One of the first things I ever wrote about Lakewood, back when we were all dodging pterodactyls and Moses hadn’t left for the journey yet, was about how a local government agency was hiding something from taxpayers. A big theme of the Lakewood Journal back in the day was that citizens should be informed of things that affect them.
This was a big theme of the cityhood campaign in the mid-90s – nobody knew what Pierce County government was doing in advance of them doing it. A city promises to inform its own citizens, which it once did relentlessly and still continues to do much of the time.
More recently, my loyal readers, both of you, have surely noted that this theme remains. In passing, I’ve been critical of the fact that we no longer have an advisory board to help with redeveloping empty lots and shadow businesses. And the city no longer has a citizens’ transportation advisory board that would have helped the community work through the recent dispute over sidewalks and trees.
And of course, I’ve written about how something was going to affect my neighborhood and I didn’t feel we were notified properly. That’s somewhat related to the advisory board question, because the tax incentive against small business and for box apartments would have gone to the aforementioned Redevelopment Advisory Board for discussion.
So if we hear that the city is going to eliminate yet another advisory board, you’d expect me to go into full rage mode. My nuanced and diplomatic writing might veer into something, gasp, sarcastic and nasty!
And you’d really expect that if you knew I was the very first chairman of that citizens’ advisory group nearly 25 years ago.
But if I did go into rage mode, I wouldn’t be a very proper historian. One of the lessons of history is that one should try to learn from history. And if that’s so, then this advisory board should go. And since great minds think alike, this is probably why the Lakewood city staff and City Council have its elimination on their first agenda for January.
The history of history
You only have to read The Suburban Times or Facebook to see lots of Lakewood people care about history, and by history, I mean the memories and buildings that we have from Lakewood’s past. There’s a whole Facebook group dedicated to the subject, and I hear history come up all the time, either out of sincere interest or because someone is trying to weaponize it.
A big difference between caring about history and doing something about it. It’s one thing to reminisce, and another thing to be a member of the Lakewood Historical Society or Fort Steilacoom Museum. I’m not being critical, just real. We can all only do so much. It’s great to love history and care about history and that’s all I ask for.
None of us can be members of every group and volunteer for everything.
The third major history group in Lakewood is the Landmarks and Heritage Advisory Board (LHAB). It was created by the City Council then based on a staff recommendation. The group got its start and energy from a city staff member who would later, surely by coincidence (cough), use his experience to get a job in a very cute town that was passionate about historic preservation.
The creation of the board got me involved in the city again, and because I’d been president of the Fort Steilacoom Association, someone suggested I chair the landmarks board. Sure, I said, and did. We’ll talk about its work in a second. Getting involved in the board was lifechanging, in that I was representing the board when the late Mayor Bill Harrison walked up and suggested I run for City Council. That’s just a little note in my own history.
Landmarks of the Landmarks Board
I was thinking of describing what LHAB does, but I’m worried this column will get complicated. I’m going to give you a super short version: LHAB’s prime role is to designate sites and buildings as historical in order to protect them. For the first 10 years of its life, the program was weirdly Seattle-like. You could, if you wanted, nominate a building you did not own. That never seemed like the Lakewood way, so we didn’t publicize that. No one ever nominated, say, the Lakewood Colonial Center or Tenzler library.
After I left the council, it decided to require a landowner to sign on to a designation.
In fancy schmancy cities that have a lot of historic buildings, people can use designation to get help with building codes and tax breaks to restore historic buildings. We publicized the heck out of that, but I don’t believe anyone took advantage of it in Lakewood.
There are some buildings that were designated because their owners, some of whom have since died, wanted to preserve the sites as best one can for the future. You can see a list here: https://cityoflakewood.us/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Designated-Lakewood-Landmarks.pdf
I was able to tell Margaret Gunter, before she passed, that her home, the oldest standing in Lakewood, the Boatman-Ainsworth house, would be protected to a degree in perpetuity.
So the Landmarks board did good work with the people who did participate. We should acknowledge that a very small core group of people have been part of LHAB for a very long time. But it has room for nine members, and it has just a couple. Because of issues getting a quorum, 10 of the last 11 meetings had to be cancelled. Ten of the last 11 meetings were cancelled, and I could be critical of the city about that, but there’s no evidence that the citizens of Lakewood are clamoring for this board. There’s just not enough interest in the community, either by historic preservationists or landowners.
The truth about history in Lakewood
Here’s the deal. As I just said, lots of people love history but only a few have the time and resources to invest in it.
Lakewood has enough people for one good heritage society. But we are dispersed among several: LHAB, the Lakewood Historical Society, and Fort Steilacoom, not to mention several groups dedicated to aspects of history, such as Lakewold Gardens.
I’ve been way too busy keeping the lights on at Fort Steilacoom to even think about volunteering at the Lakewood Historical Society, whose museum I helped to found. That’s just how it is. There’s not enough of us willing and able to put time into preserving history in Lakewood. I’d love it if we were Seattle or Tacoma in that way, but we’re not.
