By Warren Cornwall
Herald Writer
Old buildings could get a new ally against the pressures of time and development. Snohomish County is considering creating a countywide historic commission to help protect historic buildings and archaeological sites.
The proposal would boost awareness of important historic structures, help keep them standing and provide property owners with tax breaks for reviving aging properties, advocates say.
"We have, in Snohomish County, some world-class resources. It’s not that we think any of them are being threatened; it’s just that we’ve never had any way to help people out," said Louise Lindgren, the county’s senior planner for historic preservation. The Snohomish County Council plans a public hearing about the preservation plan Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. It could vote on the ordinance that same day.
The historic commission would put buildings and other spots on a historic register, similar to lists maintained by Everett and the state and federal governments. The property owners would have to agree to the listing.
Once on the list, property owners would need to seek approval from the commission before making any major changes. However, Lindgren stressed that the commission doesn’t have final say over what someone does with their own property.
If someone wants to do something not condoned by the commission, "they could go ahead with the inappropriate changes," she said.
People could also remove their property from the registry.
The regulations are designed to encourage more with the carrot than the stick. Under the program, property owners could get a tax break on renovations to a historic building if the renovations were in keeping with the original style.
Still, Realtors and developers are watching closely to make sure the measure doesn’t tie the hands of landowners, said Mike Pattison, a lobbyist for the Snohomish County-Camano Association of Realtors.
In other jurisdictions, historic commissions have forced property owners to jump through regulatory hoops, he said.
"It can be a situation that runs amok," he said.
The commissions can also get embroiled in politics. In a recent fight over the city of Everett’s plans to demolish several historic buildings to make way for a $62.5 million arena and event center, the city’s historic commission opposed the plan and contemplated legal action when the city disregarded its opinion.
Pattison, however, said he didn’t see problems with the county ordinance in its current form.
"It’s a positive for the county," he said.
You can call Herald Writer Warren Cornwall at 425-339-3463 or send e-mail to cornwall@heraldnet.com.
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