Cheney’s Historic Preservation Commission gave a thumbs up at its April 4 meeting to a city staff request to apply for state grant funding to be used to develop details on historic buildings and make that information available online.
Commission administrative assistant Sue Beeman asked the members to approve a request to apply for a Certified Local Government (CLG) Grant through Washington state’s Department of Archaeology & Historic Preservation. The purpose of the grant would be to design web applications for historic district walking tours in downtown Cheney, and linking this information with the SpokaneHistoric website.
According to information from the state, the CLG program is a nationwide program of financial and technical assistance set up by the National Historic Preservation Act and administered in Washington by the Department of Archaeology & Historic Preservation. Its purpose is to help preserve historic and cultural resources “as assets for the future.”
Many governments use the funding to help identify districts or property of significant historical value for inclusion on historic registries. Funds are also used to design guidelines for “locally designated resources and historic districts,” along with developing preservation planning activities and education of property owners and residents through brochures, websites, school curriculum development and walking tours.
Cheney’s grant application is focused on doing research “on human-interest details related to buildings in our historic districts,” Beeman said in an email, and then sharing those stories and photos for inclusion on the SpokaneHistoric website. Beeman asked the commission to approve the grant on this conceptual project description, since the deadline is April 26, and take care of details later. The commission agreed.
According to the state, the grant funding varies from year to year based upon how much money the Legislature awards to the Department of Archaeology & Historic Preservation for the program. The average amount of the past five years has been $100,000, with individual grant awards averaging $7,500.
Last Thursday’s meeting was the first since the passing of commission chair Dr. Charles Mutschler, who was killed in an automobile collision in Four Lakes on State Route 904 on March 10. Commission members shared reminiscences about Mutschler, with elections held to fill the vacancy created by his absence.
Commissioner Bettye Hull was elected to serve as chair, a position she has held before, while Scott Wilbanks was re-elected to serve as vice chair.
The commission also viewed a presentation, with subsequent discussion, on historic downtowns and their economic development and how to manage the at times conflicting needs of both. The commission also held a conversation about the upcoming Civil War re-enactment taking place Saturday and Sunday of Memorial Day weekend near the city’s water reclamation facility and how that event could bring people to downtown Cheney.
John McCallum can be reached at [email protected].
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