Oak Harbor commission seeks CLG grant to build targeted historic inventory

The Oak Harbor Historic Preservation Commission on March 27 discussed applying for a Certified Local Government (CLG) grant to create a living historic inventory for parts of Oak Harbor, staff said.

Senior planner Ray Lindenberg and city grants administrator Wendy Horn outlined a proposal to request roughly $20,000 to hire a consultant to perform reconnaissance-level surveys of prioritized areas — including downtown, the Chimes Corner/Midway Corridor, a stretch of midcentury houses on Northeast Sixth Avenue, a school building and a small area near Smith Park. Lindenberg said the limited budget would not support a citywide survey but would allow consultants to “find out what it is we have.”

The CLG program is administered by the state Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation and distributes federal preservation funds to qualifying communities. “You all are probably familiar with the Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, but they do offer this program called the certified local government program,” Grants Administrator Wendy Horn told commissioners. Horn said the FY25 priorities include requests over $15,000, surveys of underrepresented resources, and support for communities that have not previously applied; she added the grant has no local match requirement.

Lindenberg said he contacted two consulting firms — identified in the meeting as Doncaster and a Seattle-area firm abbreviated in notes as NWVHP — and that both recommended a focused approach for a roughly $20,000 budget. The consultants proposed reconnaissance-level work: photographing selected buildings, documenting construction dates and basic histories, and compiling those findings into a searchable inventory that staff and property owners could use for local or National Register nominations.

Commission discussion centered on where to concentrate the limited funds. Lindenberg recommended prioritizing the downtown Central Business District, Chimes Corner at Whidbey and Midway, selected residential blocks (including Northeast Sixth) and the Smith Park area. He emphasized documenting midcentury resources as well as older downtown buildings to capture the town’s development history: “One of the things that I kind of wanted to focus on…is to build that historic context,” he said.

Staff described the timeline and approvals. Horn said the grant opened March 4 and closes May 30; award recipients would run on a federal year schedule if funded, with a likely project period of Oct. 1, 2025, to Sept. 30, 2026. The city council must approve grant submissions, and staff expect to present the application to council in early May before the May 30 deadline. Lindenberg told commissioners staff would select a consultant from the two firms and return with more-detailed scope and maps before beginning work.

Commissioners asked whether the $20,000 budget could cover a citywide effort; Lindenberg and Horn said it could not. Horn said the state program’s available funds are limited and suggested $20,000 was a reasonable starting point for the first application, though she noted DHAP staff indicated the FY25 funding range that would be “a good place to start” when considering competitive requests.

The commission did not take a formal vote on the grant application at the March 27 meeting; commissioners asked staff to proceed with consultations and to bring a recommended consultant and draft materials forward for review and for the required city council presentation. Horn encouraged commissioners and the public to attend the council meeting in early May to provide comment and support for the application.

Votes at a glance: the commission approved minutes from its Jan. 23, 2025 meeting and later approved adjournment by voice vote. (See actions array for recorded motions and votes.)

The commission set its next regular meeting for May 22, 2025, and members noted a public ceremony at Smith Park on April 12 that may draw a quorum; staff said they would post a public notice if a quorum of commissioners may attend.