2023-06-08 Historic Preservation Commission PacketOp E D
o Agenda
- Edmonds Historic Preservation Commission
s71. ,Hv� REGULAR MEETING
BRACKETT ROOM
121 5TH AVE N, CITY HALL - 3RD FLOOR, EDMONDS, WA 98020
JUNE 8, 2023, 5:30 PM
REMOTE MEETING INFORMATION:
Remote meeting link: https:Hedmondswa-
gov.zoom.us/j/87419346600?pwd=YmVIV1JQMjhiMj IrS25pUjY1Wk9BUT09
Meeting ID: 874 1934 6600 Passcode: 629853
This is a Hybrid meeting. The public may attend in -person or on-line. The physical location of the
meeting is at Edmonds City Hall 121 5th Avenue N., 3rd floor Brackett Room.
You may call in to meeting:US: +1 253 205 0468 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1
408 638 0968
LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT
We acknowledge the original inhabitants of this place, the Sdohobsh (Snohomish) people and
their successors the Tulalip Tribes, who since time immemorial have hunted, fished, gathered, and
taken care of these lands. We respect their sovereignty, their right to self-determination, and we
honor their sacred spiritual connection with the land and water.
Flag Salute
1. CALL TO ORDER
ROLL CALL
2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
1. Approval of May 11, 2023 Meeting Minutes
3. AGENDA ADDITIONS / CHANGES
4. REQUESTS FROM THE AUDIENCE
5. NEW BUSINESS
6. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
1. 7580 : Historic Preservation Training Session Summary
2. 7581 : Continued Discussion of Research, Projects and Events
7. ACTION ITEMS
8. COMMISSION CHAIR COMMENTS
9. COMMISSIONER COMMENTS
Edmonds Historic Preservation Commission Agenda
June 8, 2023
Page 1
10. ADJOURNMENT
Edmonds Historic Preservation Commission Agenda
June 8, 2023
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Historic Preservation Commission Agenda Item
Meeting Date: 06/8/2023
Approval of May 11, 2023 Meeting Minutes
Staff Lead: {enter Staff Lead or "N/A" here}
Department: Planning Division
Prepared By: Michele Szafran
Staff Recommendation
Approve May 11, 2023 Meeting Minutes
Narrative
The draft meetings minutes for the May 11, 2023 HPC regular meeting are attached.
Attachments:
May 11, 2023 Draft Meeting Minutes
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CITY OF EDMONDS
HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
Summary Minutes of Regular Meeting
May 11, 2023
CALL TO ORDER, LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, FLAG SALUTE, AND ROLL CALL
Chair Vogel called the meeting of the Edmonds Historic Preservation Commission to order at 5:32 p.m.
and read the land acknowledgement. Commissioner Preston led the Pledge of Allegiance.
Commissioners Present
Larry Vogel (Chair)
Chris Deiner-Karr
David Preston
Tim Raetzloff
Sam Spencer
Commissioners Absent
Katie Kelly (absent)
MINUTES
Staff Present
Michele Szafran, Planner
Others Present
Dave Teitzel, Edmonds City Council Representative
Michelle Thompson, Dept. of Archaeology & Historic Preservation
Approval of April 13, 2023 HPC Minutes
It was noted that Commissioner Preston should be corrected to Commissioner Spencer in the last paragraph on
the last page.
The April 13, 2023 HPC minutes were approved as amended.
AGENDA ADDITIONS/CHANGES
The agenda was approved as presented.
REQUESTS FROM THE AUDIENCE
There were no audience comments.
NEW BUSINESS
Historic Preservation Training Session with Q&A
Historic Preservation Commission Meeting Minutes
May 11, 2023
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Michelle Thompson, Certified Local Government (CLG) Coordinator for the Washington State Department of
Archaeology and Historic Preservation (DAHP), provided a presentation regarding the CLG program and
assessing historic integrity. She gave some background on historic preservation in the United States and
discussed CLG status. CLG functions include promoting preservation and educating Edmonds' citizens about
its benefits; hiring consultants with CLG grants to survey buildings; reviewing nominations to the Edmonds
Register of Historic Places; reviewing changes to buildings on the Register (design review); reviewing
nominations to the National Register; and reviewing special tax valuation applications. Benefits of being a CLG
include direct technical assistance from DAHP; opportunities to apply for annual grants; and design review.
CLG grant money can be used for surveying historic buildings, educational materials, trainings, national and
local register nominations, national and local register historic district nominations, etc. Chair Vogel asked if the
grant money could be used for structural reinforcement for earthquakes. Ms. Thompson replied that it could be
used for that. She encouraged the HPC to contact her if they have any ideas, because there is a lot of flexibility
with the grants. She noted that if they want to get money for a historic building it needs to be listed on a historic
register.
Ms. Thompson explained there are three potential historic registers — national, state, and local. The national and
state registers are both honorary with no review unless you are getting funding. The local register has design
review. Questions and answers followed about details. She explained that a historic district is a way to add a
bunch of buildings to a register at once. She discussed Edmonds' Local Historic Preservation Ordinance
including the Edmonds Register of Historic Places criteria. There are seven aspects of integrity: design,
materials, workmanship, location, setting, feeling, and association. These are weighted differently based on the
reason that something is placed on the register. Ms. Thompson discussed the difference between "integrity" and
"condition". Integrity means it has a lot of its historic parts that tell a story. A building doesn't have to be 100%
original. For example, she commented that if it doesn't have all the original windows, it doesn't matter. The
HPC was very relieved to hear this and expressed frustration that they had wasted several years because of a
misunderstanding of this issue. Commissioners noted there were several houses that had not been approved
because the windows had been replaced. One was the Palmer house. It was on the list but came off because the
owners said they were going to make a change to the window upstairs. Ms. Thompson stressed that they need
to make sure they are making their case on the nomination form. If the building has any integrity, those features
should be listed out as bullet points on the nomination form. The code says that design review criteria shall
apply to all features of the property that contribute to its designation and are listed on the nomination form. She
also briefly mentioned the Secretary of the Interior's Standards. These are important guidelines emphasizing
repair over replacement. She stressed that the philosophy of preservation is changing pretty rapidly and offered
to come back anytime to provide more information.
The Board discussed what a relief it was to hear that some of the strict criteria they had been imposing did not
need to be that way. There was consensus about the importance of getting more familiar with the historic
preservation ordinance.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Continued Discussion of Research, Projects, and Events
Historic Preservation Commission Meeting Minutes
May 11, 2023
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Chair Vogel said he has been busy with work and has not been able get the newsletter back up again as he had
intended. He requested any help or ideas for copy that anyone might have. Commissioner Preston asked about
bringing back some old data or articles. Chair Vogel thought an encore edition would be fairly easy to do.
Commissioner Preston offered to review it or edit it. Commissioner Deiner-Karr offered to do research up at
the county, if needed. Chair Vogel noted the article about the weir is on the back burner now because the
approach to that project has changed.
Chair Vogel said he had committed to get together information about special tax valuation and what the benefits
are, but Ms. Szafran did it for him. She indicated she could circulate it to the Commission.
Commissioner Deiner-Karr said she would like to go back through some of the houses that had previously been
brought up to see about getting them on the register.
Commissioner Raetzloff spoke in support of getting the Palmer house back on the register. He commented that
Edmonds' ordinance is written similar in its requirements to the national ordinance and wondered if it would
need to be amended before they can start putting places like the Palmer house back on the register. Other
members did not think so. Commissioner Raetzloffwondered if they could use the fact that something is on the
national register to put it on the local register. Commissioner Deiner-Karr suggested asking Michelle Thompson.
Commissioner Deiner-Karr said she is starting to think about doing the calendar again. She would like to get it
done by September. She and Commissioner Spencer are thinking about having a theme of odd and unique things
in Edmonds. Examples brought up were stories about the old theater or the school buses. She will be soliciting
ideas. Commissioner Preston suggested putting out a request for people to share their old photos. Commissioner
Spencer agreed and noted that when there are stories in My Edmonds News people often share their stories as
a result. Commissioner Deiner-Karr also noted she got all the pictures from the county of the old Motor Court.
Commissioner Raetzloff asked if someone has pictures of old street signs when they had different names. Chair
Vogel suggested checking with Commissioner Kelly. Commissioner Teitzel added that Betty Lou Gaeng wrote
a bunch of articles about odd and interesting things that they could use. Commissioner Deiner-Karr said she has
all those. She has known Betty since she was a little girl and is in contact with her daughter about taking her old
articles and making them into a book.
COMMISSION CHAIR COMMENTS
Chair Vogel encouraged the HPC to continue to come up with creative ways to resurrect the newsletter
COMMISSIONER COMMENTS
Commissioner Spencer said he is working on getting some sort of designation for the house that Gertie Perrin
lived in. It is now Nelson Carpet Cleaning.
