EDMONDS – John Vandebrooke walks downtown and sees Edmonds changing before his eyes.
He sees homes being built on hillsides, walls sprouting up at the sidewalks and the city skyline inching upward.
“Given 10 years, the charm of Edmonds might be gone unless we make an effort to save it,” said Vandebrooke, an artist who volunteers at Gallery North.
In coming months, city planners will consider implementing a series of building codes aimed at preserving the historic feel of Edmonds’ downtown core.
The codes, drafted by the Edmonds Historic Preservation Commission, would require developers to incorporate street-side entrances, planter boxes, awnings, large windows, lighting and other aesthetic features into their building plans.
The city planning commission could review the proposed codes this summer.
“We sent the planning board a set of standards that are specific, and hopefully can be developed into code that would require the developer to build to specific, historic standards,” said City Councilman Michael Plunkett, who created and sits on the preservation commission.
The preservation commission has also recommended offering incentives to developers to preserve existing buildings.
The commission wants to name the city’s business district the “Heritage Center of Edmonds,” and put two of its members on the city’s Architectural Design Board, which reviews building plans.
Some of the commission’s recommendations will likely be debated, City Council President Peggy Pritchard Olson said. Also, she said, some of the codes contain vague language that could leave the city vulnerable to lawsuits.
However, the codes are a great starting point, she said.
“We’re not a city like Port Townsend where we have tons of buildings you can look at and say, ‘Those are historic,’ ” Olson said. “But we do have this feeling we’d like to preserve. Some of the older buildings, they are historic.”
Edmonds developer Bob Gregg – who’s renovating the historic Old Milltown shopping center – said the proposed codes could be “a giant step backward” if they’re not clearly defined.
In April, the City Council revised the city’s building codes and clarified several regulations.
Gregg said the city should hire a land-use attorney to help shape the proposed codes.
“The end result they’re looking for, I find supportable, desirable, admirable,” he said.
Susan Hildebrandt, an employee at the Edmonds Book Shop, said she hopes the city takes steps to preserve the charm of downtown.
“It makes this area a charming place to visit,” she said. “It’s something different, not your standard strip mall.”
Reporter Scott Pesznecker: 425-339-3436 or spesznecker@heraldnet.com.
The Edmonds Historic Preservation Commission is suggesting several new building codes to preserve the historic feel of the city’s downtown core. Some of the proposed building codes would aim to:
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