Fort Morgan council designates three Main Street buildings as landmarks

Fort Morgan City Council unanimously designated 325, 327 and 329 Main St. as individual local historic landmarks Aug. 4, bringing the city’s total to 32, the meeting record shows.

The three buildings, which make up the former Fort Morgan Times complex, date to 1888, 1907 and 1909. The Historic Preservation Board recommended landmark status based on their architectural character and associations with the newspaper and the Spencer family.

The Morgan County Family Center, identified in the presentation as the current owner, plans to use the combined property for housing assistance, emergency financial assistance and parent-leadership programs. The presentation said the Fort Morgan Main Street Board was helping with updates and remodeling, but did not provide a construction schedule, funding details or a date for the programs to begin.

What the designations do

The designations place the buildings individually on the City Register of Designated Properties. Under the city’s historic-landmark designation criteria, exterior alterations must undergo Historic Preservation Board review before a building permit is issued. Relocation or demolition requires council approval.

The criteria do not require owners to follow the Secretary of the Interior’s rehabilitation standards or the board’s interpretation of them. They say demolition findings may include that a structure is not structurally sound despite maintenance efforts, that no practicable rehabilitation or reasonably beneficial reuse exists, or that no practicable relocation within Fort Morgan exists.

The meeting record did not identify resolution numbers, approval conditions or a legal effective date. Additional city records would be needed to establish the filing or implementation timeline for the designations and any renovation.