Fixing up a historic home for a state tax credit? Denver wants city staff, not the Landmark Commission, to sign off

If you own a historic home in Denver and plan a major rehabilitation, you may qualify for a Colorado income tax credit for historic rehabilitation. In Denver, the city reviews those applications for the state. A bill going to a Council committee Tuesday would change who does that review.

Council Bill 26-1627 would amend Section 30-10 of the city code so that the executive director of Community Planning and Development, and staff working for that office, review residential tax credit applications. Today the code requires the Landmark Preservation Commission, a board of appointed members that meets in public, to review all of them (bill request).

Why it matters: the city says the change would "greatly reduce the review time for property owners awaiting application approvals" and cut staff workload, according to the staff report to the committee.

What the bill changes

According to the city's presentation and the draft bill:

• Who reviews. The executive director of Community Planning and Development, instead of the commission, would act as the reviewing entity for Colorado historic rehabilitation tax credits for residential structures.
• Fees. The executive director would provide the application form and set the review fee. The current code ties the fee to state law or to a separate section of the city's landmark chapter.
• Appeals. Appeals of the city's decision would still follow state law and rules.
• Housekeeping. It removes a reference to an older state tax credit statute that has expired and keeps the reference to the current one.
• Scope. It clarifies that Denver reviews only residential, non-income-producing projects.

Why the city says it's needed

Denver is a Certified Local Government for historic preservation. That status lets History Colorado, the state's historic preservation office, delegate review of non-commercial tax credit applications in Denver to the city, the presentation says.

The staff report, from Landmark Preservation manager Jennifer Cappeto, says state law does not require a commission to certify these applications, and that "Denver is one of the only municipalities in Colorado" that does. The city's bill request says the change would match how other Colorado municipalities handle the reviews.

How much is at stake. In 2025, the Landmark Preservation Commission certified $549,070 in historic preservation tax credits for non-commercial properties in Denver, according to the presentation.

The bill changes only the tax credit section of the city's landmark chapter.

What our records add

No sponsor and no comments yet. The bill came from the city's planning department; no Council member is listed as a sponsor (matter page). As of the Oct. 29 staff report, the department had received no public comments.

The landmark ordinance's last updates. The staff report says Denver's preservation ordinance dates to 1967, was last overhauled in 2019 and had minor amendments in 2020 and 2024.

What's next

• Tuesday, Nov. 3, 1:30 p.m.: The Community Planning and Housing Committee takes up the bill (agenda). Staff recommends sending it to the full Council.
• If the committee advances it, the bill would go to the full Council for a first reading and then a final vote a week later. Follow it on its matter page.