Peaceful Valley Considers Historic District Some Residents Fear Losing Area’S ‘Creative’ Flair In/Around: Peaceful Valley

Peaceful Valley residents hoping to become a local historic district met with a Nashville-based consultant last week.

Phil Thomason of Thomason & Associates Preservation Planners presented a draft of the district guidelines to neighbors.

But while Thomason praised the group for its work and “creative” neighborhood, some residents said they’re not interested in the district.

Michael and Linda Harrington, who live on West Clarke, said they didn’t want to be included in a local district. They built their home just west of the boundaries set when Peaceful Valley became a National Historic District in 1984.

“We deliberately built outside the district for that reason,” Michael Harrington said.

Local historic district status allows a neighborhood to dictate the style of structures built in the area, from siding materials to front doors. Residents can draw up strict guidelines to protect against development deemed destructive to the historic character.

Only one Spokane neighborhood - Corbin Park - has such status.

Peaceful Valley residents began their quest two years ago. The neighborhood received $7,500 in state grants and raised an additional $2,000 to pay Thomason & Associates.

But in a neighborhood known for its funky, colorfully painted houses, some don’t want to be told how to handle their homes.

“A lot of residents aren’t for it,” said Steve Doty, a developer who has built several homes in the neighborhood. “They’re an independent lot down there.

“I’d hate to see them pinch it down to where no one can be creative.”

But Thomason said that’s exactly what the district would preserve. He encouraged residents to preserve the uniqueness of the area rather than allow developers to decide what the place will look like.

“Paint what you want,” he told neighbors, showing slides of a pink and purple Peaceful Valley home. “That’s part of the creativity and kind of the heritage of this area.”

Resident Sali Combelic said she hopes a local historic district will curb construction of more buildings similar to several of the new homes, which are covered with T-111 siding, large panels of wood with vertical lines.

“They’re cheap, and they look cheap,” she said. “We have to look at them for the rest of our lives. (Builders) can take their checks and drive away.”

Combelic said she hopes the local historic district will cover the entire neighborhood, from east on Main below the Spokane Club to the river on the west.

Formation of a local district would require 51 percent approval from homeowners, said Teresa Brum of Spokane’s Historic Preservation Office. But she said the city would look for closer to 75 percent.

“That’s the kind of district I want to see,” she said.

Residents have until July 31 to submit their application to the city.