2007-04-12 Historic Preservation Commission MinutesHISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
SUMMARY MINUTES
April 12, 2007
CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL
Chair Kindness called the meeting of the Edmonds Historic Preservation Commission to order at 4:00 p.m. in the 3rd Floor
Conference Room of City Hall, 121 — 5' Avenue North.
COMMISSIONERS PRESENT
Barbara Kindness, Chair
Christine Deiner-Karr, Vice Chair
Steve Waite
Brian Hall
Norma Bruns
Rob VanTassell
Council Member Michael Plunkett
Council Member Mauri Moore
READING/APPROVAL OF MINUTES
STAFF PRESENT
Rob Chave, Planning Division Manager (arrived at 4:12 p.m.)
Diane Cunningham, Planning and Dev. Services
COMMISSIONERS ABSENT
Deborah Binder
VICE CHAIR DEINER-KARR MOVED THAT THE MINUTES OF MARCH 8, 2007 BE APPROVED AS
PRESENTED. COMMISSIONER HALL SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED
UNANIMOUSLY.
ANNOUNCEMENT OF AGENDA
Chair Kindness noted there would be some changes to the agenda.
REQUESTS FROM THE AUDIENCE
Mike Maestres, Architectural Design Board Member, reported that representatives from the Washington Cities Insurance
Association (WCIA) recently presented a training seminar that was attended by Architectural Design Board (ADB) and
Planning Board Members. The issue of discussion was related to potential litigation to the City and how the Board members
could do a better job. The meeting provided him with a more sober view of his duties and obligations and the way he should
comport himself in meetings. If similar seminars are offered in the future, he recommended Historic Preservation
Commission Members attend, as well.
Mr. Maestres shared some of the information he learned at the seminar and agreed to share his notes from the meeting with
the Commissioners. He noted that one of the main items of discussion was the need to separate quasi-judicial and legislative
matters. The presenter also emphasized that Board members should avoid making decisions based on personal preference.
Instead, their decisions should be based on whether or not an application meets the existing code requirements.
Council Member Moore agreed to ask Mayor Haakenson to schedule another WCIA seminar in the near future.
COMMITTEE REPORTS
Registration Committee
Mr. Chave announced that Mr. Bernheim's application is scheduled to go before the City Council for review and approval on
April 24t1i. Mr. Chave and Vice Chair Deiner-Karr agreed to work together to get letters from property owners so the
Commission's recommendations for the other nine nominations could move forward to the City Council. The Commission
agreed to conduct public hearings for the three additional nominations on June 141
Vice Chair Deiner-Karr said she would like the Commission to sponsor a "history hunt." Participants could be invited to
look for answers to questions at the library, museum, etc. The event could take place sometime during the summer months.
The Commission agreed this would provide an opportunity to make the Commission's historic preservation efforts more
visible to the public.
Education and Outreach Committee
Mr. Chave reported that he and Commissioner Binder would meet with the designer next week to get him started on
producing a mock up of the Commission's new brochure, which should be available for review at the May loth meeting.
Preservation Planning Committee
Commissioner VanTassell advised that the efforts of the Preservation Planning Committee have focused on reviewing the
Conceptual Design Standards for a Possible Heritage Neighborhood. He noted that this item would be discussed later on the
agenda.
OTHER REPORTS
Edmonds South Snohomish County Historical Society
Commissioner Bruns announced that there is a new exhibit at the Museum regarding the history of the Chamber of
Commerce. She urged the Commissioners to support the Snohomish County Museum in any way possible as they address
the water damage that occurred at their site. She noted that Frontier Bank is accepting donations for their Flood Restoration
Committee.
Holmes Corner
Commissioner Bruns reported that the Edmonds — South Snohomish County Historical Society has agreed to pay for a plaque
on Edmonds School District Property at Holmes Corner, and she hopes they move forward with the project soon.
Plaque Program
The Commission recalled their previous discussion about the need to have owners of properties on the Register sign some
type of agreement that would make it clear the plaques belong to the Edmonds Historic Preservation Commission. Mr.
Chave agreed to contact the City Attorney with a request that he provide language for an agreement of this type.
Commissioner Hall recalled Commissioner Waite's efforts to work with the City's sign shop to put a sign at Holmes Corner.
