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Holiday safety: Protect West Seattle forests – by visiting them
July 3, 2009 1:57 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   Environment | Holidays | Safety | West Seattle news

thetrail.jpg

(2008 WSB photo from West Duwamish Greenbelt)
A different twist on holiday fire prevention, shared by Sheila Brown from Camp Long:

Fireworks and Our Urban Forests: West Seattleites Can Help

West Seattle has 800 acres of urban forest, fully 1/3 of the forests of all Seattle. Many of the forests have active volunteers restoring and maintaining them for present and future generations, led by Forest Stewards in the Green Seattle Partnership network. Our Forest Stewards would like your help in preventing fires this holiday.

Take a walk in an urban forest this weekend, get out of the heat and enjoy. And while you’re out there, keep an eye out for smoke or other signs of fire danger. The more people use our trails, the less likely mischief makers will set off illegal fireworks.

Fireworks pose a fire hazard to property and present a safety risk to those who use them. Every year the Seattle Fire Department responds to fireworks-related fires and injuries. Each and every one of these incidents could have been prevented.

Private use, sale, or possession of fireworks is prohibited in the City of Seattle. Make the right choice, the safe choice and leave fireworks to the professionals. If you want to include fireworks in your July Fourth celebration, plan to attend a public display, such as those scheduled for discharge over Lake Union.

On the 4th of July, 9-1-1 centers become overloaded with non-emergency fireworks calls. DO NOT call 9-1-1 unless you have a life-threatening emergency and need immediate help from police, fire or medics. Unnecessary 9-1-1 calls block people with real emergencies from reaching 9-1-1. Any fireworks-related fires or injuries should be reported directly to 9-1-1.

Fireworks violations may be reported by calling the Seattle Police non-emergency number (206) 625-5011.

“Fireworks are a huge risk for starting an unintentional fire,” said M.J. Harvie, Aviation and Fire Staff Officer. Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reminds the public to be aware of any fire restrictions in place around the state due to the rising fire danger. Because the weather is warming up and vegetation is drying out, fires can ignite quickly.

As the busy Fourth of July holiday approaches, the forest professionals would like to remind everyone that fireworks of any kind are prohibited on public lands. “Each year there are instances of fires caused by fireworks in the forest,” said Forest Supervisor Jose Linares.

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Happening now: Duwamish Tribe salmon bake at the longhouse
July 3, 2009 1:16 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   How to help | West Seattle news

This is one of the rare occasions when it can be considered unfortunate the Internet doesn’t convey aromas – the Duwamish Tribe salmon bake, now till 4 pm to raise money for the federal-recognition fight, smells AMAZING. The salmon’s being cooked behind the tribe’s West Seattle longhouse/cultural center, which does have its own parking lot, right off West Marginal Way (map) – turn here:

This preview from earlier in the week explains where the two-part recognition fight (court and Congress) stands now.

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West Seattle Weekend Lineup: “Happy 233rd, America” edition
July 3, 2009 10:56 am
|    Comments Off on West Seattle Weekend Lineup: “Happy 233rd, America” edition
 |   Fun stuff to do | WS culture/arts | WS Weekend Lineup

wswllicon3.pngNo fireworks in Elliott Bay? No problem. (If somehow you haven’t heard, the 4th of Jul-Ivar’s show is no more – which means NO fireworks clearly visible from Alki, unless you count fragments of the Lake Union show.) Lots happening anyway, even before you pack up and go see fireworks somewhere else … more than three dozen events ahead in the full West Seattle Weekend Lineup, brought to you by Skylark Cafe and Club … Read More

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Why you might have trouble getting to certain local websites
July 3, 2009 10:14 am
|      11 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle online


