If your property is designated as historic, all exterior alterations need to be reviewed for compliance with preservation standards - That includes paint! Colors are not generally regulated, but color choices should generally highlight architectural features or woodwork rather than distract from them or diminish their visibility. For wood surfaces, oil-based primers and oil-based paints or highly vapor permeable latex paints are generally recommended. Latex/water-based paint should not be applied directly to oil-based paint, or peeling can occur. Unpainted masonry should not be painted - Paint can trap water inside of a brick or stone wall and cause serious damage. 

Landscaping usually doesn’t need a Certificate of Appropriateness (approval from Historic Preservation) and Historic Preservation Services generally supports xeriscaping, tree-planting, and other landscaping treatments that support social and environmental resiliency. However, in some cases, a landscaping project may need historic preservation review to confirm that it won’t damage important historic features of a particular historic place. Here’s a list of common projects that should contact Historic Preservation Services for approval:

• Addition or removal of trees – Historic trees should be replaced in-kind (same or similar species match, in a similar location); new trees should be located fifteen feet or more from historic structures to avoid structural damage to the structure as the tree matures. (Please note that the City frequently requires that work on trees be completed by a certified arborist. For more information, contact the City’s Forestry division, HERE).
• Addition or removal of fences – Historic fences should be retained/repaired, and new fences on a front yard should be at or below four feet in height and generally be of wood or metal configuration that preserves open views from the sidewalk to the front of the property. Privacy fences along rear yards are typically allowable.
• Addition or removal of small structures (gazebos, etc.) – Historic features generally must be retained, and new features should be added where they will have reduced visibility (i.e., a rear yard). New landscape features like walls, seating areas, terracing, etc., should not obstruct views of an historic building or feature from the public sidewalk.

Most other types of common modifications do not need Historic Preservation review, including changes to a planting plan (except trees, as noted above), xeriscaping, additions of rock gardens, installation of rain gardens, installation of erosion control features, landscaping to channel water away from a building/structure foundation, adding minor landscape features like mailboxes, small yard signs, etc.) etc. If you’re unsure of whether your project needs review, contact us at preservation@fcgov.com or 970-224-6078 and we’ll let you know.

In April 2024, the City's Historic Preservation Commission approved a new set of standards for rooftop solar installations on historic buildings. While less-visible installations are still encouraged, the new policy does several things:

• Shifts most rooftop solar installations on historic buildings to a faster staff review, assuming panels meet design requirements like being flush-mounted, etc.;
• Outlines specific installation constraints to avoid shielding or obscuring important historic features of historic properties;
• Allows rooftop solar to be visible, although street-facing installations must show the absence of an alternative location prior in order to receive approval.

This policy was adopted specifically respond to the City's Our Climate Future Plan, but also follows the guidance of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation to adapt historic preservation treatments to better respond to current climate action and social equity needs.

Read the Policy

On November 20, 2024, the City's Historic Preservation Commission approved a policy to add flexibility to the roofing solutions available to historic property owners. Roofing is an essential component to a healthy building, historic or not, and having adequate roofing on historic buildings ensures they're historic materials and features will survive for future generations to enjoy. This new policy achieves the following:

• Encourages climate resilience in hail-prone Fort Collins by allowing for the use of newer, more durable, and more fire-resistant roofing options such as stone-coated metal and TPO-membrane panels.
• Supports waste-diversion by allowing roofing products with a more reliable market for recycling.
• Defines provisions for roof-related features like vents, gutters, downspouts, and insulation, including allowing for the addition of up to six (6) inches in roof height for above-deck insulation.

This policy was adopted specifically to respond to the City's Our Climate Future plan as well as to support the call to action in the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's 2024 report on interpreting the federal preservation treatment standards with climate action and social equity in mind.

Read the Policy