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2002-09-12 Historic Preservation Commission MinutesHISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES September 12, 2002 1. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL The meeting of the Edmonds Historic Preservation Commission was called to order at 3:37 p.m. in the 31 Floor Fourtner Room of City Hall, 121 — 51 Avenue North. PRESENT ABSENT STAFF PRESENT Gregg Arnold, Vice Chair Darrell Marmion, Chair Star Campbell, Assistant Planner Stephen Waite Karin Noyes, Recorder Chuck LeWame Barbara Kindness Michael Plunkett Ed Baker 2. READING/APPROVAL OF MINUTES COMMISSIONER LEWARNE MOVED TO ADOPT THE MINUTES OF AUGUST 8, 2002 AS AMENDED. COMMISSIONER BAKER SECONDED THE MOTION. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. 3. ANNOUNCEMENT OF AGENDA Ms. Campbell noted that Agenda Item 8c (Grants: Log Cabin Response re: Lodging Tax Funds) was added to the Commission's agenda. 4. REQUESTS FROM THE AUDIENCE There was no one present in the audience. 5. PUBLIC HEARINGS There were no public hearings scheduled on the agenda. 6. UNFINISHED BUSINESS a. Review of Subcommittee Tasks. Priorities and Members Vice Chair Arnold recalled that at the last meeting the Commissioners reviewed the Historic Preservation Commission Task Sheet that was prepared by Chair Marmion listing the four subcommittees and identifying the tasks for each. The Commissioners requested that staff incorporate the changes that were discussed by the Commissioners at the last meeting and provide an updated draft of the document for the Commissioner's review at the next meeting. Councilmember Plunkett suggested that since this document is already on Chair Marmion's computer, staff should contact him and ask him to complete this task. The Commissioners agreed. Commissioner Kindness recalled that she was given the assignment to research grant opportunities. She questioned which subcommittee should receive the information that she has collected to date. The Commissioners agreed to discuss this issue further as part of the subcommittee reports scheduled later on the agenda. 7. SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS a. Administrative Subcommittee Commissioner LeWarne recalled that at the last meeting the Commissioners requested that the Administrative Subcommittee present all of the materials that will be submitted as part of the Certified Local Government (CLG) application. Ms. Campbell advised that she was asked by the Administrative Subcommittee to collect certain items that were to be part of the application package. She advised that, with the exception of the U.S.G.S. Map, which she is still searching for, she has provided all of the items requested. Ms. Campbell suggested that the Administrative Subcommittee draft a letter to the Mayor explaining the contents of the packet and the steps that need to be taken for submittal. This letter could also explain some of the Commission's recent activities. A Commissioner should also draft a cover letter that the Mayor could attach to the packet that is submitted to the State. Councilmember Plunkett said he was under the impression that the Administrative Subcommittee was going to bring a complete application packet to the Commissioners for review. Vice Chair Arnold said that was his understanding from the last meeting, as well. Councilmember Plunkett inquired as to what items are still missing from the application packet. Ms. Campbell explained that the Administrative Subcommittee asked her to help them prepare the application packet, and she brought the things she agreed to provide. However, the packet is not complete. Most of the Commissioners still need to provide their list of qualifications, and this needs to be combined into a single document along with their contact information. In addition, a cover letter needs to be drafted to accompany the application. Since the application packet was not complete, Councilmember Plunkett inquired if the Commissioners would like to grant the Administrative Subcommittee the authority to forward the packet to the Mayor for review as soon as the missing items are available rather than holding the application until the next Commission meeting. Vice Chair Arnold said his sense is that the State will be reviewing the application materials for content and not necessarily for presentation. Therefore, he questioned the need to combine all of the Commissioner qualifications and contact information into a single document since this will take additional time to complete. He suggested that the Commissioners should give the Administrative Subcommittee the authority to draft a cover letter that the Mayor could sign and send forward with the application. They should also draft a letter to the Mayor describing the application package and the process that must be followed. The Commissioners briefly reviewed the items that are required to be part of the application packet. They identified that the following items are already available: a copy of the Advisory Committee's final report to the City Council, copies of the two ordinances that were passed by the City Council to establish the Historic Preservation Commission, copies of other local Historic Preservation Commission Minutes September 12, 2002 Page 2 