‘Edith is not the only one fighting’ for Ballard

Posted by Geeky Swedes on January 21st, 2008

I just noticed this comment on last week’s post about Edith Macefield, the elderly Ballard woman who refused to sell her home to developers. It was left by a man named Rudy who says he’s lived in Ballard for 6 decades. “They want my house too and the lovely corner 1/4 acre lot it sits on,” he writes. “They won’t get it, not from me nor the family that I have willed it to. Edith is not the only one fighting to keep Ballard’s history.”

Tags: Ballard Facebook

Suthii

"their homes"

Suthii

" I am fully aware of Ballard’s working class history/culture that is at odds with “Yuppies.”

If they don't like the yuppies, don't put there homes on the market for $500K! I say, sell 'em for $125K and leave that mangy dog and 1975 Ford pick up and you can guarantee no yuppies.

strike

Bravo Ben. I couldn't agree with you more.

Ben

In this man's original comment he mentions Ballard's history and how it is being destroyed by these new developments. I have lived in Ballard all my life and I have a hard time understanding what this history is that he is talking about. Sure I know about Ballard's Nordic history or its maritime history, but what do these have to do with condos or buildings? Is he talking about the history of single-family home living? The history of single-family living in the United States is exactly what is destroying this planet, there are 6.7 billion people on this earth and that number is only going to get bigger, we can't all have our own buildings.

Given that this denser living HAS to come to Ballard to save our undeveloped land, how can we save this history that Rudy is talking about? Make all the condo buildings look like 1920's craftsman bungalows or brick tudors? Require them to respect our roofing history and use wood shingles? What is Ballard's history with respect to architecture and how should it be including in these new developments?

p.s. I am fully aware of Ballard's working class history/culture that is at odds with "Yuppies." To me that is a much greater part of Ballard's culture than any building style. However I do not think that we should, or are going to, tell specific groups of people where to live so we have to give up on that. Could we make more museums or hold more events to acquaint these new-comers to the Ballard way?