2023-05-11 Historic Preservation Commission MinutesCITY 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 Apri113, 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
1. Historic Preservation Training Session with Q&A
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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
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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 Raetzloff wondered 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.
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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.
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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.
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