Loading...
2003-06-12 Historic Preservation Commission MinutesHISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES June 12.) 2003 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 3' Floor Fourtner Room of City Hall, 121 — 5t1i Avenue North. PRESENT ABSENT STAFF PRESENT Darrell Marmion, Chair Gregg Arnold, Vice Chair Stephen Waite Chuck LeWarne Barbara Kindness Michael Plunkett Ed Baker READING/APPROVAL OF MINUTES Star Campbell, Planner Rob Chave, Planning COMMISSIONER ARNOLD MOVED TO ADOPT THE MINUTES OF MAY 8, 2003 AS AMENDED. COMMISSIONER WAITE SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. ANNOUNCEMENT OF AGENDA No changes were made to the proposed agenda. REQUESTS FROM THE AUDIENCE Council Member Plunkett introduced Betty Larmen, who used to chair a historical district in Georgia. Ms. Larmen, 801 Walnut Street, said that she is excited to see that the Edmonds Historic Preservation Commission exists because she has invested a great deal of assets into property in the City, and this is where she wants to live for the rest of her life. She said she is an interior designer, and she has improved her house both inside and out. She said she came to what she thought was a cute little historical town until she looked around, and now she has doubts. Chair Marmion said the purpose of forming the Historic Preservation Commission is to try and save the existing historic properties. Commissioner LeWarne welcomed Roger Hertrich, a member of the advisory committee that created the ordinance establishing the Historic Preservation Commission. Chair Marmion summarized that the Commission has been in existence for almost two years, the first year as an advisory committee making recommendations to the City Council. The ordinances establishing the Commission were approved almost a year ago. The Commission has been working for eleven months, and most of their effort has been spent getting the Commission policies and procedures in place and obtaining certified local government status. DESIGN REVIEWS There were no public hearings scheduled on the agenda. There was no unfinished business scheduled on the agenda. SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS Administrative Subcommittee Reuort Council Member Plunkett reported that the Commission's official application for the certified local government grant was submitted last Friday. It was written by Mr. Chave, who personally spoke with the State authorities regarding the application. Mr. Chave reported that the State representative said the application was tailored very well and that the Edmonds Historic Preservation Commission was one of the few Commissions that actually had a person on site speaking in support of their application. The State representative also indicated that the competition for the grant was considerable. They should know the results of their application within the next week. Commissioner LeWarne asked that as soon as the staff is notified of the results of the grant application, they should contact the Administrative Committee. Ms. Campbell said she would contact either Commissioner LeWarne or Council Member Plunkett as soon as she receives any information. Council Member Plunkett said that at the last meeting Julie Koler, King County Planning Department Historic Preservation Officer, made reference to Jack Williams who now lives in Seattle. He said he read some of Mr. Williams' material, which specifically speaks to historic preservation being good for the community and good economically. For instance, he wrote an article referencing the fact that homes that are in historic districts sell for 21 to 26 percent more than those that are outside of historic districts. Mr. Williams does a nice job of tying in the benefits to the community and the property owners. He asked if the Commissioners would be interested in scheduling a presentation by Mr. Williams on one of their future agendas. Commissioner LeWarne further explained that Mr. Williams is an architect who has involved in historic preservation in Seattle for a number of years. He is the current chair of the State Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, which is the group responsible for reviewing nominations. He is a very good speaker. Council Member Plunkett said it is important for the community to understand that historical preservation has economic benefits. Commissioner Waite suggested that perhaps the Administrative Subcommittee should work with the Communications Subcommittee to schedule a presentation by Mr. Williams and notify and invite the community to attend. Ms. Campbell recalled that a few months ago the Commission discussed the idea of holding a public open house. She suggested that perhaps Mr. Williams could be invited to the open house as a guest speaker. Commissioner LeWarne recalled that the Commission agreed to hold an open house at the time they put their first sites or structures on the local register. The Commission agreed that, when the time is appropriate in the future, they should invite Mr. Williams to make a presentation. Roger Hertrich, 1020 Puget Drive, said that if the Commission decides not to hold a public open house, they could schedule a presentation by Mr. Williams as an item on the City Council's agenda. These meetings are broadcast on the public television station and are, therefore, available to the general public. Ms. Campbell provided each of the Commissioners with a copy of the articles that were written by Mr. Williams and referred to by Council Member