2004-12-09 Historic Preservation Commission MinutesHISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES
December 9, 2004
1. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL
The meeting of the Edmonds Historic Preservation Commission was called to order at 3:33 p.m. in the 3rd Floor Conference
Room of City Hall, 121 — 51 Avenue North.
PRESENT ABSENT STAFF PRESENT
Steve Waite, Chair Darrell Marmion Star Campbell, Planner
Ed Baker Chuck LeWarne
Barbara Kindness Brian Hall
Deborah Binder (arrived at 3:40 p.m.)
City Council Member Michael
Plunkett
Commissioner Marmion, LeWarne and Hall were excused from the meeting.
2. READING/APPROVAL OF MINUTES
There was not a quorum present to approve the minutes of October 14, 2004 and November 9, 2004.
3. ANNOUNCEMENT OF AGENDA
Commissioner Kindness questioned if the Commission should hold officer elections at their first meeting of 2005. Chair
Waite suggested that this issue be discussed as part of new business.
No changes were made to the proposed agenda.
4. REQUESTS FROM THE AUDIENCE
There was no one in the audience.
5. PUBLIC HEARINGS
There were no public hearings scheduled on the agenda.
6. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Chair Waite reported that the application for the Edmonds First Baptist Church went before the City Council on December
7r''. Councilmember Plunkett further reported that the City Council unanimously endorsed the Commission's
recommendation that the First Baptist Church is eligible to be on the Edmonds Register of Historic Places. It is now up to the
current property owners to make the ultimate determination. Chair Waite questioned if the property owners have a limited
amount of time to make this decision. Councilmember Plunkett said he does not recall whether the Commission's by-laws
call out a time limitation or not. If there is no time limit, he suggested that perhaps there should be since the status of the
structure could change over time.
Chair Waite questioned what type of paperwork the property owner would have to fill out in order to have the property listed
on the Edmonds Register of Historic Places. Ms. Campbell explained that once the property owner has submitted his/her
written authorization via a letter, staff would craft a draft ordinance for the City Council's consideration. Chair Waite said
one of the requirements is that the City must verify ownership of the property. He questioned if the property owners know
what they have to do to provide this information. City Councilmember Plunkett said the property owners understand that the
building has been nominated, but he is not sure they actually know what to do next. Ms. Campbell clarified that a
memorandum was forwarded to the property owners, along with the agenda item explaining the process. Chair Waite
summarized that the ball is in the property owner's court to make the next move.
7. SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS
a. Administrative Subcommittee Report
Councilmember Plunkett advised that he had nothing to report on behalf of the Administrative Subcommittee.
b. Communications Subcommittee Report
Commissioner Kindness said she previously advised staff that she would submit a press release regarding the two new
Commission members. She also noted that the press was present at the City Council Meeting at which they accepted the
Commission's recommendation related to the First Baptist Church application. She questioned if she should include the City
Council's action in the Commission's next press release. Councilmember Plunkett answered that he felt it would be
appropriate to forward a press release to the local newspapers regarding the City Council's action. The remainder of the
Commission agreed.
Ms. Campbell reported that City staff received a call from a newspaper reporter, Ms. Hahler, requesting the telephone
numbers of the two new Commissioners. While staff does not give out this type of information, she said she would forward
information to the new members asking them to give Ms. Hahler a call if they want to. Councilmember Plunkett suggested
that Ms. Hahler is probably interested in learning about each of the new Commissioners' background.
C. Historic Register Subcommittee Report
Commissioner Baker reported that the Historic Register Subcommittee has forwarded information to the City Council, and
the ball is currently in their court.
Chair Waite asked Commissioner Baker to share with the Commission what the Historic Register Subcommittee did to help
the church fill out the necessary forms. Commissioner Baker said that he and Commissioner Marmion spent an hour and a
half visiting the First Baptist Church, systematically checking off the various details of the building. The goal was to decide
what the most important historic features of the building were. This process worked well because Commissioner Marmion
obtained a checklist from the State, which simplified their review immensely.
Chair Waite reminded the Historic Register Subcommittee that the Commission has not yet seen their final report. Ms.
Campbell clarified that the Commission did receive the final report. In fact, she noted that the Commission took action to
approve the final report and forward it to the City Council for consideration. She reviewed that there were some small
changes made to the report by the Commission, but the changes were referenced in their recommendation to the City
Council. The final report should not be a surprise since all the amendments were approved by the Commission.
Commissioner Kindness suggested that perhaps a copy of the final report should be posted on the Commission's website.
The remainder of the Commission agreed.
