By Charlie Bermant
Peninsula Daily News
PORT TOWNSEND — The designation of buildings as historical landmarks helps to preserve the region’s heritage, the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce was told Monday,
“We are out to protect resources for future generations,” said Washington State Historic Preservation Officer Allyson Brooks.
“That doesn’t mean that we want to stop progress; our goal is to find a balance.
“We can’t save everything, but are always looking for ways to save historic sites while allowing the projects to move forward.”
Brooks came from Olympia to one of the state’s most historical of cities to address about 50 people at the Port Townsend Elks Club.
“Cultural resources are an endangered species,” Brooks said.
“You can’t grow or spawn another cultural site. Once it’s gone you can’t bring it back.
“It’s one window in time: once a building is gone it’s gone.”
Brooks said that many construction projects boast sustainable, energy efficient characteristics but they often are no improvement over those they replace.
“When someone builds a LEED-compliant structure, it might be more efficient once its constructed, but they don’t take into account the amount of energy expended and the waste created by the construction itself,” she said.
“Two-thirds of our landfills is full of building material.”
Brooks said people who are looking to build new structures underestimate the emotional connection local residents have for a historical structure.
Brooks said she advises local planners to determine what is on the land in advance of any construction so the cultural importance of a building doesn’t take them by surprise.
This can’t always be predicted, she said, because construction projects often are stopped when human remains are found.
This occurred earlier this year when Native American bones were discovered during the installation of a septic tank in Discovery Bay.
Brooks said the creation of “heritage tours” can benefit a location that has historical buildings — something that dovetails with Port Townsend’s character.
“Heritage tourism is a billion-dollar industry, and Port Townsend is a classic example as to how well heritage tourism functions,” she said.
“In order to have heritage tourism, you need to have a heritage that is preserved.
“You need to save the historic buildings or you won’t have anything to show anybody.”
Brooks said that any business that is in a historical building can receive a tax credit, but such structures must meet certain criteria.
They must contain historical design, setting and workmanship, and must have a feeling similar to when they were in the historical context.
“Feeling is critical for history,” she said.
“Port Townsend is a maritime town, so a maritime feel is critical to the setting of Port Townsend.”
They can have an unspectacular look but qualify as historical if they were in some way involved with a significant person or event.
Brooks said preservation can be a balancing act, and one measure of her success is that her agency antagonizes all concerned in equal measure.
“We usually get beat up by both sides,” she said.
“So if I figure that if I have private enterprise, parks and tribes all mad at us, we must be doing something right.”
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
