Home › Forums › West Seattle Rants & Raves › Alki Lumber – Exterior Improvements?
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February 14, 2011 at 5:10 pm #597945
sun*eParticipantWith all the new construction & other improvements going on in the Triangle, I would like to make a plea to Alki Lumber to take heed and make improvements to their exterior. I understand Alki Lumber has been there a long time and isn’t going anywhere soon and that’s fine. What’s not fine is that it’s an eyesore and part of the gateway into West Seattle – I know we’d all appreciate it if they took some pride in that and make it look more presentable. PLEASE!
February 14, 2011 at 5:27 pm #717417
365StairsParticipantSun-e – Please discuss your plea with the management of Alki before you post your complaint.
February 14, 2011 at 7:33 pm #717418
WSMomParticipantI will call Alki Lumber and mention this thread to the management. I have often thought that a nice wooden fence around the perimeter of the business could showcase their product while improving the overall look of the entrance to West Seattle. As it stands right now, I agree with Sun-e, it is an eyesore.
February 15, 2011 at 6:34 am #717419
sun*eParticipant@WSMom – That’s a great idea! It’s a win-win situation! I hope they agree and are able to make it happen. Kudos to you!
February 15, 2011 at 7:49 am #717420
HMC RichParticipantI agree with 365Stairs. Go to or call Alki Lumber first. Most businesses want to be seen in a positive light by the public. The input might be useful.
February 15, 2011 at 5:24 pm #717421
sun*eParticipant@HMC Rich – Seriously?! There are “Rants” in this forum from 2 years ago about Alki Lumber’s unsightly exterior. I think if they really cared to be “seen in a positive light by the public”, to quote you, they would have done something by now. I have to believe that they KNOW, how could they not, that the place is a mess and needs a tall fence around it or something. WSMom has a great idea and hopefully they will listen to her. Everyone should listen to their Mother after all. :-)
February 15, 2011 at 5:37 pm #717422
GenHillOneParticipantYes, out of fairness, give them a call, but it’s a LUMBER YARD people.
February 15, 2011 at 5:37 pm #717423
KBearParticipantBut if you ever need a right wingnut, Alki Lumber/Ace Hardware always has them in stock!
February 15, 2011 at 6:06 pm #717424
JustSarahParticipantAgreed with GHO. The only side of the business I maybe agree is aesthetically bad is the 35th Ave.-facing side. And even then — it’s a lumber yard. Giant signs proclaiming “Alki Lumber Co.” all around. There are plenty of businesses around WS that I find aesthetically offensive, but the lumber yard isn’t one.
(And yes, I see it all the time; I live just a block down Avalon off 35th. There are other businesses in the Triangle that look worse, IMO. ;-) )
February 15, 2011 at 7:41 pm #717425
365StairsParticipantThe efforts to communicate directly, professionally, respectfully, and candidly to any company management / ownership about ideas to improve is always commendable.
Much like a general Open Door Policy, you can expect two specific things to happen:
1) You will probably be heard
2) You will get an answer
The answer you receive may not be the one you expect or want to hear & compromize may not be on the table for various reasons.
It can be argued that the Asthetics of a business exterior are important for various reasons. The actual purpose (product and/or service) behind the business should speak louder than the merits of asthetics.
Economically speaking, if a business were to invest in capital improvements – they anticipate a return on the investment over time – by either keeping the same service / product rates (and hope) or increasing them – but the investment has to make both short and long term economic sense – not just because it doesn’t look nice. There is no guarantee that customer traffic increases just because a business looks good on the outside.
As offered above, it is an industrial lumber yard. A successful 90 year old business that just happened to be in a very centrally travelled location (how smart right?) with many eyes towards it…again pretty smart…. It just happens that modern buildings with flashy asthetics have grown up around it and are “offended” by the perceived “eye sore” by comparison.