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Ms. Campbell reported that Commissioner Marmion found an additional brochure to include in the packet of materials that
are distributed to citizens who are seeking information about historic preservation, and Councilmember Plunkett was able to
obtain numerous copies of the document. Chair Waite referred to the information carousel that is located in the Planning
Division Office. He noted that sometimes it is difficult to see that something is in the slot. Ms. Campbell said the
information is located in several locations, and not just in the carousel. Ms. Campbell provided each of the Commissioners
with a copy of the brochure.
d. Incentives Subcommittee Report
There was no new information for the Incentives Subcommittee to report.
8. NEW BUSINESS
a. Introduction and Welcome of New Commissioners
It was noted that Commissioner Hall was unable to attend the meeting.
Commissioner Binder introduced herself. She said she moved to Edmonds 3'/z years ago from Burlington, Vermont. They
settled in Edmonds because they wanted to be in a place that was close enough to Seattle but more affordable. They
stumbled upon Edmonds because of a wonderful real estate agent, and she has grown to love it. One of the things she really
loves about Edmonds is that it has a New England feel, which is unlike a lot of the other communities in the Seattle area. She
would like this feeling to be preserved. She said she has a strong commitment to preserving historic structures, and keeping
their quality consistent with the era in which they were built. Her training is mostly in art history and architectural history.
She has an undergraduate degree in art history and has worked for a fine arts publisher focusing on exhibition catalogues.
She has worked at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and was the arts
consultant for a corporate art collection for State Street Bank in Boston, which has a huge collection of maritime art. She
also worked for the St. Louis Art Museum and Historic Deerfield, which is a small town in Western Massachusetts that has
one main street that is all 17t'', 18t' and 19t' century houses. They have all been preserved on the exterior, and many of them
are used as museums.
Chair Waite welcomed Commissioner Binder to the Historic Preservation Commission. Councilmember Plunkett suggested
that, in light of Commissioner Binder's training in historic registers, she should be assigned to the Historic Register
Subcommittee. He also pointed out that they are not sure about the status of Commissioner Marmion at this time.
Commissioner Binder asked that she be allowed to read through the Commission by-laws and procedures and be prepared to
discuss her assignments further at the January meeting.
b. Plaques for Sites that are Identified on the Edmonds Register of Historic Places
Councilmember Plunkett reported that not much progress has been made in regard to plaques for the buildings that are
identified on the Edmonds Register of Historic Places. He suggested that the president of the South Snohomish County
Historical Society, which traditionally puts plaques on historic properties, has expressed an interest in working with the
Commission on this project. He questioned when or how the Commission would like to proceed. He noted that since
nomination applications are now being submitted, it is important for the Commission to make some decisions related to
plaques.
Commissioner Kindness recalled that one of the Commission's significant concerns was related to the cost of the plaques,
and Commissioner LeWarne has this information. Councilmember Plunkett suggested that the Commission direct
Commissioner LeWarne to begin discussions with the South Snohomish County Historical Society to determine if there
would be some benefit in working together. They could charge him with the responsibility of bringing back some ideas for
the Commission's consideration.
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Ms. Campbell said she has contacted other Certified Local Governments in the area to see what they do. Louise Lindgren,
with Snohomish County, indicated this is something they would like to do, but she did not think her Commission would have
the money to fund the program, and they can't require a property owner to purchase a plaque for their property. She said she
could communicate to Commissioner LeWarne the Commission's desire for him to gather facts and information about the
issue of plaques. She said she would also continue to contact staff members at other jurisdictions. The Commission agreed
this would be appropriate.
Chair Waite recalled that the Commission previously discussed plaques. One option that was considered was for the
Commission to create a common plaque, with a number on it. When a walking tour is created, a brochure could be created to
identify and provide additional details about each site. The plaques that are provided by the South Snohomish County
Historical Society are expensive, and the Commission questioned their ability to fund them. He recalled that the Commission
discussed options for funding the plaques. For example, they could encourage property owners to pay for the plaques, but
they could not require it. Commissioner Kindness agreed that a standard style of plaque would be appropriate to indicate that
the property has been designated on the Edmonds Register of Historic Places. However, she did not feel it would be
appropriate to number each plaque. She said that if they could order the plaques in volume, it would likely be less costly.
Once the basic information is available, the Commission could discuss funding options further, such as grants.
Chair Waite noted that the South Snohomish County Historical Society uses different criteria than the City of Edmonds to
identify historic structures. He suggested that Commission LeWarne research whether or not the Edmonds and South
Snohomish County criterion is even compatible. Commissioner Binder suggested that the Commission could also consider a
two -tiered program, which would provide a small plaque for all properties that are designated on the register. Another plaque
could be designed for those properties that are part of a walking tour. These plaques could even be used for properties that
are not on the register but are part of a historic walking tour of the City.