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We were helping cover this story via Twitter early this morning – didn’t think it was West Seattle enough for WSB but as more of the effects become obvious, we’re realizing it is: A relatively small fire late last night at Fisher Plaza downtown (4th/Denny, south of the Space Needle) cut power to the building, affecting not only KOMO TV (flagship to Fisher Broadcasting) but also a slew of websites whose hosting companies have servers in the building. We first learned about this indirectly from a West Seattleite whose site was affected – then it was revealed that national sites like geocaching.com and authorize.net (which processes credit cards) were involved too – and now we’ve learned that organizations with West Seattle branches, like PCC and Mars Hill Church, also are without their sites. After several hours of lag, some citywide/national media coverage is FINALLY starting to turn up, but for the best up-to-the-minute news, track Twitter, where many of the companies/organizations that are affected are sharing information – hashtag #fisherfire – direct access to the latest, go here. 1 PM UPDATE: Added this in comments a little while ago since we got the call while out and about, but it needs to be in the main report too: Square 1 Books (WSB sponsor) is also among the companies whose servers were affected by this fire/outage – proprietor Gretchen says they have no e-mail access right now, in addition to their website being down, so call if you need something (935-5764). Some other affected websites (not necessarily WS-linked) are listed here.

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West Seattle events today: Duwamish fundraiser; PCC blood drive
July 3, 2009 8:27 am
|    Comments Off on West Seattle events today: Duwamish fundraiser; PCC blood drive
 |   Health | How to help | West Seattle news

Before the West Seattle Weekend Lineup is published later this morning, two events of note on the WSB West Seattle-wide Events calendar: The Duwamish Tribe‘s legal-fund-moneyraising salmon bake (preview here), noon-4 pm (here’s a map to the longhouse in eastern West Seattle); plus, a mobile blood drive at West Seattle’s PCC store (map) – 1-7 pm.

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Update: Tree catches fire at Southwest Precinct
July 3, 2009 6:40 am
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle fires | West Seattle news

FIRST REPORT, 6:40 AM: On our way to check out what started as a full-response “fire in building” call to 2300 SW Webster, which is the official address for the Southwest Precinct – sounds like some units are pulling back but others will proceed for “smoke removal” – more when we get there. 6:49 AM UPDATE: We’re there — seems a tree caught fire in the precinct’s gated parking lot. Lots of smoke, but the fire’s out. Photo to come. 7:02 AM: Added photo. Nobody hurt; the Fire Department’s wrapped up. No word on the cause.

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Reminder: Today’s a holiday “too”
July 3, 2009 5:31 am
|    Comments Off on Reminder: Today’s a holiday “too”
 |   Holidays | West Seattle news

If you missed the note earlier this week – lots of closures and changes today; here’s our list. And if you’re still making your Fourth of July plan, here’s our West Seattle holiday rundown, sans fireworks. (As always, the West Seattle Weekend Lineup will be out later this morning, with events both holiday and non-holiday, today through Sunday.) Plus, King County has another of its money-saving “furlough” days on Monday, so if you have county business, you won’t be able to get it done till Tuesday.

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One week from tonight: New venues join West Seattle Art Walk
July 2, 2009 10:30 pm
|    Comments Off on One week from tonight: New venues join West Seattle Art Walk
 |   West Seattle Art Walk | West Seattle news | WS culture/arts

Before West Seattle’s biggest summertime celebration – the three-day West Seattle Summer Fest (sponsoring, and co-sponsored by, WSB) – takes over The Junction, Friday-Sunday (7/10-7/12), the night before is a celebration all its own: New venues have joined the West Seattle Art Walk this summer – and now there are FIFTY-EIGHT participants all over West Seattle! New venues include WSB sponsors Ventana Construction (between Alaska and Morgan Junctions), Coffee at the Heights (in Sunrise Heights), and Endolyne Joe’s (in Fauntleroy). As you can see from the section of the map shown above (click here to download the entire map, which also includes a list of venues and their addresses), it’s all over West Seattle, from Alki to Fauntleroy, but there’s a special feature for The Junction this time around – since it’s the night before Summer Fest, California will be closed, and you can wander in the street (The Bubbleman will be outside Elliott Bay around 7 pm, like last year). Drop by the other spots too – you will often find snacks and beverages, and meet great people, both entrepreneurs and artists. The official Art Walk website continues to add more info about the specific exhibits (and venues’ own sites have info too, like the big three-show extravaganza at Twilight) – keep an eye on it at westseattleartwalk.blogspot.com.

