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Tacoma City Council Passes Amended Ordinance 28962 Enacting Temporary Moratorium
on Nomination and Designation of New Historic Special Review and Conservation Districts

TACOMA, Wash. – Tonight, the City Council unanimously passed Amended Ordinance 28962, to enact a temporary moratorium on the nomination and designation of new historic special review and conservation districts in residential areas.

In 2023, District 2 Council Member Sarah Rumbaugh was joined by co-sponsors Deputy Mayor John Hines and District 5 Council Member Joe Bushnell to pass Resolution 41226 requesting the Planning Commission and Landmarks Preservation Commission to consider whether a moratorium would be warranted. Ordinance 28962, which enacts a temporary moratorium on the nomination and designation of new historic special review and conservation districts, was recommended by the Planning Commission. Deputy Mayor Hines sponsored an amendment to Ordinance 28962 that limits the moratorium to residential areas.

“I firmly believe that historic preservation enhances Tacoma, and I recognize that historic preservation and planning are disciplines that require the careful balancing of many different priorities,” said Council Member Rumbaugh. “This temporary moratorium will give the Planning Commission time to review the historic district designation process to ensure that future historic district applications throughout the City are considered through thoughtful policy creation that balances the needs of historic preservation alongside our other needs and priorities, such as anti-racist transformation, expansion of affordable housing, and bracing Tacoma against the ongoing impacts of climate change.”

During a recent review of a proposed historic district, both the Planning Commission and Landmarks Preservation Commission noted concerns about the existing historic district designation process and recommended that a review and potential update to the process be conducted in the earliest possible plan and code amendment cycle. The requested review is planned to be included in the upcoming 2024 Comprehensive Plan periodic update process. The moratorium would end after one year, or when this review is complete, whichever is earliest.

“I believe that Tacoma has been and can continue to be a growing, vibrant city that also values and celebrates historic preservation,” said Deputy Mayor John Hines. “As our city grows and changes, the need to preserve our historic structures and neighborhoods that provide our community’s character become even more important.  Historic properties are not just buildings—they inspire and educate our community. They help us learn about those who lived here before us and to celebrate their stories and contributions to our community. I supported this ordinance because I have heard from residents that the process for establishing historic districts in our city is broken. This temporary moratorium is a pause that will allow us to improve our process to better preserve our shared community heritage and align them with our broader housing goals in our city. As a city, we have to continue to build faith in our residents that we have a process in place to preserve the parts of our past that we value and that our residents can trust.”  

The moratorium will only apply to areas of Tacoma with the land use designations of Low-Scale Residential, Mid-Scale Residential, High-Density Multifamily, and Airport Compatibility Residential.

“Historic preservation keeps Tacoma vibrant and underscores who we are as a community. That’s why it is so important to ensure that our codes align with our shared values,” said Council Member Bushnell. “With this moratorium, we can gather all the information and facts to support how we modernize our approach to historic district designations and preserving our rich culture and history in Tacoma. I expect through this process that we’ll improve quality of submissions and the likelihood that historic districts will be designated within our community.

Historic preservation honors the legacy of Tacoma and preserves sense of place and identity for neighborhoods, improving perception and overall quality of life. While this temporary moratorium on historic special review and conservation districts is in effect, the City can still accept and approve individual properties to the Tacoma Register of Historic Places. Additionally, this moratorium will have no effect on National Register nominations, nor will it affect any existing historic districts.

To learn more about this temporary moratorium, visit cityoftacoma.org/historicmoratorium.

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