What’s in a name? Potential misinterpretation, if city terminology

A couple of non-neighborhood news sources inadvertently raised a little alarm by publishing a West Seattle land-use notice verbatim without any background explanation or context, and since several people e-mailed us to ask about it, here’s clarification. The events venue The Sanctuary at Admiral, which became a city landmark one month ago today (WSB coverage here) in its original identity as the former Sixth Church of Christ, Scientist, has applied for the official land-use permit to allow its business to continue. As explained in a profile of the facility and owner Dahli Bennett last month (story and photos here), they didn’t have all the permits they needed before, so in addition to seeking the landmark designation, they were applying to get them. The official classification in city land-use code for an events facility like this – “the only one the city could think of,” as Sanctuary “events mistress” Jennifer confirmed when we called to doublecheck on this – is “theater and spectator sports facility.” So that’s what the land-use application says and that’s what the official city signs outside the facility (42nd and Lander, immediately east of the back end of Admiral Safeway) say, and that’s what headlines like this one in the Daily Journal of Commerce said. But no, Jennifer assured us, they’re not planning any change in what they’ve been doing – “weddings, food events, that type of thing.” They’ll probably post a letter to add to the city signs outside to explain that, too. Here’s the official land-use application notice (which includes information on how to comment on it and how to contact city planners about it).

AceMotel September 5, 2009 (1:29 pm)

This is interesting. I always thought that building was owned by a couple and their family; I would see the man around West Seattle from time to time. Whenever we drove by, in the days when they first bought it (must have been the early 2000s, maybe late 1990s), we would imagine how they had fixed it up to be a residence. It looks much nicer this way.

Dave September 5, 2009 (2:00 pm)

I had my wedding reception there and can’t imagine how a family lived there. They must have entertained a lot!

WSB September 5, 2009 (2:41 pm)

Ace – owner Dahli Bennett told us she/they bought it in the early 2000s, when what was left of the church congregation merged with the Christian Science congregation over by Fauntleroy Park. When her kids moved out, it didn’t seem right as a residence any more, , she said, so the events venue idea hatched – TR

Forest September 5, 2009 (3:05 pm)

AceMotel –
I believe that Ms. Bennett is half of the couple you’re talking about. She is/was married to the man who owns the Luna Park Cafe on Avalon Way, and the two of them warrant our thanks for buying the former Christian Science church as a future residence before developers could buy it as a future condo site.

SarahScoot September 5, 2009 (4:27 pm)

Forest – Was married, and to John Bennett. Dahli was my landlord for about a year and a half, and I used to work with her younger daughter in my barista days (also how I found the apartment.)
A great woman.

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