Boulder City Council Candidates on Historic Preservation 2025
Historic Boulder posed four questions about historic preservation to the candidates seeking election to Boulder City Council in 2025. The questions are:
1. What do you consider to be Historic Boulder Inc.’s most significant accomplishment?
2. With the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan Update underway, how would you better integrate historic preservation goals with other goals found in the BVCP?
3. How do you believe the city’s preservation program could be improved?
4. Do you have a favorite historic building or site in Boulder? Please tell us why.
Here are the responses (candidates in alphabetical order):
Matt Benjamin
1. What do you consider to be Historic Boulder Inc.’s most significant accomplishment?
Historic Boulder’s most significant accomplishment has been preserving the character and identity of our community through the protection of historic landmarks and neighborhoods. Their leadership in establishing Boulder’s first historic districts and creating a strong landmarks program ensured that the architecture and cultural heritage we value today were not lost to demolition or insensitive redevelopment.
This work goes beyond protecting buildings, it preserves the stories and sense of place that make Boulder unique. By creating a framework where preservation and progress can coexist, Historic Boulder has given us the tools to honor our past while thoughtfully shaping our future.
2. With the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan Update underway, how would you better integrate historic preservation goals with other goals found in the BVCP?
With the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan update underway, I see a real opportunity to better integrate historic preservation with our broader community goals. Preservation shouldn’t be siloed—it should work in concert with our housing, climate, transportation, and equity objectives.
That means recognizing that historic buildings are a form of sustainability—reusing and retrofitting them avoids the carbon costs of demolition and new construction. It also means updating our land-use policies so that preservation and housing aren’t at odds. For example, we can allow adaptive reuse of historic structures to create middle-income housing, small business space, or community-serving uses while maintaining their character.
The BVCP should also highlight how preservation supports vibrant, walkable, 15-minute neighborhoods. Protecting cultural landmarks and historic districts anchors the identity of these areas, while complementary infill and transit investments help them evolve for future needs.
I would push to weave preservation goals directly into our housing, climate, and economic vitality strategies, ensuring Boulder remains both rooted in its history and adaptable to its future.
3. How do you believe the city’s preservation program could be improved?
I believe Boulder’s preservation program could be improved by making it more accessible, flexible, and aligned with our broader community goals. Too often, residents and property owners find the process confusing, costly, or adversarial—preservation should feel like a partnership, not a punishment. Streamlining reviews with clearer guidelines and predictable outcomes would reduce frustration, while expanding incentives like rebates, tax credits, and technical support for energy efficiency and wildfire resilience would help property owners see preservation as value, not just compliance.
At the same time, historic preservation does create challenges for Boulder’s climate and housing goals. Many historic structures are energy-inefficient and difficult to retrofit with modern technologies due to restrictions, slowing our decarbonization progress. Strict rules can also limit opportunities to add housing or adapt older buildings for more diverse uses in neighborhoods where housing would be most sustainable.
The solution is balance. Our program should embrace adaptive reuse, allowing historic buildings to evolve into housing, small businesses, or cultural spaces while maintaining their character. And we must connect preservation to equity by lifting up underrepresented histories so our landmarks reflect Boulder’s full story. By aligning preservation with innovation, we can protect our heritage while advancing climate action and housing affordability.
4. Do you have a favorite historic building or site in Boulder? Please tell us why.
My favorite historic site is the Boulder Theater, an Art Deco gem that continues to bring our community together through music, film, and culture. It shows how preservation can keep a space both vibrant and relevant. I also deeply value Chautauqua, which connects us to Boulder’s cultural and natural heritage as a living neighborhood and gathering place.
On a personal note, while working for CU Boulder, I had the opportunity to work with Historic Boulder during the 2013 remodel of Fiske Planetarium, helping to preserve the iconic dome. That experience reinforced for me how preservation not only protects structures, but also sustains the stories and community connections tied to them. These places remind me why preservation matters—they anchor our identity, foster connection, and show how Boulder’s history can remain alive in our daily lives.
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Lauren Folkerts
1. What do you consider to be Historic Boulder Inc.’s most significant accomplishment?
Over the decades, the organization has played a central role in protecting beloved landmarks and neighborhoods, places that give Boulder its character and make it unique. Those efforts have ensured that the physical reminders of our past, from historic homes to civic landmarks, are not lost to short-term pressures or forgotten in the face of change.