Plunkett. Historic Preservation Commission Minutes June 12, 2003 Page 2 Chair Marmion noted from the minutes that Mr. William's name was also brought up in the Commission's discussions related to architecture and determining physical integrity when doing a property evaluation. Perhaps when they start working on their windshield inventory they might want to schedule a presentation by Mr. Williams. Commissioner Kindness arrived at the meeting at 4:15 p.m. CONTINUED READING/APPROVAL OF MINUTES Commissioner Kindness noted that the May minutes indicate that there was not a quorum available to approve the April minutes. While later on in the meeting there was a quorum available and the minutes were approved, the minutes do not specifically state that a quorum was available. Council Member Plunkett suggested that since the minutes were already approved by the Commission, the maker of the motion could rescind his motion, with the agreement of the seconder, to place approval of the minutes back on the table. COMMISSIONERS ARNOLD AND WAITE WITHDREW THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE MAY 8, 2003 MINUTES. Commissioner Kindness suggested that a statement be added to indicate that at the on -set of the meeting there was not a quorum present to approve the minutes. On Page 4, where it states that Commissioner Kindness arrived, the minutes should indicate that a quorum was present. Commissioner Kindness said she also had some typographical corrections to make. Ms. Campbell said she understands the concern with some of the typographical errors, but the Commission should keep in mind that they are not verbatim minutes and do not include word for word what everyone said. In her opinion, some of the typographical corrections are a waste of time. Staff has very little time to devote to this, and the minute taker makes the revisions. She asked that they keep typographical changes into perspective. The Commission agreed that only the more important corrections should be made to the minutes. COMMISSIONER ARNOLD MOVED THAT THE MINUTES OF MAY 8, 2003 BE APPROVED AS AMENDED. COMMISSIONER WAITE SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. CONTINUATION OF SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS b. Communications Subcommittee Report Chair Marmion said that because marketing strategies are not really his expertise, he questioned if Commissioner Arnold could participate on the Communications Subcommittee. Commissioner Arnold said he feels the same about his ability to participate on the Incentives Subcommittee. It was agreed that Commissioner Arnold and Chair Marmion would switch their positions. Commissioner Arnold was reassigned to the Communications Subcommittee and Chair Marmion was reassigned to the Incentives Subcommittee. Commissioner Arnold provided two handouts to each of the Commissioners and asked that they pick up where they left off at the last meeting. He advised that the first handout is the communications platform, which is essentially information he gathered from the emails he sent out to the Commissioners prior to the last meeting in addition to comments received during and after the last meeting. Commissioner Arnold said that in his consulting practice he has determined that marketing boils down to four critical questions: • What do you want to sell? • Who do you talk to? • What do you need to say to get people to do what you want them to do? • What is the most effective way of getting the information into their minds? Commissioner Arnold said that he has identified four different target audiences. The first target audience is the owners of potential historic structures. He said it is important that these people make a commitment to historic preservation and Historic Preservation Commission Minutes June 12, 2003 Page 3 become involved in the registration process at the workshop. He cautioned that to help accomplish this goal, the paperwork must be as painless as possible. He said that a lot of times they lose their target audience because the process is too difficult. Commissioner Arnold said it is important to help people understand the benefits of preserving historical properties. He suggested that the best media to get the message out to owners of potential historic structures is probably through the mail. Perhaps a personal letter from the Commission Chair could be sent to each one, inviting them to attend the workshop. He said the goal of the workshop should be to get property owners motivated to register their historic sites. In addition, the Commission could provide a packet to each of the property owners who attend the workshop and help them fill out the paperwork before they leave. Commissioner Arnold said the second target audience is the residents of the City of Edmonds. He said the Commission's goal should be to gain the residents' support for Historic Preservation. The residents could then garner political support by sending letters, emails and phone calls to their City Council Representative asking them to support the Historic Preservation Commission's efforts. He suggested that the Commission should send a strong message to the residents informing them that the City may end up losing a part of their history that is a key piece of Edmonds' charm if residents do not actively support historic preservation. The media for getting this word out would include newspaper publicity and a brochure. Commissioner Arnold said the third target audience includes community leaders. He said the goals for this target group should