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Boulder City, NV
Opinion

City’s enduring dedication to historic preservation

By Nakeisha Lyon City Planner
December 12, 2024 - 5:01 pm
 

The Boulder City Historic District embodies the unique historic, architectural, and cultural heritage that defines our community. The area was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is comprised of more than 500 residential and commercial buildings from the city’s formative years (1931–1945), reflecting its construction and early operational phase of Hoover Dam. Recognizing the district as a valuable community asset, the city later created the Historic District, regulations and various resources to ensure the preservation and improvement of its historic buildings.

In the late 2000s, the city introduced exterior design guidelines to safeguard and enhance the landmarks and structures within the district. Throughout the 2010s, these guidelines served as a framework for protecting the district’s character, but evolving preservation needs highlighted the importance of a stronger regulatory approach. Both the city’s 2020 Strategic Plan and the 2021 Boulder City Historic Preservation Plan recommended strengthening the Historic Preservation Ordinance to better protect historically significant properties in the Historic District. This effort culminated in 2022 with the adoption of the updated Historic Preservation Ordinance, which mandated compliance with the established guidelines and the secretary of interior standards for historically significant properties.

Under the ordinance, any exterior modifications to properties within the Historic District that require a building permit and are visible to a public street must first obtain a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA). The nature of the modification, and the historic designation of the property determines if the COA is reviewed and approved by the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) or city staff.

To provide clearer and more comprehensive standards, the city recently updated its exterior design guidelines for the district. These updated guidelines apply to all properties within the district, regardless of their use, and now extend to include post-1945 buildings and vacant properties to address future infill development. The new guidelines aim to establish detailed standards for preserving the district’s contributing properties (a property that contributes to historical significance through location, design, setting, materials, workmanship and association) while offering more flexible options for non-contributing properties. This balanced approach encourages property owners to retain and restore historic elements, ultimately helping non-contributing properties regain their contributing status within the district.

In conjunction with the updated exterior design guidelines, the city developed an interactive map which allows the public to search an address to see if it is located within the district, its construction year, architectural style, its contributing status, applicable design guidelines, and other pertinent information related to the property. This map can be found at www.bcnv.org/HDMap.

Additionally, the city hired a historic preservation consultant to assist property owners in determining if their modifications are in accordance with the applicable design guidelines, advise on appropriate design materials, and make recommendations for improvements to their historic structure.

Boulder City has also instituted monetary incentives to promote historic preservation through the creation of two grant programs by the city council. These grant opportunities are to encourage reinvestment in historically significant properties within the district– one for business properties, the other for residential properties.

The Redevelopment Agency (RDA) Historic Preservation Grant: This grant provides up to $99,900 reimbursement for eligible architectural improvements to commercial structures to help retain their historical significance within the district.

The Residential Historic Preservation Grant: This grant provides up to $10,000 reimbursement for eligible architectural improvements to residential structures to help retain the historic integrity of your residence.

The requirements, guidelines and the application for either grant can be found at www.bcnv.org/HPGrants.

Encouraging property owner reinvestment within the district helps to preserve the city’s unique character, strengthen property values, and promote the reuse of historic homes and businesses. The city’s Historic Preservation website, available at www.bcnv.org/Historic-Preservation, offers detailed information about the district, the Historic Preservation Commission, events, grants, awards, and other resources.

Historic Preservation Day

Every year in May, the Historic Preservation Commission celebrates Historic Preservation Month and Day through events and activities that promote historic elements of our community and demonstrate the social and economic benefits of historic preservation. Planning is underway for Historic Preservation (HP) Day on May 10, 2025, and the Commission invites you to various events and activities that celebrate our history. Please visit www.bcnv.org/HPMonth for more information.

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