Covington agreement with King County on historic buildings good news for taxpayers

April 23, 2018

Summary

23 cities now contract with the county for their landmark and historic designation needs

Story

The Metropolitan King County Council gave its unanimous approval to an interlocal agreement with the City of Covington today to provide landmark designation and protection services.

Covington wanted a formal process for recognizing historic buildings, properties, and archaeological sites within its boundaries. With this agreement, sponsored by Councilmember Reagan Dunn, the county will handle landmarking services on the city’s behalf.

“This is about saving money for the taxpayers,” said Dunn. “As more cities contract with the county for landmark services, it reduces the total costs for everybody.”

Because King County already has an existing Landmarks Commission (housed within the Department of Natural Resources and Parks), contracting with the county on landmarking services is an attractive option for cities. 23 cities now contract with the county for their landmark and historic designation needs.

Covington will reimburse King County's Historic Preservation Program for administrative costs, but it will save money versus starting its own agency and process.

“It is a great pleasure to partner with King County on this ILA for historic services. We appreciate all the work that Councilmember Dunn has done to preserve historic sites in King County, so that our children and families can enjoy what has happened in the past,” said Covington Mayor Jeff Wagner. “We look forward to continuing to partner with Councilmember Dunn on future sites.”

In addition to the importance of historic preservation of key properties for the community, some of the properties designated as historic are eligible for tax benefits. As part of the new agreement, the City of Covington passed an ordinance that is substantially similar to the county’s historic preservation ordinance to harmonize the city’s process with the county’s.