2015 General Election Candidates Survey – District 6

The 2015 General Election is November 3rd. Historic Seattle is conducting a candidates survey of those running for Seattle City Council. Responses to each question were limited to 200 words or less. We are posting responses as we receive them and will continue to do so through October 30, 2015. Here are the responses for District 6.

District 6 – Green Lake to Golden Gardens

Mike O’Brien and Catherine Weatbrook

 

Mike O’Brien

1. What’s your favorite historic place in Seattle and why do you think it’s important?

The Ballard Avenue Historic District is one of my favorites for a host of reasons. One is its historic ties to my Scandinavian heritage. Another is the aesthetic beauty in the preserved structures including the brick streets. But what I most love about it is that it is not a museum piece, but rather lived in and loved neighborhood that continues to add value to so many lives, from the farmers market, to the festivals, to the shops and restaurants to the bike race. There is something great about acknowledging and honoring our past while also embracing the future that happens in Ballard.

2. How can Seattle accommodate the growing numbers of residents and increase in density while keeping neighborhood character?

I think neighborhood character is as much about the people as the structures. Where we have entire neighborhoods with historic structures such as Ballard Ave, Columbia City, or Pioneer Square, it is critical that we have tools in place to preserve entire stretches of buildings. In other neighborhoods, it is important to be able to identify exemplary pieces of our past for preservation while allowing new development to occur nearby so that new generations of people can both appreciate the past while creating new stories and histories for future generations to appreciate. Tools such as the Landmark TDR program, while not perfect, do encourage investment in preservation while allowing increased development elsewhere to accommodate growth and help address affordability challenges.

3. Do you believe historic buildings and places help create a more sustainable, affordable, and livable city? If so, how?

Absolutely. Historic buildings and districts in Seattle have been able to achieve a beautiful mix of both being highly desirable locations because of the historic value, while also maintaining affordability for businesses and residents because the historic structures lack some modern amenities. Because these structures can’t meet the needs of all companies, it creates a great niche market for select companies, often at affordable rates. When we can get over one hundred years of use out of a building, we also further our sustainability goals by not needing to develop new resources to replace the building. When we can do energy retrofits while maintaining the historic aspects of a building, we further reduce the energy needed to operate a building in positive ways.

– Mike O’Brien
September 28, 2015

Catherine Weatbrook

1. What’s your favorite historic place in Seattle and why do you think it’s important?

Ballard Avenue is my favorite historic district, but I do need to give a nod to the Panama Hotel. Both represent significant periods of time in our history that we should remember and learn from. Ballard represents a historic boom time – good paying jobs, industry, and community. Its rebirth as a destination for shopping, eating, and the Farmer’s Market show the flexibility of that space, and how human scale structures are still a draw. Historic preservation provides economic and cultural value to an urban area. They gracefully support surrounding density.

2. How can Seattle accommodate the growing numbers of residents and increase in density while keeping neighborhood character?

As a city council member I will work with the community to preserve historic and character districts to provide the diversity that supports urban density. By strategically selecting areas to preserve, and making sure those areas are spread across our city, we can support density and preserve character districts that make Seattle unique.

3. Do you believe historic buildings and places help create a more sustainable, affordable, and livable city? If so, how?

Yes, historic buildings and areas help with sustainability, affordability, and livable urban density. Adaptive reuse of buildings is the single most sustainable use of a salvageable structure, in part by keeping the refuse out of landfills. Older buildings, because of their sometimes restrictive or unique characteristics, may allow for lower rents, making them more economically viable for business and housing. These lower rent areas, are both vital to a diverse and culturally rich city, and a welcome respite to the walled canyons our current urban design dictates.

– Catherine Weatbrook
October 9, 2015