Drafter
Clerk 09/20/2010
Title
AN ORDINANCE directing use of the King County historical preservation and historical programs fund; and amending Ordinance 16835, Section 1, and K.C.C. 4.08.199.
Body
PREAMBLE:
For more than forty years, King County has been a leader in its support for cultural resources. Heritage and historic preservation enhance the quality of life for our citizens, preserve our rich regional heritage and foster civic pride.
The King County historic preservation program is a model local historic preservation program that works to preserve and protect the county's historic buildings, structures and archaeological sites that lend high quality of life and economic value to all residents and future generations. The program's many accomplishments include enhancement and recognition of historic transportation corridors, design guidance for historic main streets in rural and suburban areas and adaptive reuse of historic residential, commercial and agricultural building stock. The program has a critical mandate to review federal projects that impact historic properties to ensure compliance with local, state and federal cultural resource laws. The four program staff members also offer hands-on assistance to property owners and services to eighteen contract cities, in addition to countywide technical expertise to preservation projects.
Beginning with 2003, the county created the cultural development authority, known as 4Culture, to serve as the county's cultural services agency, providing programs, financial support and services in the arts, public art, heritage and historic preservation. 4Culture exists outside King County government and utilizes funds from several sources to support and advocate for the cultural resources of the region, predominantly through providing direct grants for heritage and historic preservation purposes, so that King County citizens and visitors have access to high-quality cultural programs and experiences, according to K...

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