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Video: “Tour de Revs” visits Peace Lutheran Church in Gatewood
July 2, 2009 7:36 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   Gatewood | West Seattle news | West Seattle religion | West Seattle video

Three Lutheran ministers on one bamboo bicycle, traveling cross-country to fight hunger: They’re the Tour de Revs, receiving an enthusiastic welcome tonight as they rolled up to Peace Lutheran Church in Gatewood (with PLC’s Pastor Erik Kindem leading them in), midway through a 100-day tour. Yes, we said “bamboo” bicycle:

They’re bicycling to fight hunger around the globe, and reps from our area’s hunger-fighting agencies were on hand, including Pete Spalding from the West Seattle Food Bank board of directors and Audrey Zemke (below) from the White Center Food Bank:

One of the Revs, the Rev. Dr. Fred Soltow from Shepherdstown, West Virginia (here are the bios of all three), talked about where they’ve been and where they’re going:

After tonight’s block party (till 8 pm if you see this before then), the Revs and others planned to head downhill from Peace Lutheran toward Lincoln Park for a sunset ride.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Rude awakening
July 2, 2009 4:57 pm
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | High Point | West Seattle news

Marco and Tony both e-mailed to report an overnight car break-in at 32nd/Raymond (map) overnight and sent photos; the one above is from Tony, who notes that broken glass and a card from an investigating officer is not what you want to wake up to find in your car. Tony explains that he “called 911 @ 2 am, for shirtless man wandering the traffic circle yelling at apparently no one. … Police arrived, cuffed the individual, and investigated a car break-in. Not sure if both are connected but, car was 20′ from where they caught him … And the kicker – the car has Army plates. Way to support Vets on The 4th.”

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First solar panels going up at High Point Neighborhood Center
July 2, 2009 4:36 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Environment | High Point | West Seattle news

Alex from Neighborhood House, the organization that’s building the new Neighborhood Center at High Point, shared that photo – the first solar panels are going up. NH says the HPNC will have the largest solar array in the state, and it’ll be the largest solar array atop a social-services building anywhere in the U.S. (They’ve got a sponsorship drive under way, as we reported last month.)

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Seeking a Samaritan: Recognize this truck driver?
July 2, 2009 3:33 pm
|      13 COMMENTS
 |   Luna Park | West Seattle news

Nicole survived a close call on Wednesday, but would like to find the person who helped her afterward. Here’s her story:

I have lived in West Seattle for four years. I have worked at Luna Park Cafe for a little over two years. I bike to work on a regular basis. I use the Alki Bike Trail to get there. Yesterday morning I had a traumatizing incident happen and I was hoping someone out there in West Seattle could help me find the good samaritan who came to assist.

Yesterday morning, Wednesday, July 1, 2009 around 6:30 am I was biking south on the Alki Bike Trail. I was about 1 block North of the ActivSpace Building. A driver of a Honey Bucket truck was traveling North on Harbor Ave. (the street that runs next to the bike trail) The driver of the Honey Bucket truck did not see me on my bike coming straight towards him. The driver of the truck proceeded to make a right turn into a driveway. I was on my bike traveling anywhere from 15-20 miles an hour realized that the driver did not see me and put on my brakes right away. I started screaming “HEY HEY HEY” to make sure that he would noticed me.

Before I knew it my bike and I were sliding on the pavement toward the truck that was still turning into the driveway. I must have slid about 2 feet still on my bike until the lower part of my body were under the front bumper of the Honey Bucket truck. Thank goodness the driver of truck did see me and stoped the vehicle. I was able to jump right up and grab my bike. The driver asked me if I was okay and I said yes, just scraped up. I asked him “How could you not see me? He replied “It was because the sunlight was in his eyes.” At this time another truck driver stopped his vehicle and came to help out. This other driver was already in the driveway near a gate. He helped me get back on my bike and made sure I was okay.