Councilmember Plunkett said it is important for Commissioner LeWarne to start bringing back some alternatives for the
Commission to review so that a decision could be made soon. The remainder of the Commission agreed. Commissioner
Kindness said she likes the idea of having the City logo on small plaques to identify the sites that are part of the Edmonds
Register of Historic Places. Chair Waite expressed the need for the Commission to establish their own identity as established
by the ordinance. On the other hand, it is also important to work with other organizations in the community.
9. ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTS
a. Historic Inventory Draft Report
Chair Waite reviewed that over three months ago the City hired an Architectural Historian Consultant to put together an
historic inventory of the City of Edmonds. The Commission was able to obtain funding for this project from the State, with
the City providing a matching in -kind contribution. The consultant has accumulated documents to prepare a report and a
context statement, which are intended to become guidelines for the Commission and the citizens related to historic
preservation. The consultant is supposed to provide a final report to the Commission when her work is completed.
Ms. Campbell said the consultant has provided her draft report, with a map of the sites that were included in the inventory.
There were more than 80 sites identified on the inventory, which is more than the consultant had originally anticipated. Mr.
Chave is working to schedule a time for the consultant to present her report orally to the Commission.
Councilmember Plunkett noted that there are over 1,000 buildings in the City that are at least 50 years old. He questioned
what criteria were used to come up with the 87 sites that were identified on the consultant's map. Ms. Campbell answered
that one criterion was that the site must be located in the downtown area because of the limited scope of the initial inventory.
In addition, the inventory was limited by time constraints. The 87 buildings are the ones that are the most significant of all
the older buildings in the downtown area. While there are other older buildings in the downtown that were not included on
the inventory, it is important to remember that they could be considered for nomination, too. Councilmember Plunkett said
it is important to find a way to characterize the 87 sites identified on the map without suggesting that these properties would
be the only ones considered for nomination.
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Chair Waite reminded the Commission that they occasionally receive comments from the public that they don't understand
the process of historic preservation. He questioned how the Commission would address situations and concerns that are
brought forward by property owners whose older buildings are not identified on the map. Ms. Campbell suggested that the
Commission hold off on discussing their major points of the inventory until after the consultant has made her presentation to
them. The Commission agreed to review the draft and prepare to discuss their questions and concerns after the consultant has
made her oral presentation. Commissioner Binder noted that this could be identified as a working survey by making it clear
that the 87 sites are those that have been identified through December 2004. However, it should also be clear that the survey
is ongoing and other sites could be added as time goes by. Chair Waite suggested that perhaps the 87 sites identified in the
report are the sites the consultant used to put together the context statement. Commissioner Binder recalled that another
criteria that was used by the consultant was whether or not each property appeared to meet the listing criteria for the National
Register of Historic Places and/or was within a potential local district.
The Commission agreed that the inventory report that was provided by the consultant provides a great place for the
Commission to start. They also expressed their appreciation for the map that was provided in the report, which identifies
each of the 87 properties in color. Ms. Campbell noted that the consultant completed an inventory form that includes a
picture, a description, etc. for each of the properties identified on the map. This took a great deal of time to complete.
b. Downtown Revitalization Trainine Institute Conference
Ms. Campbell advised that on behalf of the City, the City's Economic Development Director would submit an application for
the City to host the Downtown Revitalization Training Institute Conference in 2006. She explained that different cities are
awarded the opportunity to host this training program, and they offer their various meeting rooms and provide information on
accommodations within their city. She referred to information the Economic Development Director provided regarding the
training program, as well as information from past conferences that have been held in other locations.
Ms. Campbell advised that as part of the City's application, the Economic Development Director must provide examples of
what the different groups in the City might be willing to do. She has asked if the Commission would be willing to allow her
to list examples of things the Historic Preservation Commission could do, such as a historic walk. If the Commission decides
they want to participate, then the Economic Development Director would write the description of the walk for the
application. If Edmonds were eventually awarded the opportunity to host this conference, the Commissioners would have to
volunteer hours of their time to this effort. She noted that the City's application is due on January 151h, and she expressed her
opinion that this would provide an excellent opportunity for the Commission to present themselves to the community.
Commissioner Kindness suggested that each Commissioner communicate their ideas to staff via the email. Commissioner
Binder said another option would be to provide a walk centered around historic architecture and art throughout the City. Ms.
Campbell said the Economic Development Director has also approached the Arts Commission with a request that they
participate in the program, as well. Commissioner Binder suggested that this would be an opportunity for the Arts
Commission and the Historic Preservation Commission to join forces to provide a combined art and architecture walk. Ms.
Campbell said she would forward this suggestion to the Economic Development Director, who has indicated that she would
provide a brief description in the application to illustrate a sampling of things the Commission would be willing to do as part
of the conference. Perhaps she could use the new inventory map to pinpoint examples of historic places that could be part of
the walk.
