Friday, January 28, 2011

ALERT - Your letter needed for Sand Point Naval Air Station Historic District Nomination

Scroll down to see who to send and CC your letter to BEFORE NEXT TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2011.
Here's the Federation's letter as a sample for you:


January 28, 2011

Landmarks Preservation Board
Department of Neighborhoods
PO Box 94649
Seattle, WA 98124-4649

RE:      Sand Point Naval Air Station Historic District

Dear Board Members: 

The Seattle Community Council Federation, a coalition of community groups throughout the city of Seattle, supports the listing of Naval Air Station Seattle at Sand Point as a City of Seattle Landmark Historic District.  NAS-Seattle has already received National Listing at the highest level of importance.  The resources in the district proposed are all over 25 years old as required by City preservation laws for listing.
At our monthly meeting we were most impressed with the history of the first “Around the World Flight” and other early aviation events that occurred at Sand Point since it was our first regional airport.  The pictures of the WWII development showed what a presence it was in our City at that time.  NAS Seattle deserves to be under the protection of historic preservation staff and City preservation laws.  It is a site and history known and appreciated by the whole city not just Northeast Seattle.  Navy pilots who served at NAS Seattle even live outside the city now but remember their service time there.  Its history should be remembered by our children and grandchildren too, preserved and celebrated.

Sincerely,

Rick Barrett, Vice President
1711 North 122nd Street
Seattle, Washington  98133 
206-365-1267


cc:        Parks and Seattle Center Committee Members

NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING

OF THE LANDMARKS PRESERVATION BOARD

to consider

Landmark Nomination for the Following Property:

Sand Point Naval Air Station
7400 Sand Point Way NE



The Landmarks Preservation Board will consider this nomination at its
meeting on Wednesday, February 2, 2011 at 3:30 p.m. in the Seattle
Municipal Tower, 700 5th Avenue, 40th Floor, Room 4060.


The public is invited to attend the meeting and make comments.  Written comments should be received by the Landmarks Preservation Board at the following address by Tuesday, February 1, 2011, by 5:00 p.m.:
Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board, Dept. of Neighborhoods, P.O.
Box 94649, Seattle WA 98124-4649.  

Copies of the Landmark Nomination will be available for public review at the Department of Neighborhoods Office, at Seattle Municipal Tower, 700 5th Ave, Suite 1700, telephone: 684-0228. The nomination is also posted on the Department of Neighborhoods website:
under the heading of “Current Nominations.”

From Lynn Ferguson, Friends of NAS-Seattle Historic District www.sandptnavsta.org;lynnferguson65@comcast.net  206-523-0391:

I urge you to send a short letter of support before Tuesday, February 1. It's really important.  We have waited a long time for this. With your help it may happen.  Lynn

Sand Point Naval Air Station Needs Your Help

As Sand Point Naval Air Station grew, so did NE Seattle.  After WWI the need for an airfield close to Seattle was recognized when visiting dignitaries had to land on Jefferson Park Municipal Golf Course.  Both the Army and Navy saw the military use of aviation and Sand Point was chosen as the site of the first municipal airport.  At the time it was outside the city limits but close to Seattle and ship building Bremerton. A small county grass airport was the take off and landing of the historic Round-the-World Flight of 1924.  The Navy was given the land for a Naval Air Station in 1926 and much work was done to improve buildings and landing strips with WPA funds in the 1930’s.  It was the first Naval Air Station established in the Thirteenth Naval District, the Northwest states, prior to WWII and was one of only four when WWII began.  Pearl Harbor was one but when  it was bombed on Dec. 7th, 1941  NAS Seattle became the center for staging for the Pacific theatre.  At one time up to 7500 people lived or worked on the base.  Active also for training during the Korean War, the base was gradually less active as jets required longer runways than biplanes and the city had grown around it.  When it was deactivated in 1996, the buildings were given to the city, UW and Department of Housing. 

Two years ago some of the buildings still empty after ten years were deteriorating so that the historic district was declared one of the most endangered historic properties in the state by Washington Trust for Historic Sites and the City pursued National Listing for the site so tax credits could help with the building renovation.  This was successful in July of last year.  The next step for this historic property within the city limits is to become a Landmark District so it falls under city historic protection laws and Department of Neighborhood staff trained personnel.  This will save the city money in that Parks will not have to hire an outside consultant to review design issues.  It will allow for a design review process that will be set up after the property is designated overseen by trained City preservation staff.  It will also allow for City building code relief as well as set design guidelines.

Please write the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board or come to a public hearing to tell them your story of why the base is important keep and celebrate.  On February 2nd 2011 the nomination of the site as the first landmarked historic district in 20 years in Seattle goes before the board for consideration.  It has received National Listing at the highest level of importance, federal, due to its importance to aviation and military history.  Now it needs your help to receive protection under City preservation laws.  This helps establish a system of design guidelines and public input and well as giving building code relief to developers who save these historic buildings.

All buildings must be at least 25 years old.  They met the federal standard to 50 years.  In addition, there are six criteria for nomination.  The site needs to meet only one but we feel it meets four of the six:
 Criteria A “It is associated with a historic event,” the Around the World Flight and Lindberg’s landing
  Criteria C: “The buildings are associated in a significant way with a significant aspect of the cultural, political or economic heritage of the city, state or nation”(1st Municipal Airport and Navy base),
 Criteria D: “It embodies the distinctive visible characteristics of an architectural style or period” as a large collection of WPA built Art Deco, Colonial Revival and rare pre-WWII aviation hangers and
Criteria F: Because of its prominence of spatial location, contrasts or siting, age, or scale, it is an easily identifiable visual feature of its neighborhood or the city and contributes to the distinctive quality or identify of such neighborhood of the City.” 