But Historic Boulder’s work goes far beyond saving buildings. It has built a culture of appreciation for history through consistent advocacy and creative community engagement, walking tours, Halloween events, and other programs that invite residents and visitors to experience history as something alive and relevant, not frozen in time. These events and educational efforts help us see preservation not just as a technical issue, but as a way of honoring the stories, cultures, and identities that shaped our city.
By making history accessible, Historic Boulder has elevated community pride and demonstrated that preservation is not a barrier to progress but a foundation for it. The organization’s leadership has shown how we can thoughtfully balance growth with stewardship, and in doing so, it has influenced local policy and helped set a lasting standard for how Boulder approaches its future. In short, Historic Boulder has both safeguarded our physical heritage and nurtured the understanding that our history is an essential part of what makes Boulder a vibrant and resilient community today.
- With the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan Update underway, how would you better integrate historic preservation goals with other goals found in the BVCP?
The Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan is about shaping a holistic vision for our community’s future, and historic preservation should be fully integrated into that vision—not treated as an afterthought. Preserving our historic resources helps us meet multiple BVCP goals at once. It supports sustainability by extending the life of existing buildings and reducing demolition waste. It contributes to affordability when we adaptively reuse older structures for new purposes, such as housing, arts, or small business space. And it strengthens community identity by protecting the neighborhoods and landmarks that root us in place.
As we update the BVCP, I would work to ensure that historic preservation goals are woven into housing, climate, and economic vitality strategies. That means recognizing preservation as a tool for reducing embodied carbon, encouraging adaptive reuse and gentle infill that respects historic contexts, and ensuring that preserved areas remain accessible and welcoming for all Boulder residents. By aligning preservation with our housing, climate, and equity goals, we can show that protecting Boulder’s history doesn’t compete with progress, it helps create a more sustainable, inclusive, and distinctive future.
- How do you believe the city’s preservation program could be improved?
As an architect, I see tremendous value in preserving our cultural heritage through the protection of historic structures, but I also believe the city’s preservation program could be improved by looking closely at its methods and outcomes. Right now, our rules focus heavily on factors like age, level of alteration over time. That approach leaves some important gaps: for example, many unique late mid-century buildings, an architecturally significant era in Boulder’s history, are not yet protected, while many unremarkable post-war houses that are just slightly older may qualify for preservation.
Moving forward, I see three key opportunities for improvement. First, we should place greater emphasis on protecting truly unique and architecturally significant structures. Second, we should allow more flexibility and adaptability, especially for less distinctive buildings, so that they can evolve to meet modern needs without losing their character. Third, we should create stronger incentives for preservation over demolition, such as allowing more flexibility related to density, setbacks, and other requirements to make it easier for property owners to reinvest in historic structures.
By shifting our focus toward protecting what is most significant, while offering flexibility and incentives that encourage creative reuse, Boulder can both safeguard its heritage and adapt to the needs of the future.
- Do you have a favorite historic building or site in Boulder? Please tell us why.
My favorite historic building in Boulder is NCAR, and it’s the same building I chose the last time I was asked this question, and since then this building has only become more relevant. For me, its prominent location on the hill represents far more than striking design, it embodies the value our community and our nation once placed on scientific research, rational thinking, and bold investment in discovery. NCAR is a reminder that Boulder’s position as a hub for new ideas and technology is no accident, it was built through decades of commitment to research, much of it centered in our national labs.
Designed by the internationally renowned architect I.M. Pei, NCAR is also a masterwork of modernist architecture. Inspired by the Ancestral Puebloan dwellings at Mesa Verde, the building blends into its setting with pink concrete made from local aggregate, while its courtyards and terraces encourage collaboration among scientists and frame unforgettable views of the Flatirons. For me, it is both an iconic gateway to some of Boulder’s best trails and an enduring symbol of the relationship between human creativity and the natural world.
I recognize that NCAR may not be everyone’s favorite building in Boulder, but I think that’s part of why it matters. It is bold, unique, and of its time, an architectural reflection of the confidence and ambition of an era when our nation invested deeply in knowledge. Today, as we face a moment where national labs are being defunded at the federal level, NCAR also serves as a cautionary reminder: these institutions that were once exalted are now under threat. Remembering their importance, and the progress we have made through their research on climate, weather, and the environment, feels more urgent than ever. NCAR is not just an iconic building; it is a reminder of what Boulder and the nation can achieve when we invest in people, innovation, and our shared future.