Councilmember Teitzel said he has been talking to the museum about doing something to honor Betty Lou
Gaeng. They are thinking about naming their research library in her honor. The HPC thought that was very
appropriate.
Historic Preservation Commission Meeting Minutes
May 11, 2023
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Commissioner Preston said he was very encouraged by the presenter, Michelle Thompson, today. It was like
drinking from a fire hose so he is glad they will have a copy of the presentation. This will increase the
opportunities to get houses on the Edmonds Register. He would like to have her back sometime.
Commissioner Deiner-Karr suggested she might contact Michelle Thompson sometime to go through all the
applications that were previously rejected because they might be possibilities now.
There was some discussion about the composition of the Commission and vacant positions.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 6:53 p.m.
Historic Preservation Commission Meeting Minutes
May 11, 2023
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Historic Preservation Commission Agenda Item
Meeting Date: 06/8/2023
Training Session Summary
Staff Lead: Michele Szafran
Department: Planning Division
Prepared By: Michele Szafran
Narrative
Michelle Thompson, the Certified Local Government (CLG) Coordinator for the Washington State
Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, provided a training session at the last regular
meeting on May 11th. The attached documents and weblinks provide a summary of many of the topics
discussed and are provided for future use and reference.
Staff is requesting that HPC members review ECDC Chapter 20.45 (Edmonds Register of Historic Places),
which is attached for reference.
Also attached are the ten (10) standards relating to the Secretary of the Interior's (SOI) Standards for
Rehabilitation.
Ms. Thompson provided brief explanations regarding how Integrity is weighted differently depending on
the criteria for which the resource was nominated. The criteria are explained in the attachment 101-
Seven Aspects of Integrity as well as the weblink titled Episode 9 - Evaluating Historic Integrity.
Additional materials included for reference include a weblink to Preservation Briefs - Technical
Preservation Services on the U.S. National Park Service website (nps.gov), and a weblink to Virginia
McAlester's book "A Field Guide to American Houses", which aims to "enable(s) you to identify, and
place in their historic and architectural contexts, the houses you see in your neighborhood or in your
travels across America. 17th century to the present."
Another document included in this summary is a handout regarding special valuation (a local tax
incentive).
The power point presentation provided at the May 11th meeting from Michelle Thompson will also be
provided along with the attached training materials.
Please note that additional training sessions may be scheduled as needed.
Attachments:
SOI-Standards-for-Rehabilitation
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Chapter 20.45 ECDC
Preservation Briefs
A Field Guide to American Houses
National Register Guide Episode 9: Evaluating Historic Integrity
101= _Seven_Aspects_of_Integrity-HANDBOOK
Special Valuation Pamphlet 2012_0_0
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Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation projects must meet the following Standards, as interpreted by the
National Park Service, to qualify as "certified rehabilitations" eligible for the 20%
rehabilitation tax credit. The Standards are applied to projects in a reasonable
manner, taking into consideration economic and technical feasibility.
The Standards apply to historic buildings of all periods, styles, types, materials, and
sizes. They apply to both the exterior and the interior of historic buildings. The
Standards also encompass related landscape features and the building's site and
environment as well as attached, adjacent, or related new construction.
1. A property shall be used for its historic purpose or be placed in a new use
that requires minimal change to the defining characteristics of the building
and its site and environment.
2. The historic character of a property shall be retained and preserved. The
removal of historic materials or alteration of features and spaces that
characterize a property shall be avoided.
3. Each property shall be recognized as a physical record of its time, place, and
use. Changes that create a false sense of historical development, such as
adding conjectural features or architectural elements from other buildings,
shall not be undertaken.
4. Most properties change over time; those changes that have acquired historic
significance in their own right shall be retained and preserved.
5. Distinctive features, finishes, and construction techniques or examples of
craftsmanship that characterize a historic property shall be preserved.
6. Deteriorated historic features shall be repaired rather than replaced. Where
the severity of deterioration requires replacement of a distinctive feature, the
new feature shall match the old in design, color, texture, and other visual
qualities and, where possible, materials. Replacement of missing features
shall be substantiated by documentary, physical, or pictorial evidence.
7. Chemical or physical treatments, such as sandblasting, that cause damage to
historic materials shall not be used. The surface cleaning of structures, if
appropriate, shall be undertaken using the gentlest means possible.
8. Significant archeological resources affected by a project shall be protected
and preserved. If such resources must be disturbed, mitigation measures
shall be undertaken.
9. New additions, exterior alterations, or related new construction shall not
destroy historic materials that characterize the property. The new work shall
be differentiated from the old and shall be compatible with the massing, size,
scale, and architectural features to protect the historic integrity of the
property and its environment.
10.New additions and adjacent or related new construction shall be undertaken
in such a manner that if removed in the future, the essential form and
integrity of the historic property and its environment would be unimpaired.
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Chapter 20.45
EDMONDS REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES
Sections:
20.45.000 Definitions.
20.45.010 Criteria for determining designation in the register.
20.45.020 Process for designating properties or districts to the Edmonds historic register.
20.45.030 Removal of properties from the register.
20.45.040 Effects of listing on the register.
20.45.050 Review of changes to Edmonds register of historic places properties.
20.45.060 Relationship to zoning.
20.45.070 Review and monitoring of properties for special property tax valuation.
20.45.080 Special valuation agreement.
20.45.090 Appeals.
20.45.000 Definitions.
The following words and terms apply when used in this chapter and in Chapter 10.90 ECC, unless a different
meaning clearly appears from the context:
A. "Edmonds historic inventory" or "inventory" means the comprehensive inventory of historic and prehistoric
resources within the boundaries of the city of Edmonds.
B. "Edmonds historic preservation commission" or "commission" means the commission created by Chapter
10.90 ECC.
C. "Edmonds register of historic places," "local register," or "register" means the listing of locally designated
properties provided for in ECDC 20.45.010.
D. "Actual cost of rehabilitation" means costs incurred within 24 months prior to the date of application and
directly resulting from one or more of the following:
1. Improvements to an existing building located on or within the perimeters of the original structure; or
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2. Improvements outside of but directly attached to the original structure which are necessary to make the
building fully useable but shall not include rentable/habitable floor space attributable to new construction; or
3. Architectural and engineering services attributable to the design of the improvements; or all costs
defined as "qualified rehabilitation expenditures" for purposes of the federal historic preservation investment
tax credit.
E. A "building" is a structure constructed by human beings. This includes both residential and nonresidential
buildings, main and accessory buildings.
F. "Certificate of appropriateness" means the document reflecting that the commission has reviewed the
proposed changes to a local register property or within a local register historic district and certified the changes
as not adversely affecting the historic characteristics of the property which contribute to its designation.
G. "Certified local government" or "CLG" means the designation reflecting that the local government has been
jointly certified by the State Historic Preservation Officer and the National Park Service as having established its
own historic preservation commission and a program meeting federal and state standards.
H. "Class of properties eligible to apply for special valuation in Edmonds" means all properties listed on the
National Register of Historic Places or certified as contributing to a National Register Historic District which
have been substantially rehabilitated at a cost and within a time period which meets the requirements set forth in
Chapter 84.26 RCW, until the city becomes a certified local government (CLG). Once a CLG, the class of
properties eligible to apply for special valuation in Edmonds means all properties listed on the Edmonds and/or
National Register of Historic Places or properties certified as contributing to an Edmonds and/or National
Register Historic District which have been substantially rehabilitated at a cost and within a time period which
meets the requirements set forth in Chapter 84.26 RCW.
I. "Cost' means the actual cost of rehabilitation, which cost shall be at least 25 percent of the assessed
valuation of the historic property, exclusive of the assessed value attributable to the land, prior to rehabilitation.
J. A "district' is a geographically definable area, urban or rural, small or large, possessing a significant
concentration, linkage or continuity of sites, buildings, structures and/or objects united by past events or
aesthetically by plan or physical development.
K. "Emergency repair" means work necessary to prevent destruction or dilapidation to real property or structural
appurtenances thereto immediately threatened or damaged by fire, flood, earthquake or other disaster.
L. "Historic property" means real property together with improvements thereon, except property listed in a
register primarily for objects buried below ground, which is listed in a local register of a certified local
government or the National Register of Historic Places.
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M. "Incentives" are such rights or privileges or combination thereof which the city council, or other local, state or
federal public body or agency, by virtue of applicable present or future legislation, may be authorized to grant or
obtain for the owner(s) of register properties. Examples of economic incentives include but are not limited to tax
relief, conditional use permits, rezoning, street vacation, planned unit development, transfer of development
rights, facade easements, gifts, preferential leasing policies, beneficial placement of public improvements or
amenities, or the like.
