The old Denny’s restaurant on 15th and Market has been boarded up for months as a battle heats up over whether it’s a Seattle landmark. On January 2nd, the Landmark Preservation Board will hold a nomination hearing, and a decision could follow within a matter of weeks. If it doesn’t qualify for landmark status, it will be demolished and replaced with the Ballard Commons, a condo project. Meanwhile, the Ballard Design Review Board will meet about the proposed project on December 17th, 6:30 p.m. at Ballard High.