Home › Forums › Open Discussion › The sad condition of our historic ALKI HOMESTEAD building
- This topic is empty.
-
AuthorPosts
-
July 22, 2012 at 3:00 am #604074
RAEMemberI frequently pass by the old ALKI HOMESTEAD Restaurant and I have to look away. I am sad and angry that the new owners of this historic property have just let it rot and become an eyesore.
Yes, I know that there was a fire in the building a few YEARS ago. And I assume the owners have been dealing with insurance issues or finance issues or are waiting for the right market conditions or god knows what all!. But I beg of the owners, who live near by, to please at least maintain the once beautiful grounds. And if the windows must be boarded up can’t that be done with some esthetic consideration instead of just nailing up half sheets of plywood. These are not big ticket Items I’m talking about here. And I bet that some members of the community might be willing to pitch in and help a little. Maintaing the grounds and dignity of the building could help deter further vandalism. We all need to take pride in and maintain the dignity of where we call home. We share a beautiful place together. The owners of this property must know that they are stewards of a much loved and historic place in ALKI BEACH. And they must know that we are all watching and waiting to see what they will do with our beloved and historic ALKI HOMESTEAD. It is a place we all call home.
July 23, 2012 at 3:41 am #764511
dhgParticipantI am surprised no one has commented. I am very disappointed with the current state of the Homestead. The owner has had dreams of making the area a hotel and resort. This was a poor property to choose for that but the price was right. It just came with a ton of restrictions owing to its historical connection to the city. Development, as it stood, was not going to happen. The fire has changed that. It may turn out to be a rather inexpensive purchase for prime alki property.
July 23, 2012 at 7:23 am #764512
ElizabethElaineParticipantI feel the same way, RAE. I know there are complicated issues surrounding renovations and repairs of the building, but some simple ground maintenance of the lawn, shrubs, trees, and replacing the boards on windows and cleaning up the trash don’t seem like extreme things to keep a beloved landmark from deteriorating further. I would gladly pitch in on a volunteer clean-up day, if the owners would allow it.
July 23, 2012 at 9:30 am #764513
SonomaParticipantPerhaps the West Seattle Blog can contact the owner and see what’s up.
July 23, 2012 at 2:56 pm #764514
JoBParticipantif we all pulled a weed or two every time we walked by… there would soon be no weeds
July 23, 2012 at 4:26 pm #764515
The Velvet BulldogParticipantJoB–please feel free to come walk by my house a few times a week! ;-)
I agree about the Homestead, and have often wondered if the owner is just trying to wait out/wear down the regulators?
Had some friends visiting recently and we walked by the Homestead. I gave a brief history of the building and they asked, “why does it look so terrible?” I answered: “That’s a really good question.”
July 23, 2012 at 5:50 pm #764516
admiralmomParticipantthere is a large family or families of raccoon living in this building now. My sons bus stop was near here and I felt unsafe letting him wait for the school bus alone or even out of our car as every morning we saw 10 to 15 raccoons returning “home”.
July 24, 2012 at 7:12 am #764517
acemotelParticipantIt’s pitiful! A HUGE embarrassment.
July 24, 2012 at 2:57 pm #764518
JoBParticipantvelvet bulldog..
i often pull weeks as i walk
of course, i am generally in my own yard
but ;->
July 24, 2012 at 3:22 pm #764519
JanSParticipantPlease see the May 23,2012. WSB article about the Homestead, and what is preventing him from moving forward. I can’t copy and paste the link here.
July 24, 2012 at 7:07 pm #764520
miwsParticipantJuly 24, 2012 at 9:50 pm #764521
GinaParticipantAfter the fuss when the owner had work done on the dead Trees, I can’t imagine anything else happening.
July 24, 2012 at 11:02 pm #764522
WSBKeymasterI saw owner Tom Lin at last week’s Alki Community Council meeting, though there wasn’t time to say anything more than “hi.” Basically, nothing can/will happen to that site until a plan is approved by the Landmarks Preservation Board. Last year, the owner and his architects went to the board’s Architectural Review Committee – a recommended step before taking a plan in for a final vote – multiple times. Now, it’s been more than a year since the last meeting. When he resumes the process of moving toward something happening, we will see it appear on the agenda (I watch those two groups for West Seattle proposals all the time). Meantime, I talked at Summer Fest to one of the preservation advocates who’s with a four-group coalition that has offered to help if there is anything they can do to forward the process. No news on their end either, he told me. – TR
July 25, 2012 at 12:22 am #764523
acemotelParticipantunderstood, the original story is well remembered. But that doesn’t explain leaving the place an unsightly mess, with dead branches in the lawn, random pieces of wood in the windows (or not) etc etc. Yellow tape blowing in the wind, roof tiles flapping. Such an eyesore and a disgrace to the memory of all the happiness generated by the restaurant and the former owner. RIP.
July 26, 2012 at 5:06 am #764524
JanSParticipantAce..he tried to clean that up and got hit with a stop work order.What the hell do you suggest he do..? Seems like he”s dammed if he does, damned if he doesn’t.