N. "Local review board" or "board" used in Chapter 84.26 RCW and Chapter 254-20 WAC for the special
valuation of historic properties means the commission created in Chapter 10.90 ECC.
O. "Mitigate" means to alleviate, compensate for or otherwise lessen the effects of a loss of an Edmonds
register property through conditions determined by the commission or other designated method.
P. "National Register of Historic Places" means the national listing of properties significant to our cultural history
because of their documented importance to our history, architectural history, engineering, or cultural heritage.
Q. An "object" is a thing of functional, aesthetic, cultural, historical, or scientific value that may be, by nature or
design, movable yet related to a specific setting or environment.
R. "Ordinary repair and maintenance" means work for which a permit issued by the city is not required by law,
and where the purpose and effect of such work is to correct any deterioration or decay of or damage to the real
property or structure appurtenance therein and to restore the same, as nearly as may be practicable, to the
condition prior to the occurrence of such deterioration, decay, or damage.
S. "Owner" of property is the fee simple owner of record as exists on the Snohomish County assessor's records
T. "Significance" or "significant" used in the context of historic significance means the following: a property with
local, state, or national significance is one which helps in the understanding of the history of the local area, state,
or nation (whichever is applicable) by illuminating the local, statewide, or nationwide impact of the events or
persons associated with the property, or its architectural type or style in information potential. The local area can
include Edmonds, Snohomish County, or the Puget Sound region, or a modest geographic or cultural area, such
as a neighborhood. Local significance may apply to a property that illustrates a theme that is important to one or
more localities; state significance to a theme important to the history of the state; and national significance to
property of exceptional value in representing or illustrating an important theme in the history of the nation.
U. A "site" is a place where a significant event or pattern of events occurred. It may be the location of prehistoric
or historic occupation or activities that may be marked by physical remains; or it may be the symbolic focus of a
significant event or pattern of events that may not have been actively occupied. A site may be the location of a
ruined or now nonexistent building or structure, or the location itself possesses historic cultural or archaeological
significance.
Edmonds City Code and Community Development Code are current through Ordinance 4294, passed February 28, 2C
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V. "Special valuation for historic properties" or "special valuation" means the local option program which when
implemented makes available to property owners a special tax valuation for rehabilitation of historic properties
under which the assessed value of an eligible historic property is determined at a rate that excludes, for up to 10
years, the actual cost of the rehabilitation (Chapter 84.26 RCW).
W. "State Register of Historic Places" means the state listing of properties significant to the community, state, or
nation but which may or may not meet the criteria of the National Register.
X. A "structure" is a work made up of interdependent and interrelated parts in a definite pattern of organization.
Generally constructed by man, it is often an engineering project.
Y. "Universal transverse mercator" or "UTM" means the grid zone in metric measurement providing for an exact
point of numerical reference.
Z. "Waiver of a certificate of appropriateness" or "waiver" means the document indicating that the commission
has reviewed the proposed whole or partial demolition of a local register property or in a local register historic
district and failing to find alternatives to demolition has issued a waiver of a certificate of appropriateness which
allows the building or zoning official to issue a permit for demolition.
AA. "Washington State Advisory Council's Standards for the Rehabilitation and Maintenance of Historic
Properties" or "State Advisory Council's Standards" means the rehabilitation and maintenance standards used by
the Edmonds historic preservation commission as minimum requirements for determining whether or not the
property continues to be eligible for special valuation once it has been so classified. [Ord. 3397 § 1, 2002].
20.45.010 Criteria for determining designation in the register.
Any building, structure, site, object or district may be designated for inclusion in the Edmonds register of historic
places if it is significantly associated with the history, architecture, archaeology, engineering or cultural heritage
of the community; if it has integrity; is at least 50 years old, or is of lesser age and has exceptional importance;
and if it falls in at least one of the following categories:
A. Is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of national, state or
local history.
B. Embodies the distinctive architectural characteristics of a type, period, style or method of design or
construction, or represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual
distinction.
C. Is an outstanding work of a designer, builder or architect who has made a substantial contribution to the art.
D. Exemplifies or reflects special elements of the city's cultural, special, economic, political, aesthetic,
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engineering or architectural history.
E. Is associated with the lives of persons significant in national, state or local history.
F. Has yielded or may be likely to yield important archaeological information related to history or prehistory.
G. Is a building or structure removed from its original location but which is significant primarily for architectural
value, or which is the only surviving structure significantly associated with a historic person or event.
H. Is a birthplace or grave of a historical figure of outstanding importance and is the only surviving structure or
site associated with that person.
I. Is a cemetery which derives its primary significance from age, from distinctive design features, or from
association with historic events or cultural patterns.
J. Is a reconstructed building that has been executed in a historically accurate manner on the original site
K. Is a creative and unique example of folk architecture and design created by persons not formally trained in the
architectural or design professions, and which does not fit into formal architectural or historical categories; the
designation shall include description of the boundaries. [Ord. 3397 § 1, 2002].
20.45.020 Process for designating properties or districts to the Edmonds historic register.
A. Any person may nominate a building, structure, site, object or district for inclusion in the Edmonds register of
historic places. Members of the historic preservation commission or the commission as a whole may generate
nominations. In its designation decision, the commission shall consider the Edmonds historic inventory and the
city's comprehensive plan.
B. In the case of individual properties, the designation shall include the UTM reference and all features, interior
and exterior, and outbuildings which contribute to its designation.
C. In the case of districts, the characteristics of the district which justifies its designation, and a list of all
properties including features, structures, sites and objects which contribute to the designation of the district
D. The historic preservation commission shall consider the merits of the nomination, according to the criteria in
ECDC 20.45.010 and according to the nomination review standards established in rules, at a public meeting.
Adequate notice will be given to the public, the owner(s) and the authors of the nomination, if different, and
lessees, if any, of the subject property prior to the public meeting according to standards for public meetings
established in rules and in compliance with Chapter 42.30 RCW, Open Public Meetings Act. Such notice shall
include publication in the city's official newspaper of general circulation and posting of the property. If the
commission finds that the nominated property is eligible for the Edmonds register of historic places, the
commission shall make recommendation to the city council that the property be listed in the register with
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owner's consent. In the case of historic districts, the commission shall research and recommend, and the city
council shall adopt by ordinance, a percentage of property owners which is deemed adequate to demonstrate
owner consent. The public, property owner(s) and the authors of the nomination, if different, and lessees, if any,
shall be notified of the listing.
E. Properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places or the State Register of Historic Places shall be
deemed eligible for listing in the register without the requirement for review by the historic preservation
commission. Formal listing in the Edmonds register of historic places shall only require the owner's consent and
approval by the Edmonds city council. Such listing shall still require the UTM reference and identification of
contributing features required under subsection (B) of this section.
F. Properties listed on the Edmonds register of historic places shall be recorded on official zoning records with
an "HR" (for historic register) designation. This designation shall not change or modify the underlying zone
classification. [Ord. 3598 § 1, 2006; Ord. 3397 § 1, 2002].
20.45.030 Removal of properties from the register.
In the event that any property is no longer eligible for listing on the Edmonds register of historic places, the
commission may initiate removal from such designation by the same procedure as provided for establishing the
designation, ECDC 20.45.020. A property may be removed from the Edmonds register without the owner's
consent. [Ord. 3397 § 1, 2002].
20.45.040 Effects of listing on the register.
A. Listing on the Edmonds register of historic places is an honorary designation denoting significant association
with the historic, archaeological, engineering or cultural heritage of the community. Properties are listed
individually or as contributing properties to a historic district.
B. Prior to the commencement of any work on a register property, excluding ordinary repair and maintenance
and emergency measures defined in ECDC 20.45.000(K) and (R), the owner must request and receive a
certificate of appropriateness from the commission for the proposed work. Violation of this rule shall be grounds
for the commission to review the property for removal from the register.
C. Prior to whole or partial demolition of a register property, the owner must request and receive a waiver of a
certificate of appropriateness.
D. Once Edmonds is certified as a certified local government (CLG), all properties listed on the Edmonds
register of historic places may be eligible for a special tax valuation on their rehabilitation (ECDC 20.45.070).
[Ord. 3397 § 1, 2002].
20.45.050 Review of changes to Edmonds register of historic places properties.
A. Review Required. No person shall change the use, construct any new building or structure, or reconstruct,
Edmonds City Code and Community Development Code are current through Ordinance 4294, passed February 28, 2C
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alter, restore, remodel, repair, move or demolish any existing property on the Edmonds register of historic
places or within a historic district on the Edmonds register of historic places without review by the commission
and without receipt of a certificate of appropriateness, or in the case of demolition, a waiver, as a result of the
review.