Chair Arnold recalled that over the past year or two, the Commissioners have had to do a lot of work. It would be helpful to
have a better feel as to the amount of time the Economic Development Director would expect of them. Since they are a
volunteer Commission, they must be careful not to "burn out" their members. He said the more volunteers they have, the
better. Commissioner Kindness expressed her belief that the staff s request is something the Commission should naturally be
involved in. Chair Waite agreed. Commissioner Kindness expressed her opinion that this type of event would provide a
significant opportunity for them to promote historic preservation efforts in the City. She felt the Commission could handle
the additional workload.
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Councilmember Plunkett said another option would be for the Commission to offer a panel discussion regarding how to
establish a historic preservation Commission, etc. This would provide an opportunity for them to share their experiences
with representatives from other cities. Commissioner Binder suggested that once the Commission has put together a "public
art and architecture walk program," they could offer it on a monthly basis to residents of the City and the surrounding areas.
This could provide an opportunity for the Commission to make their efforts known to the community. Commissioner
Kindness agreed.
Again, Chair Waite expressed his concern that the Commission not put too much burden on their members. It is important to
share the workload amongst the group and be careful about how many commitments they make. The Commission agreed
that they would like to participate, as long as the time commitment is not too great. They agreed to review the proposal by
the Economic Development Director and discuss the request again at the January 131 meeting. They asked that staff
forward an email regarding the request to those Commissioners who were not present. Because it is important to provide
feedback to the staff before the January 91 meeting, Commissioner Kindness again suggested that the Commissioners submit
their ideas to each other via the email so they could be forwarded to the staff as soon as possible.
COMMISSIONER KINDNESS MOVED THAT THE COMMISSION AGREE TO HAVE A ROLE IN THE 2006
DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION TRAINING INSTITUTE PROGRAM. COMMISSIONER BAKER SECONDED THE
MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
The Commission discussed the idea of holding a special meeting or retreat to discuss their new goals and objectives.
10. REVIEW OF NEXT MEETING'S PROPOSED AGENDA
The Commission agreed that a discussion regarding plaques and an oral presentation from the historic survey consultant
should both be scheduled on the January meeting agenda. In addition, the Commission agreed to elect new officers. Chair
Waite also asked that staff provide a yearly calendar of the Commission meetings so that conflicts could be identified early
on.
Councilmember Plunkett recalled that a Commissioner had been given the responsibility of massaging the narrative
paragraph he wrote so that it could become the front page of the handout. Then staff was going to add the "meat" to the
document. Ms. Campbell said she would review the minutes to determine exactly where they were in the process.
Councilmember Plunkett recalled that the Commission's intent was that the handout be user friendly. However, they
discussed that more "meat" should be provided to aid staff when explaining the process to property owners.
The Commission agreed that the draft language should be brought before them at their next meeting to determine if it
provides a sufficient overview or not. They agreed to place this on the January 91 agenda.
11. HISTORIC PRESERVATION CHAIR COMMENTS
Chair Waite suggested that the Commission schedule an extra meeting sometime in early 2005 to discuss the establishment of
goals and objectives for the Commission. The Commissioners all agreed that an extra meeting would be appropriate to allow
them focus and prioritize their future efforts. Ms. Campbell suggested that perhaps they could hold a potluck dinner in
conjunction with their special meeting, which could be held directly after the regularly scheduled meeting on January 91.
The Commission directed staff to schedule a meeting room. They agreed that the meeting should be advertised to the public.
One of the Commissioners could prepare summary minutes of the special meeting discussion. Ms. Campbell agreed to
organize the potluck dinner.
Commissioner Kindness suggested that the Commission should always be working on a property in The Mill. In addition,
she noted that the Commission hasn't received an update on the Masonic Hall lately. Councilmember Plunkett advised that
Commissioner Marmion is working with these applicants, as well as a residential property owner, but his schedule is very
tight right now.
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Ms. Campbell said she has received a number of inquiries from property owners who are interested in nominating their
properties. In the handout she wants to be able to refer property owners to a building information that would describe the
process for making alterations to properties. However, the Commission never really made a decision on what they want the
building code handout to be. She said she would place this on the January or February agenda for further Commission
discussion.
Chair Waite reported that Mr. Chave asked him to write a letter to the City Council regarding the proposed proclamation
related to a City of Edmonds Preserve America Designation. He questioned when this proclamation would go before the City
Council. Councilmember Plunkett reported that the proclamation had already been approved by the City Council.
Commissioner Kindness inquired if this action should reported in the Commission's press release. Councilmember Plunkett
said a copy of the proclamation could be obtained from the City Clerk.
12. HISTORIC PRESERVATION MEMBER COMMENTS
The Commissioners welcomed Commissioners Binder and Hall as their new members.
13. ADJOURNMENT
The Commission meeting was adjourned at 4:56 p.m.
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