August 23, 2012 at 4:05 am #764525
RAEMemberI’m not up to speed on the latest plans for the Homestead but the last I heard Tom wanted to MOVE the entire structure closer to the street to allow for some lodging structure behind it. That sounded crazy and totally unnecessary as there is a large parking lot to the south where such a lodging structure could be built creating a kind of courtyard feel with views of the water. This would cost a lot less money. But in the mean time Tom Lin needs to simply make a few trips to the dump, get out the weed wacker and do something about that ugly plywood over the windows. It’s quite simple REALLY. We are not talking about a green lawn and flower beds OK? Just clean up the Homestead Please! The current condition of the homestead is causing harm to our community. It is a matter of pride. I take pride in my neighborhood of ALKI and that is one reason I take good care of my property. I wish Tom Lin felt the same about ALKI.
August 23, 2012 at 4:31 am #764526
JanSParticipantRAE…please click on and read post #13, and then read the info on this link https://westseattleblog.com/2012/05/city-posts-stop-work-order-after-tree-cutting-at-alki-homestead
I don’t think the “hotel” portion is even on the table any more. You have old information.
Her has a STOP ORDER. He CAN’T do anything!
August 23, 2012 at 1:58 pm #764527
anonymeParticipantI don’t think a stop work order prevents a property owner from doing the cleanup that RAE suggests. And several of the trees that were cut were healthy, majestic old trees that clearly fell due to the “cut everything” mentality common among developers – not danger or disease.
Anyone who buys a historic property is well aware up front that any renovation or change is going to be a costly and complex process. I don’t know if Mr. Lin thought he could bypass this process somehow, or if he just got in over his head. In either case, it’s a shame that this landmark has been left to rot away like this.
August 23, 2012 at 2:39 pm #764528
JanSParticipantStill, his hands are tied until the historical/preservation people decide his fate. It seems his hands are tied. The man is making an effort, and is stymied at every turn. Before crucifying the man, find out exactly what the stop order means. We all deserve that much benefit of the doubt.
August 24, 2012 at 10:21 pm #764529
Michael WaldoParticipantFrom what I read, the stop work order only concerned the trees, nothing else.
Nothing is stopping him from cutting the grass or keeping the place up. It looks terrible.
August 24, 2012 at 10:45 pm #764530
2 Much WhineParticipantWith the number of folks that apparently think it’s their business to monitor the Homestead and what goes on there I don’t blame him for ceasing entirely. I know that if I had every intention of fixing the place up and keeping it nice and every time I turned around some busybody was calling the city or staging a protest or telling me what I could and couldn’t do and then I was hit with a stop work order I’d do the same thing he’s doing. I’d sit back and wait until someone told me I could do something. He can’t improve it to recoup any of his investment – why should he spend another dime on it? Don’t get me wrong – I dearly love the Homestead (as it was) and really want it back but if I’d spent a boatload of money on something and I was met with resistance for everything I did I’d do the same thing. At least if it becomes an eyesore somebody in city government might give him some direction to do something – if it was kept nice and pretty (at considerable time and expense) everyone would just go back to sleep.
August 25, 2012 at 12:14 am #764531
JanSParticipantoh, wait, you used the wrong mower….oh, wait, you didn’t cut the grass short enough…oh, wait, you used the wrong plywood on that window…
2 much whine…I see your point..
August 26, 2012 at 12:00 am #764532
RAEMemberI find it very reassuring that folks in my neighborhood make it there business to monitor the Homestead and what goes on there. Myself and many other “busybodys” around here give a damn and I like that. We are all fortunate to live in that kind of community. However, you do raise a larger question, 2 Much Whine, as to why we should care about the condition of our property. Should we be motivated to clean up our property because our neighbor is making a fuss about it? No, of course not. My motivation for keeping our property in good condition is because I care about where I live or have a business. And I care about my neighbor. And I love my neighborhood. I pick up litter around my house and sometimes my neighbors during the busy summer season because I give a damn. My neighbors do the same. I walk down the streets with a rake to clear storm drains in the winter because I give a damn. And hey, it gets me out of the house on dark winter nights. Walking down Alki I will sometimes pick up litter along the way. We live in a beautiful place and I don’t take that lightly. It’s worth looking after. I think we can all agree that some of what we do on our property effects our neighbor. And that implies a measure of responsibility don’t you think? A stop work order does not prevent Tom Lin from entering his property with a rake,wheelbarrow and some garbage bags or picking up the litter at curb. That’s all just an excuse for not taking even the basic responsibility for being a member of the neighborhood. A community that gives a damn. With freedom comes responsibility. Care.
August 26, 2012 at 1:27 am #764533
JanSParticipantRae..have you contacted Tm Lin personally? I’m just curious..
August 26, 2012 at 4:49 am #764534
RAEMemberNo. I have only seen Tom Lin at a community meeting a few years ago. And what difference does that make? These notions of responsibility to and pride in ones neighborhood should be self evident.
-
AuthorPosts
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.