The review shall apply to all features of the property, interior and exterior, that contribute to its designation and
are listed on the nomination form. Information required by the commission to review the proposed changes are
established in rules.
B. Exemptions. The following activities do not require a certificate of appropriateness or review by the
commission: ordinary repair and maintenance which includes painting or emergency measures defined in ECDC
20.45.000(K) .
C. Review Process.
1. Requests for Review and Issuance of a Certificate of Appropriateness or Waiver. The building or zoning
official shall report any application for a permit to work on a designated Edmonds register property or in an
Edmonds register historic district to the commission. If the activity is not exempt from review, the
commission shall notify the applicant of the review requirements. The building or zoning official shall not
issue any such permit until a certificate of appropriateness or a waiver is received from the commission but
shall work with the commission in considering building and fire code requirements.
2. Commission Review. The owner or his/her agent (architect, contractor, lessee, etc.) shall apply to the
commission for a review of proposed changes on an Edmonds register property and request a certificate of
appropriateness or, in the case of demolition, a waiver. Each application for review of proposed changes
shall be accompanied by such information as is required by the commission established in its rules for the
proper review of the proposed project.
The commission shall meet with the applicant and review the proposed work according to the design review
criteria established in rules. Unless legally required, there shall be no notice, posting or publication requirements
for action on the application, but all such actions shall be made at regular meetings of the commission. The
commission shall complete its review and make its recommendations within 30 days of the date of receipt of the
application. If the commission is unable to process the request, the commission may ask for an extension of
time.
The commission's recommendations shall be in writing and shall state the findings of fact and reasons relied
upon in reaching its decision. Any conditions agreed to by the applicant in this review process shall become
conditions of approval of the permits granted. If the owner agrees to the commission's recommendations, a
certificate of appropriateness shall be awarded by the commission according to standards established in the
commission's rules.
Edmonds City Code and Community Development Code are current through Ordinance 4294, passed February 28, 2C
Packet Pg. 17
Edmonds Chapter 20.45 EDMONDS REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES
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Page 8 of 11
The commission's recommendations and, if awarded, the certificate of appropriateness, shall be transmitted to
the building or zoning official. If a certificate of appropriateness is awarded, the building or zoning official may
then issue the permit.
3. Demolition. A waiver of the certificate of appropriateness is required before a permit may be issued to
allow whole or partial demolition of a designated Edmonds register property or in an Edmonds register
historical district. The owner or his/her agent shall apply to the commission for a review of the proposed
demolition and request a waiver. The applicant shall meet with the commission in an attempt to find
alternatives to demolition. These negotiations may last no longer than 45 days from the initial meeting of the
commission, unless either party requests an extension. If no request for an extension is made and no
alternative to demolition has been agreed to, the commission shall act and advise the official in charge of
issuing a demolition permit of the commission's decision on the waiver of a certificate of appropriateness.
Conditions in the case of granting a demolition permit may include allowing the commission up to 45
additional days to develop alternatives to demolition. When issuing a waiver the commission may require
the owner to mitigate the loss of the Edmonds register property by means determined by the commission at
the meeting. Any conditions agreed to by the applicant in this review process shall become conditions of
approval of the permits granted. After the property is demolished, the commission shall initiate removal of
the property from the register.
4. Appeal of the Commission's Decision on a Waiver of a Certificate of Appropriateness. The commission's
decision regarding a waiver of a certificate of appropriateness shall be appealable to the hearing examiner
pursuant to Chapter 20.06 ECDC within 14 calendar days. The appeal must state the grounds upon which
the appeal is based.
Appeal of hearing examiner's decision regarding a waiver of a certificate of appropriateness may be appealed to
superior court. [Ord. 4154 § 21 (Att. D), 2019; Ord. 3397 § 1, 2002].
20.45.060 Relationship to zoning.
Properties designated to the register shall be subject to the provisions set forth herein, as well as the bulk, use,
setback and other controls of the zoning district in which they are located. Nothing contained herein shall be
construed to be repealing, modifying or waiving any zoning provisions. [Ord. 3397 § 1, 2002].
20.45.070 Review and monitoring of properties for special property tax valuation.
A. Timelines.
1. The assessor forwards the application(s) to the commission.
2. The commission reviews the application(s), consistent with its rules of procedure, and determines if the
application(s) are complete and if the properties meet the criteria set forth in WAC 254-20-070(1) and listed
in ECDC 20.45.010.
Edmonds City Code and Community Development Code are current through Ordinance 4294, passed February 28, 2C
Packet Pg. 18
Edmonds Chapter 20.45 EDMONDS REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES
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Page 9 of 11
a. If the commission finds the properties meet all the criteria, then it may recommend that the city,
through its mayor, enter into a historic preservation special valuation agreement (set forth in WAC
254-20-120 and in ECDC 20.45.000(V)) with the owner. Upon execution of the agreement between the
owner and commission, the commission approves the application(s).
b. If the commission determines the properties do not meet all the criteria, then it shall deny the
application(s).
3. The commission certifies its decisions in writing and states the facts upon which the approvals or denials
are based and files copies of the certifications with the assessor.
4. For approved applications:
a. The commission forwards copies of the agreements, applications and supporting documentation (as
required by WAC 254-20-090(4) and identified in subsection (13)(2) of this section) to the assessor;
b. Notifies the state review board that the properties have been approved for special valuation; and
c. Monitors the properties for continued compliance with the agreements throughout the 10-year
special valuation period.
5. The commission determines, in a manner consistent with its rules of procedure, whether or not
properties are disqualified from special valuation either because of:
a. The owner's failure to comply with the terms of the agreement; or
b. A loss of historic value resulting from physical changes to the building or site.
6. For disqualified properties, in the event that the commission concludes that a property is no longer
qualified for special valuation, the commission shall notify the owner, assessor and state review board in
writing and state the facts supporting its findings.
B. Criteria.
1. Historic Property Criteria. The class of historic property eligible to apply for special valuation in Edmonds
means all properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places or certified as contributing to a
National Register Historic District which have been substantially rehabilitated at a cost and within a time
period which meets the requirements set forth in Chapter 84.26 RCW, until Edmonds becomes a certified
local government (CLG). Once a CLG, the class of property eligible to apply for special valuation in
Edmonds means all properties listed on the Edmonds and/or National Register of Historic Places or
Edmonds City Code and Community Development Code are current through Ordinance 4294, passed February 28, 2C
Packet Pg. 19
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Edmonds Chapter 20.45 EDMONDS REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES Page 10 of 11
properties certified as contributing to an Edmonds and/or National Register Historic District which have
been substantially rehabilitated at a cost and within a time period which meets the requirements set forth in
Chapter 84.26 RCW.
2. Application Criteria. Complete applications shall consist of the following documentation:
a. A legal descriptive of the historic property;
b. Comprehensive exterior and interior photographs of the historic property before and after
rehabilitation;
c. Architectural plans or other legible drawings depicting the completed rehabilitation work;
d. A notarized affidavit attesting to the actual cost of the rehabilitation work completed prior to the date
of application and the period of time during which the work was performed and documentation of both
to be made available to the commission upon request; and
e. For properties located within historic districts, in addition to the standard application documentation,
a statement from the Secretary of the Interior or appropriate local official, as specified in local
administrative rules or by the local government, indicating the property is a certified historic structure
is required.
3. Property Review Criteria. In its review the commission shall determine if the properties meet all the
following criteria:
a. The property is historic property;
b. The property is included within a class of historic property determined eligible for special valuation
by the city under this section;
c. The property has been rehabilitated at a cost which meets the definition set forth in RCW
84.26.020(2) (and identified in ECDC 20.45.000) within 24 months prior to the date of application; and
d. The property has not been altered in any way which adversely affects those elements which qualify
it as historically significant as determined by applying the Washington State Advisory Council's
Standards for the Rehabilitation and Maintenance of Historic Properties (WAC 254-20-100(1) and listed
in ECDC 20.45.000).
4. Rehabilitation and Maintenance Criteria. The Washington State Advisory Council's Standards for the
Rehabilitation and Maintenance of Historic Properties in WAC 254-20-100 shall be used by the commission
as minimum requirements for determining whether or not a historic property is eligible for special valuation
Edmonds City Code and Community Development Code are current through Ordinance 4294, passed February 28, 2C
Packet Pg. 20
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Edmonds Chapter 20.45 EDMONDS REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES Page 11 of 11
and whether or not the property continues to be eligible for special valuation once it has been so classified.
[Ord. 3397 § 1, 2002].