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Rob Kaplan
1. What do you consider to be Historic Boulder Inc.’s most significant accomplishment?
Historic Boulder’s most significant accomplishment has been preserving the character and sense of place that make Boulder truly one of a kind. The leadership in saving landmarks like the Boulder Theater, Columbia Cemetery, and Chautauqua has helped protect not just our architecture, but our shared history and identity. Just as importantly, they’ve shown how preservation and progress can work together, restoring buildings while keeping them active, relevant, and accessible to the community. That balance reflects the kind of collaboration and long-term thinking I believe Boulder needs.
2. With the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan Update underway, how would you better integrate historic preservation goals with other goals found in the BVCP?
Historic preservation should be integrated into the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan as a central element of community character, sustainability, and economic vitality, not treated as a separate goal. We can better align preservation with housing, transportation, and climate goals by encouraging adaptive reuse of existing buildings, which reduces waste and retains Boulder’s architectural heritage. Preservation also strengthens neighborhood identity and supports local businesses by keeping our streetscapes unique and inviting.
I’d like to see preservation policies paired with incentives such as zoning and public-private partnerships to make restoring and reusing older structures more viable for property owners. That approach honors our past while supporting Boulder’s long-term environmental and economic goals.
3. How do you believe the city’s preservation program could be improved?
Boulder’s preservation program could be improved by making the process more collaborative, predictable, and accessible for both property owners and community members, so preservation doesn’t feel like a barrier, but rather an opportunity. We should focus on clearer communication, earlier engagement, and incentives that help owners preserve rather than demolish.
I’d also like to see stronger alignment between the preservation and planning departments so that historic and sustainability goals can work in tandem, particularly through adaptive reuse, energy- efficient retrofits, wildfire adaptive measures, and infill. These improvements would make preservation not just about protecting buildings, but about keeping Boulder’s identity alive in a way that’s practical, inclusive, and future-focused.
4. Do you have a favorite historic building or site in Boulder? Please tell us why
One of my favorite historic homes in Boulder is the “Castle House” on the SW corner of 9th and Aurora, built by Benjamin Franklin, a local brick provider whose craftsmanship helped shape early Boulder. When I first moved here in 1993, that home immediately caught my attention, not just for its unique architecture, but for what it represents: the pride, skill, and ambition of Boulder’s early builders.
It’s a reminder that our city’s character was built by people who invested their hands and hearts into creating something lasting. Preserving homes like this keeps that story alive and connects us to the spirit of creativity and resilience that continues to define Boulder today.
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Max Lord
1. What do you consider to be Historic Boulder Inc.’s most significant accomplishment?
In general, their very formation. It is of utmost importance that a coalition stands in the way of reckless development, and aids in restoration. So often, I hear community members say they wish Boulder was more akin to a “european city”. What makes European cities special is charm. The type of charm that is preserved when we value our history, and make strides to protect it. Of course, I could point to individual projects, like the boulder theater, but simply creating the group was a magnificent success, and part of why we have such a beautiful city.
2. With the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan Update underway, how would you better integrate historic preservation goals with other goals found in the BVCP?
In general, I think Boulder needs to pay very close attention to the development that occurs, and ensure that it is not at the expense of our city’s beauty or history. Touching on the answer to my first question, we could cover the city in strong faced buildings, with brutalist undertones and massive glass windows, they could be worth $4000 a sq/ft, and it would still be meaningless if we paved over the soul that built the city. We need to value our small businesses, even if they have only been here for 50 years, and make efforts when writing policy to make room for protections from fire, that also handle the nuance of our buildings in historic neighborhoods.
3. How do you believe the city’s preservation program could be improved?
I think in general, we could use a builder on council. The policies are written, and sometimes even enforced, by people who are unfamiliar with the houses that they are discussing. Wide sweeping ordinances sound impressive to laymen, but are ineffective and impractical when actually put to the test. I have personally worked on the houses in our historic districts, and know them personally. I feel confident in my ability to assess their needs, and know that the homeowners have a direct line if they want to discuss preservation techniques, ordinances, and recommendations.
4. Do you have a favorite historic building or site in Boulder? Please tell us why.
Easiest question I’ve been asked this campaign season.
602 Maxwell, the Dasy grocery. I love high ceilings, and although we are seeing a comeback of exposed steel, it is seldom as dignified as what we see in historic brick structures. The thin lines of steel joists are of course functional, but provide a refined elegance to the living space. The brick sills and windows are reminiscent of time long gone, and that semblance of history is what I love the most. You can picture it, a corner grocery, folks walking by and seeing a friend. They go in to grab a bag of flour or candy, and walk back out into a crisp autumn wind coming off of the valley. Through the reflections of the large facade, you get a glimpse into the past. People falling in love, overcoming winters, making their way in Boulder. We see ourselves in them. Grateful for the sun, and the mountains, and such a marvelously beautiful place to call home.
