Supporting History

Local Historic Designation and SHF Grants

Originally published in Colorado History NOW, June 2005

In order to qualify for State Historical Fund grants, potential preservation projects must meet a set of minimum standards.  One of the most important of these standards is the requirement that, for certain types of applications, the property must be designated at the local, state, or national level.

For any SHF application that requests funding for physical work on a building or site (exceptions include condition assessments, educational projects, planning or survey projects, and archaeological assessments) historic designation is required at the time the application is submitted.

Some towns are satisfied with the state or national designation options, but other municipalities want something different—a designation that reflects community values at a more specific level.  They may also want more participation and control over how historic designation benefits their citizens and historic sites.

To achieve that goal, many Colorado cities are creating local historic preservation ordinances and some are even becoming Certified Local Governments (CLGs).  CLGs are those municipalities that have enacted local preservation ordinances that meet basic standards set by the Colorado Historical Society.  It is through these local ordinances that privately owned properties can truly be protected.  CLGs are eligible for an earmarked pool of federal grants, can participate in the state preservation tax credit program, and can attend workshops and meetings held to encourage networking among local governments.

Well-conceived preservation ordinances are important to SHF grant evaluators because they establish fair and equal processes for conferring local historic designation.  Furthermore, a site that has earned local designation through a CLG is in a great position to qualify for grants because it meets the SHF designation requirement’s real objective—to recognize and reward organized and ongoing commitment to preservation.  When a site is designated at the local level—especially if it is designated by a CLG—grant readers and the CHS Board of Directors can take comfort in the fact that SHF dollars are being invested in a protected historic property.

The SHF does not regulate CLGs or their ordinances, nor does it require a community to become a CLG in order to create an ordinance.  Some communities have passed ordinances that have no regulations, just so local sites could technically qualify for SHF grants.  While that type of designation may qualify according to the letter of the application criteria, it would not be as competitive as local designation conferred through a CLG, since such designation provides greater site protection and greater protection of the public investment.

If you have any questions about CLGs or preservation ordinances, please contact Dan Corson at 303/866-2673.  For questions about the State Historical Fund, please feel free to contact your friendly SHF Outreach Specialists at 303/866-2825.

BY RACHEL SIMPSON, SHF Public Outreach Specialist

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