EDC Reviews Demolition Ordinance
Historic Tacoma’s Sharon Winters went before the City Council’s Economic Development Committee yesterday to discuss the current demolition permit process. In recent years several historically significant structures have been torn down without a historic review taking place. Historic Tacoma would like to make a few changes to the ordinance to prevent the loss of “historically or architecturally significant” structures.
They are proposing a system that would trigger when a structure is 50 years or older. The office of historic preservation would have a certain amount of time to rule if the structure is significant or not. If it is not, the permit is issued. If it is, then alternatives to demolition would have to be considered. After looking at adaptive reuse, dismantling and reusing, and restoration benefits, it can be determined that the building should be demolished. But they are asking for the process. Today, unless the structure is registered as historic, there is no such safeguard to demolition. The process would also allow someone to acquire a certificate of non-significance during the pro-forma stage of development, in order to avoid surprises after purchasing.
Council decided this was a valid issue and concern and voted to form a task force to produce the language changes needed to alter the ordinance. We should be seeing this come back in a few months.
Thoughts?
2 comments
J Jesse October 1, 2008
Careful here… If someone is at the point at which they are submitting for a permit to demolish,that means they already have plans for the spot and/ or just purchased it. Would a plan like this steer people away from buying old buildings? Saving old buildings is good but the process of permitting, as seen above, needs to be altered to take these builders/investors issues into consideration. I mean, I’d hate to buy a nice old property and have it deemed “significant” and lose all my dough… but I’d never seek to demolish an old structure either…
J Jesse October 1, 2008
“The process would also allow someone to acquire a certificate of non-significance during the pro-forma stage of development, in order to avoid surprises after purchasing.”
Maybe I need “Hooked on Phonics”.
Looks like the powers that be are on top of it.