Cascade of History
Feliks Banel
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BONUS EPISODE: Gas Works Park Update - Did City of Seattle Staffers Override Volunteers of Landmarks Preservation Board?
Feliks Banel's guest on this BONUS EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY is Eugenia Woo, Director of Preservation Services for the non-profit preservation group Historic Seattle. An article in the Seattle Times on Monday, April 13, 2026 by Catalina Gaitán ("Seattle officials seek permit to fix Gas Works Park ‘hazard’") characterizes a move made by the City of Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections as a way for City of Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation officials to "sidestep" the work of volunteer members of the City of Seattle Department of Neighborhoods' Landmarks Preservation Board, and move forward with removal of elements of the historic towers at the popular park. Parks and Recreation has been seeking permission to remove "appurtenances" - walkways, ladders, etc. - from the historic towers preserved in the park as part of landscape architect Rich Haag's revolutionary design more than a half-century ago. We dive deep into the issue with Eugenia Woo of Historic Seattle about how we got here, and what this means going forward - and we ask if cynicism is warranted when examining the facts surrounding this move by the City of Seattle to effectively undermine its own volunteer Landmarks Preservation Board. After this conversation was recorded late Monday afternoon (April 13, 2026), Bryan Stevens from the Department of Construction and Inspections responded to an email question about whether or not Seattle Parks and Recreation needs to further consult with the Landmarks Preservation Board or seek any additional permission or approval before removing material from the protected elements of the towers. "[L]imited removal of landmark features may proceed without Landmark Preservation Board approval," Stevens wrote. Further, based on what Stevens also wrote, SDCI - not the Landmarks Preservation Board - now has permit authority over changes made to historic elements at Gas Works Park. "A permit application has been submitted and is under review now (7136018-CN)," Stevens continued. "Once reviews are approved, we will issue the permit and re-inspect the site to confirm the hazards have been removed. The timing of removal is best answered by Parks and Recreation." Historic Seattle website: https://historicseattle.org/ Seattle Times article "Seattle officials seek permit to fix Gas Works Park ‘hazard'" (paywall) https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/seattle-officials-seek-permit-to-fix-gas-works-park-hazard/ Links to more information as well as images related to most topics discussed on the show are often available at the CASCADE OF HISTORY Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/groups/cascadeofhistory CASCADE OF HISTORY is broadcast LIVE most Sunday nights at 8pm Pacific Time via flagship station SPACE 101.1 FM in Seattle and gallantly streams everywhere via www.space101fm.org. The radio station broadcasts from studios at historic Magnuson Park – located in the former Master-at-Arms’ quarters in the old Sand Point Naval Air Station - on the shores of Lake Washington in Seattle. Subscribe to the CASCADE OF HISTORY podcast via most podcast platforms and never miss regular weekly episodes of Sunday night broadcasts as well as frequent bonus episodes. "LIKE" the Cascade of History Facebook page and get updates and other stories throughout the week, and advance notice of live remote broadcasts taking place in your part of the Old Oregon Country.
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