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Monserrat Palacios
1. What do you consider to be Historic Boulder Inc.’s most significant accomplishment?
Historic Boulder Inc. has played an important role in preserving Boulder’s history one building at a time with projects like the Civic Park Historic Center to The Highlands School. However, I believe its mission itself is one of its most significant accomplishments: to educate, advocate, rehabilitate, and celebrate the history of our city. Connecting the present with the past through historic events, advocacy for landmarks, and the preservation and restoration of historic buildings is significant in ensuring that our shared heritage remains a living part of Boulder’s identity.
2. With the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan Update underway, how would you better integrate historic preservation goals with other goals found in the BVCP?
We should emphasize historic preservation as an active tool that is in accordance with the city’s broader goals rather than treating it as an isolation – integration is key! We should make sure that historic preservation is linked to sustainable preservation: green building and modern sustainable technology such as solar panels, energy efficient solutions, etc. We should also explore historic properties that could be suitable for conversion into much needed housing, venues and storefronts for local businesses. We should find the tools to incentivize developers to acquire and preserve historic buildings as they are great investments. We should also continue educating the community by promoting historic districts and landmarks, and grow our heritage tourism.
3. How do you believe the city’s preservation program could be improved?
Boulder can improve the program by streamlining the review process for preservation, we can also help expand community engagement and education and continue to protect historic buildings in a manner that aligns preservation with today’s needs such as energy efficiency and affordability. Residents need to be reminded and presented with information that preservation has positive effects on housing and environmental goals. We need to continue to emphasize that we need to protect and promote Boulder’s significant resources, and not end up driven by goals that measure the quantity of buildings. Any recommendations or restrictions should be well understood, supported by data and flexible enough to allow feedback and for residents to raise concerns. We have to be careful to not restrain architects and visionaries, as the dwellings being built today will be tomorrow’s historic legacy.
4. Do you have a favorite historic building or site in Boulder? Please tell us why.
I love the Boulder Theatre. It reminds me of my childhood in Palo Alto and going to see classic movies at the Stanford Theater on University Avenue. They have similar facades and both act as an attraction for their towns, though the Boulder Theater has a richer history of performances and hosted events! The Boulder Theatre is such an important landmark in our city and our downtown. It is also a tourism magnet and a great contributor to the local economy.
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Jennie Robbins
1. What do you consider to be Historic Boulder Inc.’s most significant accomplishment?
Preservation. I saw a tattoo the other day that said build the future, respect the past, and that really stuck with me. We don’t have anything if we don’t have our history. That’s why the work Historic Boulder has done to protect places like the Boulder Theater, the Boulderado, the Bandshell, and so many of our schools and neighborhoods is so important. These aren’t just old buildings, they’re part of who we are as a community, and keeping them around makes Boulder feel like Boulder.
2. With the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan Update underway, how would you better integrate historic preservation goals with other goals found in the BVCP?
With the BVCP update, we have to be really careful. A lot of changes are going to be pushed through that will set precedent for the next 20 years, and once they’re made, they’re not easy to undo. Historic preservation has to be part of that conversation, not just because it protects Boulder’s character, but because it’s sustainable. Reusing what we already have is often greener than tearing down and building new. Preservation isn’t about stopping progress, it’s about making smart choices so our growth feels authentic, responsible, and true to Boulder.
3. How do you believe the city’s preservation program could be improved?
I think one of the issues with Boulder’s preservation program is how difficult process can sometimes be. Our city already has an overly complicated code, and when you add layers of review for preservation on top of that, it becomes frustrating for homeowners and small businesses who just want to make reasonable improvements. I think we need to simplify and create more by-right pathways like clear rules up front that let people know what they can do without getting stuck in a drawn-out review. That way, we protect what matters historically while also reducing unnecessary barriers and costs.
4. Do you have a favorite historic building or site in Boulder? Please tell us why.
My favorite historic building in Boulder is the Hotel Boulderado. I love sitting in the lobby, listening to live jazz, and imagining what it must have been like 75-100 years ago when people dressed up to promenade through the lobby, meet friends for dinner, and really make an evening of it. The Boulderado wasn’t just a hotel, it was a cultural hub. In the early to mid-1900’s, Boulder was smaller and more isolated, and the hotel was one of the few places where you could experience big-city elegance. People would gather in the mezzanine to socialize, host civic meetings, or hear music. Dining at the Boulderado was an event in itself, with long gowns, suits, and a sense of glamour that feels worlds apart from how casually we live today. That mix of history and culture is what makes the building so special you can feel that legacy of community, celebration, and connection every time you walk through the doors.
