Town of Georgetown
Design Guidelines

Book I Chapter 2: Design Review in Georgetown

Preservation and Design Review
is Important in Georgetown

The historic significance of the Town of Georgetown is widely recognized-Georgetown is generally regarded as one of the best surviving examples of a Rocky Mountain mining-era boom town. Historic preservation is a well-established part of town planning and is important to the residents of Georgetown. Even those who live and work in the newer portions of town point with pride to the town's historic resources as evidence of the community's character. Although the town's historic character is recognized by many as an important asset, it is fragile and must be carefully managed and nurtured. If the town's genuine historic character is lost it can not be replaced.

The town can be dynamic and change in response to changing community goals and economic conditions, however preserving Georgetown's heritage should remain a primary goal of the community. This was acknowledged by the Secretary of the Interior when the town was designated as part of the Georgetown/Silver Plume National Historic Landmark in 1966. Design guidelines are one of the most comprehensive, effective and objective ways to maintain the design character of a community and to protect its historic resources.

Historic Preservation
A sense of history is an important part of community identity in Georgetown. The historic buildings serve as reminders of the people who first settled and worked in the valley, and they offer suggestions of the historic lifestyles of these early citizens. In this sense, the buildings are a physical link to the cultural and social heritage of Georgetown.

The buildings also serve as records of building technologies and styles of earlier periods. As such, they contribute to the unique visual character of Georgetown. This visual character helps provide a sense of identity to residents and also adds to the attraction for visitors. Preservation of this connection with history is a high priority of most citizens in the community. In general, there are three types of historic buildings that are valued in Georgetown:

• First, there are a number of major landmarks that stand out because of their size, unique design or special function.
• Secondly, there are vast numbers of primary buildings that combine in groups to form parts of the overall historic scene.
• Finally, there are secondary structures, such as barns and sheds, which contribute to the historic character of the town.

These three types of historic structures are identified in surveys of historic structures, in various categories of significance. Planning for each of these categories is important.

Urban Design
Residents are concerned about the general quality of design in the man-made environment and wish to promote good design that will enhance the quality of life in Georgetown and maintain its historical character. They wish to raise the level of community expectations for the character of the environment and wish to enhance the attractiveness and functional utility of the community as a place to live, work and visit. A significant portion of the elements that affect the design of the urban environment are already established in the historic buildings and site features within the Historic Design District, but urban design concepts extend beyond them, both geographically and conceptually.

A defined policy of using sound urban design principles can help citizens achieve the goal of ensuring the quality of development in Georgetown. In order to accomplish this goal, the following objectives apply:

• Alterations and new construction should be compatible with the character of the neighborhood.
• The design principles should encourage creative solutions that will enhance the character of the neighborhood. While compatibility is an objective, the intent is not to stop development or to freeze the neighborhood in time, making all buildings appear to be from a fixed period.
• Georgetown is diverse architecturally and has already experienced change. Continuing change is therefore expected and appropriate new design approaches should be encouraged while respecting historic resources.
• Private property values and investments should be protected.

Design Review
Georgetown has had a design review system for many years. This system uses a set of "design guidelines" to guide the review, modification and acceptance/rejection of applications for major modifications to existing buildings or the construction of new structures. Building owners and developers must apply for a "Certificate of Appropriateness" (COA) from the Town before they can proceed with their planned renovation or construction activity. The COA is granted by Georgetown's Design Review Commission (DRC), a volunteer group that evaluates the application against the Design Guidelines in order to determine acceptance, rejection or modifications required.

Design Guidelines

Design guidelines form the backbone of the Design Review System. They are specific guidelines outlining the treatments that are appropriate and inappropriate for construction or renovation features, such as: building orientation, scale and mass, materials, architectural features, landscaping and site treatment, accessory structures (such as sheds, garages, trash receptacles, signs). Design Guidelines are for use throughout the Town of Georgetown, in the four Design Districts and within the twelve Character Areas they contain. They address a variety of construction and repair activities, including the rehabilitation of historic properties, alterations to "non-historic" structures and the construction of new buildings. They also provide guidelines for landscape and site design.

Purpose of Design Guidelines
One purpose of the design guidelines is to inform property owners about the design policies of the town. These focus on preserving the integrity of the community's historic resources and compatible new construction. They indicate an approach to design that will help sustain the character of the community that is so appealing to residents and visitors. Another purpose is to provide information that property owners may use in making decisions about their buildings by addressing basic principles of urban design which promote an environment that is scaled to the pedestrian, maintains cohesive neighborhood identity and respects the unique natural setting of Georgetown.

The guidelines further provide the Town, through its DRC, a basis for making informed, consistent decisions about proposed new construction and alterations to buildings and sites in the community in its formal permitting processes. The Guidelines help provide uniform review and increase predictability, and are a means to prevent delays and minimize added costs to developers and builders, when they are followed carefully. The Guidelines indicate the views held by the community and are administered by the DRC and the Georgetown Board of Selectmen so that applicants may understand Georgetown's standard for design in the early stages of project development.

Use of Design Guidelines
The Georgetown Design Review Commission (DRC) must issue all affected property owners who plan to make changes to the exteriors of buildings a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA). In order to review each project in a consistent manner, the DRC will use these guidelines as a basis for determining the appropriateness of the work proposed.

The guidelines are provided to property owners to aid in planning an approach to the development in the town. Property owners are encouraged to review the guidelines when planning an improvement project, to assure that the work contemplated will help preserve the historic character of Georgetown. Owners must comply with the guidelines prior to securing a building permit. The Guidelines help provide uniform review and increase predictability, and are a means to prevent delays and minimize added costs to developers and builders, when they are followed carefully. The Guidelines indicate the views held by the community and are administered by the DRC and the Georgetown Board of Selectmen so that applicants may understand Georgetown's standard for design in the early stages of project development.

Although the design guidelines are written so that they can be used by the layman to plan improvements, property owners are strongly encouraged to enlist the assistance of qualified design and planning professionals, including architects and preservation consultants.

Development of These Design Guidelines
The policy and goals of the design guidelines presented in this report reflect Georgetown property owners' and residents' thoughts and ideas about design in the town, as formulated in two public workshops conducted in May and October of 1999. Their input provides the basis for making decisions about projects that may affect the appearance of individual properties or the overall character of the town.

These guidelines are intended to help property owners understand the building elements that make up their town and what it takes for a new building (or a substantially altered building) to respectfully relate to the context. This approach does not require residents to spend more money on their projects or to make their buildings "look old." Rather, it is a means to help construction activity more closely relate to the mass, scale, form and character of the context within which it is occurring.

History of Design Review

The Town of Georgetown adopted its first local preservation ordinance in 1970, which required that a certificate of appropriateness (COA) be obtained by a property owner before a building permit could be issued. While this made Georgetown an early pioneer in preservation in Colorado, its policies were founded on well-established precedent. In the late nineteenth century, a few U.S. cities established special committees to review the designs for public facilities. Around the turn of the century, laws mandating certain methods of construction appeared around the country. Today, more than 2,200 design review commissions have been identified across the country.

The rights of communities to guide design character through review systems have been upheld many times and at all levels of the courts. Consideration has focused on appropriate "due process" of review, on the scope of powers provided in empowering ordinances and in the design guidelines that have been applied. Georgetown encountered such a challenge in 1978, which led to the clarification of the boundaries of areas subject to design review.

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