SALT LAKE CITY HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION

The Historic Landmark Commission (HLC) reviews all applications for landmark sites, demolition and new construction within locally-designated historic districts. They do not review interior work or exterior paint color, only exterior alterations. The majority of the projects presented to the HLC are either approved as submitted or with modifications.

New Construction

Download application for new construction in historic districts (as Adobe Acrobat PDF file).

Download information sheet for new construction in historic districts (as Adobe Acrobat PDF file).

The HLC has approved a variety of building types for new construction in Salt Lake City's local historic districts, including retail centers, office buildings, multi-family structures and single-family residences. Applicants often assume that new construction should look "old" in order to blend in with the historic streetscape. Historic preservationists, however, discourage the imitation of historic styles; instead, they prefer that new design should relate to the fundamental characteristics of the district while conveying the stylistic trends of today. Applicants should consider how the following design features relate to its context when planning new construction in a historic district:

District street patterns Building orientation Mass and scale Building height Building width Building form Solid to void ratio Rhythm and spacing of windows and doors New construction of a primary structure must first be presented to the full Historic Landmark Commission. Consult the Design Guidelines and Section 21A.34.020.H of the Salt Lake City Zoning Ordinance for the standards the Historic Landmark Commission uses in evaluating new construction or contact the Planning staff for further information. Applicants must fill out this form when undertaking new construction of a primary structure in a historic district. The Historic Landmark Commission must review new construction of primary structures in historic districts.