ordinances or laws pertaining to the preservation of historic properties, copies of other local laws, bylaws or administrative rules governing the nomination and development review process, a list of names and addresses of all Commission members, a statement of qualifications for the professional staff members (Ms. Campbell and Mr. Chave) responsible for directing the local survey and coordinating the review of National Register nominations, and copies of the minutes of the June and July meetings of the Commission. They summarized that the following items are still needed: a cover letter and request for CLG approval from the Mayor, a letter to the Mayor explaining the contents of the packet and the application process, A statement on each Commission member demonstrating their interest or competence in historic preservation and a statement of qualifications for the professional members from historical preservation related disciplines, a copy of the list of structures identified by Chair Marmion as being fifty years old or older, and a U.S.G.S map of the area. The Commissioners agreed that the format used for the Commissioner qualifications is not really important. Those who had not done so already agreed to provide their statements of qualification as soon as possible. They directed Ms. Campbell to contact Mr. Marmion and ask him to send his statement of qualifications as well as the list of historic structures via the e- mail. Commissioner LeWarne volunteered to write the cover letter for the application packet, as well as a letter to the Mayor from the Commission. They directed Ms. Campbell to arrange the packet into a binder, using indexes to separate the various items. COMMISSIONER KINDNESS MOVED THAT THE ADMINISTRATIVE SUBCOMMITTEE DRAFT A COVER LETTER FROM THE MAYOR, COMPILE ALL OF THE DOCUMENTS OUTLINED BY THE COMMISSION, AND FORWARD THE APPLICATION PACKET TO THE MAYOR FOR SUBMISSION TO THE STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICIAL. COMMISSIONER WAITE SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. Vice Chair Arnold noted that after the CLG Application package has been submitted, the Administrative Subcommittee will have accomplished their first two Priority A Tasks. b. Communications Subcommittee Commissioner Kindness said that she and Chair Marmion were unable to meet over the past month to review the press release that she has prepared announcing the formation of the Historic Preservation Commission. It identifies the meeting location and times and that the meetings are open to the public. The press release also states that four subcommittees were formed and that a chair and vice chair were elected. It suggests that questions be directed to the City office. Commissioner Kindness inquired if it would be appropriate for the Communications Subcommittee to present the press release on City letterhead or if the Commissioners wants to create their own letterhead. Councilmember Plunkett suggested, and the remainder of the Commissioners agreed, that the press release should be presented on City letterhead since the Historic Preservation Commission is an official body sanctioned by the City Council, and they are trying to gain recognition in the community. Ms. Campbell indicated that she would provide letterhead to Commissioner Kindness for this purpose. Commissioner Waite suggested that Commissioner Kindness forward a copy of the press release to Chair Marmion via the e- mail for his review. Commissioner Kindness agreed that this would enable her to get the press release out as soon as possible. The Commissioners agreed that as long as the press releases contain only factual information about the Commission, the Communications Subcommittee should have the authority to send them out without prior Commission approval. COMMISSIONER LEWARNE MOVED THAT THE COMMISSION EMPOWER THE COMMUNICATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE TO SEND OUT PRESS RELEASES THAT CONTAIN FACTUAL INFORMATION ONLY AS THEY FEEL APPROPRIATE, AFTER FINAL APPROVAL OF THE CHAIR. COMMISSIONER BAKER SECONDED THE MOTION. Commissioner LeWarne inquired if there is a City procedure requiring that press releases related to City activities go through a specific City official. Ms. Campbell said she does not recall any requirement of this type, but she would check with Mr. Historic Preservation Commission Minutes September 12, 2002 Page 3 Chave just to make sure. The Commissioners agreed that the motion should stand as proposed unless the Commission is otherwise notified by staff. Ms. Campbell advised that if the press release is going to provide a City contact number, the number should be that of the Development Services Department (425-771-0220) instead of the main City number. Commissioner Kindness clarified that if she ever uses quotes from any of the Commissioners in a press release, she would contact the Commissioner first. