More Teardown Action (24. May 2006, 11:09 by Derek Young) ~
We don’t see teardowns that often around Tacoma and now, after a high profile one last week, we get a low profile one elsewhere in town. From what we hear it’s near South 8th and Trafton. Sound right? One of our tipsters suggests that, from what he’s heard, the site is being cleared for apartments or condos. The land doesn’t seem to be particularly interesting. Was there something dreadfully wrong with this home or was it simply in the wrong place at the wrong time?
Now that our land is becoming more valuable and more money is in the wallets of our residents, it does appear that teardowns could become more of an issue. I’m not advocating that we save every old house and buiding in town. Generally speaking, teardowns haven’t been a big issue in Tacoma for a long time. What should we do? It’s time for us to see what we have and begin to protect what we care about. Will every house be sacred? No, but I don’t want to see another home with history and distinction, like the Mattson Mansion, disappear.
If anybody knows the address of this home project, can you send it to me?
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I saw another lot being cleared the other day- haven’t had a chance to confirm teardown or not. It’s a prime lot with water view as you head down N 45th? 46th? to that windy road that empties onto Ruston Way…
1 | Posted by morgan | May 24, 12:28 PM
Nice post.
Yes, we do need to try to protect historic houses. However, from the picture, the house looked too small to protect and was likely not historial or large enough to want to protect.
I think the historical society needs to work to identify X number of the best houses and buildings and then work to protect them.
2 | Posted by Erik | May 24, 12:56 PM
That neighborhood is zoned for RCX (Residential Commercial Mixed-Use) so as Tacoma grows you will most likely see more of the lots being used for their highest and best use.
I am pretty sure the tax exemption came through months ago or maybe even last year.
3 | Posted by Jake | May 24, 05:35 PM
That neighborhood is zoned for RCX (Residential Commercial Mixed-Use) so as Tacoma grows you will most likely see more of the lots being used for their highest and best use.
“Highest and best use” is somewhat debatable. It’s not like this is right on Sixth, it is a decidedly residential neighborhood, where all of the surrounding structures are other houses. I can hardly understand why building something that abuts the property line would be the highest and best use of the lot for the neighborhood.
One characteristic that often defines ‘real cities’ is an obvious mixture of building types, sizes and uses. Many areas of the city are covered by cheaply-built tract homes from the 40s and 50s which aren’t particularly attractive or historically significant. If Tacoma wants to step into the realm of ‘real cities’ then it would be well advised to allow more demolitions of these insignificant houses to create higher density development—and definitely not McMansions. I’m not advocating for a high rise, but greater density helps create a more pedestrian and sustainable environment. I recently read an editorial in a Seattle paper that criticized single family homeowners (namely Craftsman style homes) for influencing decades of land use decisions that prevented higher density development in the name of ‘neighborhood protection.’ It’s a good read.
5 | Posted by drizell | May 24, 06:18 PM
I am guessing all of the current zoning is because of the Urban Growth Areas. I would much rather have multi-family and mixed use projects surrounding the small commercial cores (6th Ave) instead of being placed randomly in low density residential areas. If that kind of zoning wasn’t there you would have something like the North Slope neighborhood with random apartment buildings in low density residential neighborhoods. The current zoning is good planning by the city. We are just in the begining stages of changes happening and people don’t like change.
Same thing with South Downtown. Fawcett, Yakima, G Street. They are low density residential neighborhoods for the most part. But the zoning is DR (Downtown Res) It is surrounding the Commercial Core. And now there are tons of medium and high density residential units going in to support the commercial core.
6 | Posted by Jake | May 24, 06:30 PM
Jan. 10, 2006 City Council meeting:
Authorizing the execution of a Multi-Family Housing Limited Property Tax
Exemption with Mark A. Lawson and Jodie J. Lawson for the construction of
16 units of market rate, for-rent, townhouse-style condominiums located at 635 and
645 South Trafton Street in the 6th Avenue Mixed-Use Center.
Ayes: 9 Nays: 0 Absent: 0 Abstaining: 0
7 | Posted by Jake | May 24, 07:08 PM
Good find Jake. Here’s hoping they don’t build anything too ugly.
I guess I need to reconcile my feelings that more people should be living in dense urban settings with the fact that I live in a Craftsman home and I like to be surrounded by other Craftsman homes (drizell called me to the carpet on that one). Oh my God, I’m going NIMBY…aaaaah!
So, what exactly is a “for-rent, townhouse-style condo”, anyway?
So, what exactly is a “for-rent, townhouse-style condoâ€, anyway?
My guess is rental housing similar in style to the townhouses at 6th and I or 2nd and G. Contemporary townhouses in a Starbucks color scheme (burgundy, mustard, and some kind of green) – all on the same unit. Rent them now, go condo in a few years. Or, just go condo now. It’s the cool thing to do.
Of course, given Jake's info, this also means that 635 S. Trafton is the next to face the bulldozer.
“I guess I need to reconcile my feelings that more people should be living in dense urban settings with the fact that I live in a Craftsman home and I like to be surrounded by other Craftsman homes”
Yes, I agree we need to not let single family neighborhoods be destroyed or intruded upon.
However, that area needs alot of life introduced into it sooo bad.
It still amazes me that Marcato was built given the blight in the area.
10 | Posted by Erik | May 24, 08:36 PM
Commenting is closed for this article.
- Posted:24. May 2006, 11:09
- Author: Derek Young
- Category:The-Politics-of-Development
- Comment Status:Closed