be very similar to those for the residents. However, because this is a small, well-defined group, perhaps a reception could be scheduled to gather these individuals together. Commissioner Arnold said the fourth target audience is the City Council. It is important that the City Council support for the goals of the Commission by enacting and supporting legislation. It is also important to make the City Council aware of the community's support, as well as provide periodic updates as to what the Commission has accomplished. The best media for reaching the City Council would be personal responses from the residents as discussed earlier. In addition, it is important that a Commission Representative provide periodic updates to the City Council regarding Commission activities. Council Member Plunkett commented that the matrix and the target groups proposed by Commissioner Arnold make a lot of sense. He suggested that when working with the community leaders, the Commission should consider opportunities for partnerships with groups like the Chamber of Commerce, the Rotary Club, the Arts Commission, FACE, the Public Facilities District, etc. Council Member Plunkett suggested that when targeting the residents, the words "garner public support" should be used rather than "garner political support." He suggested that this is a little kinder expression. Commissioner Arnold said that if the Commission continues to work from the grid, they should be able to stay focused so that they can move forward. Chair Marmion noted that the Commission has previously discussed most of what Commissioner Arnold presented, but the way he has structured the information will help the Commission focus on specific issues. Next, Commissioner Arnold referred to the second document he provided, which identifies the actions that need to take place in order to move ahead with a marketing program. He said he did not identify a due date or who would be responsible. In order to target the owners of potential history properties three things need to be accomplished. They need to prepare a mailer, develop a workshop, and put together an easy application packet. To target the residents they need to develop press materials to explain the importance of history and its potential loss as well as provide information about the Edmonds Historic Preservation Commission. They also need to develop a brochure for this purpose. To target community leaders, Commissioner Arnold said it is important to plan and execute a reception. He agreed that they should consider opportunities to partner with other community groups as suggested by Council Member Plunkett. Chair Marmion suggested that it would probably work best to target the residents of Edmonds first to provide general information about historic preservation. This should be done before a workshop is scheduled for property owners of potentially historic properties. Commissioner Arnold agreed and suggested that the general public could also be invited to attend the workshop session. He said the Commission could target the residents and the property owners at the same time. Historic Preservation Commission Minutes June 12, 2003 Page 4 Council Member Plunkett suggested that the Commission consider the information provided by Commissioner Arnold over the next month in preparation for further discussion at the next meeting. Perhaps the goal for the next meeting should be to flush out the timeline, etc. He said he needs further time to review the information provided before making specific decisions. Commissioner Kindness inquired if the Commission would like the Communications Subcommittee to make a recommendation for a timeline prior to the next meeting. Council Member Plunkett said it would be helpful for the Communications Subcommittee to communicate their suggestions to the Commissioners prior to their next meeting. Commissioner Waite said that several action items have been recommended in the plan proposed by Commissioner Arnold, yet the Commission has not yet gone through the process of nominating a property. He inquired if the Commission should become a little more familiar with the nominating process before they start to target the residents and the property owners of potentially historic properties. Commissioner Arnold agreed that the Commission is not ready to hold a workshop yet, and they should not do the workshop until they are ready to sign property owners up for the program. It is important for the Commission to conduct a trial nomination and have a clear understanding of the process before they conduct a workshop for property owners. They need to make sure the process works and is simple. Commissioner Arnold distributed copies of a very rough brochure layout to each of the Commissioners. He said that in his experience, putting together a brochure can become a real stumbling block. He referred to the cover and said it is important to emphasize that history contributes to the charm of the community, and that they need to maintain their history. He briefly described the various aspects of the proposed layout. He suggested that the Commission consider using their available funding to pay for the costs of copyrighting the brochure. The brochure could be printed by the City. Council Member Plunkett said he has a friend who owns a printing company, and he might be willing to help the Commission print their brochure. Betty Larmen inquired if the Commission has an inventory of all of the history structures in the City. Chair Marmion answered that the