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Nicole Speer
1. What do you consider to be Historic Boulder Inc.’s most significant accomplishment?
Historic Boulder Inc.’s most significant accomplishment is the creation of Boulder’s historic preservation ordinance. That ordinance has protected 10 historic districts and over 200 individual landmarks totaling more than 1,300 properties. It’s a clear example of how goal-oriented, organized advocacy can result in lasting policy change and significant impact. This foundation continues to guide how Boulder approaches preservation today.
2. With the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan Update underway, how would you better integrate historic preservation goals with other goals found in the BVCP?
With more and more structures reaching the 50-year threshold, the historic preservation ordinance could benefit from enhanced clarity about what we preserve, why, and how it fits into broader goals, such as the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan (BVCP). The BVCP is designed to guide wise development and redevelopment by balancing competing needs such as housing, affordability, climate resilience, and economic sustainability. The ordinance can help provide consistent guidance on preservation priorities within this context.
3. How do you believe the city’s preservation program could be improved?
We can learn from current historic property owners how the city can better support them (e.g., creating easily accessible guides to available resources for historic preservation). We could improve coordination between Landmarks Board and Planning Board processes, so that deliberations from the Landmarks Board can inform Planning Board decisions involving structures with landmark potential. And we can continue working to maximize the diversity of voices that provide input into the landmarking program, to ensure we reflect our city’s diverse history and understand the costs and benefits of historic preservation.
4. Do you have a favorite historic building or site in Boulder? Please tell us why.
I’ve previously written about my church, First Congregational United Church of Christ. In 2025, I would add the historic Boulder County Courthouse. Its Art Deco design reflects a moment in history when people believed in social, scientific, and civic progress, which feels distant right now. I appreciate the nature motifs, which speak to Boulder’s beautiful natural landscape. And as only the second openly LGBTQ+ person elected to Boulder’s city council, I was proud when the courthouse was listed as a National Historic Landmark in 2024, recognizing its role as the first location in the country to issue a same-sex marriage license (in 1975).
Just days after that landmark celebration, when a woman proposed to her soon-to-be-wife in front of the courthouse, a hate-fueled attack targeted Boulder’s Jewish community in the same location. The proximity of those two events, one joyful and one violent, underscored for me how spaces carry layered histories and emotions. In a time when our country’s leadership is actively erasing history and progress, it reminded me how essential it is that we protect all of our city’s stories – the ones that show what we’ve achieved and the ones that show what we’ve failed to confront. We need to share stories of our successes and failures, so future generations can understand what shaped us, what we’ve struggled with, and what remains unresolved.
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Mark Wallach
1. What do you consider to be Historic Boulder Inc.’s most significant accomplishment?
I would not want to cite any one project, but note the quantity of properties which have come before Council during my tenure. I think a good balance has been struck between the interests of development and the interests of historic preservation.
2. With the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan Update underway, how would you better integrate historic preservation goals with other goals found in the BVCP?
I am not sure that preservation can ever be fully integrated with the BVCP, but I believe that historic preservation is a separate, and fully independent consideration. Preservation will always be in conflict with the interests of wildfire resilience, given that so many structures are of wooden construction. I do not think there can ever be total harmony between the interests of enhancing density (a consideration that I do not share, but many of my colleagues embrace)) due to the fact that every building preserved is a lost opportunity to create multi-unit housing on that location. But I do not worry about that integration; I think the case for historic preservation is independent and vital.
3. How do you believe the city’s preservation program could be improved?
I do believe preservation efforts could be enhanced with a more accommodating approach to replacing windows and other exterior detail. In New York it is always permissible to replace windows with modern versions of older ones; you are not required to replace like with like. The ability to modernize structures while maintaining their historic character is one of the reasons why landmarking is popular in New York and buildings in landmark districts are sought out. In Boulder they are often regarded as burdens; structures that are simply not permitted to be adequately modernized.
4. Do you have a favorite historic building or site in Boulder? Please tell us why.
This one is easy; it is the Dushanbe Teahouse. If you will recall, I led the fight to landmark its interior against the City Attorney; demonstrating that interior landmarking of a city-owned property created no undue precedent and had been done on any number of occasions in New York (the lobby of the Chrysler building, for example). I was able to convince my colleagues, and the landmarking of the interior of the Teahouse remains the one and only example of its kind. I am quite proud of that effort and the result we produced.
