Historic Preservation Board Meeting - February 2, 2026

The Colorado Springs Historic Preservation Board (HPB) met on Monday, February 2, 2026, at 4:30 PM. Four members were present at the start (Chair Lowenberg, Board Members Fitzsimmons, Potter, and Beerbaum), with Board Member Musick joining later by phone. Senior Planner William Gray provided updates on several properties and the 2026 work plan. The board approved minutes from November 3, 2025, and January 5, 2026, and held a detailed discussion on prioritizing survey work for the year.

Communications

• William Gray reported that the nomination for the Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind was passed on with a recommendation for the National Register by the State Historic Preservation Board.
• May is Historic Preservation Month; Gray asked for ideas to do something different.
• Potential HPB vacancies were noted, and Gray will send an email to City Council staff suggesting alternates.
• Gray discussed a property at 119 E Fontanero Street in the Old North End: originally a store from the late 1800s, later a craft shop, vacant for decades, zoned R2, about 7,000 square feet including basement, listed for $690,000, and in poor condition. Gray said the building is worth protecting but restoration challenges may require a report of acceptability. He noted federal guidelines for demolition would be considered due to economic hardship. Gray said the board has jurisdiction on alterations, additions, or demolitions, and he will inform the board if a zone change is sought.
• Gray followed up on an Old North End property under construction; the project has an approved report of acceptability, a building permit, and HPB approval. The renovation includes replacing siding, adding a front porch, and interior updates.
• Gray mentioned a potential project at Evergreen Cemetery: retired engineer Michael Hughes is exploring a capstone project with the School of Mines to restore the cemetery chapel. Gray will contact representatives to present to the board.
• Board Member Potter announced she became a 2026 Civic Leadership Fellow and spent eight hours with the Mayor and city staff.
• Chair Lowenberg shared a conversation about historic preservation of cemeteries, noting an international organization that trains community members in preservation techniques, a growing movement in New Orleans.
• Board Member Beerbaum noted Pioneer Memorial Park may contain up to 200 unmarked graves dating back to 1862, and suggested Colorado Springs Utilities might have technology to survey the ground. Board Member Fitzsimmons added that metal detectors can find buried individuals with metal, but not those without.

Approval of Minutes

• The minutes from November 3, 2025 (HPB 2316) were approved unanimously by a vote of 4-0.
• The minutes from January 5, 2026 (HPB 2318) were approved unanimously by a vote of 4-0. (Board Members Musick, Baumgartner, and Hines were absent for both votes.)

Discussion Items

• 2026 Work Plan Presentation: William Gray presented the draft work plan with three goals:
  1. Identify and prioritize survey or resurvey work, collaborating with historic preservation advocates, with a timeline of January to March.
  2. Update the City’s Historic Preservation Ordinance to better define the process for establishing local landmarks (individual or district), aligning with HistoricCOS and PlanCOS.
  3. Conduct Historic Preservation Overlay District design review to fulfill requirements for building permits requiring board action.
• Board Discussion: Chair Lowenberg proposed a working session at the March meeting for each board member to bring their top priorities from the survey plan (pages 85-86). She emphasized coming prepared, using the survey context plan, and turning ideas into an actionable plan. Board members discussed:
  • Board Member Beerbaum asked whether to focus on fire stations, cemeteries, churches, or criteria like greatest threat of loss. He also asked if the objective is to add all eligible properties to the Historic Register.
  • Board Member Fitzsimmons questioned whether the goal is to add properties to the historic preservation overlay for board oversight. He later suggested prioritizing vulnerable (non-city) properties and possibly creating a mandate for city-owned property alterations to be reviewed by the board.
  • Board Member Musick (joined late) agreed with focusing on vulnerable properties and suggested neighborhood organizations could help identify them.
  • William Gray noted that documenting publicly held resources is important regardless of risk level. He said defining prioritization criteria could be the first step.
  • Chair Lowenberg stressed that the board must first formulate its own perspectives before engaging community partners. She plans to ask board members to rate their comfort with historic survey processes to ensure a common understanding.
  • Board Member Beerbaum raised accountability for past proposals (e.g., updating the website) that have not been completed. Chair Lowenberg said the board should identify what it can control.
  • Gray mentioned that a training session with History Colorado is being scheduled, focusing on effective board practices, public meetings, and learning from other Colorado boards with limited resources. It may also cover survey work.
  • Gray suggested inviting Historic Denver to explain its ongoing survey program as a model.
• Next Steps Management: Chair Lowenberg will draft a document with ideas to share with absent board members and outline next steps. Gray will extract the priorities table from the survey plan (pages 85-86) and send to the board. Board members are encouraged to send their top priorities or ideas to Chair Lowenberg or Gray by the end of February. The March meeting will be a structured roundtable working session.

Key Outcomes

• Approved minutes from November 3, 2025, and January 5, 2026.
• Board agreed to hold a working session at the March meeting to prioritize survey work based on the existing survey plan.
• Board members will review pages 85-86 of the survey plan before March and submit their suggested priorities to the Chair or Senior Planner Gray.
• Training with History Colorado is in development; date to be confirmed.
• Chair Lowenberg will communicate with absent board members about the discussion and expectations.