Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board facts for kids

The City of Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board is a group in Seattle, Washington, that helps protect important old buildings and places. They decide which places are special because of their history or unique design. Once a place is chosen, it becomes a "landmark." This means it gets special protection to make sure it stays looking good and keeps its historical value.

The board suggests ideas to the Seattle City Council, which is like the city's government. The City Council then turns these ideas into official rules called "ordinances." These rules have the power of law. The board is part of the city's Department of Neighborhoods, which works to make Seattle a great place to live.

There are eleven people on the board. The mayor chooses them, and the City Council has to agree. The rules say that the board must include experts like architects (who design buildings), historians (who study the past), and engineers (who design structures). As of 2015, more than 450 places in Seattle, including buildings, vehicles, boats, and even street clocks, have been named Seattle Landmarks.

How Did the Board Start?

The Landmarks Preservation Board began in 1973. This was a time when many people in Seattle and other cities started caring more about saving old buildings. In 1966, the U.S. government passed a law called the National Historic Preservation Act. This law encouraged cities to protect their history.

In Seattle, some groups and people, like Victor Steinbrueck and Ralph Anderson, wanted to save historic areas. They were worried about plans to change places like Pioneer Square and Pike Place Market. These areas are very important to Seattle's past.

Because of these efforts, Pioneer Square was named a "historic district" in 1970, and Pike Place Market followed in 1971. Then, the city created the Landmarks Preservation Ordinance. This law set up the board to help protect Seattle's history for future generations.

Special Places in Seattle

Besides individual buildings, Seattle has eight special historic districts. These are larger areas with many old and important buildings. Some of these districts include:

• Ballard Avenue
• Columbia City
• Fort Lawton
• Harvard-Belmont
• The International District
• Pike Place Market
• Pioneer Square
• Sand Point

Pioneer Square is one of Seattle's oldest neighborhoods. Many of its buildings were built right after the Great Seattle Fire in 1889. The International District is next to Pioneer Square. It's the historic home for Seattle's Asian and Pacific Islander communities. Many buildings there date back to 1905-1910.

Pike Place Market is a famous public market that opened in 1907. Some of its buildings are even older. Fort Lawton and Sand Point used to be military bases. Ballard Avenue and Columbia City were once separate towns that Seattle grew to include. The Harvard-Belmont district has some of Seattle's most beautiful old homes.

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  Terracotta detail, Arctic Building. The walrus's current tusks are plastic, as an earthquake safety precaution.

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  Ornamental grating, Seattle Times Building, 1120 John Street (South Lake Union)

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  The Carmack House, demolished in 2015 despite its landmark status

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  The Ballard-Howe House

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  The former Capitol Hill United Methodist Church, now home to Catalysis Corporation

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  Seattle Bing Kung Association Building, a typical contributing property of the International District

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  Union Stables

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  The Norton Building

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  The Montlake Bridge, landmarked along with the Montlake Cut, which it spans

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  Ben Bridge Jewelers street clock, one of several street clocks designated as landmarks

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  The "P-I Globe," symbol of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, landmarked in its own right

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  Seattle Japanese Garden

How a Place Becomes a Landmark

For a building, object, or site to be considered a landmark, it must be at least 25 years old. This age limit is actually lower than in many other big cities. Anyone can suggest a potential landmark by filling out an application. A city officer checks the application to make sure it's complete.

Once a building is suggested, any changes to its important features need special permission called a "Certificate of Approval."

The board holds public meetings to discuss all complete applications. They look at six main reasons why a place might be a landmark. Only one of these reasons needs to be true for a place to be chosen:

• It's connected to an important historical event.
• It's connected to an important historical person.
• It's important to the culture, politics, or economy of the community, city, state, or nation.
• It shows a special architectural style, period, or way of building.
• It's an amazing example of architecture or design.
• It's an easily recognizable part of its neighborhood or the city, making that area unique.

The board can approve all or part of the suggestion. They then hold a second public meeting a month or two later to make a final decision. If they say no, the property usually can't be suggested again for five years, unless the owner asks.

If the board says yes, they work with the property owner to create an agreement. This agreement explains which parts of the landmark must be protected. It also describes the process for getting a Certificate of Approval for any changes. Sometimes, the agreement can even offer benefits to the owner.

The property owner can challenge the board's decision. Eventually, the Seattle City Council must pass an official ordinance to make the landmark status final.

What Happens After Designation?

The main goal of the landmarks program is to manage changes, not stop them completely. For some buildings, only the outside is protected. For others, the inside is protected too. If a building is a landmark or is in a historic district, you need a Certificate of Approval for many changes. This includes changing the outside look, adding signs, changing paint colors, or even making changes to the sidewalk area. Sometimes, even starting a new business there needs approval.

These rules are different from being listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). An NRHP listing doesn't stop owners from using, changing, or selling their property. Also, the NRHP won't list a property if the owner doesn't want it listed.

However, being a Seattle Landmark can offer some good things. For example, the city might allow a landmark building to be used in ways not usually allowed in that area. They might also relax rules about open spaces, how far a building must be from the street, or parking. Landmark buildings in downtown Seattle can also transfer certain development rights more easily. Plus, a "special valuation" can help delay increases in property taxes for up to ten years if an old building is fixed up.

These benefits are much more helpful than those from an NRHP listing. An NRHP listing is mostly about prestige, though there are some federal tax benefits for commercial buildings on the NRHP.

Who Does the Board Not Cover?

The Landmarks Board does not have power over all buildings. For example, some buildings owned by other government groups are not under the board's authority. The Metropolitan Tract in Downtown Seattle is owned by the University of Washington. Because of this, the board cannot make decisions about those buildings.