Loveland council approves historic landmark designation for Peters ‘M&M’ House

The Loveland City Council voted Tuesday to adopt Ordinance No. 6837, adding the Peters “M&M” House at 4444 North Sheridan Ave. to the city’s historic register. The second-reading ordinance was approved on the consent agenda, with the meeting record showing the consent agenda passed 7-1 and city voting results listing the landmark item as adopted 8-0. The designation takes effect June 30 and directs the city clerk to record the ordinance with the Larimer County Clerk and Recorder.

The ordinance finds the house meets Loveland’s age requirement for designation and qualifies under architectural and social-cultural criteria in the city’s historic preservation code. City materials describe the 1,120-square-foot home, built in December 1974, as a well-preserved post-war brick ranch and say it would be the first post-war home designated as a landmark in Loveland.

Staff and the Historic Preservation Commission said the property is significant both for its architecture and its ties to the Peters family and Reverend Carter, Marcia Peters’ father. The ordinance says the house is "a meticulously maintained, original example of a 1970s post-war brick ranch" whose design reflects its era, and cites Carter’s role as a founding minister of House of Neighborly Service, which began in 1961. Max L. and Marcia Kay Peters, the property owners and applicants, have lived in the house since 1975, according to the nomination materials.

Under the city’s preservation program, landmark status protects the property from demolition or exterior alterations that would negatively affect its historic character. City materials say designated landmarks may also qualify for state tax credits, construction fee waivers, zero-interest rehabilitation loans and state or federal grants.

The nomination was voluntary and was submitted in January. The Historic Preservation Commission unanimously recommended designation in February, and the ordinance passed first reading on June 2.