10 years ago 1998

n A new set of rules could bring back Arlingtons historic downtown look. If vision becomes reality, in two decades, a thriving downtown business district will cater to shoppers, residents and business types who appreciate the traditional small town main street of 100 years ago. The vehicle used to accomplish that goal is a set of construction requirements covering building types and architectural details. The Arlington Planning Commission, at a workshop tonight, is reviewing The Design Guidelines for New Construction and Rehabilitation for the citys central business district. A public hearing on the guidelines is expected to be scheduled next month. The guidelines, or standards, require new development to have architectural designs matching or complementing buildings already here, such as the American Legion and the building currently housing Tastebuds. In general, that means dividing the buildings into three horizontal layers. The base includes the storefronts and permanent sidewalk canopies that separate the base from the middle division. The middle division has second story windows, panels or decorative bands and trim. The cap includes the roofline or parapet shape, along with overhangs, cornices or other roofline trim. The buildings, which could be up to 50 feet high, also must be divided vertically using columns, pilasters or panels so there arent any blank walls facing the street. The vertical divisions, which must cover at least half the buildings height, must be no more than a third of the width of the building or a maximum of 12 feet, whichever is smaller. The design guidelines for new construction as well as renovation projects also call for permanent canopies on buildings facing the main street. The canopies would be required to extend over sidewalks at least six feet from the building face, providing pedestrians with protection from rain and melting snow. For renovation and remodel of existing buildings, the guidelines require a design that will protect and maintain historic features and materials. Those historic features include rooflines and parapets, window sizes, types of framing, sash, glazing, door sizes and styles and storefront details. The goal is to promote new construction that will enhance the enjoyability and marketability of the central business district, according to the introduction of the document. The guidelines give some very specific examples of what is required of new buildings. That includes information on what materials and even what colors of paint are allowed. Planning Commission Chair Ruth Gonzales, who also served on the guideline committee and is an architect, said the proposed guidelines are flexible compared to some in other cities such as Edmonds and Mill Creek. The guidelines are necessary, however, the committee believes, if the downtown is going to go beyond surviving to thriving. The most crucial part of developing the guidelines, according to City Planner John Burkholder, is finding a balance in the guidelines that accomplish the vision without discouraging development. The concept of requiring developers and business owners to meet specific architectural standards is not without some controversy. To some, the guidelines appear to infringe on the rights of a free society by telling a developer what he can or cannot do with his property. One part of the debate over the guidelines is how to administer them. Other cities have used a design review board, an appointed group of architects and design experts who review and must approve proposed plans before building permits are issued. The added layer of review, however, could slow the permitting process, Burkholder said. He questions whether the review board would be necessary and believes that task could be handled by city planning staff. A sub-committee of the citys Downtown Advisory Committee started working on the guidelines in October 1996. The DAC, headed by Burkholder, is a City Council-sanctioned group of interested business owners and residents, given the job of developing a plan for the downtowns future and to serve in an advisory capacity to city officials.

n While Arlington School District residents have debated where and when to build a new high school, the districts elementary schools have quietly reached capacity. The 26-member Elementary Attendance Boundary Review Committee is preparing to recommend the district immediately build a new elementary school on the 20.6-acre Gleneagle site off SR 9 and Eaglefield Drive, recently purchased for $1 million. Unfortunately, in school construction time, immediately takes at least three years if approved by voters. The committees dilemma now is trying to figure out what to do with students in the meantime. The committee has been meeting since October, given the charge of studying elementary enrollment projections and making a recommendation on how to address overcrowding in current attendance areas. With the help of Chris Townsend, a consultant with Shockey Brent, and the Arc View computer program, the committee was able to put specific enrollment projection numbers to different scenarios. Based on the data reviewed by the committee, two plans now are being developed for presentations to the public Feb. 4 and 19. A final recommendation on the proposal is expected to be made to the school board in March. The board, then, will make the final decision.

25 years ago 1983

n The Arlington Planning Commission last week recommended the approval of a contract rezone to allow the construction of a 32-unit senior citizen apartment complex behind the new Immaculate Conception Catholic Church off East Fifth Street. The City Council will make the final decision. The complex is sponsored by and will be owned after its completion by the Catholic Church. The apartments will be built on 3.3 acres running just to the east of Clara Street. The rezone sought requests a change from R-9600 (single family) to RM-1 (multi-family) zoning. Ralph Monty of Ramo Construction told the commission he will seek federal funding for the construction of the apartments which would then offer subsidized rents for the elderly. Should they fail in their attempts to secure a government loan, Monty said he would try to get a conventional loan. Monty said there is a continuing demand for senior citizen housing in this area. About a dozen citizens living on Clara Street were present for the Jan. 18 public hearing to raise questions about the proposed project questions about density, design and guarantee of the apartments being restricted to senior citizens. John Latourelle, the citys planning consultant, recommended the projects approval to the commission with a number of contract covenants which appeared to answer the concerns raised by the neighbors. Latourelle said the covenants would assure to the city and the neighborhood that there will be no adverse effects from the proposed apartment complex. His recommendations included provisions that the project be developed according to the site plan; that if construction on the project hasnt started within a year of its approval, the zoning would revert to its current single-family status. The covenants state that the projects open spaces be maintained in good repair; that any future development be limited to the site plan; that the site plan be followed regardless of ownership; that if the city in the future would wish to extend the public roadway, the road through the proposed project would be dedicated to the city; that occupation of the proposed project be restricted to the elderly and that the apartments all be of a one-story design. The proposed rezone is appropriate only for the elderly, Latourelle said. I can assure you the impact will be minimal. The 32 senior citizen units would generate less traffic, for example, than would the 15 single-family houses that current zoning would allow on the property. The planning commissions approval recommendation included two questions: does the city have an ordinance prohibiting apartment houses east of Stillaguamish Avenue and is there a public alley on the property? City staff at the hearing said they know of no such ordinance and city records and a title report gave no indication of any alley, but the two issues would be rechecked. The rezone must be approved by the City Council who are expected to set a date for their public hearing at their next meeting Feb. 7.

50 years ago 1958

n Mr. and Mrs. Jence Thompson announce that the new Arlington General Hospital building will be dedicated on Sunday, Jan. 26, with a brief ceremony and public inspection of the building and facilities. Patients, said Mr. Thompson, will be transferred to the new building during the week following the dedication. Attending the dedication and taking part in the brief program will be Mr. John Bigelow, executive secretary of the Washington State Hospital Association; Dr. Robert Brown, administrator Doctors Hospital in Seattle; Mayor J. Boyd Ellis, representing the city, and Phil Austin, head of the hospital division of the State Health Department. The hospital has no auditorium to accommodate a very large crowd, but it is expected 300 or 400 can be accommodated for the formal dedication ceremony which Mr. Jensen says will be brief. However, it is hoped that everyone interested in the hospital will attend to inspect the premises. The program will start at 1:30 p.m. and there will be hospital personnel present to conduct visitors through the building and show facilities and equipment.