Historic Preservation Board Meeting – April 8, 2026

The Golden Historic Preservation Board met on April 8, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall, 911 10th Street, Golden, Colorado. Vice Chair Chelsea Rooney presided in the absence of Chair Eric Trout and board member Susan Urbanczyk; a quorum was present. The central action was a public hearing on HPB 26-01, an application for a Certificate of Appropriateness for demolition of the locally designated Schall Residence and associated structures at 612 10th Street. The board approved a 126-day stay of demolition and appointed an ad hoc committee to explore preservation alternatives.

Note: The minutes packet contains typographical year discrepancies ("April 8, 2025" and "January 14, 2025" in headers), while the agenda and meeting transcript confirm the meeting occurred April 8, 2026, and the prior minutes were for January 14, 2026.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the April 8, 2026 meeting agenda 5-0 (motion Butler, second Cook).
• Approved the January 14, 2026 meeting minutes 5-0 (motion Murphy, second Butler).

Public Comments & Testimony

• No general public comment was offered at the start of the meeting.
• Richard Gardner, who said he sponsored the 2005 historic designation, spoke during the demolition hearing. He strongly opposed demolition, described the building as Golden's oldest duplex and a Territorial-era landmark, and said the original 1868 structure should be preserved. He offered alternatives including relocating or deconstructing/reassembling the building on city-owned Goosetown lots, city acquisition for affordable/workforce housing, and restoration to its 1894 appearance. He urged the board to preserve the building and to keep the stay flexible.
• Board member Susan Urbanczyk, absent from the meeting, submitted a written public comment supporting preservation of the Schall Structures and supporting staff's recommendation for a stay of demolition.

Discussion Items

• Staff Planner Lauren Simmons presented the demolition application. She noted the primary structure is locally designated under Ordinance 1708 (2005), is associated with notable early Golden citizens, and was constructed in 1869 according to city records (the 2018 architectural inventory estimated ca. 1873-78; Richard Gardner stated 1868). The property now sits in a parking lot and is the last remaining structure on its block.
• Simmons explained that under revised Chapter 18.58, demolition of a designated historic site presumptively violates preservation standards and the board must impose a stay of up to 190 days. The permit application was accepted March 23, 2026. Staff recommended a 64-day stay (until June 10, 2026) to allow the applicant to market the structure for relocation and plan salvage. The written draft motion in the staff memo contained an inconsistent reference to September 29, 2026.
• Applicant representatives Sarah Komppa and Sarah Marvez presented the Clayworks/CoorsTek master plan context. They said the property is part of an approved ODP/PUD, that the 84-foot height in the plan was a nod to the historic industrial buildings, and that they have rehabilitated or committed to rehabilitate multiple historic buildings on the larger site, including Building 1, Building 3, Buildings 13/21, and the historic Golden High School. They stated the location of the Schall Structures mid-block and required parking and setbacks made preservation infeasible within the proposed multifamily redevelopment, and that they had found no feasible preservation solution.
• Board members questioned whether the applicant had explored integrating the house into the multifamily design or relocating it to a corner; the applicant said integration would be financially infeasible, and relocation to a corner had not been explored and could create awkward gateway conditions.
• One board member said the proposal appeared inconsistent with the Secretary of the Interior Standards and that the board had not received documentation of the alternatives explored; another said more evidence of due diligence would be helpful. The board discussed extending the stay beyond staff's recommended 64 days to allow consultation with city agencies and investigation of preservation options.
• Discussion covered Actions A, C, D, E, and G under the demolition stay ordinance: civic/public consultation, relocation feasibility, salvage of materials, project modification exploration, and appointment of an ad hoc committee. Staff noted an ad hoc committee would need to work with the City Attorney and City Council if city acquisition were explored.

Key Outcomes

• The board unanimously (5-0, roll call) approved a motion by Butler, seconded by Cook, to issue a stay of demolition for HPB 26-01 for 126 days, until August 12, 2026, to study alternative means of preserving the Schall Structures from demolition. The stay specifically directed exploration of Actions A, C, D, E, and G: consulting with civic groups/public agencies/interested citizens; exploring relocation; salvaging materials; exploring project modifications; and appointing an ad hoc committee. Action B (recommending acquisition) was not included in the motion.
• The board appointed Chelsea Rooney and Beth Cook to the ad hoc committee to pursue the preservation options.
• Under Chapter 18.58, if the owner neither withdraws nor modifies the demolition application during the stay, the director will issue the Certificate of Appropriateness with a finding of "inappropriate" when the stay expires.

Other Matters

• Staff reported that board and commission interviews had occurred and new HPB members are expected to be appointed at the April 28, 2026 City Council meeting; five new members will join. Francine Butler, Linda Murphy, and Susan Urbanczyk were recognized for their service as outgoing members who did not reapply.
• Board members shared highlights from the Saving Places Conference held February 4-6; Chelsea Rooney presented there on accessibility and preservation challenges.
• Staff provided a Past Forward update: the revised Chapter 18.58 was approved by City Council on a 4-3 vote, and community engagement on revised design guidelines is underway, including a large engagement event on April 21, 2026, 4-6 p.m. at the Golden Community Center.
• The meeting adjourned at 7:42 p.m.