COMPASS Directions

Preserving the Past, Embracing the Future: Crested Butte’s Historic Preservation Plan

By Jessie Earley, Town of Crested Butte

Editor’s Note: This is a continuation of the CB Compass Navigation series. This week, we learn about the Historic Preservation Plan, which will be considered for adoption by the Town Council on December 16. Next week, we’ll hear from members of the Historic Preservation Plan advisory committee on their feedback on the process and plan outcomes. 

Incorporated as a coal mining town in 1880, Crested Butte has continually evolved while maintaining a strong connection to its roots. The Town’s commitment to historic preservation is evident in its Municipal Code, Design Standards and Guidelines (Guidelines), and the BOZAR process. Despite this dedication, Crested Butte has never had a formal Historic Preservation Plan (HPP) to guide its efforts. The Community Compass identified this gap within its strategic plan, emphasizing the need for a preservation strategy to guide the Town’s approach moving forward. Your feedback during the Compass highlighted concerns that while our community worked hard to preserve its unique architecture, new buildings were starting to look increasingly similar, freezing our town in time. 

Guided by the Compass, development of the HPP began a year ago. An advisory committee, comprising two councilmembers, one BOZAR member, and three community members, was formed to steer the plan’s development. A variety of community engagement events and opportunities ensured widespread participation in the process beyond the committee, through a trivia and open mic night, the summer Navigation survey, and focus groups with architects, builders, and the high school’s history class.

The goal of the HPP is to ensure that Crested Butte’s architectural identity reflects its deep sense of community and evolution over time. The outcome would ensure the Town’s policies stop making us feel like Disneyland and allow Crested Butte to maintain its authentic feel.

So, how will the HPP achieve this? Initially, three different preservation strategies were proposed, which were carefully refined into one comprehensive strategy through your thoughtful feedback.

The HPP provides a strategy and action plan to preserve the different phases of the Town’s history while enabling future generations to create their own history. To do so, the HPP calls for:

• Adding a Second Period of Significance (POS): Recognizing Crested Butte’s transition from a mining to recreation-based economy by preserving the style of architecture from the recreation era (1962-1983) alongside the existing coal mining era (1880-1952). This means preserving Crested Butte’s funky buildings from the 60s-80s, like A-Frames and clerestory buildings. 

• Adjusting the Historic District Boundary: Adjusting the local historic district boundary to align with the National Historic District (NHD) boundary, with the inclusion of a buffer area, rather than the entire Town.

• Tightening the Demolition Ordinance: Strengthening regulations for demolition of buildings from all periods and protecting buildings from demolition by neglect.

Updating Guidelines: 

• For the mining POS, ensuring clearer, more concise, and graphical representation of current verbiage and the Secretary of Interior Standards. 

• Creating a new graphical section for the recreation era POS. 

• For areas outside the two periods, developing new Guidelines that allow more creative architecture while maintaining consistency with Crested Butte’s established mass, scale, form, and modest (more affordable) design principles. This means new buildings wouldn’t adhere to the community coined “BOZAR formula,” resulting in a wider variety of architecture outside of the districts.

• Researching the use of alternative materials to ensure compliance with current context, WUI code, FEMA regulations, affordability goals, and climate action goals.

Administrative Review:

• Introducing an administrative level review by staff for projects which follow the guidelines to streamline the process and lower the costs and time of development review.

• Developing Financial and Regulatory Incentives: Developing incentive programs to support preservation of buildings within the recreation POS and to help community members maintain their historic structures. 

The Town Council will consider adopting the HPP at the December 16 meeting, and all community members are encouraged to attend. This plan seeks to eliminate uncertainty in the preservation program, provide clarity to inform an update to the Town’s Guidelines, and craft regulations that are more transparent and functional. The HPP recommendations will ultimately be codified in the Town’s Municipal Code, Guidelines, and the Town’s preservation program, starting in 2025. The final chapter presents an action plan to achieve this. 

For more information and to participate in the process, including signing up for the town’s community engagement newsletter, visit www.crestedbutte-co.gov/getinvolved. Next week, we’ll hear from advisory committee members about their thoughts on the process and plan outcomes.