20.45.080 Special valuation agreement.
The historic preservation special valuation agreement in WAC 254-20-120 shall be used by the commission as
the minimum agreement necessary to comply with the requirements of RCW 84.26.050(2). [Ord. 3397 § 1, 2002].
20.45.090 Appeals.
Any decision of the commission acting on any application for classification as historic property, eligible for
special valuation, may be appealed to the superior court under RCW 34.04.130 in addition to any other remedy of
law. Any decision on the disqualification of historic property eligible for special valuation, or any other dispute,
may be appealed to the county board of equalization. [Ord. 3397 § 1, 2002].
Edmonds City Code and Community Development Code are current through Ordinance 4294, passed February 28, 2C
Packet Pg. 21
Office of Cultural Development,
Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism
Seven Aspects of Integrity
By Patricia L. Duncan
National Register Coordinator, Division of Historic Preservation
A CANDIDATE MUST MEET three
requirements to qualify for the National
Register of Historic Places, as explained
in the February issue of Preservation
in Print Two of these essentials — sig-
nificance and age — were covered in that
issue. The third qualification — integrity
— is the topic of this and the following
installments of National Register 101.
The National Register defines integrity
as the ability of a property to convey its
significance. However, "integrity" is a
word generally used to describe a person's
honesty and sincerity. So, why is a word
usually associated with humans used to
designate a National Register eligibility
requirement? The answer can be found
in Webster's New World Dictionary, which
adds "completeness" to integrity's defini-
tion. Under this broader explanation,
buildings, structures, districts, sites and
objects can also have integrity.
Of the three Register eligibility require-
ments, integrity is probably the most
complicated and difficult to understand.
To simplify things, the National Register
staff sometimes tells applicants that
integrity means the candidate still has to
look historic. However, there are actually
seven factors, or "aspects," that must be
evaluated to determine if that historic
look survives. These aspects are location,
setting, design, materials, workmanship,
feeling and association.
LOCATION is the easiest element of
integrity to understand. For National
Register purposes, location is the par-
ticular point or position where the
historic property was constructed, the
significant person made his/her contri-
bution, or the historic event occurred.
Sometimes the relationship between
a building and its history is lost if that
building is moved from its original site.
This is why it is harder to list moved
properties on the National Register.
To qualify moved candidates must be
important to a broader region or group
than those associated with the original
site. The National Park Service consid-
ers original locations so important that
it automatically delists (removes from
the Register) properties moved to new
sites subsequent to their listing.
SETTING refers to the character of
the place where the historic resource is
located. It includes natural and man-
made features and how those features
relate to the candidate. Items to con-
sider include buildings, dependencies,
roads, paths, fences, vegetation, open
space, topographical characteristics and
view sheds. The latter include the views
from the candidate as well as of the
candidate from nearby properties. For
a setting to have integrity for National
Register purposes, it should appear
much as it did historically.
The tower on this Lake Charles Victorian resi-
dence is an important part of its design. Were it
to be lost, the home's National Register design
integrity would be severely compromised.
DESIGN is broadly defined by the
National Register as "the combination
of elements that creates the form, plan,
space, structure, and style of a prop-
erty." Elements the Register considers
when evaluating design integrity include
function, structural systems, other tech-
nologies, spatial organization, massing,
proportion, scale, materials, color, tex
ture and fenestration patterns. Design
is not limited to the work of architects.
Community planners, engineers and
landscape architects have also created
designs that might be Register -eligible.
If enough of the resource's original
Here, the setting (tombstones, paths, fences
and trees) reinforces an observer's sense
that Grace Episcopal Church in St. Francis-
ville is indeed historic.
design has been lost, the property will
not meet this aspect of integrity.
MATERIALS are "the physical ele-
ments that were combined or deposited
during a particular period of time and
in a particular pattern or configura-
tion to form a historic property." This
definition is complicated because it
has to cover archaeological as well as
architectural and historical candidates.
For the purposes of nominating build-
ings, materials should be defined as the
original wood, nails, shingles, tiles, glass,
and/or other substances the builders
used to create the historic resource. To
have integrity, a property must retain
its character -defining exterior materials.
Sometimes interior integrity of material
is needed as well.
WORKMANSHIP "is the physical
evidence of the crafts of a particular cul-
ture or people during any given period
o
in history or prehistory," according to
the Register. A craft is an occupation re-
quiring special skill, and workmanship
refers to the quality of the craftsman's
o product. Extraordinary workmanship
might be evident in tooling, carving,
o painting, graining, turning or joinery.
It can be found in vernacular as well
o as high style resources and can include
the product of one or multiple crafts-
men. Finally, it can apply to an entire
resource or any of its parts.
FEELING is a "property's expression
of the aesthetic or historic sense of a
particular period of time." To have the
aspect of feeling, a candidate must have
surviving physical features that express
its historic character and help the visitor
experience an awareness of its history
and importance.
o
ASSOCIATION is defined by the
t National Register as "the direct link
o between an important historic event
0
r or person and a historic property."
Association relies upon two factors.
First, the site must be the actual place
0
where something happened. Second,
that relationship must be evident when a
visitor observes the site. This connection
can occur only if the property's historic
physical features, or character, survive.
Only when one understands the
seven aspects of integrity can one
determine if a candidate has enough
integrity to qualify for Register listing.
However, evaluating these factors is
more complicated than their definitions
might suggest. Next month's article will
discuss applying the aspects to conduct
an integrity evaluation.
Much of this article is based upon the
National Register Bulletin titled "How to
Apply the National Register Criteria for
Evaluation," which is available online at
http://u,ww.nps.gov/history/nr/publica-
tions/bulletins/pdfs/nrb 15. pdf.
This stained glass window is proof of the skill
and talent of the craftsman who designed,
assembled and installed it in Lake Charles's
Temple Sinai c.1903. Since it is unaltered, it
retains its integrity of workmanship.
The Ascension Parish home of 20th-century literary figure Robert Penn Warren has integrity of as-
sociation because he lived there during what scholars regard as a critical period in his life and career.
14 Preservation in Print • March 2011
www.prcno.org
Packet Pg. 2;
Special Valuation: A Local Tax
BACKGROUND
During its 1985 session, the
Washington State Legislature
determined that as the state
approached its centennial year, the
preservation of a lasting legacy of
historic resources was an important
goal. In order to reach this goal, the
legislature passed a law which allows
a "special valuation' for certain
historic properties within the state.
The primary benefit of the law is that
during the ten year special valuation
period, property taxes will not reflect
substantial improvements made to the
property.
Definition:
"Special Valuation" is the revision
of the assessed value of a historic
property which subtracts, for up to
ten years, such rehabilitation costs
as are approved by a
local review board.
Prior to the passage of this law,
owners restoring historic buildings
were subject to increased property
taxes once the improvements were
made. This had the effect of
discouraging some owners from
rehabilitating their historically
significant structures. The Legislature
decided that restoration of these
properties would be encouraged if tax
relief were available. Property tax
relief was selected as a tool which
could provide the financial incentives
necessary to promote rehabilitation of
eligible historic properties. Since
passage of this law, nearly fifty local
governments have implemented
programs which allow their
constituents to take advantage of this
tax relief.
IMPLEMENTATION
Only local governments which
implement the law are eligible to pass
on the tax relief to the public. The
local government identifies the types
of properties that are eligible for
special valuation, and designates a
local review board that will review
applications.
ELIGIBILITY
To be classified as eligible for special
valuation, a property must first meet
the following criteria:
1. It must be listed in the National
Register of Historic Places,
individually, or certified as
contributing to the significance of a
National Register Historic District. In
order to receive a statement that a
property is certified as contributing to
the significance of a National Register
Historic District, a property owner
should contact their local government,
or the Department of Archaeology and
Historic Preservation,
OR 2. It must be listed in the Local
Register of Historic Places established
by a Certified Local Government,
AND 3. It must be of a class of
properties approved by the local
government.
Eligible properties which undergo
substantial rehabilitation may receive
special valuation if the rehabilitation
work is approved by the local review
Incentive
board. The work must have been
conducted within two years prior to
application, and must be equal in cost
to at least 25% of the assessed value
of the structure prior to rehabilitation.
REQUIREMENTS
Protection of the Property
Property owners who want to take
advantage of special valuation must
sign an agreement with the local
review board that guarantees they will
meet the following standards during
the ten-year property tax exemption
period:
• The property must be maintained
in good condition.
• The owner must obtain approval
from the local review board prior
to making further improvements.
• The property must be visible from
a public right-of-way, or
otherwise be made available for
public view once every year.
The penalty for violating the
agreement or other program
requirements is substantial. All back
taxes which would otherwise have
been owed, interest on back taxes, and
a penalty equal to 12% of back taxes
and interest may be due.