He suggested, and the Commission concurred, that they should also consider other locations where historic signs might be
appropriate; perhaps the public could be invited to share their recommendations. Commissioner Waite was asked to contact
Ms. White -Chapin, who is working with a consultant to develop a citywide sign program, to discuss how historic signs might
be coordinated with her program.
Frequently Asked Ouestions
Council Member Plunkett reminded the Commission that they previously agreed to schedule a work session discussion to
answer some of the Frequently Asked Questions. The Commission agreed to hold this discussion at their next meeting. They
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April 12, 2007 Page 2
further agreed that Council Member Plunkett should forward the questions to Chair Kindness, who would identify two or
three that could be discussed on May 8r''.
Zoning
Commissioner VanTassell referred the Commission to the draft Conceptual Design Standards for a Possible Heritage
Neighborhood. He advised that the Preservation Planning Committee has reviewed the document again and identified areas
that must be clarified before the document could be forwarded to the City Council for review prior to moving on to the
Planning Board. The Commission reviewed the following concepts:
1. The Adoption of the Design Guidelines for Building Design (Pages 4 —12).
Commissioner VanTassell advised that the Committee is not recommending any changes to the document at this point.
COMMISSIONER VANTASSELL MOVED THAT THE COMMISSION IS RESOLVED TO RECOMMEND
THE CITY COUNCIL ADOPT THE DESIGN STANDARDS (PAGES 4 — 12). COMMISSIONER HALL
SECONDED THE MOTION.
Council Member Plunkett questioned if using the word "adoption" might be too strong, since it could be interpreted to
mean that the Commission is 100% satisfied with the document even though it hasn't even gone to the Planning Board
yet. The remainder of the Commission concurred.
COMMISSIONER VANTASSELL MOVED TO AMEND HIS MOTION BY REPLACING THE WORD
"ADOPT" WITH "CONSIDER." COMMISSIONER HALL SECONDED THE AMENDMENT. THE
MOTION TO AMEND WAS APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY.
THE MAIN MOTION WAS UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED AS AMENDED.
2. The Ability for Two Historic Preservation Commission Members to serve with the Architectural Design Board
(ADB) when any property within the BD-1 zone is being considered.
Commissioner VanTassell said the Preservation Planning Committee originally recommended that two professional
members of the Historic Preservation Commission serve with the ADB when reviewing applications for properties
within the heritage neighborhood. He suggested that this language be changed to allow any member of the Historic
Preservation Commission to participate in the ADB review. He also suggested that reference to the "heritage
neighborhood" be changed to "properties within the BD-1 zone." It was discussed that there are only two professional
members on the Historic Preservation Commission. Therefore, it would be unreasonable to restrict participation on the
ADB to only the professional Commissioners.
COMMISSIONER VANTASSELL MOVED THAT THE COMMISSION IS RESOLVED TO HAVE TWO
EDMONDS HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION MEMBERS AS VOTING MEMBERS ON THE
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN BOARD WHEN ANY PROPERTY WITHIN THE BD-1 ZONE IS BEING
CONSIDERED. VICE CHAIR DEINER-KARR SECONDED THE MOTION.
The Commission discussed the possible implications of the proposed change. They acknowledged that the proposal
could raise some legal and other concerns but agreed it would be appropriate to forward their recommendation on for
further discussion at the Planning Board and City Council level. Legal issues could be addressed at that time by the
Planning Board, City Council, and the City Attorney.
The Commission also discussed whether their role on the ADB should be advisory or if they should have voting
privileges. The Commission agreed that the intent of their proposal is for the Historic Preservation Commission to have
an active role in decisions that are made by the ADB related to the BD-1 zone. It was pointed out that without having an
opportunity to vote on decisions, the Commission would be unable to ensure that historic considerations are accounted
for.
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THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
3. The Purpose Statement.
Commissioner VanTassell recalled Council Member Marin's suggestion that they add the following phrase to the
purpose section: "The intent of the design standards is to preserve and mimic the historic elements." It was noted that
the first sentence in the purpose statement has the same intent as the language proposed by Council Member Marin. The
Commission agreed to forward the current draft language to the City Council for review. They asked Council Members
Moore and Plunkett to confer with Council Member Marin regarding the intent of his proposed change.
