402 Tacoma Avenue S., Suite 200 TACOMA, WA 98402 PHONE (253) 627-4853 FAX (253) 627-2253
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2013
Vol. CXXIV, No. 23
OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE CITY OF TACOMA Devoted to the Courts, Real Estate, Finance, Industrial Activities, and Publication of Legal Notices
Published Since 1890
Visit our Web site at www.tacomadailyindex.com
INSIDE:
LEGAL NOTICES BANKRUPTCIES LIENS ORDERS FEDERAL COURT AUDITORS OFFICE NEW BUSINESSES editor@tacomadailyindex.com
Tacoma commission to consider historic landmark nomination for Browne's Star Grill
Posted online Fri., Feb. 1 Photo Courtesy Historic Tacoma Historic Tacoma, a non-profit organization that advocates for historic preservation, announced Thursday that a nomination to place the former Browne's Star Grill building in Tacoma's Hilltop neighborhood on the city's register of historic places will be presented to the City of Tacoma's Landmarks Preservation Commission this month. The building, which dates back to 1906 and is also known as the Kellogg-Sicker Building, was designed by pioneer Tacoma architect Carl August Darmer and is currently owned by the City of Tacoma. Last year, Historic Tacoma placed the building on its "Watch List" of endangered properties. According to the organization, the City of Tacoma purchased half a city block that includes the Kellogg-Sicker Building and the Pochert Building in 2005. The organization has also nominated the Pochert Building to the local historic register. That building dates back to 1904 and was also designed by Darmer and is also on Historic Tacoma's "Watch List." "The Kellogg-Sicker and Pochert buildings have been vacant and in decay since the City obtained ownership of the property," according to a message on Historic Tacoma's Web site. "These buildings are
in the heart of what once was a thriving commercial district. Historic Tacoma encourages the City of
Tacoma City Council to discuss proposed changes to open space program Posted online Fri., Feb. 1 Photo Courtesy City of Tacoma Tacoma City Council is scheduled to meet Tuesday to discuss a proposed organizational change to Tacoma's open space program. According to city staff, open space properties, which include both parks and urban forest lands, are managed by the City of Tacoma's Planning and Development Services Department. Under the proposal before city council, active open spaces, such as the Chinese Reconciliation Park and other small parks, will continue to be managed by Planning and Development Services staff using existing open space funds. Passive open spaces, such as undeveloped urban forest land, will be transferred to the city's Environmental Services Department to be managed for canopy cover and stormwater benefits. Properties transferred amount to 459
acres and include sites such as Julia's Gulch, Mason Gulch, and the Stadium-Schuster slope. Councilmembers will not take public comment during the study session, which will be held on Tues., Feb. 5 at 12 p.m. in Room 16 of Tacoma Municipal Building North, 733 Market St. Audio from the meeting will be broadcast live on TV Tacoma and online at tvtacoma.com. On-demand audio archives are available on the Web within 24 hours of the meeting online at tvtacoma.com.
Tacoma to lead by example and place these unique historic structures on the Tacoma Register of Historic Places and restore them to their historic use as mixed-use residential and retail centers." The nominations were prepared by architectural historian and former Historic Tacoma board president Caroline T. Swope and submitted to City Hall in October. "Working with the neighborhood, we've decided to take further action to protect these buildings," Historic Tacoma officials told the Tacoma Daily Index in November. The New Tacoma Neighborhood Council and the MLK Sub-Area Planning Steering Committee, in direct response to resident's appeals to maintain remaining historic and cultural relevance for the neighborhood, have partnered with Historic Tacoma to nominate both of these buildings to the Tacoma Register of Historic Places." Tacoma's Landmarks Preservation Commission is expected to review the nominations during its meeting on Weds., Feb. 13 at 5:30 p.m. at the Tacoma Municipal Building, 747 Market St., Room 248, according to Historic Tacoma (the agenda and meeting materials have not yet been posted to the commission's Web site). If the commission deems the buildings worthy of further consideration, a public hearing will be scheduled and other opportunities for public comment publicized. More information is available online at historictacoma.org.