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Thu. May 10, 2007, 08:43am PDT
Opinion ~ WSHM fence barrier to a more vibrant downtown
In the ongoing saga of the WSHM donor wall the results now seems clear and unavoidable. Since the stop work order was lifted the time has come to put back the fence. No gate, no gap or passage for pedestrians just a barrier to help divert folks past the museum gift shop and front doors. Anyone would tell you that physical coercion doesn't bring in customers you want but frustrates anyone more sensitive than a rock into becoming immediately opposed to such underhanded tactics and to those who perpetrate them. Case in point: Ikea. Does anyone like being herded through the store on a predetermined path? Not in this country.
With solid exhibits and signage no opening in that fence will dissuade any interested wanderer from happening by the History Museum. It will, in fact, help move people freely to and from downtown and the Foss waterway. Most residents and downtown business people would gladly have other options for moving around none of which will impact museum attendance because they won't often just "happen" by anyway. As for visitors and tourists, they'll likely have a goal to visit the museum as most people have plans when they go on trips. For that other (I'm wagering minuscule) group of care free, split-second decision maker visitors, as I mentioned before, some signage near a fence opening and maybe even a more noticeable sign at the WSHM entrance itself will help spark their interest.
The bottom line is, no downtown Tacoma business or attraction is a silo. For true success to be reached, everyone needs to work together to breed energy and reasons for anyone to come and stay downtown. No one who plans to visit one place then wander to find anything else interesting should come upon a huge and empty plaza, a row of downtrodden old store fronts, or a fence blocking what looks like an interesting area. Everyone needs to put their egos in check and step out from behind their own self-imposed fences so we can get on with the business of building a great downtown.
Comments (12) | To Top
5/10/2007 @ 12:56pm
Calling all guerrilla artists: get keep your hacksaw blades / cutting torches handy. As soon as they put the steel fence back up I say cut a large circular hole through the center of that bad boy. If you can get a safe or plant a fawn, you can cut a hole in a fence!
by RR Anderson
5/10/2007 @ 3:07pm
This is not looking too good.
Take a look at picture No. 3. Stacks of pre-bad concrete I think they just moved in. What do they need that for a fence?
Also, in the top right of picture 3 is a pallet of cinder blocks. Nice.
The proposed "fence" is looking awfully wallish.
Does anyone have a proposed drawing for the proposed "fence."?
by Erik
5/11/2007 @ 6:19am
I went over to look at the fence construction and it does look junky and sad. I also went in the museum and was impressed by how the exhibit on the first floor. Lots of good information on Native Americans and Washington in general.Lots of school kids running around. I also saw a cool exhibit on modern Native American art that was still roped off. I plan to go when it opens.I write on Tacoma history and the museum publishes a journal called COLUMBIA. The coolest most creative exhibit was a tiny one on the history of the journal.I didn't know it existed. I guess I think Nicandri can't be all bad. Kevin maybe you should go and talk to Nicandri and explain how we are concerned about the city and that we are actually all on the same side. I plan to write a letter--thanking them for what I saw and asking that they reconsider the fence. I still can't figure out why they wanted to waste money on it. And Kevin thank you for your reporting on this.
by Jennifer H.
5/11/2007 @ 6:33am
Jennifer: I couldn't agree more and have thought that meeting with Nicandri couldn't hurt. We need to communicate in this town and not everyone responds to the purely digital (e.g. blogs and email). I'm sure anyone in Nicandri's position would want as vibrant and active a downtown as possible because it will only mean good things for museum attendance.
by KevinFreitas
5/11/2007 @ 7:55am
Mr. Anderson...poor form on the urban terrorist posting. I am in hopes this was just a bad attempt at being funny. Wouldn't you be concerned if someone acted upon your "call to arms?" You may consider having good alibi's after making a statement like that.
Perhaps your urban efforts would be better suited going after the City and Sound Transit to fix the Northeast bound lane of Pacific Ave. from S.21st to S17th. The construction of the road was poor workmanship and I hope you have noticed that the road is so badly pitted and pot-holed that people must hug the museum building when it rains to keep from getting soaked by a wave of runoff water by a passing transit bus, which I saw happen to a poor women this past winter. How about the missing grout at the light-rail/crosswalk intersection. I have seen women twist their ankles when their heels get caught in the void....sounds like a tort claim waiting to happen to me. Perhaps it's like a recall analysis....once several hundred people are injuried then they will consider fixing it.
by DIKDUR
5/12/2007 @ 12:57am
DIKDUR,
Its hard to take your critique seriously when you post anonymously.
