Aspen Community Vision

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Historic Preservation

Now 36 years old, the City of Aspen's Historic Preservation Program is undergoing potentially significant changes as the Historic Preservation Task Force, formed in March 2008, is weighing recommendations on a wide array of topics to City Council.

The 2000 AACP noted that "decades of economic boom and busts have brought significant changes and periods of redevelopment to Aspen. This opportunity for constant revitalization of our town must be directed in ways that continually enrich Aspen rather than challenge its heritage.

Historic Preservation

The 2000 AACP also states that, "while the overall goal of protecting individual historic sites or the historic character of a larger area are foremost, the preservation process must be one of reason and balance, predictability, and economic fairness."

The year when the most historic landmarks were designated was 1992, when 64 properties were landmarked; the runner-up was 1981 when 41 designations occurred - 38 properties were landmarked in 1995. From 1996 to the present, 32 historic designations have taken place.
The Ute Cemetery Restoration Project was completed in recent years, when Historic Preservation staff worked with the parks Department to secure funding from the State Historical Fund to repair gravestones and to restore family plots and the historic landscape. The project also included adding a trail to the cemetery and creating an informational brochure.
Also recently, three historic miners' cabins known as the Connor Cabins, located just east of City Hall on Hyman Ave., serve as an example of adaptive re-use. The HPC guided the cabins' rehabilitation and saw that they were relocated to their original sites, and they are now used as commercial space.
One recent example of historic designation was the Wrightian-style Hearthstone House, designed by Aspen architect Robin Molny according to principles of Modern Architectural Design. The building was designated in February 2007.

Linkage to other issues

There are precious few issues in the Aspen area that exist in a vacuum. Here are a few topics that are directly related to the question of historic preservation.

Sustaining the Aspen Idea. The Aspen Institute campus is one of the properties on a list of 53 potentially historic properties, as determined by Ordinance 48, Series of 2008. A 90-day negotiation period is mandated before any demolition or building permits can be issued.

Planning for the Lifelong Aspenite. In 2008, the Aspen Historical Society purchased an electric cart that is used by docents to tour historic properties in Aspen.

Growth. The pressure to redevelop homes is one reason why the Historic Preservation program is focusing more on Post-WWII properties. From 2000-2007, there were 212 full demolition permits issued in the City, along with 629 major remodeling permits.