Edmonds, WA Historic Preservation: Historic-Cultural Monuments (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum age
- 50 years (or younger with exceptional importance)
- Designation categories
- 11 listed criteria, at least one required
- Pre-work requirement
- Certificate of appropriateness from commission
- Demolition requirement
- Waiver of certificate of appropriateness
- Appeal window
- 14 calendar days to hearing examiner
- Zoning effect
- HR designation, no change to underlying zone
Summary
Edmonds designates buildings, structures, sites and districts to its historic register if they are significantly associated with local or national history and at least 50 years old, then requires a certificate of appropriateness before any work on a listed property.
Any building, structure, site, object or district may be designated for inclusion in the Edmonds register of historic places if it is significantly associated with the history, architecture, archaeology, engineering or cultural heritage of the community; if it has integrity; is at least 50 years old, or is of lesser age and has exceptional importance; and if it falls in at least one of the following categories: A. Is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of national, state or local history. ... Prior to the commencement of any work on a register property, excluding ordinary repair and maintenance and emergency measures defined in ECDC 20.45.000(K) and (R), the owner must request and receive a certificate of appropriateness from the commission for the proposed work. Violation of this rule shall be grounds for the commission to review the property for removal from the register.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 4444, passed August 3, 2026).
Full Breakdown
010 sets the designation criteria for the Edmonds register of historic places: a building, structure, site, object or district qualifies if it is significantly associated with the history, architecture, archaeology, engineering or cultural heritage of the community, has integrity, is at least 50 years old (or younger with exceptional importance), and meets at least one of eleven listed categories, from association with historically significant events or persons to outstanding architectural or design work. 90 ECC reviews nominations at a public meeting with notice published in the city's official newspaper, and the city council must approve listing with the owner's consent.
020(F). 040 requires the owner to obtain a certificate of appropriateness from the commission before starting any work on the property, other than ordinary repair, maintenance or emergency measures, and a waiver of that certificate before any whole or partial demolition. 070.
Violations & Fines
Doing work on a register property without first obtaining a certificate of appropriateness violates ECDC 20.45.040(B) and is grounds for the commission to review the property for removal from the register. The commission's decision on a waiver of a certificate of appropriateness for demolition can be appealed to the hearing examiner under Chapter 20.06 ECDC within 14 calendar days, and the hearing examiner's decision can be further appealed to superior court under ECDC 20.45.050(C)(4).
Frequently Asked Questions
How old does a building need to be for Edmonds historic register listing?
Do I need a permit to change a historic register property in Edmonds?
Can I demolish a property on the Edmonds historic register?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Edmonds
Compare Edmonds to another location·View the Washington historic preservation overview
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Historic-Cultural Monuments in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Snohomish County handle historic-cultural monuments.