As far as RR being serious, you can see he is certainly kidding. As any welder knows, it is simply impossible to cut a round hole in a metal fence.
Also, do you really believe he is using www.kevinfreitas.net to communicate with the person who took the (empty) safe from the Elks and left it upside down in the road?
Ok. On the astronomical change he was using a blog to communicate with the "safe dragger", is it realistic to believe that the safe dragger would be interested in opening up a public easement on the other side of town for the public benefit of pedestrians?
To me, it would seem that these are entirely different set of skills.
(By the way, if "safe dragger" had a cutting torch at his disposal, he would not have left the safe unopened)
by Erik B.
5/12/2007 @ 6:27am
I enjoy Mr. Anderson's posts. He expresses our frustration with witty and humorous comments and imagery. Anyone consistently reading this blog knows we all care about the city so please don't brand us as terrorists for your ideological convenience. Instead engage the group with your ideas and suggestions.
by Jennifer H.
5/14/2007 @ 7:21am
Mr. Erik B.
You must know Mr. Anderson well to be so certain his comments are benign. Any welder worth his trade that has a plasma cutter can cut a circle. My teenager cuts a nice circle in metal shop. I'm not sure what you are referring to about the safe or fawn...? I never mentioned either. Mr. Anderson's frustration is obvious which would lead any prudent person to be concerned he or his followers may act upon a threat.....
I find it odd, however, that real pedestrian issues such as safety escaped my previous comment. I don't see anything wrong with people getting a little more exercise by taking a few additional steps to get to the bridge or the Foss. I made the trip on Friday to see, what appeared to be, hundreds of school kids in the amphitheater of the History Museum.
As a parent concerned with my children's safety, I personnally wouldn't want an opening off of the plaza for fear that some child not being supervised properly could run into traffic or be taken off the property by a deviant.
I realize I am coming into this topic late and perhaps Mr. Anderson has some wit I failed to see. What I read, however, was a call for property damage or vandalism.....for which I don't see much humor. Good luck on your discussions with the museum.
by DIKDUR
5/14/2007 @ 8:53pm
"I realize I am coming into this topic late and perhaps Mr. Anderson has some wit I failed to see."
Yes, you might want to read through the earlier commentary on the issue on the blogs to catch up:
http://www.kevinfreitas.net/
http://www.exit133.com
The wall issue is addressed in a text and graphic format. That should bring you up to speed.
As for Mr. Anderson, he clearly and succinctly explains his position on the wall and other subjects on http://www.holisticforgeworks.com/. A brief review of his site should clear up any questions you may have had about him.
by Erik B.
5/15/2007 @ 5:57pm
DIK.--I came late to this discussion too but the only thing that worries me is the idea of a grown man missing work on a Friday so he can watch kids at the History Museum. Then you come up with the idea that "someone" will snatch them if there isn't a fence.Would that "someone" be you? Now I really am worried.
by Claire Petersen
5/18/2007 @ 2:04pm
Ms. Petersen,
Your comments are extremely narrow minded and just above gutter level not to mention offensive. So if that was your plan of attack, it worked..congratulations. I suppose you would think the same of anyone taking a lunch time walk. When my child's school visited the downtown musuem's, I did a neighborhood search for registered sex offenders because I wasn't comfortable with a person I don't know being responsible for my child. I found there are 37 registered offenders within one-half mile of the museums. 8 of which are level three. Perhaps you live your life is a perfect little bubble Ms. Petersen since you are casting stones. I on the other hand I believe there are bigger more sinister issues in our community than a fence going up. I forgive you, Ms. Petersen, for your insulting comments. Let's just hope you recieve forgiveness.
by DIKDUR
5/19/2007 @ 8:03am
To be fair to DIKDUR, I've heard the same concern for child safety from Dave Nicandri himself. He said that from his office window he sees these school or other groups eating lunch in the amphitheater and doesn't want to make group monitors jobs more difficult by opening up another route [through the fence] for kids to slip away.
by KevinFreitas