The appearance of this type of business will never match the asthetics of surrounding businesses. It shouldn’t. Why should it? Do you think it’s bringing down the value of your home or business to be close by? Highly doubtful you can raise that argument over the sheer convenience of having such a versatile business so close to support WS for over 90 years!
Will this business make efforts to brighten up their surrounding fence line or do even more like a full renovation? Time will tell.
February 15, 2011 at 8:02 pm #717426
Genesee HillParticipantAs I have said before, I view the triangle area as the “semi-industrial” part of West Seattle; car repair facilities, muffler shop, tires, and a lumber yard. A mile away is a steel plant, a working port, and rail yards. No, it does not look like Bellevue Square. But, personally, it does not bother me at all.
February 15, 2011 at 8:07 pm #717427
redblackParticipantkbear for the win.
and i can imagine how a “normal” person would be received by (some of) the guys at alki lumber if he or she came in to discuss the aesthetics of the back of the store – which faces fauntleroy.
“looks fine from here! you gonna buy something?”
February 15, 2011 at 10:08 pm #717428
lucky chickMemberThe guys who work there have nearly run me down on my bike several times in their enormous personal vehicles. I don’t care too much how the place looks, but I will never patronize it.
February 15, 2011 at 10:29 pm #717429
AlParticipantI ride my bike past Alki Lumber 2x a day and I’ve never, ever had a problem with the employees. They’ve stopped delivery trucks for ME even! Sometimes a customer isn’t looking for cyclists and I most definately have problems with general traffic not understanding why not to pass in an uncontrolled intersection or when other traffic is oncoming, but in general, I think they are very aware that 36th is a major bike route.
February 15, 2011 at 11:25 pm #717430
WorldCitizenParticipantYeah, not the most attractive business front, but I agree with the above posters about the business being around for much longer than the newer buildings surrounding it. They’re right..it’s a lumber yard. Even if you don’t give them your business, they’re in a great spot and have been there longer than any of you.
It is ugly, though.
It seems like there should be more mature trees down Fauntleroy to enhance the industrial nature of the area. Some big evergreen ones for year-round beauty.
Definitely an “ugly” area by the standards of so much of this city, but it adds so much more than good aesthetics to the area. It’s a good thing the entire city doesn’t look prim and proper. This is the reason I don’t live in places like Dallas. Best to just enhance the natural beauty in the area and let it evolve as it has done over the years so well.
February 16, 2011 at 1:40 am #717431
365StairsParticipantI really hate to respond and change the subject of this thread to bike rider safety on 36th Ave….but Lucky Chick – (as the name implies) I’m certainly glad that you have not been struck down by large vehicles on 36th.
As a bike rider, you certainly have the right of way…but I caution your view of the “enormous personal vehicles” as being 100% Alki employees – and thus limiting your hardware shopping experience to elsewhere. I know for a fact that True Value, McClendons, & HD all have the same level of enormous trucks delivering to their stores everyday…but I bet you go there?
Any street you ride on has safety obstacles you must be ultra aware of…36th just happens to be higher levels of industrial trucks, SUVs, fork lifts, etc.
Besides – where are you going to fit a 2x4x8 on th back of a bike?
February 16, 2011 at 3:56 am #717432
ZenguyParticipantGood luck with approaching them. I had parked by there for years, my own personal park and ride and then got on the bus. I have observed many times the inside and outside and I HAVE PERSONALLY SPOKEN WITH THE EMPLOYEES AND THE MANAGER AND THEY DO NOT CARE ONE BIT and they have no problem telling you. They seem to have a loyal customer base of contractors (price I guess) and feel no need to change anything. At least mow a weed or pick up a piece of trash…come on!
February 16, 2011 at 8:42 am #717433
sun*eParticipant@Zenguy – Yeah, I’m pretty sure you’re right and that’s why the place looks like it does – they don’t care! It’s most likely a waste of time talking to them about it and I think redblack said it best “if he or she came in to discuss the aesthetics of the back of the store – which faces Fauntleroy”. The response would be…
“looks fine from here! you gonna buy something?”
