Historic Preservation Commission

City of Pasco 1910 Looking West from BNSF Tracks

Pasco Washington Panorama 1910 b

About the Commission

The major responsibilities of the Historic Preservation Commission are to identify and actively encourage the conservation of Pasco's historic resources by reviewing National Register properties applying for Special Tax Valuation; to raise community awareness of Pasco's history and historic resources; and to serve as the City of Pasco's primary resource in matters of history, historic planning, and preservation.

Special Tax Valuation

During its 1985 session, the Washington State Legislature passed a law that allows a special tax valuation for qualifying historic properties within the state. The primary benefit of the law is that during the 10-year special valuation period, property taxes will not reflect substantial improvements made to the property.

Any proposed changes to properties benefiting from the special tax valuation, or designed as historic landmarks or districts on the Pasco Register of Historic Places requires review by the City of Pasco Historic Preservation Commission and the issuance of a Certificate of Appropriateness (PDF).

Additional details about the Historic Preservation Commission, its Commissioners, and meeting schedule may be accessed in the City's Meeting Agenda Portal Historic Preservation Commission.

Agendas & Minutes

Current and past agenda packets and meeting minutes are available via the City's Records Management Storage System (Laserfiche).

View the 2013 Historic Preservation Plan webpage.

Get Involved

The City is always interested in recruiting candidates with experience and/or training in architecture, history, architectural history, planning, prehistoric and historic archaeology, folklore, cultural anthropology, curatorship, conservation, landscape architecture, or related disciplines to the Historic Preservation Commission.

If you are interested in joining the Historic Preservation Commission feel free to fill out an online Board and Commission Application. 

Special Projects


As part of a grant from the Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, financed in part with Federal funds from the National Park Service, this program has interviews with members of Pasco’s African-American community at significant sites in east Pasco that are central to the deep history of African-Americans in the Tri-Cities of Washington State.