the Old North End Neighborhood has been taken from an introduction to the Old North End Neighborhood Interpretive Guide.

“The Old North End Neighborhood is a remarkably intact collection of architecturally and historically significant buildings located within a distinctive setting of mature trees and landscaped medians.  These historic buildings serve as a tangible link to our shared heritage and help make the Old North End a unique place to live and visit.  Because their replacement is impossible, it is important to preserve and protect the buildings and setting that comprise the neighborhood for future generations.”

Since property owners play key roles in such efforts, the information that follows is meant to be educational and help promote good stewardship. 

  • Old North End Neighborhood Interpretive Guide is a pictorial guide to best practices for appropriate maintenance, rehabilitation, additions and new construction to the outside of your home. Some photo examples of what to avoid are also addressed. The two guides below provide support. 
  • Design Guidelines for the North Weber/Wahsatch Historic District –This document was published in 1990 as part of the City’s preservation program. These guidelines contain text, illustrations and photographs that inform both property owners and “public entities” alike.  The intent is to identify historic characteristics, appropriate methods of preservation and to promote architectural cohesiveness.   
  • Preservation Briefs from the National Park Service – Fifty technical briefs provide information on preserving, rehabilitating and restoring historic structures.  Under “The Standards” on that page, the three terms in red above are defined, but information under “Rehabilitation and Guidelines” applies specifically to applications for Colorado tax credits. 
  • Chicago Bungalow Association –This website provides homeowners with how-to seminars.  Especially helpful are steps to choosing the right landscape design and plants for your bungalow garden.  
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