(Continued on page 8,
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February 2012 1 Packet Pg. 23
ial Valuation: For the Auulieant
Applications for special valuation will be reviewed, and approved or
denied, by a local review board designated by the local government.
The board will make their determination at a public meeting, during
which the applicant may be present.
It is advisable (and in some communities it is mandatory) for the
applicant to consult with the local review board before beginning the
rehabilitation work, to ensure that the project will comply with the
board's standards.
RESPONSIBILITIES
1. WHILE CONDUCTING THE REHABILITATION, the
applicant must:
a. MONITOR rehabilitation work to ensure that it conforms
with The Washington State Advisory Council's Standards for
Rehabilitation
b. MAINTAIN accurate records of project costs, and dates of
project work
2. WHEN APPLYING FOR SPECIAL VALUATION, the
applicant must FILE an application for special valuation with the
assessor's office (on the Department of Revenue form) no later than
two years after beginning the rehabilitation work considered for spe-
cial valuation. The application must include as attachments:
a. The legal description of the property
b. Comprehensive exterior and interior photographs of the
property before and after rehabilitation
c. Architectural plans or other legible drawings depicting the
completed project (if applicable and based on the needs of the
local government)
d. A notarized affidavit attesting to the actual cost of rehabilita-
tion work
e. A statement from (the appropriate local official) indicating
that the property is a certified historic structure if it is located in
an historic district
3. IF A PROJECT IS APPROVED, the applicant must:
a. SIGN an agreement with the local review board guaranteeing
that during the 10-year period of special valuation he or she
shall:
- MAINTAIN the property in safe and sound condition
and protect it from the elements, and repair deteriorated or
broken exterior features, in compliance with The Washing-
ton State Advisory Council's Standards for Rehabilitation
- OBTAIN written consent of the local review board prior
to making further improvements or alterations to the prop-
erty
- MAKE the property accessible to the public once each
year if it is not normally visible from a public right-of-way
- OBTAIN written consent of the local review board prior
to demolishing the property
- NOTIFY the assessor within 30 days if the property be-
comes disqualified for special valuation, e.g. if the terms of
the agreement are violated
b. PAY processing fees (and title search fees, if required)
charged by the assessor's office
4. IF THE PROJECT IS DENIED, because the property is
determined ineligible for special valuation, the applicant may
APPEAL the decision of the Local Review Board to Superior Court,
or to the legislative authority if local ordinances so provide.
Applicant • Submits application to assessor no later than
24 months after beginning date of rehab
work to be considered for special valuation
• Reviews application for completeness
Assessor • Verifies legal owner and legal description
• Submits application to local review board
within 10 working days
Local Review • Reviews application and attachments
Board • Determines approval or denial of application
no later than December 31 of application
year
• If application is approved, notifies applicant,
assessor, and State Advisory Council within
ten days
• Executes agreement with applicant
• Returns application to assessor
Assessor • Records agreement
• Files agreement and application with county
recording authority
• Determines special valuation and enters in
tax rolls (as a separate value from normal
assessed value)
5. IF THE PROJECT IS LATER DISQUALIFIED for specia
valuation, or in the event of any dispute, the applicant may
APPEAL to the County Board of Equalization.
6. IF THE PROPERTY IS SOLD, and the new owner desires
continuation of the special valuation, he or she must SIGN both
agreement with the local review board ensuring that the program
requirements will be satisfied for the duration of the special
valuation period AND a Notice of Compliance section of the Ex-
cise Tax Affidavit. If the notice of compliance is not signed by th
new owner and attached to the real estate excise tax affidavit, all
additional taxes calculated pursuant to RCW 84.26.090 shall be-
come due and payable by the seller or transferor at time of sale.
IMPORTANT DEADLINES
Application for special valuation must be made no later than
24 months after the beginning date of the rehabilitation work
October 1 is the deadline for applications when special
valuation is desired for the following year. NOTE: due to tI
lag in property tax payments, the tax reduction will appear of
-year after special valuation designation, and it applies until
the year following the end of the 10-year special valuation
period.
PHASED PROJECTS
Properties which are rehabilitated in phases may receive special
valuation for each phase, provided that qualified rehabilitation
expenditures for each phase exceed 25% of the assessed value of
the property, exclusive of land value, at the time that phase begar
Each phase is treated as though it were a separate project, and is
subject to all requirements of the special valuation program.
Packet Pg. 24
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Special Valuation: For the Local Government
The action of the local government is the first step in
implementing the special valuation program in each
jurisdiction, thus allowing its constituents the potential to
realize substantial tax savings. Since passage of the law,
approximately fifty local governments have implemented the
special valuation program.
RESPONSIBILITIES
WHEN ESTABLISHING THE SPECIAL VALUATION
PROGRAM for the jurisdiction, the local government must:
1. IMPLEMENT the special valuation law through
ordinance or administrative rule
2. IDENTIFY one or more classes of historic properties in
the community which are eligible for special valuation
3. DESIGNATE a local review board to review the
application, and approve or deny properties for special
valuation
4. APPOINT members to the local review board
IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS
Once the local government has identified a class of
eligible historic properties, it may amend the criteria
defining the class at any time. However, if the new
criteria are more restrictive than the previous criteria, the
new criteria may not take effect for a period of two years
following October 1 of the year in which the change is
made. Amendments to the criteria will not disqualify
properties already subject to special valuation.
• The law permits multiple local governments within the
same county to jointly designate, under an interlocal
agreement, a single local review board to administrate the
program.
Applicant • Submits application to assessor no later than
24 months after beginning date of rehab
work to be considered for special valuation
• Reviews application for completeness
Assessor • Verifies legal owner and legal description
• Submits application to local review board
within 10 working days
• Reviews application and attachments
• Determines approval or denial of application
Local Review no later than December 31 of application
Board year
• If application is approved, notifies applicant,
assessor, and State Advisory Council within
ten days
• Executes agreement with applicant
• Returns application to assessor
• Records agreement
• Files agreement and application with county
Assessor recording authority
• Determines special valuation and enters in
tax rolls (as a separate value from normal
assessed value)
Packet Pg. 25
IL-S
ial Valuation: For the Assessor
The assessor's role in the special valuation program is limited to
processing the application forms and maintaining records of special
valuation assessments for properties approved by the local review
board. The assessor maintains two separate values on the tax rolls -
the special valuation and the normal assessed value - for affected
properties.
RESPONSIBILITIES
1. UPON RECEIPT OF AN APPLICATION, the assessor must:
a. RECORD the date of receipt
b. REVIEW the application for completeness:
-Verify the legal owner
-Verify the legal description
-Verify the legal description and parcel or tax
account number
c. TRANSMIT the application and attachments to the local
review board within 10 days of receipt
2. UPON RECEIPT OF AN APPROVED APPLICATION and
agreement from the local review board, the assessor must:
a. RECORD the application, agreement, and certification
statement (if applicable)
b. TRANSMIT copies to the county recording authority
c. DETERMINE the special valuation:
- The total assessed value of the property (including
improvements and land), minus the qualified rehabilitation
expenditures, equals the special valuation. This special val-
uation will change to reflect changes in the total assessed
value, and will be in effect for 10 years.
d. ENTER the determined special valuation on the tax rolls
separately from the normal assessed value
e. CHARGE processing fees to the applicant, as necessary,
in addition to any fees associated with a title search (these
fees shall be payable to the county auditor or county
recorder)
f. INDICATE the special valuation on the yearly tax
statement
g. RETAIN copies of all documents
h. REVALUE properties on the regular revaluation cycle,
deducting the cost therefrom to determine the taxable value
3. UPON TERMINATION of the 10-year special valuation period,
the assessor must:
a. REVALUE the property without consideration for
special valuation
b. ENTER the new value on the tax roles
4. IF THE TERMS OF THE AGREEMENT are violated, OR the
property is disqualified for special valuation, the assessor must:
a. LEVY the back taxes (which otherwise would have been
due) plus interest and penalty:
- Rehabilitation costs times the levy rate for the elapsed
portion of the year,
- Plus interest (from April 30) normally charged on
delinquent tax bills
- Plus an additional 12% penalty.
(For additional information, see WAC 458-15-090)
Applicant • Submits application to assessor no later than
24 months after beginning date of rehab
work to be considered for special valuation
Assessor • Reviews application for completeness I
• Verifies legal owner and legal description,
• Submits application to local review board
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within 10 working days
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• Reviews application and attachments
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Local Review • Determines approval or denial of application
Board no later than December 31 of application
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• If application is approved, notifies applicant,
assessor, and State Advisory Council within
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• Executes agreement with applicant
• Returns application to assessor
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• Files agreement and application with county
recording authority
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Due to the lag in property tax payments, special valuation status
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properties. Thus the reduced tax will apply until the year
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following the end of the 10-year special valuation period.