Advisory Committee completed a preliminary inventory, but it was based purely on the age of the homes. He said that a copy of the preliminary inventory could be provided to the public upon request. Commissioner LeWarne added that once the Commission obtains certified local government status, they hope to begin the inventory process. They have applied for a grant to help them fund this project. Chair Marmion said that one of the primary things the Commission must accomplish is the establishment of a historic register. Once the inventory is in place, it will be made accessible to the community. Ms. Larmen said it is important to make property owners of older homes feel special. They need to really feel like it is a privilege to live in a historic home. Commissioner LeWarne inquired if the brochures could be easily transformed into a web page. Commissioner Arnold agreed that this would be important. Commissioner Arnold inquired if the Commission has access to use the City's web page. Council Member Plunkett said the Mayor frequently receives requests to use the City's web site, and he does not usually have a problem with allowing this. But the City does not have the necessary staff to maintain the site and handle all of the requests they get now. The Commission agreed that they should consider opportunities to utilize the City's web page. Commissioner LeWarne inquired if the Arts Commission and Planning Board have their own web sites now. Chair Marmion answered that they do not. He recalled that the City staff has indicated their willingness to host a web site for the Commission. However, the Commission decided to keep the web site separate from the City's web site because the Commission is not part of the City, itself. But he did not think there would be any problem with the Commission using the City as a host for their web site. He said the Museum was helpful in setting up the Commission's original web site, but it hasn't been updated for quite a while. If the Commission does create a web site, they need to make sure it is kept current. Commissioner Kindness said the Communications Subcommittee discussed the idea of making the brochure a tri-fold that could be used for mailings. She referred to comments made by Ms. Koler at the last Commission meeting about the importance of developing a context statement and completing an ordinance. Ms. Koler stated that once these other pieces are completed, a brochure would evolve. Commissioner Kindness said she has been considering a brochure design that is a little more expensive than what was proposed by Commissioner Arnold, but it does not have to be. The brochure could be distributed to the general public, museums, and property owners of potentially historic properties. She said she came up with Historic Preservation Commission Minutes June 12, 2003 Page 5 the same type of goals as those recommended by Commissioner Arnold. Their goal should be community awareness by educating the public regarding what historic preservation is all about. Acceptance through understanding is important in order to get people involved. Commissioner Kindness said the Communications Subcommittee discussed the idea of having one panel of the brochure explain the history of Edmonds and the Commission. It should also explain what a CLG is. Next they should discuss City pride and the fact that economic development and historic preservation can go hand in hand. The brochure should explain each of the incentives that are available. In addition, they should provide a description of the nomination process. She said that Commissioner Arnold has done a good job of helping the Commission identify the topics that should be considered. Council Member Plunkett expressed his opinion that the narrative items identified by the Communications Subcommittee are great. All of them are important and vital. He suggested that they also provide a list of the Commissioners in the brochure if there is room. Commissioner Kindness suggested that there might also be opportunities for the Commission to place information on Channel 21, which is the station that broadcasts the City Council Meetings. Commissioner Arnold inquired who would be responsible for actually writing copy for the brochure. Commissioner Waite inquired it is ossible for the Commission to obtain funding for the brochure from hotel/motel tax revenue. Chair Marmion said he the feasibility of using hotel/motel tax revenue for Commission projects. Ms. Campbell recalled that there was a deadline shortly after the Commission's inquiry. She indicated that the Commission must have a specific project linked to their request for funding. The Commission assigned Council Member Plunkett the task of contacting them again to find out what the Commission must do to apply for hotel/motel tax funding. Commissioner Kindness said her recollection is that a cost estimate for the brochure must be provided. Chair Marmion inquired if the Commission needs to work further on creating a context statement, as discussed at the last meeting. If so, then an assignment needs to be made. Commissioner LeWarne recalled Ms. Koler suggestion that while the Commission was in good shape, one of the major things they lacked was a context statement. Ms. Campbell reminded the Commission that they applied for a grant that would allow them to hire a consultant to help them complete their inventory of historic sites. Developing a context statement would be part of the consultant's scope of work. Commissioner LeWarne said his understanding is