Northern Colorado notes
Old Town Fort Collins: clearing out around the landmarks
Old Town is where a cleanout meets tight streets, older houses and a historic district. The hauling itself is ordinary; the parking and the paperwork are not.
A historic district with rules for the outside
In 1979 City Council declared the Old Town area a local historic district, and owners of designated landmarks and district properties go through landmark design review for most exterior projects, according to the City’s Historic Preservation page retrieved September 27, 2026. Emptying a basement is not an exterior project. Tearing down a shed, a porch or a detached garage on a designated property may be, so ask Historic Preservation before anyone touches a structure.
Where the truck stops
Holding a public parking space for loading needs an obstruction permit, filed with Parking Services at 144 N. Mason St., Suite 5. A dumpster or storage pod set in the right-of-way needs an encroachment permit instead; the City lists a $10 application fee and a $10 inspection fee for a minor one.
Old houses, careful carries
Steep stairs, low basement ceilings and plaster walls make the carry the expensive part of an Old Town job. Measure the tightest turn, protect the floors, and point out anything built in; a sideboard original to the house may be worth leaving exactly where it is.
Before you decide
Questions worth asking
Do I need a permit to park a junk truck in Old Town?
Taking up a public parking space to load or move calls for an obstruction permit from Fort Collins Parking Services. A dumpster in the right-of-way needs an encroachment permit.
Can I tear down an old shed behind a landmark house?
Ask Historic Preservation first. Designated landmarks and district properties need landmark design review for most exterior work.