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. Vice Chair Arnold suggested that it is important that each Commissioner carefully review the minutes from the meetings because they will become the formal record that reflects the Commission's intent. Ms. Campbell said she also uses the minutes to make sure she doesn't miss anything on the list of things the Commissioners wants her to do. Commissioner Kindness reported that she has been working to collect information on grant opportunities that are available to the Commission. She provided information she received regarding the National Trust for Historic Preservation and said that deadline dates for the different grants available have been identified. She questioned which subcommittee would be responsible for completing and submitting the grant applications. She suggested that there are grant opportunities available for public education programs such as brochures, etc. She said she has not had a lot of experience in writing grant applications, and she inquired who would be responsible for this task. Commissioner Waite suggested that while the responsibilities of the Incentives Subcommittee and the Communications Subcommittee overlap in this area, it would probably be more appropriate for the Communications Subcommittee to handle this project as it relates to public awareness and education about historic preservation in general. The Incentives Subcommittee would not become involved until there are actual sites on the register. Councilmember Plunkett inquired if Commissioner Kindness is researching grant opportunities for public communication projects only or for all Commission projects as a whole. Commissioner Kindness answered that she is researching funding opportunities for Commission projects as a whole such as hiring a preservation or landscape architect to complete a historic preservation master plan, land use planning, fund raising, community forums to share the vision for the preservation of historic neighborhoods, etc. Councilmember Plunkett urged the Commissioners to start working on grant applications now so that funding opportunities do not slip away. Councilmember Plunkett suggested that it would be appropriate for the Commissioners to identify a mechanism for determining what they are going to do and how they are going to do it. He suggested that perhaps all of the grant information should be funneled to the Administrative Subcommittee and they can, in turn, could make recommendations to the Commissioners as to what types of grants they should apply for. Vice Chair Arnold suggested that the next significant project that will be required when the City obtains CLG status is hiring a professional inventory consultant. Councilmember Plunkett agreed, but noted that the State Historic Preservation Office offers grants to cities for this work to be done. Commissioner Waite suggested that one of the Commission's first priorities should be to publicize the activities of the Commission so that the public gains an understanding of their goals and objectives. Councilmember Plunkett agreed that communication efforts should be one of the Commission's first projects. Commissioner LeWarne noted that the investigation of potential funding sources is identified as a Priority B Task of the Administrative Subcommittee. The Commissioners agreed that all information related to funding sources or grant opportunities should be forwarded to the Administrative Subcommittee. The Administrative Subcommittee would then discuss how the Commission should activate the information. Ms. Campbell suggested that in the next press release, the Commission could ask for volunteers from the community for someone with the expertise to help write grant applications. Historic Preservation Commission Minutes September 12, 2002 Page 4 Vice Chair Arnold suggested that grant money could also be used to hire a consultant to help the Commissioners get going. Councilmember Plunkett said that they already have an outline of what they need to do, and the tasks have been identified. Vice Chair Arnold agreed and suggested that the subcommittees use the task list as an outline of things they need to be working on. C. Historic Register Subcommittee Commissioner Baker said that he and Chair Marmion were unable to meet together during the past month to review the inventory of historic buildings. That was the only Priority A Tasks identified on their list. Councilmember Plunkett asked the Commissioners to remind him of the purpose of reviewing the historic buildings since they already have an initial survey. He suggested that the next step would be a professional survey. Commissioner Baker answered that the Historic Register Subcommittee was charged with the responsibility of going through the initial list of historic buildings and making recommendations for additions and deletions. Ms. Campbell recalled that at the last meeting the Historic Register Subcommittee was charged with the task of obtaining a couple of sample inventory forms, which must be included as part of the CLG application packet. She said she communicated this need to Chair Marmion, but she has not received the documents yet. Councilmember Plunkett suggested that since all of the necessary information is on Chair Marmion's computer, he should be able to provide this information quickly. Ms. Campbell advised that the Commissioners should have the internet link to the sample inventory that was prepared by Chair Marmion. Since Commissioner Baker indicated that he did not, Ms. Campbell agreed to provide him with this information. Commissioner LeWarne suggested that Ms. Campbell write to the office of Historic Preservation and