"The landmarks process is very selective, and rightfully so."

If you knew Googie

You would see it as the portal to cool Seattle sorely lacks

Editor, The Times:

While I agree with the sentiment that the owner of the Googie-styled building that formerly housed the Ballard Denny's should be fairly compensated for the designation of that structure as a historic landmark, "Not gaga over googie" [Times editorial, Jan. 6] too easily trivializes an important era in U.S. architecture.

I moved away from Seattle to attend graduate school, but I carry an enduring fondness for Seattle and its style in my heart. The Times notes that the building "has swooping lines, but so does a much better-known Seattle creation: the Space Needle." Sure it does, isn't that sort of the point?

The question is one of branding. Through careful preservation choices, Seattle has a unique opportunity to be identified with a stylish, clean-lined architecture that could remain a major characteristic and tourist draw.

So much of the architecture throughout the Northwest is cold, drab and antiseptic. Let's celebrate those elements that breathe a little life, or a bit of fun, into the community! By dismissively characterizing the Googie style as "Sputnik-era rocket ship stuff" and "the garish light of Las Vegas and Southern California," The Times reveals its own bias.

It's fine not to like Googie, of course, but don't ruin the swank cocktail party for those of us who do.

— Aaron Ragan-Fore, Eugene, Ore.

These steps reach to the apotheosis

I wrote the main opposing report to the Landmarks Board, and have studied architecture for 24 years. I take issue with your misinformed editorial on the Ballard Manning's Cafeteria (later Denny's).

The system of landmarking works well, for the most part. Property owners already have advantages in the process. In this case, the owners of the property did not do due diligence in their historical research before they bought the land from the Monorail Authority. The owners also received a preliminary report on Aug. 21, 2007, that clearly indicated to them that the Manning's may have historical significance on four criteria.

There should be no stylistic quota for outstanding buildings that a city can contain. On the other hand, there should be rigorous criteria for selection of landmarks, and Seattle has these. The Manning's meets, in my view, four of these criteria. Few other examples of Googie architecture — or any other style, for that matter — can meet even one or two of these standards. The landmarks process is very selective, and rightfully so.

We do not want to impede necessary housing construction. But no fair-minded person could possibly assert that Ballard's developers have been impeded in building condos by preservationists.

— Alan Michelson, Seattle

A Denny's of iniquity

Thank you! At last, a breath of sanity in what has became the most insane idea I have heard in a very long time, nominating Denny's as a public landmark.

Being born and raised in Ballard, I can remember when that ridiculous building was built on the corner of Market and 15th Avenue Northwest. It was controversial then, as it didn't blend in with any of the existing buildings at that time and certainly had no Scandinavian architectural value.

It has now sat there for 43 years and gotten uglier and uglier with every passing year.

I was elated when I found out that the Seattle Monorail Authority wanted to purchase Denny's; I thought, "At last, the eyesore will be torn down." When that deal fell through, I was greatly saddened and thought, "Oh well, eventually someone will come along and buy up that land and tear it down."

So you can imagine how happy I was when my husband told me that in fact Denny's was scheduled for demolition as it had been sold to a developer. Turning that eyesore into a public landmark is the most ludicrous idea I have ever heard.

I say, the destruction of the old Denny's at the corner of Market and 15th Avenue Northwest can't come soon enough.

— Ruth Gronvold, Shoreline

Not another grave site

Trying to understand Googie from Wikipedia doesn't make one an authority on the style. Calling Googie architecture "gross" is below the belt and unprofessional.

Googie-style restaurants such as Bob's Big Boy in Burbank and Pann's in Los Angeles were both restored and serve as important community gathering places and are economically successful.

The value that a restored Manning's Cafeteria Building would bring is great. We all like to patronize establishments that are interesting and have a sense of place. There are models of success out there from which we can learn.

A recently designated landmark is the Seattle First National Bank Building at Sixth and Denny. The developer went through the same landmarking process as the one for the Denny's site. It will now be adaptively reused as a Walgreens, which will preserve the exterior. The building will be flanked by the planned adjacent apartment/hotel project.

History doesn't always have to be bulldozed to make way for "progress."

— Eugenia Woo, Seattle

The cement wonder

The Times is 100 percent spot-on.

Who are the people serving on these "design review" and "historic preservation" committees? Seems like these boards are populated with the Hushpuppy/tweed-jacket/Volvo-wagon crowd.

And after injecting some sense into these types of issues, I'd start hammering on other important things that affect (benefit) everyone and would make our daily existence much more pleasant — like massively expanding the HMA pavement overlay and concrete-panel-replacement programs for our city streets (lighter, fuel-efficient cars will need smoother surfaces), along with more coherent lane striping and signalization.

— John Frantzen, Seattle

Pass the eternal blowtorch

The Times has never seen a bulldozer it didn't like. The booster press is at it again, supporting business, growth and unbridled consumerism. (And some people call you liberal.) Level every little bit of the past and slap up cheap, ugly, dead-end condos, in this case at an old Denny's.

You people won't be happy until Ballard is a complete dystopia, if it isn't already. All in the name of Mammon. I'm weary of this scorched-earth policy.

— Jim Sobota, Seattle