Sumner city officials are gearing up to provide a tax incentive to local property owners who maintain or restore historic structures and landmarks.
As part of the process, the Sumner City Council must approve a historic preservation ordinance, but there are misconceptions about such a document, said Community Development Director Paul Rogerson.
The ordinance is still in draft form and needs to go through the Sumner Planning Commission before council approves it, Rogerson said. Once council passes the ordinance, the city must create a local register of historic places, develop criteria for earning a spot on that register and create a board that would review applications for the register.
The city must also apply to become designated as a certified local government — a local, state and federal partnership that provides funding to cities wanting to protect historical landmarks. City officials must apply to the state Historic Preservation Office to receive the designation.
To prepare the city council for questions residents may have about the ordinance, Rogerson did some myth busting at this week’s study session.
The first myth: A historic preservation ordinance is just another burden on private property rights and seeks to regulate historic property.
In truth, the ordinance creates incentives for property owners, Rogerson said. Properties that make it onto the local register become eligible for special valuation, a local tax incentive that gives tax relief to property owners who maintain or restore historic buildings.
Applying for the register is optional, he said. Residents and property owners who choose to apply can later remove themselves from the list and still have the ability to demolish their buildings.
“It’s not a regulatory ordinance,” Rogerson said. “That’s probably the most important myth to bust. It does not prevent (property owners) from doing anything they want to their property.”
Another myth: Historic preservation is just about nostalgia.
That’s not true, Rogerson said. Historic preservation ordinances have real value because preserving the downtown area or other historic landmarks adds economic value to a town.
“That needs to be busted,” he said. “It has real economic benefit. It is probably the best ‘green’ technique there is. There is no more ‘green’ building than an existing building.”
The final myth Rogerson presented to council: Historic preservation is a frivolous effort and a waste of the city’s resources.
This myth is similar to the second myth mentioned, he said. But again, it’s just hearsay — historic preservation can help the community meet its own goals, such as maintaining the small town, historic character of Sumner.
“It’s not frivolous; it’s a key part of what we do here,” Rogerson said.
Rogerson will present a similar topic with Sumner Downtown Association Executive Director Shelly Schlumpf during Sumner University, hosted April 29 and May 6 at City Hall.
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