I am looking for this friendly, helpful man. He was wearing a cap and had glasses (from what I recall). He was somewhere around 6 ft. tall, slender, and perhaps in his 50s. He had grayish color hair, beard scruff on his face and lighter colored eyes. He said that he had been a truck driver in the area for the last 10 years and always stops to look for bikers on the bike trail before he turns into the driveway. I did not get this man’s information.

Nicole says she’s doing OK, by the way, though upset about missing work. If you have any idea who the man is, leave a comment or e-mail her at nicolevela@hotmail.com.

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Update: Cooper School closure lawsuit ruling – motion denied
July 2, 2009 2:03 pm
|      10 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle school closure

Just received from King County Superior Court Judge Gregory Canova – the “motion for summary judgment” filed by opponents to the closure of Cooper Elementary School has been denied, three weeks after the hearing, two weeks after the emotional last day of classes. That does NOT mean the end of the case. More in a moment, and we’ll upload the document too. ADDED 2:16 PM: Here’s the two-page ruling. Excerpt:

The Court finds that there are genuine issues of material fact as to the issues presented for summary judgment which precludes the Court from concluding that plaintiffs are entitled to summary judgment as a matter of law …

In addition to this lawsuit, closure opponents also had filed federal civil-rights complaints, which as we reported the same day as the King County Superior Court hearing, have been consolidated into a “federal compliance review.” We have requests out for comment and will add whatever we receive. 4:32 PM UPDATE: Just talked with district lawyer Shannon McMinimee, who says, “We are pleased with the outcome of the summary judgment proceedings. We intend to proceed to defend this case and the other cases that were filed related to closure, which could include filing motions to dismiss all the cases over the course of the summer.” 11:19 PM UPDATE: Heard briefly from plaintiff Joy Anderson, who says, “This just means we have to go to court in the fall” – but also says she’ll likely have more to say tomorrow.

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King County Water Taxi sets another ridership record
July 2, 2009 1:58 pm
|      1 COMMENT
 |   King County Water Taxi | West Seattle news

(Photo taken on a low-tide day during the Water Taxi’s recordsetting June)
Just in from King County Council Chair Dow Constantine‘s office:

The King County Water Taxi had another record month in June, with a total of 33,865 riders carried by the popular West Seattle-to-downtown passenger-only ferry.

The ridership represents an increase of 12.7 percent over June 2008, in which 30,046 passengers rode the Water Taxi. The year-to-date Water Taxi ridership is 85,784, as compared with 59,386 at the end of June 2008.

The Water Taxi also continued its MVP role for Mariners baseball fans returning home after games—a total of 410 people rode the four boats from Pier 55 to West Seattle’s Seacrest Park following the Mariners’ matinee (1:40 p.m. start time) win over the San Diego Padres.

“Mariners fans are a big part of our loyal Water Taxi ridership and we are happy to give them the opportunity to skip the traffic jams and take a relaxing ride home after the game,” said County Council Chair Dow Constantine, who also serves as chair of the King County Ferry District Board. “We will work to replicate the success of our West Seattle route as the King County Ferry District adds demonstration service on other routes on Puget Sound and Lake Washington.”

The King County Water Taxi will be running on a Saturday schedule on both Friday, July 3, and Saturday, July 4. This means the first sailing from Pier 55 will be at 8:30 a.m. both days and the first sailing from West Seattle at 9:00 a.m. The last boat will leave Pier 55 at 10:30 p.m. and West Seattle at 11:00 p.m. For a complete sailing schedule, visit www.kingcounty.gov/transportation/kcdot/Marine/WaterTaxi/WestSeattle-DowntownSeattle/Schedule.aspx

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“The eagles have landed”: Seen at Alki, with extra symbolism
July 2, 2009 1:07 pm
|      8 COMMENTS
 |   Seen around town | Wildlife

Alki photographer Pete Rowen sent photos of our majestic national emblem, seen not only on the near-eve of our national celebration, but with a double shot of symbolism since July 20th is coming up. He writes “… the moon shot took me forever to line up; the upper eagle’s beak is pointing to the location on the moon where the Eagle landed, 40 years ago this month.”