LHAB has been a nearly 25 year experiment that just did not work out, despite the great efforts of the few people who remain. It’s time to learn from history and try something else.
At a recent meeting, the Lakewood City Council discussed options including getting the Lakewood Historical Society involved and perhaps offering some support. That’s a great idea. I need to get off my butt and do the same now that I’m retired.
You can hear their excellent discussion here:
https://www.youtube.com/live/vlIoutzRSzA?si=pou6LXNVvtDrZUTx&t=4553
The return of transparency as an issue
Now, one issue remains. A member of the LHAB told me that they had not heard a thing about the city planning to phase out the board until they saw it on the council agenda.
Sigh.
So, friends, I have a feeling the subject of transparency is going to come up again for us. And perhaps again. And again. And again.
That’s Lakewood’s history.
Publisher’s Note: Story updated Dec. 27, 2024 regarding why 10 of the 11 meetings were canceled.
Walter Neary says
This article was originally posted with an inaccurate description of why 10 of the last 11 Landmarks board meetings were cancelled. After this article was posted, a member of the Landmarks board sent me emails that showed the vast majority of meetings were cancelled this year at the request of city staff.
That said, we haven’t seen many citizens stepping up to join the Landmarks board, so I still think a new approach is needed. My opinion is not intended to disparage the wonderful people who support the board; heck, I used to be one of them as a board member. But if neither the city government nor the citizenry are interested in supporting something, that’s a sign.
Dan Fannin says
Thank you for continuing to champion Lakewood past, present and future.
Will says
Yes, thank you Walter for helping Suburban Times Readers, and others, focus on the area’s history. You are an articulate spokesperson for the cause. It does seem our busy local government has become a bit too insular. Coordination is hard work, but it’s something Councils should always remember to do or delegate.
Cindy Gardner says
Thank you Walter. You have once again focused on the issues and concerns of Lakewood. We appreciate your bringing them to our attention.
Cindy Duhamel says
Thanks so much for a much needed message, bravo!
PRKarman says
Thank You Walter,
So glad to see your article. It’s always nice to know there’s someone who shares your perspective. It also reminded me that there are three fingers pointing back at me. That’s why I’ve emailed you at the address provided. Hopefully others will do likewise and get involved. There is strength in numbers.
You can’t just build another historic structure. Once they’re gone, they’re gone. Just a few I can think of, and I know there are many more,
-Park Lodge School
-LCCC Holt Chapel
-Tenzler Library
-Lake City School
-Custer School
-Lakewood Ice Arena
(Oaks Dance Hall)
-Western State Chapel
There aren’t a lot left out there and, it’s worth saying again, you can’t just build another one.
At a bare minimum, let it be a factor when deciding where your vote should go in local government. That is the least we can do.
Thank You again.
John Arbeeny says
Perhaps part of the problem is that several on the Lakewood City Council have been “homesteading” there for years. This was a problem back around 2000 when Council members were running unopposed and citizens shut out of local government decisions. Indeed, Lakewood became known as “Fort Lakewood”!
This was the genesis of Lakewood CARES that in the elections of 2001, 2003, and 2005 managed to have 3 of their membership elected to Council. This resulted in the election of Dr. Claudia Thomas as Mayor (2006) and the resignation of an all powerful city manager, Scott Rolffs (sp?) when he saw the “writing on the wall”. When leadership at the top stagnates you can expect results at the bottom to do the same. Time to shake things up…again!
Glen E. Spieth says
Thanks Walter, you always say it better than I can. I’ve been to almost every meeting of the Lakewood Landmarks Board since it was formed. Assistant City Manager Jeff B originally formed the LHAB Board, he tried to get the LHS to supply the people the man the board. That became a problem for the LHS. The city required an insurance policy for $2M for Professional Liability. That was prohibitively expensive, per the best agent we could find. The LHS could not afford the honor of participating. So Walter, Cy Happy and others from the LHS volunteered the man the Board. I attended as a member of the public. So much for History of the LHAB. As far for quorum, Covid, constant city staff changes etc. happened. The only staff constant was Karen Devereaux, she weathered all the changes. So much for history.
Kris Kauffman says
And I very much appreciate Walter raising the HISTORY of Lakewood issue. I chose the Lakes area as a place to live and raise a family only 54 years ago: I also have a Territorial Citizen Membership from Clallam County where my Grandparents homesteaded before Statehood.
Both my late wife Sylvia and I were active different aspects in the fourth and successful cityhood effort and have been a longstanding Board Member of the LHS and, separately, the Historian for the Chambers-Clover Creek Watershed Council (CCCWC).
A reinvigoration of Lakewood’s significant history going back to the several native villages that found this area a good place to live; the termination of the joint governess of U K and the U S in June of 1846; to the more recent activities with the first “mall” West of the Mississippi (1937); et al…..fascinating shoulders that we stand on deserve recognition.