request copies of the nomination forms that have been completed for all of the properties in Edmonds that are on the State and National Registers. The City should have this information in their files anyway, and the information could be used as a reference when compiling the sample application. He said staff should also request a copy of the meeting minutes from when each of the sites were considered by the State Historic Advisory Council. d. Incentives Subcommittee Commissioner Waite referred the Commissioners to the list he provided outlining the six types of incentives that the Incentives Committee has identified to date. With the exception of the last item, which is related to education, the remainder of the incentives listed will come into play as they get further along. Commissioner Waite said he contacted people from other communities seeking information as to what compels property owners to participate in the historic preservation program. They all indicated that community pride is just as important as monetary incentives in encouraging historic preservation. He suggested that perhaps the Commissioners should consider grant opportunities to provide promotional and educational materials to the public. Commissioner Waite reviewed each of the following types of incentives that have been identified thus far by the Incentives Subcommittee: • Business -to -Business Incentives such as lower bank loans offered by local banks, providing technical assistance, and providing promotional opportunities would require no involvement with the State or National Historic Register. Perhaps the City could assist in providing promotional opportunities and technical assistance. • County Property Tax Assistance is probably the most common type of incentive, wherein tax relief is offered by the County for improvements to historic sites. Historic Preservation Commission Minutes September 12, 2002 Page 5 • Hotel/Motel Tax Revenue funds could be available to help with initial promotion of historic preservation, but they are still researching exactly how this program would work. • Creating Historic Overlay Zones is another opportunity for incentives, but it would require that the City become involved. He noted that one community they researched has historic overlay zones that were actually drafted into their development ordinance. The Commission has the ability to explore this option, as well. • Community Development Block Grants have been available for historic preservation for a long time, and the City of Edmonds may qualify for some of these funds. • Incentives Through Education should be one of the Commission's goals to encourage property owners to preserve historic sites because of their sense of community. He noted that education and promotion are just as important as offering other incentives. Councilmember Plunkett suggested that the Incentives Subcommittee should come back to the Commission at the next meeting with some ideas on things the Commission could do now to educate the public and promote historic preservation. Commissioner Waite agreed, and suggested that when the Administrative Subcommittee reviews the grant information that is provided to them, they should identify those that could apply to the activities of the Incentives Committee. Commissioner Kindness questioned how the Commission would approach the property owners of buildings they would like to have added to the list of historic structures. Commissioner Waite suggested that Ms. Duvall from the State office could be of assistance in helping the Commissioners get started. Historic preservation is a new concept in Edmonds, and perhaps the State Official or other professional could help the Commissioners hold some type of open house for property owners who are interested in participating in the historic preservation program. Councilmember Plunkett agreed that one of the first tasks before the Commission is that of creating excitement and awareness in the community. He pointed out that the City of Snohomish has had a lot of success in this regard, and perhaps their historic preservation commissioners could offer some pointers to the Incentives Subcommittee and identify two or three initial steps that could be done to build awareness. He emphasized that unless the community is willing to support historic preservation in Edmonds, the Commission will not be able to get very far. Commissioner Plunkett suggested that the Incentives Subcommittee could come before the Commissioners at the next meeting with a proposal related to incentives that could be started now to raise community awareness. Ms. Campbell pointed out that the Community Services Department comes into contact with numerous property owners each day. In the past, the Commissioners have discussed the option of creating a flyer that could be offered by the City staff to generate enthusiasm and let people know what is going on. Councilmember Plunkett suggested that the Communications Subcommittee should come before the Commissioners at the next meeting with a proposal for how the could begin the public awareness process. Vice Chair Arnold said he has been involved in a Chamber of Commerce Subcommittee called TEAM Edmonds for the past several months. When this group was discussing how they could "sell" Edmonds to