Thanks to everyone who shares photos and info – editor@westseattleblog.com (or if you have a news tip or question to call about, 206-293-6302) any time!

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Wyatt’s Jewelers: New WSB sponsor, with a new location soon
July 2, 2009 12:06 pm
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news | Westwood

Today, we’re welcoming one of our newest sponsors, Wyatt’s Jewelers. It’s WSB tradition to offer new sponsors the chance to share information about their business: Wyatt’s Jewelers is a full-service custom jeweler, located in Westwood Village. Wyatt’s specializes in affordable custom jewelry. They also carry fine jewelry in all price ranges and if you don’t see what you want they can make it. Wyatt’s carries a large selection of natural gemstones and diamonds; as well as offering a full range of repairs and services. Joni and Kirk Keppler say they want to create a comfortable shopping experience where people can expect personalized service. As Kirk says, “Jewelry is such a personal expression: Everyone has a story. We help people preserve memories and create new ones.” The Kepplers and their two sons live in West Seattle. Wanting to support the community, they donate all money from watch-battery replacements to local charities, like the White Center Food Bank. Wyatt’s is located in Westwood Village, in the courtyard, next to Bed Bath & Beyond – but has just announced that it’s moving to a new storefront, next to Chico’s, in September — with a larger showroom, “stylish new look,” and a larger selection of jewelry. Wyatt’s Jewelers is online at wyattsjewelers.com; we welcome them to the WSB sponsor team, listed in full on this page along with info on how to become part of it!

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More West Seattle food news: Fresh Bistro adding brunch
July 2, 2009 10:02 am
|      1 COMMENT
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle restaurants

Confirmed via Twitter (@freshbistro): As of July 11-12 – same weekend as West Seattle Summer Fest – The Junction’s newest restaurant, now in its second month of operation, adds brunch.

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“Street food” update: Marination Mobile headed for High Point
July 2, 2009 9:15 am
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   High Point | West Seattle news

Wendy Hughes-Jelen from High Point forwards word that Steve Barham of the High Point Neighborhood Association announced via mailing list that another of the city’s much-buzzed street-food vendors, Marination Mobile – described here – is coming to HP on Saturdays, starting on the Fourth of July:

Marination will be stationed at the empty lot on 35th and Graham on Saturdays from 11:00 am until 2:00 pm, starting this Saturday, July 4. That means you can [leave your car at home], walk down, get cheap food and hang out street-food-style, before going to the Diversity Festival (which will also have food but not until 3:00 PM when it starts). Hmm…if you want to get real-time updates on this like they do in LA, follow @curb_cuisine or marinationmobile.com.

Steve’s note also includes a reminder about the festival, which includes free food: “Yes, there will be tons of free food, barbecue, Somali food, and of course marinated kalbi tacos, ginger chicken tacos, and tofu tacos …” The Diversity Festival on Saturday is 3-8 pm, Commons Park in High Point. As for Marination confirmation, we’re working on that – nothing on their various sites yet but we’d read previously they were looking for a chance to visit West Seattle. 5:03 PM UPDATE: The Marination Mobile website now confirms the Saturday plan at 35th/Graham.

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Onetime $4.8 million Sunset listing now $3 million foreclosure
July 2, 2009 6:03 am
|      37 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle housing | West Seattle news


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Google Street View caught that blufftop home at 1114 Sunset when a for-sale sign was still out front. We mentioned it here in May of last year, when Robert called our attention to its then-$4.8 million for-sale listing. We lost track of what happened to it — till it turned up in the Trustee Sales (foreclosures) section of the Daily Journal of Commerce this week. It’s scheduled to be put up for auction next week, 10 am July 10th at the county courthouse. The notice says $3.1 million principal is due along with almost $300,000 more in interest and other charges/fees; as recently as last weekend, it was listed as a “short sale” for $3.4 million; you can still get a hint of the original $4.8 million listing on the builders’ website.

