In the late 1990s, the City of Loveland went through a Master Planning process to update the Loveland Land Use Plan. The Master Planning process highlighted the absence of a municipal preservation program in Loveland and the lack of knowledge about the City's historic resources.  As a result, in 1999 the City completed a Loveland Historic Preservation Survey, which examined more than 2,300 historic properties and established that Loveland's basic infrastructure includes significant historic assets. In 2000, the results of a consensus-based, citizen-driven process demonstrated that Loveland was ready for an organized preservation program which simultaneously respected the needs of individual property owners. In 2002, the City of Loveland Planning and Cultural Services Departments developed a Historic Preservation Plan and adopted a Historic Preservation Ordinance. These two documents, in addition to the survey, are the basis for the Historic Preservation Program.

The Historic Preservation Plan is a means of planning for Loveland's unique character and historic resources, and works like a map that allows for multiple ways of reaching a shared community destination. It describes why preservation is important to the community, and identifies those elements of the built and natural landscape that merit preservation, promotion, or protection. By recommending specific actions, this plan integrates preservation into Loveland’s agenda so valuable historic assets serve as catalysts for continuing economic and community development. Preservation planning helps community leaders encourage development in a manner where old and new buildings respect the best of the past and present, and builds sound policies for the future.

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*Picture above is the Hertzinger Harter/El Centro Building (c 1877-1878) in downtown Loveland.