that the context statement should simply be a statement of the City's history and how what they are doing pertains to the background and history of the community. Mr. Chave said the context statement could be used when evaluating and determining whether or not properties are historical. He said that if the Commission were to provide the consultant with a fairly lengthy list of things that they already know exists, it would help the consultant figure out the scope of the project and give him/her a running start. Mr. Chave suggested that, as a group, the Commission should work on getting this information together by the end of September in anticipation of receiving grant funding to hire a consultant to do the inventory. It is important to figure out where and what resources are available. The consultant will ask for this information right up front in order to identify the scope of their work. Whatever amount of research work can be done by the Commission will reduce the amount of time the consultant will have to spend doing research. The consultant would be able to spend more time on the context statement and the actual inventory. C. Historic Register Subcommittee Report Chair Marmion said the Historic Register Subcommittee would continue to work on the nomination and review process. Chair Marmion referred to the brief discussion at the last meeting regarding the windshield survey. Because he was not in attendance at the last meeting, he asked that the Commission provide further explanation of this survey and identify the anticipated role of the Historic Register Subcommittee. Council Member Plunkett suggested that Chair Marmion already completed a windshield survey when he identified the 1,200 possible historic sites that are listed on the preliminary inventory. Chair Marmion said he could take the work he has already Historic Preservation Commission Minutes June 12, 2003 Page 6 done and clean it up so it can be used as a stand-alone document. Mr. Chave suggested that the remainder of the work needed for the windshield survey should be done as part of the grant funded inventory project. Commissioner Kindness pointed out that the nomination criteria would be a key part of the brochure, so it is important for the Historic Register Subcommittee to work on developing the criteria. Ms. Campbell recalled that at the last meeting, the Commission discussed the need to start thinking about nomination criteria. She said that, at that time, she reminded the Commission that the criteria is already in the code. She promised to provide this information to the Commission for their review. Chair Marmion emphasized that it is important that prospective applicants understand the criteria that will be used by the Commission when reviewing applications. The criteria in the nomination application should be consistent with the criteria found in the code. Chair Marmion said that once the Historic Register Subcommittee has worked out the details of the nomination process, they will run one of the City -owned buildings through the process as a test. Commissioner LeWarne suggested that they start with a City -owned building that is already identified on the State's Historic Register such as the Carnegie Library or the Log Cabin. d. Incentives Subcommittee Reuort Commissioner Waite reported that while the Planning Board was scheduled to discuss the issue of non -conforming uses last month, they ended up postponing the discussion. He said staff would let him know when the item will be scheduled on the Board's agenda, and he would attend the meeting to speak on behalf of the Commission. Commissioner Waite explained that non -conforming uses are structures that, at one point in time, did comply with the existing building codes and planning ordinances. However, subsequent ordinance and code changes have made them non- conforming. The City Attorney is of the opinion, and the Commission agrees, that the property owners of historical buildings that are non -conforming are extremely limited as to what they can do. In addition, buildings that might become historical in the near future would have their hands tied by the non -conforming use. The City Attorney has suggested that the current codes result in an economic injustice to the owners of historic buildings. Commissioner Waite said he is optimistic that the Planning Board and City Council will follow the City Attorney's advice and make changes to the regulations that deal with non -conforming uses. Commissioner Waite said he briefly talked with the City's building official regarding code issues associated with renovating historical structures. While this is not a big issue now, if they don't get started, they won't be ready when it is time to start accepting nominations. Commissioner Waite said he also spoke with Julie Koler, who made a presentation at the last Commission Meeting, to see how other municipalities handle their code issues. For example, Port Townsend has instigated a demolition permit. When a person comes in, they have to go through a few hoops that will enable the staff to document buildings before they are torn down. Chair Marmion pointed out that once a site is identified on the City's Historic Register, a Commission review would be required if a demolition permit is applied for. NEW BUSINESS Council Member Plunkett said a parking study has been prepared and will be presented to the Planning Board in the near future. This study makes reference to existing buildings in the downtown. It suggests that they be grandfathered