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IMPORTANT DEADLINES
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• Application for special valuation must be made no later than Q.
24 months after the beginning date of the rehabilitation
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work. The project can begin prior to the 24 month period,
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however, only qualified rehabilitation work done within the
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24 month period can be tallied.
• October 1 is the deadline for applications when special
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valuation is desired for the following year.
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PHASED PROJECTS
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Properties which are rehabilitated in phases may receive special
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valuation for each phase, provided that qualified rehabilitation
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expenditures for each phase exceed 25% of the assessed value of s
the property, exclusive of land value, at the time that phase
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began. Each phase is treated as though it were a separate
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project, and is subject to all requirements of the special valuation
program.
Packet Pg. 26
[ Special Valuation: For the Local Review Board I
It is helpful for the local review board to meet with an applicant for
special valuation before the rehabilitation work begins, and to review
their project to ensure that it complies with The Washington State
Advisory Council's Standards for Rehabilitation, as well as any
additional local standards. This preliminary meeting is mandatory in
some communities, and is suggested as a first step in the special
valuation process which may avoid conflicts later.
RESPONSIBILITIES
1. UPON RECEIPT OF AN APPLICATION from the assessor,
the local review board must:
a. SCHEDULE a public meeting at which the application will
be approved or denied
b. DETERMINE eligibility of the property for special value-
tion based on the following criteria:
- Is the property historic?
-Is it included within a class of historic properties deter-
mined eligible for special valuation by the local govern-
ment?
- Will the rehabilitation work comply with the State Advi-
sory Council's Standards by not adversely affecting those
elements qualifying the property as historically significant?
c. REVIEW the applicant's documentation of qualified
rehabilitation expenditures to assure that they were at least 25%
of the assessed value of the property, exclusive of land value,
prior to rehabilitation
2. IF THE PROPERTY IS DETERMINED ELIGIBLE for
special valuation, the local review board must:
a. PREPARE and enter into an agreement (on behalf of the lo-
cal government) with the applicant. The agreement must guaran-
tee that certain minimum standards (listed below) are met dur-
ing the 10-year period of special valuation
b. APPROVE the application upon execution of the agreement
with the applicant
c. TRANSMIT copies of the application, agreement and
certification statement (if applicable) to the assessor's office for
recording
d. NOTIFY the Washington State Advisory Council of the
application approval
e. MONITOR the property during the 10-year special valuation
period to assure continued compliance with the requirements of
the special valuation program
3. IF THE PROPERTY IS DETERMINED INELIGIBLE for
special valuation, the local review board must:
a. ADVISE the applicant of the reason(s) for denial
b. EXPLAIN that the applicant may appeal the decision to
Superior Court
4. IF AN APPROVED PROPERTY IS LATER
DISQUALIFIED, due to either the owner's failure to comply with
the terms of the agreement, OR to a loss of historic value due to
alterations, the local review board must NOTIFY the owner, the
assessor and the Washington State Advisory Council of the
disqualification.
MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR A SPECIAL VALUATION
AGREEMENT
During the 10-year period of special valuation, the property owner
shall:
a. MAINTAIN the property in safe and sound condition and
Applicant • Submits application to assessor no later than
24 months after beginning date of rehab
work to be considered for special valuation
Assessor • Reviews application for completeness
• Verifies legal owner and legal description
• Submits application to local review board
within 10 working days
• Reviews application and attachments
• Determines approval or denial of application
Local Review no later than December 31 of application
Board year
• If application is approved, notifies applicant,
assessor, and State Advisory Council within
ten days
• Executes agreement with applicant
• Returns application to assessor
Assessor • Records agreement
• Files agreement and application with county
recording authority
protect it from the elements, and repair deteriorated or broken
exterior features, in compliance with The Washington State
Advisory Council's Standards for Rehabilitation.
b. OBTAIN written consent of the local review board prior
to making further improvements or alterations to the property
c. MAKE the property accessible to the public once each ye,
if it is not normally visible from a public right-of-way
d. OBTAIN written consent of the local review board prior
to demolishing the property
e. NOTIFY the assessor within 30 days if the property be-
comes disqualified for special valuation, e.g. if the terms of
the agreement are violated
IF THE PROPERTY IS SOLD
If an approved property is sold, and the new owner desires
continuation for the special valuation, he must SIGN both an
agreement with the local review board ensuring that program
requirements will be satisfied for the duration of the special
valuation period AND a Notice of Compliance section of the Ex-
cise Tax Affidavit. If the notice of compliance is not signed by the
new owner and attached to the real estate excise tax affidavit, all
additional taxes calculated pursuant to RCW 84.26.090 shall be-
come due and payable by the seller or transferor at time of sale.
IMPORTANT DEADLINES
• An application for special valuation must be approved or denie,
before December 31 of the year in which the application is
made.
• Within 10 days of approving an application for special
valuation, the local review board must notify the applicant and
the assessor of their decision and must transmit copies of the
application and its attachments, and the agreement, to the
assessor's office.
PHASED PROJECTS
Properties which are rehabilitated in phases may receive special
valuation for each phase, provided that qualified rehab
expenditures for each phase exceed 25% of the assessed value of
the property, exclusive of land value, at the time that phase began.
Each phase is treated as though it were a separa
subject to all requirements of the special valuat' Packet Pg. 27
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The Timetable
WITHIN 2 YEARS PRIOR TO •
DATE OF APPLICATION:
BEFORE OCTOBER 1 (IF
SPECIAL VALUATION IS
DESIRED FOR FOLLOWING
YEAR):
Rehabilitation work begun and completed.
The rehabilitation does not necessarily have
to have been started during the 24 month pe-
riod, however, only costs incurred during
the 24 months prior are eligible.
• Applicant submits application.
WITHIN 10 WORKING DAYS: • Assessor completes review and submits
application to local review board.
BEFORE DECEMBER 31: ' Local Review Board approves (or denies)
application and executes agreement.
WITHIN 10 DAYS OF ISSUING . Local Review Board submits approved
THEIR DECISION: application and agreement to assessor;
assessor records documents.
FIRST YEAR - JANUARY 1: • Special valuation effective.
SECOND YEAR THROUGH
ELEVENTH YEAR: ' Taxes reflect special valuation.
TENTH YEAR: • Special valuation ends.
TWELFTH YEAR: • Taxes reflect revaluation of property
following end of special valuation.
The amount of property tax you will pay is based on the special valuation of
DETERMINING
your property. Special valuation is simply a value, for property tax purposes,
SPECIALwhich is calculated by subtracting qualified rehabilitation expenditures from
the total assessed value of the property. Your property tax may change from
VALUATIONyear to year because of changes in the assessed value, but the qualified
rehabilitation expenditures will continue to be deducted from the new
assessment for the full ten-year period of special valuation.
Packet Pg. 28
How the Application Process Works:
APPLICANT: • Submits application to the assessor no later than 24 months
after beginning date of the rehabilitation work to be con-
sidered for Special Valuation.
ASSESSOR: Reviews application for completeness.
• Verifies legal owner, legal description, etc.
• Submits application to local review board within ten
working days.
LOCAL REVIEW - Reviews application and attachments.
• Determines approval or denial of application no later than
BOARD: December 31st of application year.
• If application is approved, notifies applicant, assessor, and
State Advisory Council within ten days.
ASSESSOR:
• Executes agreement with applicant.
• Returns application to assessor.
• Records agreement.
• Files application, agreement and certification statement (if
applicable) with the county recording authority.
• Determines special valuation and enters in tax roles
separately from the normal assessed value.
HOW ELIGIBLE To be eligible for special valuation, a property must be:
PROPERTIES 1. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, individually or
certified as contributing to the significance of a National Register Historic
ARE DEFINED District.
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2. Listed in the Local Register of Historic Places established by a Certified
Local Government (for more information about the Certified Local
Government Program, contact the CLG Coordinator at 360-586-3074).
AND
3. It must be of a class of historic properties approved by the local
government.
Note: The local government in each community determines which classes of
historic properties are eligible for special valuation, and may elect to exclude some
classes of property from the program.
Packet Pg. 29
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(Continued from page 1)
If the property is sold, the new
owner must sign BOTH an agreement
with the local review board for the
duration of the special valuation
period AND a Notice of Compliance
section of the Excise Tax Affidavit. If
the notice of compliance is not signed
by the new owner and attached to the
real estate excise tax affidavit, all ad-
ditional taxes calculated pursuant to
RCW 84.26.090 shall become due and
payable by the seller or transferor at
time of sale.