 If you served at the base or have a story about its importance to our economic development or national defense or aviation history please write or e-mail just one page to the Landmarks Board and let them know by the end of January.  Public Notice is attached so you can see the whole nomination with historic photos.

Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board
Department of Neighborhoods
PO Box 94649
Seattle, WA  98124-4649    or attend the meeting Feb.2 at 3:30 Seattle Municipal Tower 700 5th Ave., 40th floor room 4060



Lynn Ferguson Friends of NAS-Seattle Historic District www.sandptnavsta.org;lynnferguson65@comcast.net  206-523-0391


Monday, January 24, 2011

FEDERATION MEETS THURSDAY January 27, 7 P.M.


SEATTLE COMMUNITY COUNCIL FEDERATION
Regular Meeting
NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency), Pacific Marine Center on Lake Union
Thursday, January 27, 2011

AGENDA


Are Changes in Store for the Department of Neighborhoods?
Will Sand Point Naval Air Station be Designated an Historic District?
and More

The January Federation meeting will include a potpourri of issues facing neighborhoods and the City. 

City Neighborhood Council Chair Chas Redmond will provide background and his expertise on issues relating to the Council directive  to identify new approaches for DON to implement community outreach and engagement activities given fewer resources and to prioritize the roles and responsibilities of Neighborhood District Coordinators.

Lynn Ferguson, President of Friends of Naval Air Station Seattle Historic District,  will brief the group on efforts to designate a new historic district in the City.   Since 1970, the City has established seven historic districts recognizing the aesthetic and architectural value of these treasured cultural and historical resources.  Now, the City is poised to recognize Sand Point Naval Station as an historic district with your support.

Time permitting, the January meeting will also include our monthly Round Robin of issues and projects in your neighborhood.  If you have informational materials you would like distributed at the meeting, please email electronic copies or links to Jeannie Hale at jeannieh@serv.net.
7:00                 Call to Order and Introductions
                        Administration
1.     Treasurer’s report
2.     President’s report  -- Suggestions for new meeting location
7:15                 DON and Neighborhood District Coordinators—CNC Chair Chas Redmond
7:45                 Sand Point Naval Air Station Historic District—Lynn Ferguson, Friends of Naval Air Station Seattle Historic District
8:15                 Round Robin
1.     Implementing the Council’s SLI on Community Centers
2.     Paid Parking in Parks—Which parks should be targeted?  What are the benefits?  The impacts?      
3.     Renaming the Brooklyn North Link Light Rail Station
4.     Other—Please bring priorities from your community group
9:00                 Adjourn
NOAA is a federal facility on high security alert, so attendees must enter by the security gate and may need to present photo ID. If you haven't attended a recent Federation meeting, please send your name, contact information, and address to rickbarrett@gmail.com  to be added to the entry list. No e-mail? Call 206-365-1267. The building is ADA compliant, with ample parking in front.

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Memorial for Ingraham Trees on Sunday, January 9, 2010

Memorial for Ingraham Trees on Sunday, January 9, 2010

We were rained out last time when we tried to schedule a memorial service for the trees to be cut down at Ingraham High School.  This time we have scheduled the gathering for the Broadview Public Library.  It will be held this Sunday (January 9, 2011) afternoon from 1 PM to 2:30 PM at the Broadview Public Library at 12755 Greenwood Ave N. The trees are still standing but the Seattle School District has said they are going to start construction on January 20, 2011 so their days are numbered.

So please come to pay homage to the 70 plus years of service these trees have given to the citizens of Seattle by reducing storm runoff, providing habitat for animals, insects and plants, providing shade, cleaning our air of pollutants and producing oxygen to breathe from carbon dioxide and providing green space for our daily lives.

Bring a poem or a song or a picture or speak your own words, or bring memories to share.  The gathering is informal.  Bring something to share to eat or drink.  The 29 trees to be removed from the NW Grove at Ingraham High School are a loss for the citizens of Seattle and future generations and Seattle School children.  We need to dedicate ourselves to ensuring that Seattle stops it's policy of indiscrimately cutting down trees and giving them no value compared to man made   structures of brick and wood and metal.  Douglas fir trees can last much longer than our man made buildings if we let let live - their life range is from 500 to 1000 years. The trees being cut down at Ingraham High School are 20 years older than the school itself. 

The Ingraham trees are some of the oldest in the city because only 50 acres of old growth trees remain in the city.  The rest have been cut down.  The Ingraham trees are the oldest of the remaining second and third growth trees in the city. So come and share with your neighbors and friends some time together celebrating the trees and what they have given us.

Steve Zemke

Chair - Save the Trees -Seattle

PS Contributions are still needed to help pay our remaining legal bills.  Checks can be made out to Save the Trees-Seattle and sent to

Save the Trees- Seattle
c/o Steve zemke
2131 N 132nd St
Seattle, WA 98133

SEATTLE COMMUNITY COUNCIL FEDERATION

Founded in 1948, the Seattle Community Council Federation is one of the nation's oldest and most active coalitions of neighborhood groups.  Yearly dues for member groups are $50.  SCCF welcomes new member groups, and encourages renewal by groups whose membership in SCCF may have lapsed.  Individual donations are also welcome and tax deductible, and go very far, as SCCF is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) organization.  Please mail your check to SCCF, 2370 Yale Avenue East, Seattle, WA  98102-3310.  For questions, contact treasurer Chris Leman, (206) 322-5463, cleman@oo.net.

Keep up-to-date at our blog/website www.seattlefederation.blogspot.com