EVERETT — Preservationists don’t necessarily want to freeze the clock, but they also don’t want downtown’s current boom to overshadow the character of the city’s past.
That’s the thrust behind a new historic preservation plan.
“Ultimately we would like to see the downtown more strengthened through the use of historic property registration and perhaps a district,” said Mark French, chairman of the Everett Historical Commission.
Tonight, the historic advisory board is scheduled to discuss the next steps in its historic preservation strategy for the city’s core.
Three neighborhoods on the outskirts of downtown have historic districts that add an extra layer of regulations for demolition and rehabilitation projects.
The past few years have seen tremendous development downtown. The county government complex, Comcast Arena and Everett Station have altered the cityscape.
A wave of new downtown condos under construction are also bringing change.
Last year, the city used a $10,000 grant from the state Department of Archeology and Historic Preservation to take an inventory of historic buildings and properties downtown.
A draft of that plan is now complete and it is expected to be released during an public open house this spring, French said.
The Everett City Council may make a recommendation on the plan by the end of the year.
This may include identifying additional buildings to consider placing on historic registers. For owners, that could mean tax credits, which can offset the added expense of restoration.
David Chircop: 425-339-3429, dchircop@heraldnet.com.
Meeting tonight
The Everett Historical Commission is scheduled to discuss a new downtown historic preservation plan at its regular meeting at 6:30 tonight at Everett City Hall, the eighth floor hearing room, 2930 Wetmore Ave.
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