Historic Design Review

Meetings

  • 2 pm
  • shall meet at least four times a year at regular intervals
  • City Hall Annex 2nd Floor
    1203 N Hudson Street
    Silver City, NM 88061

Agendas & Minutes

Agendas are available prior to the meetings. Minutes are available following approval.

View Most Recent Agendas and Minutes

Members

Silver City’s Mayor appoints a minimum 5-member committee as follows:

  • 1 member must be an architect with experience in the modification or restoration of historic structures
  • 1 member must be a building contractor with experience in the modification or restoration of historic structures
  • 1 member must be the Community Development Director
  • 1 member must be a resident of one of the 4 historic districts
  • 1 member must be the Silver City Museum Director
  • Members must have a demonstrated interest in historic preservation

Overview

The Town of Silver City’s Design Review Committee operates under the terms of the Town’s Land Use Code to:

  • designate structures as Silver City Landmark Structures pursuant to the procedures set forth in the Town’s Code of Ordinances,
  • consult with owners of designated landmark structures to determine if proposed internal or external modifications will compromise the historical character of the structure, and
  • adopt such bylaws, rules of conduct and design as required for this mission.

Code of Ordinances

Learn more about the Historic Design Review Commission (HDRC) in the Code of Ordinances (PDF).

Duties

The Historic Design Review Committee reviews applications for murals and any new construction in the Historic Overlay Zoning Districts. New construction in a historic district shall conform to design standards set forth in Section 4.2.6 of the Town of Silver City Land Use Code of 2010 (PDF). For all other inquiries and for application materials, please contact the Community Development Department at 575-534-6348.

Purposes

The purposes of the Historic Overlay Zoning District are:

  • To preserve the surviving historic character of the Silver City Historic District, the Black’s Addition Historic District, the Chihuahua Hill Historic District, and the North Addition Historic District (using boundaries as defined in the registration of these districts by the New Mexico Historic Preservation Division), while encouraging new investment that reinforces the scale, distinguishing features, and appearance of those districts
  • To recognize the unique character of the Town by protecting and maintaining its cultural heritage and by prohibiting the unnecessary destruction or defacement of its remaining cultural assets
  • To promote and enhance the economic and social viability of Silver City and its historic districts
  • To encourage the reuse and maintenance of historic structures within those districts in keeping with Silver City’s designation as a Certified Local Government (CLG).

Rules for the Historic Overlay Zoning District and the Design Review Committee are authorized by the Historic District Landmark Act of 1965 (4 NMAC 10.10), as modified from time to time.

Additional Information

Please see the State of NM Historic Preservation Division and the National Park Service Technical Briefs for more general information.

If you are planning a project in a historic district, don’t forget to explore financial incentives that are available. For more information, please see the NM Historic Preservation Division’s informational brochure (PDF) and contact Silver City MainStreet by browsing through the Downtown Property Improvement Incentives (PDF).

Questions

If you have questions about the historic design review process, please call Jacqui Olea at 575-534-6372 or Maria Stacy at 575-597-7028 from the Community Development Department.