The Pierce County Historic Preservation Grant Application Guidelines and Application Form - available in either Microsoft Word or as an Adobe PDF
Questions and Answers (Q & A) and Online Resources for the Historic Preservation Grant
Pierce County announces the availability of the Pierce County Historic Preservation Grant Fund 2008 in the amount of $200,000. The 2008 grant fund was made available through the County Council appropriation. Historic Preservation or History-related grant applications for grant fund requests of minimum $2,000 and maximum $25,000 will be accepted starting on May 1, 2008 until 4:30 p.m., July 7, 2008. Matching funds must be provided by the applicants. Grant project activities must take place in Pierce County and completed by September 15, 2009 in order to qualify. Historic property owners, nonprofit organizations and public agencies are eligible applicants for grant. Please email at jpark@co.pierce.wa.us or telephone (253) 798-2783 for information about the grant or to obtain hard copy of the grant application guidelines and application form. From mid-May to early June 2008, the grant workshops will be held at different locations around Pierce County to provide guidance to interested applicants. Please check back at this website for announcements for the upcoming grant workshop dates and locations.
Click here to view a list of the 2008 Pierce County Historic Preservation Grant Workshop dates. Two evening grant workshops (6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.) are added to the previously scheduled grant workshops: Tuesday, June 3, Olympic Room, Main Library, Tacoma Public Library; June 4, Meeting Room, Pierce County Library System's Processing and Administration Center in the Summit Area.
Introduction
In 1984, the Pierce County Council created a nine member board, the Landmarks Commission, and established a historic preservation program in Pierce County. The Landmarks Commission has been renamed the Landmarks and Historic Preservation Commission and its membership expanded to eleven members in 2008. The Landmarks and Historic Preservation Commission's primary responsibility is to carry out the County's Historic Preservation Program as a Certified Local Government in Historic Preservation and to provide recommendations on matters related to Pierce County heritage in its capacity as an advisory body to the County Executive and Council.
The Pierce County Register of Historic Places is one of the important tools utilized by Pierce County to provide public recognition and measures of protection for historically significant properties in Pierce County. Properties are designated to Pierce County Register of Historic Places through nomination processes which include evaluation and determination of their eligibility for listing by the Landmarks and Historic Preservation Commission and further review and final adoption by the County Council. See Pierce County Register of Historic Places.
There are other similar historic registers at the federal and state levels; the National Register of Historic Places and Washington Heritage Register are examples. These are administered by the respective federal and state level agencies.
Why would an owner want to designate a property to a historic register?
- The pride and satisfaction from preserving historic resources important to Pierce County heritage.
- Technical assistance from the Pierce County Landmarks and Historic Preservation Commission's eleven member board.
- Eligibility for tax incentives at the federal or local levels for rehabilitation of designated property achieved according to applicable historic preservation rehabilitation standards.
- Contribution to preserving 'sense of place' in our communities by protecting historically significant landmarks and resources.
What kind of tax incentives can a property owner expect?
Federal Level:
If a commercial or income producing property is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, certain federal tax incentives may apply. Contact the U.S. Internal Revenue Service and/or the Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation for the most current tax incentives.
Pierce County Level:
Property tax incentives are available under Special Tax Valuation for historic rehabilitation:
- A special valuation of historic properties listed in the National, State, or Pierce County Register of Historic Places revises the assessed value of historic properties by subtracting eligible rehabilitation costs for the tax assessment. Applicant must apply for Special Tax Valuation through the County Assessor-Treasurer's Office within two years from the time the rehabilitation activities began. If approved, special valuation status remains in effect for ten years.
Properties with qualifying open space resources are assessed on the current use basis:
- The Washington State Open Space Tax Act (RCW Chapter 84.34) allows property owners with qualifying open space resources to apply to have their properties assessed on the current use basis. Although not a high priority resource for current use tax consideration, historic sites are among the open space resources included in the Public Benefit Rating System applied by Pierce County (PCC Chapter 2.114) to rate open space resources for this program.
What is the process to nominate a property for designation to the Pierce County Register of Historic Places?
A nomination application can be filed with the Planning and Land Services Department. It is customary for property owners to file such a nomination for their own property. If it is not an owner filing an application, owner permission and cooperation must be provided in order to nominate a property for listing in the Pierce County Register of Historic Places. The Landmarks and Historic Preservation Commission reviews and determines whether a nominated property is eligible for listing in the Pierce County Register of Historic Places. Once determination is made, the Commission's evaluation and determination is forwarded to the County Council for final action.
What makes a property eligible for listing in the Pierce County Register of Historic Places?
The criteria used to determine eligibility of a property for listing in the Pierce County Register of Historic Places are similar to those used to determine eligibility for listing in the historic registers at the federal or state levels. A property must be at least fifty years of age, although exceptions may be allowed for special resources, and possess the quality of significance in American history, architecture, archaeology, culture, and have integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association. The property must meet one or more of the following criteria:
- It is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history; or
- It is associated with the lives of persons significant in Pierce County's past; or
- It embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction or that represents the distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction; or
- It has yielded or may be likely to yield information important in pre-history or history.
How do I find out about the nomination and designation processes?
You may contact Julia Airyang Park, Pierce County Historic Preservation Officer and Senior Planner at the Planning and Land Services Department, via telephone at (253) 798-2783, email jpark@co.pierce.wa.us for information and application guidelines and form.
Need more information?
Historic Preservation Program
Pierce County Planning and Land Services Department
Advance Planning Division
2401 South 35th Street, Room 228
Tacoma, WA 98409-7490
(253) 798-2783
jpark@co.pierce.wa.us
Local Tax Incentive Program
Pierce County Assessor's Office
2401 South 35th Street, Room 142
Tacoma, WA 98409
(253) 798-9555
State and Federal Programs
Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation
1063 South Capitol Way, Suite 106
P.O. Box 48343
Olympia, WA 98501-8343
(360) 586-3065
Technical Assistance and Preservation Information
National Trust for Historic Preservation
1785 Massachusetts Ave. N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20036
(202) 673-4141 or (415) 956-0610
Washington Trust for Historic Preservation
1204 Minor Avenue
Seattle, WA 98101
(206) 624-9449
Preservation Links:
Washington State Historical Society
Internet Resources for Heritage Conservation Historic Preservation and Archeology
Washington State Resources and Agencies
