Speaker 2, a commission member leading the preservation work, told the Arts Commission the city now has a draft historic-preservation code and a companion rewrite of the Commercial A zoning district that are intended to focus downtown protections and permit review.

"This is Sandpoint's big step forward in participating in this national project," Speaker 2 said, adding the draft preservation code follows Secretary of the Interior standards and includes definitions, procedures and a certification permit the commission would use to review modifications. He said the zoning rewrite would create clearer geographies — a downtown core and an outer core — and would allow the city to apply different rules by geography rather than a single, citywide commercial standard.

Why it matters: the proposed change would narrow what the city calls its commercial area and apply different rules to the core so that ground-floor uses, building massing and compatibility are tailored to specific blocks. Speaker 2 said the draft sets a 45-foot maximum in the downtown core and introduces "relational" building heights — limiting how much taller a new building may be relative to adjacent structures — to preserve the character of the street.

The draft also anticipates a new certificate-of-appropriateness permit, which would require properties in the preservation district to obtain commission review for exterior changes. Speaker 2 warned this would mean more permit-driven agenda items for the commission, and he recommended training for commissioners; he said a SHPO-sponsored training in Coeur d'Alene this summer could be helpful.

Next steps and process: Speaker 2 said he will present the Commercial A draft to the Planning & Zoning Commission for study and public input (targeted for March study sessions), then circulate a 10-page preservation code draft to the Arts Commission. He emphasized the need for outreach and public hearings and said council adoption could follow at a later date depending on review timelines.

What was not decided: No formal vote or council action occurred at this meeting. Several members asked questions about how nonconforming uses and existing businesses (for example, real-estate offices located in the core) would be treated; Speaker 2 said the draft contains generous provisions so existing uses are not immediately displaced unless they cease for an extended period.

The commission expects to schedule dedicated study sessions on the Commercial A draft and the preservation code, and will return with materials and timelines at a future meeting.