Bothell, WA Historic Preservation: Historic-Cultural Monuments (2026)
Key Facts
- Age threshold
- More than 50 years old, with a narrow exception under category M
- Integrity test
- Location, design, materials, workmanship and association
- Board
- Seven-member landmark preservation board
- Council deadline
- Council should act within 120 days of the recommendation
- Zoning marker
- HR for historic register, added to the underlying zone
- Appeal
- Council decision final unless appealed to superior court
Summary
In the City of Bothell, Washington, a building, district, object, site or structure more than 50 years old can be placed on the Bothell register of historic landmarks under Bothell Municipal Code § 22.16.010 if it has integrity and meets one of thirteen listed categories. The Bothell City Council makes the final designation.
Any building, district, object, site or structure which is more than 50 years old may be designated for inclusion in the Bothell register if it is significantly associated with the history, architecture, archaeology, engineering or cultural heritage of the community. The property must also possess integrity of location, design, materials, workmanship and association and must fall into one or more of the following categories: A. It is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of local, state or national history; B. It is associated with the lives of persons significant in the local, state or national history; C. It exemplifies or reflects special elements of the city’s cultural, political, special, aesthetic, engineering, architectural or economic history; ... M. It is a property achieving significance within the past 50 years if it is of exceptional importance or if it is an integral part of a district eligible for listing in the Bothell register of historic landmarks.
Full Breakdown
Bothell uses the term historic landmark rather than cultural monument, and BMC 22.16.010 is the test. A building, district, object, site or structure more than 50 years old can be designated for inclusion in the Bothell register if it is significantly associated with the history, architecture, archaeology, engineering or cultural heritage of the community. It must also possess integrity of location, design, materials, workmanship and association, and fall into one or more categories lettered A through M. Those cover events that shaped local, state or national history, significant persons, distinctive architecture, the outstanding work of an architect or builder, archaeological information, and visual landmarks. Category M admits a property achieving significance within the past 50 years only if it is of exceptional importance or an integral part of a district eligible for the register.
The process runs through the seven-member landmark preservation board created in BMC 22.12.010. The board or any person can nominate (BMC 22.20.010). An individual nomination must carry the signature of each owner shown by a title report, and a historic district needs a simple majority of properties (BMC 22.20.020). After a public hearing the board recommends approval, approval with conditions, denial, or deferral (BMC 22.24.010). The council should act within 120 days of the recommendation, and final designation occurs when the council executes a contractual agreement for an individual property or adopts a district inventory and design standards (BMC 22.24.050). Registered properties are marked with an HR on the zoning records in addition to the underlying zone.
After listing, the owner must request a certificate of appropriateness from the board before work begins (BMC 22.24.070). Incentives include special property tax valuation under Chapter 22.32 BMC and a zoning special exception under BMC 22.28.090 (BMC 22.24.080).
Violations & Fines
The designation sections quoted here print no fine amount. The printed consequence is procedural: under BMC 22.24.070, no required building or other construction-level permits are issued by the city before a certificate of appropriateness is issued, if one is required. A council decision approving or disapproving a designation is final and conclusive unless appealed to superior court (BMC 22.24.060).
Frequently Asked Questions
How old must a property be to become a Bothell historic landmark?
Who can nominate a property in the City of Bothell?
Who makes the final designation decision in Bothell?
What changes once a Bothell property is on the register?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bothell
Compare Bothell to another location·View the Washington historic preservation overview
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Historic-Cultural Monuments in Nearby Cities
How other cities in King County handle historic-cultural monuments.