3811 California landmark-nomination update
Since our report yesterday quoting a 3811 California tenant as saying the endangered 80-year-old brick 4-plex across from Charlestown Cafe 
was apparently being evaluated for city landmark status, we’ve found out more from the city Landmarks Preservation Board. Coordinator Sarah Sodt tells WSB that the board has “asked the property owner to submit a landmark nomination … as part of the MUP-SEPA process.” That’s Master Use Permit and State Environmental Policy Act, both aspects of the development process. According to the city website, “All buildings over 50 years old that are proposed for redevelopment are referred to the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board as part of the city’s SEPA policies.” However, Sarah also said the board has not “been in communication” with the owner, and has not arranged for a site tour (contrary to what the tenants were led to believe, apparently), but believes the owner is “working on preparing the nomination” paperwork. The bar for landmark status seems pretty high; the list of official city landmarks in WS contains only two residential properties (the Hainsworth House on 37th, sold earlier this year for $1,490,000, and the Satterlee House, aka Painted Lady, still on the market for $2.2 million). The process is explained here; looks like the next step after the nomination application would be a public meeting. The board’s website says it takes up to a month to determine if an application is “complete,” and it wouldn’t be scheduled for consideration at a public meeting until it is. Here’s the board’s schedule for the rest of the year. If a landmark designation does happen, a whole separate process begins regarding setting guidelines for what can be done with the property and which of its features must be preserved; that’s all outlined here. We’ll keep checking with the Landmarks Board to see how this progresses.
Reason #59,996 why we hate tagging
So our videographer just came back from the Me-Kwa-Mooks sign dedication. Video to come — there were many wonderful things about the event, and great people there — but infuriatingly, some criminal(s) already tagged the new sign. Almost cause for breaking our no-swear-words-on-the-site policy. Yes, it’s been reported to the police. Organizers say they’ll be able to clean this idiotic vandalism off the sign’s plastic cover, thank heavens. (Sorry we’re breaking the “don’t publicize taggers by showing their stuff” credo — we’re making the picture smaller, at least — but this is too maddening not to report.)
By the way, as we review the forthcoming video, we note that Judy Bentley, who led the event, was good-natured enough to describe the vandalism, pre-unveiling, as “a sixth unanticipated layer of history” on the sign.
And two more late-breaking weekend haps
FOOD DRIVE TODAY: Bill Barna from Prudential NW Realty tells us the company’s collecting donations around West Seattle for its food drive today as part of Global Volunteer Day. You can drop off donations 10 am-2 pm at Metro Market, PCC, and Morgan Junction Thriftway, or throughout the weekend at boxes set up at both PNW offices (Jefferson Square, 3221 Cali). Bill adds, “The usuals are asked for: Canned: veggies, meats, soups, tomato sauce, chili, etc. Peanut butter, mac & cheese, pasta, rice, beans. Don’t forget items like: diapers, baby food, toilet paper, toothpaste, tooth brushes, soap, detergent. Of course, cash donations are always appreciated by the food banks.”
ALUMNI EVENT TOMORROW: It’s Alumni Sunday at Holy Rosary, for the grade school as well as the high school, with special honors for the Classes of ’57, ’67, ’77, ’87, and ’97, but the invitation is extended to alums from every year. They’ll be planning for future reunions as well as for HR’s Centennial in 2013. You can RSVP for the alumni gathering online.
Saturday haps
Many fine things to do in West Seattle today, and the WS Weekend Lineup lists a ton of them. But as the day begins, we want to single out a few:
ONE RACE/ONE VILLAGE: First-ever 5K run for the Agathos Foundation. Registration starts at 8 am at the Bathhouse (we believe the website means “Alki Ave” where it says “Beach Drive”).
KITTEN ADOPT-A-THON: Just found out about this last night, walking past All the Best Pet Care on Alki and spotting flyers on the windows. 11 am-3 pm, at the store (next to Cactus).
ME-KWA-MOOKS SIGN CELEBRATION: 10:30 this morning at the park that’s a lot bigger than it looks from Beach Drive. A volunteer organizer says the event is “to celebrate the installation of an interpretive sign that will tell you where a mansion once stood, what the park’s name really means, and why the trail through the woods gets better every year. Coffee, pastries, and unforgettable historical insight are all on the house!”
And if you have to leave West Seattle this morning, remember The Viaduct is closed 7 am-11 am for the Heart Walk.
New meaning to the term “televangelist”
As Mars Hill Church-West Seattle expands to two Sunday services starting tomorrow, it appears MHC has gone to 100% video preaching for its satellite locations such as WS, with the “campus pastors” opening & closing the services, and the sermons all given on video by MHC leader Mark Driscoll. This is detailed in the newest blog post by West Seattle’s campus pastor Adam Sinnett, who points to an explanation from Driscoll — in the form of a 36-minute video, available online. We just watched it out of curiosity; it’s a long ramble that goes back into history, starting by contending that Christian leaders going back to Jesus himself were tasked with “using the opportunities that culture provides us,” then going on to discuss technological breakthroughs with religious ties, such as the printing of the Bible and the invention of the film projector by Thomas Edison (described by Driscoll as a “devout Christian” though we’re having trouble finding corroboration online). Driscoll notes that video preaching “frees up” each campus pastor to spend more hours each week “shepherding” the local flocks, and he notes generously that the campus pastors are “allowed” to preach “live” during the 10-12 times each year that Driscoll himself doesn’t do the Sunday sermon. BTW, the new MHC-WS service times as of tomorrow are 9 am and 11:15 am, so be on the lookout for more white-bus traffic, earlier and later.
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