the community, there was a strong feeling amongst the members of the committee that the last thing they wanted to do was talk about anything historical. The TEAM Edmonds committee feels that Edmonds is seen as a bunch of antique stores, and they want that to change by becoming more modern. He said that to this point, the community does not have a real sense of vision as to whether they want to build on the waterfront theme, the historic theme, etc. The Historic Preservation Commission needs to communicate their vision to the community. Vice Chair Arnold said that from a citizen's viewpoint, he would like to see the downtown retail businesses succeed. Commissioner Kindness suggested that the antique stores in the downtown area draw people to the area and help enable the downtown retail businesses to succeed. ; Wl1*1&W11&"L1l**1 a. Review of Historic Preservation References in the Comprehensive Plan Historic Preservation Commission Minutes September 12, 2002 Page 6 Ms. Campbell referred the Commissioners to the list of historic preservation references in the zoning code and Comprehensive Plan that was provided by the staff. She said she would be happy to answer any questions the Commissioners might have regarding the references. Vice Chair Arnold recalled that this discussions was supposed to be tied in with the presentation from Chair Marmion on the Advisory Committee's final presentation to the City Council outlining the goals and tasks they accomplished throughout the year. He said that because he was not part of the Advisory Committee, he would like to see the presentation, but he does not want to waste the time of the Commissioners who participated on the Committee. He suggested that perhaps this presentation could be made prior to the next Commission meeting for those Commissioners who are interested. Ms. Campbell noted that the report that was provided to the City Council from the Advisory Committee was included in the Commissioner's notebooks. She suggested that the Commissioners should read this document first, and then come back to the next meeting with any questions they still have. The Commissioners agreed. Commissioner Waite inquired when the 2002 Comprehensive Plan amendments would be considered by the City Council. Ms. Campbell answered that these amendments have been reviewed throughout the entire year and will be presented to the City Council later in the year for approval. She noted that proposed amendments for consideration in 2003 must be submitted by December 31, 2002. Councilmember Plunkett recalled that Commissioner Waite made a point at the last meeting that they might want to review the Comprehensive Plan and see if they need to propose any amendments. He noted that, at this time, the Comprehensive Plan states only that the City should encourage historic preservation. At the last meeting the Commissioners agreed to discuss possible amendment that could be proposed by the Commission to make the historic preservation references in the Comprehensive Plan stronger and to increase awareness for historical preservation. Councilmember Plunkett recalled that when the performing arts center was first discussed by the committee, it was going to be a convention center only. As a participant of that committee, he pointed out that the Comprehensive Plan states that if any type of public facility is built in the downtown, it should be a performing arts center. Therefore, the committee had no choice but to include a performing arts center as part of the plan. The hotel and convention center are no longer part of the equation, but the performing arts center is. Councilmember Plunkett suggested that if the Comprehensive Plan references to historic preservation were stronger, then the Commission would have assurance that historic preservation would get its just due. COMMISSIONER WAITE MOVED THAT THE COMMISSION REVIEW THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION REFERENCES IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AT THEIR NEXT MEETING. THE MOTION FAILED FOR LACK OF SECOND. Councilmember Plunkett inquired how much of the Comprehensive Plan the Commissioners need to have in order to make sure that historic preservation is mentioned significantly in all of the relevant sections. Ms. Campbell replied that historic preservation is referenced in several different sections of the Comprehensive Plan. In order to write language for these sections, the Commissioners would need to have a copy of all of these sections. She suggested that the Commissioners review the specific sections where historic preservation is referenced and try to decide how important each section is overall. Councilmember Plunkett agreed, and said the Commissioners will have to rely heavily on the staff to guide them through this process. The Commissioners agreed and asked that staff provide them each with a hard copy of the Comprehensive Plan with the references to historic preservation highlighted. Ms. Campbell said her impression is that the language in the Comprehensive Plan is really encouraging for historic preservation and provides a strong basis. She said she does not see a problem with the current references to historic preservation. Councilmember Plunkett agreed, but said that perhaps they could add language referencing