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West Seattle 4th of July: Cross your fingers the forecast holds
July 1, 2009 11:33 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Holidays | West Seattle weather

Not a cloud in the sky today – Chas Redmond got that iPhone photo near The Mount, and we took one while at the Municipal Tower for The Sanctuary at Admiral‘s landmark-nomination review:

So about that forecast. We like to go with the National Weather Service version – and they’re still calling for sunny and 80s on Saturday. Before then, though, we might see 90s on Friday. (Thanks in advance for any extended-holiday-weekend photos you share – editor@westseattleblog.com any time!)

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North Delridge Neighborhood Council: Playground-plan progress
July 1, 2009 8:49 pm
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   Delridge | West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

First update from tonight’s North Delridge Neighborhood Council meeting (another to come): NDNC co-vice-chair Betsy Hoffmeister announced that they’ve secured commitments for all the volunteer help needed on Friday, July 17th, the day the new Delridge Community Center playground will be built – but other types of help are still needed: For one, they need more food to keep all those volunteers fed, and/or money to buy food. For two, they need tents – “awning-style tents,” Betsy explained, mostly to be used to shelter a child-care area that’ll be set up on the tennis courts, since they’re expecting some of the participants that day to bring their kids. “Everybody in the community needs to bring their tents, or else we’re going to be roasty-toasty,” she said cheerily tonight. And one last loose end: There will be a fundraising raffle, with tickets sold at the upcoming West Seattle Summer Fest, to raise a few hundred dollars needed to cover some remaining expenses. (The playground itself is costing very little thanks to donations including the umbrella organization KaBoom!, which builds playgrounds nationwide, and the Bank of America Foundation.) Betsy also shared an update on what’s happened to the old equipment (May photo at right) taken from the playground site (as reported last weekend, the site’s been cleared) – aside from the merry-go-round, which is in storage until it’s decided whether a grant might be pursued to get safety upgrades so it could be reinstalled, the other equipment was taken to the town of Cathlamet on the Columbia River (map), where Betsy says it was greeted with great enthusiasm. “I feel like we have a sister city there,” she said. If you can help with the food, tent and/or money needs for the July 17th playground installation, e-mail helpdelridgeplay@gmail.com – and in addition to that day, also mark July 23rd on your calendar, when the new playground will be officially celebrated.

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Seattle citywide traffic alerts for 3-day holiday weekend
July 1, 2009 5:51 pm
|    Comments Off on Seattle citywide traffic alerts for 3-day holiday weekend
 |   Holidays | West Seattle traffic alerts

SDOT just sent the list. No Viaduct closures this time. But the Admiral 4th of July Kids’ Parade Saturday morning is mentioned (it does have a few traffic effects), among many other events citywide – read on:Read More

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Landmarks Board agrees to consider The Sanctuary at Admiral
July 1, 2009 5:32 pm
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle history | West Seattle news

We’re on the 40th floor of the Seattle Municipal Tower downtown (the city’s second tallest building!), where the city Landmarks Preservation Board meets twice a month and has just heard the presentation for The Sanctuary at Admiral, the former Sixth Church of Christ, Scientist, at 42nd/Lander (map), seeking city landmark status. (See the presentation here; see current photos of the facility in this Vintage Seattle report.) Owner Dahli Bennett, who originally bought the building for use as a private residence and then converted it into an events venue, attended the meeting and answered board questions. No one spoke during the public-comment period; board members primarily asked questions about changes made to the building, even Mollie Tremaine, an Admiral resident, who says she’d support its nomination under the criteria of “identifiable feature of the neighborhood” but not on significance of the building itself. Ultimately, the board voted in favor of nominating the building for consideration as a possible city landmark. Next, they will have to decide, at their August 5th meeting, whether to officially designate it as such. (Here’s the list of what’s already designated as a landmark in our area.)

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