4. The Historic Preservation Commission's ability to review each application for building demolition.
Commissioner Waite said it is important to recognize that the Historic Preservation Commission does not have the
ability to stop a property owner from demolishing a building. However, the proposed language recommends the
Commission at least have an opportunity to educate property owners about historic preservation opportunities.
The Commission discussed their desire to have some opportunity to explore alternative options when property owners
propose the demolition of historic properties. Mr. Chave noted that while it would be appropriate for the Commission
to propose a waiting period for demolition permits, it would probably be better not to include a lengthy list of elements
the Commission should consider. The Commission concurred that the list of elements should be deleted before their
recommendation is forwarded to the City Council.
VICE CHAIR DIENER-KARR MOVED THAT THE COMMISSION RECOMMEND TO THE CITY
COUINCIL THAT DEMOLITION PERMITS BE WITHHELD FOR 60 DAYS WHILE THE HISTORIC
PRESERVATION COMMISSION ATTEMPTS TO EXPLORE ALTERNATIVES TO DEMOLITION.
COMMISSIONER VANTASSELL SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
5. The Historic Preservation Commission's Role in Reviewing the Proposed Design Guidelines.
The Commission discussed the role they would like to play in the process of reviewing the draft Design Guidelines for
the Possible Heritage Neighborhood. They agreed it would be appropriate for them to be involved in Planning Board
discussions related to the proposed document, and they asked Council Member Plunkett to communicate this desire to
the City Council.
COMMISSIONER VANTASSELL MOVED THAT THE COMMISSION RECOMMEND THAT THE CITY
COUNCIL DIRECT THE PLANNING BOARD TO INCORPORATE THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION
COMMISSION INTO THE PROCESS FOR DEVELOPING THE NEW DESIGN GUIDELINES FOR THE BD-
1 ZONE. VICE CHAIR DEINER-KARR SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED
UNANIMOUSLY.
6. Additional Incentives to Encourage Property Owners to Place Properties on the Register.
Commissioner VanTassell advised that the Preservation Planning Committee does not believe there are enough
incentives to encourage developers to place their buildings on the Register. He noted that property owners are interested
in getting enough buildable area for their project. While they understand that vocal citizens in Edmonds have expressed
their opposition to additional height in the BD-1 zone, granting a 5-foot height bonus would provide an incentive to
encourage the preservation of historic buildings. The additional height would allow a developer to expand a building
without impacting the historic integrity of the building or the neighborhood.
COMMISSIONER VANTASSELL MOVED THAT THE COMMISSION REQUEST THE CITY COUNCIL
DIRECT THE PLANNING BOARD TO CREATE ANOTHER INCENTIVE OR NEGOTIATING TOOL FOR
DEVELOPERS TO PRESERVE EXISTING STRUCTURES. FOR EXAMPLE, A BONUS HEIGHT OF FIVE
FEET WOULD ENCOURAGE THE PRESERVATION OF BUILDINGS ON THE REGISTER BY
ALLOWING THEM TO GO UP IN HEIGHT WITHOUT DESTRUCTION OF THE BUILDING.
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COMMISSIONER HALL MOVED THAT THE COMMISSION RECOMMEND THE CITY COUNCIL
DESIGNATE THE BD-1 ZONE AS A HERITAGE NEIGHBORHOOD. COMMISSIONER VANTASSEL
SECONDED THE MOTION. THE MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
The Commission discussed the process for presenting their six points to the City Council for review. Commissioner
VanTassell agreed to prepare a Power Point presentation of the Commission's recommendation. They asked staff to schedule
the item on the City Council's agenda.
HISTORIC PRESERVATION CHAIR COMMENTS
Chair Kindness suggested the Commission assign a representative to present the Bernheim application to the City Council at
their April 24' meeting. Chair Kindness and Commissioner Waite agreed to attend the City Council Meeting on behalf of
the Commission.
Chair Kindness reminded the Commission that a mock up of the Commission's new brochure would be available for review
at the May 10' meeting.
HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSIONER COMMENTS
Commissioner VanTassell thanked the Commissioners for their candid and productive discussions throughout the meeting.
Council Member Plunkett thanked the Preservation Planning Commission for their hard work
Ms. Cunningham informed the Commission that she would be taking the next month off, but she would be in and out of the
office a few times each week.
ADJOURNMENT
The Commission meeting was adjourned at 5:58 p.m.
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