in with respect to their parking requirements. Mr. Chave suggested that when the Planning Board holds a public hearing on the parking study, the Commission may want to send a representative to speak on their behalf. Commissioner Waite inquired if the intent is to grandfather the parking requirements of historic buildings regardless of whether or not the use changes. Council Member Plunkett and Mr. Chave agreed that is the intent. Mr. Chave further explained that the provision would extend to all buildings in the downtown and not just those that have historic significance. Historic Preservation Commission Minutes June 12, 2003 Page 7 Commissioner Waite said the conclusion of the study was that there is not a parking problem. Council Member Plunkett said a landowner approached him recently indicating that he might be amenable to allowing the City to place historical structures on his property. However, they would have to purchase the land from him. He suggested that the Commission think about grant opportunities that would allow them to purchase land and use it for the relocation of historic structures. Even if the City owns the land, they still have to move the structures, which is expensive. He noted that Lynnwood is using State mitigation money to relocate buildings to sites that are owned by the City of Lynnwood. Ms. Larmen said she has been involved with moving three historic structures in Columbus, Georgia. She said they received most of their relocation funding from fundraisers and major companies provided materials. Companies who contributed to the relocation project were recognized in the brochure. Chair Marmion expressed his opinion that while it is great to try and save historic buildings by relocating them elsewhere, this will not necessarily achieve the mission of the Historic Preservation Commission. If they move out all the quaint homes and buildings and replace them with condos, they will lose the character and feeling that presently exists in the community. He concluded that while it is great to try and save historic buildings, it only halfway satisfies the Commission's goal. ADMNISTRATIVE REPORTS Ms. Campbell referred to the literature she provided from King County regarding economic incentives. Ms. Campbell said that she revised the letterhead as requested by the Commission, and she would provide copies to each of the Commissioners. Ms. Campbell said she received notification from the State regarding their "Nifty Fifty" Program. He said the person who wrote the handout is Michael Houser. She said she and Chair Marmion listened to him speak about architecture over the last 50 years that is coming up for nomination eligibility. The State's Nifty Fifty Program encourages the nomination of buildings that represent the last fifty years. Mr. Chave referred to the letterhead design and suggested that the Commissioners names be placed further left into the margin so they do not interfere with the text of the letter. Council Member Plunkett suggested that the names be larger, as well, and run all the way down the margin. Commissioner Kindness said she received an email advertising a meeting next Monday regarding the State Historic Preservation Plan. Ms. Campbell said they are nearing the end of the comment period on the plan. REVIEW OF NEXT MEETING AGENDA Chair Marmion asked that each of the subcommittees contact the staff with specific items they want to discuss at the next meeting so that they can be included on the next agenda. Ms. Campbell said she also makes notes of things the Commission wants to discuss at the next meeting. The Commission agreed that the following items should be included on the next agenda: a report on the grant, further discussion of marketing communication strategies, and an Administrative Subcommittee report on the procedures for hotel/motel tax grant funding. The Commission discussed the option of publicizing their activities on the local access cable channel. Commissioner Waite suggested that if they can't obtain time on the channel to bring attention to the Historical Preservation Commission, they could at least show photographs of historic structures. They could then build up to something more. The Commission asked that the Communications Subcommittee follow up on this opportunity and provide a report at the next meeting. Ms. Campbell suggested that Commissioner Kindness start by contacting Jana Spellman, the City Council's secretary. Historic Preservation Commission Minutes June 12, 2003 Page 8 HISTORIC PRESERVATION CHAIR COMMENTS Chair Marmion provided no additional comments. HISTORIC PRESERVATION MEMBER COMMENTS Commissioner Arnold said he received a call from the TEAM Edmonds Group asking him to get involved with their marketing project. TEAM Edmonds informed him that developers in the town have identified about $40 million in condos being developed over the next year. This represents $2.4 million in commission. TEAM Edmonds wants some of this money to be put into a marketing campaign. The market for condos in Edmonds used to be people already living in Edmonds who want to sell their homes and downsize. Now they have to cast a wider net by communicating the value of living in Edmonds. If history is a key part of what makes the Edmonds community charming, then it is in the developer's best interest to support historic preservation. 1. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business to address, the Commission adjourned at 5:20 p.m. Historic Preservation Commission Minutes June 12, 2003 Page 9