Qualified Rehabilitation
Expenditures
The total cost of the rehabilitation
must be equal to at least 25% of the
assessed value of the property,
exclusive of land value, prior to
rehabilitation. "Qualified
rehabilitation expenditures" are
expenses chargeable to the project and
include improvements made to the
building within its original perimeter,
architectural and engineering fees,
permit and development fees, loan
interest, state sales tax and other
expenses incurred during the
rehabilitation period. Not included are
costs associated with acquisition of the
property, or the enlargement of the
building. The local review board in
each jurisdiction determines which
expenditures are qualified. Qualified
rehabilitation expenditures for special
valuation are the same as those for the
Federal Investment Tax Credits. (For
a detailed explanation, see 26 CFR
1.48-12(c).)
Rehabilitation Standards
In order to be eligible for special
valuation, properties must retain their
historic character after rehabilitation.
The standards used by the local review
board in their review and approval of
the rehabilitation work are The
Washington State Advisory Council's
Standards for Rehabilitation. The
State Advisory Council adopted The
Secretary of the Interior's Standards
for Rehabilitation and Guidelines for
Rehabilitating Historic Buildings as
their standards.
THE APPLICATION PROCESS
An interested property owner files an
application with the assessor's office after
the rehabilitation work is completed. The
assessor transmits the application to the
local review board, which schedules a
public meeting to discuss the application.
The board may determine the
approval or denial of the application at
this meeting, or may request additional
information. Once the board has made its
determination, the applicant and the
assessor will be notified within ten days.
If the application is filed with the
assessor's office before October 1 and
approved by the board, special valuation
goes into effect the following year.
DEADLINES TO REMEMBER
Application for special valuation must be
made no later than 24 months after the
beginning of the rehabilitation work docu-
mented for special valuation.
October 1 is the deadline for applications
when special valuation is desired for the
following year.
PARTICIPATING
JURISDICTIONS
At the time of this publication, the following
cities and counties have implemented the
special valuation program:
Aberdeen
Everett
Port Townsend
Anacortes
Gig Harbor
Pullman
Auburn
Harrington
Puyallup
Bainbridge
Issaquah
Ritzville
Island
Kenmore
Roslyn
Bellingham
Kennewick
Seattle
Black
Kettle Falls
Shelton
Diamond
King County
Shoreline
Bothell
Kirkland
Skykomish
Camas
La Center
Snohomish Cty
Carnation
Lacey
Snoqualmie
Centralia
Lakewood
Spokane City/Cty
Chehalis
Langley
Steilacoom
Cheney
Longview
Tacoma
Cle Elum
Marysville
Thurston County
Clark County
Mason County
Tumwater
Colfax
Newcastle
Vancouver
Colville
North Bend
Walla Walla
Concrete
Olympia
Wenatchee
Dayton
Pasco
Woodinville
Edmonds
Pierce County
Yakima
Ellensburg
Pomeroy
Technical assistance in implementing the
special valuation program is available to local
governments from the Department of
Archaeology and Historic Preservation.
IMPORTANT
CONSIDERATIONS
• In order for a historic property to be
eligible for special valuation, it must
have been substantially rehabilitated
within 24 months prior to the date of
application.
• In order for a phased rehabilitation to
be eligible, each phase of the
rehabilitation must cost at least 25% o
the assessed value of the property,
exclusive of land value, prior to
commencing that phase of work. Worl
on each phase must have been
completed within 24 months prior to
the date of application for special
valuation for that phase.
• Improvements must be consistent with
the historic character of the building.
During the ten-year period of special
valuation, additional improvements to
the property are also subject to
compliance with the Washington Statd
Advisory Council's Standards for
Rehabilitation.
• The property must be maintained in
good condition as long as the special
valuation is in effect.
• Special valuation may apply to a wide
range of properties, at the discretion of
the local government in each
jurisdiction.
• Applications may be submitted at any
time, however the deadline is October
1 when special valuation is desired for
the following year. Reduction in
property taxes appears one year after
special valuation designation and
applies until the year following the en(
of the ten-year period of special
valuation.
• Property owners who receive special
valuation for a rehabilitation project
may also apply for the Federal
Investment Tax Credits for the same
project.
• A property is eligible for two seven-
year extensions of the special valuatioi
if. The property is located in a county
that is listed as a distressed area as
reported by the state employment
security department; and the city is
under twenty thousand in population;
and the property continues to meet the
criteria provided in RCW
5 84.26.030.
FOR MORE INFORMATIOl\
Contact: Michelle Thompson
CLG Coordinator
(360) 890-2617
michelle.thompso Packet Pg. 30
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Historic Preservation Commission Agenda Item
Meeting Date: 06/8/2023
Unfinished Business
Staff Lead: {enter Staff Lead or "N/A" here}
Department: Planning Division
Prepared By: Michele Szafran
Background/History
The HPC will continue discussion of the following items:
1) Research collections (Deiner-Karr).
2) The status of the Preservationist Newsletter
3) Organization of walking tours for the spring/summer season.
4) Annual calendar assignments, duties and general discussion.
Attachments:
Research Collections From Chris Deiner-Karr
Packet Pg. 31
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Phillips Motor Court
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The bronze icons on this panel include a steering wheel, the view of a 1930s era car from
above, a Highway 99 Road Marker, a 30 MPH Speed Limit sign, and a diamond -shaped
Road Work Ahead caution sign. Services for motorists are illustrated by the No Vacancy
signs, a gas pump and a road map.
Packet Pg. 32
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In the earliest days of Edmonds, overland travel was slow and uncertain. The famous Puget
Sound "Mosquito Fleet" of steamboats provided the first fast and reliable transport to Edmonds
in the late 1800s. When the railroad initiated passenger service in 1910 with twelve trains a
day, land -based travel became much more convenient. However, it was the growth in
private car ownership and the development of a network of roads, highways, and auto
ferries that spurred a population boom for Edmonds and the surrounding communities in the
middle of the 20th century.
One of Edmonds' most prominent pioneers, A.M. Yost, was the first Edmonds resident to
purchase an automobile, in June of 1911. Yost and his family demonstrated their faith in
this new form of transportation by founding the Yost Auto Company at 5th Ave South and
Dayton St in 1913.
The Phillips Motor Court was constructed by Donald Phillips in 1941 to serve motorists
passing through Edmonds, offering not just a place for a weary traveler to sleep, but also a
garage to keep the family car warm and dry. The buildings are now apartments.
Packet Pg. 33
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„s Packet Pg. 34
Snohomish County Online Government Information & Services
Structure Information
Close Window
General Description
Parcel Number 00434207700500 (R01)
Structure Class Dwelling
Structure Type 1 1/2 Story w/Basement
Year Built 1901
Exterior Features
Foundation Conc or CB
Exterior Siding -Lap
ROOF Type: Gable Pitch Medium Cover Composition
Interior Features
Bedrooms 4
Full or 3/4 Baths 2 1/2 Baths 0
Floor Area
Heat Forced Hot Air - Gas
Fireplace Masonry fireplace
Floor 1 Base SF 1223 Finished SF 1223
Floor 2 Base SF 230 Finished SF 230
Floor B Base SF 662 Finished SF 0
Garage(s), Carport(s) and major outbuilding(s)
Detached Garage SF 416
Other Features
Packet Pg. 35
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Packet Pg. 36
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View this sketch in a separate window
Use the structure sketches and information at your own risk. Sketches are extracted from County records on a
regular basis and may not be current.
All structure sketches, maps, data, and information set forth herein ("Data"), are for illustrative purposes only and are not to be considered
official citation to, or representation of, the Snohomish County Code. Amendments and updates to the Data, together with other applicable
County Code provisions, may apply which are not depicted herein. Snohomish County makes no representation or warranty concerning the
content, accuracy, currency, completeness or quality of the Data contained herein and expressly disclaims any warranty of merchantability,
fitness for any particular purpose. All persons accessing or otherwise using this Data assume all responsibility for use thereof and agree to
hold Snohomish County harmless from and against any damages, loss, claim or liability arising out of any error, defect or omission contain
within said Data. Washington State Law, Ch. 42.56 RCW, prohibits state and local agencies from providing access to lists of individuals
intended for use for commercial purposes and, thus, no commercial use may be made of any Data comprising lists of individuals contained
herein.
Close Window
Packet Pg. 37
TAPE PICTURE HERE
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BUILDING PERMITS
DATE NUMBER AMOUNT
CONSTRUCTION DATA
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VALUATION
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SALES DATA
SALE DATE INSTRUMENT RECEIPT
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ACRES -VALUE ACRES VALUE ACRES VAL i.E ACRES AV
TYPE DATE CONST FLOOR ROOF DIMENSION SF CONDITION FACTOR VALUE *b NET
BUILT AREA DEP VALUE
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