Mayor Greg Nickels is looking to fill a spot on the Ballard Avenue Landmark District Board. The seven-member board regulates all proposed changes to the exteriors of buildings and public rights-of-way within the district so the structures maintain the historical and architectural values. The Department of Neighborhoods website describes the buildings along Ballard Avenue as ones that “embody the distinctive characteristics of modest commercial architecture from the 1890s through the 1940s, creating a sense that the street is almost suspended in time.” The chosen candidate will be either a Ballard historian or someone who has demonstrated interest in the community. Board meetings are on the first Thursday of each month at 9 a.m. The unpaid board members need to commit two to four hours a month to board business. Those wishing to be considered need to send a letter of interest to Healther McAuliffe (heather.mcauliffe@seattle.gov) by May 15th.
Mayor looking to fill empty Ballard board position
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I nominate Jules.
If you mean me, I think I will apply.
I nominate the Geeky Swedes
How about Rudy the Leaf Blower guy. He likes that sorta stuff.
I second the motion, seriously, I think that you would do this neighborhood proud. You definitely have my support. (but don't tell anyone, some think I'm a kook) :-0
“the buildings along Ballard Avenue as ones that “embody the distinctive characteristics of modest commercial architecture from the 1890s through the 1940s, creating a sense that the street is almost suspended in time.'”
How did the proposed eyesore and all these other hideous multistory buildings (NOMA, Landmark, etc.) ever pass as architecture that was “suspended in time?”
Does this panel actually do any good?
I actually stopped into the comments specifically to nominate Julie – who better?
Excellent questions. Also, ONLY Ballard Avenue is in the historic district! Market and Leary are not.
Why stop with Ballard Ave, let's make all of Ballard a historic district, I say! No one can touch their private property in anyway. All trash strewn lots, ugly stucco apartment buildings from the 1960s-80s, all run down fisherman cottages, all fast food joints – they must all be turned into national landmarks and protected. Let's start with Julie and Disgusted's homes. You can't so much as put a nail in your wall without sitting in front of a board of angry hippies and Ballard malcontents. You so much as move a shrub or paint a wall and the Ballard True Believers Society will have you put in stockades in Bergen Place and pelted with hacky sacks.
Private property = genocide!
Protect Ballard, Now!
Yea! Pelted with Crystal Meth too!
Tho, you know that there's a lot of Ballard that is Historical that's not on Ballard Avenue. Perhaps you can use your position to reach a bit?
As far as I know, the Ballard Building (built in 1927, by, among others, my grandfather and Dwight Hawley) , the building that has Tullys on the ground floor (again, my grandfather built/owned), the Firehouse, and Carnegies are NOT protected. Most of the 1920s Art Deco buildings on Market are not protected, either. Some of the groovy Victorian houses around Ballard have historical status, but only a couple.
The trouble with tearing down historic buildings is that once they are gone,they are gone forever. When you visit Paris, for example, note that the vast majority of buildings conform to a certain height standard; we need to treasure and preserve what we have left.
BTW, my favorite building is Dock Street Brokers!
You'd better be selected. The building I'm in was built in 1906.
Julie –
I'm with the masses on this one – you are a great candidate! A 3rd gen Ballardite with the book cementing your knowledge of Ballard history, much less your love for your neighborhood.
Yay Julie!
Do ya get a gun when comfirmed? I see this as yet another silly position that acts like a little yippy Yorkie Terrier. No real power. A lot of bitching. Too many peeps way above you. Have to agree with the Hippie on this one, somewhat. Got nannies?
Yes, but Parisians also embrace new styles. There are some fantastically wild looking buildings in Paris. I imagine if someone tried to put up such buildings in Ballard the old guard would scream and protest.
@ The Norwegian
The Ballard Avenue Landmark society exerted quite a bit of power after the old Sunset Hotel burned down and developers wanted to build build build in that spot. Instead we now have a low rise brick building that fits the look and attitude of Ballard Avenue.
This society is one of those quiet behind-the-scenes committee – and you'd sure notice them if they lost their battles.
Also, agreeing with the Hippie troll? hmmmm….
Actually, I am a fourth-generation Ballardite. One set of great-grandparents were here, another set in Fremont. (we used to own the Red Door, among other buildings there, amazingly, mostly still standing.) Amazingly enough, there really are a lot of us out there; in my fifth-grade class photo at Webster, I noted that at least half of the kids in that picture were at least third-generation Ballardites. (that is lo, many years ago, when dinosaurs still roamed the earth.) The Jacobsens (my generation) are I think, 5th generation Ballardites!
Thank you for your support!
Anyone that's appointed by Mayor Gridlock would have to screw over the neighborhood or why else would he appont them?
It's his mission to make everyone here as miserable as possible – and he's doing a great job.