I suppose any improvements are unlikely to happen since as Dr. Phil says “You can’t change what you don’t acknowledge.”
February 16, 2011 at 3:06 pm #717434
redblackParticipant365: lucky chick said “personal vehicles.” she’s talking about the contractors who buy stuff there. it would help matters if they had a better-defined loading area.
btw, i can get 8′ materials in my volkswagen. and close all of the doors and windows – and the sunroof, too.
all is not lost, sun-e. the city is considering a median down the middle of fauntleroy – with trees! – through the triangle. i’m betting there will be sidewalk improvements, too. the city and the triangle neighborhood association see very clearly that alki lumber is kind of a low-rent “howdy!” welcome to the area.
it’s also easy for customers to find.
but there are many ways to skin that cat, so to speak.
WC: yeah! maybe the city should plant some big, towering evergreens that drop pine needles all over private property! oh, yeah! and pine trees will attract ants to the lumber yard! that’ll show ’em! :)
seriously, though, i’m betting that improvements in the area include planting strips and lots of trees.
February 16, 2011 at 3:55 pm #717435
sun*eParticipant@redblack: Thanks for the update and I hope you’re right. Also, you crack me up. Anyway, just so I’m clear – I’m proud of West Seattle and in the ten+ years I’ve lived here there has been many good changes/improvements. I would NOT ever want it to ever become Bellevue-isk. West Seattle has character and I would never want that to change…I’m proud to live here. I think Alki Lumber is important to WS and WSMom had a great idea. Alki Lumber could use the lumber from their store to “showcase their product”, hire a local fence builder and have them build a fence to hide some of the less than presentable exterior areas. It’s a win (for them), win (for a local builder), win (for us) situation!
February 16, 2011 at 4:35 pm #717436
JustSarahParticipantUntil that fence became covered in tags… one benefit of a chain-link fence is that it won’t need to be sanded/restained daily due to vandalism.
February 16, 2011 at 4:48 pm #717437
WSMomParticipantFebruary 16, 2011 at 5:15 pm #717438
redblackParticipantsarah: believe it or not, there are lots of products that repel graffiti – especially on masonry!
so how about stone columns with lights on top and wood fencing in between?
jobs for everyone!
February 19, 2011 at 7:58 pm #717439
sun*eParticipant@redblack – I know you’re just kiddin’ but it would look fabulous… probably a little over-the-top though.
I must say though I was talking to someone recently and for years they never even new Alki Lumber was actually a store… they thought it was just a just a giant storage area for lumber and materials. With that said – if you build it (improve it) maybe more will come. :-)
February 21, 2011 at 6:09 am #717440
villagegreenMemberI live at the edge of the Triangle and walk by Alki Lumber almost daily – going to the Y and Diva Coffee. The place is a dump. For those that simply think it’s “industrial,” I would bet the only time you see the place is when you whiz by in your car. Walk by frequently and you’ll notice the degrading concrete, rotting wood structure beams, rusting bent metal, and runaway weeds (along with stray trash).
I think it is true that the reason they don’t care about the appearance is because they are not trying to attract the general public. I know several contractors in our neighborhood and they have told me that Alki caters to contractors – that is their business model. The people working there may be great, they may do good stuff for the community, and so on, but they do not give a damn what the general public thinks of their business.
For those that say, “Come on – it’s a lumber yard!” I’ve been to numerous lumber yards in Seattle and Alki Lumber is by far the most unkempt. Check out any Dunn Lumber if you think a lumber store needs to look like a junk yard.
Believe me, I don’t want the Triangle to look anything like Bellevue (or even most of upscale Seattle). I understand it’s an industrial area that’s going through a transitional phase, with new housing and businesses arriving. I would just think that as a long time pillar of the West Seattle business community Alki Lumber would make a little effort to upkeep, and possibly update, their aging exterior.
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