Staff City Planner - Landmark Preservation - Community Planning and Development

City & County of Denver, CO • Denver, CO

45d • Hybrid

About The Position

With competitive pay, great benefits, and endless opportunities, working for the City and County of Denver means seeing yourself working with purpose - for you, and those who benefit from your passion, skills and expertise. Join our diverse, inclusive and talented workforce of more than 11,000 team members who are at the heart of what makes Denver, Denver. Are you a preservation professional that is passionate about preserving the historic, architectural and cultural character of Denver? Do you enjoy providing excellent customer service to guide customers through changes to designated properties? The City and County of Denver's Community Planning and Development Department (CPD) is seeking a highly motivated and creative individual for our Staff City Planner position with our Landmark Preservation team. We offer work/life balance, unmatched benefits and an excellent pension plan for life! If this sounds like a fit, apply today! Working for the City and County of Denver (CCD) is so much more than a job. It's a chance to make a difference in your own life and in the lives of people around you. Click here to find out about all the amazing benefits and reasons to work for the city that you love! Landmark Preservation is a vital and integrated component of CPD. Denver's landmark structures and historic districts enhance the city's unique identity, quality of life, and economic vitality. In this position you will have the opportunity to grow your skills and expertise by reviewing minor alterations to historic buildings. You will also review demolition applications by researching a building's history and evaluating the property for historic significance.

Requirements

• Basic knowledge of the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties and historic design guidelines
• Knowledge of architectural history and an interest in researching historic properties
• Ability to read and interpret architectural plans, and a command of common architectural and construction terms and construction practices
• Confidence discussing terms used in the Design Guidelines for Denver Landmark Structures and Districts such as mass, scale, form, pitch, articulation, rhythm, proportion, setting and context
• Understanding of key concepts to evaluate the historic integrity and significance of a building when determining its eligibility for demolition
• Excellent writing, public speaking and communication skills, as well as strong interpersonal and customer service skills
• Excellent time/work management skills
• Ability to multi-task with frequent interruptions, and to work well under pressure
• Well-suited to thrive in a team-based culture
• Commitment to integrating equity into preservation and planning
• Excellent attention to detail and highly organized
• Education requirement: Bachelor's Degree in City or Regional Planning, Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Historic Preservation, Engineering, or a related field
• Experience Requirement: None
• Education/Experience Equivalency: One (1) year of the appropriate type and level of experience may be substituted for each required year of post high school education

Nice To Haves

• Proficiency in the Spanish language - speaking, reading, and writing preferred

Responsibilities

• Assisting with the initial review of applications uploaded through "e-permits" to determine if required submittal criteria have been met, including completeness evaluations of Demolition, Certificate of Demolition Eligibility, and Landmark Design Review applications; working with customers to address omissions
• Providing high-quality customer service to help applicants successfully navigate the Landmark Preservation Design Review and Demolition Review processes
• Reviewing a range of proposed projects in historic districts and at individual landmark sites using adopted design guidelines and policies. This includes reviewing applications for signs, site work, solar panels, retaining walls, and other smaller design review projects in our 60 historic districts and for 366 individual landmarks
• Taking primary responsibility on the Landmark team for the issuance of "Quick Review" approvals, which are generally simple scopes of work, requiring a fast turnaround, and carrying increased customer expectations for responsiveness
• Reviewing and researching applications for Demolition and Certificates of Demolition Eligibility to determine designation potential before approvals can be issued
• Assisting the Landmark Preservation team on regulatory improvements such as updates to the design guidelines, and helping to envision creative process improvements
• Performing other duties as assigned

Benefits

• A guaranteed life-long monthly pension, once vested after 5 years of service
• 457B Retirement Plan
• 140 hours of PTO earned within first year + 12 paid holidays, 1 personal holiday, 1 Wellness Day and 1 volunteer day per year
• Competitive medical, dental and vision plans effective within 1 month of start date

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Industry: Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees