Neighborhood Conservation

• March 20, 2015
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• Advocacy Alert

Historic Seattle is helping the City of Seattle get the word out about neighborhood conservation districts. We know many you are concerned about the issue of neighborhood character. The City is developing a planning tool that can help our neighborhoods grow and retain unique character. We encourage you to attend one of the upcoming public meetings to learn more and share your thoughts with the City.

Neighborhood Conservation Districts!

Preserve your neighborhood’s character amidst booming development

Does your neighborhood have strong character that should be preserved, but isn’t eligible or appropriate for historic district status?

Councilmember Tom Rasmussen is holding a series of Neighborhood Conservation District (NCD) public meetings to gather resident input about establishing a program in Seattle. NCDs can be best described as a hybrid between Seattle’s Landmark Review Districts and the Design Review Program where unique neighborhoods can help set architectural style, square footage requirements, or other design elements. More information about neighborhood conservation districts may be found on Councilmember Rasmussen’s website.

Three public meetings are scheduled:

Georgetown, March 23, 6:00 pm, Georgetown Campus, South Seattle Community College, 6737 Corson Ave S, Seattle, WA 98108 (meet in multi-purpose room C122 in Gene J. Colin Education Hall)

West Seattle, April 7, 6:00 pm, High Point Center, 6920 34th Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98126

North Seattle, April 8, 6:00 pm, Phinney Ridge Neighborhood Association, 6532 Phinney Ave N, Seattle, WA 98103

For more information, please contact Evan Clifthorne, Councilmember Tom Rasmussen’s Office, evan.clifthorne@seattle.gov or (206) 684-8808.

Nuclear Reactor Building Love

• February 09, 2015
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• Advocacy Alert

Historic Seattle and friends will be showing our love for the Nuclear Reactor Building (aka More Hall Annex) on the University of Washington campus at noon on Friday, February 13.  We’ll be taking a group photo and showing off our homemade valentines to the building, also known as “heart bombing.” Heart bombing is a tradition that’s only a few years old, and is a way to celebrate Valentine’s Day through public displays of affection for endangered and underappreciated places.

Please join us and bring your own homemade valentine to the building! Here’s a campus map—look for More Hall Annex.

The Nuclear Reactor Building is endangered because the UW is proposing to demolish the National Register of Historic Places-listed building and replace it with a new Computer Science and Engineering facility.

Find out more about heart bombing from the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Photo: Abby Inpanbutr

Pike/Pine Landmark Designation

• January 06, 2015
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• Advocacy Alert

Two Pike/Pine Auto Row buildings up for Landmark designation in January

The Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board (LPB) will be deciding whether to designate two Auto Row buildings in the Pike/Pine neighborhood at two upcoming meetings. First up for consideration at the January 7, 2015 LPB meeting is the Kelly-Springfield building (1525 11^th Avenue), constructed in 1917 and used originally for truck sales and service, and tire sales and service. The property was nominated at the November 19, 2014 LPB meeting.

The second property, the White Motor Company building (1021 E Pine St; built 1917-1918), is scheduled for a designation hearing at the January 21, 2015 LPB meeting. It was originally an automobiles sales and office. The property was nominated at the December 17, 2014 LPB meeting.

Both buildings were designed by Seattle architect Julian Everett.

Why are these buildings significant?

The buildings are associated in significant ways with the history and development of Auto Row and the two connected buildings were the original home of outdoor retailer REI. The buildings are also significant for their architectural style and period. Additionally, the White Motor Company building is prominently located on a key corner of the Pike/Pine neighborhood and is an easily identifiable visual feature of the community.

Advocacy efforts

History has shown former Auto Row buildings to be good candidates for adaptive reuse, particularly for locally-owned businesses. They are more than just old brick or terra cotta facades. They are also defined by the interior volume of space and heavy timber features. These buildings add greatly to the character of the Pike/Pine community. The loss of this character to another exterior wall retention project (not actual historic preservation) will be their fate if the buildings are not designated.

Neighborhood advocates, along with Historic Seattle and the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation, have been supporting the nomination and designation of the Kelly-Springfield and White Motor Company buildings. For more detailed information about advocacy efforts, check out the Capitol Hill Seattle blog.

You, too, can show your support by sending an email to the Landmarks Preservation Board or by attending one or both of the designation hearings on January 7 and 21 (open to the public). Learn more about the history and architecture of these two buildings by downloading PDFs of the nomination reports via the Seattle Historic Preservation Program’s website. Comments should focus on the designation standards.

The January 7 meeting takes place at 3:30 pm in the Seattle Municipal Tower, 700 5^th Avenue, 17^th floor (room 1756; this is a room change from the Board’s usual location on the 40^th floor). Download the agenda. The agenda for the January 21 meeting will be available the week before the meeting. Send public comments via email to Landmarks Preservation Board Coordinator Sarah Sodt at  sarah.sodt@seattle.gov  by 5 pm today (January 6) or attend the meeting and provide comments in person.

Photo: 1937 image of the Kelly-Springfield building / Source: Washington State Archives, Puget Sound Branch

Historic House Available at Auction – Bids Accepted Dec 4 – 7, 2013

• December 02, 2013
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• Advocacy Alert

ADVOCACY ALERT!

The historic Gilman House (built ca. 1891), a designated Seattle Landmark located at 2016 14th Ave W in Interbay/west slope of Queen Anne, is being auctioned off this week through Auction.com. Bidding starts December 4 and ends December 7, 2013, with a starting bid at $225,000. It is part of the 14th Avenue West Houses Group that was designated a landmark in 1978. Historic Seattle holds a preservation easement on the houses, including the Gilman House. The property was recently foreclosed and Chase Bank is putting it up for auction.

The houses are described in Historylink.org and in this Queen Anne News article.

Historic Seattle seeks your help to spread the word about the auction in the hopes that a preservation-friendly buyer puts in a successful bid on the Gilman House. 

Please Support the Seattle Landmark Nomination of an Important Modernist Site

• September 11, 2013
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• Advocacy Alert

At its September 18, 2013 meeting, the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board (LPB) will consider the landmark nomination of the former Battelle Memorial Institute (BMI) Seattle Research Center site located at 4000 NE 41^st St. in Seattle’s Laurelhurst neighborhood.

Historic Seattle supports the nomination of the property and we ask you to show your support through written comments to the Landmarks Preservation Board and/or provide public testimony in person at the meeting. The Wednesday, September 18 meeting begins at 3:30 PM in the Seattle Municipal Tower, 700 5^th Avenue, 40^th Floor in Room 4060. An agenda will be posted on the Seattle Historic Preservation website. Send written comments by Monday, September 16, 2013 to:

Email:

Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board
c/o Erin Doherty, Landmarks Preservation Board Coordinator
erin.doherty@seattle.gov

Or by Mail:

Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board
Seattle Dept. of Neighborhoods
P.O. Box 94649
Seattle, WA  98124-4649

Prompted by concerns for proposed future redevelopment plans for the site, the Friends of Battelle/Talaris (FOBT) formed to produce the landmark nomination report. FOBT is a grassroots group of Laurelhurst neighbors who have come together as advocates for the preservation of the Battelle Memorial Institute Seattle Research Center/Talaris Conference Center. Historic Seattle has been providing technical assistance and advice on landmark nomination preparation, research and advocacy strategy for the Friends of Battelle/Talaris.

The 18-acre property is owned by 4000 Property LLC. The site is currently used as the Talaris Conference Center. For more information about recent redevelopment proposals, go to the Talaris Living website. (more…)

Advocacy Alert: Support Preservation in South Lake Union

• March 19, 2013
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• Advocacy Alert

Make Your Voice Heard – Contact Seattle City Council Today! 

Seattle City Council is considering a proposal to rezone South Lake Union that will result in a considerable increase in density and building height. The rezone’s intent is to: 1) help create more jobs, housing and economic activity, and 2) conserve regional farmland and forest.

Historic Seattle appreciates the objectives of the South Lake Union Rezone proposal and believes continued planning for the area’s growth and use is necessary. While we understand the need for increased height and density in the South Lake Union area, it is also important to note that continued massive redevelopment of a historic neighborhood can diminish community character. The 2012 Environmental Impact Statement for the rezone clearly stated there would be negative impacts on historic resources.

Yet there is no preservation mitigation proposed in the rezone legislation. The preservation incentives currently offered in the proposal are not meaningful or effective enough.

The architectural heritage of the Cascade neighborhood and South Lake Union area is an eclectic one. The presence of warehouses and commercial buildings that are indicative of the light industrial history of this area is particularly important to tell the story of one of Seattle’s oldest neighborhoods. Historic character doesn’t mean only maintaining and preserving individual designated landmarks. Historic character, as a component of neighborhood character, is much broader than that. It’s about how a streetscape, block or neighborhood feels. The most pedestrian-friendly and livable neighborhoods are the ones that evoke a sense of place and history.

Saving less obvious landmarks or character buildings takes more effort. Weaving in the old and the new in a way that considers historic urban form and recognizes the value of the neighborhood’s historic fabric is a more thoughtful approach to development than treating the community as a blank slate of developable parcels on a land use and zoning map. The Terry Avenue Building is an excellent example of the rehabilitation of a designated landmark that has been preserved in its entirety (and incorporated into a larger new development), housing popular restaurants that greatly enhance the community.

Economic development and preservation are also not mutually exclusive. Older warehouse and commercial buildings are generally well-built and offer flexibility for creative adaptive re-use. Small businesses are able to thrive in these types of buildings because they often offer more affordable spaces to rent and have decades-old patina and character that make for more interesting places. (more…)

Support Landmark Designation of Two Buildings in South Lake Union

• February 01, 2013
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• Advocacy Alert

Three buildings on one block in the South Lake Union area are threatened with demolition by a proposed mixed-use (residential and retail) development on 8th Ave N between Thomas and John Streets, just north of Denny Park. Two of the buildings (215 8th Ave N and 777 Thomas St) were nominated by the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board (LPB) in December 2012 and January 2013, respectively. The two properties are being considered for designation by the LPB at its February 6, 2013 meeting. Both nominations were submitted to the LPB as part of the SEPA (State Environmental Policy Act) process, triggered by the development proposal. The City did not require the developer to submit a nomination for the third building at 223 8th Ave N, although we believe the building is also eligible for landmark listing.

Historic Seattle supports the designation of both properties and urge you to do the same. 777 Thomas is a small gem of an Art Deco style commercial building constructed in 1931 that has served the community’s automotive and warehouse needs for decades. The International Style building at 215 8th Ave N was the office of Seattle architect J. Lister Holmes, a prominent designer whose work spanned from the Beaux-Arts tradition to the modern style. It is a fine example of a small-scale International Style building and maintains a high level of integrity.

The Landmarks Preservation Board meeting is on Wednesday, February 6, beginning at 3:30 pm. The meeting place is in the Municipal Tower at 700 5th Ave, 40th floor, Room 4060, Seattle. Public comments at the meeting will be accepted or you may email your comments to Landmarks Preservation Board Coordinator Sarah Sodt at sarah.sodt@seattle.gov by Monday, February 4.  The Designation Standards are listed here. Access the agenda here. Download the nominations on this page (under 777 Thomas and 215 8th Ave N).

Take Action! Support the Ballard Carnegie Library Landmark Nomination

• September 14, 2012
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• Advocacy Alert

Historic Seattle has been working with the Ballard Historical Society and the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation to support the landmark nomination for the historic Ballard Carnegie Library. We urge you support the nomination and designation of this significant community landmark. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. Everyone seems to already think it’s a landmark, so let’s make it one officially!

Attend the Landmarks Preservation Board Meeting or Submit Written Comments

The Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board will consider this nomination at its meeting on Wednesday, September 19, 2012, at 3:30 p.m. in the Seattle Municipal Tower, 700 5th Avenue, 40th Floor, Room 4060. The public is invited to attend the meeting and make comments. Or you may email your comments to the Landmarks Preservation Board by September 17, 2012, by 5:00 p.m. Address your comments to the Landmarks Preservation Board c/o Kate Krafft and email comments to kate.krafft@seattle.gov.

We encourage you to speak or write about why the Ballard Carnegie Library building is important to you and/or the community. We ask you to tie in the City’s designation standards to support your comments. A property only needs to meet one of the designation standards to be landmarked but it’s always good to meet more than one standard. Review the nomination to learn about the property’s significance. The nomination is posted on the Department of Neighborhoods website under the heading of “Current Nominations.” Download the meeting agenda here (LPB41412.)

Historic Seattle believes the property meets several designation standards including:

Standard C: Because the Ballard Carnegie Library was built when Ballard was an incorporated city and was a key cultural and educational institution in the community, it is associated in a significant way with a significant aspect of the cultural heritage of the Ballard community.
Standard D: The Ballard Carnegie Library is an excellent example of an eclectic style with Renaissance Revival or Neo-Italianate influences.
Standard E: The building is an outstanding work of architect Henderson Ryan.
Standard F: Even though it is located mid-block on NW Market Street, the Ballard Carnegie Library building maintains prominence of spatial location, contrasts of siting, age, and scale. It is an easily identifiable visual feature in Ballard and contributes to the distinctive quality or identity of the neighborhood.

(more…)

Advocacy Alert! Help Preserve Harborview Hall

• September 01, 2012
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• Advocacy Alert

Send a Letter to King County Council in Support of Preserving Harborview Hall

The Washington Trust for Historic Preservation just launched a public advocacy effort to support the preservation and adaptive re-use of Harborview Hall. Historic Seattle has been advocating for its preservation. We support a project design and plan that meets the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation and allows for the viable use of a significant National Register for Historic Places-eligible property. We urge you to write a letter to King County Council to show broad support for saving the building and rehabilitating it for a viable new use. Below is the alert message from the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation: 

King County is currently working with a local developer on plans to rehabilitate Harborview Hall. An integral part of the Harborview Medical Center in Seattle’s First Hill neighborhood, the building faced possible demolition earlier this year, prompting its inclusion in our 2012 Most Endangered List. The county Executive’s involvement has made redevelopment of Harborview Hall closer to becoming reality, but key decisions are still to come. Your support remains essential for saving Harborview Hall!  Please contact the King County Council and urge them to support redevelopment of Harborview Hall. Download a sample letter of support: Save Harborview Hall If you are a resident of King County, email or write your district councilmember. If you live outside the county, email or write King County Council Chair Larry Gossett. Email and mailing addresses can be found on the King County Council website. For more in-depth information, including a fact sheet and video on Harborview Hall, visit the Harborview Hall Take Action page on the Washington Trust’s website. Show your support on facebook: “like” the Harborview Hall facebook page!

Planning for the Future of McNeil Island

• August 24, 2012
• No Comment
• Advocacy Alert

A message from the State Office of Financial Management regarding historic McNeil Island: 

The Washington State Legislature has directed the Washington State Office of Financial Management (OFM) to prepare a REPORT to use to initiate a comprehensive, long-range planning process for the future of McNeil Island during the 2013-15 Biennium. The report is due to the Governor and Legislature by October 1, 2012.

One of the report components is a summary of consultation with interested parties. OFM and its consultant team, BERK, are hosting two open houses in late August that are open to all. The open houses are designed to provide more information about the project underway and gather thoughts on planning for the Island’s future. These open houses will be held:

Monday, August 27, 2012
12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Legislative Building
Columbia Room
416 Sid Snyder Avenue SE
Olympia, WA 98504

Tuesday, August 28, 2012
5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Pierce County Environmental Services Building
East and West Meeting Rooms
9850 64^th Street W
University Place, WA 98467

Please see this flyer for more information on these open houses. If you are unable to attend an open house and want to share your thoughts about planning for the future of McNeil Island, please send your comments to: mcneilcomments@ofm.wa.gov. Please also forward this on to other people that might be interested.