the Historic Preservation Commission and relate it to certain tasks and objectives that they have identified. Historic Preservation Commission Minutes September 12, 2002 Page 7 Councilmember Plunkett agreed with Commissioner Waite that the Commissioners should discuss this issue at the next meeting. However, he pointed out that this review could take a significant amount of time. He noted that any changes the Commissioners might recommend must go through a public hearing process before both the Planning Board and the City Council. He suggested that the Administrative Subcommittee be given the responsibility of moving this task through the process. Because of the time required for this project, a special meeting might be necessary. The Commissioners agreed that this task should be given to the Administrative Subcommittee as Priority A task. They asked that staff notify Chair Marmion of this change. Ms. Campbell advised that at the next meeting she would provide information regarding the application process for proposed Comprehensive Plan amendments. b. Review of the Certified Local Government Application Packet There was no further discussion amongst the Commissioners regarding this issue since it was discussed earlier on the agenda. C. Grants: LoL, Cabin/ Response Re: LodginLy Tax Fund Councilmember Plunkett reported that the Commission received an application form from the chair of the Lodging Tax Fund Committee. Ms. Campbell circulated the application form amongst the Commissioners for their information. The Commissioners agreed that they need to identify projects that would qualify for this funding and make an application as soon as possible. Ms. Campbell noted that the Lodging Tax Fund Committee has expressed that they are interested in requests for funding for specific projects and not just for general funds. Commissioner LeWarne added that the hotel/motel tax funds are supposed to be dedicated to projects that promote tourism. The Commissioners discussed the option of making an application to the Lodging Tax Fund Committee for funding to publish an informational brochure. Councilmember Plunkett suggested that they could apply for a grant to fund a brochure to promote historic preservation in the community. He noted that they would not have to provide a draft brochure along with the application. Since Commissioners Arnold and Kindness deal with these types of issues professionally, Councilmember Plunkett recommended that they work together to complete the application and provide the proper language. Commissioners Arnold and Kindness agreed to work on the project together. Ms. Campbell pointed out that if the application is submitted prior October 10, it woiuld be considered by the committee at their October 10 meeting. Councilmember Plunkett advised that the Log Cabin Committee has also makes requests for funding to the Lodging Tax Fund Committee. The Lodging Tax Fund Committee has, in turn, requested that as the Commissioners review the various grant opportunities, they identify those that could be available for the Log Cabin project. The Commissioners agreed that as they review the various grant opportunities, they should keep their eyes open for any opportunities that might be available to the Log Cabin project and communicate the information to the Lodging Tax Fund Committee, as well. Councilmember Plunkett was asked to write a letter in response to the Lodging Tax Fund Committee's request stating that the Commission would actively pursue the identification of potential funding sources for the Log Cabin to pursue on their own and provide this information the Log Cabin Representatives. 9. ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTS Ms. Campbell distributed a brochure advertising the Historic Preservation Commissioner and Staff Training Program that will be held on October 18, 2002 in Issaquah. 10. REVIEW OF NEXT MEETING PROPOSED AGENDA Historic Preservation Commission Minutes September 12, 2002 Page 8 The Commissioners directed Campbell to review the minutes from the meeting and identify the items that the Commission determined should be on the next meeting agenda. In addition, Councilmember Plunkett said he would like the Administrative Subcommittee to come back with a report on the issue of amendments to the Comprehensive Plan. He would also like the Communications Subcommittee to come back with a report on how the Commission can start communicating with the public. The Incentives Subcommittee could come back with a report as to what incentives could be brought to bear that would increase public awareness for historic preservation. The Commissioners agreed that each subcommittee should be prepared to report on their assigned activities at the next meeting. Councilmember Plunkett reminded the Commissioners to their information for the CLG application to staff as soon as possible. 11. HISTORIC PRESERVATION CHAIR COMMENTS Vice Chair Arnold provided no comments during this portion of the meeting. 12. HISTORIC PRESERVATION MEMBER COMMENTS There were no comments from Commissioners during this portion of the meeting. 13. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business to address, the Commission adjourned at 5:30 p.m. Historic Preservation Commission Minutes September 12, 2002 Page 9