Historic railroad depots on tap for study session

Affordable housing, metro district rules also on agenda

A campaign by the Loveland Historical Society to save two local landmarks from demolition has succeeded, but now the group needs the city’s help to move the structures to a new location.

At a City Council study session on Tuesday, representatives from the society and the city’s historic preservation commission will give an update on the effort to preserve the Great Western Railway depots and the next steps to finding them a permanent home.

The depots stand next to the Loveland Police and Courts building on Madison Avenue. The larger of the two was built at the turn of the 20th century to serve Loveland’s sugar factory and later, passengers traveling to other Northern Colorado outposts.

The smaller freight depot came along 40 years later, in 1942.

The Great Western Railway shuttered in the 1980s, and, for the past dozen or so years, the historical society has been sparring with the railroad’s new owner, Omnitrax, over a plan to remove the structures, which have fallen into disuse and disrepair.

Omnitrax finally agreed to donate the landmarks to the city late last year, but wants them off of the property. The historical society has raised the funds for relocating the depots to city property 100 feet to the south, but will also need a future zoning change to finalize the effort.

Once the move is complete, the historical society will begin a campaign to raise money for restoration of the historic buildings as a city attraction.

Also on the study session agenda is an update from the adhoc Loveland affordable housing task force, a 20-member group of local builders, developers, bankers, nonprofit leaders and city staff members that has been working on the issue since 2021.

In August 2022, the task force appeared before the council with several recommendations for boosting the number of housing units for middle and low-income residents. Since then, the city has implemented several, including building code amendments to incentivize more and denser types of housing.

On Tuesday, task force representatives will lead a discussion about its other recommendations and share information about what it has planned in 2024.

Finally, the City Council will get its first look at proposed updates to the city’s rules policies governing metropolitan districts, a financial tool used by developers to fund infrastructure improvements for their projects.

On Nov. 28, the council imposed a six-month moratorium on metro district applications, pending the addition of more rules to protect future property owners.

Among the new regulations being considered are additional limitations on metro district debt, more detailed disclosure to prospective buyers and requirements for homeowner representation on district boards.

Prior to the study session, the City Council will hold a special meeting to hear an update from Christopher Gregory, the independent attorney appointed to look into allegations that four members (Dana Foley, Pat Mcfall, Steve Olson and Andrea Samson) violated a city ordinance on open meetings during deliberations over the Centerra South urban renewal plan.

Gregory was appointed last week to investigate the claims and report whether there is basis for a criminal referral to Loveland Municipal Court.

How to participate

Loveland City Council will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the council chambers at the Municipal Building, 500 E. Third St.

Comments from members of the public will be accepted in person as well as over Zoom.

Those wishing to join by Zoom can use the ID 975 3779 6504 with a passcode of 829866, according to the meeting agenda.

The meeting will be broadcast on Comcast Channel 16/880, Pulse TV channel 16 and streamed through the city’s website at lovgov.org/tv.

Tuesday’s agenda packet can be found through the Loveland City Council’s website at lovgov. org or at ciloveland co.civicweb. net.